Margin Call (2011)

1st View
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

My first movie of 2012, was so far the most challenging. Well-acted, well-directed, but I still don't have the first bleeding clue what the hell were the particulars of the financial crisis at the heart of the plot. They even create a moment wherein the chairman of the company is asking Quinto to explain the situation in the simplest terms, on behalf of the audience no doubt, and what comes out is still Wall Street rhetoric. Not a bad film, just terribly inaccessible. 


Rating: 6/10 Atkins

Drive (2011)

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

Nicolas Winding Refn does it again. His films are so visually unique and incredibly stylish as to elevate even the most tired genre. In Drive, he creates an almost dreamlike throwback to gritty, fiercely independent crime stories of the 70s. Great performances, stunning cinematography, terrific score, and still quite entertaining. One of the year's best.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

The Descendants (2011)

1st View
Format: Awards Screener
Venue: Rivendell

I did not care for this awards-buzzy movie. The secondary storyline is wholly uninteresting and is resolved in a way that is completely unearned and never reconciles with the main, far more intriguing, story. All in all, I found it flat and stale...like an old soda left out overnight.


Rating: 5/10 Atkins

Rocky II (1979)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

Far more of a traditional studio sports film than the first; makes for a completely different level of appreciation.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Rocky (1976)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

High time for a revisit. This marked Luke Mullen's first viewing


Rating: 7/10 Atkins

J. Edgar (2011)

1st View
Venue: Galaxy Highland (Press Screening)

Uneven, unfocused, and overall flat, J. Edgar is one of the most disappointing films of the year. Dicaprio's accent and makeup are as laughable as his cloying performance. Clint Eastwood has become a peddler of mediocrity who is more concerned with getting a film released in time for awards season every year than crafting anything of quality.


Rating: 3/10 Atkins

Downfall (2004)

1st Viewing
Format: Netflix WI
Venue: Rivendell

Finally got around to watching the movie that gave us that fantastic "Hitler is pissed" internet meme. Here's the writeup I did for Hollywood.com. If you don't like it, tell me in my bunker so I can freak out about it.

Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Bullhead (2011)

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Press Screening)

This was one of the most praised films at this year's Fantastic Fest, but I unfortunately did not get a chance to see it. Finally rectified that oversight. Everything that was in the film was great, but it made me want to know more details about this story that were sadly lacking. I think it's a very good movie, there's just not enough there in my opinion.

Rating: 7/10 Atkins

Riding the Bus with My Sister (2005)

1st View
Venue: Alamo South Lamar (Master Pancake)

This was a very special, and I do mean special, Choose Your Own Pancake. The audience brings movie selections, narrowed down to own by the very sophisticated Applause-O-Meter. The comedic dynamos of the Master Pancake troupe then improvise a live mock of the film. Some friends from Spill.com assisted in the lampoon. The film that was chosen was a 2005 made-for-TV movie called Riding the Bus with my Sister starring Rosie O'Donnell as a mentally handicapped woman and Andie MacDowell as her compassionately handicapped sister. It is one of the most offensive exploitation films I have ever seen and it fervently believes itself to be an inspiring feat of humanism. We were informed as the film began rolling that the Disabled American Film Festival was going on in the theater across the hall. Warm up my seat, Satan.

Rating: 1/10 Atkins

Take Shelter (2011)

1st View
Venue: Regal Metropolitan (Press Screening)

Powerful film, plenty of sensational performances, ultimately unsatisfied with the conclusion and its undermining of the emotional weight of the rest of the film.


Rating: 8/10 Atkins

Warrior (2011)

Revisit
Venue: Alamo Village

Had to go back for a second round.

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Warrior (2011)

1st View
Venue: Alamo Village (Press Screening)

To be honest, I had no interest in seeing a film about MMA fighting, but then my buddies over at Spill.com asked me to be on one of their audio reviews for the film. I wasn't about to pass up that opportunity so I went to see it. I'm glad I did because Warrior is one of my favorite movies of the year. You can hear all my reasons why on the Spill review here!

Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Rounders (1998)

Revisit
Format: DVD
Venue: Rivendell

One of favorite movies of all time. This is the film that taught me to play poker, and win occaisonally. Matt Damon's Mike McDermott was the subject of this week's (last week's?) Reel Men for Movies.com. Ante up and give it a read.


Rating: 9/10 Atkins

Casablanca (1942)

Revisit
Format: Blu-ray
Venue: Rivendell

I love every frame of this film with a passion. One of the greatest films ever made and a definitive argument for black-and-white films receiving the Blu-ray treatment. It just makes me happy to watch.

Rating: 10/10 Atkins