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The Year In Review- 1979

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"Apocalypse Now"(1979)






"Kramer vs. Kramer"(1979)






"Alien"(1979)





"Rocky II"(1979)







"Norma Rae"(1979)






"Manhattan"(1979)






"The China Syndrome"(1979)






"The Jerk"(1979)
















"Mad Max"(1979)









The Year In Review- 2009

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"The Hurt Locker"(2009)
Kathryn Bigelow made history as the first female to be awarded the Best Director Oscar








"Avatar"(2009)
There's a lot of stubborn movie buffs that just refuse to give it up for James Cameron. I'm not afraid to call the man a trail-blazing genius with an almost unparalleled track record when it comes to big-budget 'event' film-making. After a 12 year absence from cinema, the bearded braggadocios unleashed the most hyped film project in history not called "Star Wars". Revolutionary, game-changing 3-D technology was a common boast heard by the "Titanic" director. As I write this, "Avatar" is the highest-grossing movie of all time, Cameron broke his own box office records and recently announced three more trips to Pandora in 2016, 2017 and 2018 that are guaranteed to keep the motion picture industry thriving.




"Up In The Air"(2009)






"Inglorious Basterds"(2009)







"Crazy Heart"(2009)






"Invictus"(2009)
Clint Eastwood is the best director of the decade. There, I said it.





"The Blind Side"(2009)








"Precious"(2009)








"Public Enemies"(2009)










Honorable Mentions

"Star Trek"(2009)
"The Hangover"(2009)
"Up"(2009)
"Everybody's Fine"(2009)
"A Christmas Carol"(2009)
"It's Complicated"(2009)



















The Year In Review- 2008

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"The Dark Knight"(2008)
"Empire Strikes Back", Aliens", Terminator 2: Judgment Day". All sequels that unquestionably topped their predecessors and Chris Nolan's phenomenal follow-up to "Batman Begins" joined that elite group almost immediately. What more needs to be said about the late Heath Ledger's towering portrayal of the Clown Prince of Crime? It's one of those performances that becomes permanently engrained in the public consciousness like Brando's Vito Corleone and Pacino's Tony Montana. The Best Supporting Actor Oscar seems insufficient. You almost feel sorry for the rest of the cast because they never had a chance of making a huge impression, but Maggie Gyllenhaal is a better actress than Katie Holmes and Aaron Eckhardt gives us a proper rendition of Gotham's tragic DA Harvey 'Two Face' Dent. Christian Bale's Batman has no limits and Nolan refused to stay within the limits of a comic book movie when he made an epic tale of crime and corruption with real world drama and an unexpected level of darkness. The result was a staggering $533 million domestic box office total







"The Wrestler"(2008)
The rise-and-fall-and rise-again of Mickey Rourke is a tale. The brooding 1980s bad boy was granted leading man/heartthrob status, which he promptly rejected to try his hand at boxing(you read that right). His return to acting in the mid-'90s was met with snickers and lousy roles and so began the long, improbable road back to respectability. His stunning transformation into Randy 'The Ram' Robinson was the ultimate vindication and the closest thing this cinematic era has to a "Raging Bull". Director Darren Aronofsky pulls back the curtain on the previously unexplored world of professional wrestling, a "fake sport" where the pain, personal sacrifice and shocking amount of drug-related casualties couldn't be more real.





"Milk"(2008)



"Frost/Nixon"(2008)
As you can see, 2008 was a banner year for male acting as Frank Langella also turned in a career-best performance





"Doubt"(2008)







"Iron Man"(2008)
Mickey Rourke wasn't the only big comeback story in 2008. Marvel Studios took a sizeable risk when they rested their immediate cinematic future on the shoulders of a man more famous for multiple drug arrests than anything he had done onscreen. But Robert Downey Jr.'s talents were never in question and he brought a charm, likability and sense of humor to Tony Stark that the wealthy industrialist playboy wouldn't have had otherwise. Gwyneth Paltrow is a good match as his assistant/love interest Pepper Potts and the special effects are top notch with Tony's first appearance in the red and gold suit being the real standout. "The Dark Knight" may have been the movie event of the summer, but the "IM" franchise has turned Marvel into a multi-billion dollar behemoth with no signs of slowing down.




"W"(2008)





"Vicki Christina Barcelona"(2008)
We also have this film to thank for Rebecca Hall.









"The Reader"(2008)







"Changeling"(2008)









Honorable Mentions

"Rambo"(2008) A resurgent Sylvester Stallone brings some old school carnage to Burma.
"Sex
"Hancock"(2008)
"Tropic Thunder"(2008)
"Gran Torino"(2008)
"Revolutionary Road"(2008)
"The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button"(2008)



















The Year In Review- 2007

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"No Country For Old Men"(2007)
Joel and Ethan Coen have collectively been one of the most unique voices in American cinema, dating all the way back to 1987's "Raising Arizona". The quirky duo's work has always existed just outside the mainstream, with "Fargo" and "The Big Lebowski" earning the most admirers. The Academy could no longer shun the brothers Coen after they delivered the scariest villain this side of Hannibal Lecter in this melancholy adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel. Javier Bardem's chilling turn as relentless, coin-tossing hired killer Anton Chigurh shook up critics and audiences alike, making the Best Supporting Actor Oscar a foregone conclusion. He tears through rural Texas in 1980 on the trail of Josh Brolin and stolen drug money with Tommy Lee Jones' solemn sheriff hot on the trail of him. Film noir, Western themes, shocking violence, existentialism. Sounds like a Best Picture winner to me.



"There Will Be Blood"(2007)
The legend of Daniel Day Lewis had been growing slowly but surely since his 1989 Best Actor Oscar win for "My Left Foot". There were other great roles in the nearly two decades that followed, as well as long periods of inactivity that seemed to make the heart grow fonder. So when he finally got back to work a full five years after "Gangs of New York", the orgasmic critical reaction could even be heard by people that don't pay attention to stuff like that. His crazed oil man Daniel Plainview is as commanding a performance as you'll see in the 2000s in Paul Thomas Anderson's epic.




"American Gangster"(2007)
Denzel Washington returns to morally bankrupt territory with his smooth portrayal of early 1970s Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas in Ridley Scott's riveting crime drama. It was only a matter of time before the brash Lucas was given the full Hollywood treatment. He sidestepped the Italian Mafia and flooded NYC with pure heroin from Thailand and had family, friends and a horde of cops on the payroll at the height of his improbable reign. Pitting two heavyweight actors against each other is usually a safe bet, so Scott brought in pal Russell Crowe to represent the forces of good as incorruptible narc Richie Roberts. With this much top talent on display, I knew well before the end credits that this flick had secured a spot on my DVD rack.



"Zodiac"(2007)
David Fincher used the infamous, unsolved Zodiac murders that gripped Northern California in the late '60s to further his growing rep as one of the most vital filmmakers of this celluloid era. The man who gave us "Seven" and "Fight Club" maintains a high level of tension and interest over the course of two hours and 37 minutes with a story that has no real resolution- a rather remarkable feat. Fincher accomplishes this with an able ensemble cast that includes Mark Ruffalo's lead detective, Jake Gyllanhaal as the young reporter obsessed with the case, and a pre-"Iron Man" Robert Downey Jr. on the comeback trail as his hard-living newspaper colleague.



"Into The Wild"(2007)
Sean Penn's acting credentials can never be called into question, but his three previous directing efforts("The Indian Runner", "The Crossing Guard", "The Pledge") all failed to leave a lasting impression. That wasn't the case with his fourth trip behind the camera thanks to Emile Hirsch and a story that proves truth is stranger than fiction. Christopher McCandless was a 1990 college graduate who rejected all the trappings of the modern world to experience a solitary life in the wilderness. Two years later, starvation and harsh weather brought a tragic end to his bizarre journey that was documented in a journal that became a best-seller.
 



"Juno"(2007)
You'd think that Hollywood would stop obsessing over would-be blockbusters for a minute and give more small-scale projects a chance to find an audience. There's ample evidence that it DOES happen every now and then. The cream rises to the top and there's no better recent example than Ellen Page's quick-witted pregnant teen Juno Temple making her way to the masses. Jason Reitman(son of Ivan) clearly has some of his old man's directorial prowess and seems to be headed for a distinguished career in big screen comedy. Ex-stripper Diablo Cody won the Academy Award for her first screenplay, adding to this flick's all-around surprising success.



"Sweeney Todd"(2007)
Johnny Depp and Tim Burton may be more in synch than any actor/director combo in the history of the medium. They're near identical sensibilities means that neither ever has to talk the other into a project and there's always a mutual trust in the end result. This bloody adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Tony award-winning horror musical fits nicely into the Depp-Burton wheelhouse. Johnny can't sing. It doesn't matter.





"Charlie Wilson's War"(2007)




"Michael Clayton"(2007)






"The Bourne Ultimatum"(2007)
I'll admit that I was slow in embracing this series. Doug Liman's original was a serviceable spy flick, but Paul Greengrass ramps up the action in two kinetic sequels with car chases and fight scenes that were just too good to ignore. Jason Bourne is the Rambo of the '00s and his third and final outing won the summer battle of the three-quels- "Spiderman 3", "Shrek The Third", and "POTC: At World's End" all made huge money but added little else to the legacies of their respective franchises. Bourne's legacy is forcing the Bond producers to get their act together and cementing Matt Damon as an early 21st century matinee idol.



Honorable Mentions

"Disturbia"(2007)
"Knocked Up"(2007)
"Transformers"(2007)
"Hairspray"(2007)
"Superbad"(2007)
"The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford"(2007)
"3:10 to Yuma"(2007)
"Beowulf"(2007)
"Atonement"(2007)























































RIP Harold Ramis 1944-2014

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   The entertainment world was saddened today as news broke of the passing of comedy legend Harold Ramis at age 69. The last four years of his life were spent battling autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis and his deteriorating health was unknown to his legions of fans. He may be best known for his role as brainy, bespectacled ghostbuster Egon Spengler, but educated film fans know that Ramis' contributions are so much greater than that. Yes, he was an integral part of that decade-defining 1984 classic, but Harold's true legacy was behind the camera as the director of "Caddyshack", "National Lampoon's Vacation", and "Groundhog Day". That's three of the most celebrated comedies of all time, folks. The praises of Bill Murray still get sung on a regular basis by critics and audiences alike and we have Ramis to thank for playing such a crucial role in his big screen development. Chevy Chase initially passed on Clark Griswold because he couldn't see himself as a square family man. Guess who talked him into doing it? Chase is forever indebted to Ramis for that signature role which he returned to on three more occasions. Harold happily resided in the shadow of his much more famous collaborators. Here's some more insight into the legacy of this comedic mastermind.




   Harold was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1944 and his parents were local shopkeepers. He honed his talent for writing at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri in the mid-'60s and his post-graduation jobs included substitute teaching and working with mental patients(he often joked that the latter was perfect preparation for a career in Hollywood). From there he went on to do freelance work for newspapers in his native Chicago which lead to a stint as the joke editor for Playboy magazine. Harold's heart was always in comedy and he took a huge step toward fulfilling his destiny when he hooked up with the now-legendary Second City improvisational group. In the early '70s, this rambunctious theater troupe featured a roster of talent that would soon became very well known(Murray, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd, just to name a few) once they made their eventual trek to New York to take part in a little show called "Saturday Night Live". Harold declined an offer from SNL to remain with SCTV as a performer and head writer, a position he held from 1976-79. During this time, he co-wrote a screenplay with two writers from National Lampoon, where he had also moonlighted, and the end result was "National Lampoon's Animal House". This rowdy college comedy broke box office records and instantly enshrined it's breakout star John Belushi. It's no wonder Murray called Ramis to do some script doctoring on his first foray into feature films, "Meatballs". The commercial success of the camp counselor comedy led to his directorial debut in 1980 and the unofficial start of one of the most fruitful partnerships in modern cinema. Good luck finding someone that doesn't love "Caddyshack" and the duo quickly reunited for 1981's "Stripes" in which Ramis co-starred and co-wrote(Ivan Reitman directed).




   Ramis spent the early 1980s conceiving two of the decade's most beloved comedy film franchises. "National Lampoon's Vacation" started out as a John Hughes script that Harold turned into a career-making triumph for Chevy Chase, whose other vehicles were notoriously hit-and-miss. Ramis had no direct involvement in any of the sequels because of another project he soon became embroiled in with good pal Dan Aykroyd. They're joint fascination with the supernatural created a high concept screenplay that Reitman soon agreed to direct. Murray was invited to join the party after original proposed star John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982. To say that "Ghostbusters" was popular would be a huge understatement. This pop culture landmark gave birth to an unavoidable theme song and a long-running animated series and basically secured the immediate financial futures of everyone involved. All the principals returned for the inevitable sequel in 1989, and in the intervening years, Ramis had the foresight to turn down "Caddyshack II" despite studio pressure to take the reins of that ill-fated follow-up. Instead, he helmed "Club Paradise" with Robin Williams and took an acting-only gig opposite Diane Keaton in "Baby Boom".




   The 'busters brought in the bucks, but the Murray-Ramis alliance reached it's artistic peak with the 1993 release of "Groundhog Day". This film's stature has grown immensely in the past twenty years thanks largely to the quieter moments that allowed Murray to begin a new chapter in his celebrated career(would "Lost In Translation" have happened without it?). Sadly, they never worked together again. His next major offering, the 1996 cloning comedy "Multiplicity" starring Michael Keaton, got a lukewarm reception. After appearing in a small role in "As Good As It Gets", Ramis worked some of his old magic with Robert DeNiro and Billy Crystal. "Analyze This" became a surprise hit in 1999 and will go down as his last notable output as a movie director. The 2002 sequel is best forgotten and subsequent efforts like "The Ice Harvest" and Year One" vanished without a trace. His cinematic career didn't exactly end on a high note, but a new generation was already paying their respects. Judd Apatow considered him the ideal choice to play Seth Rogen's father in "Knocked Up" and he was invited to direct Steve Carell in several episodes of "The Office". It would be his final showbiz assignment. Thanks for the laughs, Harold.















The Year In Review- 2006

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"The Departed"(2006)
Martin Scorsese had never won an Oscar before 2006. If that doesn't grind your gears a little, you're reading the wrong blog. The Academy finally righted one of it's biggest wrongs in recognizing this modern master as he paints another peerless portrait of crime and ambiguity, but it's the explosive ensemble he put together that makes revisiting this film such an enduring treat. Jack Nicholson fully lives up to his stellar reputation as a scary Irish mob boss loosely based on Whitey Bulger while Leonardo DiCaprio gives another livewire performance as an undercover cop deeply embedded in the Boston underworld. Matt Damon and Mark Wahlberg furthered their credentials as opposing members of law enforcement to round out a cast that also benefits from the veteran presence of Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin as well as newcomers Ray Winstone and Vera Farmiga. Two hours and 35 minutes rarely go by this intensely or frenetically. Easily one of the most entertaining Best Picture winners of the last twenty years.






"Flags Of Our Fathers", "Letters From Iwo Jima"(2006)
The incomparable Clint Eastwood clearly wasn't lacking in energy or inspiration despite his recent, emotionally-grueling directorial triumphs("Mystic River", Million Dollar Baby") when he journeyed behind the lens for TWO separate WWII dramas. Talk about putting other 76 year olds to shame. Eastwood's depiction of heavy combat made Spielberg proud(he served as an executive producer)




"United 93"(2006)
It was only a matter of time before Hollywood depicted the catastrophic events of September 11, 2001. Fortunately, one of the first directors to do so was Paul Greengrass in between the two best "Bourne" movies.





"The Last King Of Scotland"(2006)





"Little Miss Sunshine"(2006)






"The Queen"(2006)
Helen Mirren sure wasn't an overnight sensation. She worked steadily for decades without her talent ever translating to widespread recognition or success. That all changed







"Casino Royale"(2006)
James Bond is, without question, the most enduring character in film history. He's seen his share of ups and downs as other heroes occasionally stole his thunder and the public's imagination, but Ian Fleming's suave superspy will never die and seems impervious to changing times and trends. The general consensus is that Daniel Craig is the best iteration of 007 since the glory days of Sean Connery.






"The Pursuit of Happyness"(2006)
It's hard to believe there was a time when moviegoers didn't mind the idea of Will Smith sharing the screen with his son Jaden. In fact, we actually liked it.





Honorable Mentions

"Mission Impossible III"(2006)
"The Da Vinci Code"(2006)
"Superman Returns"(2006)
"The Devil Wears Prada"(2006)
"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"(2006) Captain Jack brought in some huge box office in the biggest hit of the summer.
"World Trade Center"(2006)
"The Prestige"(2006)
"Children of Men"(2006)
"Babel"(2006)
"Rocky Balboa"(2006)
"Dreamgirls"(2006)
















The Year In Review- 2010

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"The Social Network"(2010)







"Toy Story 3"(2010)





"The King's Speech"(2010)







"Black Swan"(2010)






"The Fighter"(2006)







"True Grit"(2010)
A grizzled Jeff Bridges proves a more than suitable replacement for the legendary John Wayne








"The Town"(2010)







"The Kids Are Alright"(2010)





"Blue Valentine"(2010)









"127 Hours"(2010)








Honorable Mentions

"Shutter Island"(2010)
"Alice In Wonderland"(2010)
"Iron Man 2"(2010)
"Shrek Forever After"(2010)
"Eat Pray Love"(2010)







The Year In Review- 2011

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"The Tree Of Life"(2011)





"The Descendants"(2011)





"The Help"(2011)







"Moneyball"(2011)







"The Artist"(2011)





"War Horse"(2011)
I think we take Steven Spielberg for granted.





"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"(2011)








"The Iron Lady"(2011)










"Warrior"(2011)











Honorable Mentions

"The Lincoln Lawyer"(2011) A step in the right direction for Mathew McConaughey.
"Midnight In Paris"(2011)
"Contagion"(2011) Soderbergh unleashes a deadly virus.
"Warrior"(2011)
"Drive"(2011)
"My Week With Marilyn"(2011)
"Shame"(2011)
"Young Adult"(2011)
"Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy"(2011)
"Beginners"(2011)
"Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol"(2011)










The Year In Review- 2013

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1. "12 Years A Slave"(2013)








"The Wolf Of Wall Street"(2013)






"American Hustle"(2013)







"Gravity"(2013)








"Dallas Buyers Club"(2013)
This is an acting rebirth.






"Captain Philips"(2013)








"All Is Lost"(2013)






"Before Midnight"(2013)



















"Nebraska"(2013)













Honorable Mentions

"Iron Man 3"(2013)
"Mud"(2013)
"World War Z"(2013)
"Man Of Steel"(2013)









































































Two star movies

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   I've seen a lot of movies in my lifetime. That's one of the requirements to writing a blog like this, but it's not always fun and it's not always something to brag about. You have to rummage through plenty of crap to get to the really good stuff, but I would also argue that you have to SEE plenty of crap in order to appreciate the really good stuff. So, you end up seeing a lot of two star movies.


    Now, a two star movie isn't the worst thing in the world(that would be a one star movie). It may have some redeeming qualities like a funny line of dialogue, or a good fight scene or an actor that you just enjoy no matter what. But it's flaws are impossible to ignore and ultimately the experience is frustratingly unsatisfying. Two star movies happen to even the best and brightest stars but hopefully they don't make a career-killing habit of it. The mediocrity is brought to you in the order of release.




"Cobra"(1986)
Even Sylvester Stallone's most devoted followers found little joy in this obvious attempt to start-up another macho franchise. The action icon tested the public's patience as a monosyllabic cop on the trail of a deadly cult.




"Bright Lights, Big City"(1988)
Michael J Fox was badly miscast as a young Manhattan writer on a drug addled downward spiral in this depressing departure from Marty McFly and Alex P Keaton.



"Jacknife"(1989)
A bearded Robert DeNiro visits one of his traumatized old Vietnam buddies(Ed Harris) in this totally forgotten drama that unsuccessfully tried to channel "The Deer Hunter". This film had potential, but the drab execution by director David Jones nullifies everything these two actors bring to the table.



"Road House"(1989)
Is this the greatest two star movie ever made? Patrick Swayze's Zen bouncer has provided untold hours of guilty pleasure for the late night channel surfer.




"Pink Cadillac"(1989)
Clint Eastwood was dangerously close to sliding into irrelevance as a bounty hunter with an attractive female target(Bernadette Peters) in this thin, overly familiar comic adventure.




"Hard To Kill"(1990)
Steven Seagal took full advantage of indiscriminate action fans in a long string of assembly line shoot-'em-ups like this one.




"Deceived"(1991)
Goldie Hawn abandoned her trademark bubbly persona for the first and last time when she learned about her husband(John Heard of "Home Alone" fame) and his dark past in this tepid thriller.



"Paradise"(1991)
This film's title was extremely misleading. Spending an hour and 51 minutes in the secluded country with Melanie Griffith, Don Johnson and Elijah Wood is anything but paradise.




"A Stranger Among Us"(1992)
As long as we're on Melanie Griffith, she wasn't believable at all as a big city cop in this "Witness" rip-off that replaces the Amish with Hasidic Jews.



"Indecent Proposal"(1993)
I know it was a hit. That doesn't exclude it from this list. I hope Robert Redford got paid more than $1 million for lowering himself by offering just that amount for Demi Moore in Adrian Lyne's ridiculous morality tale.




"Blown Away"(1994)
Why would anyone buy a ticket to watch Jeff Bridges' cop square off against Tommy Lee Jones' mad bomber when Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper are doing the exact same thing in much more entertaining fashion down the hall?




"The Specialist"(1994)
A 30 second shower sex scene between Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone is the sole highlight of this ludicrous vehicle that serves as little more than a showcase for it's two vapid leads.




"Speechless"(1994)
Michael Keaton and Geena Davis helped sink each other's careers in this romantic comedy flop that's conspicuously light on romance and comedy.




"Mars Attacks!"(1996)
Tim Burton's worst movie squanders an all-star cast with cartoonish Martians that didn't have a prayer of matching the bombastic excitement of that year's box office champ "Independence Day".




"One Fine Day"(1996)
George Clooney's charm and Michelle Pfeiffer's face couldn't save this lame romantic comedy from it's weak script and sitcom level contrivances.



"Fathers Day"(1997)
 Robin Williams and Billy Crystal were both great comedians back in the day. It's amazing how few laughs there were when the two got together to find their missing son.



"Con Air"(1997)
I know, I miss the days when Nick Cage made two star movies. But that doesn't change the fact that this popular flick from his '90s heyday had every action movie cliché in the book.



"Payback"(1999)
I love watching Mel Gibson do bad-ass stuff as much as the next guy, but this may have been the exact point where it started getting a little tiresome.



"Random Hearts"(1999)
Harrison Ford and Kirstin Scott Thomas connect after discovering that their deceased spouses were having an affair in this ponderous, 2 hour and 13 minute snooze-fest.




"For Love Of The Game"(1999)
Kevin Costner and baseball once seemed to go together like peanut butter and jelly("Bull Durham", "Field of Dreams"). Then he struck out as a big league pitcher trying to save his relationship with Kelly Preston.




"Hanging Up"(2000)
Your middle-aged aunt was the only one who enjoyed this cloying confection about three sisters that found the cutesy appeal of Meg Ryan was rapidly approaching it's expiration date.




"Showtime"(2002)
There was a time when Robert DeNiro and Eddie Murphy would have made a combustible, can't-miss pairing. That was about ten or fifteen years before they both started signing off on any and every lousy project they came across.



"John Q"(2002)
A post-"Training Day" Denzel Washington jumped at the opportunity for more showy, Oscar-baiting theatrics in this absurd drama that makes an unsubtle statement about health care in America.




"Basic"(2003)
This is hardly a newsflash, but John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson are responsible for a lot of subpar material. Don't let the "Pulp Fiction" connection trick you into checking out this dull military drama.




"Anger Management"(2003)
I really shouldn't complain about an Adam Sandler movie that actually rises to the level of a two star rating, but I can complain about him dragging Jack Nicholson down to his level.




"Little Black Book"(2004)
The late Brittany Murphy was cute and likable, but she was unlikely to ever escape flimsy comedic purgatory.



"An Unfinished Life"(2005)
Jennifer Lopez was clearly trying to make a good movie for a change when she played Robert Redford's estranged daughter but this sluggish and predictable melodrama was too little, too late.



"You, Me and Dupree"(2006)
Owen Wilson's slacker extraordinaire invades the lives of Kate Hudson and Matt Dillon. They weren't the only ones begging him to move out.



"Scoop"(2006)
Scarlet Johannson was as close as Woody Allen came to finding a 21st century muse. It's a shame they had to follow-up the superior "Match Point" with this inconsequential tripe.



"Fracture"(2007)
A typically lethargic Ryan Gosling(what do chicks see in this guy?) is a lawyer defending Anthony Hopkins while he does his cerebral psychopath routine for the umpteenth time.




"Chapter 27"(2008)
I respect Jared Leto's commitment(he gained over 60 pounds for this obscure indie effort), but NOBODY was interested in a sympathetic portrayal of John Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman.




"The A-Team"(2010)
Nostalgia has it's drawbacks as Bradley Cooper, Liam Neeson, and everyone else involved in this hollow, poorly-produced misfire would quickly discover.



"Faster"(2010)
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson couldn't avenge his brother's murder fast enough in this blunt, pointless exercise.



"The Tourist"(2010)
Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie seemed to be going out of their way to not have chemistry with one another in this unforgivably boring Venice-set 'thriller'.



"Green Hornet"(2011)
Seth Rogen as the masked vigilante of late '60s TV fame? Yeah, I don't know how this didn't work.




"Horrible Bosses"(2011)
The strained attempts by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudiekis to kill their caricatured bosses shouldn't have been enough to produce a 2014 sequel and Jennifer Aniston has never made a good movie btw.



"Haywire"(2012)
Steve Soderbergh's direction and an appreciable supporting cast can't mask the fact that former MMA star Gina Carano is no Hollywood leading lady.




"Dredd"(2012)
Sorry, Dredd fans(if there is such a thing), but this movie sucks too and you can't blame Stallone this time.




"The Last Stand"(2013)
Oh, how I wish this really was Arnold Schwarzenegger's last stand, but the word is that the Governator has returned to 'acting' full time.




"The Family"(2013)
Let's face it, half this blog could have been devoted to DeNiro. He already spoofed his mob movie past in "Analyze This", quickly turning this into another one of his redundant paycheck 'comedies' and a failed comeback for fading beauty Michelle Pfeiffer.



























The Year In Review- 1978

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"The Deer Hunter"(1978)







"Coming Home"(1978)









"Superman"(1978)





"Halloween"(1978)






"Grease"(1978)








"National Lampoon's Animal House"(1978)



































The Year In Review- 1977

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"Star Wars"(1977)
What else needs to be said about the most popular movie of all time? The history of film can basically be broken up into two categories- before "SW" and after "SW".





"Annie Hall"(1977)





"Close Encounters Of The Third Kind"(1977)





"Saturday Night Fever"(1977)
The truth is that Travolta and his dance moves hit the zeitgeist in '77 with almost as much force as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.







"The Goodbye Girl"(1977)







"Slap Shot"(1977)

































The Year In Review- 1976

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"Rocky"(1976)
Sylvester Stallone's rise to cinematic royalty is the stuff of Hollywood legend.





"Taxi Driver"(1976)





"All The President's Men"(1976)








"The Bad News Bears"(1976)





"Network"(1976)






"Carrie"(1976)







"Marathon Man"(1976)
Is it safe?























The Year In Review- 1975

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"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest"(1975)






"Jaws"(1975)







"Dog Day Afternoon"(1975)






"The Sunshine Boys"(1975)





















































The Year In Review- 1974

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"The Godfather Part II"(1974)









"Chinatown"(1974)







"The Conversation"(1974)






"Lenny"(1974)











"Death Wish"(1974)











"Blazing Saddles"(1974)




























The Year In Review- 1973

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"Serpico"(1973)






"Badlands"(1973)













"Last Tango In Paris"(1973)











"The Sting"(1973)







"Mean Streets"(1973)
This was the first time Robert DeNiro worked with Martin Scorsese. Quite the historic moment in retrospect.














"Enter The Dragon"(1973)
















"Save The Tiger"(1973)




























The Year In Review- 1972

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"The Godfather"(1972)







"Deliverance"(1972)







"The Heartbreak Kid"(1972)







"Play It Again, Sam"(1972)









The Year In Review- 1971

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"The French Connection"(1971)








"Dirty Harry"(1971)


















"A Clockwork Orange"(1971)










"Klute"(1971)






"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"(1971)












"Duel"(1971)
TV movie was history in the making


















"The Last Picture Show"(1971)

















"Get Carter"(1971)















The Year In Review- 1970

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"Patton"(1970)






"Five Easy Pieces"(1970)






"I Never Sang For My Father"(1970)











60 Movies That Suck Dick

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   There are hundreds of thousands of movies in existence. It's literally impossible to see them all even if it's your job, but I pride myself on my willingness to give any movie a chance because you never know when you'll be pleasantly surprised. But there is a flipside to that coin. There have been many instances over the years where I didn't get a return on my time investment. The exact opposite took place. This blog is my revenge on a random selection of such titles. Some are these films are famously bad. Some are long-forgotten misfires. None are getting off the hook. The late, great Roger Ebert once wrote a book called 'Your Movie Sucks'. I've decided to take it a step further. Here are 60 movies that suck dick in the order they were released.




1. "Cruising"(1980)
It's so fitting that we start with Al Pacino's controversial exploration of the gay leather bar scene in early '80s NYC. Formerly acclaimed director William Friedkin("The Exorcist") was unapologetic in the aftermath of a disastrous production marred by ancient stereotypes and an inconclusive murder mystery.



2. "Real Men"(1987)
James Belushi and John Ritter are secret agents trying to save the world from aliens and evil Russians. It's dumber than it sounds.



3. "Mac and Me"(1988)
I know "E.T" was the biggest movie of all time and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but this is ridiculous. Mac(Mysterious Alien Creature) is our wrinkled puppet protagonist and he enjoys Skittles, Coca-Cola and McDonald's. Spielberg could have sued if this calamitous carbon copy had actually made money.




4. "Who's Harry Crumb?"(1989)
Late funnyman John Candy left behind some beloved comedic works("P,T,&A", "Uncle Buck"). The bungling private eye pictured above is NOT one of them.



5. "Loose Cannons"(1990)
Worst buddy cop movie of all time? Worst Gene Hackman movie ever? Approval ratings of 0% on RT are sure hard to come by. When Dan Aykroyd expresses remorse, that's REALLY saying something.



"It's over, Richard!"

6. "Another You"(1991)
Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder were once a reliable comedy duo. You wouldn't know it from watching this wretched, laugh-less mess that brought both of their film careers to an unceremonious end.



7. "Suburban Commando"(1991)
Heavyweight wrestling champ Hulk Hogan was a laughable lightweight in all of his acting excursions, while Christopher Lloyd is stuck uncomfortably in between Doc Brown and Uncle Fester.



8. "Delirious"(1991)
John Candy must have been dreaming of a day when he wouldn't be expected to carry so much half-baked nonsense. Unfortunately, the gregarious Canadian was a bit of a workaholic that accepted more than a few jobs I'd like to forget.



9. "Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot"(1992)
Universally derided as Sylvester Stallone's worst movie, even the action icon himself admitted to feeling nauseous every time he thinks about his 'comical' pairing with Estelle Getty.



10. "Mo' Money"(1992)
Damon and Marlon Wayans launch their first assault on unsuspecting viewers, armed with a script that Eddie Murphy wiped his ass with in 1990.




11. "Man Trouble"(1992)
Jack Nicholson put the moves on Ellen Barkin in this limp romantic comedy that may go down as the legendary three-time Academy Award winner's most regrettable assignment.



12. "Cool World"(1992)
Brad Pitt is extremely grateful that nobody recalls this rancid "Roger Rabbit" rip-off that only exists in the dark recesses of my mind since it was slaughtered at the '92 summer box office.



13. "Cop and a Half"(1993)
Burt Reynolds could barely hide his disdain for this intolerable buddy cop comedy that saw the former box office champ reduced to awkward exchanges with a charmless eight year old.




14. "3 Ninjas Kick Back"(1994)
The low-budgeted 1992 original was a surprise hit despite it's blatant borrowing of elements from "The Karate Kid", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and "Home Alone". This dire sequel kicked off one of the most unwarranted franchises in cinema history.



15. "Color Of Night"(1994)
The '90s erotic thriller was a rather unfortunate sub-genre spawned by the surprising success of "Basic Instinct". It gave Bruce Willis an excuse to do some full frontal and roll around with an alluring nymph(Jane March) in this trashy travesty.



16. "Mixed Nuts"(1994)
Steve Martin's demise as a major comedic force can be directly traced back to this drab and lifeless holiday effort from director Nora Ephron about the hapless staff of a suicide prevention hotline.



17. "Jade"(1995)
Red-haired TV cop David Caruso is a cautionary tale for overly ambitious small screen stars. His appeal just didn't translate to the silver screen to put it gently. In his defense, this cheap, sleazy William Friedkin endeavor couldn't have been sold to the masses with any leading man.



18. "Barb Wire"(1996)
"Baywatch" babe Pam Anderson and her breast implants star in this comic book dreck that proves the genre was still something of a work in progress.



19. "Soldier"(1998)
Kurt Russell never fully recovered from this thoroughly routine and joyless exercise as a stoic intergalactic warrior doing expensive things we've seen in a hundred other movies.




20. "End Of Days"(1999)
'End Of Arnold' would have been a better title. Schwarzenegger failed to stop the bleeding as his once-mighty career continued to plummet in this pre-millennial piece of crap.




21. "Get Carter"(2000)
Sylvester Stallone goes back to the well and drags his tired tough-guy act into the '00s in this totally pointless remake of the 1971 Michael Caine crime flick. At least Mickey Rourke got to pay some bills, though.



22. "The Time Machine"(2002)
Adam Pearce wishes he could travel back in time and decline the lead role in this demoralizing adaptation of the classic H.G Wells novel.



23. "Crossroads"(2002)
Pop princess Britney Spears couldn't even draw her indiscriminate teenybopper fans to this inharmonious coming-of-age tale that's only slightly less embarrassing than Mariah Carey's "Glitter".



24. "Master of Disguise"(2002)
SNL standout Dana Carvey fell off the face of the earth after unleashing a dozen or so obnoxious impressions that failed to amuse even the smallest of children in this excruciating flop.



25. "Just Married"(2003)
 Ashton Kutcher and Britney Murphy go on a horrid honeymoon that left un-amused audiences seeking a quick annulment.



26. "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"(2003)
A disillusioned Sean Connery decided to call it a career before this doomed wannabe 'blockbuster' was even shoveled into theaters to get pummeled by "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Finding Nemo".




27. "Bad Boys II"(2003)
Michael Bay reunites Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for another noisy, derivative, soulless shoot 'em' up that conned far too many viewers out of their hard-earned bucks.



28. "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd"(2003)
New Line Cinema impatiently turned to two young lookalikes for this pitiful high school-set prequel after Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels were initially reluctant to follow-up their 1994 lowbrow comedy classic. Let's hope the original dimwitted duo fare a HELLUVA lot better in Nov 2014.



29. "Cold Creek Manor"(2003)
Dennis Quaid and Sharon Stone are a frightened couple in this dull, incompetent thriller that will put you to sleep long before they dispatch a villainous Stephen Dorff.



30. "Gothika"(2003)
Halle Berry experiences the Oscar curse and dispels the notion that she's a quality actress in this shoddy ghost story that also postponed Robert Downey Jr.'s comeback for a few years.



31. "Taxi"(2004)
I'm glad the late night talk show thing worked out for Jimmy Fallon. Otherwise, he was surely headed for the pop culture abyss after this profoundly unfunny partnership with Queen Latifah.



32. "The Girl Next Door"(2004)
Elisha Cuthbert is smokin' hot. Too bad every situation her and Emile Hirsch find themselves in is stupid and unrealistic in this flat, poorly-written knock-off of "Risky Business".



33. "Walking Tall"(2004)
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson wasn't exactly walking tall in this early attempt at big screen stardom that could barely meet the lowest requirements of a stale, overworked genre.



34. "The Stepford Wives"(2004)
Nicole Kidman has somehow remained a highly respected actress despite a resume that contains an alarming amount of clunkers. I present this ill-conceived, listless remake on a double bill with "Bewitched" in my argument that the Aussie beauty is significantly overrated.



35. "The Village"(2004)
Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Adrien Brody, Bryce Dallas Howard- all quality actors led astray by the runaway ego and shaggy dog storytelling of previously lauded director M Night Shyamalan.




36. "Doom"(2005)
The Rock stumbles again in this garbage video game adaptation that provided more painful proof that Hollywood suits learned nothing from "Super Mario Bros".




37. "Hide and Seek"(2005)
Moviegoers can't hide from Robert DeNiro. The only thing scary about his parental stint with child star prodigy Dakota Fanning was his increasing inability to actually turn down projects that are so obviously beneath him.




38. "Fun With Dick and Jane"(2005)
The sad truth is that Jim Carrey hasn't been funny in over a decade. His union with Tea Leoni was as desperate and creatively bankrupt as their cash-strapped characters.


"I was the biggest movie star in the world, you know".

39. "Rumor Has It..."(2005)
Rob Reiner's mission to make us forget that he once made good movies was extended in this weak rom-com and it's zero chemistry match-up of Jennifer Aniston and Kevin Costner.




40. "Firewall"(2006)
An aging Harrison Ford tries to save his family for the umpteenth time and relive his long-gone glory days in this woefully worn-out thriller.


"I've never seen Annie Hall. Is it a romantic comedy?"

41. "Because I Said So"(2007)
Diane Keaton permanently parted ways with the A-list as Mandy Moore's meddlesome mother in this dreadful dud that's a world apart from her career-making collaborations with Woody Allen.



42. "Wild Hogs"(2007)
John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy are born to be mild in this depressingly lame offering from Disney complete with silly slapstick and a '70s rock soundtrack.




43. "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry"(2007)
Adam Sandler and his portly apprentice Kevin James find 'hilarity' in homophobia. You know, the kind of material that would have barely passed as comedy on a sitcom from twenty years earlier.



44. "The Heartbreak Kid"(2007)
Ben Stiller and the Farrelly brothers shit all over Charles Grodin's 1972 comic gem with this awful remake that retroactively left "Mary" looking like a giant fluke.




45. "What Happens In Vegas"(2008)
Who the hell is paying Ashton Kutcher to appear in movies?! Cameron Diaz's salary is the only thing she could possibly be smiling about.



46. "Jumper"(2008)
Sam 'The $ellout' Jackson just couldn't resist chasing his "SW" co-star Hayden Christensen through time in this thoroughly disposable sci-fi outing.



47. "Bangkok Dangerous"(2008)
The downfall of Nick Cage as a viable leading man was accelerated by this bottom-of-the-barrel actioner about a humorless hit-man in Thailand.


"Did you read the script? Me neither".

48. "Righteous Kill"(2008)
The sight of DeNiro and Pacino(both officially senior citizens) sleepwalking through this pathetic police procedural was a heartbreaker to fans that remember the energy and electricity the dynamic duo once regularly brought to the screen in a previous cinematic age.



49. "The Box"(2009)
"Donnie Darko" director Richard Kelly was never more than a poor man's David Lynch and Cameron Diaz really needs to have a word with her agent.



50. "Cop Out"(2010)
Kevin Smith is a fat hack(sorry, "Clerks" fans) as evidenced by the visible disinterest of Bruce Willis and the torturous mugging of Tracy Morgan.



51. "The Bounty Hunter"(2010)
Jen Aniston is no movie star. Neither is Gerald Butler for that matter.



52. "The Back-up Plan"(2010)
Absence didn't make the heart grow fonder in regards to Jennifer Lopez's self-imposed exile from the multiplex. The public responded to this cringe-inducing 'comeback' vehicle with a collective groan as J'Lo slid right back into "Gigli" territory.



53. "Jonah Hex"(2010)
Josh Brolin came SO close to becoming a widely respected actor. This horrendous comic book cowboy was like taking ten steps back.



54. "Season of the Witch"(2011)
The artist formerly known as Nicolas Cage continued his hellish descent into career-killing 'paycheck' roles in this January bomb that sent his most loyal supporters into retreat.



55. "A Thousand Words"(2012)
There are really no words damning enough to describe the 21st century version of Eddie Murphy. Saying that all his non-animated films are bad is like saying the sky is blue.


"Trust me, son. This is YOUR Independence Day".

56. "After Earth"(2013)
M Night Shyamalan's direction is the least offensive element of this appallingly nepotistic sci-fi debacle that saw Will Smith fail to pass the torch to his irritating, talentless offspring Jaden.




57. "Ride Along"(2014)
You can hop on the Kevin Hart bandwagon if you want. I refuse to play along or ride along or fund any of this annoying motor-mouth's dopey, clichéd-ridden star vehicles.



58. "Blended"(2014)
Drew Barrymore may have softened up Sandler in the past, but this typically terrible Happy Madison production only continued the downward trajectory of the fading comedy superstar.



59. "A Million Ways To Die In The West"(2014)
"Family Guy" creator Seth McFarlane's crude Western spoof is a lot closer to "Lightning Jack" than "Blazing Saddles". His fans should appreciate that reference.



60. "Tammy"(2014)
This witless road trip seems to have been slapped together haphazardly in a matter of days with the sole purpose of cashing in on the momentary popularity of Melissa McCarthy.
























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