Director: Tony Scott

Main Stars: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, John Turturro, Luis Guzman

Rating: *

Dispatcher Walter Garber (Washington) is not having a good day. Already under investigation for taking kickbacks by his superiors at the transit authority he finds himself playing negotiator when a subway train is taken hostage and the leader (Travolta) happens to end up contacting him. I'll say it up front - I hated this movie. It's one of those films that could have been terrific but at the end I was like 'Are you joking????' I can't really tell you why the ending sucked so much without spoiling it, but for a film that spent almost all of it's runtime involving dialog between the two main characters the last act was horrible. Denzel is about the only decent thing in this mess but his talents are completely wasted. Travolta should really stop trying to be an action star and perhaps make another Look Who's Talking flick (perhaps Kirstie Alley can pop out some fat, scientologist kids in that one). Things would have been better if the always excellent John Turturro was the bad guy instead of having a side role. Pelham is the poster child for how a terrific flick can be completely ruined by a lame ending.

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Main Stars: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde

Rating: ****

One night Sam (Hedlund) listens to his father (Bridges) tell him a bedtime story of a fantastical computer world. Then his father disappears and the years pass by. Now an adult, Sam is the primary shareholder in Encom, the company his father founded. But outside of the occasional prank he could care less about the company which no longer resembles what it once was. One day he finds himself at his father's old office and while attempting to access the computer he is sucked into the world of Tron. After all those years he finds himself face to face with his Dad, in the world of his childhood tales....I'm glad I watched the original last night as there were more than a few shout outs to it. And unlike the first one, this is focused as much on the story as on the visuals. Speaking of visuals, Olivia Wilde is beyond good looking in this film. I'm sure she'll be in my fantasies for many nights to come...but I digress. Bottom line, if you're a fan of the original you'll love this update. I don't even know what the reviews are like nor do I care. I just know I loved it because it's freakin Tron man!

Director: Sylvester Stallone

Main Stars: Slyvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Mickey Rourke

Rating: ***

Barney Ross (Stallone) leads a group of mercenaries who are tasked with doing some of the most dangerous missions imaginable. Their latest target is a petty dictator running a small backwater island and his rogue CIA backer (Roberts). It's the typical shit show until he finds meaning in rescuing the general's daughter from a gruesome fate. Ok, there are two ways to look at this movie. One way is as a regular movie - in which case this is a horrible piece of crap. The other is as a homage to the mindless, testosterone overflowing, action flicks of a bygone era. And in that regard The Expendables is fairly entertaining. Director Stallone has assembled a who's who of aging action stars. However for the most part the majority of them are relegated to either cameos or only the briefest of screen time. In some cases that’s a wise decision. This really is a vehicle for Stallone and Jason Statham and I found myself really liking the two of them together. The other decent role goes to Dolph Lundren as the tortured and irrational team member. Lots of stuff blowing up, big ass guns, and a huge body count serve to remind you of the best (and worst) of 80's escapist cinema.

Director: Ridley Scott

Main Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Ian Holm, Tom Skerritt, Yaphet Kotto, Veronica Cartwright

Rating: *****

The crew of commercial towing ship USS Nostromo is awoken from hypersleep to investigate a mysterious transmission from a nearby planet. But is it a distress signal or a warning? When one of the crew comes back to the ship with some sort of creature attached to his face they soon find out. Alien (along with Blade Runner) is my favorite movie of all time. When I found out it was being released on Blu-Ray as part of the Alien Anthology set I could hardly contain myself. Simply put, watching it on Blu-Ray was like watching it again for the first time. It looks stunning. The amount of effort that went into restoring it definitely shows in the end product. And unlike the sequel Aliens, it doesn't show its age. It looks as modern and relevant today as when it was released in 1979. This is easily one of the best looking Blu-Rays ever made. While I watched the Directors cut, I think I prefer the Theatrical release. There's a few new scenes that don't really add to the story but don't detract from it either. However I found the one pivotal new scene ruined some of the surprise that comes in the second film. Bottom line, Alien is the quintessential horror film and it has never looked better!

Director: Scott Stewart

Main Stars: Kevin Durand, Tyrese Gibson, Paul Bettany, Charles S. Dutton, Dennis Quaid

Rating: *

The apocalypse is nigh! Charlie is a chain smoking waitress at a diner in the middle of nowhere. A place where their only customers are people hopelessly lost in the desert. She also happens to be pregnant with mankind's only hope. It is to this place that rogue angel Michael (Bettany) comes down from heaven to protect her baby from the hordes of possessed monsters led by the angel Gabriel (Durand). Legion is one of those movies that sucker you in with the trailer which contain the only decent scenes in the film. Oh sure we get introduced to some people and a half hearted attempt at a back story, but really we don't care because we know they'll be dead in short order. And apparently the best that one of God's soldiers can do is fire off a machine gun. Oh ya, I forgot to mention that Dennis Quaid is in it (that should have been a warning right there). Surprisingly the only person who somewhat impressed me was Kate Walsh as the rich high maintenance wife. Still she's not enough to save things. This movie has been done before when it was called Constantine and unlike this steaming pile of crap it was pretty decent.

Director: Breck Eisner

Main Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson, Danielle Panabaker

Rating: ****

Ogden Marsh is a nice quiet town. A town where everyone knows each other and everyone is friendly. That is until one day when the sheriff (Olyphant) is forced to gun down a local who shows up at a baseball game with a shotgun. Soon everyone starts to begin acting rather...strange. This is a remake of an obscure 1973 film by Zombie maestro George Romero. And while I generally abhor remakes, not having seen the original I watched this one with an open mind. The story has been done several times before (Return of the Living Dead comes to mind) and is entirely predictable. However in these films it's the ability of the actors to convey the horrors they are witnessing that draws you into the movie - and the acting is great here. Visually the film is terrific and shot in a way which is effective in building the suspense. While this film might not quite be on the same level as 28 Days Later it's definitely entertaining and at one point I almost jumped out of my seat :) By all accounts this is one of those rare cases where the remake is better than the original.

Director: Rob Marshall

Main Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Kate Hudson, Fergie, Nicole Kidman

Rating: **

Guido (Lewis) is a famous director in 1965 Italy. While he's had a number of outstanding movies throughout his career, his last few have been flops. He's about to undertake his latest masterpiece. However with filming about to start he still has no idea what he's going to shoot and he hasn't even finished a script. With the pressure mounting will he somehow create another classic or another abomination? You either like musicals or you don't. Personally I love them. Blues Brothers, Chicago, Moulin Rouge are all favorites of mine. Nine has a star studded cast and is directed by the same guy who directed Chicago, so It should be terrific right? Sadly this one isn't quite up to the same level. Visually it's terrific and the performers give it there all. While billed as the 'star' of the film Nicole Kidman actually has a small part. Most of the movie is instead carried by Marion Cotillard who plays the lonely wife. So why didn't I like it? For a musical to be amazing it has to have memorable songs. However with the exception of the 'Be Italian' number sung by Fergie there really aren't any. Therefore Nine is a disappointment.

Director: Richard Fleischer

Main Stars: Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, Edward G. Robinson, Brock Peters

Rating: ****

The year is 2022, the world's population has spiraled out of control and people are confined to overcrowded cities where real food has long disappeared and been replaced by synthetic substitutes made by the Soylent corporation. Jobs are scarce, food riots common, the poor live in stairwells and churches, and the rich live a life of luxury sequestered away in armed dwellings. Detective Thorn (Heston) is assigned with solving an increasing number of homicides. His partner Sol (Robinson), a crotchety old man who remembers when the Earth used to be beautiful, gathers information by going through long forgotten books. One day Thorn is called to investigate the murder of a rich and powerful man, a man who was on Soylent’s board of directors, and a man who was haunted by a horrific truth. Despite being made in 1973 it has help up surprisingly well over time. In fact, outside of a few scenes you'd hardly know it was filmed back then. Sadly I already knew the surprise ending which was a bit anti-climatic but I can't fault the movie for that. For a movie so engrained in popular culture I'd guess that most people my age or younger haven't seen it. That's a shame because this is one of the all time Sci-Fi classics.

Director: John Hillcoat

Main Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Charlize Theron, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Molly Parker, Robert Duvall

Rating: *****

End of the world type movies have always held a particular fascination for me. So when I first saw the trailer for this I couldn't wait to see it. The Road tells the tale of a man and his 11 year old son struggling to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. A world where all the animals are dead, hunger is ever present, bands of cannibals roam the charred countryside, and their only defense is an antiquated gun with only two rounds remaining. While there are other characters - an almost unrecognizable Robert Duvall and Charlize as the wife who gives up hope - the film is really about the father (Mortensen) and the son (Smit-McPhee) and they carry the movie. Both give great performances and thoroughly draw you into the film. While not technically a horror movie, a number of scenes and imagery are particularly horrific and haunting. About the only thing I didn't like was the ending, mostly because in my mind I had a different outcome envisioned. It is however faithful to the acclaimed novel it's based on, so you can't really fault it for that. This is simply terrific filmmaking, it's one of the best of the year, and it will stick with you long after it's over.

Director: George Lucas

Main Stars: Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Maggie McOmie, Don Pedro Colley

Rating: ****

Before Luke Skywalker there was THX 1138...George Lucas' first feature tells the story of the title character (Duvall) living in a bleak futuristic world where people are forcibly medicated to get through their mind numbing day building robotic guards and where sex is forbidden. One day THX 1138 stops taking his meds, falls in love with his roommate LUH (McOmie), and almost causes a catastrophic accident due to his lack of focus. Soon he and his roommate end up imprisoned in an all white, endless prison along with several other deviants. When LUH is taken from him he vows to escape and find her again all while being relentlessly chased by the same robotic guards he helped build. For a movie that came out in '71 it surprisingly holds up well. The visuals are bleak and sparse, nicely setting the tone of the film. And the story for it's time was definitely radical. The version I watched was the Japanese laserdisc, and like most Japanese LD's you get improved quality over the North American releases with the tradeoff of having to watch Japanese subtitles. Also of note, this is the best quality 'original' version released. Lucas released a DVD version in 2004 which like his rereleases of the original Star Wars films had a number of CGI enhancements and tweaks which I personally think are an abomination. Finally, if you ever wondered where Lucasfilm came up with the name for the sound standard THX - it was from this film.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Main Stars: Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes

Rating: *****

William James (Renner) has an unenviable job to do as a bomb disposal specialist in the Army. He finds himself in Iraq with Bravo Company after their specialist was killed in an ambush. In addition to working with a new unit whose members worry that his recklessness will get them killed, he also has to contend with snipers, the heat, and a hostile population. All while knowing that the slightest miscalculation will quickly end his life. "The rush of battle is often a potent and lethal addiction, for war is a drug." With that quote what is essentially the perfect war movie begins. It doesn't preach, it doesn't stereotype. What it does is put you in the midst of extremely tense situations and that tension is carried throughout the movie. It puts you in the mindset of the soldiers doing their job and concentrating on making it through to the next day. Based on journalist Mark Boal's reports from when he was embedded with a bomb squad in Iraq, there is a definite sense of realism and authenticity. Oscar winner for Best Picture and Best Director, I can't recommend this movie enough.

Director: Terry Gilliam

Main Stars: Matt Damon, Heath Ledger, Monica Bellucci, Jonathan Pryce, Peter Stormare

Rating: ***

Will (Damon) and Jacob (Ledger) are two brothers making a living conning superstitious German townspeople in the early 1800's. Their streak of luck comes to an end when the occupying French army led by General Delatombe (Pryce) who is on to their bag of tricks, order them to the village of Marbaden to expose the con artists terrorizing the town with a series of supernatural disappearances. Unfortunately for the brothers they soon find out they are dealing with the real thing. I love Terry Gilliam. Brazil is one of my all time favourite films and I thought The Fisher King was brilliant. While somewhat entertaining, this doesn't rank up there with those two greats. Visually the movie is signature Gilliam - beautiful and boldly imagined. It's the story that is the weak point. At times serious and at times slapstick the movie doesn't quite no what it wants to be. While Ledger does a great job as always, Damon's performance is somewhat wanting. Super hottie Bellucci should make for some terrific eye candy, but unfortunately she spends most of her screen time in makeup as a hideously aged witch. So all you're left with is the scenery, which while enchanting can't make up for the film's other shortcomings.

Director: Henry Selick

Main Stars: Voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Keith David

Rating: **

Coraline and her family move into a new house which they share with a number of eccentric characters. One day she discovers a hidden door which leads to a magical world - one where her every desire is met and her 'other' family begs her to stay with them. In fact, she soon discovers they have no intention of ever letting her go. What a strange, odd movie. Visually, it is amazing and like Nightmare and Corpse Bride is full of stop motion goodness. It is also the first stop motion film to be made in 3D. My understanding is that in the theatres it was terrific, but on Blu-Ray with the cheapo glasses it looked useless so I ended up watching the 2D version instead. Story wise Coraline is a very dark and disturbing film. I wouldn't recommend it for children - unless you want to get them to do chores by threatening to sew buttons into their eyes that is. Terrific visuals and an oddly disturbing story should make for a winner right? For some reason it just didn't work for me. Perhaps it was because despite all the eye candy I wasn't drawn in emotionally with the characters. In the end I was left disappointed.

Director: Guy Ritchie

Main Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan, Mark Strong

Rating: ****

Director: Spike Jonze

Main Stars: Max Records, Catherine Keener, Mark Ruffalo

Rating: **

Director: Duncan Jones

Main Stars: Sam Rockwell, voice of Kevin Spacey

Rating: ***

Director: Tim Burton

Main Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway

Rating: ****

Director: Drew Barrymore

Main Stars: Ellen Page, Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Wiig, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis

Rating: ***

Director: James Cameron

Main Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Giovanni Ribisi

Rating: ****