w.

Oliver Stone - 2008

What was most disturbing about this movie was that Stone makes you root for Bush. Subversive. James Cromwell is absolutely disturbing as "41" and makes you really feel for "43". The character players were all very good, and Brolin is excellent as Bush.

It seems that one of Stone's hypotheses is that had Bush been able to just play baseball for a living, he never would have bothered to work so hard to become president. Fascinating.

up

Pete Docter and Bob Petersen - 2009

In 3D this time.

enemy of the state

Tony Scott - 1998

hancock

Peter Berg - 2008

If Will Smith weren't so damn likable, this movie would really suck. Which is odd, because Peter Berg is pretty good, and Charlize Theron is absurdly attractive. But, it's pretty dumb.

vantage point

Pete Travis - 2008

Second time...still pretty average. Love Forrest Whitaker though.

scarface

Brian DePalma - 1983

Oliver Stone writes, Brian DePalma directs, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer star - awesome. The final scene is pure 80s indulgence.

the hangover

Todd Phillips - 2009

Quite funny.

24 hour party people

Michael Winterbottom - 2002

Second or third time I've seen this. I like the blending of fiction and non-fiction, breaking the fourth wall. Great story, great music. Very cool.

twilight

Catherine Hardwicke - 2008

Sam convinced me to watch it with her. Not bad...I'm in to 'True Blood' though and so I guess I'm somewhat primed to like this. That said - it treats the idea of vampires differently than TB, and so it's interesting to see a different perspective. Love that this movie is directed by a woman and involves a female protagonist - was my aversion to watching this because of that?

the doors

Oliver Stone - 1991

Let's start with the cast - Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Frank Whaley, Kevin Dillon, Kyle McLachlan, Michael Madsen, Billy Idol, Kathleen Quinlan - seriously. It was interesting, I haven't watched this in a few years and some of the dialogue was pretty weak. But the film is saved by the imagery. Stone feels his way through the story, folding on top of itself. The Native American motif - which exists in many Stone films - is dominant and intense.

I don't watch as many Stone films now as I used to, the complexity of what he's doing on the screen is fascinating. This man clearly does not think in linear fashions.

into the storm

Thaddeus O'Sullivan - 2009

Churchill in WWII, pretty good.