An asterisk (*) after the date denotes opening-night. I started keeping track of that after September 19, 2003.
1 I'll give unsolicited advice to avoid this movie.
2 Anything is better.
3 It's OK to watch on a desert island.
4 Better to sleep on the plane.
5 Possibly worth watching on an airplane.
6 Worth watching on an airplane; OK rental.
7 A good rental; possibly theater material.
8 Good theater material, strong recommentation.
9 I'll give unsolicited recommendations for the movie.
10 Reserved for the best movie ever. (I may change the scale later.)
| Title | Date Watched |
Rating | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sideways | December 19, 2004 | 7.5 | This movie got excellent reviews, and I thought it was good, but not great. Maybe if I knew more about wine tasting I would have appreciated it more; maybe all professional movie critics know wine. The pacing of the movie was decent, but a little slow in parts. I kept thinking that I dressed like the main character, and that was a bad thing. I need to improve my style! This movie included some very funny scenes, though it had several depressing, realistic scenes, too. I was quite happy with the ending as well. I don't think it benefited very much from being on the big screen, but it's certainly a worthy rental. |
| City of God | December 10-11, 2004 | 7.5 | I wish I spoke Portuguese, yet I still enjoyed this movie. It is quite violent, but the story is compelling and based on truth. Somewhat of a downer, though so far removed from my everyday life that it was difficult to actually absorb fully. Ensure you watch the credits at least for a while to get some real news footage relevant to that time. |
| Mona Lisa Smile | December 3, 2004 | 7 | I really like Julia Roberts. She's just so likeable. The friendship between Betty (Kirsten Dunst) and Giselle (Maggie Gyllenhaal) was great as well. A light movie that's decent enough for renting if you're in that mood. |
| Basic | November 24, 2004 | 7 | The guy at Blockbuster recommended this, and as I was leaving, someone else volunteered that it was good, so I had pretty high expectations. It was definitely multiple different storytellings like Rashomon, and I thought Basic did it pretty well. There were some pretty crazy plot twists; if you watch the DVD commentary, you discover that the actual ending was a somewhat last minute change. Still, it's a good movie. |
| Van Helsing | November 21, 2004 | 6 | Decent action and I wanted to see it because of the genre, but I was a little disappointed with the gadgeteering a la James Bond. They did have some cool special effects combining blue screens and CG. |
| The Negotiator | November 17, 2004 | 8 | I had seen this movie long ago and rented it again because I remembered it being so good. I really like Kevin Spacey. Samuel L Jackson was good, too! Plot twists were great, and the tactics of negotiation are an enjoyable subject to me. |
| The Incredibles | November 13, 2004 | 8.5 | Pixar is awesome. This movie is just the right blend of comedy, action, adventure, and good family dynamics. And they're all superheroes! |
| Around the World in 80 Days | November 4, 2004 | 6 | I saw this on the airplane and didn't realize it was a classic Jackie Chan movie! I think if Arnold wasn't in it, I might have given it a higher rating. |
| The Punisher | October 24, 2004 | 6 | This was a pretty straightforward revenge plot, and if you want something like that, just go with Kill Bill. Still, the action was enjoyable and the DVD special features noted that no CG was used and all the stunts included real explosions, crashes, etc. |
| One Flew Over The Cookoos Nest | October 22-23, 2004 | 7 | All of the characters in this movie seemed believable to me, and I definitely liked Jack Nicholson, but there were a few key actions of his character that I just couldn't understand. Definitely a thought-provoking movie and still fun to watch. |
| To Sir, With Love | October 16, 2004 | 6 | This movie had a good plot, and I certainly like Sidney Poitier, but it was just way too slow. |
| Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | October 10, 2004 | 8.5 | All of the special effects are done using perspective tricks, not CG; watch the special features on the DVD. The key idea of this movie is great, and the execution of the story is awesome, too. The colors are great. The freedom that the imagination provides was well utilized in this movie. Solid ending. |
| Shade | October 3, 2004 | 7 | Realize that all the tricks in this movie are done without special effects, and mostly by the actors. I love con movies! |
| Suicide Kings | September 24, 2004 | 7 | This movie will always have a place in my heart because there's a main character named Ira who hosts a poker game. Really, what more can you want? The story is good, and observing status and negotiation from a position of weakness was fun. Definitely watch the alternate endings! |
| Man on Fire | September 20, 2004 | 6.5 | I tend to like Denzel Washington, and he didn't disappoint me in this movie. The young daughter character as perhaps a bit annoying. The ending confused me a bit. |
| Whale Rider | September 19, 2004 | 7 | An interesting insight into the Maori (sp?) culture. The lead actress was surprisingly good for her age, and the scene where she cries was impressive. |
| Collateral | September 10, 2004 | 6 | Decent action and pacing through most of the movie, but an unsatisfying and slow end. Perhaps my expectations were too high since I saw it in a theater. |
| The Triplets of Belleville | September 6, 2004 | 6.5 | Perhaps a little too strange for me, but still enjoyable. The music was really excellent, and was in fact nominated for best song. |
| The Cider House Rules | September 3, 2004 | 7 | I should read the book. The movie was good, but I'm reasonably confident the book would be even better. Tobey MacGuire is good. |
| Hero | August 27, 2004* | 6.5 | The cinematography was absolutely gorgeous, and the fights were fun, but there was too much talking and not enough action. The ending was also unsatisfying to me. I heard that the original version was 30 min longer. The style definitely made me think of Rashomon. I think I most enjoyed the deflecting arrows scene. The previews were careful not to include any dialog, and that's because the movie is subtitled! |
| Kill Bill, Vol 2 | August 22, 2004 | 7 | Slightly less action than Volume 1, but still entertaining. Great flashback scene, and the story came to a nice resolution. |
| Kill Bill, Vol 1 | August 21, 2004 | 7.5 | I was reluctant to watch this for a long time because I thought it would be too scary or too gorey. It's not really scary at all, but it does have a decent amount of gore. Really, this movie and Volume 2 are a beautiful homage to the Kung Fu genre. If you're remotely interested in that genre, this is a must-see. Personally, I've seen only a small amount of Kung Fu, but I still caught some of the references. |
| Trigun | August 14 - 21, 2004 | 7.5 | Excellent anime series! I would have hated to wait weeks between episodes, but watching several episodes a night for a week worked quite well. Each individual episode is good, plus the overall story has great progression. Vash is an awesome character and makes the whole series. |
| Nothing to Lose | August 10, 2004 | 6 | Pretty ridiculous movie, but it's OK if you're in the mood for slapstick action and some silliness, which I was. |
| The Cooler | August 9, 2004 | 7.5 | Fun idea! I don't know to what extent it's based on truth, but the idea of luck is well demonstrated in this movie. It's a good glimpse of Vegas. |
| Bonfire of the Vanities | August 7, 2004 | 6 | I rented this movie thinking that I hadn't seen it before because I generally like Tom Hanks. It turns out that I had seen it before, but forgot. A decent movie for an airplane, I'd say. Touches on some interesting topics about lying. |
| Spellbound | August 2, 2004 | 7 | This movie is a good demonstration of why documentaries are so compelling. Plus, lots of kids and families are seriously messed up. I'm glad my parents didn't let me get so one-sided. It seems like sports have less pressure than spelling bees. |
| Cold Mountain | August 1, 2004 | 8.5 | This movie was excellent! In some ways, it reminded me of O Brother Where Art Thou, which makes sense considering both movies are Odyssey stories. The visuals in this movie were superb, and the transformation of Nicole Kidman's character over the course of the movie was perhaps the most enjoyable to watch. True love is fun to watch, too. The kiss between Inman and Ada before he leaves for war was really hot! The way those two characters communicated felt real and funny and frustrating. Renée Zellweger won an oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and I certainly thought she was good, but the rest of the cast was strong, too. The music was excellent as well. |
| The Last Samurai | July 31, 2004 | 7 | Another double feature night! I had fairly low expectations going into this movie, so perhaps that made me enjoy it more. The fighting scenes were all good, and the cinematography was excellent, too. The tenacity of Tom Cruise's character was admirable and inspirational. The Samurai are such appealing characters to me, given that honor is one of my highest ideals. |
| Rashomon | July 31, 2004 | 6.5 | I realize this movie was revolutionary when it first appeared, but I personally didn't think it was anything amazing. We saw the same story from many point of views; that was somewhat interesting, but that's not revolutionary to me. Also, while I can acclimate to black and white, I really do prefer color. The cinematography was good, I admit. And the moral of faith in humanity was encouraging, too. Perhaps my high expectations of this famous movie left me feeling a little disappointed after actually seeing it. |
| Mean Girls | July 25, 2004 | 6 | This was acceptable group entertainment late at night after an evening of partying. It didn't exactly capture my high school experience, but it was still easy enough to imagine such a world. Nothing revolutionary, but decent light entertainment. |
| 50 First Dates | July 24, 2004 | 7.5 | Instead of sleeping on the plane like I was supposed to, I watched this movie. I'm a big Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore fan, so perhaps my rating is skewed. The premise is clever and the results are humorous. The androgynous character was totally unnecessary. The opening credits were great, too! |
| The Last Unicorn | July 24, 2004 | 5 | I only watched this movie because it was 2am and I didn't want to go to sleep before I had to leave for the airport for a 7am flight. Perhaps if I was a little kid, or had watched this as a little kid and it brought back happy childhood memories, I would have enjoyed it more. I was definitely older than the target audience. That said, it wasn't totally horrible, and it performed the job of keeping me awake for two hours from 2am - 4am. |
| Spider-man 2 | July 9, 2004 | 7.5 | This is a solid movie. Almost all of my friends had seen it before me, and were really talking it up. Therefore, my expectations were very high and perhaps I was a little disappointed. I absolutely loved Spider-man so my expectations for the sequel were high for that reason as well. I thought the main bad guy was convincing, the battles were good, and Kirsten Dunst remains quite hot. The change comment, the elevator scene, and the reference to real life comic books were the comedic highlights for me. The very last line, and the very last image on the screen were both excellent, IMO. Everyone thinks Spidey has it so rough and empathizes with him, but in that very last 5 seconds of the movie, I empathized with MJ more and felt like she had it the toughest! |
| X-Men | July 5, 2004 | 8 | The super-hero genre is so fun! I had seen this movie when it first game out, but I watched it again for work; still excellent! It's good action, and also touches on relationships, prejudice, teamwork with people you necessarily trust or like. I also watched X-Men 2 today, listed here. |
| Miracle | June 11, 2004 | 6 | Double feature! I saw this on a plane from Philly to Vegas with my brother, sitting in first class. That whole trip was pretty sweet, and this particular movie was perfectly reasonable airplane-fare. Then again, the real highlight were the cartoons following the movie - Goofy World of Sports. My brother and I watched that an uncountable number of times when we were little. It was a good omen. |
| Shrek 2 | June 11, 2004 | 7.5 | I saw this with my family, and it was hilarious. I didn't catch all the subtleties, but my brother had need it before and pointed out some good ones (running out of a starbucks and across the street into another starbucks.) The pinocchio scene was great, and the puns are truly awesome. As good or better than the first one. |
| Akira | June 3, 2004 | 6 | Another double feature day. I was hoping this movie would be better not only because a lot of people had recommended it to me, but also because it has "ira" in the title. It's actually pronounced "AK-ee-ra." Pretty weird overall and hard to describe. Spirituality and science and super powers and motorcycles. |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | June 3, 2004* | 7 | I actually saw this the day before opening day, thanks to my wonderful friend Hunter at EA. I did enjoy the movie, and it was true to the book, but a 2 hour movie just can't do full justice to a 400 page book. Read the book! In this movie, Hermione seems too attractive - she made comments about her hair that made her feel too girly to me, but I guess they need to get the point across somehow. I did feel like they did the big effects pretty well (Patronus, dementor, time twister.) And the new actor who played Dumbledore worked out just fine. |
| Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | June 2, 2004 | 8 | I had seen this movie at least once before, but it's not on the list so I'm adding it here. This movie is gorgeous, action-packed, and emotional. The action is awesome, and the relationships among the characters are realistic, significant, and in motion throughout the film. Don't let the 20 minute flashback in the middle of the movie throw you off. What's up with the ending? |
| Secretary | May 5, 2004 | 7 | I enjoyed this movie and it's worth renting; certainly sexually charged, but nothing pornographic. It definitely gives a perspective on sex and pain that's difficult for me to understand, but is compelling to watch. The changes in the main female character over the course of the movie were noticable, and I enjoyed that, too. |
| Eva | May 5, 2004 | 6 | This movie was moderately entertaining. I'd recommend it for airplane viewing, but not much more. I saw it in the comfort of my hotel room, when I really didn't have much else to do. I enjoyed the ending. |
| Brotherhood of the Wolf | April 30, 2004 | 6.5 | There was some kung-fu, some sex, some plot. Not a bad movie, though nothing overly remarkable, either. I'm naturally reluctant to watch a movie with subtitles, but once you start watching, it's easy to get used to it. |
| Big Fish | April 22, 2004 | 8 | I watched this on a plane from Pittsburgh to San Francisco; perhaps if I saw it on a bigger screen it would have gotten an even higher rating. It was a fantastical movie, while touching on significant issues of separation, exploration, love, and death. Good ending, too. |
| Fargo | April 21, 2004 | 6.5 | Not having a TV/VCR/DVD has definitely cramped my movie-watching style. I've been trying to get to McConomy for $1 movies, but sometimes that's difficult. Tonight I succeeded, though, and Fargo was the film. The plot was good, as well as the acting. A nice mystery, with insight into the minds of criminals. |
| Groundhog Day | April 3, 2004 | 8 | I think this is another classic movie. Bill Murray is great in it, and I liked Andie MacDowell, too. The premise is excellent, and hilarity ensues. |
| Runaway Jury | April 2, 2004 | 7 | John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman - it's a good cast, and a good movie. There were a few things that seemed a little difficult to believe about the plot, but overall it was convincing, and made for a good story with a nice ending. |
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? | March 13, 2004 | 8.5 | This was also a repeat viewing for me, and it was still really good. Based on the Odyssey, the story and the music are superb. Great pacing and reversals. Highly recommended! |
| 10 Things I Hate About You | March 12, 2004 | 6 | I've seen this movie several times before, but Alex and I were having a lazy day so we watched it on TV. The story is fine and there are several funny scenes. I heard that this movie was based on the Taming of ths Shrew? |
| The School of Rock | March 11, 2004 | 7 | Jack Black is really awesome! Such intensity and commitment to his actions. He's really fun to watch. Joan Cusack is great, too. |
| Hidalgo | March 5, 2004 | 6 | There were some entertaining things about this movie, but it was really much slower than it needed to be. It's a fun story, though if you see it, be prepared to be patient. |
| Princess Bride | Feb, 2004 | 9 | Obviously I've seen this movie several times before this viewing. Since I watched it again, I figured I might as well add it. This is a must-see movie for anyone. Great storytelling, true love, and the best swordfighting scene ever. |
| Matchstick Men | Jan 23, 2004 | 7 | I left a game of Risk 2210 to go see this movie in McConomy for $1, and it was a good choice. The plot was only vaguely predictable, and I enjoyed the twists and turns. I personally thought Nicolas Cage did a fine job, and the cinematography relating to his disorder was very convincing. There were a few father-daughter moments that were especially pleasant. Plus, I like happy endings! |
| Lost In Translation | Jan 15, 2004 | 6 | This movie got an 8.2 on IMDb, but I didn't think it was that compelling of a story. Sure, there were several good moments and glances into life, but the characters were pretty immoral. I'm pretty intolerant of infidelity, though. Maybe the point is that sometimes you meet someone and you really click, and that's just the way things go; you can fight it or ignore it, or you can act on it. I guess sometimes there are affairs of lust, and then sometimes it goes a lot deeper than that. The lead actress was attractive indeed! Oh how I love one dollar movies. |
| League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | Dec 29, 2003 | 6.5 | I thought this was a pretty standard action movie. The plot wasn't amazing, but it held together well enough. Perhaps if I knew the book better, I'd be more critical. Captain Nemo was a really cool fighter! |
| Legally Blonde 2 | Dec 28, 2003 | 5 | If you're in the right mood for this movie, it could be worth your time. It took Legally Blonde to an extreme, which is I guess what I should have expected from a sequel. There were still several clever and entertaining scenes, and Reese Witherspoon continues to be extremely attractive. |
| Bend It Like Beckham | Dec 27, 2003 | 6 | This movie came highly recommended, but I didn't think it was so great. The insight into the Indian culture would have been more interesting if I didn't know most of it already, and the soccer playing would have been more enjoyable to watch if it really was impressive soccer playing (instead of actors trying their best.) |
| Bruce Almighty | Dec 27, 2003 | 7 | This didn't get great reviews, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It definitely had a similar feel to Liar Liar, but the plot was entertaining, and having the powers of God does make for some interesting scenes. |
| Something's Gotta Give | Dec 25, 2003 | 7 | This was the Christmas movie of 2003, and I was pretty pleased. I thought it provided a realistic glance into relationships, perhaps with the exception of money (the characters all had lots of it.) I almost always enjoy happy endings. |
| Lord of the Rings: Return of the King |
Dec 17, 2003* April 25, 2004 |
7.5 | I judged the LotR movies based on their accuracy with the books, and this movie did pretty well, with the notable exception of Shelob's Lair - why did they make Sam and Frodo get separated there? It was an unnecessary departure from the book. I look forward to the extended edition with more details of Saruman. The second watching in McConomy from 1:30am - 5am was even a little better than I remembered, perhaps because my expectations were more accurately met. |
| Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Extended Edition |
Dec 6, 2003 | 7.5 | The additional scenes were a treat, and did make a difference in the movie; not a huge difference, but I do think the extended edition is better. |
| Miranda | Nov 29, 2003 | 6 | I missed parts of this movie while I was installing the OS on Alex's new computer, but I caught most of story anyway. I might have given it a higher rating if I sat through the whole thing. It was reasonably compelling, and I thought that Christina Ricci was pretty good. Lots of lies and deception and naiveté. The Kung Fu was the best part. |
| Love Actually | Nov 22, 2003 | 8 | An excellent romantic comedy, though I highly recommend watching it with a significant other. I enjoyed the variety of relationships and outcomes; the intertwining stories made things interesting, yet still believable. |
| Matrix Revolutions | Oct 5, 2003* Feb 28, 2004 |
7 | When Neo was plugged in near the end of the movie: that's one good network connection! (And I actually enjoyed shouting that comment during the Feb 28 show, which happened to be a midnight show at CMU.) |
| Alex and Emma | Oct 9, 2003 | 7 | A pleasant romantic comedy that I wanted on a plane. I was a captive audience, but it was a fine movie regardless. |
| Underworld | Sept 19, 2003* | 6 | Gale opted not to see the movie, and perhaps she was smarter than I was; while I enjoy the genre and the idea, I really didn't like the massive amount of deaths of immortal creatuers. Also, I would have liked less guns and more superpowers. And the acting was really bad in some places. "I loved my daughter" was the winning line. There was one excellent example of superstrength by a vampire, though I would have liked more supersenses. |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | July 24, 2003 Dec 13, 2003 Dec 30, 2003 |
9 | Wow, this was an excellent movie. So many good things about it! Johnny Depp was outstanding in his role. Adventure, Love, Swordfighting, nice reversals, and a good ending. Remember to stay until the end of the credits! |
| Finding Nemo | June, 2003 | 8 | Amazingly beautiful, an excellent story, convincing characters, and funny. The end credits were really good, too. |
| Matrix Reloaded | May 15, 2003 | 7.5 | Though I'm loathe to assign a half-point rating, 7.5 is accurate. The visual effects were overall very good, though the big Smiths-vs-Neo fight scene was too obviously CG. I liked the ghost special effects, and I thought the plot advancement was quite good. On one hand I wish that a few more questions would have been answered, but on the other hand I appreciate that the directors created a movie that can be debated at length. I think the video game provides greater insight into the Matrix world, and I certainly hope that the 3rd movie provides good conclusions and answers. |
| Old School | May 2, 2003 | 7 | A funny, slapstick movie. The brief nudity was pleasant, too! I like happy endings... |
| X-Men 2 | May 2, 2003 July 5, 2004 |
8.5 | I really enjoy the superhero genre. There were ample
powers displayed, and decent character development. The plot was OK, and
Nightcrawler was totally cool. I really wanted to give this movie an
8.5, |
| Real Women Have Curves | April 26, 2003 | 6 | The relationship with the mother and daughter was difficult to watch, but it was also interesting. A decent coming-of-age movie, though I probably would have appreciated it more if I was a girl. |
| Spirited Away | April 7, 2003 | 9 | A wonderfully intricate story with many twists and turns. Compelling characters, and complex good guys and bad guys. Plenty of the ridiculous as well! A mostly happy ending. I'm very glad we saw this in the theaters, though we'll certainly rent it, too. |
| Far From Heaven | April 4, 2003 | 6 | This movie was surprisingly bland for a 7.8 on IMDB. Perhaps to some people the issues that were raised were very adventurous, but for me it wasn't so compelling. It might have been interesting to see a greater portion of the story's timeline. |
| Chicago | March 21, 2003 | 8 | This movie is yearning to be a musical (oh yeah, it already is...) Regardless, there were some unbelievably good scenes, sizzling with energy. The cast is great and it's a very entertaining movie. Still, Moulin Rouge was better IMO. |
| Strictly Ballroom | March 11, 2003 | 6 | I've seen this movie several times already; it's entertaining, especially so if you've done any ballroom competition (which I have.) If you want to see a ballroom movie, rent Shall We Dance instead. |
| S1M0NE | March 3, 2003 | 6 | Unfortunately, I think my knowledge of computers ruined part of this movie for me. I'm willing to buy into the premise of the movie, but then everything else should be consistent, which it wasn't. The DVD did have some interesting commentary, though. I didn't think Simone was amazingly attractive, yet I'm glad I saw it. |
| As Good As It Gets | March 1, 2003 | 8 | I have seen this movie several times before, but the story remains excellent, as well as the cast and acting. A happy ending earns high marks from me, and a cute dog doesn't hurt either! |
| Insomnia | February 15, 2003 | 6 | This movie did a good job of conveying what it's like to be extremely over-tired; I enjoyed the camera techniques that I wouldn't have appreciated prior to taking a film class. The story was OK, but somewhat depressing. The moral of the story: don't lie. |
| Daredevil | February 13, 2003 | 7 | I really like superhero movies, and this one is pretty good. The plot is a little weak, and there are some holes in the story, but those problems are overcome by the genre and action. |
| Igby Goes Down | January 30, 2003 | 6 | The story itself was compelling, but the content of the story wasn't particularly pleasant, and thus I didn't give this movie higher marks. The cast is pretty famous though, and the acting was good. |
| Catch Me If You Can | Jan 19, 2003 Dec 14, 2003 |
8 | An excellent movie with exciting plot twists and a happy ending. The opening credits were awesome. |
| Blue Crush | January 18, 2003 | 3 | This movie was painful to watch. This movie would have gotten a 1 from me if it didn't have pretty surfer chicks in bikinis. I think I would have enjoyed the movie more if it had no dialog. |
| Rainman | December 30, 2002 | 7 | The growth of Tom Cruise's character was the second most fun thing to watch. The most fun thing was the casino scene! |
| American Beauty | December 29, 2002 | 7 | Had already seen it, and I enjoyed it the second time around. So often I feel like nudity in movies is gratuitous, but I felt in this movie it wasn't overdone, and in alignment with the flow of the story. Kevin Spacey is great. |
| Mansfield Park | December 29, 2002 | 7 | Frances O'Connor is great. We did miss the beginning, but that doesn't bother me at all. The story was entertaining and I was happy with the ending. I especially enjoyed the few moments where the actors acknowledge that they're in a story. |
| The Bourne Identity | December 24, 2002 | 7 | Good acting, and a main character that was so cool! Amnesia stories are neat. I thought the ending was decent. |
| Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | December 19, 2002 | 7 | Perhaps my standards are higher after the first movie, but I really disliked the significant departures from the book. It was still good and enjoyable to watch, but I think the director has a responsibility to be true to the book as much as possible. I can understand cutting plot due to time, but adding plot out of nowhere really distracted me. I read some articles about the computer simulators of the battles, and it was cool to watch the results. |
| Life or Something Like It | December 17, 2002 | 6 | I enjoyed the movie, and I also enjoyed watching the movie a second time with the director's commentary. Thank you Martin for the DVD player! Angelina Jolie is hot! |
| Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | December 16, 2002 | 8 | I'm glad our families recommended this movie! The plot was good and the acting was superb. There were a few crazy musical moments, though! |
| Lilo and Stitch | December 15, 2002 | 6 | It was suprising to see an imperfect family in a Disney movie, but it was quite a pleasant surprise. There wasn't amazing cutting edge animations, but it was a good movie with an entertaining plot. |
| Star Trek: Nemesis | December 13, 2002 | 7 | A standard Star Trek movie, and pretty good. The ending was sad, but it definitely made me think about what I would have done in the same situation. The whole subplot with positronic signals was a little unbelievable to me, though. |
| Road to Perdition | December 7, 2002 | 7 | I enjoyed the insight into the personal stories of a few characters. The cast was excellent, and the pace of the movie was good. I also liked that I didn't have to work hard to figure out the theme. |
| The Importance of Being Earnest | December 6, 2002 | 7 | Though this movie was somewhat predictable, it was still very funny and enjoyable. The british are so polite and silly. We're going to London! |
| Big Trouble | November 23, 2002 | 7 | The cast was good, and if you're in the mood for a bit of slapstick and mundane humor, it's quite enjoyable. |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | November 17, 2002 | 7 | A good version of the book, and they omitted the right things. It did seem quite scary, though. Definitely read the book before seeing the movie! |
| Koyaanisqatsi | October 26, 2002 | 4 | I slept through most of this performance. I got very little out of the movie, and the music wasn't pleasant and quite repetitive. Perhaps if I had been very awake and in a philosophical mood I would have enjoyed this more. The best thing was the way they sang, "Koyaanisqatsi." |
| Walking with Dinosaurs | October 24, 2002 - October ? | 6 | This was a two-tape compilation of many short segments. Some segments were more interesting than others, but overall the dinosaurs were well done, and I though the information was interesting. I watched this because of my ETC project, and probably wouldn't have picked it otherwise. |
| Panic Room | October 12, 2002 | 6 | Not overly impressive, but I like Jodi Foster and I thought she did a good job. The pacing of the movie was good, and it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. This is a crooks-trying-to-steal-something movie, with the twist of a panic room. |
| Reign of Fire | October 11, 2002 | 5 | If you are expecting a movie with sensible plot, character development, or understable dialogue, this movie may not be for you. On the other hand, if you are expecting a movie with dragons and people fighting against them, you might enjoy this movie. |
| Alien | October 9, 2002 | 6 | I'm glad I saw this classic - it wasn't nearly as scary as I expected. This movie was a solid 5 until the entirely gratuitous "let's see Sigourney Weaver in her underwear" scene, which gave it the edge to a 6. |
| Monsters Inc. | October 7, 2002 | 7 | The technical expertise was impressive, and the plot and humor was good too. The out-takes were great. |
| About A Boy | September 27, 2002 | 7 | Enjoyable and reasonably lighthearted. I like happy endings. |
| Y Tu Mama Tambien | September 26, 2002 | 5 | There was too much sex and dishonesty in this movie. I disliked the morality of almost all of the characters. If I had expected all the sex and was in the mood to see porn, this would have earned a higher rating. |
| Star Trek: Generations | September 20, 2002 | 7 | This is the best of the STNG movies, and it has a nice blend of humor and plot. |
| The Day the Earth Stood Still | September 17, 2002 | 7 | I had to watch this movie as homework. Life is rough. |
| The Good Girl | September 15, 2002 | 4 | Blah. Jennifer Aniston wasn't even that pretty in this movie. While watching, I spent most of the time trying to get inside the head of someone who consistently made seemingly stupid decisions. |
| Signs | September 14, 2002 | 6 | In this movie, we saw a very up-close and personal look at one family during an event that was significant around the world. I enjoyed that approach, though the suspense was a bit overdone. I'm just not a person who enjoys suspense/scary/horror movies. |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | September 11, 2002 | 8 | Money can't buy love, but it can do quite a bit to help you on your way. I love escape from prison movies. |
| Dark City | September 9, 2002 | 8 | Mind-bending possibilities, and impressive, dark visuals. |
| High Crimes | September 4, 2002 | 7 | Not too predictable and an exciting story. |
| 12 Angry Men | September ?, 2002 | 7 | I first saw this movie in high school; it's amazing that I'm entertained by watching 12 characters argue. |
| Iris | August 28, 2002 | 6.9 | This movie was quite sad, a bit slow, and I didn't get that much out of it. I think it was mostly just a reminder to live life fully. I didn't learn that much about Iris Murdoch. I did enjoy seeing Kate Winslet naked so many times! |
| Slacker | August 21, 2002 | 4.0 | I should have known that I wouldn't like this movie after reading "rambling vignettes" in the description on the back of the box. Again, I got up after 25 minutes, so I didn't really give the movie a fair chance, but my initial reaction was confirmed by other viewers. See Waking Life instead. |
| Storytelling | August 20, 2002 | 6.0 | I watched the first 35 minutes of this movie, and it was OK. I got up because I wanted to play on the computer instead, and we've watched a lot of movies recently. |
| Birthday Girl | August 19, 2002 | 7.0 | The pace of the movie was good, and the plot was exciting and at least somewhat unpredictable. I like happy endings, and this one qualifies. |
| Showtime | August 18, 2002 | 6.8 | A light but enjoyable movie. Pretty much what you'd expect after reading the back of the box. Initially I thought that there would be some love interest, but I'm glad they didn't go that way. |
| The Elephant Man | August 14, 2002 | 6.8 | The story was very compelling, especially since it's based on truth, but I really don't like David Lynch's style. If the 20 minutes of confusing, unexplained, non-sequitor film could be cut out, I would have given this movie a higher rating. It's certainly worth seeing, though. It even gave me an idea for my LARP character... |
| The Shipping News | August 12, 2002 | 7.5 | I really like Kevin Spacey. He was excellent in this movie; the pace was good, the plot caught my attention, and I always like happy endings. |
| Changing Lanes | August 3, 2002 | 6.9 | An excellent movie to watch on an airplane, even if it did take the flight attendants several tries to actually get it started. I like Ben Affleck and Samuel L Jackson. |
| The Rookie | July 30, 2002 | 4.2 | A slow pace is one of the surest ways to make a movie unpleasant to watch. The plot of this movie could have been fit into 25 minutes. The nuns were funny. |
| My Big Fat Greek Wedding | July 26, 2002 | 7.5 | I could relate to the big family scenes, in the way of, "ohmygosh this is overwhelming!" |
| Men in Black II | July 22, 2002 | 6.9 | The plot was a little weak, but I still enjoyed the movie. Accept the basic premise of good guys vs. bad guys (or hot chick villian, as the case may be), and you'll enjoy it. The post office scene is definitely the best. |
| Miller's Crossing | July 18, 2002 | 7.0 | Good, intricate storyline, even if I was able to predict some of the twists. Even the best schemer needs some luck to survive. A ganster movie worth watching! |
| Aladdin | July 13, 2002 | 6.7 | I've seen this movie several times, and though it was better the first time, it's still pretty good. Robin Williams is awesome as the genie. I heard that he improvised most of his lines, and the animators had to try and keep up. I really strongly dislike the voice of Iago - who is that actor? |
| An Officer and a Gentleman | July 12, 2002 | 6.9 | I thought Richard Gere did a good job in this movie. I was surprised at all the nudity! Even though it was made a while ago, it didn't seem too dated to me. |
| A Time to Kill | July 8, 2002 | 7.4 | What an amazing cast! It wasn't wasted on this film. Courtroom dramas are the best. Two complaints: why wasn't Mickey Mouse explained, and was justice really served? I think that Justice wasn't actually served, even though we had the, "happy ending." |
| Mississippi Burning | July 6, 2002 | 7.0 | I was confused initially because Willam DaFoe wasn't playing a bad guy. I didn't know much about the actual events, so the fact that it was a misrepresentation of the true events didn't bother me at all. I liked Gene Hackman's character. |
| Iron Monkey | July 5, 2002 | 5.6 | This wasn't as good as I was expecting it to be; the action scenes were only decent. |
| The Prince of Tides | July 4, 2002 | 6.2 | Definitely a chick flick, but still decent. Kinda slow to get started, but it's easy enough to get involved with the characters. The intimate scenes with Streisand and Nolte were overdone. |
| Orange County | July 1, 2002 | 5.6 | I laughed periodically. (It's what you expect from the preview.) |
| Minority Report | June 29, 2002 | 7.6 | I liked this movie but I left the theater unsettled, unable to explain the feeling, as if there was something just beyond my grasp that I couldn't understand. And why did the little balls have to roll around like a gumball machine? |
| Cookie's Fortune | June 26, 2002 | 5.1 | This movie was way too slow and it ruined the whole thing. Otherwise, it could have been good. |
| Kate and Leopold | June 22, 2002 | 6.7 | I think I was just in the mood for a romantic comedy. The whole out-of-time thing worked for me. And I think Meg Ryan is cute. |
| Aimee and Jaguar | June 19, 2002 | 4.7 | I started watching this movie about one hour into it. I was not emotionally involved with the characters, but I did enjoy the lesbian love scenes. Too bad it was a sad ending. | Black Hawk Down | June 17, 2002 | 7.0 | I started watching the movie about 15 min after it started, but I got filled in on the beginning. I think it was probably a decent war movie, but I don't have any real way of judging the accuracy of the depiction. I liked Rules of Engagement better, though it's not quite the same genre. Saving Private Ryan was also better. |
| From Here to Eternity | June 12, 2002 | 8.0 | I forgot that it was in black and white after the first 5 minutes. I can see why this movie is a classic. The "famous kissing on the beach with the waves crashing over them" scene didn't do much for me, though. The most enjoyable moments were the bugle scenes. The characters were very interesting, and the intertwined plot was good. I'm surprised soldiers got drunk so frequently. It's too bad there was a sad ending, but that's the way it is sometimes. |
| Lantana | June 10, 2002 | 6.7 | My complaints are that it was too slow, and that I don't like watching affairs and infidelity. Perhaps they are commonplace in the world, but I just don't enjoy watching the lies. Nonetheless, the plot was pretty interesting, and I wanted to know how things ended up. |
| Happenstance | June 3, 2002 | 7.6 | A pleasant film that agrees with my philosophy on life. At the end, it all makes sense. If you're confused in the middle, just realize that the husband is imagining things that he might do, and he rarely actually does them. |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | June 1, 2002 | 7.3 | The book is better, but the movie is still pretty good. Snape's shifty eyes are awesome. Hermione is good too. |
| Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones |
May 18, 2002 | 8.2 | We saw this at a digital theater and I think it was better, but I'm not sure. I wish they had advanced the plot more. There could have been a better transition from Episode I to II. Nonetheless, I still liked this movie better than Episode I, and I suspect that it will be even better on subsequent viewings. Yoda kicks an indescribable amount of ass. |
| Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace |
May 18, 2002 | 7.8 | Gale and Ollie fortunately had this on VHS, so it was especially easy to watch it today. We're going to see Episode II tonight, so this was just to get in the mood. I like this movie better than I remembered. The Jedi totally kick ass. Jar Jar says "Kung Pow Chicken" in his sleep, and that was funny. |
| Life as a House | May 16, 2002 | 7.7 | We really wanted to watch Star Wars episode I tonight, but it was out so we got this movie since the actor who plays Anakin in Episode II was in it. If you're in the mood for a relatively predictable but good story, this one is quite enjoyable to watch. Some nice life lessons are included. |
| How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog | May 5, 2002 | 7.5 | Enjoyable to watch the main character's personality change over the course of the movie. Good story. |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring |
May 5, 2002 | 8.7 | If I hadn't read the book first, I would have enjoyed this movie even more. As it was, I enjoyed it, but consider the book to be the "real" story. The fight scenes were good, and I think the decisions to vary from the book were well-considered. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy. |
| Spider-man | May 3, 2002 | 8.7 | I really enjoyed watching the superhero learn how to use his powers. I think this movie did that very well. The love scenes were just fine, and Kirsten Dunst is hot. The movie was also quite funny in parts, and the action was solid too. The jumping effects were neat and believable. As long as you can accept the premise, it's a great movie. |
| Novocaine | April 24, 2002 | 7.1 | I enjoy Steve Martin very much. The plot was good, though there were a few gratuitous moments. |
| Ali | April 20, 2002 | 6.6 | It was slow in parts, but I enjoyed the banter and the story of his life, though they could have gone further. |
| EDTV | April 19, 2002 | 7.8 | Though this movie got panned since it came out shortly after Truman Show, it really was quite funny and entertaining. I enjoyed the actors and the story with the twists. |
| Waking Life | April 19, 2002 | 4.2 | This movie makes one seasick. I enjoyed the crazy animation style... for the first 10 minutes; after that it only aggravated me. The content was probably thought provoking, but I was too distracted watching the visuals to process it all. To a cultured art geek, this movie may be excellent, but to the average person, I can't recommend this movie. |
| No Man's Land | April 17, 2002 | 7.2 | The best foreign film of 2001 was pretty decent, though Amelie was better. No Man's Land was a bit slow at times, but generally an interesting and entertaining story, even with a difficult subject matter. |
| Monster's Ball | April 12, 2002 | 7.9 | The actors were great, as well as the story. Watching the change in Billy Bob Thorton's character was awesome. He was so stupid at the begining, and he eventually wisened up. |
| The Last Castle | April 2002 | 7.1 | Even though I lost a bet about the ending, I'm happy with this movie from start to finish. A solid action flick. |
| A Lesson Before Dying | April 2002 | 1.9 | Maybe the book was decent, but the movie wasn't. It was really slow and boring. |
| The Man Who Wasn't There | April 2002 | 8.5 | Though I didn't like the black and white at first, I got used to it. This movie was funny, entertaining, and serious. Billy Bob Thorton rocks. |
| Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | April 2002 | 7.5 | Great cast, good acting, good story. Could have done without the voodoo. |
| Bandits | March 2002 | 9.0 | Awesome cast, great story, beautiful ending. Have I mentioned that Billy Bob Thorton rocks? Even though it messes with my morals, I found myself rooting for the bad guys. |
| Amelie | March 2002 | 8.0 | Amelie is such a likable character. I especially liked all the cool but small special effects. Watching the lives of strange people is oddly entertaining. |
| Latcho Drom | Feb 2002 | 7.2 | This movie was a pleasant surprise. Despite the lack of dialogue, the story was clear and compelling. The music and the people were both passionate and inspiring. It was a bit slow at times, but overall a good movie. |
| Scary Movie 2 | 2001 | 0.2 | If you want to make a bet with someone, instead of making the loser get a tatoo or shave their head, make them watch this movie. This movie was absolutely horrible. |