• Evolution (9.0: cute--scary at times, very funny sometimes)

• The Worst That Could Happen (8.5: a fairly clever movie until the last ten minutes)

• Cats and Dogs (8.97: very cute and wholesome, but the last ten minutes did not to tie up loose ends.)

• Shrek (9.51: very funny, cute, wholesome, and well animated)

• The Score (8.99: a predictable plot, but the setting in Montréal, PQ, the actors, and the script made this enjoyable)

• Legally Blonde (9.3)

• Rush Hour 2 (Though this was a comedic romp, like The Score: 8.99: a predictable plot, but the setting in Hong Kong, China, the actors, and the script made this enjoyable)

• Shallow Hal (Another 8.99: poor climaxing and a weak ending, but enjoyable)

• Ocean's Eleven (Another 9.1: a nice ensemble movie)

• John Q. (8.9: nice, but has implausible ending)

• Van Wilder (9.1)

• Life or Something Like It (9.0: a nice little movie)

• Hollywood Ending (6.8: even ranked as a very small movie, it would be just fair)

• Mr. Deeds (9.0: a nice little movie, which I cannot compare to the original)

• Men in Black II (9.0--good animation and effects, but not quite the original)

• Scooby Doo (8.99--good animation. I'm sorry, but I was a bit attracted to Velma....)

• Sum of All Fears (9.45--NICE! Can't Baltimore keep a football team?!)

• Minority Report (9.2 Pretty good--a little confusing. I knew I should have taken someone with me to explain things afterwards....)

• Austin Powers in Goldmember (9.2 I laughed loudly at crude jokes--this was my first Austin Powers movie.)

• Road to Perdition (9.5 A very nice film, despite the anti-gun message.)

• K19: The Widowmaker (9.24 Nice film: predictable you-don't-know-it's-a-drill opener like in Sum of All Fears.)

• Blood Work (9.0 Nice film: good role for Jeff Daniels.)

• My Big Fat Greek Wedding (9.0 A really cute film: nice to see a small film do big.)

• Signs (9.0 A nice small sci-fi/suspense flick--but not as good as The Six Sense.)

• The Adventures of Pluto Nash (9.0 A nice small sci-fi flick. Randy Quaid excels!)

• Serving Sara (8.9 A fairly funny small film.)

• One Hour Photo (9.33 OK, first, I dress more colorfully. But this is the reason I never took up photography. Why tempt fate? But: finally, a movie from the stalker's point of view. Robin Williams may be nominated for awards for this one.)

• Sweet Home Alabama (9.10 It was cute.)

• The Four Feathers (9.02 Took a bit to get into it, but then I followed it well. It was nice. Kate Hudson is cute.)

• The Tuxedo (9.00 It was cute.)

• The Ring (8.9 It was pretty good. The ending was a bit confusing.)

• Abandon (8.88)

• Tuck Everlasting (9.0 It was cute, but sad.)

• I Spy (8.9 It was cute, but Owen Wilson was playing a sidekick character too similar to the one he played in Shanghai Knights.)

• Solaris (7.8 Nice props, creative stage designs, lots of artsy fade-to-blacks, and intense flashbacks do not make up for a thin plot. Actually, the flashbacks hurt the plot. Silly me, I like to be able to follow a movie.)

• Ghost Ship (8.50 An interesting movie.)

• Analyze That (8.0 I didn't see the original; I hope it was better. Another tacked-on ending.)

• The Hot Chick (9.1 It was funny. Good to see Rob Schneider in a successful film.)

• Star Trek: Nemesis (9.0 It's good to know force fields can keep in life support atmospheric conditions, so why not just make the whole ship's exterior out of them? Better views....)

• Two Weeks Notice (9.35 It was a very nice little film.)

• Maid in Manhattan (9.30 It was a cute little film. I'd really like to see someone actually pretend to be cleaning a bit more realistically though. Rob Schneider had the same problem in The Hot Chick.)

• The Santa Clause 2 (8.99 I didn't see the first film. This sequel was predictable, but nicely done and charming. I saw it on 10 January, but it got me in the Christmas spirit.)

• A Guy Thing (9.10 It was cute. Good role for Julia Stiles.)

• Just Married (9.10 It was more enjoyable than I had anticipated.)

• Kangaroo Jack (8.88 A cute little movie.)

• Far from Heaven (9.44 This film was nicely written and acted. A general theme about the 1950s that I had thought of once: my movie title would have been Everyone Wasn't Always Happy.)

• Real Women Have Curves (8.80 Yes, I'm the one straight, white guy who went alone to this movie in all of America. anyway, one of those slice-of-life/ almost arty movies.)

• Old School (9.00 It made me laugh: job done.)

• Shanghai Knights (9.10 It was funny.)

• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (9.20 It was cute; Kate Hudson was and is cute. It was also funny.)

• Chicago (9.10 Surprising to see new talents coming from established actors and actresses.)

• Bringing Down the House (8.9 It was pretty good.)

• X2: X-Men United (9.1 It was good. I look forward to X3.)

• Boat Trip (8.00 Enjoyable enough. Good to see Horatio Sanz make the movies.)

• View from the Top (8.00 A quirky little comedy, perhaps almost screwball. Memorable stars in smaller roles add to the fun, as do a few extra comedic bits thrown in: John Whitney's office photos with celebrities Sammy Davis Jr., Marty Feldman, and Peter Falk—as Mike Myers' character was cross eyed.)

• Head of State (8.50 I expected edgier stuff from Chris Rock. I had this idea of a man "accidently" becoming President in 1980 and wrote a short story on it for high school's French V class—in French.)

• Malibu's Most Wanted (8.71 This was kind of outrageous.)

• Down with Love (9.0 The company, Denitsa, helped. I appreciated the bow to Doris Day films.)

• Bruce Almighty (8.90 Any movie where Jennifer Anniston is, um, "enlarged" gets points just for the notion.)

• A Mighty Wind (8.7 Although I almost nodded off at certain points early on, I feel the film was intentionally done that way--it was a documentary, after all. I liked how the whole film built up to a kiss.)

• Alex & Emma (9.1 It was a cute little romance.)

• Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (9.1 It was a good. Nice job explaining the new Bosley. How come I get hurt falling from hundreds of feet and they don't?)

• Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde (8.70 It was fairly cute, but would have been better to have gone to see it at the matinée showing, not as an evening—expensive—movie.)

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (9.00 It was pretty good. Nice effects. I've never seen even an abandoned military facility with no security. Works as a movie better, because of the tragic ending, which surprises the viewer.)

• Uptown Girls (9.2 It was a good movie. Maybe I saw aspects of myself in both leads. The two leading parts were very well acted. This was a movie I enjoyed watching.)

• Grind (9.0 I wanted to see Seabiscuit, but the showing times weren't right for me. I relunctantly chose this one. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoy road trip pictures. It was a nice little movie.)

• Seabiscuit (9.30 Confusing at first, but the movie became clear once the horse entered. Perhaps that is what the makers intended. Nice paean to PBS' American Experience.)

• School of Rock (9.1 Jack Black is funny. The movie started out slow, but really picked up after about 20 minutes in. It was a cute movie.)

• 50 First Dates

• Welcome to Mooseport

• Starsky & Hutch

• Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (8.9 I knew Alicia Silverstone was the evil one from the start. 'Course, unlike our heroes, I had seen that face of evil before....)

• The Whole Ten Yards (8.2 Do you really need both halves of a dollar bill to open a Caymans account? That aside, it was OK.)

• 13 Going on 30 (9.1 Critics said it was hard to follow; I found it easy to do so. Jennifer Garner did a very nice job. I don't watch her Alias, so this was my first exposure to her.)

• Mean Girls 9.0

• Laws of Attraction (8.90)

• The Day After Tomorrow (8.8 The effects were pretty good, and the characters likeable, but it followed the same old disaster movie pattern, and one could find that pattern on TV a month earlier with NBC's 10.0. The Core characters at least fixed their global disaster. And enough with the Dick Cheney-esque President's preachy mea culpa at the end.)

• Raising Helen (9.1 Kate Hudson is so her mom, gestures and all--a good thing. But my second feature was also formulaic, and it was released as The WB starts airing Summerland.)

• Shrek 2 (9.28 Should not have gone to a showing on a Saturday afternoon—go figure, hordes of misbehaving little kids were also there. That noise, and going to see Part 2 alone, without a friend, probably reduced my enjoyment. It was cute and funny. The animation was again great.)

• I, Robot (9.0 Nice effects. I like the portrayal of the near future as being about the same as the present.)

• The Manchurian Candidate (8.8 Implausible plot line. As a corporation, why blow money taking over the suite next to the candidate's just to update his implant?)

• Little Black Book (8.0 Even the not-so-happy ending didn't wow me. Brittany Murphy's prat falls are now as common in her movies as Meg Ryan's walking around in white socks at some time in her movies. But it was cute. I just thought it would be funnier--or cuter.)

• Without a Paddle (9.1 It made me laugh. Was some of the plot lame? Yes. But it made me laugh. Good to see Matthew Lillard break away from getting stereotyped as "Shaggy.")

• Shark Tale

• The Incredibles (9.2 Computer animation has come a long way. It was cute.)

• The Wedding Date (9.05 You get a half a tenth just by filming in the English countryside.)

• Constantine (8.9 Rita persuaded me to watch this one. Turned out to be pretty good. But if the devil's son knew what he needed to enter our plane, why even try using the young girl at the beginning? Sure, tip off Keanu.)

• Because of Winn Dixie (9.05 It was my turn to choose. And our own private showing--as a kid's movie starting at 9:45 pm may be. Although basically a cross between My Dog Skip & Big Fish & My Girl, I thought it worked well.)

• Robots (9.0 Good animation. The creativity was more on peripherals and style than the script, however.)

• **The Station Agent (9.35 Good. Accept this as a small movie, and you will enjoy it. The characters and the scenery made this movie--and they are all you need. I hope Peter Dinklage will find additional great roles such as this. A slice-of-life film from 2003. This is the first movie that was rented that I include here.)

• Sin City (9.3 The styling was sharp and it was good--of course, Rita had to explain some of the stuff to me afterwards. Nice ensemble of big-name stars appear.)

• Sahara (9.35 Maybe it was the the setting. I liked this.)

• Fever Pitch (8.9 There was chemistry. Not very over the top for a Farelli Brothers film.)

• Cinderella Man (9.2 Very nicely done. But the union leader--why would Braddock not know the guy who attended his small church? And why was the character in the movie? It seemed superfluous--a forced subplot to give more of the flavor of those desperate times.)

• Bewitched (8.3 Cute, but no cigar.)

• Herbie: Fully Loaded (8.95 Michael Keaton nails being a Disney dad. A very nice addition to the Herbie line--a film that knew its roots were in little Disney movies, stayed to the tradition, but added new elements. And they avoided having someone try to tamper with Herbie's engine, but teased the audience with the notion. Nice. It's good to see a 1963 icon be given a second chance.)

• Fantastic Four (8.9 Humor made it fun.)

• War of the Worlds (8.8 Early on, Cruise's character outruns schrapnel from a large explosion. You can't outrun schrapnel. You just can't. And why must all of Speilberg's aliens look like ET? How the hey could aliens with those physiques have built or operated anything?)

• The Wedding Crashers (9.56 A bit formulaic, but some new humor on some new subjects. I laughed and enjoyed.)

• The 40-Year-Old Virgin (9.0 Sure, he can take an over-the-handle-bars bike accident.)

• The Skeleton Key (9.0 I had a private showing, being the only one in the small theater. Saving the credits till the end caught me off guard--I thought it was another preview. It was a good movie, but as I left, I felt I had seen that plot before.)

• March of the Penguins (8.99 I went to a new venue for me: the Mercersburg Star moviehouse. I was not in the mood to see a documentary--I needed to so see a raucous comedy, not something about pairing off. I zoned out briefly twice, but learned such things as penguins can slide on their bellies and that baby penguins sound like songbirds when they vocalize. It was quite good, but what harshness to endure to live there. The pluses do not outweigh the risks. Back to the movie analysis: it was slow and lacked a lot of color, save the hint of yellow on the adult birds and some shots of the Aurora Australis. But, hello-o-o, it was a movie on penguins set in their Antarctic surrounds. One must grade on a curve.)

• Just Like Heaven (9.0)

• Corpse Bride (8.40)

• Serenity (9.00 Great dialogue, characters, and style. But explanation was too thin on why The Operative just didn't kill them when Mal first refused--but instead went to the trouble of killings so many of their friends. Didn't any one of those "havens" have a defense--especially Mr. Universe? I found The Operative to be a sympathetic character even before he called off his henchmen.

• Elizabethtown (9.23 A cute movie. But, sadly, a fictional movie. There are no real Clares in the world. I thought I met one once, but I got no map from her. And she was a fraud.)

• Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

• Dreamer

• ** Scotland, Pa. (on DVD)

• Just Friends (9.3 A funny movie. It is rare to find a movie that is just the right length.)

• The Family Stone (8.9 Actually better than 8.9, but I deducted points for the advertising campaign that made this out to be a comedy. I don't like lying. It's a "slice of life" movie; and that is OK--just tell me so upfront. Good ensemble--but, coming from a "diverse" family, believe me, no one's that liberal at home. And for the Stones to be so non-accepting of someone who is merely uptight? It happens, sure--but in this film this hypocricy just seemed implausible to me. I don't know why.)

• The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (9.1 Great talking animals. The subtitle is not chronologically correct.)

• Rumor has it (9.0 It ends like I suppose it must inevitably end.)

• Fun with Dick and Jane (8.5 I did not understand the ending. How much was edited from this movie? It had some very funny moments. But there really should have been more movie to see. I felt cheated on discovering what time it was when I got out to the lobby.)

• Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (9.1 I chose this movie simply because it was the only thing besides Kong I had not seen. A funny, family movie. I was delightfully surprised. Maybe I'll see the original some time. [I watched the original on cable Saturday Night, 7 January 2006. It was good too.])

• The Ringer (9.23 I chose this movie because the other movie I had not seen was a horror movie. Despite its premise, this was a funny, family movie! I was again delightfully surprised. Johnny Knoxville and the rest of the cast were very good. Katherine Heigl looks like a young Lisa Kudrow. Why did they recycle--twice--the them from The Magnificient Seven--I got the joke the first time. It's a great theme--for The Magnificient Seven. Hire someone to compose your own. Give someone a job. This movie made me laugh.)

• Pride and Prejudice (9.3 It took me a while to become accustomed to the accents. I got sleepy early, but finally got into it and enjoyed it. The actors all did a fine job, and I discovered formidable terrain in England of which I did not know.)

• Hoodwinked (9.5 One of the best-written and best-animated movies I have seen in a while. Add that I got in for $5, as the counter guy had printed out a wrong-priced ticket before I got there, and it was great!)

• Last Holiday (9.2 A cute, "little" movie--and I like cute, "little" movies. It was great to see the cast be able to appreciate the exotic scenery--most plots will not allow that. This makes a good date movie. ;-)

• Big Momma's House 2 (9.0 Another cute movie. Martin Lawrence really does well as this character. The original was better simply because of its locale--the South--and his character's reactions to it. The second installment's mostly LA setting left little room for a unique take: we've all seen LA and the lifestyles there spoofed before.)

• Nanny McPhee (9.2 Cute movie! We enjoyed it. "Simon," played by Thomas Sangster, very much resembles my nephew Luke when he was that age.)

• Firewall (8.8 Harrison Ford ("Jack") is great, but I expected more conflict. There were false leads. No captor got fresh with the females. No dying captor "came back" for a second finishing off. No resolution: did Jack get cleared of embezzlement and murder?)

• Date Movie (8.3 The actors did a good job with the material they had, and it is good to see Alyson Hannigan get a lead. The movie is campy--now, I know that is what it is supposed to be, but it is not on the same level as Airplane or one of the Scary Movie pictures that are spoof films. I did laugh; I guess it was enjoyable enough.)

• Failure to Launch (8.9 I enjoy a Matthew McConaughey movie, but the plot just was not the thread count for which I hope. Perhaps Sarah Jessica Parker was just too annoying, too similar to her character in The Family Stone. Unnecessary nudity of Terry Bradshaw--but he did well as the father, and Kathy Bates did well as the mom. Again, I did laugh. I stayed to see where scenes were filmed: Oxford, MD and Lewes, DE!)

• The World's Fastest Indian (9.32 I do like my "little movies"! Add that I got to see the film on "comp" time, had company, saw it in a newly-restored, historical theater--Gettysburg's Majestic--and had a lovely supper at The Pub & Restaurant right before and a great dessert afterwards, and it truly was a fine night. Also, it's nice to see an old guy get lucky with the ladies--in both hemispheres even!)

• She's the Man (9.05 It was cute; I was not biased by William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, on which it was loosely based, as I've never read that play. I needed a comedy and I got one.)

• Ice Age 2 (9.29 The movie is great. The subplot with the squirrel is very imaginative, à la the best of the old Warner Brothers cartoons. This was the first movie we had seen there since the 50¢ increase in ticket price.)

• Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector (9.10 I enjoyed this movie, so there. Playing a health inspector, the pronounced flatulence aspect running throughout the film is almost appropriate. In the story of my life, I think Larry's sidekick/costar, Iris Bahr, could well play a certain someone, being Ms. Bahr can do a slight Slavic accent....)

• Scary Movie 4 (8.92 Not as good a plot as its predecessors, but it made me laugh. Leslie Nielsen is a good sport.)

• The Sentinel (8.90 I enjoyed Michael Douglas as the main character, Pete Garrison. But the climax lacked focus, and the film gave no reason for the nemeses' desire to kill the fictional President. Nor was there much reasoning for the First Lady's turning to Garrison. And why was it important to only tell the First lady who the traitor really was? A lot of good that did.

Points for the "German" ending though. All in all, good entertainment.

• The Benchwarmers (8.50 It was lame, but I had to go see it. And I laughed, and I enjoyed.)

• RV (9.20 Kristin Chenoweth and my own RVin' past made me go. Though the movie could've used a few more RV-pertinent gags, it was a very enjoyable movie. How did those raccoons get into the oven?)

• Mission Impossible 3 (9.05 Therapeutic to see someone who looks like Kerri Russell buy it--but, no wait, she said "Thank you," which means her character was appreciative, so with that it blows the comparison--oh yeah, the movie: well, would the bad guys really dive bomb the Bay Bridge and call attention to themselves? Methinks not. But besides car chases that would signal a news bite around the world, and all the other implausibilities one must live with by suspending one's suspicions, a good enough film.)

• The Da Vinci Code (9.11 No, I did not read the book. This was so overpublicized—the Today show became a frickin' infomercial for the film. But, I went. So, big woof if he were married. G-d got some. Why wasn't the quest to find Sarah's tomb? And why not a Second Coming once the G-d genes are disseminated throughout the whole populace?

• Over the Hedge (9.20 It took me a while to get into it, but it was cute. But, another squirrel jacked up on caffeine, à la Hoodwinked--or the hyper squirrel in the Ice Age movies?

• X-Men: The Last Stand (9.30 It took me a while to remember how the last installment ended, but then I was with it?

• Cars (9.34 Both my friend and I kept nodding off during the early parts, but that was us not having had a lot of sleep of late. It is a very cute movie. Very nice scenery--especially for a cartoon. Stay thru the credits--John Ratzenberger gets his due.)

• Nacho Libre (9.6 A small farce acted seriously. Surprised the nun was not Penelope Cruz. I think I'd go see Jack Black in an industrial film--especially if he embellished the film with one of his original songs.)

• Click (9.0 Not as good as I thought it would be, judging from the previews. But it was good. Perhaps could have been longer, with Mike rewinding a few more times to see what he had fast forwarded over. Some nice nods to Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life--at least, I hope they were conscious bows.)

• The Break-Up (9.01 There was some great comedy and funny lines in the movie, but it just wasn't enough. The movie lost its footing as it climaxed and resolved. It truly mirrored a break-up. Perhaps that was the intent, but I went in with the expectation that this was a comedy, and comedies have some type of happy ending.)

• Superman Returns (9.3 The first half of the movie was better than the second half. Saving the jet and new space shuttle was impressive. I could not suspend my belief enough. If Lex Luthor says that his new continent will displace half of the American mainland, I believe him. Instead, Superman saves a few people on one street in one city along the coast, and not much happens to the East Coast. And Superman lifts a continent while still having a chunk of green kryptonite in him. Uh, is he building up an immunity? Seemed like a small continent too. Kate Bosworth is a hot Lois Lane--better'n Erica Durance. Kevin Spacey made a good Lex too.)

• The Lake House (9.21 I liked it. Christpher Plummer had a good role as the idiosyncratic father. But, what was his motivation for leaving the house? And what a coinky-dink that she chose his form for her remodel. The happy ending begs the question: since her letter changed his fate, would he have showed up at the restaurant, since he was still alive? And if he did, why would she have then written the fate-changing letter? I believe scientists call this "The Grandfather Paradox.")

• The Devil Wears Prada (9.23 There's some good career advice in here: take an interest in whatever field you find yourself working in. Ah, but I'm such a systems analyst [nitpicker], will anyone notice? Ann Hathaway looks like the sister of two or three very different people I know.)

• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (9.33 I had not seen the first one, The Curse of the Black Pearl. I was pleasantly surprised by Johnny Depp's characterization. Some nice special effects in this too.)

• You, Me, and Dupree (9.51 A cute, funny movie that was just the right length. Owen Wilson comes into his own in this film--and I'm not referring to the sock scene. Although this too is a buddy movie, Wilson drives this comedy. A nice surprise at the end on Dupree's career direction too--chef, children's teacher or coach, or some type of PR guy for Thompson--these were my guesses. Kate Hudson, as usual, is cute as a button. Well done!)

• A Prairie Home Companion (9.77 This little movie with a big director and cast is really great. Virginia Madsen looks great well-lighted. Her character and story line were a surprise to my expectations going into the film. Lily Tomlin's performance was a bit over the top, but I like Lily Tomlin. Kevin Kline's Guy Noir is a bit Inspector Clouseau-esque, but, again, I like Kevin Kline. After The Devil Wears Prada and this film having her singing well, I am beginning to like Meryl Streep. Prairie's worth the price of admission just for the "Bad Jokes" song!)

• Little Man (8.8 A good enough movie. The special effect of merging a full-grown actor's head onto a midget's body was so well done.)

• John Tucker Must Die (9.01 I mostly went to see if the one actress was the girl from NBC's American Dreams. Yes, it was. It kept me guessing enough; the ending was pretty good.)

• Barnyard (9.41 I chose this movie as it was the one playing closest to my arrival at the cinema, and thus would get me home 40 minutes earlier. I was pleasantly surprised. Sam Elliot has a great voice for "Ben." My problem was the anatomy of the cattle: boy cows are called "bulls," or, if they are unfortunate, "steers"--and neither have udders. Not so in this animated film.)

• The Lost City (9.69 Andy Garcia did well for his first directing gig--and, check it out, he did some of the music for this period piece as well! I believe I have more of a feeling for that time, that situation, and the losses of the Cuban people.)

• Accepted (9.11 Blake Lively—Helen Hunt has come back to me! I enjoyed Justin Long on TV's Ed, and he shines in this movie. Lewis Black's uncle Ben is great. Funny, I have thought about turning abandoned buildings into community colleges—I guess I just think big enough. If they do a sequel--perhaps an entirely different scam--I hope the writing is good.)

• Sketches of Frank Gehry (9.15 Sidney Pollack's documentary does a fine job exposing the process of this outside-the-box architect. Gehry comes across as someone you'd like to work for--or, at least, have as a guest at your dinner party. I would have liked to have known more about his college years--only one instance of a teacher telling him architecture as a career path was wrong for him. He surely must have ruffled more feathers, or did he conform, like on his Rouse Company jobs? I like a film that encourages creativity.)

• Hollywoodland (9.20 Ben Affleck redeems himself here—if he needed redeeming. Excellent "feel" for the era.)

• The Black Dahlia (8.99 A very good "look" for the 1940s, helped along by filming it mostly in Bulgaria. The plot was a bit hard to follow.)

• Open Season (9.23 What a cute, good film. However, I never understood why the duck had teeth, and where the ducks found compadres for the attack, when the two had grounded themselves for fear and lack of a third to form a vee. I don't think children will get the more adult supplementary gags, but the huffing helium scene was inapropriate for a children's movie.)

• Little Miss Sunshine (What an odd little movie that takes on ruining childhood with adult hopes—and adult moves.)

• Employee of the Month (9.00 A good enough movie with the all familiar us vs. them contest.)

• The Prestige

• Flags of Our Fathers

• Flushed Away (9.0 It was surprisingly better than I expected. Yeah! These animators imaginatively created their own cozy, miniature world, and it was nice to visit it.)

• The Santa Clause III: The Escape Clause

• Happy Feet (9.30 It was very good. Of course, it SHOULD HAVE BEEN, with all the pre-hype. It was cute and funny.)

• Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (9.00 Outrageous and funny: but at several times, quite uncomfortable.)

• Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny (8.84 Another Jack Black film, so I'm there. But I just didn't like the ending: too much drug humor.)

• The Queen (9.15 This is a nice character study. Although the theater was surprisingly full for a Wednesday night, I did some of my hand therapy while watching it.)

• Casino Royale (9.0 I still can't always follow something like this. Practically a chick movie with the love and romance.)

• The Holiday (9.50 One of the best movies I've seen this year. It does have a temporal problem, and you see so little of The Cotswolds, England. Glad to see Eli Wallach not have a senior dementia in one!)

• Night at the Museum (9.49 A nice adorable film that you can take kids to—and they might learn something. Robin Williams did a surprisingly understated take on Teddy Roosevelt, and made it a memrable performance.)

• Keeping Mum (9.42 A nice little comèdie noire. Perhaps they should have sworn off murder at the end to appease my righteous heart.....)

• Code Name: the Cleaner

• Marie Antoinette (9.5 Let all of you eat cake, but I liked this film.)

• Running with Scissors (9.50 One of the most bizarre stories I have seen—and it was based on a true story. Surprisingly reminds me of a close relative's life. Good acting. It succeeds: you root for Augusten Burroughs.)

• Epic Movie (8.4 Pretty generic—not up to the Scary Movie series, though these folks tried oh-so-hard to be a carbon copy of them. I got some laughs, but liked paying the matinée price.)

• Because I Said So (8.77 Mandy Moore is cute; I am already on the record with that. This film was a chick flick, but I enjoyed it.)

• Music and Lyrics (9.41 It was cute and clever with nice pokes at 1980s pop culture, as well as current culture. There was good chemistry between the leads. I really enjoyed it.)

• Norbit (8.41 It was a bit painful to see the lead get picked on throughout the movie. I don't like confrontation. The only surprise is that Norbit --Eddie Murphy-- really didn't have to show much backbone in the climax to resolve his predicament. His wife --Eddie Murphy-- was the more complex character, though mean. His foster father --Eddie Murphy-- was the most interesting--how about a movie with him as lead?)

• Reno 911!: Miami (8.80 It was funny. I had once watched the cable show, and did not find that funny--I asked my friend to explain what it was actually--so I was quite happy to enjoy the movie.)

• Wild Hogs (9.20. Recommended by my brother Bob, after he'd seen it with his son Nick. Both of us found it enjoyable at our respective showings.)

• I Think I Love My Wife (9.01 It was pretty good; I like Chris Rock, so I gave it points right there. The Michael Jackson digs will soon date the film though. His evil temptress was far more obvious than mine, but, then, mine was the Devil Incarnate.)

• Amazing Grace (9.33 OK, a period piece, so I of course add marks. And I like Albert Finney. The "feel" wasn't quite right—and, after some research, found a few inaccuracies that may have subconsciously tipped me: Inaccuracies.)

• Spider-Man 3 (9.19 From the opening graphics in, it was good. But Peter Parker puts money in a coin telephone, decides not to place a call, and gets his coin back? When did Spidey get good luck?! Glad to see all the cast back--including Cliff Robertson, who kind of returned from the dead....)

• Delta Farce (9.44 It was a cute movie, and it made me laugh. Good team, good casting.)

• Shrek the Third (9.51 Although not as good as the first two installments, it was a cute movie, and it made me laugh a lot. But how can a frog king have a human nephew? And why didn't he keep better track of the nephew? Poor parental instincts in frogs, it seems. Nice tip to The Sound of Music.)

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (9.21 In this installment, its main characters change loyalties more than in a Mitt Romney positions summary. A little too magical for me, but what can one do to bring back the dead? At 2 hours, 45 minutes, it's a good value for the money.)

• Knocked Up (9.29 I agree with the critique I read before going. It stated there should have been more scenes between the two main characters to build chemistry, and that the trip to Vegas could have been cut. But I set aside my aversion to drug humor --and illegal aliens-- and enjoyed the film.)

• Ocean's Thirteen (9.33 Another good adventure. The audience is always the fourteenth partner. At fim #3 in the series, the finally do a little tribute to Frank Sinatra? So each partner has enough screen time, perhaps the next installment should be a prequel, like Ocean's Ten?)

• ** Miss Potter (9.21 ** on DVD ** OK, I'm a sucker for the English countryside, accents, and peroid films. But what a nice "G" movie.)

• License to Wed (9.00 It was funny, but I left the theater with the nagging suspicion that the whole movie could have been funnier and done just a tad better. Another movie Mandy Moore stars in--but really doesn't take the lead.)

• Lifted (9.36 A cute animated short that opened for Ratatouille below. A nice surprise. It was just the right length and nicely done without words.)

• Ratatouille (9.55 What a fine, well-animated movie! To feel the joy of cooking from an animated movie? Amazing! Wholesome, less the DNA testing and issue of illegitimacy, which needn't have been part of the plot.)

• I Am Legend (9.0 Yes, it made me flinch a few times. Seeing New York City--or London--in decay is getting pretty old. And Will Smith has saved the world so many times he should get a Congressional Medal of Honor. But it was enjoyable. How will "Dr. Neville" come back for a sequel? My guess is the innkeeper of that small, Vermont safe haven of a town will get hit by a golf ball and wake up on the set of the old Bob Newhart Show, and they'll go from there. Just a guess.)

• Fool's Gold (8.8 Not as good as 2003's How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days team-up of Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. Is Kate Hudson so worried about being an imitation of her mother that she can never play the cheery one? Must she always be angry? I like Donald Sutherland, but his intermittent British accent was unnecessary, unless he was trying to build onto the small part. There was already the fake Jamaican accent of Malcolm Jamal-Warner and the token Ukrainian. Someone got an atlas for Christmas--or more likely, Channukah, so we have a Ukrainian instead of the generic Russian. That being written, I wanted to see it, I went against the advice of the reviews giving it an "average" rating, I saw it, and I enjoyed it enough with my friend.)

• Charlie Bartlett (9.12 The previews made it seem more the comedy, a Ferris Bueller for the next generation. Indeed, if there wasn't some idea of 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off in the creators' heads, it would be very odd, as Anton Yelchin (Charlie) has a certain young Matthew Broderick look and sound. Charlie is a bit more neurotic than Ferris, but both end up as unlikely leaders--at least unlikely in the real world. Although I don't care for most movies that involve teenage drug use, nudity, or sex, this movie's take on all of those topics were unique and made it an enjoyable movie. Good to see Robert Downey, Jr. back. Kat Dennings played one attractive quasi-Goth. The film was the right length. I felt this was almost an art film and enjoyed it.)

• Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (9.41 OK, first it's a period piece in an era I like: 1930s. Then, it revolves around an unlikely heroine: a middle-aged single lady. So two pluses right there. I just really liked it—this could pass for an art film, being a nice little film.)

• Baby Mama (9.30 A nice enough movie. Tina Fey graciously lets Amy Pohler loose.)

• Iron Man (9.39 A good movie--and nice contemporization of the long-running comic series. Nice to see a man in his 40s without any special powers can redeem himself and help save the world. Yet another movie with a teaser after the credits. It pays to stay....)

• Speed Racer (9.15 I know; I know... it wasn't my favorite as a kid, far from it, but Rita wanted to see it. Yet she didn't grow up with the cartoon. I was worried it'd be too colorful and the theater would be chockful of kids—neither was reality. A nice take on the animated series. The filmmakers created their own universe, a combination of 60s, 70s, and and current styles, all combined with futuristic arena auto racing. The Racer X subplot was nicely played.)

• What Happens in Vegas (9.20 I enjoyed the movie, as the chemistry was right good. But it seemed there were scenes missing. This movie certainly could have been longer, or edited better. Yet another movie where it pays to stay through the credits—though this time it was not for a sequel tease.)

• Made of Honor (9.20 it was about what I expected. The last scene—in the bedroom—could have been cut. Nice to see Kadeem Hardison get work....)

• You Don't Mess with the Zohan (9.22 A movie on which Rita and I could agree: action—her and comedy—me. The action part was a little over the top—then I realized it was all part of an Adam Sandler movie. Emmanuelle Chriqui is cute.)

• Kung Fu Panda (9.39 Very little of the crudity which I have come to expect even in a PG movie. Nicely drawn and nicely voiced. Good writing, good humor! Already a Jack Black fan— also thought Dustin Hoffman did a great job—to the point I had forgotten he was in the movie, then saw his name in the credits—you could not tell that he was the voice of Master Shifu. Mercifully little of Angelina Jolie, thank you.)

• Get Smart (9.39 A very good tribute to my belovèd TV show, while a good updated version. I know Eric McCormack wanted the Maxwell Smart role, and I was rooting for him, but Steve Carell did a very good job. I knew he could bring the lieability and the humanity to the role that Don Adams brought—so needed for a protagonist who regularly bumbles. Anne Hathaway grew on me as 99 as the film progressed—so much so that I cannot think of another actress besides her for the part, save Barbara Feldon, of course. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, as always, is great, and so good to have him come on, even in a secondary role. Bernie Kopell in a cameo in an Opel—original Max's third (or second) brand of car, Bill Murray in a tree as 13: very nice.)

• Wall-E (8.89 The pace was a little chaotic—starting out woefully slow—too slow to hold a child's interest—then becomes something totally different, but still with an occasional slow spot. I'd like to think this was intentional: start off slow to show the protagonist's isolation and loneliness. If so, it was daring; if not, the director was not thinking of the majority of his potential audience, the children. This film was imaginative, if anything because Disney uses scenes from Hello Dolly, a 20^th Century Fox film, not one of their own old productions—for, once, Disney didn't do another cheap bid in cross-pollination. Wall E's voice was too ET, and I've got a thing against such dolphin sounds, but the character still won me over. The animation is good, as Pixar still has it, despite being absorbed by Disney. I thought it was good, but I think the critics' praise is because of the environmentalistic message. The real moral is we can wait to "fix" the earth, and the bigwigs who think we cannot are wrong.)

• The Love Guru (9.00 OK, it was pretty stupid, but it made me laugh, and that's always good. Verne Troyer did a good job as the hardball coach. Justin Timberlake playing a Celine Dion fan was funny. Ben Kingsley as the cross-eyed mentor—OK, if anything, this kills the "Gandhi" typecast! Nice cameos: how fortunate to get Mike Myers to make an appearance.)

• Hancock (9.12 A great premise in a world like ours. Then that world is betrayed with an unlikely coincidence: LA is not that small of a town; I'm sorry. It seemed the rest of the movie was an attempt to smoothe over that punch in the face—as a result, I doubt this hero will get a sequel, much less a series of films. But it was a daring surprise; I just think the film could have done better without it. Jason Bateman and Will Smith do excellent jobs with the material. Charlize Theron once again gives me the creeps for some reason, though that helped in this role.)

• Hellboy II: the Golden Army (9.20 I liked the humor—and that Hell Boy is another superhero older than I am.)

• Mamma Mia! (9.25 It took a while to get into "musical mode," but I got there. The scenery was spectacular: Greece and Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). The filmakers should have either updated the setting of the flashbacks and photos to the early 80s or established that the film's present time setting was the mid-to-later 1980s—else Sophia was not 20. Also, how could Sam (Pierce Brosnan) have grown kids when he married after his dalliance with Donna (Meryl Streep)? Yes, his children could be 19 and 18—adults—but the implication, to me, was that he had children who were older than Sophie, that he'd been there, in this situation, with them.)

• The Dark Knight (9.37 Heath Ledger rules the movie—a wonderful performance!)

• Tropic Thunder

• Step Brothers

• House Bunny (9.09 Movie cute. Anna Faris cute.)

• Burn After Reading (Disturbing. A truly dark comedy.)

• My Best Friend's Girl (8.99 Dane Cook makes the movie. A little too much profanity and the scene where he imparts carnal knowledge to little boys goes well past the "assh-le" he was striving to be and into sick pervert territory—or a Barack Obama sex ed program. The film sadly makes Kate Hudson less than cute— something she's been wanting in all her career, to avoid being her mom. It was the pick-me-up I'd hoped, but I did get some good laughs out of it, especially when Alec Baldwin appears.)

• Ghost Town (9.25 Ricky Gervais plays me in this movie—but I don't see dead people. Greg Kinnear gets better and better in each movie I see him in. It was a good cast. My questions: 1. Why not make the film a little longer? 2. What about World War II nurse? She discovered Pincus' gift, yet we didn't see her resolution. 3. What about naked guy? 4. How did Frank tell Bertram his dream in time? The light was already coming on, and Frank hadn't begun, and Bertram was going back into his body. 5. Does Bertram Pincus still see dead people after the accident? 6. Sequel?)

• Blindness (9.00)

• Sex Drive (?.00 Seth Green as an Amish man makes this movie.)

• Body of Lies (9.22 Pretty gritty—or gritty enough. Leonardo DiCaprio plays a full adult and blends well into the scenarios he's thrust into. Russell Crowe does a nice job with his character.)

• Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (?.00)

• It Happened One Night (9.33)

• Zack and Miri Make a Porno (9.05)

• Soul Men (9.45)

• Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (9.05)

• Role Models (9.25)

• Quantum of Solace (9.31 Good. Very good.)

• Four Christmases (9.05 Thankfully much better than the reviews it had received. I'm getting over my Kristen Chenowith "thang"—but not so my Reese-aphilia, though RW ("Kate") was rather bland after the bar pick-up opener. Not the best of chemistry between "Kate" and "Brad," but both were good, and it was a good movie to see on my holiday. Nice surprise cameos by Tim McGraw and Dwight Yoakam, and a seemingly uncredited Carol Kane. And add Peter "Real People" Billingsley in a cameo as a ticket agent—as the film's executive producer.)

• Australia (9.65 An epic. Though most of the obvious allusions to the two most memorable films of 1939 are to The Wizard of Oz, it's much more of a Gone with the Wind—with adult themes like murder, war, and unmarried sex. So though rated as PG-13, I would not take a child under 16 to see it. Audience rating aside, it was a very good film.)

• E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (9.05 OK, I'm 26½ years late, but I am certain I saw the 20^th anniversary edition of 2002 on the wide screen of The Capitol Theatre. There were scenes where I finally cared about the puppet, so it was a success. I think the kids using such foul language was a bad example in a film geared to be a family movie. Also a bad example was set by the mother leaving her young children alone on two occasions: first Elliot while she believed he was ill and then Gertie, 7, while she went to visit Elliot's principal. Wrong and risky behavior— and a foreshadow of real life a quarter of a century later, where men and women want to have it all and end up treating parenthood as a hobby. The bright spot was seeing and remembering how badly Halloween and Mischief Night had gotten in those times—vandalism we thankfully no longer have to such an extent.)

• The Day the Earth Stood Still (8.33 OK, you have to wade through the acting—and the actors did the best they could with the script they got— to get to the better special effects, which, on reflection, don't make sense— even a nanotech locust has to release what it has ground up eventually. And how would the big robot turn into tiny locusts? To me, the film showed the hypocrisy of the enviro-Nazis: notice how the aliens wanted to destroy the earth and rebuild it— it was their way was somehow better? And their transgalactic movements were eco-friendly and abductions of innocents for cloning were necessary evils for the greater good? It made me as sick as these green reds, who espouse the environmental needs to justify their taking away of your rights. I regret missing seeing The Secret Life of Bees for this diatribe.)

• White Christmas (9.25 OK, I'm finally getting to see this classic in its entirety—but on the wide screen of The Capitol Theatre. Sure the war zone scene was fake looking, but the lodge was pretty. And sure, it was a co-winkydink that the girls just happened to be headed to the one place the general had purchased—but I teared up when his boys sang to him. Is it just me or did Dean Jagger—"Major General Waverly"—look a lot like Al Haig? I always enjoy seeing a Mary Wickes performance.)

• Seven Pounds (9.44 One of Will Smith's best performances. It's amazing what you can do with a badge. I didn't find it drawn out, but will agree with other critics on the implausibility of the complete eye transplant to Ezra.)

• Rachel Getting Married (8.65 This family is ridiculously whacked—to the point that a liberal would say they are "out there." The contrivance does not help me to believe in this-slice-of-life movie. Anne Hathaway does a good job as the troubled young woman; thankfully, she doesn't fall off the wagon to make the movie into a complete cliché. All of the slowness—particularly the rehearsal dinner toasts—yeah, we get it: nobody's noticing at all a white woman is marrying a black man, you are all, every single one of you, happy with the pairing—does not make me care more, add to the film, or make the plot more believable. I don't live in s uch a world, so you might as well add some flying airships to your parallel universive and jack up the art deco. Yet this carnival trying to be serious is all there, sometimes in grainy film, which only makes the whole film look better if grading on a curve; I did not.

(The film does get better: yes, Kym's rambling toast that's a big clinker is something I've experienced and was uncomfortable to witness even in third person. Fine. The wedding ceremony "style" was over the top and sad. What did that song by Neil Young have to do with Rachel? Do you put a song into a movie just 'cauz Neil will lend you the rights?

(The "what Kym did mystery" was solved early on in the film, quicker than even Ben/ Tim's mystery in Seven Pounds. Anne Hathaway milks Kym's nicotine addiction for all it's worth, but the nut job fumbling for a smoke is so old, even if it's statistically true and anecdotally confirmed by my own life experiences. In the end though, it really is all about Kym, and though you wish 'em all well, you wish Kym better. Now you understand her. Perhaps the surpise freezing rain on leaving the theater dampened my mood: having to walk to my car and then drive 26 miles home in the mess was tedious.)

• Bedtime Stories (8.70 It was enjoyable enough, but none of the vignettes were played deep enough or through. It seemed like the editors cut too much of the film in editing. Adam Sandler's character was not too goofy—how strange. I didn't recognize Lucy Lawless. The guineau pig was well done—was any of him real?)

• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (9.34 A period piece that was well done. Nice bit of Southern charm thrown in too. It kind of fizzles at the end—just like most lives do.)

• Yes Man (9.25 Jim Carrey wasn't super-hyper in this one, so I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. The Red Bull scene was over the top—I would have left it out. "Allison" (Zooey Deschanel) is the quirky one, and she and "Carl (Jim Carrey) have good chemistry. Rhys Darby was good as "Norman," and though a bit distracting with his Austin Powers look, he created a character that was nerdy but very likeable. Terence Stamp was exactly the right actor to play "Terrence Bundley." It was a positive movie, and I needed that.)

• Valkyrie (9.01 I thought Tom Cruise did a good job with this small story—a story with an outcome everyone knew going in. But there was the story, and a good part of it which I did not know: how close they came to pulling off the coup d'étât. Perhaps a little more examination of how things went after the explosion was in order. And the Nazis have always been portayed as having everyone bugged—yet this conspiracy group not only existed, but recruited new members. David Bamber gives a nice, refreshing, low-key perfprmance as the world's favorite madman, Hitler, but the shot of the vegetarian meal for our boy Dolf, I've read, may not be accurate.)

• Bride Wars (9.00 Truly a chick flick, embarassingly so. It got better in the final third, but predictably so.)

• Gran Torino (9.44 Surprisingly, a lot of humor with this crotchety old, bitter man. Sad for the Seven Pounds ending, but realized that the truth of the movie is that The White Man's Burden is not over.)

• Coraline (in 3D) (9.22 My first three-dimensional movie—cool. I enjoyed it.)

• Watchmen (9.15 Enjoyable—cool. I had some concerns with this alternate-timeline's plot, but the acting and effects were good. That being written, with the graphic nudity and sex, I was surprised it could pass for an "R" movie.)

• I Love You Man (9.20 Although uncomfortable in the scenes where Peter is prospecting for best friends, it clicks with the arrival of the true thing. Although the plot thereafter was very predictable, the ride to the finish was enjoyable.)

• Sunset Boulevard (9.29 A good print of the film, though the sound was out of sync at times. I han't known much of Gloria Swanson's or William Holden's work; how fortunate that I am introduced to some of their best. Note that Ms. Desmond was washed up at all of 50 years of age.
Nicely done: John F. Seitz's good look—appropriate look in black and white; nice touches of authenticity such as with Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H.B. Warner as friends and Hedda Hopper in the closing scenes. C.B. DeMille and Erich von Stroheim did nice work in front of the camera here. Nancy Olson was the Molly Hagan of her day. As I drove home, I wondered if I would ever buttle for someone....)

• Knowing (7.00 I was expecting the typical Nicolas Cage vehicle: he has a problem, figures it out slowly through the movie, then saves the world—or a good part of the world—at the end. That was what the previews insinuated. Instead, his character here finds the problem in the first five minutes and figures most of it out in the first ten. The rest is preposterous. Why would aliens go to all that trouble? Why warn us at all? Why not use their super technology to sield the earth from the blast—it seems that would be less trouble for them. I was thoroughly disappointed: a worse ending than The Day the Earth Stood Still. Preposterous. Kind of a new-tech/ new-age Casablanca.
Did Mr. Cage agree to this movie because it went against his usual formula? A sorbet between his regulars, if you will? Does he hope that this will put suspense back into his next film, where we will ponder if he'll be able to save the day, or just be a sacrifice?
My lowest rating, at least in a long while: 7.00. You have to give points because it stars Nicolas Cage and he gave it his best, and the special effects don't come cheap. But: I'm damn tired of massive CGI destruction. Buy a building—a single, g-ddam building—torch it and film the burning....)

• Observe and Report (8.48 It was a fun romp. Anna Farris was underused, as were the Yuan twins. Collette Wolfe does the cute girl well. Why must all of Seth Rogen's films have an inconsequential drug episode? Could not figure out where I'd seen Celia Weston before—oh, yeah, on TV's Alice.)

• 17 Again (9.15 Chosen because I needed a comedy and it was the only one available, I had reservations going in. But it was a nice, cute little comedy, with little bows to It's a Wonderful Life, Back to the Future, and Miracle on 34th Street.)

• Obsessed (9.15 It was between this movie and State of Play. This was a good movie. More an Idris Elba film than Beyoncé's—but she gives a better cat fight than they ever pulled off on Dynasty.)

• Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (9.01 A cute little movie: you knew where it was going from the get-go, but you enjoyed the ride.)

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine (9.33 Enjoyable. They really skimmed over the "soap opera" that began the film. For Sabertooth, I guess there wasn't a defining momement when he got callous? Just a gradual thing over the wars? And why did they come to America? To hide out?)

• Star Trek (8.75 Disappointing, as I have blogged on elsewhere. The franchise? Evidently, it's "run out of power," though it doesn't seem they've "given all they've got." To me, "It's dead, Jim.")

• Duplicity (9.29 The flashbacks, however well-labeled, were meant to complicate a simplistic plot. It was unnecessarily hard to follow. Why not create a more complicated plot and drop the device? I even could foresee the end's twist. With the travel agent, did anyone else déjà vu to the seduction of the young nurse in Catch Me If Your Can? But the chemistry between the leads was pretty good.)

• Funny Girl (9.30 On the wide screen of The Capitol Theatre, a fairly good print of the film. It kept me guessing, as I was sure Nick would be a no good and Fanny would end up with her guy pal. No—at least on film. The film is about as loose with the real story of Fanny Brice as one can be. And as others have noted, Fanny's hair was more 1960s than period.)

• Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (9.30 A nice premise for the sequel. OK, I bought the bit, but was America's unfortunate aviatrix at all concerned on her husband? And how does one fly in a prop from D.C. to New York in 1½ hours? And did Ms. Earhart turn back to mannequin en route back to the Smithsonian? Anyone hurt on the ground?)

• Angels and Demons (9.30 It was an enjoyable enough adventure. Nice take on the explosion: new, slightly different, and understated. Always enjoy an Ewan McGregor performance—and actually recognized him this time around.)

• Up in 3-D (9.79 A beautiful movie. Although I appreciated the heights in the movie not totally being translated to three dimensions, I had some trouble with the effect overall, even in the previews.)

• Dance Flick (7.99 Not the best of the Wayans movies, but it did make me laugh and was good consolation when the Capitol Theatre could not run their scheduled The Music Man due to "technical difficulties." But the side stories were not really resolved. Even in a multi-spoof, this should be done.)

• A Streetcar Named Desire (9.05 On the wide screen of The Capitol Theatre, a fairly good print of the film, though I could not understand all of the dialogue. Whether this was the sound quality, Tennessee Williams being over the top, or Brando's famed mush-mouthiness, I cannot decide. So they had English teachers who were perverts even back then?)

• The Proposal (9.33 Yes, I got teary-eyed once. It was cute. Hang around for the closing credits.)

• The Hangover (9.59 I'm still laughing. Old premise, very new details. The writers were thinking, and I thank them for it.)

• Public Enemies (9.59 Johnny Depp does a good job, as expected. Nice long movie at 2 hours, 23 minutes. My dad would have noticed the automobile and train anachronisms; I did not.)

• Mary Poppins (9.50 On the wide screen of The Capitol Theatre, a fairly good print of the film, though I could not understand all of the dialogue—English and all of that, guvnuh. A lot of imagination in the story, especially Admiral Boom, the neighbor who operates a ship from his house roof.)

• Funny People (8.00 I laughed a good bit in this film—but jokes didn't help the story. Does every comic thing about his groin that much? Never have so many cameos been for nought. Poor editing—and did I mention the disjointed story? And must every film by Director Judd Apatow have at least one token bong in it?)

• The Time Traveler's Wife (9.00 It's official: all of the neat ways to justify time travel and portray the effect have long ago been done. A nice enough story—but not the pick-me-up I had hoped for after earlier in the day making a decision that will most likely ruin me, and still being mournful. Add that by a third of the way through, I had finally figured out of whom Rachel McAdams reminded me. Double whammy.)

• The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard (8.15 It started off good, but instead of developing characters, the writers began the sequel about 1/3 of the way through. It made me laugh, but I came out somewhat disappointed, because it had a lot of the elements of being a really good comedy. Unfortunately, everyone stopped trying before the ending.)

• Shorts (9.00 I found the movie to be imaginative: a parody of the real-world that finds itself changed with a wishing rock.)

• Julie & Julia (9.27 Although the ending was bland, the build-up was truly fine. Meryl Streep's Julia is someone you want to meet and regret that you cannot. Good to see Jane Lynch playing someone other than a shrink. Even I knew that mail Jeep was out of place in 1961—and a Net search confirms it.)

• District 9 (9.33 Yes, there was a lot of old science fiction ideas in there—but none were used as they have been. Finally, a hero like me; i.e., a wuss. The big question many of us have, as confirmed on the Net: how did the aliens get so many weapons into Ditrict 9 if they could not go back up to the ship? Were all these weapons in the "drop ship"?)

• Jennifer's Body (9.30 Wow! Two Simmonses acting: J.K. and Johnny. Not related. I found the movie to be enjoyable: it didn't make the situation melodramatic. First encounter with Megan Fox, as I don't like Transformers; had seen Amanda Seyfried in Mamma Mia. Ms. Seyfried carries the film well. Question: is it really demonic possession, or are we seeing Needy's hallucinations— the onset of schizophrenia, triggered by the tavern fire? Tidbit: Devil's Kettle is in Minnesota; the movie is filmed in western Canada.)

• Adam (9.40 A nice piece of work, though it leaves one hanging some. The ending is not what one would expect.)

• Love Happens (9.00 A good enough worry, but I never quite believed Burke wasn't being fake with his audience— even with the hot coals scene. At least I didn't until after refelcting on the movie afterwards. Is this me or the movie? Having had blistered feet, I don't think he'd recover so quickly.)

• Astro Boy (9.29 I don't buy DNA storing memories or A.B. surviving the pro-anti explosion—not with an energy that powerful, but it was a nice story.)

• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant (9.36 Much better than I had hoped—so much so that I forgot to eat the Dum Dum lollipop I had snuck in.
Comments on the cast: Chris Massoglia seemed to be a young Ashton Kutcher. Another different role for the versatile John C. Reilly. Had seen Frankie Faison a few week ago in a meatier role in Adam, and Kristen Schaal in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard. "Mr. Tiny" was "Ian Ware" on TV's Fame.
Comments on the plot: Another take on vampires, but perhaps we shouldn't have any more hero vampires—one: out of deference to Christianity; two: because now it's getting to be trite itself. Perhaps too much time setting up a sequel that most likely will never come. Per research, I see they departed from the first book's plot some, though I don't see why.
I recommend it.)

• 2012 (8.90 The CGI was great, but the auto escape was totally unbelievable.)

• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (9.32 Here was the apocolyptic story that I was waiting for—all the while being appropriate for the entire family. It's a very nice story, and I recommend it.)

• Holiday Inn (9.40 It was the highlight of my week.)

• White Christmas (9.36 Yes, I saw it last December 2008—when I rated it 9.25—and am glad I went again!)

• Sherlock Holmes (9.30 Beginning to really like Robert Downey, Jr. He and Jude Law had good chemistry. I have good chemistry with Rachel McAdams, if you know what I mean. Liked how the closing credits went from modern film to 1920s-style "shaky" film to sepia-toned sketches. I smell sequel.)

• Leap Year (9.11 Yes, an "away" film, so I was partial already. One of Amy Adams' better roles. Matthew Goode was good too. In my killing two hours before this "matinée" was to start, I stayed a little too long in the soon-to-close Waldenbooks, and I missed the previews and the early part of the film, most of the set-up in New York before the flight to Ireland— er, Wales.)

• Surf's Up (9.30 What a well-done film. I enjoyed the documentary style and the old film flashbacks.)

• Alice in Wonderland (3-D) (9.29: OK, I found Alice attractive. They do make pills that let women's dresses fall to the floor, but not quite in the same way.)

• It's Complicated (I did not appreciate the drug and alcohol use being used as a device to move along the plot, but the movie was enjoyable.)

• Hot Tub Time Machine (9.25 OK, I buy the premise except: How did their 2010 luggage get back to 1986? But I truly enjoyed it! Crispin Glover joins Mary Steenburgen as being in two totally different time travel movies.)

• How to Train Your Dragon (3D) (9.25: It was a good film—amazing the Norsemen all sounded like Scots, but gave work to Craig Ferguson, so hey.)

• Date Night (9.08: Enjoyable enough, with a few scenes where I was laughing almost off my chair. I think I missed one of the best scenes, near the climax, as I had a rare cinematic instance for me when I needed to use the restroom oh-so-very-badly and was absent for a time.)

• Jailhouse Rock (9.20 If only Elvis in real life had been as astute in business as his character, Vince Everett. It's tragic Judy Tyler was lost right after this movie was shot.)

• Death at a Funeral (2010) (9.20 Yet another film of late that was keen on using a hard drug as a plot device—but, suspending my disdain, I laughed quite a bit. However, I thought something just didn't quite click, and that Chris Rock's gift delivering of humor was very under-used. I discovered that Peter Dinklage appeared in both this 2010 and the original 2007 versions as the same character.)

• Shrek Forever After (3-D) (9.20 Not as clever or funny as the first three, but still quite enjoyable.)

• The Philadelphia Story (9.44: Although I couldn't understand some of the 1940s fast talk, it was a good movie with some unexpected twists—unexpected at least for me. It cheered me up.)

• Inception (9.38 Something a bit different, with a little Sixth Sense twist. Ariadne seems to get the whole concept a little too easily.)

• Red (9.40 Really got into it. John Malkovich is a hoot.)

• Tangled (9.33 Nicely done. I was surprised by who did the voice leads.)

• Secretariat (9.40 John Malkovich's character was amusing enough to put aside his terrible lack of conviction as a French Canadien. One of the few movies I've seen where the audience spontaneously applauded—favorably—at the end.)

• Gulliver's Travels (8.01 A nice enough movie, perhaps best seen on a rainy afternoon, not a cold winter night. I do question it passing with a PG rather than a PG-13: bathroom humor.)

• What's Your Number? (9.20 Good to see Anna Faris getting better—starring—roles. There were times when Chris Evans looked a lot like James Franco in this.)

• Something Borrowed (9.25 Ginnifer Goodwin and the other cast members did a good job. It was surprising to see Kate Hudson in a mere supporting role. The story kept me guessing. Do stay for most of the credits, as there is a surprise midway through.)

• 50/50 (9.40 This captures a modern man-man relationship. Very funny at times and poignant at others. The actors all shine in their performances: each character is "real." Yet another left movie stressing the "healthiness" of marijuana use—the one thing I hated about it.)

• Moneyball (9.30 I liked that I didn't need a full understanding of baseball to understand what they were doing.)

• Puss in Boots (2-D)

• The Ides of March (9.25 Enjoyable film.
(Fully captures the Ultimate Democratic candidate: good looks, talk of adherence to The Constitution, ludicrous spending on pipe dreams that fully disprove it, demand for madatory participation in a one-size-fits-all take-over of a heretofore NGO sector, the honor badge of no religious affiliation, humping an intern or two, a mysterious death, back door deals, and extortion.
(George Clooney gets it—who'd've thought?)

• Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance (9.09 Not as good as the original, but entertaining.)

• The Three Stooges (8.90 I thought it was cute. Each of the actors playing the trio made a good homage to the original character. The boys who played the Stooges at 10 were very good as well.)

• The Avengers (2-D) (9.20 A good-sized movie—and my money's worth at $3.00.)

• Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2-D) (9.10 Very imaginative and enjoyable. One question: why would a Russian tiger be named "Vitale"?)

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (9.55)

• Clue (9.00)

• Red River (9.33)

• It Happened One Night (9.61)

• Skyfall (9.22)

• Silver Linings Playbook (9.50: Almost an art film, gutsy for exploring new territory. But I don't know why two Philadelphians with no Maryland residences would be inmates at a Baltimore mental institution.)

• Olympus Has Fallen (9.00: OK, could not quite recover from the wrong trees at Camp David--and there's no bridge on MD Route 77 that high from which Limo One could plunge. But the rest of the graphic backgrounds were pretty good, and I couldn't quite ever predict the plot.)

• The Big Wedding (8.88: Implausible plot, but refreshing in that no drugs were used, only liquor. I enjoyed it.)

• The Lone Ranger (9.00: Surely there had to be a simpler way to secretly mine the silver and get it to San Francisco—all the while taking over the railroad, but fun. The factual errors were a bit jarring, such as the Transcontinental Railroad passing through Texas, and no President Grant at the completion ceremony, along with a few more. But, I enjoyed it.)

• Red 2 (9.12: Fun. I enjoyed it.)

• World War Z (8.90: Although a different genre, I can paraphrase what I wrote about The Big Wedding: Implausible cause, but refreshing in that no drugs were used, only liquor. I enjoyed it.And, to add: it did scare me a couple of times. How come none of the reviews I've read call this movie a more mobile I Am Legend? The antagonists are so similar.)

• The Wolverine (2-D) (9.25: Knowing it took place in Japan—and Asian locales and actors becoming more and more forced into American films to please our financial "masters"—I went in with a grudge. But it was well done—with a nice tease midway in the closing credits.)

• 2 Guns (9.10: The chemistry between Trench and Stigman made up for a predictable, worn plot. I am hoping for a sequel, but with a better story line.)

• Monster University (8.88: I had not seen Monsters, Inc., so did not know what I was in for. It was cute enough—and I didn't predict the ending. As everyone was leaving, and the Theatre was cleaning up, I did not stay and see the end-of-credits sequence where the slug monster finally gets to class. Perhaps the Theatre didn't continue with the film anyway.)

• Interstellar (9.25: I came in not knowing anything about this film being made. I figured Matthew McConaughey would make it the best he could, and he did. The film's title is almost a double entendre, what with the famous actors in supporting roles.
There are key suspensions of belief one must make: that man is anywhere near able to travel to Saturn in the near future, that man could find a new planet and land there, and that we can make snarky robots. The robot characters made up for their preposterous look—they truly looked like they were made out of cardboard boxes spray painted a matte black!
Also a Grandfather paradox problem with the tesseract and the artificial wormhole being created by earth—or, more likely, Edmundian—future people to save their ancestors. Don't talk to me about half probabilities.
But at 169 minutes, hey, you certainly get your money's worth.)

• St. Vincent (9.5: Bill is the man!
More of a character study than a plot-driven film. Melissa McCarthy is barely in the movie, and really has only one Melissa-esque scene, the parent-teacher conference.
OK, I teared up at the school assembly. So it gets extra points for that.
Finally, a film that shows the future of the me generation, old and singing along with Dylan while playing with a garden hose.)

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