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A rip-off of all the good Alien rip-offs. There’s a sex scene in tight blue spandex and the robot sidekick (who doesn’t even make any good jokes) is called Tin-Pan. Lots of sweaty Marc Singer. You’ve been warned.

If De Palma had made this about Vietnam in 1968 film scholars would still be having heart attacks about it.

Of course, he couldn’t have made it like this, as “prosumer video” is a big part of it. I’d like to think that BDP is savvy enough to know that those horrible wipes undercut every well-intentioned scene. Not sure how to explain away some of the bad acting, though.

This mixed-media, mixed-message anti-American (let’s be honest) propaganda piece is a fascinating cri de coeur from an ever-growing irrelevant master of formalist film. I’m glad he made it, I’m glad I saw it, but I wouldn’t recommend to you as other than a curiosity piece.

I read the total run of the Black Widow comics from this spring til the end of the year and I enjoyed them a great deal. This was the next step with some of those characters and it is also. . .where I get off.

It’s convoluted storytelling and mindless fight scenes with not-that-interesting art. Probably for hardcore Marvel fans only, not a curious DC fan like myself.

Merde. Surprising, how much I enjoyed Swimming Pool. Avoid this one at all costs.

It took me a while to realize just why Deadwood is so fantastic. So many of the recent longform television shows are described as “long movies.” Deadwood is a long piece of theater.

There are only a few sets and, barring some murderous action in the first few episodes, there isn’t that much action. It’s all about the acting, all about the dialogue.

My initial feeling once I finished Season 1 was to jump immediately to Season 2. But since I know there are only two more seasons to go, I want to tease this one along for a while.

Oh – and this show is absolutely filthy and disgusting. I only watch it when Ann isn’t around. I don’t want her judging me.

Today was the day I read over 400 pages of John Byrne’s Next Men.

It’s got everything you can want – conspiracy, intrigue, whacked-out sci-fi, muscled heroes bashing each other and even some sexy dames (if you are into dames who look like the cover of the Duran Duran Rio album cover.)

I find Next Men to be far more enjoyable and relatable than anything I’ve read of the X-Men.

And here’s where I say something truly shocking. I think this movie is good, not great. This is the second time I’m seeing it, so I’m confirming my earlier belief. Call me a philistine if you must.

The ending drags on and on forever.

This is something of a troublesome movie. For as many really cool moments as there are, there are also a lot of boneheaded things in it, too. I like to focus on the positive, so this supernatural suspense/sci-fi in Afghanistan picture is okay in my book.

An out of continuity (I think) 12-part tale from 2008 that isn’t all that dissimilar from a bunch of other Batman tales. A new baddie is on the loose and somehow he is involving all the well-known Rogues in ways you wouldn’t normally expect.

What sets this collection apart is actually giving some good panel time to Alfred and Kelley Jones’ really outrageous artwork.

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation – Oscar Wilde

If I am not me, then who the hell am I? – Arnold Schwarzenegger as Quaid in Total Recall

Read more at UGO.com.

A horror/indie drama/thriller/social commentary from Mexico City that is a poster child for Less is More.

The more I think about this movie the more I like it.

Read my full review at UGO.com.

If you are 13, you will like this movie.

You can read my full review at UGO.com.

As a story, it ain’t that impressive, but as for choreographed gunplay it has no equal.

How different would the video game industry be without Hard Boiled?

Essential (but boring) documentation of European refugees. Mostly intellectuals and artists who were able to get the aid from Americans to save their lives. Lots and lots of boldfaced names in this one.

I’m embarrassed how little I knew about the New School’s origins.

Caught this at the MoMa on a freezing Wednesday at 8 pm. Audience at 1/4th capacity, mostly of septuagenarians and up. I’ve seen some of the best films of my life that way.

2 nights ago I put this on and, after ten minutes, I turned if off and grumbled “oh, who cares.”

Last night I put it on again and realized that, actually, I do care – and all of us should care.

This is not only a fascinating American saga about the way things work right now. But more than that, it is truly fascinating because it dares not to have clear cut good guys and bad guys. In this tale, everyone (except for Mrs. Spitzer) has a moral stain.

I like this movie because I can see everyone’s point of view, but there are moments when I am ready to condemn them, too. Definitely worth checking out.

It’s good.
Read my review over at UGO.com after you’ve watched me yap about it.

At first when I watched Gnomeo and Juliet I simply thought I didn’t like it. Only upon reflection did I realize it was truly awful.
Read my entertaining review at UGO.com.

I’ve been doing a very good job of weaning myself off of single issue comics. I mean, come on. . .it’s just getting to be ridiculous.

But after reading so much about what’s been happening in the Dick Grayson/Batman-in-Gotham arc of the current fractaled (and impossible to follow) Batman Incorporated nonsense, I had to check this out.

It’s a straight-up “who’s pulling the strings” bad guy tale, that incorporates some of the classic rogues gallery. More importantly it has Grayson admitting that the evil sewer that is Gotham is just getting worse, and the drawings by Jock are truly creepy and expressive. These are art panels you can stare at for a while and not feel like a dope.

So while I’ll be ignoring everything else happening in Batman-dom for a while, I’ll be keeping my eyes on this.