Daniel (1983)

Daniel (1983)

[6] Sidney Lumet directs this fictionalized account of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, a married couple who were accused of being Soviet spies and executed in the midst of 1950s' McCarthyism hysteria. Lumet cuts back and forth in time throughout the movie, balancing…
Training Day (2001)

Training Day (2001)

[7] Ethan Hawke plays a freshman L.A. narcotics officer crash-coursing with a rogue, undercover detective played by Denzel Washington. Training Day hits the ground running and turns into a taut, character-driven thriller that throws a few twists and surprises I didn't see…
Bachelorette (2012)

Bachelorette (2012)

[3] Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan, Isla Fisher, and Rebel Wilson headline this flick written and directed by Leslye Headland (based on her stage play). It's about three self-absorbed young women who somewhat reluctantly agree to be bride's maids for a mutual acquaintance.…
Oculus (2014)

Oculus (2014)

[3] Eleven years ago, young Kaylie and Tim saw their father murder their mother. By the end of that night, Tim would be put in an institution for killing their father and Kaylie would enter the foster care system. Cut to now:…
Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

[8] This 2002 classic, period-piece rendition of Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby is sweet, sentimental, and beautifully executed. I personally found it irresistible. Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim) is perfectly cast as Nicholas, a young man who discovers his own strength…
The Broadway Melody (1929)

The Broadway Melody (1929)

[4] To give credit where credit is due, The Broadway Melody was the first sound film from MGM Studios, the second-ever Best Picture Oscar winner (the first with sound), and the first film in history to feature dance numbers filmed to pre-recorded…
Cruising (1980)

Cruising (1980)

[8] Al Pacino plays a New York police detective who goes deep under cover within the city's S&M community to catch a serial killer preying on gay men. Director William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) stirred controversy for his depiction of…
Arlington Road (1999)

Arlington Road (1999)

[7] Jeff Bridges stars in this taut thriller, playing a widower and single father who suspects his next door neighbors (Tim Robbins and Joan Cusack) may be terrorists. Director Mark Pellington works from Ehren Kruger's tense, devious screenplay (winner of the Nicholl…
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

[6] Another installment in the Marvel movie franchise is never going to excite me. But if you want to be distracted for a while, Captain America: The Winter Soldier isn't bad. The plot centers around conspiracy, betrayal, and assassination -- far more…
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

[7] I love movies. But unlike most other people who love movies, I don't love Wes Anderson movies. To me they're a case of too much style over too little substance. I never care about the story or the characters, and I'm…