Below is a listing of movies I've recently seen. I have established the goal of watching 180 movies in the year 2003. Some people try to improve humanity, but, I'm going to try and watch a bunch of movies and give them reviews. At least I'm being realistic about what i'm really going to accomplish in 2k3. If you feel the need to comment on any of this you can email me at gkreviews@reviewedby.com. If you send me something hateful, helpful, or funny I'll post it on the site.
| # | Movie Title | Date Viewed | How Viewed |
EVQR* 1 to 10 |
Additional Comments |
| 1 | Catch Me If You Can | 1/8/03 | Theater | 6.5 | Ultimately disapointing, needed less talk and more cons and cheats. |
| 2 | In the Realm of the Senses | 1/9/03 | DVD | 4 | Maybe an art film, maybe a japanese porn film. |
| 3 | The Red Violin | 1/5/03 | DVD | 6.9 | A pretty cool story even if it is about a violion. BTW, It's a complete fraud to prominently display sam l. jackson on the box when his role is so limited. |
| 4 | Kids | 1/8/03 | DVD | 7.0 | I guess it's supposed to be a realistic portrayal of teens, however, my teen years had little resemblance to those in the movie. Nevertheless a slightly creepy, trippy, very depressing, entertaining movie. |
| 5 | LOTR: Fellowship... | 1/2/03 | DVD | 9.0 | Just awesome. I ended up in the fantasy world. How did LOTR end up costing so much less to make than that piece of junk Titanic? |
| 6 | Men in Black 2 | 1/6/03 | DVD | 6.3 | Not a bad flick, I just sort of wish I'd spent my time watching the first one again. |
| 7 | Le Pacte des loups(bro's of the wolves) | 1/3/03 | DVD | 3 | Despite watching it after hearing good things, i found this movie to be an utter and complete piece of trash...and it was boring. |
| 8 | Harry Potter - "the stone" | 1/7/03 | DVD | 6.9 | It looked like a really well made movie with a cool story.... I think i'm just 2O years too old to really dig it. |
| 9 | ET - Ann. Edition | 1/8/03 | DVD | 8.0 | I hadn't seen it since I was a kid and saw it in the theater. It really didn't look dated at all. A good ol' fashioned feel good fun flick. |
| 10 | Collateral Damage | 1/4/03 | DVD | 6.3 | An average hollywood thriller. It gets a slight bump up for the nuclear bomb actually going off and not being a dream sequence. That was a spoiler i guess. |
| 11 | American Movie | 1/1/03 | DVD | 8.3 | There might be a message in this documentary and if nothing else it will make you feel better about your life. |
| 12 | Monsters Ball | 1/5/03 | DVD | 7.2 | Not a big Halle Berry fan, but, i'll give her props for this flick. BB Thorton is still a moron though. |
| 13 | Star Wars Ep. 2 | 1/2/03 | DVD | 6.9 | Maybe the expectations for any new star wars flick are just too high. I enjoyed ep. 1 more. Too many long drawn out fighting scenes in this one, with no real connections to any of the characters. |
| 14 | Insomnia | 1/11/03 | DVD | 6.5 | I'd seen the original, a swedish movie or somewhere up in n. europe, it's all the same. Except for finland, i've heard those folks are a little whacky. They got the 411 on cell phones though. Anyway, rent the original if you can find it, otherwise be moderately happy and settle for the english version. |
| 15 | The Fisher King | 1/2/03 | VHS | 5.8 | My girlfriend really liked this movie so I'll say it was good(wink wink... I really didn't "get it") |
| 16 | No Man's Land | 1/9/03 | DVD | 8.0 | A foreign film that shows the tragedy and insanity of war. You'll find yourself laughing at how ludicrous the situations are only to catch yourself thinking bummer that this stuff really happens. What can you do, i've got a ps2. Rent this movie.... |
| 17 | Bad Company | 1/4/03 | DVD | 6.3 | Hollywood thriller... It won't change your life, but, it will entertain you for almost 2 hours. |
| 18 | Windtalkers | 1/10/03 | DVD | 6.0 | Just another war movie. Contrary to the title, there is really little content about the actual navajo code talkers themselves. |
| 19 | Rush Hour 2 | 1/11/03 | DVD | 5.8 | The jackie chan fight scenes are always cool, but, do we reallly need another cop buddy movie? Especially when most of the jokes are predicated on the black man not understanding the asian man and vice versa. Ha! Now if it was a native american and an irish dude, now that would be comedy. "Top of the mornin' to you! No, the morning is not high, it is below the running river". Get it? |
| 20 | Van Wilder | 1/12/03 | DVD | 5.2 | It's not that I'm against toilet humor, in fact I love a good gross out gag. The problem is that van wilder uses the exact same gags that i've seen a hundred times before in other movies, i.e. men drinking seminal fluid, young man having sex with an old hag, the nerdy guy trying to get laid for the first time, etc. Gross out toilet humor is good and funny, but, it's time for some new stuff. We need and must demand that film makers come up with a new and better take on the fart joke. It's the new millennium folks. |
| 21 | Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas | 1/13/03 | DVD | 6.9 | Please sober up, I beg you please sober up for one second. This film, as you would expect is a "real trip"(tee hee hee), unfortunately it never stops to give the viewer time to chill. I guess that's the point though. I admire the fact that the director didn't dumb down the book, a 20th century classic, and put his own spin on it all. Johnny Depp rocked and probably should have deserved an oscar nomination for his work. |
| 22 | Lush | 1/18/03 | DVD | 4.1 | Standard straight to video flick. Started out promising and went down hill rapidly. |
| 23 | Mexico City | 1/17/03 | DVD | 2.9 | See Above. Except this one started out bad and just kept getting worse. Perhaps even offensive to mexico and mexicans. |
| 24 | Death to Smoochy | 1/19/03 | DVD | 6.9 | A pretty cool and slightly offbeat movie. A dark take on just about everything, with some very humorous scenes. A great performance by ed norton. |
| 25 | Summer of Sam | 1/16/03 | VHS | 7.0 | I'm generally not a huge spike lee fan, but, this movie was as the box said "electrifying!". Great acting and a great story. A movie not so much about sam berkowitz as about how it affected a community. |
| 26 | Bully | 1/23/03 | DVD | 6.9 | Made by the same director who did Kids(see above). If the director's intent was to make the viewer uncomfortable, then mission accomplished. Based loosely on a true story, not sure if this was a good movie or not, but, it definitely kept my interest. |
| 27 | Far and Away | 1/24/03 | VHS | 6.4 | Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Rich Girl meets poor boy. They come to america from ireland... blah blah blah |
| 28 | The Deer Hunter | 1/26/03 | DVD | 9.2 | Epic. A very depressing/beautiful movie. Definitely on my top ten/five list of all time. If you haven't seen it, watch it. If you have seen it, watch it again. |
| 29 | Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter Jr. | 1/24/03 | DVD | 7.7 | Another great documentary by Errol Morris. I'm not sure if this movie had a compelling message, but, the bizareness of Fred makes it very intriguing. |
| 29 | 8 Legged Freaks | 1/22/03 | DVD | 6.0 | A movie about mutant spiders starring David Arquette-Cox. For what it was and intended to be it wasn't bad. 90 minutes of mindless entertainment is sometimes a very good thing. |
| 30 | Planet of the Apes | 1/26/03 | DVD | 6.8 | I'm not very familiar with the original, so there will be no comparison. Perhaps that is why I liked it and would recommend it. Orignal POTA snobs should stay away. The rest of us can enjoy the updated version without feeling the need to let everyone around us know that this one actually sucks and we are nothing but idiotic imbeciles for liking it. |
| 31 | L.I.E. | 1/28/03 | DVD | 6.0 | An independent type film that never really seemed to go anywhere. Troubled teens, creepy older guy, and no real plot or story. |
| 32 | A Beautiful Mind | 1/20/03 | DVD | 7.0 | An entertaining and sad movie about a genius' battle with mental illness. I disagree with Russ Crow getting nominated for best actor for this, aside from the fact that he is an idiot, roles like his are relatively easy to play. Retard roles and characters always seem to get the attention while more subtle performances that require some thought and skill get passed over. The movie nevetheless is deserving of the accolades it received. |
| 33 | Chocolat | 1/31/03 | DVD | 6.8 | A flick with a great deal of potential that fell a little flat. The story, acting and dirction was great, it just ran a little long at times and lost my attention. If this movie was sharpened and tightened up a little it would have been a classic. |
| 34 | Mulholland Drive | 2/1/03 | DVD | 8.0 | This movie along with The Straight Story(see below) secure David Lynch's place as one of the most talented and unique directors of all time. Sure DL has made some junk, but, at least he takes some chances and doesn't pander to and insult audiences. This movie never made sense and I don't think it was supposed to. Whatever you take away from it and however you want to interpret it is correct. Anyone who claims to "know" what this movie was about, other than mr. lynch of course, is an idiot. |
| 35 | Children of the Corn | 2/1/03 | DVD | 6.7 | A good ol' fashioned horror flick. I always find movies more scary when there are children involved and some of these corn children are freeeeeaky. |
| 36 | The Last Tempation of Christ | 2/3/03 | DVD | 6.8 | I went into this film with high hopes and was slightly disappointed. Firstly, the controversy surrounding this film was stupid, spread by ignorant zealots who probably never even watched the movie. The opening of the film shows in big letters that this was a movie based on a work of fiction and not on the gospel. However, since both are really works of fiction I'm not sure what the difference is. In any event, the movie was a bit silly and over the top at times. I never really found the story as told to be particularly compelling and it ran a bit long. Not bad, just not the masterpiece I was looking for from mr. scorsese. |
| 37 | Black Hawk Down | 2/4/03 | DVD | 6.5 | An entertaining enough movie based on a true story. I think I would have been more entertained and informed however by watching one of the various documentaries on the events in somalia instead. |
| 38 | Poison | 2/5/03 | DVD | 6.0 | An ET(erotic thriller) starring former remote control girl kari wuhrer, or is is carrie, cari, or karie.. not matter. I'm a big fan of the ET genre except for the fact that they are rarely erotic or thrilling. I doubt this movie ever made it to theaters, but, it nevertheless was entertaining following the ET pattern i.e. good looking woman is scorned and must get revenge and the other good looking people. And this movie showed some boobies(tee hee hee). |
| 39 | The Straight Story | 2/6/03 | DVD | 8.2 | I'm sure d. lynch never thought he would have a movie released by disney, but, who would have thought a guy would ride his lawn mower five hundred miles to see his dying brother either. A fantastically brilliant and beautiful movie based on the true story of alvin straight. Richard farnsworth's performance was one of the best i've ever seen. While the movie did move slow, the pace of a lawn mower that is, it never dragged. I also think this movie could easily be interpreted as an anti-war film. Anyone else think that? |
| 40 | Monsoon Wedding | 2/8/03 | DVD | 6.7 | A movie about an upple middle class punjabi family planning the wedding of their daughter. Essentially a romantic comedy/feel good movie with the requisite depressing twist. In the end, it seemed like just a good romantic comedy. Not great, just good. |
| 41 | The Ice Storm | 2/18/03 | DVD | 8.3 | A FANTASTIC movie about surbaban angst in the seventies. This is the movie that american beauty wanted to be. The movie showed a subtlety and a realism about family life that no other movie has quite captured. Rock on Ang Lee! |
| 42 | Unbreakable | 2/20/02 | DVD | 6.9 | A good effort by m. knight. Not nearly as intriguing however as the sixth sense. I found the comic book stuff a little too whacky and the ending a little weak. Nevertheless, a good cast, a good director, and a good film. |
| 43 | Good Will Hunting | 2/21/03 | DVD | 6.7 | This movie was essentially one long cliche. Don't judge a book by it's cover. The master learning from the student. Poor guy rich meets rich girl. Etc. The idea that this movie was touted for it's screenplay is appalling. What are you gonna do. Matt damon is a talented actor, b. afleck isn't. |
| 44 | Remember the Titans | 2/21/03 | DVD | 7.0 | A surprisingly good movie about integration and segragation in Virginia. Based on a true story it never went over the top with it's message. Well, maybe it did go a little over the top, but, I still liked it and d. washington is one of the best actors in hollywood. St. Elsewhere was a great show too.... rip bp. |
| 45 | The New Guy | 1/18/03 | DVD | 6.6 | Here's a movie I actually forgot to rate at the time which should say something about how memorable it was. However, it is what it is and it was what it was and it never tried to be anything else and on that level it worked. I was fully entertained and had a few hearty chuckles. |
| 46 | Ice Age | 3/1/03 | DVD | 4.1 | The worst of the animated/cgi type movies I've seen so far. I didn't think it was very good visually and the story did not engage me at all. Piece of junk trying to capitalize on the success of other popular and far superior animated movies. |
| 47 | The French Connection | 3/2/03 | DVD | 7.3 | Now that popeye doyle, that's a cop. Rules be damned he's gonna bust it up, ag ashcroft would be proud. Based loosely on a true story it was great cop movie, with really intriguing characters. Also, the drug war is a racist and facist waste of time, money, and lives. |
| 48 | U-571 | 3/3/03 | DVD | 6.8 | I like submarine movies and this was a good submarine movie. Das Boot still rules. |
| 49 | Minority Report | 3/6/03 | DVD | 6.9 | The coolest thing about this movie is probably the premise. I appreciate the fact that it didn't turn into a big political statement, although the statement inherent in the premise is pretty self evident. Does that make any sense? Good acting, good movie. |
| 50 | The War Room | 3/8/03 | DVD | 7.8 | A great documentary about B. Clinton's first successful run for president. You get a close up look at how everything went behind the scenes. I was amazed at how amateurish the whole campaign seemed to be run. This is definitely a movie for political junkies. If you do not know that james carville is the annoying one and his wife mary matlin is the more annoying one then this movie might not be for you. |
| 51 | Man on the Moon | 3/8/03 | DVD | 8.0 | An awesome movie and a brilliant performance by j. carrey. This biopic about the late andy kaufman did not set out to show that mr. kaufman was a comic genius, as he certainly was not. Rather it showed the innovative and daring side to him and his work. JC got screwed out of an academy award on this one. Also, when is there going to be another dumb and dumber? |
| 53 | Toy Story 2 | 3/8/03 | DVD | 7.4 | A very good and fun movie. I'm going to make the inevitable comparison and say that I did like shrek a little more, however, this was nevertheless a rocking good time. |
| 54 | Wag the Dog | 3/10/03 | DVD | 6.5 | Unfortunately I think I watched wtd about five years too late. I was so familiar with the premise due to recent events(i.e. the economy sucks, bomb someone) that the movie seemed a little boring. |
| 55 | The Adventures of Pluto Nash | 3/12/03 | DVD | 6 | I had heard from various sources prior to watching this movie that the word on the street was that this movie was going to be one of the worst i've ever seen. It wasn't. It was what it was and e. murphy was good, but, his comic talents were not very well utilized. Although if you didn't like the fifth element, and that probably means you, then you should stay away from this flick. |
| 56 | The Shipping News | 3/12/03 | DVD | 6.8 | The Shipping News... Damn why did I rent this, I'm probably going to grow breasts from exposure to this movie. And then I watched it. Not too bad, not too bad at all. A compelling story and very good acting. I like that Judi Dench, she kind of reminds me of a female version of christopher walken. |
| 57 | The Animal | 3/08/03 | DVD | 5 | That's right five. No more, no less. This piece of crap of a movie actually had some funny moments. Peeing in the restaurant to mark his territory... what a nut! |
| 58 | Reign of Fire | 3/11/03 | DVD | 5.1 | I don't know how you can make a movie about giant dragons destroying and ruling the earth boring at times, but, this movie succeeded. |
| 59 | The Salton Sea | 3/15/03 | DVD | 7.0 | Cool. A slightly off beat very entertaing movie. Rent it. Enjoy it. Go to bed. |
| 60 | Shiner | 3/15/03 | DVD | 7.1 | An excellent look at the life and relationships of a shady boxing promoter. What goes around comes around according to this movie. Michael Caine rocks. Roy jones junior is the best boxer ever. That has nothing to do with the movie, I just heard a bunch of guys on espn say that. |
| 61 | Human Nature | 3/15/03 | DVD | 5.4 | I am not really sure what this movie was trying to be. A comedy? Well it wasn't really funny. A drama? Not really intriguing. Nevertheless, it was just whacky enough to get a few bonus points on the "at least they tried something a little different scale". |
| 62 | Halloween Resurrection | 3/10/03 | DVD | 6.6 | A good ol' fashioned horror movie that went back to the original halloween scary movie formula. Not that this was anywhere near as good as the original, but it did keep me interested. What can i say, you know what this movies about. Watch it, don't watch it, i don't care. |
| 63 | Withnail and I | 3/16/03 | DVD | 7.5 | This movie is apparently a cult classic in the UK and rightly so. A very funny and at times touching look at two twenty somethings as they attempt to maintain their youth and their friendship. Alright, the movie is not as pansy-ass as I'm making it sound...Hell, half the people probably watch it as a drug flick. Blah blah blah.... |
| 64 | Big Trouble | 3/16/03 | DVD | 6.7 | In spite of tim allen, who actually didn't suck in this movie, big trouble was ok. However, this movie seemed to rely more on plot twists and turns then on quality writing and directing. Is dave barry funny? A lot of people seem to like him. I've never read anything by him. Maybe I should get away from the tv, stop watching movies, and read a book. |
| 65 | The Widowmaker | 3/17/03 | DVD | 6.0 | The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. Got the idea? That was the movie. I understand that it was based on a true story, but, that doesn't mean you have to tell the story in real time. Let's pick up the pace a little folks. |
| Reign of Fire | DVD | 5.1 | I don't know how you can make a movie about giant dragons destroying and ruling the earth boring at times, but, this movie succeeded. | ||
| The Salton Sea | DVD | 7.0 | Cool. A slightly off beat very entertaing movie. Rent it. Enjoy it. Go to bed. | ||
| Shiner | DVD | 7.1 | An excellent look at the life and relationships of a shady boxing promoter. What goes around comes around according to this movie. Michael Caine rocks. Roy jones junior is the best boxer ever. That has nothing to do with the movie, I just heard a bunch of guys on espn say that. | ||
| Human Nature | DVD | 5.4 | I am not really sure what this movie was trying to be. A comedy? Well it wasn't really funny. A drama? Not really intriguing. Nevertheless, it was just whacky enough to get a few bonus points on the "at least they tried something a little different scale". | ||
| Halloween Resurrection | DVD | 6.6 | A good ol' fashioned horror movie that went back to the original halloween scary movie formula. Not that this was anywhere near as good as the original, but it did keep me interested. What can i say, you know what this movies about. Watch it, don't watch it, i don't care. | ||
| Withnail and I | DVD | 7.5 | This movie is apparently a cult classic in the UK and rightly so. A very funny and at times touching look at two twenty somethings as they attempt to maintain their youth and their friendship. Alright, the movie is not as pansy-ass as I'm making it sound...Hell, half the people probably watch it as a drug flick. Blah blah blah.... | ||
| Big Trouble | DVD | 6.7 | In spite of tim allen, who actually didn't suck in this movie, big trouble was ok. However, this movie seemed to rely more on plot twists and turns then on quality writing and directing. Is dave barry funny? A lot of people seem to like him. I've never read anything by him. Maybe I should get away from the tv, stop watching movies, and read a book. | ||
| The Widowmaker | DVD | 6.0 | The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. The submarine breaks, they fix the submarine. Got the idea? That was the movie. I understand that it was based on a true story, but, that doesn't mean you have to tell the story in real time. Let's pick up the pace a little folks. |
