|
63%
|
Epic (2013)
|
"...the most beautiful boring movie ever made."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
87%
|
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
|
"Though purists may disagree, Abrams' two Star Trek features rank atop their predecessors, eclipsing ... all but the best of the classic Star Trek films."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
13%
|
The Last Exorcism Part II (2013)
|
"You may not have paid for a ticket yet, but believe me, you have seen it all - in other, earlier - though not necessarily better - movies. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
52%
|
Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)
|
"There's no magic in this beanstalk, and viewers foolish enough to spend money on tickets are likely to feel as cheated as Jack when told he's been swindled out of a horse and cart for a few worthless beans. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
34%
|
Dark Skies (2013)
|
"Blumhouse Productions has codified its horror template to the point that their films are the cinematic equivalent of blues ... you will hear the same 12-bar chord progression, hitting the same beats..."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
65%
|
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
|
"Instead of simply adapting Tolkien's novel, Jackson has opted to use the story as a jumping off point for a convoluted prequel that threatens to do for Middle Earth what George Lucas's Star Wars prequels did for a galaxy far, far away."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
74%
|
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
|
"DreamWorks Animation - which minted a fortune by making animated fantasies that spoof and/or ridicule the traditional fairy tale foundation of the form - finally embrace its inner child, and the result is the company's greatest film to date..."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
48%
|
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (2012)
|
"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 won't win any converts to either Team Edward or Team Jacob, but it has enough appeal to extend beyond the hardcore fans who attend ritualistically as a form of tribal identifier..."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
92%
|
Skyfall (2012)
|
"Skyfall may not be another Casino Royale, but it ranks higher than almost anything else the franchise has had to offer for over a decade. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
9%
|
Jack and Diane (2012)
|
"...teasing glimpses of horror merely pose as manifestations of an inner psychological turmoil that is nowhere else evident"
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
50%
|
Vamps (2012)
|
"In Amy Herckerling's film, being a vampire is ordinary rather than remarkable - which pretty much describes VAMPS. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
86%
|
Wreck-it Ralph (2012)
|
"The story pushes a heartfelt message, but the humorous antics are pitched at a strictly juvenile level that will have parents yawning while their children roar in approval."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
67%
|
Cloud Atlas (2012)
|
"So good that it can make you forgive Speed Racer, and that is really saying something."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
25%
|
Paranormal Activity 4 (2012)
|
"[A] daring formal experiment ... that seeks to answer the question: How far can we run this franchise into the ground before the rubes stop paying to be disappointed?"
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
63%
|
Sinister (2012)
|
"If we define ["sinister"] as meaning, "ominous, forbidding, portending of doom," the film starts well enough, with suggestions of dark and sinister events to come; but soon other words creep into mind: stolid, sluggish, tedious."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
90%
|
Hausu (House) (1977)
|
"Visually, HOUSE/HAUSU is stunning. "
|
|
|
97%
|
The Innocents (1961)
|
"...sends shivers down the backbone, playing the vertebrae like a skeletal hand tapping on a xylophone."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
15%
|
Skyline (2010)
|
"...a special effects-filled mash-up of alien invasion films, one that again poses the age-old genre question that has been on the minds of characters since "Night of the Living Dead": "Should I stay, or should I go?""
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
36%
|
Hatchet II (2010)
|
""Hatchet II" falls prey to a problem that typically plagues sequels: it's not just more of the same; it's WAY more of the same."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
52%
|
Devil (2010)
|
" DEVIL is actually superior to any of Shyamalan's recent directorial outings even as it recycles themes and ideas from his earlier works."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
35%
|
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010)
|
"Thought it may not be the kind of film you eagerly anticipate viewing again and again, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" makes a nimble transition to home video, via Walt Disney Video's 3-disc combo pack. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
23%
|
Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010)
|
" It's seldom scary, and it's never very exciting, but it does achieves its goal of delivering a little mindless entertainment."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
——
|
Avatar: Special Edition ()
|
"Despite the new scenes, "Avatar" remains much the film it was before: a blockbuster of magnificent proportions, lacking subtlety while proudly wearing its heart on its sleeve - when it's not blasting bad guys with all the enthusiasm of "The Expendables.""
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
49%
|
Hatchet (2006)
|
"Anchor Bay's new Blu-ray disc replaces their old DVD as the definitive edition for fans who want to add the film to their collection."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
98%
|
The Evil Dead (1981)
|
"If you want to savor the gory goodness of "The Evil Dead" on home video, with every burst pustule and glob of blood as clear and sharp as the day it was filmed, then the Blu-ray disc is the way to go."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
——
|
Silent Star (1960)
|
"[I]t is tempting to dismiss "The Silent Star" as an ambitious failure...however, a glimmer of noble intent shines through..."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
73%
|
The Last Exorcism (2010)
|
"Is "The Last Exorcism" this generation's version of "The Exorcist"? No, it comes across more like an unholy hybrid of "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose.""
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
87%
|
The Exorcist (1973)
|
"From the day of its first release in 1973, "The Exorcist: was the greatest horror film ever made, and it remains so to this day. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
——
|
Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (2008)
|
"Even if the results do not quite live up to [Wallce and Gromit's] best work, "A Matter of Loaf and Death" is nevertheless another fine mess, loaded with droll dialogue and amusing sight gags."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
44%
|
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
|
""The film finds a way to justify its existence despite the inevitable comparisons to ["The Exorcist"], in whose shadow it will inevtiably stand...""
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
63%
|
Predators (2010)
|
"This film deserves more praise than I ever expected to lavish on a "Predator" movie."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
72%
|
Piranha (1978)
|
"[T]hat rarest of rarities: a rip-off that surpasses its inspiration."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
73%
|
Piranha 3-D (2010)
|
"...because "Piranha 3D" unabashedly embraces exploitation, I would like to cut it some slack... The problem is that it isn't even good exploitation."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
4%
|
Vampires Suck (2010)
|
"With a title like Vampires Suck, you don't buy your ticket expecting sophisticated satire, but is it really too much to ask for a few funny jokes? Sadly, the answer is yes. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
95%
|
Best Worst Movie (2010)
|
"Fortunately, Best Worst Movie is not a revisionist attempt to rehabilitate Troll 2's dubious reputation. Instead, director Michael Stephenson, examines that 1990 film's unexpected rebirth as a midnight movie camp sensation."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
0%
|
Troll 2 (1990)
|
"Even bad movies...usually stumble into a good moment or two or at least reveal a brief glimpse of the good intentions that led the filmmakers down the road to cinematic perfidy. Troll 2, however, is a disaster from start to finish. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
81%
|
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
|
"It is by turns zany, silly, and hilarious, and it features the best martial arts action ever seen in a non-Hong Kong film. Why, then, does the film so often fall flat?"
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
83%
|
Carnival of Souls (1962)
|
"There is a nightmare quality to its best scenes, but the film is essentially a great half-hour Twilight Zone padded out to feature length."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
51%
|
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
|
"The Tim Burton sensibility is a perfect match for bringing Lewis Carroll to life; unfortunately, when the screenplay gets around to creating a story to take place in this world, it becomes awkward and dull."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
92%
|
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)
|
"Whether the film fully lives up to its reputation is another matter, but there is no doubt that The Little Shop of Horrors has earned its small place in cult movie history."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
——
|
War of the Gargantuas (1992)
|
"I had originally caught up with the movie on the Million Dollar Movie as a kid, where it seemed to play every night for a week, and I enjoyed it so much that I re-watched it almost every time."
|
Dennis Fischer
|
|
41%
|
The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010)
|
"This sorcerer's biggest trick will be making the audience disappear."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
76%
|
The Time Machine (1960)
|
"Seen today, The Time Machine remains a reasonably elaborate affair, with impressive production values and fine special effects (even if these are somewhat dated,"
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
81%
|
Despicable Me (2010)
|
"Leaves the latest Shrek lying in the dirt like a beat-up has-been."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
6%
|
The Last Airbender (2010)
|
"The conversion process truly needed here was not to add 3-D to the images, but to add depth to characters and a story that barely qualify as one-dimensional."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
49%
|
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (2010)
|
"[T]he makers of the latest Twilight flick rest serene and calm - confident that their audience will take what it wants from the film, whether or not there is anything much up on the screen."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
99%
|
Toy Story 3 (2010)
|
"By the high standards of Pixar, the new Toy Story falls slightly short - which means it's still better than anything else in the computer-animated sweepstakes."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
12%
|
Jonah Hex (2010)
|
"At times it is as if JONAH HEX was shot twice, and the editors could not decide which pieces to use, so they intercut both of them. "
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
74%
|
Micmacs (Micmacs à tire-larigot) (2010)
|
"The latest surreal confectionary from supreme stylist Jean-Pierre Jeunet is occasionally poignant but not as wonderfully whimsical as intended."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
|
74%
|
Splice (2010)
|
"...uses its premise to raise intriguing questions about the moral implications of scientific progress, without resorting to a simplistic formula about mad scientists and monsters run amok."
|
Steve Biodrowski
|
73%
21%
63%
85%
46%
40%
