Along Came Morgan Freeman

I've tended to be lukewarm on the James Patterson books I've read. But "Along Came a Spider" this was a pretty enjoyable adaptation for the big screen.

I rate "Along Came a Spider" at 3 Boos.

I thought it was pronounced: phlegm

The action was active.
The excitement was exciting.
The plot was not plodding.
I didn't what was going to happen next.
I liked it.

I rate "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" at 4 Boos.

Harry Potter #1

The abbreviated back story is I attempted to read the first book, but couldn't get past the 2nd page. I'm not exaggerating. So tonight we finally went for the first movie, only 8 years later.

It was cute. It was well done. It was not for me.

I rate "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" at 3 Boos.

Before PSH Knows You're Dead

That Philip Seymour Hoffman dude can act. A very good movie,

I rate "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" at 4 Boos.

Angels & Demons

Like almost everyone I read Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code" before I read his "Angels & Demons." However unlike most people I thought A&D was the superior book. Tonight I saw Angels & Demons the movie. I can't clearly remember the earlier movie since I saw it 2 years ago, but my sense is that the dVC the movie was superior to A&D the movie. But I liked it.

I rate "Angels & Demons" at 3 Boos.

That Wasn't a Prequel

Loved it! It took a good night's sleep before the majesty fully revealed itself.

I rate "Star Trek" at 5 Boos.

1408

Scary!

I rate "1408" at 3 Boos.

Population 436, no 437, make it 436, no 437 again

It kind of has that went-straight-to-cable feel about it. And yet there was something appealing about this movie.

I rate "Population 436" at 3 Boos.

State of Play

I couldn't remember the name from the previews, so I just called it "the Russell Crowe reporter movie." Now that I've seen it, I still can't understand the name. Despite that it was good intrigue. A nitpick, the byline near the end was uncalled for.

I rate "State of Play" at 4 Boos.

UPDATE: I was inappropriately swayed by a overall nice evening out. While an enjoyable movie, I think I overplayed my enthusiasm.

I rate "State of Play" at 3 Boos.

Surprisingly Good, Man

I just assumed that "I Love You, Man" was going to be another sophomoric comedy filled with frat boy drunken humor. Wrong, this was a very good comedy. Lots of great touches.

I rate "I Love You, Man" at 4 Boos.

Wake Me Up When It's Over

Cute, but boooooooooooooooooooooooooring!

I rate "WALL·E" at 2 Boos.

Clearing Out the Backlog

I'm way way behind. Here are the movies I've seen but have not rated:

The Man from Earth: I very seriously considered giving this a perfect 5 Boos rating. Quite an interesting premise. The dialog and acting were a bit stiff, but it was still quite good despite that problem. 4 Boos.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: 4 Boos.

Buffalo '66: Kind of freaky, kind of weird. Generally pretty cool, in a freaky weird kind of way. 3 Boos.

What a Long Strange Trip It's Been

I'm amazed. I was planning to just pop-in and make mention that today, Oscar Day, is the three anniversary of the launch of Boo Movies. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the very first post, and 2005 was the year. I can't believe it's been FOUR years since the launch of my very first blog. You are now reading the 183rd published post of Boo Movies. (Fun fact: The Boonatrix has a review of "Jarhead" from 2005 still sitting in draft mode. But I bet she doesn't realize it. That would crank it up to 184 posts!)

My dreams for the coming year include increased readership. Specifically, I'd like to bust into double-digits. Additionally, I'd love to see more commenting on-line.

The Oscars are tonight, enjoy the show. I did a terrible job this year seeing the nominated movies, so I'm not in a position to critique the Academy's choices. But in coming weeks, I will anyway.

He's Just That Into the Latest Beugg Flick

"He's Just Not That Into You," the latest effort by producer Michael Beugg ("Little Miss Sunshine" and "Thank You for Smoking") is a very solid effort in the romantic comedy arena. I really enjoyed it.

Beugg is creating excitement here in St. Louis right now as he brings the next George Clooney blockbuster to town for filming. Well, I guess it's possible that George is creating some of that buzz himself.

I rate "He's Just Not That Into You" at 3 Boos.

Man on Wire

To read the accolades on the DVD box, or to listen to the buzz, you would have thought that "Man on Wire" was the greatest movie ever made. It wasn't that good. But it was very well done, and very interesting. My mind is stuck on the moment where our hero describes having one foot on the wire, the other foot on the top of the World Trade Center tower and having to make the decision whether to shift his body weight to the foot on the wire.

I recommend this movie to everybody. And for those of you who don't get into documentaries, good news, they even figured out a way to slip in some gratuitous nudity.

I rate "Man on Wire" at 4 Boos.

Burn After the Preview

"Burn After Reading" was much better than the previews led us to believe.

I rate "Burn After Reading" at 4 Boos.

Tropic Thunder

Tropic Thunder was very funny early. It got a little old after a while. I'm going to teach myself to dance like Tom Cruise.

I've now seen three of the five Best Supporting Actor performances: Downey Jr., PS Hoffman & Heath Ledger. All three were very strong performances but there's no question that Heath is in the lead right now.

I rate "Tropic Thunder" at 3 Boos.

Another Romantic Comedy About Male Prostitution

The Wedding Date was light and cute. It was interesting to see Amy Adams in a less angelic role than I've seen her in before. A predictable but enjoyable flick.

I rate "The Wedding Date" at 3 Boos.

Oscar's Coming - I'm Behind Schedule

The Oscar nominations are out, and I have 3 movies seen and unrated since the first week of the year. Let's get caught up.

Ben Button was very good, but too long. 30-45 minutes could have easily been trimmed out of the middle. Slumdog was great. I recommend Slumdog to everybody.

Of the five Best Picture nominations these are the only two I've seen so far. Slumdog is in the lead right now. While I'm eagerly anticipating Frost/Nixon, I'm not that excited to see Milk or The Reader, but now I must. More to come.

I rate "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" at 4 Boos.
I rate "Slumdog Millionaire" at 4 Boos.

2008 - That's a Wrap!

2008 was a another good year for Boo Movies. I watched 59 movies and rated 57 of them. The average rating was 3.02 Boos. The volume and average score is comparable with last year.

Sadly no new movie released in 2008 received a perfect 5 Boos rating, although two old classics did. Favorites this year included The Dark Knight, Iron Man, 2006's The Namesake and Mr. Brooks from 2007.

Happily no 2008 movie got a 0 Boos rating, although I did "walk out of" four old movies earning them the worst score possible. I'll single out Snatch, just because that one is controversial.

A highlight of 2008 at Boo Movies is that the Boonatrix posted her first stand-alone review since 2005. And she commented on a greater number of my posts than ever seen before. Speaking of comments I got a decent number this year, now that my readership is approaching ten. Keep 'em coming.

2009 starts with a vengeance. I'm already three reviews behind. And word on the street is the next George Clooney movie will be filmed in St. Louis, to be executive produced by my good friend Michael Beugg. See you at the movies.

Seven Pounds of What???

Am I the only one who doesn't understand the message of this movie? Suicide is good? You should help your friends commit suicide if it's for a "good" reason??? I was blown away by the ending, especially watching Will Smith writhing the the bathtub...good god, this was supposed to be a movie about being a good person, doing good works??? I think he could have better atoned for his mistake by changing the lives of hundreds or thousands or even millions of people by doing good works while he was alive.

The acting in this movie was excellent - couldn't have been better. Too bad it was wasted on this kind of a message.

This is so hard to rate because up until the end, I thought it was great...but I gotta give it maybe a boo and a half? If I missed something here, please give me a clue...

Bleep Santa

Not satisfied to end the movie year with Seven Pounds, we trolled through Tivo to see what we had that we could squeeze in before midnight. There was Bad Santa. Unfortunately, it had been recorded on Comedy Central and was highly edited. I'm not even sure why anyone would show an edited version of this movie. It completely destroyed it. To watch it you would almost think we had a bad satellite connection that was dropping the sound on every other word. Oh, and it was a lot shorter than the theatrical version. All the "F' me, Santa" scenes were completely removed. Fortunately, we previously saw the original and remembered how funny it actually is.

I rate the Comedy Central edited version of "Bad Santa" at 1 Boo.
I rate the theatrical version of "Bad Santa" at 4 Boos.

Seven Pounds of Something

Many people recommended "Seven Pounds" to me, so I went in with high expectations. In the beginning it was very confusing. I knew this could only mean that it was going to come around and pull everything together in some amazingly clever way. All of the sudden in the middle of the movie I realized what was going to happen. I never figure out what's going to happen in movies. Something went wrong here. Then the message became weird, really weird.

Meanwhile the acting was great. I'm not sure what I took away from this movie.

I rate "Seven Pound" at 3 Boos.

No Doubt

I thought "Doubt" was great. The acting was superb. At first I wasn't thrilled with the ending. But upon reflection, I realize that leaving doubt was the best way to go.

I rate "Doubt" at 4 Boos.

Crikey!

Rugged beautiful people scurry around down under in a series of adventures.

I rate "Australia" at 2 Boos.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

On one hand beggars can't be choosers. On the other hand why do I have to lower my standards for a sci fi movie? I'm so happy to get any science fiction movie that even makes an attempt, I'll rush out to see it in a vain attempt to get there before the bad reviews discourage me. "The Day the Earth Stood Still" was not too bad. Plot holes abounded, as usual. Earth's leaders, in this case the U.S. government, were portrayed as inept, as usual. But there was enough good stuff there, that I could look past all of that and enjoy the movie.

I rate "The Day the Earth Stood Still" at 3 Boos.

UPDATE: I cannot live a lie any longer. I really wanted to like this movie, but it's just not very good. I can't sleep at night anymore. I'm downgrading my rating.

I rate "The Day the Earth Stood Still" at 2 Boos.

Christmas Movies

We started our Christmas film festival with "Elf." I've seen it many times, and still like it. Will Ferrell usually nails it, and "Elf" is no exception.

Next up, "Fred Claus." This should have been a funny movie. The premise was good, the plot was good, the actors were good, and yet something didn't work. It just didn't draw the laughs. I didn't hate it, but I was disappointed.

I rate "Elf" at 4 Boos.
I rate "Fred Claus" at 2 Boos.

Quantum of Confusion

I caught the new Bond movie tonight. As per usual, I had no idea what was going on, but they're sure fun to watch. Daniel Craig has cemented his spot as my favorite Bond.

I rate "Quantum of Solace" at 3 Boos.

Wallace & Gromit

I especially liked the mouths.

I rate "Wallace & Gromit - The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" at 3 Boos.

Still Saving Private Ryan

I watched "Saving Private Ryan" again for the first time since I saw it in the theater. It stands the test of time.

I rate "Saving Private Ryan" at 5 Boos.

The Ruins - Better Than You'd Think

Scott Smith has written two books, both of which have been made into movies. He is an excellent writer. The words just flow beautifully, (unlike mine). His first book, "A Simple Plan," was the better book, but the movie was awful. His more recent book, "The Ruins," has just been made into a movie, and it's pretty good. In fact, for a horror movie, where a bunch of attractive college kids manage to die in grisly ways, it's very good. This is what a horror movie should be.

Adjustments were made to the plot from the book version, but all were acceptable. I waited with dread to see how badly they'd screw up the ending (as they did in "A Simple Plan"). But mercifully, although it was different than the book, it adhered to the spirit. Well, let me offer a caveat to that comment. On the "Uncut" DVD there are three endings. Both the actual ending and the so-called "alternate ending" adequately capture the spirit of the book. However, the ending listed as the "theatrical ending" was not good. So I guess if had I seen this in the theatre, I'd be pissed.

I rate "The Ruins" at 3 Boos.

Blair Cloverfield Project

Where to begin on my list of grievances? Let's start at the beginning. The premise that this was a found video was legitimate, but the execution was bad. Did I need over 20 minutes of party footage before the first hint of what was going to happen? No. Did I need the character development for these people? No. Having had that character development, did I care what happened to these people? No. Easiest improvement they could have made? When the dark haired girl, Marlena, exploded, they should have shown it.

One other gripe, could they not have sprung for a few extras to simulate the 1.6 million people of Manhattan trying to escape the monster?

I found myself liking this movie less and less with each passing minute.

I rate "Cloverfield" at 2 Boos.

Big Sister is Watching

"Eagle Eye" was a non-stop action thrill-ride. An interesting premise, (completely unbelievable, of course), that never slowed, (except for a wasted two minutes when Rachel was weeping about her son and her loser ex).

Shia LaBeouf did a good job. I can now forgive him for the Transformers travesty.

I rate "Eagle Eye" at 4 Boos.

Sexy Jesus Save Me from the Love Guru

Well I did it again. I picked up a movie at the video store that was a different movie than I thought I was getting. I saw "The Love Guru" on the shelf and I snapped it up. In my mind this was the Sexy Jesus movie that got glowing reviews. It was only after I got home that I was informed by smarter people, aka my wife, that "Hamlet 2" is the Sexy Jesus movie, not "The Love Guru." Oh well, no fear, Mike Myers usually puts out a pretty good product. I figured LG would be pretty funny too. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! This was so far below his normal quality it was shocking. This was an hour and a half of juvenile double entendres, stupid sex jokes and bad puns. It is unbelievable this drivel was by the same guy who gave us Shrek and Austin Powers.

I rate "The Love Guru" at 1 Boo.

In Bruges

I finally got to see "In Bruges" and really enjoyed it. So many times this movie could have slipped into one of the standard formulas. But instead it delighted me by constantly going in an unexpected direction. It was made only more interesting by being an actually funny comedy with lots of bloody violence.

I rate "In Bruges" at 4 Boos.

Catching Up with the Backlog

I've gotten way behind in recent weeks so let me quickly burn through some things I've seen.

• National Treasure: Book of Secrets: Despite the facts that I saw it on an outdoor inflatable screen, in bad lighting and that it was almost impossible to hear, I got the gist of what was going on. Like the first "National Treasure," it was "The Da Vinci Code" meets "Indiana Jones." If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. 3 Boos.
• What Happens in Vegas: Formulaic raunchy boy-hates-girl, girl-hates-boy, oh-wait-they-really-are-perfect-for-each-other comedy. If you like the formula, you'll like the movie. 3 Boos.
• The Bank Job: This was an interesting effort. Only at the end did I learn that it is supposed to be a true story. If that is the case, then I have to assume they took some big-ass liberties for dramatic effect. If not, then wow! 3 Boos.
  

Sorry, I forgot...

I rate Charlie Wilson's War 4.25Boos.

I rate The Visitor 3.5 Boos.

I rate The Savages 3.25 Boos.

I know, I KNOW, no fractions, but since I'm a Boo, I get to make some of the rules, too!!!

Try not to fall over...

Yes, I'm actually blogging! Try not to hit your head when you fall over...ANYWAY...Here's my thoughts on the last couple of movies the Boos have seen:

Charlie Wilson's War: I was SO glad to learn that Rep. Wilson didn't just go and start this war and then leave the Afaghanis to fend with the aftermath, but man, the ending was depressing. Will we EVER learn from our mistakes? Will we ever learn that butter is so much more cost-effective than guns???

The Visitor: I had no idea this movie would be so sad, so frustrating...I thought it was going to be about an old guy who learns to play the drums!!! Very, very well acted, not enough drumming, and unlike my dear friend Steve, I LIKE happy endings...this ending made me feel like Walter wimped out in the end...

The Savages: Again, very well acted. Both Laura Linney and P.S.H. did a great job (and seeing P.S.H in Charlie Wilson's War just days later really illustrates his range). I liked the idea that maybe you can pull your act together in middle age, but I never did get why Wendy was so concerned about her father after all those years of not seeing him...I don't think the move did a good job of explaining her guilt.

That's all for now...you can only ask SO MUCH of me at one time!

Charlie Wilson's War

I was excited to see "Charlie Wilson's War" when it hit the theaters. Then the reviews rolled in, and they were bad. So I never got around to seeing it, until now. Having now finally seen it, I thought it was good. Oh, and by the way, that Phillip Seymour Hoffman, that dude can act!

I rate "Charlie Wilson's War" at 4 Boos.

The Visitor

Very well acted. Sadder than I expected.

I rate "The Visitor" at 4 Boos.

The Savages

Very well acted. Sadder than I expected.

I rate "The Savages" at 4 Boos.

Gosford Park

An interesting whodunnit period piece. I enjoyed trying to image what it must be like to be filthy filthy rich. The movie was well done, although a little hard to follow. It's important to pay very close attention, as there is lots of action going on.

I rate "Gosford Park" at 3 Boos.

Hancock

I just realized I neglected to rate "Hancock." It was pretty good. I would describe it as a fun movie, with a few flaws. Overall, enjoyable.

I rate "Hancock" at 3 Boos.

The Dark Knight Confirms What I've Been Saying

Regular readers will recall my review of "Batman Begins" in which I declared it superior to all of the earlier Batman movies. The latest effort just confirms that Christian Bale is Batman. I'm delighted they listened to my advice and dumped Katie Holmes.

Furthermore, I was skeptical that all of the hype surrounding Heath Ledger's performance was unduly influenced by the death factor. However, I must say, he did an excellent job as the Joker. This was a great movie.

I rate "The Dark Knight" at 4 Boos.

Movie Happens

The first 10 minutes of "The Happening" were great! Great suspense. Great premise. Great promise. Then shit happened. The acting was so bad it's almost as if M. Night was trying to make it campy. The decisions made by the characters were ludicrous. The TV and radio interviews of experts that helped the hapless audience members follow what was going on were ridiculous. On the plus side, credit should be given for such clever and innovative ways the characters kill themselves. Overall the movie was a big disappointment. I expected much better.

I rate "The Happening" at 2 Boos.

Bobby

An interesting treatment of the assassination of RFK. It could almost be classified as historical fiction, given that few of the characters, other than the busboy, were based on real people.

I rate "Bobby" at 4 Boos.

Finally the Butterfly I Thought I Was Getting

OK, I finally got to see that movie about the dinosaur hunt gone bad. Unlike my earlier mistake, "A Sound of Thunder" really was based on the Ray Bradbury short story. On one hand, it had a lot of problems. For example, the plot. For another example, the special effects. However, I have a soft spot for time-travel stories, so I'm going to bump it a Boo.

I rate "A Sound of Thunder" at 3 Boos (even though it really deserves a 2 Boos rating).

Iron Man

I liked it. I liked it a lot! It reminded me of the first Spider-Man.

I rate "Iron Man" at 4 Boos.

They Got Old Man Arms

My first IMAX movie (not counting Science Center documentaries) was the Rolling Stones' movie "Shine a Light." It rocked. Now I'm not a huge Stones fan, but I respect what they do, and I recognize the importance of their contributions. Having said that, I really enjoyed the movie. Without a doubt the IMAX experience was an important factor. Watching them in action, it really makes me question why I didn't become a huge rock star. In hindsight, a big mistake.

The blow-me-away-moment was Keith Richards singing "You Got the Silver." Wow! And kudos to Jack White, who is now officially the coolest dude on the planet.

I rate "Shine a Light" at 4 Boos.

P.S. I wonder if Hillary's mom enjoyed the show.

Stupid People

I had high expectations for "Smart People." I was wrong. While a number of the individual performances were good, the plot as a whole was dumb. The relationship between Dennis Quaid's and Sarah Jessica Parker's characters was just ludicrous.

I thought Ellen Page was outstanding. However, I'm told it's the same character she played in "Juno," so it'll be interesting to see if she's really a good actress or a one-trick-pony.

I rate "Smart People" at 2 Boos.

The Prestige

"The Prestige" has a great premise, rival magicians attempting to destroy each other for revenge of past grievances. The plot twists are good. The ending is good. This is a pretty darn good movie.

However, I do have one major complaint. The dialog could not be heard or understood. Despite multiple rewinds, and endlessly playing with the bass, treble and volume, we could not understand what they were saying. In desperation we finally turned on the subtitles and watched the whole movie that way.

I rate "The Prestige" at 4 Boos (despite the previously discussed problems).

GOOD MORNING, SAINT LOUIS

It feels a little dated, but is still enjoyable.

I rate "Good Morning, Vietnam" at 3 Boos.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith - Not as Bad as I Thought

I didn't expect to like it, but in the end it was kind of fun.

I rate "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" at 3 Boos.

Easy Rider, It's a Classic - Some Say

I'd always heard "Easy Rider" was a classic. So we fired it up. Well I guess it's a generational thing, and I'm not part of that generation. Stuuuuuuuupid! It was interesting to see a very young Jack Nicholson, but that was about it. We turned it off after a while. Technically, that should qualify as a 0 Boo rating. However, in deference to my aging hippie friends, I'll just leave it unrated and let posterity decide.

Didn't Know What I Was Getting Myself Into

I didn't bother to read the box. I knew that "The Butterfly Effect" was going to tell me the story of a prehistoric dinosaur hunt gone really wrong. Well I was the one who was wrong. The movie kicked off with child porn, and then moved on to a sadistic bully murdering animals. By this point I was extremely nervous because I had a room full of people, including a high school freshman girl, that I'd promised a dinosaur hunt. Then the action really began. In the end it was a fascinating movie.

I rate "The Butterfly Effect" at 4 Boos.

Bandits

Bruce Willis in one of his light-hearted roles. Bruce delivers as usual. Billy Bob Thornton also delivers. A quality effort.

I rate "Bandits" at 3 Boos.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I saw "21" and reaffirmed that card counting is not a viable career option for me. I liked the movie. Based on a true story, I'd like to find out more about the actual facts without all of the Hollywood excitement added.

I rate "21" at 4 Boos.

Snatched the Life Right Out of Me

A friend strongly recommended "Snatch," so I gave it a try. I could not get into it. Apparently it must be one of those cult movies. I gave up at the 45 minute mark.

I rate "Snatch" at 0 Boos.

The Namesake

Having recently read the book, which was excellent, watching the movie helped bring the story to life. The movie was very faithful to the book. I often am disappointed by a movie when I've already read the book, so this is an exception.

I rate "The Namesake" at 4 Boos.

I Have Met Joe Black

I was enjoying the movie. I was going to give it a decent rating. But my two annoying companions ridiculed it non-stop as we were watching. By the time the movie was over they had brought me down down down. I guess it really was kind of lame.

I rate "Meet Joe Black" at 2 Boos.

Garden State

Quirky, funny, weirdly romantic.

I rate "Garden State" at 4 Boos.

Death at a Funeral

If you enjoy British comedies, then check this one out. If you don't, then you can probably skip it. I like British comedies.

I rate "Death at a Funeral" at 4 Boos.

Star Trek V: The Final Piece of Crap

There's nothing like being sick when you have nothing to do but sleep and watch TV to pull out those old DVDs you never watch. So I pulled out the Star Trek box set. I have pretty clear memories of Star Treks I - IV, so I started on V (five). Well there's a reason I don't remember that one, it's awful. They didn't even try. It just reeked of milking the franchise for more money. I decided at the 40 minute mark that I wasn't so sick that I couldn't hit the eject button.

I rate "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" at 0 Boos.

... On My Shoulder Makes Me Cry

I had high hopes for "Sunshine" despite what the critics said. Alas, they were right. It started strong and went downhill fast. Too bad, the premise was good. They must have left a lot of footage on the cutting room floor that was meant to explain things.

I rate "Sunshine" at 2 Boos.

Vantage Point

Good premise, good action, good twists, and a good opportunity to suspend disbelief. A bit more back story would have been nice.

I rate "Vantage Point" at 3 Boos.

Atonement

Perhaps a bit of a chick flick, but done very well.

I rate "Atonement" at 4 Boos.

Dead Poets Society

An enjoyable flick. Robin Williams was not too annoying. A bit predictable, perhaps.

I rate "Dead Poets Society" at 3 Boos.

De-evolution of the Apes

Despite the majesty of the original "Planet of the Apes" movie, there's no denying that with each passing sequel the series just got worse and worse. To recap:

1. Planet of the Apes
2. Beneath the PotA
3. Escape from the PotA
4. Conquest of the PotA
5. Battle for the PotA

I've seen the first three a gazillion times. (Who didn't cry at the end of "Escape" when a dying Zira crawls over and curls up on Cornelius's body?) So when I recently had an opportunity to see "Conquest" and "Battle," I couldn't pass it up. Well now I remember there's a reason they are rarely seen. They're bad, really bad.

I rate "Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" at 2 Boos.
I rate "Battle for the Planet of the Apes" at 1 Boo.

Grizzly Man Disappoints

Highly acclaimed, but disappointing.

I rate "Grizzly Man" at 2 Boos.

Mr. Brooks!

I really enjoyed "Mr. Brooks." It was excellent on many levels.

I rate "Mr. Brooks" at 4 Boos.

Is That Really the Best They Had?

Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and nominated for five more, I had very high expectations for 1960's "The Apartment." Throughout the movie, I kept thinking, "This is the best movie of 1960?" It was perfectly enjoyable, but certainly not outstanding.

I rate "The Apartment" at 3 Boos.

Gandhi Stands the Test of Time

We just saw "Gandhi." For a movie released almost 16 years ago, it has really held up.

To be honest, I don't know much about the history of this man, nor that era. So I'm counting on the movie to have done an accurate job portraying his story. It was excellent.

I rate "Gandhi" at 5 Boos.

The Exorcist

With the exception of the hair styles, "The Exorcist" still stands the test of time.

I rate "The Exorcist" at 4 Boos.

Strictly Ballroom

"Strictly Ballroom" was a very funny movie, reminiscent of "Best in Show."

I rate "Strictly Ballroom" at 4 Boos.

Denzel, Denzel, Denzel, What Were You Thinking?

Well I couldn't get out of watching that Whitney Houston movie I was trying to avoid. To soften the blow, in addition to renting "The Preacher's Wife" we also rented the original movie it was based on, "The Bishop's Wife" (1947).

The original was enjoyable to watch in that historically interesting way of movies of that era. The remake, on the other hand, that was painful. The first major mistake was making the cute little kid the narrator. That is an automatic deduction of the Boo rating right off the top. Then the movie was rewritten to become nothing more than a vehicle to force me to listen to Whitney Houston singing. Suffice it to say when Whitney Houston's character had to step in for the final song in the children's Christmas pageant because the Virgin Mary left the stage, I thought I was going to die.

I consoled myself walking out of the video store by thinking it wouldn't be too bad because Denzel Washington was in it. Sadly, I was wrong... very wrong.

I rate "The Bishop's Wife" at 3 Boos.
I rate "The Preacher's Wife" at 1 Boo.

2007 - That's a Wrap!

2007 was a good year for Boo Movies. I saw and rated fifty-five movies. The average rating for all was 3.27 Boos.

Finding the bottom of the barrel is easy. Only one movie received a 1 Boo rating, and without question it was the worst thing I saw in 2007. Transformers was just awful.

Finding the best movie is a little harder. Only Best in Show received a perfect 5 Boos rating. Unfortunately, Best in Show was released in 2000, so calling it the best movie of the year feels wrong. The best movie I saw in 2007 that was released in 2007 was No Country for Old Men. Honorable mention goes to The Invasion, I Am Legend and Lars and the Real Girl.

Premonition

I love a good time travel story. "Premonition" used the time travel paradox in a cleverly subtle way.

I rate "Premonition" at 3 Boos.

No Country for Old Men

"No Country for Old Men" was an excellent movie. I seriously considered giving it a perfect Boo rating. Unfortunately, I was unhappy with the ending, so I had to ding it for that.

I rate "No Country for Old Men" at 4 Boos.

Enchanted Surprises

I was pleasantly surprised by Disney's "Enchanted." It was very funny. This is an ideal movie to go to if you know absolutely nothing about the plot before you go in.

I rate "Enchanted" at 4 Boos.

It Was Legend

I could hardly wait for "I Am Legend" to hit the theaters. I was not disappointed. I loved it, and I plan to see it again. I'll probably check out the book too.

I rate "I Am Legend" at 4 Boos.

Once

If you're a hopelessly-romantic Irish folk-rock musician wannabe, you'll love this movie. If you're some of the above, you'll like this movie. As for the rest of you, it's hard to predict. "Once" certainly did not follow any established formula for movies. It feels like a documentary, but it's not. I liked it. I liked it a lot.

I rate "Once" at 3 Boos.

The Not Too Bad German

The last couple of George Clooney movies I've seen have been pretty hit or miss, with more missing than hitting. Thankfully, "The Good German" was not bad. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. I don't know if the filming in black and white, with older style lenses, framing and music made the film better or worse. But it was successful in making the film feel as if it was shot in the '40s, at the time the action was taking place.

I rate "The Good German" at 3 Boos.

Killing Me Softly

We wanted a Christmas movie, and had it narrowed down to "About A Boy" or a movie that starred Whitney Houston and had a Whitney Houston soundtrack. So right out of the gate, this movie had something pretty strong going for it. And as it turns out, it was quite enjoyable. Incidentally, it wasn't even a Christmas movie, although it did have some scenes that took place at Christmas time.

I rate "About A Boy" at 3 Boos.

The Italian Job

I thought it had an "Ocean's Eleven" vibe to it. If you liked that one, you'll probably dig "The Italian Job."

I rate "The Italian Job" at 3 Boos.

That's How You Get Pinkeye

As promised, "Knocked Up" was both crude and funny.

I rate "Knocked Up" at 3 Boos.

Ratatouille

I rate "Ratatouille" at 3 Boos.

Transform Into Crap

There is a segment of society that grew up watching the Transformers on TV in the mid 1980's. It is conceivable that group of people would have a certain natural affinity for the new "Transformers" movie. However, I am not a member of that generation.

Furthermore, an animated TV show that is based on a toy line would likely have an unbelievably lame plot with lousy character development. So it's conceivable that a movie based on a TV show with lame plot and lousy character development might intentionally have a lame plot and lousy character development of its own. Yet even with those mitigating factors, this movie was terrible!!!

I confess that for the first 15 minutes, I was optimistic. And the special effects were very good. But with each passing minute it just got stupider and stupider. Oh, and once the robots started talking and narrating the story, I thought I was going to die.

I rate "Transformers" at 1 Boo.

Beowulf Surprises

It started slow, very slow. I was skeptical, and I did not like the animation (or whatever they're calling it). The first 30 minutes seemed to be nothing more than an excuse to show off the 3-D effects. To my surprise, I was slowly absorbed into the plot, and in the end thought it was decent.

I rate "Beowulf" at 3 Boos.

Before Sunset

Given the circumstances of nine years having passed since the original, "Before Sunrise," they did an excellent job continuing the story. In fact, had the sequel been set only six months later on the train platform, I don't think it could not have been nearly as good. I found myself still thinking back on this movie days after having seen it.

I rate "Before Sunset" at 4 Boos.

Before Sunrise

I'm very eager to see the sequel to learn what happens next.

I rate "Before Sunrise" at 4 Boos.

You Go Bow.... Finger

Put on the spot for a quick movie recommendation, Claw suggested "Bowfinger," among others. He described it as a solid comedy that is consistently funny all the way through. Being a dyed-in-the-wool judge-a-book-by-its-cover kind of guy, I never would have rented this movie without a recommendation from a trusted friend. The cover art on the DVD box just screamed out to stay as far away from this movie as possible. As it turned out, Claw was right. This was a solid comedy from start to finish.

I rate "Bowfinger" at 3 Boos.

Lars is the Real Deal

The concept alone is outstanding. Whoever, conceived "Lars and the Real Girl" should get an award. With each passing moment it just got better and better. In case you don't know what this movie is about, just rush out and see it. Don't look it up online, just hop in the car right now! Do it! Do it! Do it! I can only imagine how fantastic it would be to go into this movie cold knowing nothing about it. The movie nirvana state as far as I'm concerned. (The irony was intentional.)

I rate "Lars and the Real Girl" at 4 Boos.

Even Money

Trolling the video store looking for something the Boonatrix and I can both enjoy is never an easy task - at best an exercise in compromise, at worst a study in unfulfilled dreams. So when I stumbled upon "Even Money" I didn't know whether to be giddy or terrified. Here was a movie with a promising plot description, and a bunch of big stars - Kim Basinger, Danny Devito, Kelsey Grammer and Forest Whitaker, and yet I'd never heard of it. How bad must this movie be? Well I went for it.

The movie was not bad. The individual character stories were interesting and well developed. It gave a face to addiction, and the lengths an addict will go to. On the other hand, they had trouble pulling it together at the end. Overall, despite a few problems, "Even Money" was an interesting 113 minutes.

Kudos to Kelsey Grammer, who despite playing the character I understood the least, did an excellent job not being Frasier.

I rate "Even Money" at 3 Boos.

Michael Clayton Disappoints

I had very high expectations for George Clooney's latest movie, "Michael Clayton." Sadly I found it hard to follow. The motivations of many characters were unclear. I didn't care what happened to anybody in this movie. While the premise of Clooney's character as a "fixer" was very intriguing, it was largely unexplored. Overall, a disappointment.

In the interest of full disclosure, the Boonatrix liked it. Although if history is any guide, the chance of her posting a review here are remote, at best.

Oh yeah, one more thing. The name of the movie is stupid.

I rate "Michael Clayton" at 2 Boos.

Children of Men

"Children of Men" was pretty darn good. I loved the premise. I thought they did a good job of painting a picture of the new society. I appreciated that it was set within my lifetime. (At least I hope and assume I'll still be around in 2027.) However, I would have liked a better explanation of the motivation of the key groups in the war.

I rate "Children of Men" at 3 Boos.

The Lawnmower Man

I caught "The Straight Story" tonight. You know, the one about the old man who rides a lawnmower across Iowa. It was a bit sappy and sweet, but it was enjoyable.

I rate "The Straight Story" at 3 Boos.

The Fifth Element

I like a good science fiction movie.
I like a good Bruce Willis movie.
I like a good Bruce Willis science fiction movie.

"The Fifth Element" is a good Bruce Willis science fiction movie with classic Bruce Willis 'tude.

I rate "The Fifth Element" at 3 Boos.

The Brave Milestone for Boo Movies

Welcome to the 100th post at Boo Movies!

I've been looking forward to seeing "The Brave One" for weeks. I figured it's hard to go wrong with a Jodie Foster movie. I thought it was pretty good. A few questions to ponder:

1. Did Erica (Jodie Foster's character) perform a valuable service, or was she no better than the people she killed?
2. Were you rooting for Erica, or against her, particularly near the end?
   
3. Could you have done it better?
4. If you had to listen to Erica's radio show (in real life) would you have hunted her down to kill her, or just killed yourself?

As always comments are welcome and encouraged.

I rate "The Brave One" at 3 Boos.

Eastern Promises

"Eastern Promises" is a very well done Russian mob movie. If you like mob movies this is a must-see, with a few caveats. If you don't like graphic violence, avoid this movie. If you don't want to see male nudity (because it will make you gay), don't see this movie. If blood makes you squeamish, don't see this movie. Otherwise, see this movie.

I rate "Eastern Promises" at 4 Boos.

Giving in to Evil

For three "Resident Evil" movies in a row I've watched the previews and thought they looked cool. I declined to see the early ones because I was certain any movie based on a video game must be lame. However, when the previews for the third one were still calling me, I decided it was time to invest in the franchise. So last night I rented the first one, and it was pretty decent. I'll see more.

I rate "Resident Evil" at 3 Boos.

The Greediest Guys in the Room

Sadly, I fear there are a lot of people who would make the same bad decisions as the people who ran Enron. This was a good movie, with a powerful message.

I rate "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room" at 4 Boos.

Coffee and Cigarettes

Twelve short vignettes by director Jim Jarmusch. Some were very good, others less so. Overall it was entertaining.

I rate "Coffee and Cigarettes" at 3 Boos.

Idiocracy

It had its funny moments, but I don't think it's worthy of the buzz.

I rate "Idiocracy" at 2 Boos.

The Invasion of the Awesome

Loved it!

I rate "The Invasion" at 4 Boos.

The U.S. vs. John Lennon

I really had high expectations for this movie. I was certain it would rate at 4 Boos. However, in the end I was a little disappointed. While very interesting, it didn't grab me the way I had anticipated.

I rate "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" at 3 Boos.

The So-So Shepherd

Well we've completed our CIA movie trifecta, and for bonus points two of them starred Matt Damon. "The Good Shepherd" was the least of the three. It was often unclear what was going on and/or why it was going on. This due in part to the most annoying trend in movies and TV in recent years. In an apparent attempt to make it seem more realistic the actors mumble, and/or are drowned out by soundtrack or background noise. Watching this movie at home on DVD, we stopped and rewound over a dozen times to try to understand what was being said. This was often to no avail, despite repeated listens and discussion.

If you want a CIA fix, check out "Breach" if you want a true story, or "The Bourne Ultimatum" if you want fiction.

I rate "The Good Shepherd" at 2 Boos.

Breach

Riveting!

The true story of the Robert Hanssen spy case. Don't miss the bonus features on the DVD.

I rate "Breach" at 4 Boos.

Bourne movie ultimately is very good

Typically in these high energy international intrigue thrillers you never really understand what is going on, you just hold on and hope for the best. "The Bourne Ultimatum" was better than that. Great plot, great presentation, great action.

I rate "The Bourne Ultimatum" at 4 Boos.

Still the Best in Show

Typically I do not review movies I've seen long ago. However, recently I had the opportunity to see "Best in Show" again. It is such a fantastic movie that I cannot pass up this opportunity to plug it here. As I mentioned in my review of "For Your Consideration," I believe "Best in Show" is the best movie offered by this ensemble cast. Funny, funny, funny! Don't miss it.

I rate "Best in Show" at 5 Boos.

Sicko

Another good effort by Michael Moore. Hopefully "Sicko" will have more impact than "Fahrenheit 9/11."

I rate "Sicko" at 4 Boos.

Meryl Wears Prada

I try to avoid Meryl Streep movies. She cries to much, she's consumed by angst, blah, blah, blah... I could go on and on about why I usually don't like her movies. However, this one was good. Way to go Meryl.

BTW, how long would you keep that job?

I rate "The Devil Wears Prada" at 4 Boos.

28 Weeks Later

I had very low expectations. The original movie, "28 Days Later," should have been terrible, but miraculously was pretty darn good. Figuring that was a fluke, I thought there was NO WAY the sequel could be any good. I was wrong. It was pretty darn good too. In fact, it may have been better than the original.

I rate "28 Weeks Later" at 4 Boos.

House of Games

The dialog was stiff, and the actress who played the lead character, Lindsay Crouse, was even stiffer. Despite that, the plot was good and the movie was enjoyable.

I rate "House of Games" at 3 Boos.

The Pursuit of Happyness

A good story. Portrayed well. Depressing and inspiring at the same time. Makes you wonder what happens to the hopeless and down-on-their-luck who don't have the personal resources that Chris Gardner does. Actually, no it doesn't. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to know what happens to them.

I rate "The Pursuit of Happyness" at 4 Boos.

Flight 93 is United

When I heard they were making a movie about the September 11th flight that crashed in rural Pennsylvania, my first thought was "poor taste." My second thought was, "no way am I seeing that." Then everybody raved about. Then everybody (including people I respect) said it was a must see. Then it got nominated for an Oscar. So when it came on TV, we recorded it, and watched "Flight 93." Only then, after watching the entire movie did I discover that there were two movies, a made-for-TV version called "Flight 93," and a theatrical version called "United 93." We watched the wrong one! So, we rented "United 93" and watched it a couple of days later.

They are both good movies. "Flight 93" does a better job painting a picture of the people on the flight, and their families. Whereas, "United 93" does a better job illustrating how chaotic that day was, and how nobody on the ground was prepared for such a catastrophe. It did a good job showing how poor communication was between various civilian and military groups, something later reported by the 9/11 Commission. I'd recommend either movie.

I rate "Flight 93" at 3 Boos.
I rate "United 93" at 3 Boos.

Simply a Disappointment

Under other circumstances, I may have thought "A Simple Plan" was a decent movie. However, having just read the book (written by Scott B. Smith), I was very disappointed. The movie began well, but then made several changes to the plot. These changes altered the story in a significant way that only detracted. Most specifically, the interplay between the two brothers was damaged badly. I watched the movie with three other people, who had also just finished the book. The consensus among us: what were they thinking?

I rate "A Simple Plan" at 2 Boos.

Morgan branches out

In an interesting change of pace, Morgan Freeman's character in "An Unfinished Life" was not his usual narrator and/or wise sage. Well, he did play a grizzled wise sage, but it wasn't as in our face as usual. It was an enjoyable movie.

I rate "An Unfinished Life" at 3 Boos.

Will Ferrell is BACK in Blades of Glory

After the disaster that was Ricky Bobby, I was frightened to see "Blades of Glory." However I was delighted to see that Will Ferrell is back in fine form. BoG was very funny.

I rate "Blades of Glory" at 3 Boos.

The Guardian Design Pattern

Some may call "The Guardian" formulaic, and that would be a bad thing. I say, it follows a well established design pattern, and that is a good thing.

I rate "The Guardian" at 3 Boos.

The Magic of the Movies

I rate "The Illusionist" at 4 Boos.

Boo Movies Two Year Anniversary

It was two years ago today, Oscar Day 2005, when I launched Boo Movies. It's been a veritable Kansas prairie of highs and lows since then. At its inception there were two major goals. First, I was trying to understand what this blog phenomenon was all about. Everybody was talking about it back in early 2005, and I just didn't get it. Second, my memory being what it is (crappy), I was looking for a vehicle to help me remember the movies I saw. I love to go to the movies, but two weeks later ask me about what I saw and it's gone. Eureka! I'd start a blog, and keep track of my movie memories. Furthermore, I'd leave Boo Movies open to comments from anybody, just to further explore life in the blog-o-sphere.

It got off to a great start. My very first post, elicited a comment calling me "down right a moron." This was much better than I could have ever hoped for! Unfortunately, comments have slowed down considerably since that start. Sadly, most of the comments I've received have been spam, and I have summarily deleted them. Although the single best moment of the entire blog experience was a comment I received on my review of Wordplay from a member of the cast! (Speaking of Wordplay, it's one of the top two movies I've seen in the last two years, I highly recommend it.)

I'm still intrigued by how people troll the blogs. When I try it myself, random trolling is pretty unsatisfying. Whereas, searching the blogs for a specific topic is equally underwhelming, in that there just don't seem to be many topics where I've been inclined to try to get the pulse of the world via the blogs. There's just too much junk to slog through to make it worth the effort.

Looking back here are some summary statistics of the first two years of Boo Movies. (Check out The Boo Rating System for a refresher on what the ratings signify.)

Boo Rating	Number of Movies	Percentage of Movies
5 Boos	2	3%
4 Boos	23	35%
3 Boos	30	45%
2 Boos	8	12%
1 Boo	2	3%
0 Boos	1	2%

I worry that the percentage of 4 Boos movies seems a little high, given that the standard rating should be 3 Boos. Have I perhaps begun rating on an inflated scale? Upon review there are a handful of movies rated at 4 Boos that perhaps I erred on the high side, but not too many. Perhaps I'm just a discriminating movie consumer. Although I'm going to vow to crack the whip moving forward. On the other end of the spectrum, if given another chance, I might have reconsidered the scalding 1 Boo rating I gave Syriana.

So a giant thanks to my many loyal readers,... er, make that loyal reader,... er, make that my wife who might occasionally glance at Boo Movies, and even less occasionally post a movie commentary of her own. Keep those comments coming, and if I see you at the movies, be quiet!

Oscar Weekend - Best Picture

My Ranking (what it should be):

1. Little Miss Sunshine
2. Babel
3. The Departed
4. The Queen
5. Letters From Iwo Jima

My Prediction (what it will be):

1. The Departed
2. Babel
3. Little Miss Sunshine
4. The Queen
5. Letters from Iwo Jima

My Desire (what I want it to be):

• I'm rooting for Little Miss Sunshine not only because I thought it was the best, but because I'm rooting for Mike.

OMG! I forgot to rank The Queen

I just discovered I never posted my ranking of "The Queen."

It was a very enjoyable movie. Although, I think this movie would only speak to someone old enough to remember that event in history. I have to believe that the youngsters would walk out with a puzzled "what was that all about" impression. That said, I think that takes nothing away from the movie.

I rate "The Queen" at 4 Boos.

Oscar Weekend - Letters from Iwo Jima

I finally saw the last of the nominated pictures, "Letters from Iwo Jima." If this is a realistic portrayal of the Japanese, it's amazing they ever won any battles, if at the first sign of trouble they would commit suicide so they died with honor. Regardless it was a good movie.

I rate "Letters from Iwo Jima" at 4 Boos.

Oscar Weekend - Documentaries

Plan A: We were going to rent all of the Oscar nominated documentary features for 2007 and have a movie marathon leading up to the Oscar ceremony. Then we discovered that would entail two about Iraq, one priest pedophile, one global warming and one about psycho Christians... DEPRESSING!

Plan B: Instead we rented "An Inconvenient Truth" and "March of the Penguins." A 2007 nominee, and the 2006 winner, which we hoped would be a little less depressing.


"An Inconvenient Truth" had a powerful message, and was generally well done. Oddly, the story about how the hole in the ozone was successfully repaired actually was inspiring to the point of making it seem like the global warming problem was not beyond hope. The most depressing part of the whole movie was the recap of the 2000 presidential election debacle.

I rate "An Inconvenient Truth" at 4 Boos.


"March of the Penguins" was an amazing story. I don't think the best fiction writer could have made up the story about these goofy birds standing at the south pole balancing eggs on their feet.

I rate "March of the Penguins" at 3 Boos.

Factory Girl

The acting was great. The movie was pretty darn good. It was cool to see George at the Q and A after the screening.

I rate "Factory Girl" at 4 Boos.

The Last King of Scotland

The Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week. Forest Whitaker is nominated for Best Actor for "The Last King of Scotland." Historically, I've not been particularly excited by his performances. He did a good job in this movie. I don't know if it's Oscar-worthy. However, I have not yet seen any of the other nominated performances, so we'll have to wait and see.

I rate "The Last King of Scotland" at 3 Boos.

A Night for a Ten Year Old

It was exactly what I predicted, perfect for my ten year old nephew. He loved it. I thought it was juvenile. But, we had fun.

I rate "Night at the Museum" at 2 Boos.

Not Exactly What I'd Call Legendary

Disappointing, but not surprising.

I rate "The Legend of Bagger Vance" at 2 Boos.

Babel

Early reviews were bad. Later reviews were good. I was impressed. The interweaving of the three stories in a manner such that the timelines did not line up was very clever. I spent most of the movie, in all three subplots, fearing this can only end badly. "Babel" was a good start to the 2007 movie season.

I rate "Babel" at 4 Boos.

Talladega Torture

I like Will Ferrell. I like John C. Reilly. I hated this movie. In fact, I can say this is the worst movie I saw in 2006. (We actually saw this on Christmas Eve as our last movie of the year.)

I rate "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" at 0 Boos.

Not Exactly a Holiday, but Not Bad

"The Holiday" was just about what you'd expect. Enjoyable enough. It was interesting to see Jack Black play a different character.

I rate "The Holiday" at 3 Boos.

Transamerica

This was a good movie. I thought the main character was a nerd. But what do I know about going through something like that? Thankfully, nothing!

I rate "Transamerica" at 4 Boos.

Uplifting, I'm not so sure about that!

"Uplifting!"
"Inspiring!"
These were the accolades on the DVD box for "Born into Brothels." I was depressed, if anything, after watching this movie. I walked away with the realization that the filmmaker helped 8 children out of hundreds, or thousands? And of the 8, the success was marginal at best, for at least half of them.

If anything, this movie was humanizing. It was very powerful to be reminded that those poor people on the other side of the world that we don't think about are people just like us. Some of them looked just like my nieces and nephews, despite not looking like them at all.

Whatever you do, watch the special feature that revisits these kids 3 years later. I found that to be the uplifting part of the story. Kudos to Zana Briski for what she did. Despite my opinion expressed above, she did a great thing, both for those kids, plus the larger population by publicizing their plight.

I rate "Born Into Brothels" at 3 Boos.

James Bond Kills

As predicted by most everyone, "Casino Royale" was the best James Bond movie I've seen. I loved the foot chase scene that kicked off the movie. It was far more exciting then your standard car/motorcycle/truck chase crash-em-up. Daniel Craig is a good 007. I hope he sticks around for a while.

I was intrigued by the many references to James Bond being a "new double 0" thus suggesting this movie occurred chronologically before the others. It was only later that I discovered "Casino Royale" was the first James Bond book written by Ian Flemming.

I rate "Casino Royale" at 4 Boos.

Proof It to Me

The most interesting aspect of "Proof" was a peek inside the subculture of math nerds. Meanwhile I wanted to cry at the thought they would sell that house. Gwyneth was annoying.

I rate "Proof" at 3 Boos.

Stranger Than Fiction

I like Will Ferrell, and I liked this movie.

I rate "Stranger Than Fiction" at 3 Boos.

For Your Consideration

I've long said that whichever movie you see first from this ensemble cast will be the one you like the best. I've polled a dozen people, and so far it's held up. I was disappointed with this year's contribution "For Your Consideration." It was a decent movie, but I expect more from this crowd.

I would rank them:

1. Best in Show
2. A Mighty Wind
3. For Your Consideration
4. Waiting for Guffman

If you believe that "This is Spinal Tap" should be included in the list, then put it in the number one slot.

I rate "For Your Consideration" at 2 Boos.

Deja Vu

I really enjoyed "Deja Vu." Of course, I'm predisposed to like any movie that even attempts to tackle the time travel issue. I had the good fortune to see this movie on opening night. In my opinion, it is in the category of movies where the less you know going in, the more you'll like it. So see it sooner, rather than later.

I rate "Deja Vu" at 4 Boos.

The Departed Kills

Excellent movie.

I rate "The Departed" at 4 Boos.

The Break-Up is Broken

"The Break-Up" should have been a funny movie. Jennifer is funny. Vince is funny. The premise had the potential to be funny, but it just wasn't. I was disappointed.

I rate "The Break-Up" at 2 Boos.

Inside Man

"Inside Man" had some flaws, but I liked it. I liked it even more as I thought back on it over the next 24 hours. This movie did not even show up on my radar while it was in the theatres. I'm not quite sure how that is possible. Thanks to Babu for loaning me the DVD.

I rate "Inside Man" at 4 Boos.

Short-sighted fools, that's who!

After seeing "Who Killed the Electric Car?" I can't decide which is the most powerful force at play here: greed or stupidity. I would love to go see this movie with some of my ultra-conservative friends, who have no relationship with big oil nor the with auto manufacturers, and see what their opinion is.

I rate "Who Killed the Electric Car?" at 4 Boos for the movie, and 5 Boos for the message.

Check out the movie's website.

Little Miss Sunshine Shines

This was a fantastic movie. Funny Funny Funny. I highly recommend it.

I tried hard to talk myself out of giving it the highest possible Boo rating. However I could not find one thing about the movie that I did not like, or that I would have done differently.

I rate "Little Miss Sunshine" at 5 Boos.

The Squid and the Whale

Well it didn't take too long into this movie to begin predicting I was going to hate the ending. I was right.

The toughest decision about "The Squid and the Whale" was deciding which of these people I would most dislike in real life. All four members of that family made a compelling case to hate them. Despite all that, I basically enjoyed watching the movie.

I rate "The Squid and the Whale" at 3 Boos.

Strange As Candy

I didn't know what I was getting into. I didn't know it was based on a TV series. I just knew that I liked David Sedaris, and that I'd heard his sister Amy was very funny. "Stangers with Candy" was filled with many very funny moments, and a number of stupid ones too. I was surprised to find that it was so star-studded. Everybody was in this movie it seemed.

I liked it, but I obviously didn't get it like many other patrons in the theater last night, who were practically rolling in the aisle. I suspect they were fans of the TV show.

I rate "Strangers with Candy" at 3 Boos.

The Pirates are sinking fast

Ironically, when I saw the first "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie, I did not anticipate liking it, but ended up liking it very much. This time I had great expectations for the sequel, and thought it was lousy. Not only did I not know what was motivating the various characters, I ceased caring within the first hour. Unfortunately for me, the movie went on quite a bit longer from there.

I will confess that I don't remember any of the details from the first movie, so anything about the back story that I was expected to know, I didn't.

I rate "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" at 2 Boos.

It's official, I'm gonna do it

For all the reasons stated earlier, I'm going to give "Wordplay" the highest possible boomovies rating. I really enjoyed this movie, and have been recommending it ever since seeing it.

I rate "Wordplay" at 5 Boos.

Possible first ever 5 Boos rating!... Aaaarrgh!

Just got done seeing "Wordplay," the crossword puzzle movie featuring Will Shortz. This was a very well done movie. The editing was outstanding. The story was fascinating, and the people were so nerdy, they were adorable. It does not matter whether you are a crossword lover or hater, or are merely neutral (as am I), this is a must-see movie.

I've never awarded a 5 Boos rating on The Boo Rating System, but I am seriously considering doing so now. I can't decide, I can't decide, it's too hard. I need to sleep on it.

A History of Violence

This was a very good movie, and I really enjoyed it.

I'm now finally caught up on all of last year's Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar nominations. Although I wouldn't have awarded it to William Hurt, he did give a fascinating performance.

I rate "A History of Violence" at 4 Boos.

Catching Up

Got a bit behind. Here are the movies I've seen recently but have not rated.

I rate "The Da Vinci Code" at 3 Boos.

I rate "C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America" at 2 Boos.
I had really high hopes for this, and thought it could have been a lot cleverer. It made the same alternate history mistake made at the end of the "Planet of the Apes" remake.

I rate "X-Men: The Last Stand" at 3 Boos.
Despite Scott's complaints, this was a solidly enjoyable movie.

The Island

I rate "The Island" at 3 Boos.

The Upside of Anger

I rate "The Upside of Anger" at 3 Boos.

The Sentinel

I rate "The Sentinel" at 3 Boos.

Thank You For Smoking

I rate "Thank You For Smoking" at 4 Boos.

Cinderella Man

I rate "Cinderella Man" at 4 Boos.

V for Vendetta

Solid.

I rate "V for Vendetta" at 3 Boos.

Mrs. Henderson Presents

Liked it, didn't love it. While I haven't seen many of the Best Actress nominations for 2005, I don't think Judi Dench's performance was Oscar-worthy.

I rate "Mrs. Henderson Presents" at 3 Boos.

Glory Road

So formulatic that I was surprised to discover afterward that it's a true story. I liked it, as I usually tend to do for these underdog against-all-odds sports movies. A solid effort, that makes me want to know more about the actual story.

(This is my first movie of the 2006 season.)

I rate "Glory Road" at 3 Boos.

Crash

I think this is the best movie I saw last year. Maybe I enjoyed "Walk the Line" more, but I think "Crash" was better. Of the nominated movies for best picture, I award the Oscar to "Crash".

I rate "Crash" at 4 Boos.

Capote

I'm way behind on my rankings. I liked "Capote" a lot but did not love it. Of the 5 nominated for best movie Oscar, I rank this one third. P.S. Hoffman did a great job, but I don't know that I'm ready to give him the best actor Oscar. Apparently the real Truman Capote was so over the top, that I think it would be easy to pull it off, as opposed to a more subtle performance. That's not to say that I could pull it off, but rather a real actor.

I rate "Capote" at 4 Boos.

The Ring

I finally caught "The Ring" on DVD. This was a quality scary movie. I had the good luck to watch it alone on a windy night that was causing the house to make creepy noises. My gut tells me to stay away from the sequel.

I rate "The Ring" at 3 Boos.

Match Point

Tense, I was very tense throughout "Match Point." This was a good movie. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I almost wish there will be a sequel so I can find out what happens to Chris. Is he consumed with guilt for the rest of his life? Does he return to old habits and start cheating on his wife again? Or does he get it together?

I rate "Match Point" at 4 Boos.

Brokeback Mountain almost, but not quite, at the top of the mountain

I heard lots of talk that "Brokeback Mountain" was the best movie of the year. I agree it is pretty darn good, but for me it did not knock "Walk the Line" off the top of the mountain. I liked it when I walked out of the theatre, and I grew to like it even more as I've thought about it for the last two days. I'll be hard pressed during my year-end wrap up to decide if this captures the number two slot, or if "Batman Begins" hangs on to it.

I rate "Brokeback Mountain" at 4 Boos.

The 40 Year Old Virgin

I was pretty disappointed at first. It began exactly as I had imagined in a way that prevented me from seeing "The 40 Year Old Virgin" in the first place. However, since everyone raved how funny it was, I decided to give it a chance. It picked up beginning with the condom scene, which marked the start of the relationship with Catherine Keener's character. From that point forward I thought it was pretty funny.

I rate "The 40 Year Old Virgin" at 3 Boos.

Munich

"Inspired by true events," these are the worst words I can be presented with at the beginning of a movie. If it's a true story, I always want to know more, and typically I'll do some follow-up research. Fiction is fine too, because I'm happy to sit back and let it unfold. But if it's inspired then I don't know what to believe.

Regardless, "Munich" was interesting and well done. It failed in that I was not drawn in to have sympathy for any of the characters. However, it held my interest, was beautifully shot, and overall was well done. It raised lots of good questions, but in the end it didn't engage me.

I rate "Munich" at 3 Boos.

Suckiana

I have no friggin' idea what happened in "Syriana." I did not fall asleep, and my mind did not wander. Can somebody please tell me what I did with 126 minutes of my life?

I rate "Syriana" at 1 Boo.

King Kong (1933)

Having just seen the Peter Jackson remake, watching the original for the first time in decades, and no doubt the first time from start to finish, increased my appreciation of the 2005 remake. I didn't realize how closely the new version honored the original. My only complaint about the 2005 version, was not a problem in the 1933 version. Too bad, as that just makes the problem more significant in Jackson's version.

The 1933 version is pretty good, and stands the test of time. I imagine at the time it came out it was very good.

I rate the 1933 version of "King Kong" at 3 Boos.

The Family Stone

It had its weaknesses, but "The Family Stone" was an enjoyable movie. Dermot Mulroney's character was not developed well, and since he was a central figure in the plot this was a problem. But despite its flaws, I liked it.

I rate "The Family Stone" at 3 Boos.

Get Back in Line

I really liked "Walk the Line." This is the first movie I've seriously considered bumping "Batman Begins" from the best-movie-I've-seen-this-year honor. I'm not prepared to do that now, but when pressed I'm not sure how I'll answer the question of which is my favorite movie of the year.

While I don't approve of the shenanigans going on between Johnny and June, I find the fact they stayed together for so long somewhat tempers my disapproval, not unlike John and Yoko.

I rate "Walk the Line" at 4 Boos.

King Kong (2005)

I've been eagerly awaiting this movie and I was not disappointed. If I had to quibble with something, I thought Ann Darrow fell a little too in love with the ape. I could have been happy with her being sympathetic, concerned or sad for Kong, but what I saw on the big screen was over the top. (I can't recall the treatment in the 1933 original, but it'll be on Turner Classic Movies tomorrow night, so I'll be brushing up real soon.) Other than this minor complaint, I loved it. One thing is for certain, Kong was the least creepy creature on Skull Island.

I'm eager to see it on DVD so I can slo-mo through the scenes with the natives during their sacrifice ritual.

I rate "King Kong" at 4 Boos.

Shopgirl

I became anxious early when it became clear a romance was developing between the Steve Martin character and the Claire Danes character. Typically I find those older man / younger woman romances that are so popular in Hollywood these days completely unbelievable. I'm talking about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in "Lost in Translation." I'm talking about Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt in "As Good As It Gets." However, in "Shopgirl" the age difference actually worked well within the plot. In the end, I liked it very much.

I rate "Shopgirl" at 4 Boos.

House of 1000 Corpses

I saw "House of 1000 Corpses" and now I'm struggling with my rating. The sequel to this movie, "The Devil's Rejects," is clearly a superior movie. However having seen them in reverse order, I don't want Zombie's later effort to cloud my judgment about this one. All day I've been trying to imagine how I would have liked this movie had I seen it first. It's less violent than the sequel, but it's weirder. While "Rejects" had a feasible story line, the introduction of Dr. Satan in his underground liar, sent "1000 Corpses" over the top into the supernatural. This is not necessarily bad, but I would have preferred that part be left out. In the end, I think this was a solid horror movie.

I saw this movie last night on DVD. Tonight we're off to see Steve Martin's latest, "Shopgirl," at the theatre. Who thinks they'll have a different feel from each other?

I rate "House of 1000 Corpses" at 3 Boos.

The Polar Express to Nowhere

What was the point of "The Polar Express?" It certainly couldn't have been the plot. It must have been to show off the new claymation technology for the 21st century. Unlike all other Christmas shows, the characters did not make me want to love them, or root for them, or care about them. The suspenseful parts were not suspenseful, the scary parts were not scary, and the sappy parts were not sappy. Santa, meanwhile, could charitably be described as a little distant. Maybe the problem is the animation technology produced such frightening looking people that it's not possible to like them, much less love them.

Tom Hanks, what were you thinking getting involved in this project? You're so much better than this.

I rate "The Polar Express" at 1 Boo.

Unexpected acceptance of The Devil's Rejects.

When asked by Peter if I was going to see Rob Zombie's latest movie, I replied that of course I would not be going. The only thing I could imagine that would be worse than a bad horror movie, was a bad horror movie written and directed by a heavy metal musician. Shortly thereafter, I was a little surprised when I caught a hint of a positive review about "The Devil's Rejects." That must have stuck in the back of my mind, because while trolling Peter's DVD collection, something made me pull it off the shelf. Imagine my shock when I saw the notation that Ebert & Roeper gave it two thumbs up. This piqued my curiosity, and I took it home. It was even more violent and offensive than I imagined. In fact, I cannot recall seeing a more offensive movie in my life. And yet, it was an amazingly good movie. The acting was good, the plot was good, it was just plain good.

At the same time, I cannot emphasize enough how emphatically the Boonatrix will hate this movie, if she sees even a moment of it.

Next up, I've borrowed "House of 1000 Corpses" from Peter. Even though he reports it's pretty bad, I have to see how the story begins.

I rate the "The Devil's Rejects" at 4 Boos.

Shattered Glass

We caught "Shattered Glass" on DVD recently. I thought it was a very interesting story. Interesting enough that we sat through the movie a second time with the director's commentary turned on. I often wonder how true is the "true story" told in movies. The director's comments led me to believe they stayed pretty faithful to the actual events. The DVD extras included an "60 Minutes" interview with the real Stephen Glass which was fascinating.

I rate "Shattered Glass" at 3 Boos.

I need an interpreter for "The Interpreter"

I need a catchy name to describe the mental block I have for these international intrigue plots that my brain just cannot follow. Once the action started heating up, I got lost, as usual. Ignoring my problems for the moment, the characters didn't grab me, their causes didn't speak to me, and I hope the way movie portrayed security at the United Nations was not realistic.

I rate "The Interpreter" at 2 Boos.

A Boo Movies Policy Change Announcement

Contrary to earlier practice, Boo Movies will now rate movies seen in venues other than the theatre. Specifically, older movies seen on DVD or pay-per-view will now be discussed here.

Good night...

This film left me longing for context. As someone who was not alive during the era in question, it was hard for me to really grasp the urgency and importance of Murrow's bulldogged approach to McCarthy. (Don Hollenbeck came across as somewhat unstable...and seemed to be the only character in the film who was really afraid of McCarthy...even Annie Lee Moss seemed more befuddled than concerned.) I would like to discuss this movie with someone who was aware of these events as they happened to find out if he/she had a similar problem with the lack of context.
David Strathairn's portrayal closely matched my understanding of who Murrow was and I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look into broadcasting. I needed a wider view. What motivated Murrow? What motivated Fred Friendly? What were the origins of their steely ethics and why did they seem unusual among newsmen of that era (and even more so today)?
...And don't even get me started on how this film highlights how journalism and journalists are being flushed (and/or flushing themselves) down the toliet every day...

Jarhead

I thought "Jarhead" was very well done. It was well acted, visually interesting, and generally rivoting. However, I had trouble figuring out what the message was supposed to be. Somebody wiser than me suggested that the point is even when there is a war with no fighting, it's still a horrible experience. Perhaps also, it's to portray the fact that the ground soldier is no longer relevant to winning a war.

I rate "Jarhead" at 3 Boos.

Good Night, and Holy Smokes

George Clooney's "Good Night, and Good Luck" was an interesting effort that left me wanting more. Having not experienced that era, I felt like the movie was likely a great romp down memory lane for those who did. For me however, it's greatest appeal was marvelling at what life must have been like back then. In particular, the portrayal of the cigarette culture was absolutely fascinating. As to the story, the portrayal was too narrow. It offered very little context. Despite those complaints, it was interesting, and enjoyable to watch.

I rate "Good Night, and Good Luck" at 3 Boos.

Pinch me...

Just once I would like to see Jody Foster in a role that does not require that pinched look for the entire two hours. She can be very pretty, but she has sharp features and, well, that pinched look just gets old...otherwise, the movie was decent...I give Flightplan 3 boos...

Flightplan

Solid effort. Jodie Foster delivers as usual.

I rate "Flightplan" at 3 Boos.

Wedding Crashers

Raunchy, irreverent, and very funny, it delivered as promised.

I rate "Wedding Crashers" at 3 Boos.

The Constant Gardener

This is one of those movies that my brain has a tough time following. I have trouble remembering the characters names early, thus I'm frequently lost. I could tell this was a good movie, probably a very good movie. I suspect that most people will rate this movie higher than I am, and I don't blame them for that.

I rate "The Constant Gardener" at 2 Boos.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

I thought this was a very enjoyable movie. A solid effort that beautifully brought the 1971 original into the 21st century. I especially enjoyed the portrayal of the Oompa Loompas. I can't help but wonder how intentional was the frightening resemblance of Willy Wonka to Michael Jackson.

I rate "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" at 3 Boos.

Catching Up - Hitch

I saw "Hitch" way back in February. It was light. It was fun. Will Smith delivered as usual. It was exactly what I hoped for.

I rate "Hitch" at 3 Boos.

War of the Worlds

I had very high expectations. I was a little disappointed. I would have liked to have seen a broader focus than just the one family. I wanted to see the action on a more national or global scale. I didn't like Tom Cruise's character, nor did I grow to like the character. I didn't care about the family. Everyone has said they hate the ending. I was not pleased with the ending. However, I've been told the ending was faithful to the book. Since I am so frequently annoyed when a movie diverges from the ending of a book, I have to give credit to the approach taken here.

The special effects where very good. The fear was good. The feeling of hopelessness, and a sense of what-would-I-do was brilliantly conveyed.

I rate "War of the Worlds" at 3 Boos.

Batman Begins

I enjoyed "Batman Begins" very much. Katie Holmes was cast poorly, but that is my only complaint. This is the best of the Batman movies to date, and I eagerly await the next one.

This is the best movie I've seen so far this year. Of course, given that it is only the fifth movie I've seen, that is not saying much.

I rate "Batman Begins" at 4 Boos.

Revenge of the Stiff

Stiff is the only way to describe the acting in "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." Fortunately, the plot was good. The special effects were good. The fight sequences were good. The tying up of loose ends was good. And the appearance of the Gungans (Jar Jar Binks's species) were brief and silent.

I've struggled whether to rate this movie at 3 Boos or 4 Boos. On it's own, I was leaning towards 3 Boos. However, I'm going to bump it up because it is such an improvement over Episodes I & II, and because it's an important movie to see for closure.

I rate "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" at 4 Boos.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Mediocrity

Unlike so many of my geek friends, I have never loved the book. But I did like it enough, many years ago, to read a bunch of the sequels. However, when I reread the book last month it didn't grab me. Likewise, the movie left me with a not very satisfied feeling. It held my interest. The special effects where generally good. I especially liked the Volgons. I liked Marvin, the robot. But beyond that I would have been just as happy doing something else with my time and money.

Interestingly, as I sat next to Pete in the theatre, knowing he had not read the book, I wondered what he must have been thinking about it. I feared the worst, but in the end he liked it better than I did.

I rate "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" at 2 Boos.

Hostage

Other than the fact that Bruce Willis is in it, I knew nothing about "Hostage" prior to seeing it. I saw it strictly on the basis of Bruce's consistently strong performances since the "Die Hard" era. He did not disappoint.

I rate "Hostage" at 3 Boos.

The Boo Rating System

The Boo rating system will be a zero-based six-point rating system. A partial Boo shall never be awarded. While always left to the discretion of the rater, a guideline to the ratings might be as follows:

• 5 Boos - Outstanding. Cannot stop thinking about. A movie a Boo will remember for years. This level of Boo should be awarded very rarely.
• 4 Boos - Upon exiting this movie a Boo might think, "I want to see this movie again." Would encourage friends to see this movie.
• 3 Boos - A solid movie. Most movies a Boo would see should fall in this category.
• 2 Boos - Disappointing.
• 1 Boo - Attrocious. An embarrassment to admit having seen this movie.
• 0 Boos - Walked out of.

Stupid Oscar Shortcuts

While I appreciate the motivation to speed up the Oscars by not allowing the "minor" award winners to walk all the way to the stage, it was pretty stupid to not even show a still picture of the characters in makeup for the Best Makeup category.

It's Oscar Night

Five years after setting a goal of seeing every Best Picture nominated movie in advance of the Oscars, I have achieved that goal. I was stymied, of course, in recent years by the more important goal of avoiding all of the "Lord of the Rings" sequels. Finally this year I have a fully formed opinion that will allow me to curse or applaud the TV screen as needed. I rate them as follows:

5. Sideways
4. Ray
3. The Aviator
2. Million Dollar Baby

and the Oscar goes to...

1. Finding Neverland

Ironically, "Finding Neverland" was the movie I had the least interest in seeing. In fact I'm certain I would have skipped it had I not been on a quest to see all of the nominated movies. In the end I decided I liked it more than any of the rest. However, I seem to be all alone on this assessment. I've heard nobody, and I mean nobody, saying that they thought "Finding Neverland" should win, much less would win. In fact, on the Dave Glover show on Friday, there was much discussion as to why it was even nominated. The only thing that makes me feel not totally alone is that on rogerebert.com, "Finding Neverland" did not come in last among the readers polled, "Ray" did.

As for Best Actor, I've seen four out of five of the nominated perfomances so far. I have not seen Don Cheadle's "Hotel Rwanda" yet. Mind you, I've loved Don Cheadle in everything I've ever seen him in. But with that caveat, I'll pick Jamie Foxx in "Ray." This time Roger Ebert's readers are strongly on my side. The buzz is that Foxx has the Oscar locked up.

For Best Supporting Actor, I've not yet seen Clive Owen in "Closer" but I've seen the rest. I'm going to have to give it to Thomas Hayden Church for "Sideways." Morgan Freeman was good in MDB, but it was the same role he did for "Shawshank Redemption." For that matter, what movie has he been in when he's not the narrator? As a caveat, I thought Clive Owen was great in 1998's "Croupier," so maybe he'll do well tonight.

I didn't see enough of the Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress nominated movies, so I'll remain silent. And even though I've seen four out of five of the Best Director nominations, I don't know how much credit to give the director over any other contributor. Maybe I should give it to Scorsese for "The Aviator" since it was the most complex of the movies, therefore he must be the best since he pulled it off.

The show starts in an hour, time to make a pizza and settle in. And the Oscar goes to...