Young Freud

A riveting and inspired film. With it's stunted technology and cultural conflicts, it feels more like the future than "Blade Runner". The set direction is loaded with details, such as pseudo-GAP ads for pets (which act as a emotional surrogate for children) and adverts for suicide pills and homeland security. Also, the two major setpiece sequences, which forces the viewer to soak in the action, are phenomenal.

90 _50%

In Bruges (2008) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

A good film, with a dark comedic bent. The film segues between comedy and tragedy often, such as Jimmy's cocaine-fueled rant of a race war between black and white midgets leading to Ken's revelation that his wife was African and killed by a white man, but doesn't feel disjointed when it switches genres.

97 _78%

Aliens (1986) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

A trend-setting movie, if not for introducing the concepts of soldier-level intergrated battlefield networks and assault rifles with bursting munitions to the military and the idea of Space Marines to the public. We would not have Doom, let alone Quake or Halo, if it were not for "Aliens".

60 _21%

Spriggan (1998) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

The most memorable thing about this is the cyborgs Fat Man, who wields a Minigun for an arm, and Little Boy, who uses monofilament wire to decapitate his victims. The fight scene between Fat Man and Yu in his Artifical Muscle suit is great and ends with Yu pulling out a .50 caliber machine gun on the cyborg, but getting there is kind of a chore.

45 _13%

Johnny Mnemonic (1995) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

Could''ve been better. Unfortunately, Wm. Gibson can't write a screenplay and artist Robert Longo can't direct. The film deviates wildly from the source, especially with Dina Meyer's Jane being a poor-man's Molly Millions. Also, badly dated, as 120gigs will soon be available in CC-sized HDD instead of wiping out your childhood. Best part of the movie is Dolph Lundgren's cyberpsychotic Street Preacher. Beat Takeshi is supposedly in this, but his part is so small you'll miss him.

98 _82%

No Country for Old Men (2007) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

A serious adapation by the Coens of Cormac McCarthey's book. While the film, on the surface, is about the cat-&-mouse game between Anton and Moss, the film is ultimately about the Jones' character struggling with his place in the world admist changing times and his own age.

50 _17%

V for Vendetta (2006) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

Less than stellar adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel series. The Wachowskis are too hung up on making allegories to Bush-era politics and miss the big picture of Moore's theme of anarchism vs. fascism. Also, many characters are too simplified in the film version, such as Stephen Rea's Finch and Hurt's Sutler/Susan, or omitted altogether from the source, that the film loses it's perspective of how normal people are affected by Norsefire and V's actions.

90 _50%

Tropic Thunder (2008) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

An excellent spoof of war movies, with Stiller aping on Tom Cruise, Downey making fun of method acting and the Oscars, and Jack Black in full "coke-jaw" mode as bumbling drug-addict comedian. Tom Cruise also stars as the vulgar Les Grossman, the hip-hop-slang-talking producer of the movie, and Matthew McConaughey as the well-meaning friend and agent to Stiller's Speedman. Also, Danny McBride and Steve Coogan also shine as the movie-in-movie's SFX man and director, respectively.

75 _25%

Land of the Dead (2005) - Rated 26 Apr 2009

Romero's "thinking zombies" are better than it sounds, but not as good as the original Dawn of the Dead.