07. Treevenge (2008, Canada) Jason Eisener [short] -
Excellent If I had this on DVD I would screen it for every person that came over to my house. Just watch it.
08. Gomorah (2008, Italy) Matteo Garrone -
worth seeing [C+] It’s not a major breakthrough (didn’t Scorsese rave that this was a full-blown masterpiece?), but Italian cinema is starting to bounce back with some very socially relevant films and this is evidence of a strong pulse.
09. Violent Midnight (1963, USA) Richard Hilliard -
worth seeing For an early 1960’s film this is a very risqué horror/thriller, and surprisingly ahead of the curve with its use of the “black gloved killer,” and with some effective uses of chiaroscuro lighting. One might argue that this is a solid case of film noir evolving into the Giallo.
10. Big Man Japan (2007, Japan) Hitoshi Matsumoto -
a must see [B-]If you don’t have a deep love for classic Japanese Kaiju films like Godzilla and Ultraman, you probably will hate this film. For those of you who treasure these (myself included), you will find a lot to enjoy in this brilliant send-up of the genre that reaches levels of absurdity that are only found in Asian cinema today. I’m not a huge fan of the CGI, but Matsumoto explains his choice for this with an ending that is nothing less than perfect.
12. Chocolate (2008, Thailand) Prachya Pinkaew -
had redeeming facet [D+]Not really a movie, but a series of set pieces (albeit impressive ones), one of the things that distinguishes masters like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung from the likes of this is their ability to seamlessly blend narrative and action. That little JeeJa Yanin is wonder though.
13. Tokyo Decadence (1992, Japan) Ryû Murakami -
had redeeming facet Apparently the version I viewed is cut – extended and more graphic scenes of S&M were trimmed to various degrees depending on the print you happen to see – as if I could really care though. This is an attempt to create some hype and stir the pot a little. Murakami has no real agenda to explore the implications of what is presented on-screen (Oshima and Breillat do), he is merely out to shock and tantalize – and while he does a good job, and several long-takes show a strong directorial sense hinting at some worthwhile existential undertones, this is mostly a meandering misfire that’s not worth the time to decipher.
15. I Love You Man (2009, USA) John Hamburg -
worth seeing [C-]
16. District 9 (2009, New Zealand) Neill Blomkamp -
a must see [B-]
17. Alien Trespass (2009, USA) R.W. Goodwin -
had redeeming facet [D+]
18. Konga (1961, UK) John Lemont -
had redeeming facet
23. Hardbodies (1984, USA) Mark Griffiths -
had redeeming facet
26. Bloodsport (1988, USA) Newt Arnold -
worth seeing
27. The Last Starfighter (1984, USA) Nick Castle -
worth seeing With some decent special effects this could have really been something. A childhood favorite nonetheless…
28. Hardcore (2004, Greece) Dennis Iliadis -
worth seeing [C+]
29. The Soloist (2009, UK/USA) Joe Wright -
had redeeming facet [D+]
31. Sick Girl (2007, USA) Eben MCGarr [2009 based on DVD Premiere] -
worth seeing
[C-]
32. The Last House on the Left (2009, USA) Dennis Iliadis -
worth seeing [C-]
33. Sunshine Cleaning (2008, USA) Christine Jeffs -
worth seeing [C+]
34. Grace (2009, USA) Paul Solet -
worth seeing [C]
37. 42nd Street Forever, Volume 2: The Deuce (2006, USA) [uncredited]
39. Tyson (2008, USA) James Toback -
a must see [B]