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01. Julia (2008, France) Erick Zonca -

a must see [B+]
Gritty, raw, powerful stuff. Declares Zonca as someone to explore deeper, reconfirms Swinton’s goddess status, and makes me wonder why foreigners always make the best American films?

02. Extras -- Season 2 (2006, UK) Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
Takes a turn for the worse from the first season ..

03. Extras -- Season 3 - Special (2007, UK) Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant
Wraps up beautifully. Gervais and Merhcant have a true brilliance when it comes to endings. I never could shake the feeling however that this would have made for a better film than a series...

04. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964, USA) Robert Aldrich -

worth seeing

05. The Lives of Others (2006, Germany) Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck -

a must see [B]

06. While She Was Out (2008, USA) Susan Montford -

has redeeming facet [D+]
Psuedo-feminist horror only works when it understands the genre. Montford has no concept of it, adding over-the-top gore effects to the death scenes for no reason other than ensure a slot in a few Genre Film Festivals. From the abusive husband to the Christmas shopping anxiety setup, this could have been something -- and while it is never completely without value -- for this to have truly worked it needed a great deal more craft and execution from the director. Scripts just don’t make themselves into a movie.

07. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954, USA) Stanley Donen -

Excellent
I kept thinking during this one about how a masculine musical such as this would make a terrific double bill with a Shaw Brothers martial arts extravaganza.

08. Doubt (2008, USA) John Patrick Shanley -

worth seeing [C+]

09. Frankenstein Created Woman (1967, UK) Terence Fisher -

a must see

10. The Burrowers (2008, USA) J.T. Petty -

has redeeming facet [D]

11. It! (1966, UK) Herbert J. Leder -

a must see

12. Alucarda (1978, Mexico) Juan López Moctezuma -

has redeeming facet

13. Star Trek (2009, USA) J.J. Abrams -

worth seeing [C+]

14. Wendy and Lucy (2008, USA) Kelly Reichardt -

Masterpiece [A]

15. Pump Up the Volume (1990, Canada) Allan Moyle -

Masterpiece

16. Re-Cycle (2006, Thailand) Oxide Pang & Danny Pang -

worthless [F]

19. The Foot Fist Way (2006, USA) Jody Hill -

a must see [B]

20. In the Folds of the Flesh (1970, Italy) Sergio Bergonzelli -

has redeeming facet

21. Starcrash (1978, Italy) Luigi Cozzi -

worth seeing

23. Gimme Skelter (2007, USA) Scott Phillips -

has redeeming facet [D+]

24. One-Eyed Monster (2008, USA) Adam Fields -

has redeeming facet [D]
A porn shoot at a secluded mountain cabin goes sour when an extraterrestrial takes residence in Ron Jeremy’s better half and one by one, starts picking off the cast and crew. Potential for late night fun is largely wasted as the film fails to deliver on the sex or the gore promised by the set-up. By taking on a project like this, the filmmaker has to be willing to cross the line and deliver all matter of tasteless depravity. Frank Hennenlotter did so in Bad Biology – the Field’s brothers did not.

25. Beyond Re-Animator (2003, Spain) Brian Yuzna -

worth seeing [C+]
Yuzna has been a bit unpredictable ever since he took up residence in Spain and started churning out Euro-productions reminiscent of late 1970’s Italian psychotronica. This is one of his stronger outputs of late – featuring Screaming Mad George in full out prosthetic glory and servicing a competent re-hash of the Stuart Gordon classic – it’s hard not to have fun with this one.

26. Fine, Totally Fine (2008, Japan) Yosuke Fujita -

worth seeing [C-]
The best reviewed Japanese film of 2008? Call me baffled Midnight Eye…

27. My Bloody Valentine 3-D (in 2-D) (2009, USA) Patrick Lussier -

has redeeming facet [D]
The slasher cycle of horror movies were remaking themselves over and over again with their formulaic set-ups, so making this ‘official remake’ in 2009 is beyond puzzling and moves into downright laughable terrain. There is nothing really of note here, besides a risky and somewhat creative sequence involving a fully nude victim, the majority of this picture devotes its creativity to servicing the 3-D gimmick.

28. Xtro (1983, UK) Harry Bromley Davenport -

has redeeming facet
One those movies that I think you needed to see as a kid on bad VHS. Viewed today I’m more or less left scratching the head.

29. Le grand Méliès (1952, France) Georges Franju [short, B&W, 32 min] - average

30. Georges Méliès First Wizard of Cinema Disc 1-- A Selection of 50 Shorts
Highlights include: The Vanishing Lady (1896) - ***, The Haunted Castle (1896) - ***, After the Ball (1897) - ****, The Astronomer's Dream (1898) - **** Masterpiece, Four Troublesome Heads (1898) - ***, Suicide of Colonel Henry (1899) - ***, The One Man Band (1900) - ***, The Magic Book (1900) - ***, Man With the Rubber Head (1901) - ***

31. The Dead Pit (1989, USA) Brett Leonard -

worth seeing