Here are my movies listed in order or ranking, from best to worst. Ratings subject to change at any time.
Serenity
The best sci-fi movie since The Matrix. Fast, funny and intense. My opinion is probably tainted by my liking... more
Mad Max: Fury Road
This movie was essentially one continuous car chase, but, as terrible as that sounds, it works perfectly. Back when... more
Suspiria
One of the most beautiful horror movies ever made. Great Goblin soundtrack included with the DVD.
The Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Dario Argento murder thriller. Fairly ridiculous plot, but makes up for it in style, pacing and music.
Inferno
I didn’t like this movie that much when I first saw it, but it has since grown on me.... more
Ex Machina
Fresh off of just seeing the new Blade Runner here’s another film dealing with the artificial intelligence. Only, this one is... more
The Snorkel
The third movie in the six film DVD set Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films is, so far, the best. The story... more
8 Diagram Pole Fighter
This is a gorgeous martial arts film which features an all-star cast of Hong Kong action heroes (most of... more
Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
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
This was a surprisingly good martial arts film that’s heavy on dark tone and light on the karate. Films... more
The Dark Knight
Even better than Batman Begins.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
As much as I like horror, I am woefully unfamiliar with many of the classics of the genre. Amazon... more
Tim’s Vermeer
This a nice little documentary produced and directed by Penn & Teller, respectively. This is a documentary for people... more
The Force Awakens
An excellent and worthy sequel to the original series of films. It’s probably better than Return of the Jedi or at... more
Ong Bak
Fantastic Thai martial arts movie about a monk’s apprentice going to the big city to retrieve his small village’s... more
Black Christmas
Very well done proto-slasher film with a star-studded cast. Despite the title, Christmas doesn’t play much of a role... more
The Lady Hermit
Cheng Pei Pei is great in the excellent sword fighting movie about a master in hiding who takes on... more
One Cut of the Dead
Excellent Japanese zombie movie that isn’t quite what it seems. Avoid spoilers and just watch this. The title refers... more
8½
In the middle of the film I kind of forgot that it opens in with crazy dreamy imagery. It... more
Children of Men
A great sci-fi film with lots of long-shot action sequences that will have you wondering how the heck they... more
Indagine su un Cittadino al di Sopra di Ogni Sospetto (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion)
An ingaging film about corruption, power and the law. There are threads of dark comedy mixed in with the... more
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
The final film in of The Hobbit trilogy is an improvement over the second movie. While it is still a bit... more
Hercules
There are about three hundred movies named Hercules (usually with “vs. <insert name here>” after the name). This is the 1983... more
The Wolf of Snow Hollow
On the surface, this a horror movie about a small mountain town that has been plagued with a number... more
Black Magic 2
This is a sequel in name only to the excellent Black Magic. It’s still about an evil voodoo magician, but in... more
Deep Red
Great music and a twist that will have you immediately rewatching the first few scenes when it’s over. I... more
The Mermaid
Apparently, The Mermaid was the highest grossing movie in China last year. The 40 different conglomerates listed in the opening credits... more
Pulsebeat
Pulsebeat has been on my must-see bucket list for at least a decade. Ever since I found a clip... more
Ratatoulli
The most visually impressive and stylized Pixar movie
Pan’s Labyrinth
Dark fantasy amid Franco’s spanish civil war. Great effects, story and characters.
The Maltese Falcon
Although the plot seems to bounce around from time to time, this is about as hardboiled as hardboiled detective... more
Black Magic
Black Magic is a strange mix of horror and bumbling romantic comedy. Nothing in this movie makes any sense and... more
Opera
A lame ending and some bad music choices hinder this otherwise great Argento movie.
Shaolin Intruders
Finally, a Shaw Bros. martial arts film that hits all the right buttons: interesting characters, plot twists, colorful design... more
Death Wish
I can’t believe I went through the 80’s without ever seeing this movie or any of its sequels. Charles... more
Zero Charisma
I rather enjoyed this comedy about an angry tabletop gaming nerd who loses what little social standing he had... more
Bone Tomahawk
Western with a twist that shows its hand in the first frame of the movie but you very quickly... more
Moon
Finally a sci-fi movie that isn’t all about special effects (although there are plenty subtle effects to be seen... more
Daughters of Darkness
Daughters of Darkness rivals Argento’s best work from the 70s in terms of style and design. Every frame is a... more
Frenzy
Hitchcock does giallo! Nice character development and twisted humor.
Come Drink with Me
Come Drink with Me is heralded as the film that defined the kung-fu genre in the early sixties. I am... more
Wallace and Grommit and the Curse of the Were Rabbit
Much better than Chicken Run. Funny for adults and kids.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
This was a movie that we were told about in art history classes when talking about German expressionist painting.... more
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
I loved the Lord of the Rings movies so I realize I have a huge bias towards liking this no matter... more
The Sound of Music
Ok, my wife wanted the entire family to watch this and I fully expected to be bored by it,... more
Rear Window
Hitchcock at his finest.
Sukiyaki Western Django
Super stylish Japanese tribute to Spaghetti Westerns. Only hindered by the thick Japanese accents.
The Great Silence
What at first glance seems like a rather derivative spaghetti western (except for the unusual snowy setting), reveals itself... more
Danger: Diabolik
Visually stunning comic book adaptation. The plot and character development are a bit lacking though.
Supercop
Pretty good Jackie Chan faire. Not his best, but plenty of good action here.
Martyrs
This is a French horror film that often gets lumped into the sub-genre of torture porn along with Hostel and Saw. I... more
The Cabin in the Woods
This is a slasher movie with a twist. The unique thing here is that the twist is revealed in... more
The New One-Armed Swordsman
The One-Armed Swordsman was a good, arty swordplay epic with a lot of character focus. The sequel ditched the character stuff and focused... more
Deadlier Than the Male [1956]
No this isn’t about bikini-clad assassins, this female predator is a bit more subdued. This is a French black and... more
Boxer from Shantung
A small-time hood uses his fighting mastery to become the boss of his own gang. Features a fight with... more
Sound of Noise
A group of avant-garde percussionists decide to go rogue and put on the ultimate performance by breaking-in to various... more
The Scar
A year ago a watched the other half of this double feature film noir DVD. This second movie is much better... more
The Cook, Cook The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover
This movie is exactly what late 80s art movies are supposed to be. It’s the very definition of style... more
Lizard in a Woman’s Skin
Good mystery. Lucio Fulci is a bit of a clumsy director, but manages to provide a few surprises even... more
The Decent
Very effective horror movie. Claustrophbia abounds.
Sabata
A better-than-most Spaghetti Western with high-flying acrobatics.
Zombieland
This was a somewhat refreshing take on the zombie genre with funny, Zombie Survival Guide inspired narration. The movie does come... more
The Castle of Cagliostro
I was familiar with about the first fifteen minutes of this movie from the old laser disc video game, Cliffhanger.... more
The One-Armed Swordsman
When I started my immersion into Shaw Brothers kung-fu, I knew I would eventually see this film. It apparently... more
Black Sabbath
Collection of 3 horror tales. They vary in quality but the last is superb.
Birdemic: Shock and Terror
Incredibly bad film. Horrible acting, dialog and effects. The net result is an incredibly fun, so-bad-it’s-good movie that you... more
Never Take Candy from a Stranger
This is an incredibly creepy thriller about a town that defends an elderly pedophile who is a member of... more
10 Cloverfield Lane
A good premise that sorta spoils itself by being a pseudo sequel to Cloverfield. A least there is no shaky-cam.
Green Room
The first fifteen minutes of this movie are noteworthy for accurately depicting what it’s like to be a touring... more
Baby Driver
The concept of this movie is that all the action and camera work is scripted to go along with... more
Giallo
Giallo isn’t quite the return to form I wanted from Dario Argento, but it’s a much better movie than the... more
The Muppets
Generation X’ers like myself tend to have a bit too much nostalgia towards The Muppet Show and the first couple Muppet... more
Flying Guillotine 2
The head severing basket on a chain is back and is as ridiculous as ever. When we last left off, our... more
The Stendhal Syndrome
The best of the post-Opera Argento films. Has moments of sheer brilliance, but plenty of crappy parts too. The... more
How to Train Your Dragon
Hackneyed story benefits from some amazing computer animation. Basically, it’s yet another retelling of E.T. where kid finds animal/alien/monster/robot,... more
These Are the Damned
This was the final film in the super excellent The Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films five-disc DVD set. Unlike the... more
DEFCON: The Documentary
I have enjoyed all of Jason Scott’s documentaries. His films tend to be about somewhat niche areas in computing... more
Dragon Gate Inn
Looking back over the string of martial arts films that I have viewed over the past few months, I’d... more
The Witch
This movie felt like a Hans Baldung woodcut brought to life. Set in a dark New England forest in the 1600’s,... more
The Invincible Fist
Lo Lieh plays the sword wielding bounty hunter in this Shaw Bros. film from 1969. The story is simple... more
Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion
I guess fantastical prison movies have been a thing in Japan since long before Story of Ricky. This one is... more
The Lighthouse
A weird, arty film about a pair of lighthouse keepers that is reminiscent of David Lynch. I’m sure there... more
Rope
A good Hitchcock thriller. Essentially a real-time stage play.
Foxy Brown
This is the first film I am watching in my Pam Grier film fest and it’s a good one.... more
Martial Arts of Shaolin
The final movie in the Dragon Dynasty Volume 1 DVD pack is probably the best of this set. The film banks... more
The Greasy Strangler
Although I was entertained for the most part, it’s hard not to see that this movie desperately wants to... more
The Boss
Another exciting Italian crime thriller directed by Fernando Di Leo, director of Caliber 9. All the characters are scum, even the... more
Dementia 13
Francis Ford Coppola’s first feature. A low budget triller with good twists and nice pacing. The ending is a... more
Batman Begins
The best of the modern Batman movies. Forgoes the theatrics in an attempt to bring the comic into a... more
The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail
This is a pretty top-notch Giallo. It has George Hilton, Luigi Pistilli, a black hatted killer, bloody murder set... more
The Oily Maniac
Many of the same faces from the Black Magic movies are here for another Shaw horror “classic”. Once again it’s filmed... more
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
I had never heard of this psychological mystery until I saw it posted on a giallo site. It’s not... more
Rabid Dogs
Posthumous Bava film. Most of the action takes place in a car as bandits kidnap a woman, man and... more
Blow Up
Blow Up is a movie that I have often heard referenced in relation to other movie’s I love, most notably Deep... more
The Raid: Redemption
This was a good Indonesian action film that has a minimal plot and zero character development. A bunch of... more
Basket Case
Another cult movie which I’ve known about forever, but never bothered to watch. I didn’t expect this to be... more
Caliber 9
Caliber 9 is a highly regarded Eurocrime thriller about an ex-con who is released from prison and everyone suspects he’s... more
My Neighbor Totoro
Miyazaki film with beautiful characterization and animation. The plot is a bit thin and just seems to end at... more
Starcrash
“Imperial battleship, halt the flow of time!” This is some awesome trash. Mostly crap, but pay attention to the... more
Despicable Me
I went in to this film ready to hate it but it wasn’t that bad. It follows the same... more