Sexiest Sex Scenes

Body Heat - 1981
Don't Look Now - 1973
Last Tango in Paris - 1972
9 1/2 Weeks - 1986
Risky Business - 1983
Fatal Attraction - 1987
The Scarlet Letter - 1995
Unfaithful - 2002
Basic Instinct - 1992
Desperado - 1995
Poison Ivy - 1992
Original Sin - 2001
Wild Orchid - 1989

Don't Look Now (1973)

After the tragic accidental drowning of their daughter Christine, John Baxter and his wife Laura travel to Venice because the bishop requests John to restore and old church. While dining in a restaurant, Laura has an encounter with two elderly sisters, one of whom is blind and claims she's psychic, telling Laura that she saw her daughter. Convinced that the old lady really did see her daughter, she meets the two women again and they perform a seance to try and contact her. Afterward, she tells John that Christine has warned them that he is in danger and to leave Venice, but John doesn't believe in any of it. Morning after they receive a phone call that their son was injured in an accident, which prompts Laura to return while John stays to finish his restoration project. A strange and haunting film, most famous because of the explicit sex scene between Christie and Sutherland that was quite controversial at the time it was released. Starring Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania 7/10

Character Spotlight: Hannibal Lecter

Nicknamed "Hannibal the Cannibal", Hannibal Lecter is a brilliant psychiatrist whose very particular about what he likes to eat. FBI special agent Will Graham had discovered Lecter's sick and gruesome murders in which he killed, then literally cooked and ate his victims. Committed to a mental institution, Lecter is sought out to help out FBI Agent trainee Clarice Starling to catch another serial killer. First introduced in Thomas Harris' novel "Red Dragon" and later played by Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs", Lecter is one of the most frightening character villains in cinema.

Best Christmas Movies

It's a Wonderful Life - 1946
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - 1989
A Christmas Story - 1983
Scrooge - 1951
Miracle on 34th Street - 1947
Die Hard - 1988
Disney's A Christmas Carol - 2009
Scrooged - 1988
A Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Three single women; Jane, Sukie and Alexandra are all friends living in a boring little town called Eastwick, New England. They haven't had much luck with men and one night discuss their ideal man, not realizing of course that all of them are witches and conjure him up. Enter Daryl Van Horne, a mysterious man who arrives in Eastwick rather suddenly and ends up buying the town's landmark, The Lennox Estate. Alex is the first to meet him, and finds herself utterly repulsed by him but ends up sleeping with him anyway. Soon after he seduces Jane and Sukie as well, but the three women find that Daryl isn't as perfect as they begin to realize. Nicholson plays the usual eccentric character, while Cher, Pfeiffer and Sarandon are all wonderful and have great chemistry. Starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer 7/10

Mean Creek (2004)

Shy and small Sam tells his older brother Rocky about the school bully, a fat dyslexic kid named George beating him up. So Rocky and his friends Clyde and Marty devise a plan to get some revenge on George. They invite him on a boating trip, to give Sam a supposed "birthday party". Sam also brings along his girlfriend Millie, but doesn't tell her about the plan or that George is coming along with them to the river. She demands to know what's going on, so Sam tells her that they're going to dare George, then making him run home naked. But Millie makes Sam promise not to do anything to him. Sam talks to Rocky, but he thinks that George deserves it for being a bully. However what starts out being a harmless prank turns into a tragic and shocking accident. An interesting and thought-provoking tale about bullying and teen adolescence. Starring Rory Culkin, Ryan Kelley, Scott Mechlowicz, Trevor Morgan, Josh Peck, Carly Schroeder 7/10

Character Spotlight: Jack Torrance

Jack Torrance, a recovering alcoholic trying to be a good husband and family man despite his violent temper, is a school teacher looking for some peace and quiet to write his novel. The perfect opportunity comes up when he's offered the job to look after The Overlook Hotel, a gigantic resort hotel in breathtaking Colorado for the winter. So he, along with his wife Wendy and son Danny drive up to the hotel to stay. However Jack develops a serious case of writer's block, and as he stays at the hotel, he is seemingly possessed by dark forces haunting the hotel. First introduced in Stephen King's novel "The Shining", Jack was portrayed later on by the incomparable Jack Nicholson in the film directed by Stanley Kubrick. Jack Torrance is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode and is by far one of the most psychotic characters to ever grace the silver screen.

Best Coming-of-Age Movies

The Professional - 1994
The Breakfast Club - 1985
The Graduate - 1967
Stand by Me - 1986
The Outsiders - 1983
American Graffiti - 1973
Sixteen Candles - 1984
The Virgin Suicides - 1999
Almost Famous - 2000
The Basketball Diaries - 1995
Thirteen - 2003
The Goonies - 1985
The Sandlot - 1993
My Girl - 1991

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince (2009)

It is Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; former potions professor Horace Slughorn has come back, and the danger of the dark lord is greater than ever. Harry finds a book on Advanced Potion Making, which he discovers was owned by someone named "The Half-Blood Prince". Harry suspects Draco Malfoy maybe a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's followers. Harry finds out more about Tom Riddle (aka Lord Voldemort) and sees what he was like when he was a student at Hogwarts, and discovers what can destroy him. Meanwhile he begins to fall for Ginny, Ron's sister. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, David Thewlis, Julie Walters 7/10

Best Movies about Musicians & Composers

Amadeus - 1984
Immortal Beloved - 1994
Sid and Nancy - 1986
The Pianist - 2002
Walk the Line - 2005
I'm Not There - 2007
The Runaways - 2010
Across the Universe - 2007
Beyond the Sea - 2004
La Bamba - 1987
The Buddy Holly Story - 1978
The Doors - 1991
A Hard Day's Night - 1964
Selena - 1997

Character Spotlight: Norma Desmond

A once young and promising silent-film star, Norma Desmond is now an old and forgotten has-been living in an era that has long since passed her by. Residing in a lavish mansion on Sunset Boulevard with her butler and former director Max von Mayerling, Norma dreams of being in pictures again for Paramount Studios under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille. Brilliantly played by Gloria Swanson (who ironically had a similar career slump but which was resurrected by director Billy Wilder), Desmond is an iconic character that despite her eccentric nature is sympathetic. She has since been played by Glenn Close in the Broadway musical production of Sunset Boulevard and spoofed in an hilarious comedy skit by Carol Burnett.

A Summer in Genoa (2008)

After his wife is killed in a tragic car accident, British professor Joe moves for a year with his two daughters Kelly and Mary to Genoa, Italy. While there they meet Barbara, an old friend of Joe's from Harvard. He teaches at the university, while older daughter Kelly gets sexually involved with a young Italian man, younger daughter Mary sees her dead mother from time to time and feels increasingly responsible for her death. Terrific performances in an emotional film; as well as wonderful look at the beautiful Italian landscape. Starring Colin Firth, Catherine Keener, Hope Davis, Willa Holland, Perla Haney-Jardine 7/10

Best Political Movies

The Manchurian Candidate - 1962
The Contender - 2000
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - 1939
All the President's Men - 1976
Nixon - 1995
Election - 1999
Dick - 1999

Character Spotlight: Norman Bates

Tall, slender, and seemingly normal, your first impression of Norman is that he's a charming but introverted guy, with a boy-next-door personality. However underneath the surface there is more than meets the eye, something dark and disturbing inside him. After his mother died, Norman inherited his mother's house and ran the family motel in Fairvale, California. But unbeknownst to anyone, Norman kept his mother's corpse preserved in the fruit cellar and started to act like her, even talking in her voice and dressing up in her clothes to make the illusion of his mother being alive seem real. Because after all, as Norman states, "A boy's best friend is his mother." Brilliantly played by Anthony Perkins, the character of Bates was partly based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein.

A Good Year (2006)

Max Skinner is a merciless bonds trader who loves to make money and believes that winning isn't everything, it's the only thing. So when he finds out that his uncle Henry, whom he lost touch with has passed away and left him his chateau and vineyard in France, Max thinks that once it's fixed up would be a great place to sell and make a profit from. But when he returns to the beautiful Napa Valley, his memory takes him back to his childhood and the wonderful summers he spent there with Henry. He also meets a beautiful cafe owner Fanny Chenal, and a young girl named Christie Roberts who claims she's Henry's long lost daughter. An enjoyable film with a lovely backdrop of the French countryside. Starring Russell Crowe, Albert Finney, Marion Cotillard, Abbie Cornish, Tom Hollander, Freddie Highmore 7/10

Best Musicals

West Side Story - 1961
Chicago - 2002
Guys and Dolls - 1955
Hair - 1979
Bye Bye Birdie - 1963
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - 2007
The Phantom of the Opera - 2004

Character Spotlight: Inspector Clouseau

Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is the bumbling and accident-prone police inspector of the French Sûreté, who believes he is a genius when it comes to solving cases but in actuality makes trouble and destruction on almost anyone who crosses his path. Played by legendary actor Peter Sellers, he perfected Clouseau's odd French accent to be nasal-sounding, so that some words, like "room" sound like "reum" and "bomb" like "beumb". Sellers has cemented his legendary status with this iconic character more than any other character he has played. Clouseau has since been played by other actors, most recently by Steve Martin in a rebooted version of The Pink Panther.

Candy (2006)

Dan is a poet, who falls in love with a beautiful art student named Candy, addicted to one another as much as they are to drugs. They get married and after Candy finds out she's pregnant, they promise to quit and be healthy. But the withdrawal and their need for getting high slowly begins to destroy their love and their lives. They ask their friend Casper, a university professor for cash, as well as pawning possessions, scamming unsuspecting people for their bank accounts and prostituting for money. At times romantic and beautiful but on the complete opposite side it's intense, frightening and heartbreaking. Ledger and Cornish are both fantastic in the roles of two young people in love and addicted to heroin; think of them as kind of like the Sid and Nancy of the modern age. Starring Heath Ledger, Abbie Cornish, Geoffrey Rush 7/10

Best Sports Movies

Rocky - 1976
Raging Bull - 1980
Hoosiers - 1986
Chariots of Fire - 1981
Million Dollar Baby - 2004
Cinderella Man - 2005
The Hustler - 1961
Breaking Away - 1979
Jerry Maguire - 1996
The Color of Money - 1986
Caddyshack - 1980

Character Spotlight: Tony Montana

Antonio Montana, a Cuban immigrant whose nickname "Scarface" refers to the long scar that he got from a fight, came to America to live the dream. But being a foreigner with a criminal record doesn't make it easy to go straight, so Tony is drawn in by the lavish and seductive world of drugs and excess. He climbs up the ladder of power in no time, becoming a very rich drug lord. But because of his fierce and hot-tempered nature, the one thing he doesn't do is take his boss Frank Lopez's advice; to not "Get high on your own supply" which is ultimately his downfall. The Tony Montana character was first portrayed by Paul Muni in the 1932 film, and later in the 80's by Al Pacino.

Best Remakes

3:10 to Yuma - 2007
Dawn of the Dead - 2004
The Thing - 1982
Night of the Living Dead - 1990
Scarface - 1983

Dorian Gray (2009)

Young and handsome Dorian Gray arrives in London, and meets a man by the name of Lord Henry Wotton. Dorian is soon intoxicated by his world of pleasure and excess. Henry's friend, an artist named Basil Hallward paints Dorian's portrait and is astounded by how life-like it is, confessing that he would give anything, even his very soul for eternal youth. He is captivated by a theater actress Sibyl Vane, which he falls in love with and gets engaged to. But after Sibyl finds out about Dorian and his infidelity, she is so heartbroken she drowns herself. Soon after, Dorian sees the portrait starting to make a shocking transformation. Seductive, decadent and haunting; an intriguing remake of the 1945 film The Picture of Dorian Gray. Starring Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Rebecca Hall, Ben Chaplin, Fiona Shaw 8/10

Character Spotlight: Sirius Black

Spending twelve long years in Azkaban prison for a crime he didn't commit, Sirius "Padfoot" Black is the last heir to the House of Black. Having been first featured in The Prisoner of Azkaban, the third book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Sirius once attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy with Harry's father. James and Sirius were the best of friends and when Harry was born, his parents named Sirius Harry's godfather. Although at first seeming dangerous and scary, Sirius is a loyal and trustworthy person. He is also an Animagus, a magical talent for turning himself into the form of an animal, in his case a big black dog. Later portrayed by Gary Oldman in four of the Harry Potter films, Sirius Black is a character favorite, particularly because of his close relationship with Harry.

Best Disaster Movies

The Poseidon Adventure - 1972
Titanic - 1997
The Towering Inferno - 1974
Twister - 1996
Independence Day - 1996
World Trade Center - 2006
Airplane - 1980
The Perfect Storm - 2000
Deep Impact - 1998

Lisa (1990)

Lisa is fourteen years old, and lives with her single mother Katherine who runs a flower shop. Katherine is overbearing when it comes to her teenage daughter, not letting her date until she's sixteen. So Lisa and her friend Wendy decide to have some fun by finding men's phone numbers from their car licenses and giving them mysterious phone calls. The most recent being with a handsome man named Richard, whom Lisa begins a sexy phone relationship with. But Lisa has no idea that Richard is a serial killer whose been murdering female victims by leaving them a message on their answering machines that he's in their house and going to kill them. Staci Keanan is great as the boy-crazy teen, and D.W. Moffett is convincing as the clean-cut Patrick Bateman-esque businessman whose more than meets the eye. Starring Cheryl Ladd, Jeffrey Tambor, Staci Keanan, D.W. Moffett, Tanya Fenmore 6/10

Best Gangster Movies

The Godfather - 1972
The Godfather Part 2 - 1974
State of Grace - 1990
Goodfellas - 1990
Casino - 1995
Donnie Brasco - 1997
Scarface - 1983
White Heat - 1949
The Public Enemy - 1931
The Untouchables - 1987
Once Upon a Time in America - 1984
Key Largo - 1948
Little Caesar - 1931
Public Enemies - 2009

The Tourist (2010)

Elise, a beautiful and mysterious boards a train that is traveling to Venice, Italy. She sits next to a man named Frank, a not-so-suave math teacher from Wisconsin whose on vacation. While on the train they make chit-chat and when they arrive in Venice, she lets him stay in the high-class luxury hotel she's staying at. However Frank doesn't realize that there are people who are following her to get to her lover, a man named Alexander Pierce, because he stole a lot of money from the Russian mob. A sexy and stylish international thriller; Jolie and Depp make for a terrific pair. Starring Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Timothy Dalton, Rufus Sewell, Paul Bettany 7/10

Character Spotlight: Patrick Bateman

Clean-cut and extremely diligent when it comes to hygiene, Patrick Bateman had been first introduced in Bret Easton Ellis' novel titled American Psycho, about a man leading a Jekyll and Hyde double life; by day a Wall Street investment banker and by night a psychotic killer with an obsession for blood. The character has been portrayed on the screen by Christian Bale in the film version of American Psycho. Bateman is a character that is shallow and has no feelings of remorse or pity inside him, his only feelings he does have is of greed and disgust, and in the film we see that he has difficulty controlling his urges, confessing in voice-over that his "mask of sanity is about to slip". Despite the morbid subject matter of the film, it has some moments of black comedy that'll have you laughing out loud.

The Last Seduction (1994)

Bridget Gregory is a tough as nails businesswoman living in New York City. She makes her husband Clay steal drug money and then decides to steal it from Clay. She leaves town, but runs out of gas. So she stops at a small town called Beston on her way to Chicago, and meets Mike, whom she immediately hooks up with. She gets a job at an insurance company and changes her name to Wendy Kroy as a new alias so Clay won't find her. However Clay, who knows of her talent of writing backwards, figures out her new name is New York spelled backwards. Bridget convinces Mike into getting rid of a foreclosure lawyer whose cheating old ladies out of their homes, despite thinking she's crazy. But it turns out it's really her husband that Bridget is planning to get rid of. Fiorentino is perfect as the psychotic, manipulative femme-fetale, who doesn't mind taking advantage of men to get what she wants. Starring Linda Fiorentino, Bill Pullman, Peter Berg, J.T. Walsh, Bill Nunn 8/10

Top Ten Scariest Movies

1. Psycho - 1960
2. The Exorcist - 1973
3. The Shining - 1980
4. Halloween - 1978
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 1974
6. Poltergeist - 1982
7. The Blair Witch Project - 1999
8. Night of the Living Dead - 1968
9. The Omen - 1976
10. Rosemary's Baby - 1968

Honorable Mentions: Jaws(1975), A Nightmare on Elm Street(1984), The Birds (1963), Dawn of the Dead (1978), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Carrie (1976)

Halloween (1978)

The place is Haddonfield Illinois, the time is Halloween, 1963. Judith Myers is stabbed to death by her six year-old brother Michael. Michael is institutionalized but fifteen years later he ends up escaping and comes back to Haddonfield on Halloween to terrorize some babysitters including high-schooler Laurie Strode, who gets increasingly concerned when she keeps seeing Myers everywhere she goes. Meanwhile psychiatrist Dr. Samuel Loomis follows Michael to Haddonfield, determined to stop him from killing anymore people. John Carpenter's horror classic, with a chilling musical score; Michael Myers is one terrifying boogeyman. Jamie Lee Curtis' film debut. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasance, P.J. Soles, Nancy Loomis, Tony Moran 8/10

Top Cult Classics

Pulp Fiction - 1994
American Psycho - 2000
Scarface - 1983
Fight Club - 1999
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - 1975
The Legend of Billie Jean - 1985
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - 1985

Cold Creek Manor (2003)

Cooper Tilson and his family are fed up with the busy and chaotic city life so they decide to move out to the serene countryside, where they restore an old, decaying mansion. While settling in they meet Dale, who used to live on the estate and offers to fix up the swimming pool because he needs the work. So Cooper reluctantly agrees, but is suspicious of Dale. Soon after, strange and awful things start to happen; deadly snakes start popping up inside the house, then his daughter's pony ends up dead lying in the pool. And Cooper believes that Dale is the one whose behind it all, as they soon discover secrets of his violent past. So-so psychological thriller; really dull at times, the characters are uninteresting but Dorff is particularly creepy. Starring Dennis Quaid, Sharon Stone, Stephen Dorff, Juliette Lewis, Christopher Plummer, Kristen Stewart 5/10

Worst Sequels

American Psycho 2 - 2002
Speed 2: Cruise Control - 1997
Grease 2 - 1982
The Godfather Part 3 - 1990
Caddyshack 2 - 1988
Weekend at Bernie's 2 - 1993
The Rage: Carrie 2 - 1999
Staying Alive - 1983
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure - 1979
The Next Karate Kid - 1994
Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows - 2000
Jaws the Revenge - 1987
Jurassic Park 3 - 2001

Signs (2002)

Graham Hess is a former Reverend who lives with his family in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania. One morning Graham wakes up, when his son Morgan discovers a five-hundred foot crop circle in the cornfield in their backyard. Not long afterward they see something or someone climbing on their roof, then they realize that the crop circles are turning up all over the world. They believe it may be some kind of extra-terrestrial life that is behind the whole thing; only question is are they are hostile or not. Spine-tingling and hauntingly frightening; big action and explosions are not necessary, for in the similar style of Hitchcock does M.Night Shymalayan slowly build up the suspense that is nothing short of heart pounding. Starring Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin 8/10

Most Evil Femme Fatales

Bridget Gregory - The Last Seduction
Matty Walker - Body Heat
Mona Demarkov - Romeo is Bleeding
Brigid O'Shaughnessy - The Maltese Falcon
Phyllis Dietrichson - Double Indemnity
Alex Forrest - Fatal Attraction
Catherine Tramell - Basic Instinct
Cora Smith - The Postman Always Rings Twice
Norma Desmond - Sunset Boulevard
Dolores Benedict - The Man with Two Brains

Towelhead (2007)

Jasira Maroun is a beautiful thirteen-year-old Lebanese-American girl, who is sent to live with her father Rifat in Texas after her mother's boyfriend volunteers to shave her. But her new life isn't easy; her father won't allow her be a normal teenager, won't let her wear makeup, shave or use tampons, and she is teased in school because of her background. After she and her father meet their neighbors, The Vuoso's, Jasira babysits their son, Zach and becomes attracted to his father Travis. But she likes to be with fellow classmate Thomas Bradley and becomes sexually active with him. It isn't until her female neighbor Melina becomes concerned about Jasira hanging around with Travis does she find out that he raped her. A disturbing and controversial drama, at times funny but mostly extremely uncomfortable to watch. Everyone gives terrific performances; especially newcomer Summer Bashil who is convincingly believable, and Aaron Eckhart who in spite of his character being an absolute sleaze you still find him weirdly charming. Starring Aaron Eckhart, Toni Collette, Maria Bello, Peter MacDissi, Summer Bishil 7/10

Worst Remakes

Psycho - 1998
The Pink Panther - 2006
Batman and Robin - 1997
Poseidon - 2006
Lolita - 1997
Prom Night - 2008
Planet of the Apes - 2001
House on Haunted Hill - 1999
The Island of Dr. Moreau - 1996
Charlie and The Chocolate Factory - 2005
The Time Machine - 2002
King Kong - 2005
The Amityville Horror - 2005

Body Heat (1981)

Ned Racine is a cheap and tawdry Florida lawyer. In the middle of an unbearable heat wave, he has a few brief encounters with a woman named Matty Walker, chatting about the heat and the wind chimes on her porch. Not long after they have a most explicit affair, despite her already being married to Edmund, a wealthy businessman. Matty tells Ned she can't stand being with Edmund anymore, and wants a divorce but she signed a prenuptial agreement. So Ned suggests that they kill him. A sexy neo-noir thriller; the dialogue between Hurt and Turner exudes raw sensuality and the scenes with them together are so scorchingly hot it'll make your temperature rise. Starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, Mickey Rourke 8/10

Lamest Lines in Cinema

"You complete me" - Jerry Maguire, 1996
"I'm the king of the world!" - Titanic, 1997
"Nobody puts Baby in a corner." - Dirty Dancing, 1987
"Pain don't hurt." - Road House, 1989
"Fancy that." - The Dark Knight, 2008
"Show me the money." - Jerry Maguire, 1996
"I used to fuck guys like you in prison." - Road House, 1989
"Your ass is grass." - Stand by Me, 1986
"Never leave the cave without it." - Batman and Robin, 1997
"This is why Superman works alone." - Batman and Robin, 1997
"Chicks dig the car." - Batman and Robin, 1997
"I weep for the future." - Ferris Bueller's Day Off, 1986
"I'm known as the catch of the county." - Dirty Dancing, 1987
"Have a nice trip, see you next fall." - The Dark Knight, 2008

Have a line of dialogue you think is pretty lame? Don't be afraid to share!

Risky Business (1983)

Suburban American teen Joel Goodson is having some trouble figuring out what to do with his life. His father wants for him to attend Princeton, but Joel doesn't think he'd ever get accepted. When his folks go out of town, he drives his father's Porsche 928 with his friend Barry, then his other friend Miles calls a call girl for him to come over his house but finds out that girl Jackie is really a male transvestite. So Jackie gives him a number of someone who he'll like named Lana. But after Joel spends the night with her, he doesn't have enough money to pay her, so he goes to get the money from a bond he has at the bank. When he comes back, he finds Lana gone and a priceless glass egg stolen from his house. However when Joel and Miles go to get the egg back, Lana's pimp goes after them. One of Tom Cruise's best films of the 80's; the most memorable moment being when he's dancing around in his underwear to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock N' Roll". Starring Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Joe Pantoliano, Bronson Pinchot, Richard Masur, Curtis Armstrong 7/10

P2 (2007)

It is New York City on Christmas Eve, and Angela is the last one stuck in the office working late. When she finally ready to leave, she goes down to the parking garage, but her car doesn't seem to want to start. So she asks the security guard Thomas, who seems friendly for help, but he can't get it started either. He invites her to have a small Christmas dinner with him, but she is eager to just get a cab and get home. However when he locks her in, knocks her out, and ties her up in his office, he doesn't seem so nice anymore. A chillingly scary thriller; Wes Bentley is creepy in the same style as Norman Bates. Starring Rachel Nichols, Wes Bentley, Simon Reynolds 6/10

Leaves of Grass (2009)

Bill Kincaid is a classic philosophy professor living in Rhode Island. He has an identical twin brother, Brady, who is a dope dealer and lives in Oklahoma. Brady has just recently gotten out of jail. After Bill hears that his brother has been murdered, he takes a trip back to his hometown of Little Dixie, Oklahoma. But Bill soon discovers that Brady isn't really dead after all, and gets him down there so he can switch places with him; Bill pretends to be Brady to visit their mother in the nursing home, while Brady takes care of a deal he made with his business partner, a man named Pug Rothbaum, whom he owes money to. But when Brady commits a terrible crime, things can a little out of control. Edward Norton is just brilliant, playing duo roles in this crazy and funny black comedy. Starring Edward Norton, Tim Blake Nelson, Susan Sarandon, Keri Russell, Richard Dreyfuss, Ty Burrell, Melanie Lynskey 7/10

Breathless (1983)

Jesse loves reading Comic Books (especially The Silver Surfer) and listening to Jerry Lee Lewis music. When he steals a Porsche and gets stopped by the police, he accidentally shoots a cop. Now on the run from the law, Jesse decides to drive from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to find his former French girlfriend Monica, they can go to Mexico together. But she doesn't want to leave because she's still in school, but soon she can't resist his charms and falls in love with him. Good remake of the 1960 film; Richard Gere alone makes the film worth watching. Starring Richard Gere, Valérie Kaprisky, Art Metrano 7/10

Taken (2008)

Bryan Mills was a former highly-trained CIA officer, now retired because he wants to have a relationship with his seventeen year old daughter Kim, which because of his duty to the CIA has kept him from having a normal family life. When Kim begs him to let her go on a trip to Paris, he is hesitant to give in. But eventually he does, despite his worries even though her mother, his ex-wife insists she needs her freedom. However he soon finds out that Kim has been kidnapped by Albanians, who lure young girls and then trade them for sex. So Bryan goes to Paris and stops at nothing to find out where she is. Pulse pounding, and intensely fast-paced thriller; Liam Neeson is terrific. Starring Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen 8/10

Mean Girls (2004)

Cady Heron is sixteen years old, and up until then has been home schooled, spending twelve years in Africa with her zoologist parents, until her mother got offered a job in a university. So Cady has to attend public high school. Although her new surroundings are strange and overwhelming, Cady ends up befriending classmates Janice and Damian, while hanging out with popular girl Regina and her clique "The Plastics". However after Cady finds a book in Regina's room, that is filled with bad things said about some kids in the school, she along with Janice and Damian decide it's time to show everyone what a fake Regina really is. Good teen story of high school life and cliques; although this movie is funny I prefer the darker, edgier "Heathers" as opposed to this one. Starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Tina Fey, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried, Lizzy Caplan, Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer 6/10

Kate & Leopold (2001)

Amateur Physicist Stuart Besser ends up finding a porthole through time, and when he comes back to the future he ends up bringing Leopold, Duke of Albany from the 19th Century back with him to the 21st Century. When Stuart ends up in the hospital after an accident, he asks his ex-girlfriend Kate, who lives in the same building as him to keep an eye on Leopold. He slowly starts to get used to the modern day world and technology, hanging out with Kate's actor brother Charlie. But Kate doesn't believe who Leopold says he is and although they share some tender moments, their ways of life and opinions clash. After Stuart comes back home, he thinks that Leopold should return to where he came from, but Leopold can't forget Kate, and she can't forget him either. A funny and charming tale of two star-crossed lovers from different eras of time. Starring Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Natasha Lyonne, Breckin Meyer 7/10

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)

It is Harry Potter's fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and already he has been expelled for having performed a charm in front of a Muggle (non-wizard person), which he is not allowed to do outside school. Another new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is at Hogwarts named Dolores Umbridge, who appears to be nice, but is absolutely cruel and sadistic. Harry finds out about The Order of the Phoenix, a secret society founded by Albus Dumbledore when they started fighting Lord Voldemort. Sirius Black, Harry's godfather believes that the dark lord has come back and is gathering an army, so Harry is more than eager to fight. When Umbridge refuses to teach the students how to defend themselves against the dark arts, they decide to have Harry Potter teach them. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Ralph Fiennes, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Julie Waters, Jason Isaacs, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane 8/10

Nil By Mouth (1997)

Raymond, his wife Valerie, their daughter Michelle and brother Bill live in a working-class London neighborhood; Valeria and Bill's mother Janet and grandmother Kath often visit. Ray is an alcoholic, who often spends time with Billy and his friend Angus. Billy is a drug addict who later on steals Ray's drugs and when Ray finds out he kicks Billy out of the house, so Billy stays with Janet. She gives him money for some heroin, but when she refuses to give him anymore, Billy breaks into Ray's house looking for things to sell. Ray finds Valerie out playing pool with a man, he orders her home, then accuses her of having an affair and physical abuses her. Gritty, violent and hard to watch; although the dialogue is difficult to understand, Gary Oldman's directorial debut is nothing short of impressive. On another note, Oldman's own sister Laila Morse plays the role of Janet, while his mother is the voice for the song in the film. Starring Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Laila Morse, Edna Dore 8/10

She's All That (1999)

Zach Siler is the most popular jock at his California High School; he's an honor student, class president and plays soccer. When his bossy, snobbish girlfriend Taylor Vaughan comes back from spring beak she dumps him for Brock Hudson, reality star of The Real World. Zach is pissed off and is convinced that he can easily replace her, and transform any girl in the school into prom queen. So his friends Dean and Preston make him a bet that he can't, and they get to choose the girl. And of course they pick the artsy misunderstood, self-conscious girl Laney Boggs. Although Zach isn't too successful with Laney at first, he befriends her little brother Simon. However when Laney is invited to Preston's party, Zack's sister Mackenzie "Mack" gives her a makeover, Zack starts falling for her. Typical teen chick flick with a dozen cliches and stereotypes, but with a few really funny moments. Starring Freddie Prinze, Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Anna Paquin, Paul Walker, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Kevin Pollak, Kieran Culkin, Usher Raymond, Matthew Lillard, Gabrielle Union, Clea DuVall, Tim Matheson 6/10

Basquiat (1996)

Jean-Michel Basquiat lives in Thompkins Square Park in a cardboard box, who writes graffiti on the streets of Brooklyn, New York; he spends his time with friend Benny and the waitress from a coffee shop named Gina. He encounters Andy Warhol at a restaurant and gives him some art to buy, later on a poet named Rene Ricard is marveled by one of Jean's paintings at a party. Ricard ends up launching Jean's career and he becomes a star. However, Jean's friends think that Andy is just out to use him. Jeffrey Wright is beyond amazing in the title role of this biopic story about one of America's most influential postmodernist/neo expressionist artists, as well as a terrific cast of supporting characters. Starring Jeffrey Wright, David Bowie, Benicio del Toro, Gary Oldman, Dennis Hopper, Michael Wincott, Parker Posey, Claire Forlani, Courtney Love, Christopher Walken 8/10

Crazy/Beautiful (2001)

Nicole is a spoiled, rich girl whose the daughter of a congressman from Malibu, Carlos is from East L.A. and a straight A student trying to get into the naval academy so he can become a pilot. They meet one day on the beach when she's doing community service. They both go to the Palisades Charter High School, and soon Carlos realizes that Nicole is a bit of a party girl, getting drunk and hanging out with her best friend Maddy. Not long after they fall in love and Carlos spends a lot of time with her, but Nicole's father advises him to stay away from her because of how troubled and destructive she is. Kirsten Dunst gives a great performance as well as Jay Hernandez; you want them to be together despite their backgrounds and how different their lives are. Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison, Taryn Manning 7/10

The 'Burbs (1989)

Ray Peterson lives in a seemingly ordinary suburban neighborhood who takes the week off to just relax and not have to stress out over anything. But his vacation is anything but stress-free as he becomes more and more suspicious of his mysterious new neighbors next door, The Klopeks. They never go in, they never come out, they don't get any visitors or deliveries, and late at night Ray hears noises coming from their basement. He, along with his fellow suburbanites Art and Mark decide to do a little snooping on them. Then when their other neighbor Walter disappears, Art has a theory that the Klopeks are satanists and that Walter is their human sacrifice. My favorite Tom Hanks film; an hilarious black comedy that makes fun of the suburbs and their crazy inhabitants. Starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Rick Ducommun, Wendy Schaal, Corey Feldman 7/10

The Gate (1987)

After Glen has a bizarre nightmare, he is awaken by the sound of drilling outside his window, and sees men cutting down a tree that is in the backyard. As the workers take the tree away, Glen discovers a fragment of a geode. Later, along with his friend Terry, he digs up the yard and they find a larger geode. When his parents leave for three days, Glen's older sister Alexandra "Al" insists she's old enough to be in charge. So while Al has a party downstairs, Glen and his friend Terry hang out in his room and the geode suddenly opens up. Not long after, weird things start happening; Glen is levitated at the party, Angus, Glen's dog mysteriously dies. Terry shows him a heavy metal record album with lyrics that are based on "The Dark Book", that can summon demons and open the gate, and Terry believes that they have accidentally opened it. It's the battle of good against evil in this fun cult horror classic. Starring Stephen Dorff, Louis Tripp, Christa Denton, Kelly Rowan 7/10

My Girl 2 (1994)

Vada Sultenfuss is now thirteen, her grandmother has died and her new stepmother Shelly is pregnant. Harry decides to use Vada's room for the baby's nursery because it's right next to theirs. Vada has an assignment to do for school, where she has to write about someone she admires, but has never met, so she decides to do it on her mother. Spring break is coming up, and Shelly suggests taking a trip to Los Angeles, California, that way she can visit her uncle Phil and do research on her mother. So Vada stays with her uncle, his girlfriend Rose and her son Nick. A good sequel to the original, funny at times although not as heartfelt as the first. Starring Anna Chlumsky, Dan Aykroyd, Christine Ebersole, Jamie Lee Curtis, Richard Masur, Austin O'Brien, Richard Beymer, Ben Stein 7/10

My Girl (1991)

Vada Sultenfuss is an eleven- year old girl who is kind of obsessed with death, especially since her father is an undertaker and she lives in a house that is also run as a funeral parlor. Her mother died when she was born, so she lives with her father and grandmother. She's best friends with Thomas J, who is allergic to everything. Vada is in love with Mister Bixler, her English teacher, and she signs up to be in his poetry class to get close to him. Her father hires a new make-up artist named Shelly DeVoto, who gives her advice about makeup and boys. So when she discovers that her father is falling in love with Shelly, Vada does everything possible to keep them from getting together. A wonderful coming-of-age story; with scenes of great humor, but also of deep sadness you'll instantly fall for newcomer Anna Chlumsky. Starring Dan Aykroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis, Macauley Culkin, Anna Chlumsky, Richard Masur, Griffin Dunne 7/10

Sea of Love (1989)

Frank Keller is a New York police detective; he's also an alcoholic and divorced from his wife. His ex-wife is now involved with one of Frank's colleagues. Frank investigates a series of shootings where men are being shot in the back of the head, while "Sea of Love" is played. He meets Detective Sherman Touhey, who thinks that he and Frank should work together on the case, believing that it's a woman who is the culprit. They find out that the men who are being murdered have been putting rhyming ads in the singles magazines; so Frank has an idea that they put their own ad in the magazine, go out on the dates with the women, get their prints and catch the killer. Pacino is pretty good and his scenes with Goodman are great; however what really makes this film memorable are the moments Pacino has with Barkin. Their chemistry is red-hot and incredibly sensual. John Goodman's rendition of "Sea of Love" is hilarious. The title is actually a song by Phil Phillips, which is essentially played throughout most of the movie. Starring Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, John Goodman, Michael Rooker, William Hickey, Richard Jenkins, Paul Calderón, Samuel L. Jackson 6/10

Bird on a Wire (1990)

After helping to put away a drug dealing FBI Agent, Rick Jarmin is relocated under the Witness Relocation Program, where he works at a gas station in Detroit, Michigan. Fifteen years later, his ex-fiancee Marianne Graves happens to recognize him and Rick decides it's not safe to stay. The FBI Agent, a man named Eugene Sorenson is released from jail on parole, and along with his partner Albert Diggs set out to get rid of Rick. But when Marianne goes back to the station to talk to Rick, Eugene and Albert show up to kill him. Luckily Marianne comes to his rescue and they flee in her car. He finds out not long after that his identity has been erased, so he needs to find help to get him back into hiding. An entertaining adventure story with lots of exciting action scenes; Hawn and Gibson have convincing chemistry together. Starring Mel Gibson, Goldie Hawn, David Carradine, Bill Duke, Stephen Tobolowsky 6/10

Tangled (2010)

There was once a small kingdom where there lived a king and queen. And in this land there was a golden flower with healing powers, which an old woman used to stay youthful. But the queen falls ill when she is going to have a baby. The flower heals the queen, and she has a baby girl, who receives the power of the flower when she's born. But the old woman wants the power back, so she steals the baby and raises it as her own, calling her Rapunzel. Years later Rapunzel is a young woman of eighteen, with seventy-feet long golden hair whose been locked up in a high tower without any human contact except for her mother. She longs to see the floating lantern lights that shine in the sky every year on her birthday. A thief named Flynn Ryder climbs into her tower one day, in an attempt to hide from the law. So Rapunzel makes a deal with him; she'll give back his satchel (which has a stolen diamond crown in it) if he'll take her to see the lantern lights. A creative new twist on the classic tale of Rapunzel; with great humor, memorable characters and wonderful songs. Starring Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Brad Garrett, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor 8/10

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire (2005)

It is Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts, and he along with the Weasley family, the Diggory family and Hermione attend the Quidditch World Cup where Death Eaters (followers of Lord Voldemort) stir up a frenzy. Lately Harry has been having strange nightmares about the dark lord. At the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there's another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor named Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody. Headmaster Professor Dumbledore announces that there will be a Triwizard Tournament, in which one wizard's name from each of the three houses is picked from a magical cup called the Goblet of Fire, to compete in three very dangerous challenges. The only restriction is students who are under seventeen aren't allowed to enter. However the Goblet chooses Harry for a fourth name, despite him not being old enough. But being bound by a magical contract, Harry has no choice but to compete in the tournament. Based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Robbie Coltrane, Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Jason Isaacs, Gary Oldman, Miranda Richardson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Robert Pattinson 7/10

The Mod Squad (1999)

Julie Barnes, Peter Cochran and Lincoln Hayes are all delinquents of the law; Julie for assault, Pete for robbery and Linc for arson. They are recruited by Police Captain Adam Greer to go undercover at a local nightclub otherwise they have to serve jail time for their crimes. But when they discover that Adam has been killed, they believe it was a setup so they go investigating on their own to find out who did it. As much as critics hated this and it bombed at the box office, this film for me is still a guilty pleasure, despite the lame dialogue and the uninteresting plot. The only thing that is worthwhile to watch is Giovanni Ribisi's eccentric performance. Starring Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi, Omar Epps, Dennis Farina, Josh Brolin 5/10

Maverick (1994)

Gambler Bret Maverick is determined to go to St. Louis for the poker tournament game, where you can win half a million dollars; only problem is he's three-thousand dollars short of the entry fee. And he wants to show how good of a card player he is, so he goes to the town of Crystal River to collect the money that is owed to him. There he meets a man named Angel, a woman calling herself Mrs. Annabelle Bransford, whom he discovers that she is quite the sneaky con-artist, and lawman Marshal Zane Cooper. Bret, Annabelle and Zane share a stagecoach and head to St. Louis but Bret doesn't realize they're some shady characters that don't want him in the game. A terrific blend of action and humor, along with a charming Mel Gibson makes this film a real treat. Based on the 1950's television series of the same name. Starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, James Garner, Alfred Molina, James Coburn, Graham Greene, Dan Hedaya, Danny Glover 7/10

Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

It is Harry's third year at the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there is a new replacement for Defense Against the Dark Arts Class, a man named Remus Lupin. Harry also finds out that a prisoner by the name of Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison and is after him, so security is high at Hogwarts. What Harry discovers later on is that Sirius Black is his godfather and despite him being friends with Harry's parents, he apparently betrayed them because of his loyalty to the dark Lord Voldemort. By far my favorite of the Harry Potter series; with quick-witted humor, the build-up of suspense leading to the appearance of the infamous Sirius Black (who is wonderfully portrayed by Gary Oldman) is utterly brilliant. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Pam Ferris, Gary Oldman, Julie Walters, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Emma Thompson, Richard Griffiths, Robbie Coltrane, Pam Ferris 8/10

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets (2002)

It is Harry's second year at The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and there's a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher named Gilderoy Lockhart. But Harry Potter is not safe at Hogwarts; he starts to hear voices, and the Chamber of Secrets has been opened. So Harry, along with his friends Ron and Hermione set out to find the heir of Slytherin house so they can discover who has been attacking the students. The magic and wonder continues in the second film of the Harry Potter saga, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Kenneth Branagh, Jason Isaacs, Julie Waters, John Cleese, Richard Griffiths, Richard Harris 8/10

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Harry Potter seems to be an ordinary boy, living with his dreadful Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and their horrible son Dudley. Until on his eleventh birthday when he gets a visit from a man named Rubeus Hagrid and finds out that he's really a wizard who despite his aunt and uncle's objections, has been accepted to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry learns that he is famous in the world of wizards, having survived being attacked when he was only a baby by the evil Dark Lord Voldemort that killed his parents. Harry meets Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, along with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. While at Hogwarts he plays Quidditch (a game that involves flying on broomsticks), takes down a mountain troll, and discovers the Mirror of Erised where he sees his dead parents. Harry, Ron and Hermione find out that someone is out to steal the Sorcerer's Stone, which has powers that can make a person immortal. A wonderfully imaginative fantasy story that is such fun you can't help but see it more than once. Based upon the novel by J.K. Rowling. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Richard Harris, John Hurt, Julie Waters, Alan Rickman, John Cleese 8/10

Braveheart (1995)

A Scotsman by the name of William Wallace, who in the 19th Century rebelled against England's King Edward the Longshanks when he tried to take control of Scotland. It starts off when William is a small boy, and his father and brother are murdered. He travels to Europe with his uncle Argyle where he teaches him how to use the sword. William becomes a man and returns home, where he falls in love with Murron, his friend from childhood and marries her in secret. But when she is tragically murdered, he takes his revenge by fighting against the English and going on a mission to free Scotland. Braveheart is in my humble opinion one of the most grand and exhilarating historical dramas ever made; Mel Gibson gives a most extraordinary performance in the film, in which he also directed and produced. One of the best scores by the great James Horner. Starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Partick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, Brendan Gleeson, Brian Cox 9/10

The Box (2009)

The time is 1976, the place is Richmond, Virginia. Arthur and Norma Lewis receive a box on their doorstep one early winter morning with no idea what it is or who it's from. Arlington Steward, the man who left it shows up unexpectedly at their house and says he has an offer for to make them; if they push the red button on the box that two things will happen: they will receive one million dollars in cash but someone, somewhere whom they don't know will die. The general premise of the story is good, but as the film goes on it gets more and more confusing and complex when all these other factors come into play, so you can't entirely understand what is going on. Starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden, Frank Langella 6/10

Against All Odds (1984)

Terry Brogan is a football player who has been cut from the team and needs money. Luckily his friend Jake Wise, a nightclub owner comes in and hires Terry to find his girlfriend Jessie, who apparently stabbed Jake and stole money from him. Terry ends up finding Jessie in Mexico City and not long after falls in love with her. The lovers plan to flee so Jake won't find them but before they do, Hank Sully, one of Terry's coaches shows up and tells them that Jake sent him to take them back. An interesting and complex tale of betrayal, lust, corruption and greed. Starring Rachel Ward, Jeff Bridges, James Woods, Richard Widmark, Alex Karras, Swoosie Kurtz, Saul Rubinek 6/10

The Road (2010)

A father and son struggle to survive in a world that has been destroyed by an unexpected cataclysm; crops are gone, there's scarcely any food, trees are falling around them, and you can't trust anyone for fear of cannibalism. The boys' mother abandoned them so it is only the two of them as they travel on the road, their destination; the south. From the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel by author Cormac McCarthy, Viggo Mortensen is remarkable in this sad, terrifying and suspenseful story. Starring Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Guy Pearce, Robert Duvall, Kodi Smit-McPhee 8/10

Tequila Sunrise (1988)

Dale McKussic, aka "Mac" is a former drug dealer who's trying to get away from that life and go straight. Nick Frescia, who in spite of being Mac's close friend is a detective lieutenant and he'll probably have to bring him to justice if he is in the drug dealing business again. DEA Agent Hal Maguire hears around that Mac is going to personally move kilos of coke with drug kingpin Carlos, who is supposedly coming to town soon. So Hal wants Nick to use his relationship with Mac so he can get close to Carlos. Mac becomes attracted to restaurant owner Jo Ann Vallenari, while Nick gets chummy with her to find out if she's involved with Mac. Russell is tough, Gibson and Pfeiffer are sizzling together but it's Raul Julia's character that really steals the show. Starring Mel Gibson, Kurt Russell, Michelle Pfeiffer, Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh, Ayre Gross 7/10

Moon (2009)

Sam Bell works for a Japanese company called Lunar Industries and has been on the Moon for three lonely years in a Sarang lunar base. He has an robotic assistant named Gerty 3000 for company, but wants to go back home so he can see his wife and baby daughter. A few weeks before he is supposed to return home, he is distracted by a young girl who isn't really there and burns his hand. Then not long after he sees a figure when he goes outside for a routine rover drive, and accidentally crashes his rover vehicle and loses consciousness. He awakes but can't remember what happened. Gerty tells him he is not allowed outside the base and that a rescue team is coming to repair a damaged harvester. Against his orders, Sam heads out there anyway and discovers someone inside the rover he crashed: himself. In the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey, an intricate and fascinating story that is driven mostly by Sam Rockwell's remarkable performance. Starring Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey, Dominique McElligott, Robin Chalk, Benedict Wong 7/10

Conviction (2010)

Betty Anne Waters is a single mother working her way through law school so she can become a lawyer and help get her brother Kenny out of prison. Kenny has been in prison for twelve years, convicted of a murder he didn't commit. So with the help of The Innocence Project, a non profit organization that's dedicated to overthrowing wrongfully convicted cases, she tries to prove her brother's innocence, but only if she can find DNA evidence that can exonerate him. Based on a true story that began in 1980 in Ayer, Massachusetts, Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell both give powerfully emotional performances in this truly inspiring story. Starring Hilary Swank, Sam Rockwell, Melissa Leo, Minnie Driver, Juliette Lewis, Peter Gallagher, Clea DuVall 8/10

Choke (2008)

Victor Mancini is a sex addict. He works with his best friend Denny (whose is a reformed sex addict) being tour guides, or historical interpreter of life as Victor calls it in life in Colonial America. He meets a young doctor named Paige Marshall when Victor visits his mother Ida; who is in the hospital suffering from dementia. Victor pays for his mother's hospital bills by pretending to choke at restaurants so he can con people into giving him money. Paige thinks she might've found a way to save Ida; by trying an illegal experimental operation but she tells Victor she needs his help; she needs a compatible donor. Only problem is his attempts to help her are unsuccessful, despite the fact that he hasn't had any previous trouble doing it with practically the entire female hospital staff. Sam Rockwell is just great in this hilarious dark comedy based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk. Starring Sam Rockwell, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, Brad William Henke, Gillian Jacobs, Joel Grey 7/10

Mrs. Soffel (1984)

The place is Pittsburgh, the time is 1901. Peter Soffel is the warden of the Allegheny County Prison. Edward Biddle is one of the prisoners in the prison that is scheduled to be hanged, along with his younger brother Jack for robbery and murder. Mrs. Kate Soffel, Peter's wife visits the brothers twice a week to read to them from the Bible, and while doing so finds herself attracted to Ed. Unbeknown to anyone, she secretly helps to set them free, ends up falling in love with Ed and abandons her husband and children to leave with him. But being an accessory to a crime has its consequences. Based on a true story, this is a heartbreaking tale of love and two people who are desperate for their freedom. Starring Mel Gibson, Diane Keaton, Matthew Modine, Edward Herrmann 8/10

Sin (2003)

Eddie Burns is a retired cop who lost the use of his left arm in the line of duty. When he finds out his junkie sister Kassie is violently raped and left for dead, Eddie takes the law into his own hands and vows to find who's responsible. What Eddie doesn't know is that a man from his past is connected with it. A sadistic man by the name of Charlie Strom; a producer of pornography movies, Charlie has been supplying the drugs for Kassie. Average dramatic thriller that feels like a modern-day western. Starring Gary Oldman, Ving Rhames, Brian Cox, Alicia Coppola, Kerry Washington, Bill Sage 6/10

Copying Beethoven (2006)

Twenty-three year old Anna Holtz studied composition and aspires to become a composer one day, so she is honored when she gets the opportunity to transcribe Beethoven's work until the premiere of the Maestro's 9th symphony. Despite Beethoven's erratic behavior and eccentric nature, Anna thinks his music is brilliant and wants to show him her work, but she is told to wait until after the premiere. Because of his deafness, she helps him conduct the orchestra and he helps her with her composition. Ed Harris gives an incredible performance, with an electrifying and powerful soundtrack that is nothing short of genius. Starring Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Matthew Goode 8/10

The Watcher (2000)

Serial killer David Allen Griffin likes to stalk his young female victims; he studies their daily routine and very is detailed and concise, even bringing along tools to enter their homes. Joel Campbell, an ex-FBI agent from Los Angeles has been on David's trail but hasn't been successful catching him. Frustrated, he moves to Chicago where he goes into therapy to try and deal with his failure to capture the serial killer. David ends up following him, calling him up to tell him he's sending Joel a picture of a woman and that he has a day to find her or he'll kill them. An average cat and mouse thriller; with gripping suspense, and although I didn't find Reeves to be all that menacing, he does make a surprisingly convincing villain. Starring James Spader, Keanu Reeves, Maris Tomei, Ernie Hudson 6/10

The Tale of Desperaux (2008)

In a small kingdom called Dor, there was born a mouse by the name of Desperaux Tilling. He was small with bigger ears than most mice, and didn't act the way other mice usually do; he was brave and didn't cower. One day he discovers the library and reads a fairy story about a princess named Pea who's locked in a castle and longs for a prince, soup, and for it to rain. What Desperaux doesn't know is before he was born, a rat landed in the Queen's soup and made her have a heart attack and die, so all rats and soup weren't allowed in the kingdom. Desperaux meets and befriends a rat named Roscuro. He tells him about the princess and they decide to devote themselves to helping the princess. An adorable tale with an all-star cast that's visually entertaining, based on the book by Kate DiCamillo. Starring Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, William H. Macy, Kevin Kline, Stanley Tucci, Frank Langella, Tracey Ullman, Sigourney Weaver 8/10

Bridge to Terabithia (2007)

Jess Aarons lives on a struggling farm with his family. He likes to draw, and he also enjoys running which he trained all summer for, but when school starts and new girl Leslie Burke beats him in a race, he doesn't like her one bit. He dislikes her even more when he finds out she moved into the house next door to where he lives. But they have more in common then they think; they're both outsiders and they both have a great imagination. Soon they become friends and she opens his mind to a wonderful land of trolls, ogres and monsters in a magical kingdom called Terabithia. Based on Katherine Paterson's novel. Starring Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Robert Patrick, Bailee Madison, Zooey Deschanel 7/10

Harold and Maude (1971)

Harold is a rich, young man who is intrigued with death which drives his family crazy, so much so that they make him see a therapist. He stages fake suicides, he likes to attends funerals of people he's never met and drives around in a hearse. Then one day when he is outside listening to a funeral eulogy, he sees an old woman sitting some distance away watching. He encounters her several more times at funeral services and finds out her name is Maude and she's seventy-nine years old. Maude is a carefree spirit who loves music and art, as opposed to Harold's morbid personality. Not too long after they become good friends. His mother keeps setting him up with girls, but Harold falls in love with Maude and wants to marry her, but Maude has already made her own plans. With a great musical score by Cat Stevens, Harold and Maude is by far one of my favorite dark comedies; Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort are amazing, lovable and hilarious as the title characters. Starring Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles Tyner, Ellen Geer, Eric Christmas 8/10

Tim (1979)

Tim Melville is a handsome young man with low level intelligence. He works as a builder's laborer and hired by an older woman named Mary Horton to fix up the garden and other various jobs outside the house during the week. To Mary's surprise, Tim shows up on the weekends too. They become good friends; she teaches him to read, he takes her to the beach. However Tim's family is suspicious of their friendship, thinking that Mary is just out to take advantage of Tim's innocent nature, especially when the friendship turns romantic. A wonderfully sweet romantic story; Gibson is most convincing in one of his earlier roles, and Piper Laurie is impressive and brilliant as well. From Colleen McCullough's novel of the same name. Starring Piper Laurie, Mel Gibson, Alwyn Kurts, Pat Evison, Peter Gwynne, Deborah Kennedy 8/10

The Messengers (2007)

Sixteen-year old Jess Solomon relocates with her family from the city of Chicago to the rural outskirts of North Dakota because she got into some trouble and her parents are reluctant to start trusting her again. Along with her father Roy, mother Denise, and young baby brother Ben, they move into a dark and old house that is on a farm so Roy can start harvesting the sunflower crop. Her father hires a farmhand named John Burwell to help out on the farm and not long after, Jess starts to have horrible visions and believes that the house may be haunted. A slow beginning, but picks up the suspense as the film progresses. The best way to describe the film is it's The Amityville Horror meets The Grudge, meets The Birds. Starring Kristen Stewart, Dylan McDermott, Penelope Ann Miller, John Corbett 6/10

The Firm (1988)

Clive "Bex" Bissell is an estate agent who has a wife and a young baby boy at home and for fun he is a football hooligan, leader of the Inter City Crew who wants to recruit for a national firm for the European Championship. But his extracurricular activities clash with his home life and his wife doesn't want to put up with it anymore after their son accidentally cuts himself with Bexy's "Stanley" blade, but he tells her that he needs the buzz. Based on the Inter City Firm, a football firm of West Ham United during the 70s and 80s; gritty and violent. Oldman is extraordinary, and gives another great and memorable performance. Starring Gary Oldman, Lesley Manville, Phil Davis, Charles Lawson 7/10

Payback (1999)

A man known only as Porter, is shot and left for dead by his former partner named Val Resnick and his ex-junkie-wife Lynn after a one hundred-forty thousand dollar heist. After healing for months Porter returns for payback. He finds out Resnick has joined The Outfit, a criminal organization and using the heist money to pay his debts. So Porter asks for the help of a call girl friend, Rosie, who is in close relations with The Outfit so he can get back his share of the loot. Stylish crime thriller; Mel Gibson is too cool as the bad guy, based on the book The Hunter by Richard Stark. Starring Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Lucy Liu, John Glover, William Devane, Deborah Kara Unger, Jack Conley, Kris Kristofferson, James Coburn, Freddy Rodriguez 7/10

Charlie's Angels (2000)

Natalie, Alex and Dylan are three young, beautiful women who come from different backgrounds and places but have one thing in common; they all work for a mysterious man named Charlie. Their new assignment has them investigating the kidnapping of a man named Eric Knox, an engineer who owns a software company. They suspect that another man named Roger Corwin might be behind the disappearance because Corwin wanted to buy out Knox's company. But the angels find out that things are not at all what they seem, and that their boss is the target of assassination. Sleek, sexy and fun, with killer action and fighting scenes. Starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu, Drew Barrymore, Bill Murray, Crispin Glover, Sam Rockwell, Matt LeBlanc, Tim Curry, Kelly Lynch, Luke Wilson, John Forsythe, LL Cool J, Tom Green 6/10

Casanova (2005)

The place is Venice, the time is 1753. Casanova is the city's greatest and most legendary lover with many admirers. But scandal and trouble seems to follow him around. So unless he finds a wife and gets married he'll be banished from the city. He does get engaged but when he meets a beautiful feminist named Francesca he becomes smitten with her, only problem is she is betrothed to another man. And Francesca is under the impression that he's someone else instead of who he really is. An infectious and delightful romantic comedy; Heath Ledger is absolutely charming. Starring Heath Ledger. Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Lena Olin, Oliver Platt 8/10

The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)

Billie Jean Davy is a beautiful young high school girl who lives in Corpus Christi, Texas. Her younger brother Binx gets his scooter stolen by a bully named Hubie Pyatt. After Binx gets it back, Billie Jean goes to Hubie's father's shop to get the money to get the scooter fixed. But when she tries to get the money, Mr. Pyatt tries to rape her. Binx ends up shooting him so he, Billie Jean and their friends Putter and Ophelia go on the run as fugitives from the law. A inspiring cult film about standing your ground for what you think is right. Starring Helen Slater, Christian Slater, Keith Gordon, Yeardley Smith, Peter Coyote 7/10

Monster (2003)

Aileen "Lee" is a hooker who lives in Daytona Beach, Florida. She ends up befriending a young girl named Selby Wall whom she met at a bar. But one night while Lee is with a customer, she is beaten and raped and in self-defense shoots the guy as a result. Lee and Selby soon become lovers and Selby leaves home to be with her, while Lee vows to stop hooking and go straight. But she can't get work as she and Selby struggle to survive. So Lee starts hitchhiking with strange men, luring them into the woods and killing them to take their money. Lee becomes a killer on the run and eventually the authorities begin the search to find her. Shocking, sad and depressing, this film is based on a true story about the life of convicted killer Aileen Wuornos; an almost unrecognizable Charlize Theron is absolutely extraordinary in her Oscar-winning role. Starring Charlize Theron, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern, Scott Wilson 8/10

Honey I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Wayne Szalinski is an inventor who has been experimenting on a new machine that is supposed to shrink objects, but he hasn't had any success in getting it to work. Until one afternoon when their next door neighbor Russ Thompson accidentally hits a baseball through the Szalinski's attic window, activating the machine. When they go up to the attic to try and find it, the machine shrinks them down to a 1/4 of an inch tall. Frustrated with the machine, Wayne destroys it as the kids try desperately to shout that it works. He throws them out with the trash and now the kids are stuck in the massive jungle that is the Szalinski's backyard. They decide to go through the backyard to get back to the house for help, but it's quite a long journey and not an easy one, as they encounter some huge insects and the sprinkler system. One of my favorite movies when I was a kid; an imaginative adventure story that'll have you seeing the world in a very different perspective. Starring Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Wilson Brown, Jared Rushton, Amy O'Neill, Robert Oliveri 7/10

Matchstick Men (2003)

Roy Waller is a con artist (and a very good one at that) who lives in Los Angeles and works alongside his partner/protege Frank Mercer. Roy has several disorders that include agoraphobia, mysophobia, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and a tic disorder which sometimes interferes with his work. Frank suggests for him to see someone about his problems. So Roy visits Doctor Harris Klein where he starts talking about his past relationship with a woman whom he got pregnant. He tries to track her down, but she doesn't want to talk to him. However his fourteen year old daughter Angela wants to meet him. Before long she shows up at his house and starts spending time with him, and going along with him when he's conning other people. I think Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell make a great team and give equally great performances in this comedy/drama; as well as impressive newcomer Alison Lohman as Roy's long lost daughter. Starring Nicolas Cage, Alison Lohman, Sam Rockwell, Bruce Altman, Bruce McGill 8/10

Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991)

When Mrs. Crandell decides to take a much needed two month vacation to Australia, she hires a live-in babysitter Mrs. Sturak to watch her five kids. Needless to say it totally ruins her daughter Sue Ellen "Swell" plans to go to Europe for the summer. As soon as she's gone, Mrs. Sturak turns into the babysitter from hell, ordering them around like a drill sergeant and assigning them to chores. When she discovers to see just how messy the house is, she ends up dying from shock. It's up to the kids to fend for themselves for two months, except they can't find where the money is that their mom gave to the babysitter. So Sue Ellen has to get a job to support the rest of the kids until their mother gets back. A cute and funny movie; the actress who plays the babysitter is really creepy, and Christina Applegate is great as the teenager turned career woman. Starring Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy, John Getz, Josh Charles, Concetta Tomei, David Duchovny 7/10

JFK (1991)

It's New Orleans, November 22, 1963. The assassination of the President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy is shown on television. New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and his team begin to investigate possible suspects who may have been part of a conspiracy to kill the president; including private pilot David Ferrie, alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, and Jack Ruby who killed Oswald. With an all-star cast, this is a very intriguing film about a very significant time that impacted America. It was adapted by director Oliver Stone and Zachary Sklar from the books On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs. Starring Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Tommy Lee Jones, Laurie Metcalf, Joe Pesci, Brian Doyle-Murray, Donald Sutherland, John Candy, Sissy Spacek, Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Wayne Knight, Vincent D'Onofrio 8/10

Ransom (1996)

Tom Mullen is a millionaire airline owner. He attends a science fair in Central Park with his wife Kate and son Sean one day when suddenly and without any warning Sean mysteriously vanishes. Not soon after Tom and Kate get a message on their computer that their son has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom in the amount of two million dollars. The FBI are contacted and arrive at Mullen's penthouse to help to get back their son. Tom wants to pay the ransom but when he goes to bring the money things go wrong. As the hours go by, tensions rise and Tom risks his son's life by not negotiating with the kidnapper, instead appearing on a live broadcast to tell the kidnapper that the ransom money is now going to be a two million dollar bounty. An intense and chilling thriller, and I think one of Mel Gibson's finest performances. Starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Donnie Wahlberg, Lili Taylor, Delroy Lindo, Liev Schreiber 7/10

Smokin' Aces (2007)

FBI Agents Richard Messner and Donald Carruthers are assigned to travel to Las Vegas to get to showman/illusionist Buddy "Aces" Israel before the ex-cons, assassins and hit men bump him off first. It's a race against time between the good and the bad guys; but the agents have no idea that their Deputy Director Locke has other matters on his mind regarding Israel, until one of them is killed and the other discovers the secret that brings the film to a shocking conclusion. With unbelievable stunts, amazing special effects and a smokin' hot cast, this action packed film is one that you won't easily forget. Starring Ben Affleck, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Common, Ryan Reynolds 7/10

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Romy White and Michele Weinberger have been best friends since high school. They live together and do everything together. But their memories from way back when are horrible and embarrassing. So when Romy recognizes a girl whom she went to school with, she finds out about their ten year reunion. However they're not sure they want to go, because their lives aren't anything impressive. So Romy has an idea before the reunion to get fit and find better jobs. But it doesn't quite work out so they just dress up in fancy suits and pretend to be business women to impress their classmates. Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino are like the female versions of Harry and Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber, but they have such wonderful appeal in this terrific comedy about being true to yourself and not caring what people may think about you. Starring Mira Sorvino, Lida Kudrow, Janeane Garofalo, Alan Cumming, Julia Campbell 6/10

Speak (2004)

It's Melinda Sordino's first day as a high school freshman and she is feeling out of place. Everyone thinks she's a depressed and weird freak and she is almost constantly picked out, she doesn't even talk to her ex-best friend Rochelle anymore. The reason why is because she called the police the summer before when she was at a party, now everyone in school thinks of her as a squealer. The only thing Melinda enjoys is art class and drawing to express herself. Backtracking from past to present, with Melinda narrating throughout the film, Kristen Stewart is really wonderful as the outcast whose frustrated about school/life/family/boys with a shocking secret that she's too scared to tell anyone about. Have I mentioned how awesome Steve Zahn is in this movie, playing the art teacher? Based on the novel by Laurie Halse Anderson. Starring Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, D.B. Sweeney, Steve Zahn 8/10