The Incredibles
2004 - Brad Bird
Incredible? Yes, definitely. Films like The Incredibles continually cause me to wonder why it appears so damned difficult to write decent stories/dialogue/plotlines for real action movies, when we are constantly reminded of the quality of writing out there in the animated realm (The Simpsons, Southpark, Pixar-in-general, and Hopeless Pictures on IFC). The Incredibles is a funny, entertaining, film that does not disappoint at any level. The story is simple: a (retired) family of superheroes (in the witness protection program due to the overwhelming plethora of superhero lawsuits) is trying to live unencumbered in Metroville…that is until Mr. Incredible is given the opportunity to get involved in a new case using his special powers – needless to say the whole family ends up getting involved.

The General
1927 - Buster Keaton / Clyde Bruckman

Before Sunrise
1995 - Richard Linklater

Before Sunset
2004 - Richard Linklater

The Secret Lives of Dentists
2003 - Alan Rudolph

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
2004 - Adam McKay

Scarface
1983 - Brian De Palma

Riding Giants
2004 - Stacy Peralta

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
2003 - Peter Weir

The Awful Truth
1937 - Leo McCarey

Million Dollar Baby
2004 - Clint Eastwood

Dig!
2004 - Ondi Timoner
Dig! Is not your typical rock-n-roll documentary. It is an intimate travelogue (shot over the course of seven years) that chronicles the parallel ascent of the Dandy Warhols, and the inevitable demise of the Brain Jonestown Masssace whose love/hate relationship over the years is the real meat of the films appeal. There have been few (If any) bands like Brain Jonestown Massacre, whose Anton Newcombe is without out doubt as emotionally instable as they come. He is a brilliant creative force, but is also a paranoid narcissist with demagogue tendencies, and these characteristics are in constant conflict, as we watch the deterioration and downward spiral of the band time and time again, until the final and unavoidable end. This is one of the more naked music documentaries that I can recall, and regardless of your opinion of either bands' music, this is a film that is engrossing, authentic, chaotic and ultimately sad. Having spent eight years playing in bands myself, I was stunned that someone actually managed to get all the turmoil on film. I was also amazed that a band managed to stay together this long amidst such turmoil.

Baadasssss!
2004 - Mario Van Peebles

Dogtown and Z-Boys
2001 - Stacy Peralta

Sideways
2004 - Alexander Payne

Secret Window
2004 - David Koepp

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971 - Melvin Van Peebles

The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951 - Robert Wise

Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
2004 - Mamoru Oshii

Napoleon Dynamite
2004 - Jared Hess

Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth
1998 - Robert B. Weide

Meet the Parents
2000 - Jay Roach

You Can't Take it With You
1938 - Frank Capra

Shaolin Soccer
2001 - Siu Lam Juk Kau

I Heart Huckabees
2004 - David O. Russell
It seems like everybody either loved or hated this movie. I was among those who absolutely loved it to death. Directed by David O. Russell (who also directed the equally hilarious and brilliant Flirting With Disaster in 1996), I Heart Huckabees is a perfectly cast character driven film (fantastic performances by Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg , Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Dustin Hoffman, and Lily Tomlin), and is impetuous, frenetic, quirky and clever. Schwartzman plays an anxious environmentalist questioning the very fabric of his own signifigance, and Hoffman and Tomlin play a pair of "existential detectives" who he hires to help him find the meaning in the mysteries that confound him as he fumbles awkwardly though his daily routine. There are too many twists to give a proper synopsis of this irreverent piece of work, but it is fair to say that comparisons to Charlie Kaufman are sure to abound, and if you liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, my guess is that this is a film for you.

The Times of Harvey Milk
1984 - Rob Epstein

Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
2004 - Joe Berlinger
A fascinating and at times painful documentary that is like watching a train wreck from the inside. Some Kind of Monster follows Metallica over the course of two years, much of which is spent attempting to write and record St. Anger while at the brink of collapse. While the band spends loads of time in group therapy, we get to view the raw dysfunction of the band dynamic, the pink underbelly of the beast exposed and laid plain for all to see, some to wince at, and much of it to sit jaw-agape, realizing that these guys are - in spite of their untold wealth - as childish and vulnerable as any of us at our worst. This film is why I love great documentaries: they engage us with compelling stories, entice our voyeuristic tendencies, but forces us to look at ourselves, and contemplate those around us, ultimately taking stock in the seeming pettiness of our own inner struggles.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
2004 - Kerry Conran
Having once been hooked on reruns of radio pulp serials back in high school, I completely appreciated what the Conran brothers were aiming for with this campy piece of eye candy. From the very first scene the film plays out in classic serial comic-book form. A classic good vs. bad, 30's/40's vision of the future (set in the modern day 30's/40's of course), Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, follows Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Sky Captain (Jude Law) to the far end of the globe to thwart the evil Dr. Totenkopf, and his plans to destroy all civilization. If you've ever read the original Buck Rogers comics, you should have a good idea of what to expect: Campy 'futuristic' stuff, adventure for the sake of the thrill, and a self-aware humor that understands the mistake of taking yourself too seriously. This is fun stuff for sci-fi and comic book geeks. It's entertainment pure and simple, and is full of great visuals, which was enough to keep me happily engaged for the duration of the film.

Heat
1995 - Michael Mann

Alfie
2004 - Charles Shyer

The Magnificent Ambersons
1942 - Orson Wells

Vera Drake
2004 - Mike Leigh

Taking Lives
2004 - D.J. Caruso

Serial Mom
1995 - John Waters

Room Service
1938 - William A. Seiter

At the Circus
1939 - Edward Buzzell

Go West
1940 - Edward Buzzell

Safety Last
1923 - Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor

The Navigator
1924 - Donald Crisp & Buster Keaton

My Little Chickadee
1940 - Edward F. Cline

Spanglish
2004 - James L. Brooks

My Architect: A Son's Journey
2003 - Nathaniel Kahn

EDtv
1999 - Ron Howard

Ocean's Twelve
2004 - Steven Soderbergh

Buck Privates
1941 - Arthur Lubin

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood
1945 - S. Sylvan Simon

Africa Screams
1949 - Charles Barton

Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
1951 - Charles Lamont

Meet the Fockers
2004 - Jay Roach

Never Give a Sucker an Even Break
1941 - Edward F. Cline

Hotel Rwanda
2004 - Terry George

Starsky & Hutch
2004 - Todd Phillips

Wag the Dog
1997 - Barry Levinson

Laura
1944 - Otto Preminger

She Done Him Wrong
1933 - Lowell Sherman

My Man Godfrey
1936 - Gregory La Cava
One of the standout definitive classics from the screwball 30’s, My Man Godfrey was a biting social commentary at the time, but beyond that is a delightful film full of laughs, pathos, and acerbic charm. William Powell plays Godfrey, a “forgotten man” down on his luck, and down on the injustices of America during the depression. Carole Lombard (previously Powell’s wife in real-life) plays a dingy socialite daughter of a wealthy family, who falls madly for Godfrey much to his chagrin. Typical for the genre, the film is quick-witted and fast paced with sharp tongue-in-cheek dialogue. It was an enormous hit when it came out in 1936, getting nominated for 6 Academy Awards including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. No nomination for Best Picture, but for my money, I can watch My Man Godfrey year after year.

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dreamhouse
1948 - H.C. Potter

Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story
2005 - Scot Barbour

Shrek 2
2004 - Andrew Adamson

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
1948 - Charles Barton

Shadow of a Doubt
1943 - Alfred Hitchcock

Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne
1945 - Robert Bresson

F for Fake
1974 - Orson Welles

Frazetta: Painting with Fire
2004 - Lance Laspina

House of Flying Daggers
2004 - Yimou Zhang

Rosemary's Baby
1968 - Roman Polanski

Team America: World Police
2004 - Trey Parker

The Tango Lesson
1997 - Sally Potter

Casino Royale
1967 - John Huston, Val Guest, Kenneth Hughes, Joseph McGrath, Robert Parrish

Safe
1995 - Todd Haynes

Treasure of The Sierra Madre
1948 - John Huston

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
2005 - George Lucas

McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971 - Robert Altman

Phantom Lady
1944 - Robert Siodmak

Garden State
2004 - Zach Braff

Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen
2001 - Shari Cookson
The South is a very strange place…not just because they elected Bush, or because of the horror that is 97% of all contemporary country music, but these things do further their negative stereotype as being uneducated and backwater. I’m not saying that I agree of disagree, however after watching Living Dolls, I cannot help but wonder what the hell is up with the folks down in the confederate states…they are definitely cut from an odd-colored cloth. Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen follows Swan Brooner, a 6 year old “Beauty Queen” and her chain-smoking boot-camp mother on their ascent through the Child pageants that speckle the south like freckles on a Floridian of Irish descent. It is a disorienting and often disturbing look into a world that seems hell-bent on dismantling any possibility of an innocent childhood. These are kids whose psyches must be warped by the time they become young women…did we not learn anything from the sad tragedy of JonBenet Ramsey? Freaky stuff.

Gaslight
1944 - George Cukor

Margaret CHO Revolution
2004 - Lorene Machado

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
2004 - Wes Anderson
I should have listened to the critics, but I’ve REALLY enjoyed Wes Anderson’s last two pieces of work. I should have listened to the critics…This was an aimless, pointless movie seemingly assembled with glue stick, barely a story to follow, and not enough character development to work for your standard sit-com. There was one thing I liked about the film (ok, maybe two): all the acoustic Bowie songs in Portuguese…that was nice…and the movie was nice to look at, but still...quite tortuous to sit through.

Paris, Texas
1984 - Wim Wenders

Mr. Arkadin
1955 - Orson Welles

Salesman
1969 - Albert and David Maysles

Finding Neverland
2004 - Marc Forster

Night and the City
1950 - Jules Dassin

Prozac Nation
2003 - Erik Skjoldbjaerg

Bullitt
1968 - Peter Yates

Born Into Brothels
2004 - Ross Kauffman

The Aviator
2004 - Martin Scorsese

Evelyn Prentice
1934 - William K. Howard

(National Lampoon's) Van Wilder
2002 - Walt Becker

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1969 - George Roy Hill

Punk: Attitude
2005 - Don Letts

The Filth and The Fury
2000 - Julien Temple

Stir Crazy
1980 - Sidney Poitier

A Very Long Engagement
2004 - Jean-Pierre Jeunet

The Salton Sea
2001 - D.J. Caruso

The Motorcycle Diaries
2004 - Walter Salles

Heaven Can Wait
1943 - Ernst Lubitsch

Sin City
2005 - Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller

The Upside of Anger
2005 - Mike Binder

Heavenly Creatures
1994 - Peter Jackson

Coffee and Cigarettes
2003 - Jim Jarmusch

Panic in the Streets
1950 - Elia Kazan

Bride and Prejudice
2004 - Gurinder Chadha

Ray
2004 - Taylor Hackford

The 40-Year-Old Virgin
2005 - Judd Apatow

A Face in the Crowd
1957 - Elia Kazan

Gentleman's Agreement
1947 - Elia Kazan

The Grudge
2004 - Takashi Shimizu

Layer Cake
2004 - Matthew Vaughn

A Dirty Shame
2004 - John Waters

The Petrified Forest
1936 - Archie Mayo

Over the Edge
1979 - Jonathan Kaplan

Robots
2005 - Chris Wedge

I, Robot
2004 - Alex Proyas

Point Blank
1967 - John Boorman

Crash
2005 - Paul Haggis

The Interpreter
2005 - Sydney Pollack

Me and You and Everyone We Know
2005 - Miranda July

Ninotchka
1939 - Ernst Lubitsch

Batman Begins
2005 - Christopher Nolan

Trust
1990 - Hal Hartley

Trouble in Paradise
1932 - Ernst Lubitsch

Alien vs. Predator
2004 - Paul W.S. Anderson

Mad Hot Ballroom
2005 - Marilyn Agrelo

The Gits Movie
2005 - Kerri O'Kane

Blackmail
1929 - Alfred Hitchcock

Vertigo
1958 - Alfred Hitchcock

Melinda and Melinda
2004 - Woody Allen

Number 17
1932 - Alfred Hitchcock

Insomnia
1997 -Erik Skjoldbjaerg

Suspicion
1941 - Alfred Hitchcock

Young and Innocent
1937 - Alfred Hitchcock

Mr. & Mrs. Smith
1941 - Alfred Hitchcock

Never on Sunday
1960 - Jules Dassin

To Be or Not To Be
1942 - Ernst Lubitsch

Monsieur Verdoux
1947 - Charles Chaplin

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2005 - Tim Burton

The Devil's Rejects
2005 - Rob Zombie

The Machinist
2004 - Brad Anderson

The Best Years of Our Lives
1946 - William Wyler

Vanilla Sky
2001 - Cameron Crowe

The Polar Express
2004 - Robert Zemeckis

Cronicas
2005 - Sebastian Cordero

SLC Punk
1999 - James Merendino

Murderball
2005 - Henry Alex Rubin

March of the Penguins
2004 - Luc Jacquet

Mr. and Mrs. Smith
2005 - Doug Liman

The Manchurian Candidate
2004 - Jonathan Demme

King Kong
2005 - Peter Jackson

War of the Worlds
2005 - Steven Spielberg

Walk the Line
2005 - James Mangold

Ball of Fire
1941 - Howard Hawks

King Kong
1933 - Merian C. Cooper

Four Brothers
2005 - John Singleton

Dirty Harry
1972 - Don Siegel

25th Hour
2002 - Spike Lee

Imagine: John Lennon
1988 - Andrew Solt

Time Bandits
1981 - Terry Gilliam

In Good Company
2004 - Paul Weitz

11:14
2005 - Greg Marcks

Fiend Without a Face
1958 - Arthur Crabtree