Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

[6] Too mature for children, but too immature for adults, Legend of the Guardians may never find an audience beyond those thirteen years of age or thirteen at heart (guilty as charged.) It's a dark, computer-animated fantasy based on a series of…
The Social Network (2010)

The Social Network (2010)

[8] A movie about corporate betrayal and litigation is normally not my idea of a good time, but The Social Network turns out to be a well-made, voyeuristic look back at the birth of a now-ubiquitous product that many users can't live…
The Delinquents (1957)

The Delinquents (1957)

[3] Robert Altman made his directorial debut with this inauspicious teenaged rebellion romp. Tom Laughlin stars as Scotty, a young guy who just wants to hang with his girlfriend (Rosemary Howard), but her parents intervene to keep them apart. So poor old…
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)

[6] Like the first movie and The Blair Witch Project before it, PA2 utilizes a faux verite approach to exploit some of our most primal fears. I'm not sure I want this crude, unpolished treatment to become a full-blown sub-genre, but one…
Spitfire (1934)

Spitfire (1934)

[4] Katharine Hepburn goes as far against type as possible in Spitfire, playing a hillbillie faith healer who gets accused of witchcraft by her backwoods community. Hepburn is far too erudite to sell the role convincingly, but it's interesting to watch her…
Catfish (2010)

Catfish (2010)

[6] This no-budget documentary is better experienced without knowing much about it. All I'll say is that it's about Facebook stalking. For its modest scale and home video production values, it's a surprisingly engaging little mystery with a satisfying payoff. I was…
Easy A (2010)

Easy A (2010)

[7] Move over, Lindsay Lohan (or at least flail further down the gutter.) There's a new mean girl in town, and her name is Emma Stone. Easy A is the perfect vehicle for Stone, who shows natural charm and considerable range as…
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

[7] Paul Newman and Robert Redford star in this influential, genre-bending Western about two outlaws who hole up in Bolivia to hide from a pursuing 'superposse.' William Goldman's celebrated screenplay would become the progenitor of countless buddy films for decades to come.…
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976)

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976)

[6] Robert Altman uses the circus-like atmosphere of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for a commentary on racism and the whitewashing of American history. It's actually a pretty light-hearted film built around Buffalo Bill's contentious relationship with Sitting Bull. Paul Newman is…
Cousin Bette (1998)

Cousin Bette (1998)

[6] Jessica Lange and Elisabeth Shue star in this darkly comedic period piece about a bitter seamstress (Lange) who plots to ruin the lives of her late sister's husband and daughter after they refuse to accept her into their wealthy family. Things…