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The film drags in places and has terrible characterization. I still found it of great interest, though. Not only does this film have excellent choreography; its characterization of the Japanese as sneaky, perfidious, and disloyal and the spurious linking of ninjutsu with Romance of the Three Kingdoms tells us a lot about contemporaneous perceptions of Japan from Hong Kong's point of view in the tumultuous decades after Japan's occupation. Also ninjas.

32 _7%

The Dictator (2012) - Rated 27 Aug 2012

I liked the subtext of the climax speech, but the more I think about this film, the more I see it as knowingly, maliciously depicting Arabs as cold-blooded, provincial, Israel-hating, imbecilic, homophobic pedophiles. As an Arab myself, an Arab to whom not a single one of those dehumanizing stereotypes applies in any way, this movie feels like a conscious message to society to see me as less of a person. I don't appreciate that at all. I also simply didn't find the film funny in the first place.

34 _8%

The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008) - Rated 03 Oct 2010

The protagonist has a charming, makeup-less face, New York looks great in a visceral way, and the soundtrack is very good. Even despite the actress' likability, the character is flatly not likable. Moreover, the poor editing makes the film feel very long. Nothing is really accomplished and there's no character development, so the whole thing devolves into aimless, pointless portraiture.

97 _99%

Mulholland Drive (2001) - Rated 19 Aug 2010

The longest a film has stuck with me after seeing it. This film scared me more than any horror movie I've seen. It conveys a pervasive, consuming sense of dread that lasts long after watching it. Watts gives one of the best and most versatile performances I've ever seen. Harring channels Rita Hayworth perfectly. The first time I watched this movie, I had no idea what to think. It wasn't until later that I realized I loved it.

86 _85%

Another Earth (2011) - Rated 21 Aug 2011

Cahill's and Marling's debut (or, to paraphrase Marling, this opportunity to create acting work for herself) makes use of cinéma vérité techniques to tell a human story with a sci-fi backdrop similar to Cloverfield or Primer. It's easy to deride this movie for what it's not, but what it is is a drama about remorse, coping with the unforgivable, and what it is to face oneself. The cinematography is gorgeous, lingering on all the right moments, and the score heightens the constant tension well.

70 _51%

Road House (1989) - Rated 06 Feb 2012

Is it a morality play about the effectiveness of intellectualism against the power of money? Does it go against the grain of its times and champion the middle class and small business owners in their struggle against the encroachment of excess and the influences of wealth? Is it just a cheesy, silly, completely unrealistic movie about a bouncer who rips out throats and reads about philosophy? Who could say, really?

61 _38%

Mutzmag (1993) - Rated 18 Mar 2011

Better than you'd think an ultra-cheap, obscure film made for public television in 1993 would be. (It's easy to find, though, available for rental on YouTube.) Although it's intended for young audiences, it doesn't let them off easy! There's some disturbing imagery later in the film, but the ending is happy enough. Robbie Sams is a strikingly good actress for her age and lack of experience; it's a shame cystic fibrosis claimed her life four years after this film was released.

94 _96%

From Russia with Love (1963) - Rated 19 Aug 2010

The quintessence of Bond. The movie is suspenseful, charming, fun, and surprisingly close to the book. The villains are all memorable, as are the ways Bond disposes of them. A very enjoyable movie that's aged very well (except for the sexism, but sexism in a Bond movie isn't a huge shock).

78 _71%

Johnny Guitar (1954) - Rated 19 Feb 2011

An enjoyable and unconventional Western that clearly had a lot of thought put into it. I particularly liked that the villains, rather than mustache-twiddling bandits, were people who make judgments prematurely, who twist facts to support their causes and think they can unilaterally make the law. A few characters seemed discarded and the romantic parts rang false in the way a lot of Golden Age films do. It's still an interesting movie that really strives for something different.

Actors	Amy Adams Karen Allen Elizabeth Banks Lorraine Bracco Bruce Campbell John Candy Claudia Cardinale Chris Cooper Tim Curry Joan Cusack Mark Dacascos Chiwetel Ejiofor William Fichtner Peter Gallagher Jessica Harper Ricky Jay George Kennedy Kyle MacLachlan Steve Martin Frances McDormand Bruce McGill Colm Meaney Takashi Shimura David Strathairn
Directors	John Carpenter John Hughes Akira Kurosawa David Lynch Michael Mann Christopher Nolan Martin Scorsese Steven Spielberg Quentin Tarantino
Writers	Michael Ian Black Savage Steve Holland John Hughes Lawrence Kasdan David Mamet Christopher Nolan