2000’s

[4] I enjoyed Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut because it lampooned many things. It was like a greatest hits collection of the South Park TV show, and the songs were all far more amusing than they had any right to be. So I went into Parker and Stone’s Team America: World Police with similar expectations and was very disappointed. …

[5] Brian DePalma (curiously) directs this wonky sci-fi action flick about a team of astronauts sent to Mars to look for survivors after the first manned mission to the Red Planet encounters a mysterious storm. There’s also something about the giant face on Mars — you know, the one that shows up in some NASA photos? The third act of this movie takes you inside …

[7] George Clooney stars in this thriller about a lawyer who gets called in by a major corporation to “fix” a potential whistle-blower who is losing his mind the longer he keeps his secret. I never thought I would enjoy this movie because the marketing made it look so drab and dreadful, but it’s actually a solid little thriller where one wrong move or some …

[6] Morgan Freeman reprises the role of Detective Alex Cross (which he began in Kiss the Girls) for this slightly superior sequel involving the kidnapping of a senator’s daughter for ransom. At first, I was excited to see that Michael Wincott (The Crow) was playing the kidnapper — I often wonder why we don’t see more of Wincott in the movies. Unfortuantely, he’s a bit …

[8] Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star as disillusioned men sentenced to community service via some sort of Big Brother program. Scott may be a one-note actor, but there’s nothing wrong with that as long as he plays his note well (it worked for John Wayne, didn’t it?)  Rudd is usual cute, funny self — sign me up for more. Then there’s McLovin, aka …

[7] When a high school class boards a plane for a field trip to Paris, one of the students (Devon Sawa) has a premonition that the plane will explode. He freaks out and unboards, bringing a few others with him (including Seann William Scott and Dawson’s Creek costar Kerr Smith), and sure enough — boom! But the kids find out that fate doesn’t like to …

[6] Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci star in this southern tale of an abused nymphomaniac who falls under the tough-loving care of a recently divorced bluesman who wants to set her back on God’s path. If you can get over the fact that Jackson’s character literally chains Ricci to his radiator to keep her from whoring around, you’ll see how Black Snake Moans unfolds …

[8] Robert DeNiro directs from a script by Eric Roth this taught, engaging, mysterious, and surprisingly emotional story about the birth of the CIA. Matt Damon stars, serving as our window into a world full of secrets and deception. Damon’s reserved cool gives costars Angelina Jolie and Eddie Redmayne plenty to act against, playing the wife and son who always get second fiddle to career …

[8] It’s amazing how interesting a movie about an interview can be. Granted, the subject of the interview is the first American president ever to be removed from office, and the motivation behind the interview is to get him to admit to the American people his abuse of power. Frost/Nixon is based on a stage play by Peter Morgan and director Ron Howard (Apollo 13, …

[7] Five disparate stories intertwine in absurd ways in this bizarre but beautifully executed Tarantino-esque flick from Japan. The main story, by a narrow margin, focuses on a man who keeps killing and burying his wife only to find her home again, ready for their next lethal sparring match. Then there’s the exploits of a British hitman (Vinnie Jones) who is obsessed with asking people …

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