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This is the cinematic equivalent of poop on your balls. Says Ryan, "I wish I could fully express my loathing for this monstrosity's subtext." Good thing I was high.

3 _31%

Gamer (2009) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

A film that has a lot more going for it than what appears on the surface. As the credits rolled, I was left simultaneously surprised by how meaty the science fiction was, and now tense and visceral it was conveyed. Unfortunately, this film is the example of Neveldene/Taylor pushing things a bit too far: not content-wise, but in assaulting the senses. Unpleasant to watch, but there is a ton here.

1 _14%

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

In the shortest review I ever planned to write for this site, I had jotted down "this movie is goddamn retarded", and then hastily scribbled "THEN LEAVE THE PAGE". I figured I would owe you, the reader, an explanation. And the explanation is, this film is fucking baffling and insipid.

2 _22%

The Expendables (2010) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

With a cast like this, one would expect the circumstances and the stakes within the film to be reasonably high, but they just aren't. Everything feels loose and inconsequential. It seems as if all the effort put into this film was spent on getting all the principle and peripheral leads into a single room, which, after many beers and laughs were shared, resulted in someone stepping up and saying "oh shit, shouldn't we be making a movie?"

3 _31%

Kick-Ass (2010) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

A likable action comedy, sporting a tremendously bizarre Nic Cage performance and some funny jokes, and unfortunately, not too much else. It goes away after a while.

3 _31%

X-Men: First Class (2011) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

The lead performances are much more hefty than what is expected from the average superhero film, and the concept is certainly heady and commendable, but several jarringly bad performances and a slight lack of brevity behind it's ideals keep X-Men: First Class from being anything more than "the film that makes up for X3 and Origins". Then again, that is exactly what this franchise needed.

9 _92%

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

Takes Hunter S. Thompson's gloriously surreal piece of Gonzo and imbues it with a truly original cinematography that very nearly captures the impact of the drugs the protagonists take; simultaneously hilarious and savagely terrifying.

9 _92%

A Bittersweet Life (2005) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

This is the closest film the South Korean scene has to a Taxi Driver equivalent. Between the brutal reimagining of the common revenge tropes of the genre, the stellar acting, the gorgeous cinematography, and that goddamn pistol reassembly scene... A Bittersweet Life is definitely a favorite of mine.

4 _45%

The Man from Nowhere (2010) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

Yet another film, hailing from South Korea, possessing otherworldly technical skill on behalf of the crew, and having loads of violence. Others have touched on the melodrama, but The Man from Nowhere more than makes up for that in the "fucking crazy knife action" department.

7 _68%

I Saw the Devil (2010) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

Definitely not for the squeamish, but those with iron constitutions might find themselves readily rewarded, if not necessarily entertained.