Dead Snow (2009)

Dead Snow (2009)

[6] Just when you thought the Nazi zombie subgenre was dead, Scandinavia gives us Dead Snow. For those who find the concept appealing, the movie cuts the mustard, as well as several arteries. Unfortunately, a hackneyed plot, stock characters, and…
Twilight: New Moon (2009)

Twilight: New Moon (2009)

[2] A bunch of sad, scowling, mopey teenagers cry and whine for two hours because they're afraid to fuck each other. Some of them are vampires, some of them are werewolves, but nothing ever comes of it. And the main…
The Hurt Locker (2009)

The Hurt Locker (2009)

[7] Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, Near Dark) won the Oscar for directing this suspense thriller about three soldiers who disarm bombs in Iraq. The movie also won Best Picture, maybe just because nothing better came out during the year (except…
Precious (2009)

Precious (2009)

[7] Precious is the kind of movie a studio exec must dread hearing a pitch about: "So, there's this girl, and she's really sad, her daddy raped her, she named her down syndrome baby Mongo, her mother violently abuses her,…
Whip It (2009)

Whip It (2009)

[6] Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with what is basically a high school sports movie. It reminded me of those '80s flicks where the young guy (be it Cruise, Bacon, Lowe, or Modine) commited himself to a sport his…
9 (2009)

9 (2009)

[6] Shane Acker's computer-animated post-apocalyptic fantasy is visually interesting, but the characters are bland and the story is wobbly. The movie is a tonal quagmire, trying to balance its dark and dreary subject matter with a kid-friendly PG-13 rating. The…
Cars (2006)

Cars (2006)

[7] Pixar has an uncanny way of dressing up an old familiar formula and making it seem brand new. Cars is a story about life in the fast lane (literally and figuratively), and the dangers of forgetting to smell the…
The Blind Side (2009)

The Blind Side (2009)

[5] Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her performance in this film, and that's pretty much the best reason to see this movie. I'm not sure if it was the best performance of the year, but she is certainly very…
Creep (2004)

Creep (2004)

[6] Franka Potente (Run Lola Run) gets locked in a London subway station overnight and soon discovers she's not alone. Someone, or something, is after her. Creep is a simple but solid indie horror thriller. It's not terribly original, but…
Weirdsville (2007)

Weirdsville (2007)

[3] Over the course of one madcap evening, two stoners entangle with vengeful midgets and whacky devil worshippers while trying to find enough money to repay their dealer. Director Allan Moyle (Pump Up the Volume, Empire Records) phones this one…