Saturday, December 27

The Interview

Director: Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788710/

Review: Has some genuinely funny moments, particularly in its first half, but doesn't lean hard enough on the absurdity to justify some of the revelling in violence and uncomfortable line-crossing it plays with in its second half.

Watch it if: You already really like James Franco and Seth Rogen.

And if you liked: This is the End, Spies Like Us, Team America: World Police

Big Eyes

Director: Tim Burton

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1126590/

Review: A little bit long and unfocused but looks beautiful with a well performed and fascinating story.

Watch it if: You want to see Tim Burton return to smaller more interesting movies.

And if you liked: Ed Wood, Big Fish, Matinee

Check this out: Margaret Keane

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Director: Peter Jackson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2310332/

Review: Dull and confusing with un-engaging battle sequences and plenty of flat humour.

Watch it if: You really feel you have to.

And if you liked: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 300

Sunday, November 16

Interstellar

Director: Christopher Nolan

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816692/

Review: Flawed in a lot of significant ways but never dulls and features some breathtaking cinematography and a truly gorgeous score.

Watch it if: You've been to the bathroom.

And if you liked: Sunshine, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Primer

Sunday, November 2

Nightcrawler

Director: Dan Gilroy

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2872718/

Review: Tense and unnerving all the way through with some expertly paced scenes and a genuinely creepy lead performance.

Watch it if: You're interested in the shadier side of TV journalism.

And if you liked: The King of Comedy, Taxi Driver, Zodiac

Thursday, October 30

Dust Devil

Director: Richard Stanley

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104155/

Review: Has some nice imagery and themes but takes a long time to get anywhere and never quite fully engages.

Watch it if: You're ok with a slower story that meanders.

And if you liked: Mad Max, The Hitcher, The Terminator

Wednesday, October 29

Monkey Shines

Director: George A. Romero

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095652/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Review: A little long and reliant on magical elements but there are still plenty of fun and thrills along the way.

Watch it if: You can handle a fair amount of hypodermic needle shots.

And if you liked: Brain Damage, Creepshow

Check this out: Monkey Shines

Tuesday, October 28

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Director: Philip Kaufman

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077745/

Review: Gripping all the way through with a great soundscape and some genuinely terrifying moments.

Watch it if: You've somehow never seen it like I hadn't.

And if you liked: The Thing, Under the Skin, Shivers

Check this out: The Body Snatchers

Monday, October 27

The Pact

Director: Nicholas McCarthy

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2040560/

Review: Does a lot with simple and well-executed tricks with a compelling plot and nice production design.

Watch it if: You enjoy a well made ghost movie.

And if you liked: Ringu, The Innkeepers

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau

Director: David Gregory

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3966544/

Review: Fascinating and hilarious with an arc that seems to mirror the subject itself.

Watch it if: You're interested in how much can go wrong on a film set.

And if you liked: Room 237, Lost in La Mancha

Sunday, October 26

Brain Damage

Director: Frank Henenlotter

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094793/

Review: Hits a few problematic notes and doesn't fully hold together but still has some interesting inventiveness and silliness to it.

Watch it if: You can handle some uncomfortable scenes.

And if you liked: Basket Case, Street Trash, Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2014)

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2561546/

Review: Never quite reaches levels of greatness but succeeds in a few areas as well as bringing an interesting take on how to remake an old film.

Watch it if: You want to see a mild deconstruction of the slasher genre.

And if you liked: Halloween, Scream, Friday the 13th Part II

Check this out: The Town That Dreaded Sundown

The Babadook

Director: Jennifer Kent

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2321549/

Review: Lets itself down a little with its ending but brings some interesting and creepy stuff along the way.

Watch it if: You're ok with being turned off having children.

And if you liked: The Orphanage, The Ring (2002), We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Innocents

Saturday, October 25

Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages

Director: Benjamin Christensen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013257/

Review: Atmospheric and creepy with great satanic imagery and an interesting perspective on history.

Watch it if: You enjoy strange and unique silent cinema.

And if you liked: The Lords of Salem, The Exorcist, Nosferatu

Basket Case

Director: Frank Henenlotter

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083624/

Review: Shows it's gears a fair amount and has some uncomfortable humour towards the end but generally holds up as an entertaining slice of gory schlock.

Watch it if: You can handle a movie that's rough around the edges.

And if you liked: The Evil Dead, Street Trash, Re-Animator

Coherence

Director: James Ward Byrkit

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2866360/

Review: Well performed and staged with just enough reality warping to keep it interesting without pushing it into confusion.

Watch it if: You enjoy a good mind-bending kind of film.

And if you liked: Primer, Another Earth

Frankenstein (1994)

Director: Kenneth Branagh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109836/

Review: Definitely too long and falters here and there in its grandiosity but still has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment and production design.

Watch it if: You want to see a lot of Kenneth Branagh at his physical peak.

And if you liked: Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula (1992), The Wolfman (2010)

Thursday, October 23

The Last House on the Left

Director: Wes Craven

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068833/

Review: Shifts weirdly in tone but manages to hold a loose narrative together well while creating a lot from a little.

Watch it if: You can handle a few scenes of unsettling sexual violence.

And if you liked: Pink Flamingos, The Devil's Rejects, Deliverance, Straw Dogs, The Hills Have Eyes

Wednesday, October 22

American Mary

Director: Jen and Sylvia Soska

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959332/

Review: Very slickly put together with stressful but convincing special effects and a strong tone.

Watch it if: You can handle a lot of surgery and blood.

And if you liked: The Skin I Live In, Hard Candy

Tuesday, October 21

Maniac (2012)

Director: Franck Khalfoun

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103217/

Review: Revels in its weirdness in a great way with really impressive effects and a fun, trashy tone..

Watch it if: You can handle quite a lot of graphic violence.

And if you liked: Drive, Enter the Void, Evil Dead (2013)

Check this out: Maniac

Monday, October 20

Escape from Tomorrow

Director: Randy Moore

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2187884/

Review: An interesting idea and some nice bits of surreal imagery but wears thin pretty quickly and doesn't bring much invention beyond its basic concept.

Watch it if: You know a bit of the backstory behind its production.

And if you liked: Eraserhead, Ed Wood, Disney films

Sunday, October 19

Willow Creek

Director: Bobcat Goldthwait

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2885364/

Review: Has a few decent production ideas but doesn't really do anything particularly new or interesting with them.

Watch it if: You can handle another found footage movie.

And if you liked: The Blair Witch Project,

Saturday, October 18

Murder Party

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878695/

Review: Uses its limitations to its advantage expertly while flowing well and being laugh out loud funny.

Watch it if: You've ever been irritated by pretentious art-babble.

And if you liked: Ghost World, Reservoir Dogs

Maps to the Stars

Director: David Cronenberg

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2172584/

Review: Scathing in its satire and laugh out loud funny at times but never quite connects like it should.

Watch it if: You can handle some unsettling violence.

And if you liked: Inland Empire, Cosmopolis, Southland Tales

Trick 'r Treat

Director: Michael Dougherty

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/

Review: Gleeful in its tone with a fun through-line and some nicely spooky parts.

Watch it if: You just really want to revel in Halloween spirit for 82 minutes.

And if you liked: Tales from the Crypt, Halloween, Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Friday, October 17

Possession

Director: Andrzej Zulawski

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082933/

Review: Insanely performed with a jarring atmosphere and a constant, creeping sense of unease.

Watch it if: You like a film that becomes stranger and stranger as it goes on.

And if you liked: The Shining, High Fidelity, Rosemary's Baby, The Brood

Thursday, October 16

John Dies at the End

Director: Don Coscarelli

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1783732/

Review: Somewhat televisual in its style but moves at a good pace and never bores.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film jumping around a fair bit.

And if you liked: Idle Hands, Lost Highway, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey

Check this out: John Dies at the End

Wednesday, October 15

Here Comes the Devil

Director: Adrián García Bogliano

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2107648/

Review: Strange and nicely paced with a creepy premise and some effective tension.

Watch it if: You can handle some violence, nudity and unpleasant implications.

And if you liked: Don't Look Now, Trust, The Orphanage, Enter the Void

Tuesday, October 14

The Sacrament

Director: Ti West

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2383068/

Review: Well put together and performed particularly in the first 2 acts but follows a fairly obvious path to conclusion that ultimately feels anticlimactic.

Watch it if: You're able to put up with the usual mockumentary technical problems.

And if you liked: Red State, V/H/S/2

Monday, October 13

The Descent

Director: Neil Marshall

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0435625/

Review: Well crafted and tense with effective action and strong scares.

Watch it if: You can handle a fair amount of bloody violence and claustrophobic scenes.

And if you liked: As Above, So Below, 127 Hours, Predator, The X-Files

Sunday, October 12

Harmontown

Director: Neil Berkeley

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3518988/

Review: Beautiful to look at and tough to watch in places but intimate and engaging with a sincere feeling of hope throughout.

Watch it if: You're interested in a certain amount of flawed self-destruction.

And if you liked: Community, The Harmontown Podcast, Crumb

Return of the Living Dead III

Director: Brian Yuzna

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089907/

Review: Drags a little in the middle but otherwise a fairly daft and inventive movie.

Watch it if: You're ok with a fair amount of violence and some nudity.

And if you liked: Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Braindead, The Return of the Living Dead

Friday, October 10

Kill List

Director: Ben Wheatley

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1788391/

Review: Gripping from the beginning and more and more visually striking as its bizarreness escalates.

Watch it if: You can handle some pretty rough violence.

And if you liked: Sexy Beast, Shallow Grave, True Detective, The Wicker Man

Wednesday, October 8

Shadow of the Vampire

Director: E. Elias Merhige

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/

Review: Lacking a certain amount of kick but very well performed and shot with an enjoyable premise.

Watch it if: You enjoy films about filmmaking.

And if you liked: Nosferatu, Peeping Tom, Dracula (1992)

Tuesday, October 7

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Director: Kim Henkel

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110978/

Review: Has a few enjoyably hokey moments but it's pretty inconsequential with an ending that thinks it's profound but is in fact just baffling.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing Renee Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey in early horror roles.

And if you liked: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III, Death Proof

Monday, October 6

The Innkeepers

Director: Ti West

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1594562/

Review: Draws you in with relatable characters and delivers some genuinely good scares with lovely use of sound.

Watch it if: You enjoy a good ghost story.

And if you liked: The Others, The Innocents, The House of the Devil

Sunday, October 5

Gone Girl

Director: David Fincher

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2267998/

Review: Suffers a little in adaptation but still looks and sounds great while entertaining and keeping you guessing all the way through.

Watch it if: You've been to the bathroom.

And if you liked: Zodiac, Seven, Chinatown, Side Effects

Check this out: Gone Girl

Friday, October 3

Blue Ruin

Director: Jeremy Saulnier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2359024/

Review: Draws you in and keeps you guessing with a strong plot and a style that knows how to revel in quiet moments as well as loud ones.

Watch it if: You're interested in a different take on the revenge genre.

And if you liked: Straw Dogs, Winter's Bone, Dead Man's Shoes

Thursday, October 2

The Lords of Salem

Director: Rob Zombie

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1731697/

Review: Visually striking and aurally interesting with a good balance of strange imagery and plot.

Watch it if: You can enjoy a certain amount of stark weirdness.

And if you liked: Macbeth (1971), Rosemary's Baby, The Sentinel, Beetlejuice

Wednesday, October 1

Would You Rather

Director: David Guy Levy

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1999995/

Review: Moves at a strong pace with some tense moments and a great villain performance.

Watch it if: You're not too squeamish about pain in a film.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, You're Next

Sunday, September 7

Lucy

Director: Luc Besson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2872732/

Review: Doesn't quite revel in its weirdness as much as it could but there's still plenty of fun to be had.

Watch it if: You can shut out utter pseudo-science to benefit the ride.

And if you liked: Crank, Leon, Akira

The Boxtrolls

Director: Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0787474/

Review: Solidly put together with a well thought out story and great attention to detail.

Watch it if: You're ok with a little bit of grossness.

And if you liked: Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, ParaNorman

Check this out: Here Be Monsters!

Sunday, August 31

As Above, So Below

Director: John Erick Dowdle

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2870612/

Review: A mix of strong moments and clichés that needed to go way further but makes a reasonably good case for itself nonetheless.

Watch it if: You can tolerate another found-footage film.

And if you liked: [Rec], Buried, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Goonies

Monday, August 4

Guardians of the Galaxy

Director: James Gunn

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/

Review: Refreshing and boisterous with unique characters and some genuinely moving sequences.

Watch it if: You like a movie that's not afraid to revel in weirdness sometimes.

And if you liked: Star Wars, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Raiders of the Lost Ark

Saturday, July 26

Boyhood

Director: Richard Linklater

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1065073/

Review: Does a lot with a little and is engaging and relatable all the way through.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film that just lets things happen.

And if you liked: Dazed & Confused, Elephant, Mud

Saturday, July 19

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Director: Matt Reeves

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103281/

Review: A few thin characters but ultimately beautiful to look at with a complex plot and affecting action.

Watch it if: You're ok with a film that takes its time to build itself up.

And if you liked: Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Last of Us, Day of the Dead

Sunday, July 13

Obvious Child

Director: Gillian Robespierre

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2910274/

Review: Perfectly performed with an honest centre that remains funny throughout while still taking its subject seriously.

Watch it if: You're ok with some crass humour here and there in aid of a larger whole.

And if you liked: Knocked Up, 50/50,

Check this out: Obvious Child

White Shadow

Director: Noaz Deshe

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3077150/

Review: A few interesting scenes but mostly far too long and repetitive with long dull sections.

Watch it if: You can handle a few discreet but visceral scenes of violence.

And if you liked: Only God Forgives, Beasts of the Southern Wild

Thursday, July 10

Metalhead

Director: Ragnar Bragason

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2374902/

Review: Drags a little in the middle but picks up again and delivers as a touching and honest story.

Watch it if: You're ok with a lot of metal music in a film.

And if you liked: Hesher, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, Persepolis

Friday, July 4

You're Next

Director: Adam Wingard

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853739/

Review: Loses it a little bit towards the end but very effectively and inventively put together with good scares and a reasonable amount of laughs.

Watch it if: You'd enjoy seeing a fresh take on the genre.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, Severance

The Campaign

Director: Jay Roach

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1790886/

Review: Uneven and unfocused but still has a fair amount of laughs to carry it through.

Watch it if: You already have a fair amount of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis good will built up.

And if you liked: The Other Guys, Trading Places

Saturday, June 28

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Director: Dean DeBlois

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1646971/

Review: A little uneven but ties up well with plenty of strong action and compelling characters.

Watch it if: You liked the first one? I guess?

And if you liked: How to Train Your Dragon, Brave

Saturday, June 21

3 Days to Kill

Director: McG

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2172934/

Review: Supremely misjudged with constant xenophobia, cringe inducing dialogue and confusingly bad continuity.

Watch it if: You're not put off by straight torture played for laughs.

And if you liked: Taken 2, The Counsellor

Check this out: TITLE

Sunday, June 15

Oculus

Director: Mike Flanagan

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2388715/

Review: Very ambitious and has some good stuff going for it but bogged down by some un-needed cliches and an unsatisfying ending.

Watch it if: You're interested in seeing a film try some stuff.

And if you liked: 1408, Sinister

Check this out: Oculus: Chapter 3 - The Man with the Plan

Saturday, June 14

22 Jump Street

Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294449/

Review: Loose and playful in the right way with a solid humour and compelling action.

Watch it if: You enjoy a certain amount of meta humour.

And if you liked: 21 Jump Street, Wayne's World 2, Pineapple Express

Monday, June 2

Edge of Tomorrow

Director: Doug Liman

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/

Review: Fairly baggy in places but entertains with decent ideas and some unexpected humour.

Watch it if: You see the value in the occasional Tom Cruise action role.

And if you liked: Oblivion, Aliens, Groundhog Day

Check this out: All You Need Is Kill

Saturday, May 31

You've Been Trumped

Director: Anthony Baxter

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1943873/

Review: A little cloying in places but otherwise a shocking and infuriating indictment of a clear act of bullying.

Watch it if: You're ok with seething in your chair while you watch a film.

And if you liked: Bowling for Columbine, Wall Street

Sunday, May 25

X-Men: Days of Future Past

Director: Bryan Singer

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1877832/

Review: A little unfocused but filled with great stuff that mostly comes together to a satisfying whole with a strong tone.

Watch it if: You've seen a few X-Men films already.

And if you liked: X-Men: First Class, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, The Matrix

Check this out: Days of Future Past

Saturday, May 24

Godzilla (2014)

Director: Gareth Edwards

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/

Review: Drags a little in a few places around the middle but builds to a pretty strong and exciting climax with inventive action and some incredible sound design.

Watch it if: You want to see a load of humongous monster destruction I guess.

And if you liked: Jaws, Pacific Rim, Cloverfield

Sunday, May 11

Transcendence

Director: Wally Pfister

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2209764/

Review: Never really reaches as high as it could but holds together solidly with some good ideas and a consistent tone.

Watch it if: You enjoy a high concept sci-fi b-movie.

And if you liked: eXistenZ, The Arrival, Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Saturday, May 10

Frank

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1605717/

Review: A little safe in its structure and not quite as weird as it could be but well performed and full of good moments and great music.

Watch it if: You can handle a certain amount of 'quirk' in a film.

And if you liked: This Must Be the Place, Bad Boy Bubby, Brothers of the Head

Check this out: Frank: The True Story that Inspired the Movie

Sunday, April 27

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Director: Gavin Hood

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458525/

Review: Riddled with clichés with a clunky script and awful special effects.

Watch it if: You're stupid like me.

And if you liked: The Wolverine, X-Men: The Last Stand

Sunday, April 20

Calvary

Director: John Michael McDonagh

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234003/

Review: Drags some with some uneven performances but comes together with a very satisfying ending.

Watch it if: You can handle some violence and some gallows humour.

And if you liked: The Nephew, Winter's Bone

Saturday, April 19

Noah

Director: Darren Aronofsky

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959490/

Review: Enjoyably daft in parts and nice to look at in others but way, way too long, baggy and dull overall.

Watch it if: You're not religiously sensitive.

And if you liked: The Fountain, Gladiator

Friday, April 18

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Director: Marc Webb

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/

Review: Unabashedly crazy and all over the place but genuinely entertaining and engaging all the way through.

Watch it if: You're on board for a messy roller-coaster of a movie.

And if you liked: The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Chronicle

Saturday, April 12

Black Dynamite

Director: Scott Sanders

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190536/

Review: Perfectly pitched with surprisingly good action and plenty of laughs.

Watch it if: You enjoy a well made spoof.

And if you liked: The Naked Gun, Hot Shots, Planet Terror

Saturday, March 29

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Director: Anthony and Joe Russo

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/

Review: A little incoherent at times but holds together as a fun paranoia action romp.

Watch it if: You can handle a large amount of strangely bloodless violence.

And if you liked: Iron Man, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Avengers

Saturday, March 22

Under the Skin

Director: Jonathan Glazer

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1441395/

Review: Drags in the second half but otherwise delivers genuinely dark horror combined with slick visuals and perfect sound design.

Watch it if: You can handle a couple of deeply unsettling and upsetting scenes.

And if you liked: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Wake Wood, Let the Right One In

Check this out: Under the Skin

Sunday, March 16

The Zero Theorem

Director: Terry Gilliam

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2333804/

Review: Visually rich and complexly articulated but missing a strong connection due to a lack of a certain essential depth.

Watch it if: You're ok with existential head stuff.

And if you liked: Pi, Twelve Monkeys, Brazil

Saturday, March 15

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Director: Wes Anderson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2278388/

Review: Engaging and hilarious with beautiful construction and a great sense of movement.

Watch it if: You like Wes Anderson films.

And if you liked: Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom

Sunday, March 2

RoboCop (2014)

Director: José Padilha

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1234721/

Review: A few good moments but quite messy and seems to think it's funnier and more biting than it actually is.

Watch it if: You're curious.

And if you liked: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Total Recall (2012), Source Code

Saturday, March 1

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Director: Cody Cameron and Kris Pearn

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1985966/

Review: Lots of inventive gags with a great plot and tons of adorable character designs.

Watch it if: You can handle an absolute onslaught of puns.

And if you liked: Jurassic Park, Wreck-It Ralph, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Tuesday, February 25

The Warriors

Director: Walter Hill

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080120/

Review: A bit messy but moves forward with a reasonably entertaining plot.

Watch it if: You're ok with a fair amount of macho posturing.

And if you liked: Vanishing Point, The Goonies, A Clockwork Orange

Check this out: The Warriors

Saturday, February 22

Nymphomaniac: Volume II

Director: Lars von Trier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2382009/

Review: More entertaining and strange than Volume I with a better flow and a peculiar end to the story.

Watch it if: You've seen Nymphomaniac: Volume I

And if you liked: Shame, The Tree of Life, Secretary

Nymphomaniac: Volume I

Director: Lars von Trier

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1937390/

Review: Drags towards the end but is well performed and captivatingly put together.

Watch it if: You're ok with at least one terrible accent and some very sexually explicit scenes.

And if you liked: Shame, The Tree of Life, Secretary

Monday, February 17

Sightseers

Director: Ben Wheatley

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2023690/

Review: Beautiful to look at with a unique voice and some interestingly bizarre characters.

Watch it if: You're ok with some black humour and violence.

And if you liked: God Bless America, The League of Gentlemen, Hot Fuzz

Sunday, February 16

Rubber

Director: Quentin Dupieux

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1612774/

Review: Unabashedly bonkers with a fascinating meta-narrative and a hilarious tone.

Watch it if: You're ok with a movie openly not caring about any sort of rule.

And if you liked: Twin Peaks, Repo Man, Wild at Heart

Saturday, February 15

Her

Director: Spike Jonze

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1798709/

Review: Trite and vaguely misogynistic with clumsy metaphorical dialogue and a dull narrative.

Watch it if: You've always wondered what an Ikea based world would look like.

And if you liked: Easier With Practise, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Black Mirror

Sunday, February 9

Dallas Buyers Club

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790636/

Review: A bit too long and a little stylistically inconsistent but well performed and sensitively handled.

Watch it if: You can handle a difficult to like lead character.

And if you liked: Side Effects, Mud

Saturday, February 8

The Lego Movie

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1490017/

Review: Loaded with charm and innovation with lots of silly gags and a fun pace that keeps everything moving nicely.

Watch it if: You want some non-cynical fun.

And if you liked: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Wreck-It Ralph

Sunday, February 2

Speed Racer

Director: Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811080/

Review: Completely daft and crazy but holds with an engaging story and large amounts of fun.

Watch it if: You're capable of leaving grumpy cynicism behind.

And if you liked: Spy Kids, Shock Treatment, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Death Race 2000

Inside Llewyn Davis

Director: Ethan Coen and Joel Coen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2042568/

Review: Has some good things going for it and never drags but neither does it ever truly come together or engage fully.

Watch it if: You're a Coen Brothers fan.

And if you liked: A Serious Man, Miller's Crossing

Saturday, February 1

The Comedy

Director: Rick Alverson

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2112293/

Review: A pretty dark and ugly exploration of a very unpleasant person which would be tough to watch if it wasn't so beautifully put together.

Watch it if: You can handle some very uncomfortable scenes.

And if you liked: The World's End, Shame, A Serious Man

Sunday, January 19

12 Years a Slave

Director: Steve McQueen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024544/

Review: Perfectly pitched and well paced with beautiful imagery and an exceptionally strong central performance.

Watch it if: You can handle some very harrowing scenes of cruelty.

And if you liked: There Will Be Blood, A Serious Man, Atonement, Cry Freedom

Check this out: Twelve Years a Slave

Saturday, January 18

The Wolf of Wall Street

Director: Martin Scorsese

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0993846/

Review: An engaging, energetically performed and put together film that never drags despite being far too long.

Watch it if: You can handle a lot of drug use and nudity in a film.

And if you liked: The Departed, Spring Breakers, Wall Street

Check this out: Jordan Belfort

Nebraska

Director: Alexander Payne

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1821549/

Review: A little too long but moves along nicely with plenty of humour and a lovely denouement.

Watch it if: You're ok with a slower moving film.

And if you liked: About Schmidt, The Straight Story, This Must Be the Place

Sunday, January 12

American Hustle

Director: David O. Russell

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1800241/

Review: Quite messy by design and suffering from a few odd choices but holds together fairly well largely due to its strong performing cast.

Watch it if: You can handle a film that takes a while and some meandering to get where it's going.

And if you liked: American Gangster, The Fighter, Mean Streets

Check this out: Abscam

Saturday, January 11

They Live

Director: John Carpenter

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096256/

Review: Pretty solidly put together with a fun premise and great straight-forward action.

Watch it if: You enjoy a particular type of blunt 80s filmmaking.

And if you liked: A Scanner Darkly, Day of the Dead, The World's End, The Matrix

Check this out: Eight O'Clock in the Morning

Tuesday, January 7

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Director: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844471/

Review: Filled with laughs and charm with some great timing and really funny voice performances.

Watch it if: You're ok with a large amount of silliness.

And if you liked: The Incredibles, 21 Jump Street, Monsters Inc.

Check this out: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs