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.
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
Annette
I went into this knowing what to expect on the music side of things. It’s a further exploration of... 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
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
Stop Making Sense
I’ll admit it, I really don’t like the Talking Heads. Their 3 or 4 radio hits are okay, but... 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
Kung Fu Hustle
Very funny and action packed kung-fu movie. Special effects aren’t that great but it makes up for it in... more
Tremors
For years I have heard about the cult status of this movie and I could have sworn I have... more
Death Wish 3
What seriousness there was in the first Death Wish is gone. The violence is not terribly gorey but it’s ridiculous and... more
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
As with all Tarantino movies, this is entertaining from beginning to end with tons of nostalgic details. I don’t... more
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Much better than the Royal Tanenbaums. Slow paced and unfunny at times, but worth viewing for the art direction... more
Max Payne
A lot of people hated this movie, but I thought it was pretty darn good. Okay, the demons were a... more
Pacific Rim
Mindless popcorn fair that manages to be entertaining without getting too annoying. The story and characters are really, REALLY... more
Ms .45
This one casts itself off as a female version of Death Wish complete with two uncomfortable assaults of the lead actress... more
Seven Chances
I’ve never actually seen a Buster Keaton movie until this. Holds up very well and has some great scenes... more
Split
Well, turns out M. Night is still capable of making an entertaining movie. This was a humble thriller about... more
Mandy
I absolutely hated Beyond the Black Rainbow but felt I had to watch it before watching this. Mandy might be a tad over-hyped,... more
The Girl Who Knew Too Much
Lighthearted giallo with great B&W photography.
The Changeling
The film opens with George C. Scott witnessing a horrible car accident. The story then shifts to four months... more
Look
I am a crowd supporter for Penn Jillette’s upcoming Director’s Cut movie and the story goes that Penn watched this movie... more
Cut-Throats Nine
This isn’t a spaghetti western. It’s a Spanish western. There has to be a name for that already: tapas... more
The Beyond
Metaphysical Fulci Zombie movie. Lots of close-up gore and some good atmospheric scares.
Blood and Black Lace
My first Mario Bava movie. The blue print of the modern slasher film. There’s lots of stylized lighting but... more
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
Very good ghost story from the producers of Pan’s Labyrynth.
Kill List
Kill List starts off as a relationship drama then soon morphs into a British gangster film following the antics of... more
Guardians of the Galaxy
Probably my favorite of the recent Marvel to film movie productions. It helps that it wasn’t an idiotic superhero... more
Across 110th Street
Having blunted the needle on my iTunes from playing Bobby Womack’s title song so much I thought it was... more
One-armed Swordswoman
This has all the trappings of a boring, low-rent “guys doing kung-fu in an empty field because the producers... more
Don’t Torture a Duckling
Early thriller by Lucio Fulci. Moves along pretty well , but the story is predictable with some laughably misplaced... more
Hostel
Good, suspenseful and gross.
Stop Me Before I Kill!
This is a good film noir from the six movie Icons of Suspense Collection: Hammer Films DVD set. There is plenty... more
Road House
An eighties “classic” which I never got around to watching because I always thought the video box looked dull... more
Five Fingers of Death
A rather brutal kung-fu flick centered around competing schools in the lead up to a fighting competition. Lot of... more
Blind Woman’s Curse
A surprisingly good Japanese martial arts/gangster film. The time and setting, with a mix of cars and kimonos, is... more
Twins of Evil
The late-stage Hammer vampire film tries to keep up with the times be amping up the gore and the... more
Bastard Swordsman
Dueling clans seek to attain the highest level of kung-fu: silkworm style. The fighter literally shoots out webs of... more
The Kid Detective
What happens when a child prodigy detective like Encyclopedia Brown graduates out of schoolyard mysteries into solving real crimes?... more
Saw
Good thriller with annoying Nike-commercial-esque style and bad acting.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The series chugs along. Number three is still the best movie of the series, but this one performs as... more
Best Worst Movie
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
Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman
My Adam Carolla film fest continues with this documentary about Paul Newman’s racing career. There are no amazing revelations... more
The Zombie Walks
What a wonderfully goofy and fun movie. This is the first German Krimi film I have ever watched and... more
Wall-E
A fun movie but it felt shallow in the the end to me.
Edge of Tomorrow
This Tom Cruise action film is basically Groundhog’s Day meets Starship Troopers. Since Groundhog’s Day there must have been half-a-dozen rip-offs on various TV... more
The Streetfighter
A violent and gritty kung-fu movie starring Sonny Chiba. Terrisan is basically playing a kung-fu version of Tuco from... more
Lisa and the Devil
Trippy and confused, but somehow this movie works for me. Telly Savalas is great.
Cash on Demand
Another great thriller from the Icons of Suspense: Hammer Films DVD six-pack. This one pits Grand Moff Tarkington against a clever... more
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
I loved the Lord of the Rings trilogy and I am glad that they are making these Hobbit movies, I wish... more
Sorcerer
The reason to watch this is the crazy pyrotechnics and stunts and gritty 70s style. Worth it for the... more
The Last Jedi
I went into this having avoided the trailers or anything that could potentially spoil this for me. Despite its flaws... more
Seven Shawls of Yellow Silk (Crimes of the Black Cat)
Horrible quality video. A giallo that isn’t quite as stylish as its contemporaries, but has a solid plot and... more
Scream of Fear
Just when I was about to lose hope regarding my Hammer Films: Icons of Horror DVD set, I got around to... more
Revolver
A euro-crime thriller/drama about a prison warden who is blackmailed into letting a prisoner escape. Boasts a wonderful score by... more
The Incredibles 2
Picks up right where the first movie left off with the family battling Cliff Clavin. Every bit as fun... more
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
The Guardians films remain the best of the Marvel movies. This is mostly due to their disconnect from Earthly... more
Danger: Diabolik
Visually stunning comic book adaptation. The plot and character development are a bit lacking though.