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Jesse HassengerFeatures
The Best Film Obsessions in 2007Whether by luck or some kind of hive rejuvenation, 2007 saw a whole lot of terrific American movies. [7 January 2008] The Year in CrimeThe best four films of the year are all essentially crime pictures. Though they are stylish, none could be deemed pulp, or at least not in the Tarantino/Rodriguez sense of the word. [8 January 2007] Fandom MenaceHow few installments of a series can you enjoy while still claiming to be a 'fan'? [17 May 2005] BAMcinématek Presents: Steve Buscemi and Jo Andres SelectYou may not fully appreciate Steve Buscemi's abilities as an actor until you see him in person. [30 July 2004] Better Than the MaterialGroundhog Day reconciles the smart-ass and nice guy aspects of Bill Murray's persona completely, and weirdly parallels his career. [6 May 2004] Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Lord of the NerdsBuffy is often mentioned specifically as a "female empowerment" show, but one of its most inviting aspects is the way its cast has always been uncommonly split between guys and girls. [19 May 2003] Reviews
New York, I Love YouThe many makers of New York, I Love Youare collectively too self-conscious about the New Yorkiness of their task. [5 November 2009] 
The Girlfriend ExperienceThe camera continually zeroes on Sasha Grey's face: pretty, unknowable, sometimes out of focus. [15 October 2009] 
SurrogatesMost of the movie's philosophizing is boilerplate, about the distancing effects of plugging in. But its unpretentious earnestness gives Surrogates a mild kick. [28 September 2009] 
Away We GoAnother movie about and/or aimed at educated, self-aware 20-and-30-somethings, a certain portion of which, of course, hate nothing more than a movie trying to entertain them or depict them in any way. 
Cutthroat IslandHere is a movie that bankrupted a studio; killed, wounded, or paralyzed a lot of careers; and left the pirate movie subgenre for dead [27 August 2009] 
G.I. Joe: The Rise of CobraUnfortunately, the plot requires Sienna Miller to strike sparks off of Channing Tatum, which is somewhat like smashing granite against wood. [11 August 2009] 
In the LoopIn the Loop is often very funny -- minute for minute, surely one of the funniest movies of the year -- but it's a little exhausting, too. [7 August 2009] 
Bad LieutenantThis film plays out as a dispassionate, keen-eyed character study that happens to contain a ton of swearing, sex, and horrible violence. [2 August 2009] 
Wayne’s World 1 & 2These friendly '90s touchstones rely on rather cheerful (and consistently hilarious) goofing around with a throwaway charm. [23 June 2009] 
PassengersAs much effort as apparently went into it, the film nonetheless feels like a pit stop for everyone involved. [13 May 2009] 
Nothing But the TruthBy the time the focus tightens onto Armstrong's jail time, the movie turns righteous and, it must be said, a little tedious. [30 April 2009] 
NotoriousMore fan companion piece than galvanizing cinema, this stands at a distance too respectful to get under anyone's skin. [24 April 2009] 
French Connection 1 & 2Watching the original with its sequel draws attention to the subtle but inarguably greater care Friedkin brought to the earlier film. [16 March 2009] 
AustraliaAs far as films go, this one's rather like a fleeting romance that wants to be a torrid affair. [12 March 2009] 
Lakeview TerraceThe movie doesn't stay fixed on its well-drawn sociological cul-de-sac; the score becomes ominous. [4 February 2009] 
Nick and Norah’s Infinite PlaylistA little cute, sure, but strikingly real -- or at least faked with a lot of heart. [3 February 2009] 
My Bloody Valentine 3-DThe 3-D version offers something you can't find in discount bins: bits of viscera appearing to fly at a grateful audience of teenagers and horror geeks. [19 January 2009] 
NewsRadio: The Complete SeriesTrue to its five-year run, this classic for the comedy archives remains underhyped. [7 December 2008] 
The Complete Monty Pythons Flying Circus: Collectors Edition MegasetThe Python legacy is like the Python treatment of death: vast, ridiculous, constant. [26 November 2008] 
Futurama: Bender’s GameDelightfully nerdy, but not quite as nerdy as the Star Trek-on-crack weirdness of the earlier shows. [12 November 2008] 
You Don’t Mess with the ZohanPlenty of New York racial tension, old-lady sex, animal abuse, and hackey-sack. [14 October 2008] 
Married LifeMoving slowly and accompanied by a hushed Pierce Brosnan narration, the movie is buttoned-up to a fault, never closer than tongue-near-cheek. [24 September 2008] 
PathologyIt's the board-game Clue meets Grey's Anatomy, right down to the hero named for maximum pun-tential. [23 September 2008] 
TV FunhouseDoug's puppet pals are foulmouthed, hard-drinking, and sexually rapacious; rather like actual animals. [4 September 2008] 
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DaySo likable that many can only describe the experience of watching it in terms of clouds and frosting. [19 August 2008] 
Heathers & Sex and Death 101In a few devastating gestures, Heathers makes Sex and Death 101 look like a wannabe -- a script in search of a director and a star to complete the clique. [23 July 2008] 
The Onion MovieAt best, this comedy resembles an amateur production of Saturday Night Live on shuffle. [16 June 2008] 
Semi-ProIt wouldn't hurt to keep Ferrell out of the locker room for a few years or more. [12 June 2008] 
The Foot Fist WayFred is a sadder, more recognizable version of Ferrell characters like Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy, a pompous manchild with delusions of masculine dominance. [6 June 2008] 
Saturday Night Live: The Complete Third Season: Limited Edition Boxed SetThe hit-and-miss eclecticism that can make marathon viewing a chore is also exactly what completists crave from these sets. [4 June 2008] 
CleanerDirector Harlin's cinematic GPA constantly dips over and under the line between B-movie bliss and C-movie oblivion. [2 June 2008] 
There Will Be BloodHowever fictional, Daniel Plainview is like history come to life -- more Frankenstein's monster than wax doll. [8 April 2008] 
HitmanToo dry for teenagers, and not sophisticated enough for anyone who has ever seen an espionage movie better than Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever. [19 March 2008] 
RevolverRitchie's understanding of the term "psychological" seems to be rooted in the idea that people, like, have conflicting thoughts, like, inside their head and stuff. [17 March 2008] 
Margot at the WeddingVivid impressions that make us look closely into Baumbach's fascinating, semi-miserable world. [6 March 2008] 
Quiet City & Dance Party, USAIn keeping with his emphasis on conversational pauses and microscopic moments, Katz shows off a hushed, near-solitary side of New York. [11 February 2008] 
Wedding DazeWe're left in our own daze, wondering which Michael Ian Black made this movie, and why. [31 January 2008] 
The Simpsons MovieThe Simpsons Movie may be familiar, but it's bigger and visually richer than what we're used to, as well as funnier than many of the show's more recent episodes. [21 December 2007] 
Titanic: 10th Anniversary EditionWhile it's understandable that after raising one of film history's most massive success stories from the depths of potential financial ruin, Cameron might rest on his laurels a bit, you sometimes get the feeling that he has spent a good chunk of his post-Titanic life still thinking about Titanic. [14 December 2007] 
The TV SetThe TV Set on DVD, with its various articulations of anger and frustration, makes for entertaining therapy; now it's time for Kasdan to let go and love again. [8 October 2007] 
Face/OffThis may be the last time the Woo signatures -- slow-mo gun battles flanked by slo-mo birds; "balletic" leaps through the air; two-man Mexican stand-offs -- were effective in a remotely serious manner [13 September 2007] 
30 Rock - Season 1This is one of the best comedies on the air; whip-smart and hilarious. [12 September 2007] 
Blades of GloryIt takes genuine pros to make the mock-sport movie look like a worthwhile competition. A brisk, disposable amusement. [10 September 2007] 
PathfinderPathfinder is like building a time machine to watch Sunday-afternoon cable in 1987. [22 August 2007] 
The TenDespite the sight gags, recurring characters, amusing references, and genuine chuckles it elicits, The Ten is more exercise than tour de force. [7 August 2007] 
The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth SeasonSeason 10 marked the beginning of The Simpsons' metamorphosis from mere long-running comedy series to cultural institution. [6 August 2007] 
I Like Food, Food Tastes Good by Kara ZuaroEven if a band like, say, Pelican doesn't sound like my cup of tea, I'm happy to try their recipe for oatmeal cake. [10 July 2007] 
Seinfeld - Season 8Season 8 of Seinfeld plays like a natural progression into not only the show's endpoint a year later, but the future absurdism of shows like Arrested Development and 30 Rock. [1 June 2007] Veronica MarsAn uneven season of Veronica Mars only means that maybe a third of the episodes were terrific, and the rest were merely enjoyable, clever, and stylish. [29 May 2007] 
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)Aqua Teen Hunger Force is undoubtedly better suited to the 12-minute format, but the bizarre, sometimes hilarious, long version is a splendid joke unto itself. [17 April 2007] 
Meet the Robinsons (2007)The fact that Meet the Robinsons doesn't have a bunch of misfit celebrity-voiced animals banding together is in itself almost enough to recommend it. [2 April 2007] 
The Science of Sleep (La Science des rêves) (2006)This film revels in blurriness; not just in the line between director and fictional character, but between people, languages, and of course, between sleeping and waking, between living and dreaming. [20 March 2007] 
The Prestige (2006)Fans of this wonderful film are left to puzzle not just over its thematic and narrative layers, but its respectable but perfunctory treatment here. [15 March 2007] 
Oasis: Morning Glory - A Classic Album Under Review [DVD]At best this is an informative audio commentary in search of a proper medium. 
The Quiet (2005)If it sounds insensitive to complain that an incest-ridden thriller isn't proper fun, you probably haven't tried to sit through this movie. [13 February 2007] 
An Evening With Kevin Smith 2 - Evening Harder (2006)This DVD is good for some laughs, but perhaps slightly too complicit in its own limitations. [6 December 2006] 
For Your Consideration (2006)Despite its comparatively strong plot and sharp satire, For Your Consideration seems less substantial than Guest's other films. [21 November 2006] 
The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth SeasonThe Simpsons deals with the serious issues -- repression, crises of faith, and fractured families -- that most sitcoms either ignore or confine to "special" quasi-dramatic episodes. [13 October 2006] 
Beavis & Butt-head - The Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 3: The Mike Judge Collection, Vol. 3If interest in these home-video incarnations of Beavis & Butthead sparks interest in a movie sequel, chalk it up to another one of Judge's low-key negotiations gone good. [12 September 2006] 
The Great New Wonderful (2005)This 9/11 film is subtle to a fault; this is a quality you may not expect in a film from Danny Leiner, master of the vehicular stoner comedy. [8 September 2006] Beerfest (2006)The troupe lacks a specific comic point of view -- not that one is required of a movie called Beerfest. [29 August 2006] The Descent (2005)The crawly cave-beasts keep popping up in sudden soundtrack blasts, but Neil Marshall's half-baked ideas about betrayal and woman's capacity for savagery are simplistic and pretentious. [4 August 2006] 
Home Movies: Season 4Knowing that Brendan Small continues to dabble in music, it's easy to read this season, and the bittersweet (and hilarious) 'Focus Grill' in particular, as his transition away from childhood things. [15 May 2006] 
King of the Hill: The Complete Season SixKing of the Hill: The Complete Sixth Season, like the last few Hill DVD sets, suffers from underappreciation, yet it's one of the few recent sitcoms worth talking about. [1 May 2006] 
The Benchwarmers (2006)It's a shame that tee-heeing at gayness couldn't be jettisoned for the kids, rather than re-emphasized. [14 April 2006] 
Ask the Dust (2006)Colin Farrell's voiceover at the beginning of Ask the Dust makes it clear that Robert Towne's new film is in love with words. [31 March 2006] 
Star Wars: Clone Wars, Volume 2 (2005)Watching others play in George Lucas' universe can also be sort of heartwarming. [20 December 2005] 
DuckTales - Volume OneDespite (or because of) its merry capitalism, DuckTales is reasonably adventurous, taking the characters from their home base of Duckburg to Egypt, Scotland, and the open seas. [7 December 2005] 
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)It's a surprise that Shane Black's Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang works as well as it does. [2 December 2005] 
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)The film's sheer volume of vengeance is so great, pacing so deliberate, and confrontations so inevitable, that the experience is not unlike watching the climax of a film noir stretched out over 90 minutes. [22 November 2005] 
Beavis & Butt-head, Vol. 1 - The Mike Judge CollectionWith this DVD collection, Beavis and Butt-head may emerge better equipped to claim a spot in animation history. [7 November 2005] 
Toy Story: 10th Anniversary Edition (1995)Ten years on, much of Pixar's Toy Story, the first computer-animated feature film, is as sweet and smart as ever. [5 October 2005] 
The Transporter: Special Delivery Edition (2002)The opening minutes establish the series as sort of quicker, cheaper version of Bond. [29 September 2005] 
Home Movies: Season 2Small, Bouchard, and Galasky are likable humans, but sweeter cartoons. [16 September 2005] 
Tommy Boy: Holy Schnike Edition (1995)It seems odd that this well-executed formula buddy comedy would have such a tortured birthing process. [29 August 2005] 
Undeclared: The Complete SeriesAs Judd Apatow points out, 22 minutes is a challenging timeframe for developing characters, making jokes, and advancing the plot. [18 August 2005] 
Gone in 60 Seconds: Director’s Cut (2000)The trailer for Gone is a particularly unpretentious distillation of the film's key elements. [8 July 2005] 
Star Trek: Insurrection (Special Collector’s Edition) (1998)Star Trek: Insurrection has been left without a defender of its particulars. I volunteer. [14 June 2005] 
The Lone Gunmen - The Complete SeriesBeing a network TV show and therefore bound by certain attractiveness requirements, The Lone Gunmen couldn't just follow the nerds. [24 May 2005] 
Veronica MarsWith the end of the Lily Kane murder case, Veronica Mars is flirting with that television taboo: changing the status quo. [17 May 2005] 
Degrassi: The Next GenerationUnlike many youth-centric shows, Degrassi avoids trivializing and morally simplifying the 'issues' for its younger audience. [10 May 2005] 
Arrested DevelopmentArrested Development is too dense, too smart, too strange. These are all ways of saying that it's too good. [2 May 2005] 
Sideways (2004)On the DVD, the actors gamely compete with self- mocking descriptions of themselves and each other. [4 April 2005] 
The American Astronaut (2004)At an hour and a half, the film is transporting to look at but only intermittently fun to watch. [24 February 2005] 
Get Shorty (Special Edition) (1995)Sonnenfeld keeps all of this under two hours by cutting the movie at a dazzling clip. The film moves like Travolta, quickly and with style. [17 February 2005] 
De-Lovely (2004)As legendary songwriter Porter, Kevin Kline's deft, unshowy performance contributes to the film's charm. [26 January 2005] 
William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice (2004)Pacino, noted lover of Shakespeare, strives for a multi-dimensional characterization of the angry Shylock, underlining his sadness and indignation. [6 January 2005] 
Home Movies, Season OneThe animation serves one of the most impressive aspects of the show's first season: the fact that it was largely improvised. [28 December 2004] 
Dig! (2004)The film is less effective at conveying the genius of Anton Newcombe than the madness, possibly because the latter only requires a camera and Anton himself. [1 October 2004] 
Godzilla: The Monster Wars Trilogy (1998)The aliens are not only a distraction, but interlopers in the human-monster dynamic. [29 September 2004] 
Naked in New York (1993)Naked in New York tries to distinguish itself through flights of fancy, but these are too brief, as if director Daniel Algrant can't commit. [23 September 2004] 
Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles - Trackers (1999)The Roughnecks characters are caught between blandness and a semi-cartoon stylization. [15 September 2004] 
Eddie Murphy Raw (1987)The film is now out on DVD, a bare-bones release ideal for dissection, isolating the best and worst of Murphy. 
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)Some Kind of Monster is less about artistic triumph than professional triumph: can these working relationships be saved?" [8 July 2004] 
King Arthur (2004)This generically gritty and solidly PG-13 King Arthur isn't even much of an action picture. 
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)Heder's physical details -- mouth agape, low voice, frequent exhales of discomforted disgust -- make for a terrifically funny and assured performance. [17 June 2004] 
Saved! (2004)Those seeking a movie about Christians with absolutely no flaying whatsoever can proceed directly to Brian Dannelly's Saved!. [28 May 2004] 
Coffee and Cigarettes (2004)On its own terms, Coffee and Cigarettes is an effective addiction movie, self-indulgent but also familiar and low-key. [13 May 2004] 
The Kids in the Hall: Season One (1989-1990) (2004): CAST - PopMatters Film ReviewThe Kids in the Hall are notable for some of the most fascinatingly experimental misses in comedy history. [26 April 2004] 
A League of Their Own (1992)A League of Their Own is an engagingly old fashioned and family-friendly comedy. [19 April 2004] 
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)The circus crew is depicted as a cross between Santa's Workshop and the U.S. Army; they are impossibly virtuous, toiling endlessly for the delight of children. [12 April 2004] 
Broken Lizard’s Club Dread (2004)A hedonistic island vacation run by washed-up Coconut Pete sounds like a great place for any kind of mayhem, and some does ensue. Just not quite enough. [4 March 2004] 
The Critic: The Complete SeriesJon Lovitz's alter ego allows for his two biggest strengths as a performer: sarcasm and ironic overacting. [23 February 2004] 
The Big Bounce (2004)There is a certain sense of achievement in a movie that actually casts the famously laidback Wilson as a surfer. [5 February 2004] 
The X-Files: The Complete Eighth SeasonWhen a television series grows in depth and complexity, more often than not, there's no going back. [26 January 2004] 
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)The actors are left with little to do but hustle from scene to scene: pratfall, pathos, hug, repeat. [8 January 2004] 
Big Fish (2003)Edward is less obviously an outsider than Burton's other Edwards (Scissorhands and Wood), but equally filled with a winning sense of wonder. 
Stuck on You (2003)Draggy as its comedy can be, Stuck on You's humanity is always sprightly and engaging. [18 December 2003] 
The Great Gatsby (1974)Raises a perennial question: if they can make a decent movie out of The Bridges of Madison County, why not a great one out of one of the best novels of the 20th century?" [15 December 2003] 
The Cooler (2003)The Cooler is interested in the nature of luck, be it a product of destiny or psychology. [11 December 2003] 
The Dark Crystal (1982)It's ability to inspire terror is indicative of its creators' amazing craftsmanship. [9 December 2003] 
Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)I doubt there are many other youngish actors who could keep up with Daffy Duck as skillfully as Brendan Fraser. [20 November 2003] 
Cool World (1992)The doodles are all bulbous heads, puckered lips and low-slung Cro-Magnon shoulders. [17 November 2003] 
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)The extras in this two-disc set are ample and appropriately Python-y. [21 October 2003] 
Anything Else (2003)The idea of Woody Allen teaching high school English is a funny idea, and Anything Else leaves it at that: a funny idea. [25 September 2003] 
John Denver and the Muppets: Rocky Mountain HolidayHearing the late Henson perform as Kermit again, so warm and enthusiastic, yet so perilously close to flippering out, is a joy unto itself. [22 September 2003] 
Nobody’s Fool (1994)Paul Newman plays Donald 'Sully' Sullivan, a shiftless 60-year-old forever dodging his responsibilities. [9 September 2003] 
The Whole BeanWhat comes through on this DVD set is Mr. Bean's staunch dedication to childishness, in the best possible sense. [2 September 2003] 
Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)Fun as it is, demonstrates a little end-of-series fatigue. [1 August 2003] 
Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)During the story's awkward romantic interludes, children and their parents can squirm in boredom together, as a family. [10 July 2003] 
Party Girl (1995)As Parker Posey dances around the library to a club beat, Daisy von herler Mayer's songless musical is briefly in full bloom. [30 June 2003] 
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)Director Stuart Baird seems to be chasing the glory of Wrath of Khan, but those parallels leave the newer film feeling sort of like a cover band. [17 June 2003] 
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2003)Flansburgh and Linnell's chemistry gives the impression that almost anyone could capture them at their best. [6 June 2003] 
People I Know (2003)It's a tribute to Pacino's skill as an actor that, although we pity Eli, we also understand his fatigue. [15 May 2003] 
The Man From Elysian Fields (2001)Despite much swirling and swooping of the camera, it winds up looking like a moderately well directed TV movie. [5 May 2003] 
The Real Cancún (2003) - PopMatters Film Review )There are a few laughs at the expense of some of the more enthusiastically foolish men, but for the most part, the film is weirdly free of irony. [1 May 2003] 
House of 1000 Corpses (2003)It's not even Blair Witch II, which pretty much makes it the worst movie ever set in the woods. [24 April 2003] 
Cowboy Bebop (2003)Goes spiritual by stopping the gunplay while characters get all misty-eyed over otherworldly butterflies. [17 April 2003] 
View From the Top (2003)View From the Top's Donna (Gwyneth Paltrow) and her boyfriend (Mark Ruffalo) are certainly nice, but not interesting enough to rescue a plot this stale. [20 March 2003] 
Agent Cody Banks (2003)Cody Banks' first assignment is to 'get close' to a popular girl whose scientist father is involved with a nanotechnology-based plot to, like, destroy the world and stuff. [13 March 2003]
Veronica MarsBeaver's budding criminal career underlined one of Veronica Mars' favorite themes: the abuse of power by the rich. [1 January 1995] 
The SimpsonsThe truth is that a typical Simpsons episode today does not stack up to one picked at random from a decade ago. 
LostLost survives because its mix of fantasy and mystery, character development and plot twists, predictability and sharp twists -- in short, its mix of cleverness and crap -- is like nothing else on TV. BlogsConsuming Consumables: The Complete Monty Python’s Flying Circus Collector’s Edition [24 November 2008] |
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