Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
★★★★★
Wow.
Elizabeth Olsen is breathtaking as a woman caught up in a cult and her struggle to integrate back into the "real world" after escaping. A thrilling paranoia filled drama.
Elite Squad (2007)
★★★★
ELITE SQUAD is about the Brazilian equivalent of SWAT called BOPE.
The main plot is basic. The BOPE captain must find a replacement while trying to take down drug dealers and cleaning up The Slums before The Pope arrives. Interspersed are a few other subplots that take a while to build up, but ultimately pay off.
ELITE SQUAD took about 45 minutes to ramp up, but once it did I was 100% invested. The film's payoff relies on the beginning set-up of all characters involved, even if the set-up feels a bit disjointed.
A simple story, character development and badass action make ELITE SQUAD worth checking out. I'm totally pumped for ELITE SQUAD 2!
The Reef (2011)
★★★½
Forget OPEN WATER, THE REEF is actually tense and entertaining. Though I wondered how this one shark was still hungry after eating so many people!
American Grindhouse (2010)
★★★½
Not as fun as an actual Grindhouse flick, but very informative documentary about the phenomenon.
Planet Of The Vampires (1965)
★★★½
First of all, the HD transfer on Netflix is pretty stellar. I was expecting a dirty and jittery picture, but this 1965 film looked stellar.
There is nothing new to the plot of PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES. A group of astronauts goes after a fellow spacecraft and their crew as they crash on an alien world. But the longer they are on the planet, the more they uncover a deadly secret!
As with older films, it takes a while for this one to get going, but once it does it's pretty awesome.
The American (2010)
★★★★½
After watching THE SMURFS, I had to wash that bad taste out of my mouth. I chose THE AMERICAN and did it hit the spot.
THE AMERICAN was marketed as an Action flick. It's not. It's a slow paced, character study on the life of a hitman. Clooney is awesome. The direction is subtle and wonderful. Loved it.
The Smurfs (2011)
★★
Well, smurf. I gave into my kids and let them watch it. The opening scene with the Smurfs in their village show me that this should have been an all CGI animated feature. No New York City, not heavily made-up actor posing as Gargamel. The potential with the Smurfs' fantasy world is there. Unfortunately the filmmakers went the CHIPMUNKS route and made this steaming pile of smurf.
Moneyball (2011)
★★★½
Jonah Hill's horrible "serious" acting almost derailed the film more me. However, the story and Brad Pitt helped elevate things.
Black Book (2006)
★★★★½
I consider this one of Paul Verehoeven's best "legitimate" films. He's usually known for over-the-top flicks like ROBOCOP, TOTAL RECALL or STARSHIP TROOPERS, but I loved his take on WWII. There are the Verehoeven over-the-top flourishes with sexuality in this film, but it coincides with the plot and characters. The end of the film gets a bit lost, but overall BLACK BOOK is a wonderful film.
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
★★★★★
Still wonderful. Still amazing. Watching with my kids was a memorable and even emotional experience!