Milk

Year: 2008

Why'd I Watch It?: I'd been meaning to since it came out.

What's It About?: The gay rights activism of Harvey Milk.

What'd I Think?: The casting was amazing. Sean Penn deserved that Oscar. It was fantastic and beautiful. Also, very encouraging. Oh, and a nice soundtrack.

Rating: 5 waffles

The Darjeeling Limited

Year: 2007

Why'd I Watch It?: I enjoy Wes Anderson and it was OnDemand for free.

What's It About?: Three brothers going on a train trip a year after their father died.

What'd I Think?: I like The Royal Tenenbaums better, but this was very similar and pretty good. The line delivery, as with most Wes Anderson films, was very good. India is really pretty.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Lovely and Amazing

Year: 2001

Why'd I Watch It?: Another delayed part of 2010 Gyllenhaal Fest.

What's It About?: A mother and her three daughters and what a mundane mess all their lives are.

What'd I Think?: I thought it was going to be really bad. It wasn't. It was actually quite delightful. The cast was really good. The story was absurd while remaining realistic.

Rating: 4 waffles

Moonlight Mile

Year: 2002

Why'd I Watch It?: An extension of the 2010 Gyllenhaal Fest.

What's It About?: A guy living with his in-laws-to-be after his fiance is killed.

What'd I Think?: Susan Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman were fantastic. Jake was exceedingly adorable. Overall, a compelling story that was well acted and only slightly depressing.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Due Date

Year: 2010

Why'd I Watch It?: RDJ + free movie.

What's It About?: Two guys with totally different personalities making bad decisions while driving cross country.

What'd I Think?: I love seeing new comedies the first weekend when the theater is filled with people all laughing at the same time. This movie was delightful and hilarious, but I don't know how well some of it might hold up without the theater going experience. Still, I lol'd.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Hawk the Slayer

Year: 1980

Why'd I Watch It?: Nate encouraged me.

What's It About?: A stereotypical D&D campaign.

What'd I Think?: Amazing in the "this is ridiculous 80s cheesy fantasy" way. If that's something you can enjoy, you will never be disappointed. Next time there needs to be a drinking game involved.

Rating: 5 waffles (by good cinema standards, probably a 2)

Never Let Me Go

Year: 2010

Why'd I Watch It?: Sarah wanted me to see it with her.

What's It About?: British kids in a depressing dystopia.

What'd I Think?: It was very good. Well acted. Really depressing and good story.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

CQ

Year: 2001

Why'd I Watch It?: Sarah and I picked it up at the used media store one afternoon.

What's It About?: A guy making a sci-fi movie in the 60s about the future.

What'd I Think?: Really odd, with a mixed up narrative that's not always clear (which if fine in certain instances, but really confusing in others). It really had the feel of a 60s film. I feel that maybe it would be better on a second viewing.

Rating: 3 1/2 waffles

Iron Maiden: Flight 666

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: It's essential viewing for Maiden fans.

What's It About?: The Somewhere Back in Time tour.

What'd I Think?: It was fun and cute, with a whole bunch of information about the band in there.

Rating: 5 waffles

Help!

Year: 1965

Why'd I Watch It?: It's The Beatles, why wouldn't I watch it?

What's It About?: Ringo's going to be a human sacrifice if he can't ditch the sacrificial ring stuck on his finger.

What'd I Think?: So much rendonkulous fun with a ton of good music. Also the line delivery is brilliant.

Rating: 5 waffles

Scott Pilgrim vs The World

Year: 2010

Why'd I Watch It?: It looked potentially good and it was free.

What's It About?: A hipster trying to date another hipster, but first he has to fight her hipster exs with video game references.

What'd I Think?: It was tons of fun. Really. It's a movie the specifically caters to people around my age (23), it seems.

Rating: 5 waffles

After the Thin Man

Year: 1936

Why'd I Watch It?: My father encouraged my mom and me to watch something.

What's It About?: Mystery and quipping!

What'd I Think?: It was pretty funny, but also had a fairly interesting sleuth story too. Also, really young Jimmy Stewart.

Rating: 5 waffles

Dames

Year: 1934

Why'd I Watch It?: My dad wanted me to.

What's It About?: Putting on a musical show!

What'd I Think?: The first half is actual movie, the second half is the super strange, super elaborate, super choreographed musical performance. While the story is kind of run of the mill, it's pretty funny and the show itself is really impressive, changing to something new and neat every time you feel like maybe it's dragging on enough.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Brick

Year: 2005

Why'd I Watch It?: JGL, and because Elizabeth told me to.

What's It About?: A high school kid trying to solve the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

What'd I Think?: Using noir dialogue and older styles of framing shots here and there in an otherwise totally modern movie proved to be an effective concept. Overall it made an otherwise potentially conventional sort of plot pretty engaging. Also, the cast did a bang up job of delivering the dialogue in the fast paced, inflection sensitive way it needed to be in order to achieve the desired effect.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

(500) Days of Summer

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: I heard good things, also JGL.

What's It About?: A boy and a girl's relationship from start to finish.

What'd I Think?: I identified with JGL's character a little too much, which worries me a little. Zooey Deschanel didn't annoy me like she normally does. I like a lot of the different more unconventional methods of storytelling that happen. The split screen between expectations and reality really depressed me a lot. Thanks movie.

Rating: 5 waffles

The Big Lebowski

Year: 1998

Why'd I Watch It?: My mom wanted to watch a movie.

What's It About?: The Dude getting tied up in unsavory business.

What'd I Think?: The Coen brothers are mad geniuses. Delightful, bizarre, and some how, sort of believable. Jeff Bridges and John Goodman are brilliant.

Rating: 5 waffles

Jabberwocky

Year: 1977

Why'd I Watch It?: My dad and I hoped it would be good.

What's It About?: A poor boy who goes to the big city in hopes of making enough money to win the hand of his love.

What'd I Think?: What the hell. It's too strange, which is something I'd never thought I'd say in a negative way about a Terry Gilliam movie. It's kind of like the whole thing got away from him. Pretty much none of the characters have anything redeeming about them, which may have been intentional, but it's just so...odd. Still, there are a lot of really neat things.

Rating: 3 waffles

Blade Runner

Year: 1982

Why'd I Watch It?: It seemed necessary.

What's It About?: A man who exterminates androids for a living.

What'd I Think?: Sci-fi classic. The atmosphere is amazing. Harrison Ford is wonderful. Super interesting adaptation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?.

Rating: 5 waffles

Knight and Day

Year: 2010

Why'd I Watch It?: We missed the other movie we were going to see.

What's It About?: An agent with dubious intentions and the random woman who gets mixed up with him.

What'd I Think?: Tom Cruise was really charming in a crazy sort of way. He's still appealing, I just wish he wasn't so batshit. This was a really fun movie. Like super fun. It wasn't necessarily good, but really entertaining, like The A-Team. Also, Peter Sarsgaard is EVERYWHERE.

Rating: 4 waffles

Mysterious Skin

Year: 2004

Why'd I Watch It?: Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

What's It About?: Damaged youth.

What'd I Think?: I was not warned. D: It was good, but I didn't like it? It's one of those movies that I feel isn't supposed to be liked, mostly because of the subject material. Still, it was super well acted by everyone, which is what makes it all work. JGL is super attractive.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Inception

Year: 2010

Why'd I Watch It?: I was excited.

What's It About?: Going into dreams and doing things.

What'd I Think?: I was so excited for this one and it did not disappoint. Thank you Christopher Nolan. ilu. The costuming alone was enough to make me elated. Most stylish movie I have seen since the last Nolan movie I watched. Also, a redonkulously attractive cast. Nolan really likes putting bags over Cillian Murphy's head. The story's not bad either, though I'd recommend seeing it at least twice.

Rating: 5 waffles

Bad Boys

Year: 1995

Why'd I Watch It?: Paul and I brought it on laserdisc.

What's It About?: A movie about two black cops written entirely by three white guys.

What'd I Think?: Will Smith is excellent. Martin Lawrence didn't annoy me as much as I thought. Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer oozes from the pores of this film. Fun, but average 90s blow up shit movie.

Rating: 3 waffles

Zombieland

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: Group decision.

What's It About?: A small group of surviors in the post-zombie apocalypse.

What'd I Think?: Fun. As a person who enjoys a good zombie movie, this was wonderful. It's also great to see with someone who has a fear of clowns. V. entertaining.

Rating: 5 waffles

Zodiac

Year: 2007

Why'd I Watch It?: Mike and I had some time to kill, so we watched a RDJ movie.

What's It About?: The Zodiac killer case, stretching from the 60s to the 90s.

What'd I Think?: If you're one of those people who complain about movies being long, gtfo. If you're a rational human being who doesn't mind a bit of creepy and loves flailing Jake Gyllenhaal, drunksy RDJ, and Anthony Edwards, take a look at this.

Rating: 5 waffles

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: Maybe it would be good, also it was the free Friday movie.

What's It About?: How Snikt Bub got to snikting bubs.

What'd I Think?: The opening credits were reeeeeally good. The first 20 minutes or so were also pretty good. After that it began to get stupid until I felt betrayed. I didn't appreciate the poor forcing in of lots of characters. I'd rather they had done a few characters well. Bleh.

Rating: 2 1/2 waffles

X2

Year: 2003

Why'd I Watch It?: I liked the first one.

What's It About?: The government going after mutants.

What'd I Think?: The way a comic book movie should be. The special effects were really good. The story was really good for this sort of movie. I really love the cast for the most part. Also, it's just fun.

Rating: 5 waffles

Wonder Boys

Year: 2000

Why'd I Watch It?: RDJ

What's It About?: Michael Douglas who is a college English professor having a string of bad days, accompanied by Tobey Maguire as a sociopathic student, and Robert Downey Jr who just hits on Maguire the whole time.

What'd I Think?: If that doesn't make you want to watch it, what will?

Rating: 5 waffles

Where the Buffalo Roam

Year: 1980

Why'd I Watch It?: It looked interesting.

What's It About?: The life and times of Hunter S. Thompson starring Bill Murray.

What'd I Think?: Grandness. Just watch it.

Rating: 5 waffles

Whale Rider

Year: 2002

Why'd I Watch It?: Went to it with my mom.

What's It About?: A girl who is destined to be chief of her modern day, patriarchal tribe.

What'd I Think?: Really good story. Well acted, very engrossing.

Rating: 5 waffles

We're Back!

Year: 1993

Why'd I Watch It?: Group decision.

What's It About?: Dinosaurs being back.

What'd I Think?: I've had a kind of falling out with kids movies. Anyway, I'm sure I would have enjoyed this one more had I been about eight years younger...not to mention paying better attention to the plot. It was okay.

Rating: 2 waffles

Wet Hot American Summer

Year: 2001

Why'd I Watch It?: Nate wanted to.

What's It About?: Working at a summer camp.

What'd I Think?: I understand now?

Rating: 5 waffles

The Wedding Date

Year: 2005

Why'd I Watch It?: Sarah and I just saw it because of Jack Davenport.

What's It About?: Awoman hiring an escort to be her date to her sister's wedding.

What'd I Think?: Yes I saw this. It was actually funny and entertaining. Romantic comedies, not starring Adam Sandler (unless he is accompanied by Billy Idol at some point during the film) or Jim Carrey, are my guilty pleasure. Maybe there just have to be British people in them. Oh dear lord. I think that's right.

Rating: 2 1/2 waffles

Watchmen

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: I like the comic a lot.

What's It About?: An alternate 1985 where costumed superheroes have been outlawed but now there's a dead old guy and a sinister plot that happened 35 minutes ago.

What'd I Think?: I enjoy it more every time I watch it. The opening credits are amazing beyond anything. Excellent soundtrack. My only real complaints lie in how overstated Zack Snyder made everything. Some things can be subtle, dude.

Rating: 5 waffles

War of the Worlds

Year: 2005

Why'd I Watch It?: Went with people to see it.

What's It About?: A man and his daughter trying to get through the end of the world.

What'd I Think?: Good, not great. Enjoyable, big, blockbuster, exploding things, Tom Cruise...Ummm, well, you guys know how it goes.

Rating: 3 1/2 waffles

WALL-E

Year: 2008

Why'd I Watch It?: I heard good things.

What's It About?: A robot on Earth long after humans are gone who falls in love with a sleek new robot sent to Earth, so he follows her back to where all the fat human race is in space.

What'd I Think?: It's robots being super adorable in the post-apocalypse, what's not to love?

Rating: 5 waffles

Velvet Goldmine

Year: 1998

Why'd I Watch It?: Sarah demanded it.

What's It About?: a fictionalized version of David Bowie's stardom.

What'd I Think?: Do I like this movie? No. Do I worship and adore it? Yes, very much so. It has all of my favorite things in it: Hot gay men. Glam-rock. Implications that Oscar Wilde is in fact an alien. Wonderful. Go watch it right now. I demand it.

Rating: 5 waffles

Vanity Fair

Year: 2004

Why'd I Watch It?: It looked pretty.

What's It About?: A social climber in the late 19th century and her difficult ascension up the ladder.

What'd I Think?: So, I thought this one would be more or less happy. Uhgr. Enjoyable all the same. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers! But he's an ass, as usual. Lovely sets and costumes. All around enjoyable, pretty much.

Rating: 4 waffles

Van Helsing

Year: 2004

Why'd I Watch It?: Vampires + Hugh Jackman + Daisy.

What's It About?: The legendary vampire hunter.

What'd I Think?: Yes, it was horrible, so naturally I enjoyed it. Ha. Kind of like Underworld, really. I like action movies, they entertain me, which is what movies are supposed to do. The plot was eeeh, as were those vampires. I really like Daisy (David Wenham). I like Hugh Jackman. Also, it was vaguely steampunky.

Rating: 3 waffles

Valkyrie

Year: 2008

Why'd I Watch It?: Jonathan and I felt obligated.

What's It About?: The 1944 plot amongst Nazi and German officials to kill Hitler.

What'd I Think?: Despite screwing up history a bit (hey, you gotta romanticize things a little bit), it actually did a pretty good job of telling the basic story, how the plot was about nationalism and preserving Prussia. Managing to enjoy it despite having just written a paper on the topic really impressed me about the script writing. Acting is pretty excellent too. Nazis are great movie fodder.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Up in the Air

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: Elizabeth and I wanted to see something.

What's It About?: A guy who travels the country firing people for a living meeting a woman he likes and taking a young co-worker along to see what he does.

What'd I Think?: Funny and sad and good. The cast is super solid and excellent. Script was also very good. Quite a good movie.

Rating: 5 waffles

Up

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: I heard good things.

What's It About?: An old man who sets out to go to South America like he and his now deceased wife always planned to do.

What'd I Think?: I cried a lot. I lol'd a lot. It was super good and pretty, as can be expected of Pixar.

Rating: 5 waffles

Underworld

Year: 2003

Why'd I Watch It?: At the time we were all really into vampires and dressing like we were at a bondage club.

What's It About?: Vampires vs. Werewolves.

What'd I Think?: First of all, costumes and sets were all very nice. Violence was plentiful. Plot was...half-way clear. Character development was not that great. Only a few corny things. On par with Reloaded.

Rating: 2 waffles

UHF

Year: 1989

Why'd I Watch It?: I love Weird Al.

What's It About?: A small time TV station that pisses off a big network by being too popular.

What'd I Think?: Weird Al Movie. I feel like that's explanation enough.

Rating: 5 waffles

Twilight: New Moon

Year: 2009

Why'd I Watch It?: More rifftrax.

What's It About?: The same vampire and girl but with an added shirtless wolfboy and even more dependency issues.

What'd I Think?: Same as before. Riff is hilarious. Movie is poo, though it seems like some of the actors are starting to not give a shit, which makes the movie a little more bearable, but not enough.

Rating: 1 waffle

Twilight

Year: 2008

Why'd I Watch It?: The rifftrax promised to be hilarious.

What's It About?: Some completely uninteresting girl who everyone likes for some reason and a sparkily vampire boy who loves the girl because he wants to eat her?

What'd I Think?: If you're not a 14-year-old-girl, watch this thing with rifftrax and you'll enjoy it as much as they do (just not for the same reasons). I've actually seen this three times because of how funny it is. As a movie goes it's pretty awful. Especially the "acting".

Rating: 1 waffle

The Truman Show

Year: 1998

Why'd I Watch It?: Mike put it on.

What's It About?: A man whose entire life is a tv show.

What'd I Think?: Jim Carrey doesn't bother me when he does stuff like this. Not 100% what I expected, but it proved to be really good.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Troy

Year: 2004

Why'd I Watch It?: Group decision.

What's It About?: The battle at Troy, only not good and epic.

What'd I Think?: Oh Holy Lord. As a Hollywood blockbuster movie it was okay, though realizing Agamemnon was also William Stryker from X2 kinda threw me off for a lot of the movie. As an adaptation of the Illiad though....it blew hardcore. This movie hurt me. The best part of the movie: Eric Bana. If Sean Bean had more of a role (and he should have), his role would have equaled Eric Bana's greatness as Hector.

Rating: 2 waffles

Tropic Thunder

Year: 2008

Why'd I Watch It?: RDJ.

What's It About?: Filming a 'Nam movie, only to have the whole thing get very real.

What'd I Think?: Really funny. Even funnier the second time around (maybe it was because I was kinda drunk). Best watched with other people. Also, very quotable.

Rating: 4 1/2 waffles

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie

Year: 2006

Why'd I Watch It?: I like the tv show.

What's It About?: The typical life of a few guys who live in a Canadian trailer park.

What'd I Think?: Not as good as most episodes. Watch Cart Boy instead.

Rating: 3 waffles

Top Gun

Year: 1986

Why'd I Watch It?: Uh, it's Top Gun.

What's It About?: Flying airplanes and looking fabulous.

What'd I Think?: A classic. This and Minority Report are why I still give Tom Cruise a chance. Volleyball, Val Kilmer, innuendo, the music, GOOOOOOOOSE! I enjoy this movie so much.

Rating: 5 waffles