I apologize for the constant delays on this. I really don’t have a good excuse. Not unless laziness counts, that is. I’m going to do my best to AT LEAST make this a bi-weekly piece…….hopefully a weekly one if I can keep up with my movie watching.
Attack The Block – I’m not going to waste my time telling you how brilliant this one is. Others have done it better. While there is always a chance that something will come along and usurp it, I’m betting this great little flick manages to finish out the year in the #1 spot on my Top Films of 2011 list.
The Adjustment Bureau – An uplifting Phillip K. Dick-based film? Sure, why not! I’m not sure how true this adaptation is to the story it is based on, but I really enjoyed it. This is definitely one of the better blind buys that I have made this year.
Winnie The Pooh – Caught this one from Redbox and will probably pick it up at some point in the near future to add to the now-growing children’s section of my film collection (I have a 9-month old son). I wouldn’t call it a classic, but this is a really wonderful little movie that I’ll be proud to show my son when he’s old enough to care. There’s a lot to like within, but it was the duet between Pooh and his hungry tummy that really won me over. It’s a shame this didn’t do well at the box office and I hope it doesn’t discourage Disney from making another one at some point.
Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop – A heartfelt and hilarious documentary covering Conan’s time on the road in-between his departure from The Tonight Show and the start of his current program on TBS. If you’re a fan, you owe it to yourself to see this.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon – Ah, glorious Bayhem! This was definitely a step up from the previous entry. While the spectacle on display is definitely the best this franchise has had to offer to date, I’m not sure yet if I prefer this or the first one. I guess time will tell. Anyway, I think Bay has pretty much said all he can with this series, so I am glad he is moving on to other pastures. Give us something new (and Bad Boys III) and let other directors play in the Transformers sandbox, Michael!
Hatchet II – While I enjoyed the first one, I didn’t fall head over heels for it like most seemed to have. As for this one? I seem to have enjoyed a lot more than most. Neither film is anywhere near a classic, but both are fun bits of modern slasher horror. It will be interesting to see how the third one turns out with someone different at the helm. This series has yet to create a perfect entry…..and I honestly doubt it ever will. Let’s just hope they keep things entertaining.
The Howling Reborn – The original Howling is an absolute classic. The second one is a piece of shit, but odd enough to not be a complete waste. The third is an hilarious piece of shit. The fourth is a piece of shit that has almost nothing going for it. Despite its obvious budget limitations, The Howling V actually managed to be entertaining. I don’t think I would call it a good film, but it is leagues ahead of the previous sequels in terms of quality. The Howling VI remains my favorite of the sequels and is the most different of the bunch. Again, I don’t think I’d really call it a “good” movie, but I think it is worth your time if you haven’t seen it. The Howling VII is one of the worst movies I have ever seen in my life and I refuse to watch it a second time. With that in mind, this new entry obviously didn’t have a high bar set for it to surpass its predecessors. Did it make it? No. It’s crap. The werewolf FX (while mostly practical) just look odd and the overall film itself is rather bland. It isn’t anywhere near as terrible as some of the others in the series, but it certainly isn’t worth a look either. At this point, someone just needs to let one of the major studios scoop up the rights and remake the original. It’s not like anymore damage can be done to this franchise anyway and if we are lucky we might actually get a solid film out of it for a change. Otherwise, someone needs to put a silver bullet in this franchise’s brain and let it die for good.
Anyway, below lies the updated list. A few films have shifted spots, but not in any drastic ways.
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1. Attack The Block
2. Drive
3. Insidious
4. Rango
5. X-Men: First Class
6. Captain America: The First Avenger
7. Super
8. Red Hill
9. Fast Five
10. Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
11. Warrior
12. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
13. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II
14. Thor
15. I Am Number Four
16. Drive Angry
17. Bridesmaids
18. Scream IV
19. The Adjustment Bureau
20. The Lincoln Lawyer
21. Bereavement
22. The Thing
23. The Mechanic
24. The Green Hornet
25. Winnie The Pooh
26. Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop
27. Transformers: Dark of the Moon
28. Death Race II
29. Buried
30. Green Lantern
31. Priest
32. Sucker Punch
33. Battle: Los Angeles
34. What’s Your Number?
35. Paul
36. Your Highness
37. Take Me Home Tonight
38. Arthur
39. Conan the Barbarian
40. Hatchet II
41. Red Riding Hood
42. The Beaver
43. I Love You, Phillip Morris
44. Bad Teacher
45. Unknown
46. Henry’s Crime
47. The Resident
48. The Howling Reborn
49. Dylan Dog: Dead of Night
50. Gnomeo & Juliet
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Feel free to agree with or eviscerate me, be it in the forums or below.