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
This movie was essentially one continuous car chase, but, as terrible as that sounds, it works perfectly. Back when... more
Serenity
The best sci-fi movie since The Matrix. Fast, funny and intense. My opinion is probably tainted by my liking... 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.
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
8½
In the middle of the film I kind of forgot that it opens in with crazy dreamy imagery. It... more
Annette
I went into this knowing what to expect on the music side of things. It’s a further exploration of... 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
Black Magic
Black Magic is a strange mix of horror and bumbling romantic comedy. Nothing in this movie makes any sense and... 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
Bone Tomahawk
Western with a twist that shows its hand in the first frame of the movie but you very quickly... 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
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
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
Death Wish
I can’t believe I went through the 80’s without ever seeing this movie or any of its sequels. Charles... more
Deep Red
Great music and a twist that will have you immediately rewatching the first few scenes when it’s over. I... 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
Frenzy
Hitchcock does giallo! Nice character development and twisted humor.
Hercules
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)
An ingaging film about corruption, power and the law. There are threads of dark comedy mixed in with the... more
Inferno
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
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
Moon
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
Excellent Japanese zombie movie that isn’t quite what it seems. Avoid spoilers and just watch this. The title refers... 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
Opera
A lame ending and some bad music choices hinder this otherwise great Argento movie.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Dark fantasy amid Franco’s spanish civil war. Great effects, story and characters.
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
Rear Window
Hitchcock at his finest.
Shaolin Intruders
Finally, a Shaw Bros. martial arts film that hits all the right buttons: interesting characters, plot twists, colorful design... 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
Sukiyaki Western Django
Super stylish Japanese tribute to Spaghetti Westerns. Only hindered by the thick Japanese accents.
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 Dark Knight
Even better than Batman Begins.
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
The Great Silence
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
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
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
Cheng Pei Pei is great in the excellent sword fighting movie about a master in hiding who takes on... more
The Laughing Woman
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
Although the plot seems to bounce around from time to time, this is about as hardboiled as hardboiled detective... 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
The Snorkel
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
Ok, my wife wanted the entire family to watch this and I fully expected to be bored by it,... more
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
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
On the surface, this a horror movie about a small mountain town that has been plagued with a number... more
Thunder Road
I really liked The Wolf of Snow Hollow and needed to check out Jim Cumming’s debut. This one is... more
Tim’s Vermeer
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
Much better than Chicken Run. Funny for adults and kids.
Zero Charisma
I rather enjoyed this comedy about an angry tabletop gaming nerd who loses what little social standing he had... 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.
2LDK
Japanese slow burner about roommate strife that builds to the incredible climax.
Across 110th Street
Having blunted the needle on my iTunes from playing Bobby Womack’s title song so much I thought it was... more
Aenigma
Something must have happened to Lucio Fulci around 1982-83. That seems to be about the time he decided his... more
Avengers: Infinity War
The years of dudes fighting in the sky and blue LASERs of death have lead to this event movie.... more
Baby Driver
The concept of this movie is that all the action and camera work is scripted to go along with... 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
Bastard Swordsman
Dueling clans seek to attain the highest level of kung-fu: silkworm style. The fighter literally shoots out webs of... more
Batman Begins
The best of the modern Batman movies. Forgoes the theatrics in an attempt to bring the comic into a... more
Battle Royale
Another Japanese movie. This one is about a future where the only way to keep those rotten kids under... 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
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
Black Dynamite
This is not so much a parody as a straight-up recreation of a low budget 70s black exploitation film.... more
Black Sabbath
Collection of 3 horror tales. They vary in quality but the last is superb.
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
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
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
Boxer from Shantung
A small-time hood uses his fighting mastery to become the boss of his own gang. Features a fight with... 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
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
Casino Royale
The best bond since the Spy Who Loved Me. The emphasis is on character development instead of over-the-top action... more
Censor
Horror movie character study about a “Video Nasties” censor who begins to mix the memories of losing her sister... more
Chinatown
I have finally seen this movie and I liked it. Does the Internet need another review of it? Many... more
Chocolate
Well done Kung-Fu flick about a retarded girl who knows how to fight.
CJ7
Shephen Chow’s family movie that follows the formula laid out in E.T. a couple of decades ago. Chow knows... more
Clerks II
Funny and a nice sequel. Hindered by Kevin Smith’s lack of comic timing as a director (and actor). But... more
Cloverfield
Very well done fake-real video horror.
Crime Wave
A noir crime film from 1954 that features a young Charles Bronson (credited as Charles Buchinsky) as the heavy... 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
Danger: Diabolik
Visually stunning comic book adaptation. The plot and character development are a bit lacking though.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Pretty daring for a mainstream big budget sequel to be mostly subtitled. Kiddies, if you download this from the... more
Dead & Buried
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
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]
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
Also known as La Morte Accarezza a Mezzanotte, this is more of a Italian police story rather than straight up... 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
DEFCON: The Documentary
I have enjoyed all of Jason Scott’s documentaries. His films tend to be about somewhat niche areas in computing... more
Dementia 13
Francis Ford Coppola’s first feature. A low budget triller with good twists and nice pacing. The ending is a... more
Despicable Me
I went in to this film ready to hate it but it wasn’t that bad. It follows the same... more
Diabolique
I’ve listened to so many commentaries on my various giallo DVDs that cite this movie as one of the... more
District 9
A good well-paced sci-fi action movie. Didn’t quite live up to the the hype and is mostly noteworthy because... 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
Drag Me to Hell
As a horror director, Sam Raimi is best known for the oft quoted but overrated Army of Darkness and the much... 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
Dune [2021]
Slow but true to the book, which, admit it, wasn’t the most exciting of reads—those first 100 pages are... more
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
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
Very good ghost story from the producers of Pan’s Labyrynth.
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