Movie Log: By Rating

Here are my movies listed in order or ranking, from best to worst. Ratings subject to change at any time.

Mad Max: Fury Road

10/10
This movie was essentially one continuous car chase, but, as terrible as that sounds, it works perfectly. Back when... more

Serenity

10/10
The best sci-fi movie since The Matrix. Fast, funny and intense. My opinion is probably tainted by my liking... more

Suspiria

10/10
One of the most beautiful horror movies ever made. Great Goblin soundtrack included with the DVD.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

10/10
Dario Argento murder thriller. Fairly ridiculous plot, but makes up for it in style, pacing and music.

8 Diagram Pole Fighter

9/10
This is a gorgeous martial arts film which features an all-star cast of Hong Kong action heroes (most of... more

9/10
In the middle of the film I kind of forgot that it opens in with crazy dreamy imagery. It... more

Annette

9/10
I went into this knowing what to expect on the music side of things. It’s a further exploration of... more

Black Christmas

9/10
Very well done proto-slasher film with a star-studded cast. Despite the title, Christmas doesn’t play much of a role... more

Black Magic

9/10
Black Magic is a strange mix of horror and bumbling romantic comedy. Nothing in this movie makes any sense and... more

Black Magic 2

9/10
This is a sequel in name only to the excellent Black Magic. It’s still about an evil voodoo magician, but in... more

Bone Tomahawk

9/10
Western with a twist that shows its hand in the first frame of the movie but you very quickly... more

Children of Men

9/10
A great sci-fi film with lots of long-shot action sequences that will have you wondering how the heck they... more

Come Drink with Me

9/10
Come Drink with Me is heralded as the film that defined the kung-fu genre in the early sixties. I am... more

Daughters of Darkness

9/10
Daughters of Darkness rivals Argento’s best work from the 70s in terms of style and design. Every frame is a... more

Death Wish

9/10
I can’t believe I went through the 80’s without ever seeing this movie or any of its sequels. Charles... more

Deep Red

9/10
Great music and a twist that will have you immediately rewatching the first few scenes when it’s over. I... more

Ex Machina

9/10
Fresh off of just seeing the new Blade Runner here’s another film dealing with the artificial intelligence. Only, this one is... more

Frenzy

9/10
Hitchcock does giallo! Nice character development and twisted humor.

Gaslight

9/10
The 1944 classic is apparently the second film version of the play Gaslight. This version takes its time establishing... more

Hercules

9/10
There are about three hundred movies named Hercules (usually with “vs. <insert name here>” after the name). This is the 1983... more

Indagine su un Cittadino al di Sopra di Ogni Sospetto (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion)

9/10
An ingaging film about corruption, power and the law. There are threads of dark comedy mixed in with the... more

Inferno

9/10
I didn’t like this movie that much when I first saw it, but it has since grown on me.... more

Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons

9/10
This is a Stephen Chow kung-fu film through and through. There’s the standard wire-fu action and stunts, lots of... more

Killer Constable

9/10
This was a surprisingly good martial arts film that’s heavy on dark tone and light on the karate. Films... more

Lisa and the Devil

9/10
Trippy and confused, but somehow this movie works for me. Telly Savalas is great. One of Bava’s best.

Moon

9/10
Finally a sci-fi movie that isn’t all about special effects (although there are plenty subtle effects to be seen... more

One Cut of the Dead

9/10
Excellent Japanese zombie movie that isn’t quite what it seems. Avoid spoilers and just watch this. The title refers... more

Ong Bak

9/10
Fantastic Thai martial arts movie about a monk’s apprentice going to the big city to retrieve his small village’s... more

Opera

9/10
A lame ending and some bad music choices hinder this otherwise great Argento movie.

Pan’s Labyrinth

9/10
Dark fantasy amid Franco’s spanish civil war. Great effects, story and characters.

Pulsebeat

9/10
Pulsebeat has been on my must-see bucket list for at least a decade. Ever since I found a clip... more

Ratatoulli

9/10
The most visually impressive and stylized Pixar movie

Rear Window

9/10
Hitchcock at his finest.

Shaolin Intruders

9/10
Finally, a Shaw Bros. martial arts film that hits all the right buttons: interesting characters, plot twists, colorful design... more

Stop Making Sense

9/10
I’ll admit it, I really don’t like the Talking Heads. Their 3 or 4 radio hits are okay, but... more

Sukiyaki Western Django

9/10
Super stylish Japanese tribute to Spaghetti Westerns. Only hindered by the thick Japanese accents.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

9/10
This was a movie that we were told about in art history classes when talking about German expressionist painting.... more

The Dark Knight

9/10
Even better than Batman Begins.

The Force Awakens

9/10
An excellent and worthy sequel to the original series of films. It’s probably better than Return of the Jedi or at... more

The Great Silence

9/10
What at first glance seems like a rather derivative spaghetti western (except for the unusual snowy setting), reveals itself... more

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

9/10
I loved the Lord of the Rings movies so I realize I have a huge bias towards liking this no matter... more

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

9/10
The final film in of The Hobbit trilogy is an improvement over the second movie. While it is still a bit... more

The Lady Hermit

9/10
Cheng Pei Pei is great in the excellent sword fighting movie about a master in hiding who takes on... more

The Laughing Woman

9/10
The Blu-Ray version of The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion’s interviews and commentary mentioned Femina Ridens as... more

The Maltese Falcon

9/10
Although the plot seems to bounce around from time to time, this is about as hardboiled as hardboiled detective... more

The Mermaid

9/10
Apparently, The Mermaid was the highest grossing movie in China last year. The 40 different conglomerates listed in the opening credits... more

The Snorkel

9/10
The third movie in the six film DVD set Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films is, so far, the best. The story... more

The Sound of Music

9/10
Ok, my wife wanted the entire family to watch this and I fully expected to be bored by it,... more

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

9/10
As much as I like horror, I am woefully unfamiliar with many of the classics of the genre. Amazon... more

The Wolf of Snow Hollow

9/10
On the surface, this a horror movie about a small mountain town that has been plagued with a number... more

Thunder Road

9/10
I really liked The Wolf of Snow Hollow and needed to check out Jim Cumming’s debut. This one is... more

Tim’s Vermeer

9/10
This a nice little documentary produced and directed by Penn & Teller, respectively. This is a documentary for people... more

Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit

9/10
Much better than Chicken Run. Funny for adults and kids.

Witness in the City

9/10
The third film in the French Noir blu-ray set is probably the best of the three. What’s so great... more

Zero Charisma

9/10
I rather enjoyed this comedy about an angry tabletop gaming nerd who loses what little social standing he had... more

10 Cloverfield Lane

8/10
A good premise that sorta spoils itself by being a pseudo sequel to Cloverfield. A least there is no shaky-cam.

2LDK

8/10
Japanese slow burner about roommate strife that builds to the incredible climax.

A Haunted Turkish Bathhouse

8/10
Ladies and gentleman, it’s officially the one-millionth time a movie has been based on Poe’s The Black Cat! This... more

Across 110th Street

8/10
Having blunted the needle on my iTunes from playing Bobby Womack’s title song so much I thought it was... more

Aenigma

8/10
Something must have happened to Lucio Fulci around 1982-83. That seems to be about the time he decided his... more

Almost Human

8/10
Uberto Lenzi’s poliziotteschi about a small-time criminal who decides to kidnap an heiress and ends up killing just about... more

Avengers: Infinity War

8/10
The years of dudes fighting in the sky and blue LASERs of death have lead to this event movie.... more

Baby Driver

8/10
The concept of this movie is that all the action and camera work is scripted to go along with... more

Back to the Wall

8/10
The second film in the French Noir blu-ray set is about as noir-y as noir can get. The movie... more

Basket Case

8/10
Another cult movie which I’ve known about forever, but never bothered to watch. I didn’t expect this to be... more

Bastard Swordsman

8/10
Dueling clans seek to attain the highest level of kung-fu: silkworm style. The fighter literally shoots out webs of... more

Batman Begins

8/10
The best of the modern Batman movies. Forgoes the theatrics in an attempt to bring the comic into a... more

Battle Royale

8/10
Another Japanese movie. This one is about a future where the only way to keep those rotten kids under... more

Best Worst Movie

8/10
I’ve written about Troll 2 here before. Basically, Troll 2 is the epitome of a so-bad-it’s-good movie. Best Worst Movie is a documentary that follows several... more

Birdemic: Shock and Terror

8/10
Incredibly bad film. Horrible acting, dialog and effects. The net result is an incredibly fun, so-bad-it’s-good movie that you... more

Black Dynamite

8/10
This is not so much a parody as a straight-up recreation of a low budget 70s black exploitation film.... more

Black Sabbath

8/10
Collection of 3 horror tales. They vary in quality but the last is superb.

Blind Woman’s Curse

8/10
A surprisingly good Japanese martial arts/gangster film. The time and setting, with a mix of cars and kimonos, is... more

Blood and Black Lace

8/10
My first Mario Bava movie. The blue print of the modern slasher film. There’s lots of stylized lighting but... more

Blow Up

8/10
Blow Up is a movie that I have often heard referenced in relation to other movie’s I love, most notably Deep... more

Boxer from Shantung

8/10
A small-time hood uses his fighting mastery to become the boss of his own gang. Features a fight with... more

Breakout

8/10
Good gravy, the 70s were a great time for movies! It seems like they would greenlight a picture based... more

Caliber 9

8/10
Caliber 9 is a highly regarded Eurocrime thriller about an ex-con who is released from prison and everyone suspects he’s... more

Cash on Demand

8/10
Another great thriller from the Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films DVD six-pack. This one pits Grand Moff Tarkington against a clever... more

Casino Royale

8/10
The best bond since the Spy Who Loved Me. The emphasis is on character development instead of over-the-top action... more

Censor

8/10
Horror movie character study about a “Video Nasties” censor who begins to mix the memories of losing her sister... more

Chinatown

8/10
I have finally seen this movie and I liked it. Does the Internet need another review of it? Many... more

Chocolate

8/10
Well done Kung-Fu flick about a retarded girl who knows how to fight.

CJ7

8/10
Shephen Chow’s family movie that follows the formula laid out in E.T. a couple of decades ago. Chow knows... more

Clerks II

8/10
Funny and a nice sequel. Hindered by Kevin Smith’s lack of comic timing as a director (and actor). But... more

Cloverfield

8/10
Very well done fake-real video horror.

Crime Wave

8/10
A noir crime film from 1954 that features a young Charles Bronson (credited as Charles Buchinsky) as the heavy... more

Cut-Throats Nine

8/10
This isn’t a spaghetti western. It’s a Spanish western. There has to be a name for that already: tapas... more

Danger: Diabolik

8/10
Visually stunning comic book adaptation. The plot and character development are a bit lacking though.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

8/10
Pretty daring for a mainstream big budget sequel to be mostly subtitled. Kiddies, if you download this from the... more

Dead & Buried

8/10
I really didn’t know anything about this movie even though I remember the box art from the video rental... more

Deadlier Than the Male

8/10
Besides maybe Danger Diabolik, I haven’t seen many “Eurospy” movies—cheap, Bond knock-offs produced in Europe in the sixties. Surprising, this... more

Deadlier Than the Male [1956]

8/10
No this isn’t about bikini-clad assassins, this female predator is a bit more subdued. This is a French black and... more

Death Walks At Midnight

8/10
Also known as La Morte Accarezza a Mezzanotte, this is more of a Italian police story rather than straight up... more

Death Wish 3

8/10
What seriousness there was in the first Death Wish is gone. The violence is not terribly gorey but it’s ridiculous and... more

DEFCON: The Documentary

8/10
I have enjoyed all of Jason Scott’s documentaries. His films tend to be about somewhat niche areas in computing... more

Dementia 13

8/10
Francis Ford Coppola’s first feature. A low budget triller with good twists and nice pacing. The ending is a... more

Despicable Me

8/10
I went in to this film ready to hate it but it wasn’t that bad. It follows the same... more

Diabolique

8/10
I’ve listened to so many commentaries on my various giallo DVDs that cite this movie as one of the... more

District 9

8/10
A good well-paced sci-fi action movie. Didn’t quite live up to the the hype and is mostly noteworthy because... more