|
68%
|
Rubber (2011)
|
"A furious run of absurdity that toys with perspective and convention, exploring the relationship between spectators and entertainment while staging an adventure rooted in the film's strict "no reason" policy."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
62%
|
Kill the Irishman (2011)
|
"A certain clenched-fist tonality to the picture that helps it wade through routine, and it's nice to see the city of Cleveland used for change when detailing the horrors and intimidation of mob rule, giving NYC the day off. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Blue Crush 2 (2011)
|
"Considering the rotten quality of the original film, it seems all the sequel had to do was show up and surf. Instead, we get elephant poaching and endless looks of pinched bewilderment. I've never missed John Stockwell more."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
In Her Skin (2011)
|
"It's on the sloppy side, but the primary textures of alarm are sustained and sharply performed, making for a gut-wrenching viewing experience with a foundation in reality that's too awful to bear."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
30%
|
Sanctum (2011)
|
"Some insanity might've jolted this exceedingly uninspired picture awake, giving Grierson more to do than arrange flavorless arguments and humdrum action."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
35%
|
Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
|
"Liebesman wants you to feel trapped in the middle of the action. He wants you to feel the heat of combat on your cheeks. Apparently, he also wants you to barf up your popcorn, with a quaking camera aesthetic that's intolerable."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
93%
|
Another Year (2010)
|
"Not a film of direct conflict or suspense, but one that nurtures a sinking feeling of unease and sadness, watching as some of these characters fall deeper into hopelessness, almost to spite the happiness around them. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
86%
|
Jungle Fever (1991)
|
"Lee brings a shotgun to a knife fight, but his visual energy is undeniably effective, spraying the screen with venom and appalling realities, with most of the feature locked in confessional mode."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
90%
|
City Slickers (1991)
|
"Thankfully, Crystal is more than willing to hog the screen with his whining, impressions, and glorious chemistry with Palance, whose entire performance is based around inconsistent levels of exhaling."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
33%
|
Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991)
|
"A picture with obvious flaws, but one that attempts to subvert the norm with a few curveball jokes here and there. It's not awful. It's not good either."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
32%
|
The Ward (2011)
|
"Flaccid conclusion fits the wilted integrity of the overall feature, which plays as though Carpenter was missing one of his batteries, lacking the drive to conjure some incredible beats of suspense."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
19%
|
Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer (2011)
|
"This is an ugly movie, perhaps not harmful, but certainly repulsive and hollow. Take your kids to a park or library this weekend instead of spending time with this nonsense."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
62%
|
We Are The Night (2011)
|
"Consumed with arranging a pretty picture than securing a ripe female-slanted take on seductive acts of evil and decadence. It's a fireworks display, not a meaty reinvention of a rusty genre."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
93%
|
Midnight in Paris (2011)
|
"A fantastic manipulation, taking viewers to a tranquil place of immense culture and beauty while studying the enticing ease of nostalgia. And here's something I never thought I'd write again: Owen Wilson is marvelous here."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
90%
|
Attack the Block (2011)
|
"A slick horror comedy, Block contains a few fatal flaws that weaken its sense of cheery violent fun. It's difficult to root for a bunch of alien-busting kids when they all deserve prolonged spankings."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
69%
|
Soapdish (1991)
|
"Soapdish is a flurry of activity without a dedicated core, neutering displays of slapstick and the force of the satiric crescent kick."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
82%
|
American: The Bill Hicks Story (2011)
|
"Doesn't impart much in the way of hard facts about Hicks, preferring an affectionate route of celebration, blindly fawning over this mystery man in a way that would likely make Hicks himself retch. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
46%
|
Monogamy (2011)
|
"I walked away from the film disappointed, but there are some powerful ideas and performances buried somewhere in here, underneath the performance art itches."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
94%
|
The Unloved (2009)
|
"As an overall representation of horrors, neglect, and personal solace, it's frustratingly static, often preferring the cool waters of esoteric cinema to something more charged and insightful. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
32%
|
I Am Number Four (2011)
|
"Dealing with intergalactic invasion, corporeal powers, and laser guns, Four is a relatively tame creation, lacking a thunderous, textured cinematic quality that would separate it from the average ABC Family movie. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
67%
|
The Company Men (2011)
|
"It's certainly a screwy recommendation to make, but The Company Men is a worthwhile journey, supplying a catharsis and understanding that supports a rather unsavory topic."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
34%
|
The Hangover Part II (2011)
|
"Just laziness with an active passport, employing an exotic locale to cover the moldy odor of a rehash. There are laughs to be had, but one must suffer through a disheartening display of déjà vu to find them."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
81%
|
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
|
"It's a relief to report that Kung Fu Panda 2 isn't only superb, but matches the original picture in terms of scope and sentiment."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
7%
|
Drop Dead Fred (1991)
|
"An appallingly unpleasant, unfunny, and deeply disturbed motion picture. It's an ear-splitting slapstick comedy for an unknown audience, unifying parents and kids in discomfort with its aggressive movement."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
62%
|
Only the Lonely (1991)
|
"Orchestrates a peaceful stream of gags and one-liners while piecing together a puzzle of broken hearts...one of Columbus's best films, and easily ranks as Candy's most dimensional performance. He's a joy to watch here."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
22%
|
Hudson Hawk (1991)
|
"There was a brief time when a new Michael Lehmann film meant something positive. I know, hard to believe."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
86%
|
Straight Out of Brooklyn (1991)
|
"Awfully difficult to watch outside of its 1991 womb, with its limitations cringe-inducing, reducing a powerful statement of frustration to no-budget After School Special."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
73%
|
Backdraft (1991)
|
"Manipulative? Yes. But damn, citywide funerals, a cranked score, and some Baldwin blue steel redemption poses clears away any irksome storytelling dissatisfaction."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
79%
|
I Saw the Devil (2011)
|
"Casts quite a spell. Even if the whole endeavor limps to a close, there's enough vivid imagery and teary passion within to fuel several movies."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
56%
|
Gnomeo and Juliet (2011)
|
"It's a fairly aggressive film, but Juliet hits these little moments of detail that make the movie entertaining and creative, doing Shakespeare and Elton John justice while creating pleasing comedy chaos."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
51%
|
Vanishing On 7th Street (2011)
|
"An interesting little sci-fi/horror hybrid that urges the viewer to fear the dark, skillfully executed with a healthy amount of scares and inviting confusion. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
The Hit List (2011)
|
"Unfortunately, the true potential of the material isn't developed beyond snips of depravity, which is a shame. After all, in the DTV world, a film like this could use every last morsel of shock value it can find."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
64%
|
Biutiful (2010)
|
"An intermittently striking film with a few immensely effecting moments of catharsis, stretched out over an unnecessarily long running time desperate to hammer home every last twitch of agony. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
3%
|
Passion Play (2011)
|
"There's undeniable entertainment value in accidental absurdity, but Passion Play strikes a note of delirium that's downright painful to process."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Deep Gold (2011)
|
"Not a film of intelligence or logic, but something candied to offer a few moderate thrills for audiences who prefer their action thick-fingered and cheesy, sold by a good-looking cast with little to no acting ability."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
14%
|
Hard Breakers (2011)
|
"Giving the genre a refreshing gender curl, the picture still falls short in the laugh department, with a distinctly stale sitcom air penetrating the relatively vulgar mood. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
33%
|
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
|
"After those last two sequels, the script's obesity and deadly pace of On Stranger Tides makes absolutely no sense to me. Perhaps unconscious is truly how the general public prefers their Jack Sparrow adventures."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Star Tours (1987)
|
"Star Wars takes a new breath of life with this attraction, and it's an absolute treat. It appears there's still plenty of force to fling around in this franchise."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
13%
|
The Big Bang (2011)
|
"Doesn't always supply the smoothest ride of revelations and comeuppance, spending more time sorting out its homework than dealing with the sweet slings of sleaze and suspense that often define the genre. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
54%
|
Hesher (2011)
|
"Artifice is rodeo clowning for the script's flaws, with huge gaps of character development lost to a film that would rather stay on Hesher and his staring contests than tell a full-throated story."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
90%
|
Bridesmaids (2011)
|
"Bridesmaids is a hoot, but it's also ridiculously overlong and surprisingly unadventurous, almost afraid to pursue its most compelling qualities. "
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
75%
|
Everything Must Go (2011)
|
"Script has some major problems, but it's not enough to smother the final work, which finds a powerfully human note to play, fashioning a credible look at a life slowly sliding down the drain."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
——
|
Cougars, Inc. (2011)
|
"Not exactly sure what type of film Levin was looking to make, but he's made all of them, uncomfortably stuffed into a doomed comedy."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
21%
|
From Prada to Nada (2011)
|
"I'd hate to learn the producers struggled to amp the ethnicity of the actresses when that precious time clearly should've been devoted to reworking a wheezy, clumsy script."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
63%
|
Daydream Nation (2011)
|
"Daydream Nation is a mess, but a gorgeous mess. Come for the flaccid teen distress, stay for the stunning imagery."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
15%
|
Something Borrowed (2011)
|
"A romantic comedy doesn't have to be a hardcore slog through the crippling realities of love, but fantasy shouldn't feel like punishment. Who needs substance when the obvious is a proven seller."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
55%
|
Jumping the Broom (2011)
|
"Rough around the edges with a routine of race jokes and chest-thumping confrontations, but it keeps a humanity about it that's appealing and respectful."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
51%
|
Last Night (2011)
|
"If you choose this film for your date night, prepare for a most uncomfortable ride home."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
73%
|
POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)
|
"Truly believes it's submitting a profound statement on the advertising game, yet the commentary is flaccid and repetitive, laced with a pronounced smugness that erodes the whole enterprise."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
|
100%
|
Poetry (2011)
|
"At the end of this film, the significance of Mija's experience is felt in full, creeping up on the viewer in a manner that mirrors the effect of great creative writing."
|
Brian Orndorf
|
78%
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