Total Number of Movies in Joel’s Collection: 1,338 Page Number: 5 / 27
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Dallas Buyers Club (screener)

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Dallas Roberts, Jane McNeill, Steve Zahn, Kevin Rankin, Griffin Dunne, Juliet Reeves, Michael O'Neill, Denis O'Hare
Genre: Drama
Studio: Voltage Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.0 (9,722 votes)
Release: Nov 2013
Summary: Dallas 1985. Electrician and sometimes rodeo bull rider Ron Woodroof lives hard, which includes heavy smoking, drinking, drug use (primarily cocaine) and casual sex. He is a stereotypical redneck: racist and homophobic. While in the hospital on a work related injury, the doctors discover and inform him that he is HIV+, and that he will most-likely die within thirty days. Ron is initially in angry denial that he would have a disease that only "faggots" have, but upon quick reflection comes to the realization that the diagnosis is probably true. He begins to read whatever research is available about the disease, which at this time seems to be most effectively treated by the drug AZT. AZT, however, is only in the clinical trials stage within the US. Incredulous that he, as a dying man, cannot pay for any drug which may save or at least prolong his life, he goes searching for it by whatever means possible.
 

Dances with Wolves

Director: Kevin Costner
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary Mcdonnwll
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 8.0 (120,536 votes)
Release: Nov 1990
Summary: Kevin Costner's 1990 epic won a bundle of Oscars for a moving, engrossing story of a white soldier (Costner) who singlehandedly mans a post in the 1870 Dakotas, and becomes a part of the Lakota Sioux community who live nearby. The film may not be a masterpiece, but it is far more than the sum of good intentions. The characters are strong, the development of relationships is both ambitious and careful, the love story between Costner and Mary McDonnell's character is captivating. Only the third-act portrait of white intruders as morons feels overbearing, but even that leads to a terribly moving conclusion. Costner's direction is assured, the balance of action and intimacy is perfect--what more could anyone want outside of an unqualified masterpiece? --Tom Keogh
 

Dara O Briain: This Is the Show

Director: Paul Wheeler
Starring: Dara O Briain, Jimi Mistry, Richard Hills
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 6.4 (95 votes)
Release: Nov 2010
Summary: This Is the Show was recorded in front of a sell-out crowd on the final date of his record-breaking nine nights at the world famous Hammersmith Apollo. Dara is on top form as he effortlessly mixes off the cuff audience interaction with razor sharp material and a star studded finale that almost puts Hollywood to shame.
 

Daredevil

Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Colin Farrell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ellen Pompeo, Jon Favreau, Scott Terra, Joe Pantoliano, Erick Avari, David Keith
Genre: Fantasy, Action, Crime, Science Fiction
Studio: 20th Century Fox
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 5.4 (112,094 votes)
Release: Feb 2003
Summary: He dwells in a world of external night, but the blackness is filled with sounds and scents, tastes and textures that most cannot perceive. Although attorney Matt Murdock is blind, his other four senses function with superhuman sharpness. By day, Murdock represents the downtrodden. At night he is Daredevil, a masked vigilante stalking the dark streets of the city, a relentless avenger of justice.
 

Darjeeling Limited, The (Criterion Collection)

Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Adrien Brody, Bill Murray, Anjelica Huston, Camilla Rutherford, Wallace Wolodarsky, Natalie Portman, Amara Karan
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Comedy
Studio: Criterion Collection
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Sep 2007
Summary: A year after the accidental death of their father, three drug-addicted brothers -- each suffering from depression - meet for a train trip across India. Francis, the eldest, has organized it. The brothers argue, sulk, resent each other, and fight. The youngest, Jack, estranged from his girlfriend, is attracted to one of the train's attendants. Peter has left his pregnant wife at home, and he buys a venomous snake. After a few days, Francis discloses their surprising and disconcerting destination. Amid foreign surroundings, can the brothers sort out their differences? A funeral, a meditation, a hilltop ritual, and the Bengal Lancer figure in the reconciliation.
 

Dark City

Director: Alex Proyas
Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Richard O'Brien
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Mystery
Studio: New Line Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 7.8 (108,348 votes)
Release: Jul 2008
Summary: If you're a fan of brooding comic-book antiheroes, got a nihilistic jolt from "The Crow" (1994), and share director Alex Proyas's highly developed preoccupation for style over substance, you might be tempted to call "Dark City" an instant classic of visual imagination. It's one of those films that exists in a world purely of its own making, setting its own rules and playing by them fairly, so that even its derivative elements (and there are quite a few) acquire their own specific uniqueness. Before long, however, the film becomes interesting only as a triumph of production design. And while that's certainly enough to grab your attention ("Blade Runner" is considered a classic, after all), it's painfully clear that "Dark City" has precious little heart and soul. One-dimensional characters are no match for the film's abundance of retro-futuristic style, so it's best to admire the latter on its own splendidly cinematic terms. Trivia buffs will be interested to know that the film's 50-plus sets (partially inspired by German expressionism) were built at the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, home base of director Alex Proyas and producer Andrew Mason. The underground world depicted in the film required the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

The Dark Crystal

Director: Jim Henson, Frank Oz
Starring: Jim Henson, Kathryn Mullen, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: Sony Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: PG
Rating: 7.1 (27,675 votes)
Release: Nov 2003
Summary: Jim Henson's fantasy epic "The Dark Crystal" doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, but like "Star Wars" it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for an hour and a half, on the screen. Recalling the worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque birdlike lizards called the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. Henson and codirector Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits, and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory, and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognize many of the voice actors--a few characters sound awfully close to familiar comic creations--but otherwise it's a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. "--Sean Axmaker"
 

The Dark Knight

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 9.0 (938,625 votes)
Release: Dec 2008
Summary: "The Dark Knight" arrives with tremendous hype (best superhero movie ever? posthumous Oscar for Heath Ledger?), and incredibly, it lives up to all of it. But calling it the best superhero movie ever seems like faint praise, since part of what makes the movie great--in addition to pitch-perfect casting, outstanding writing, and a compelling vision--is that it bypasses the normal fantasy element of the superhero genre and makes it all terrifyingly real. Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) is Gotham City's new district attorney, charged with cleaning up the crime rings that have paralyzed the city. He enters an uneasy alliance with the young police lieutenant, Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), and Batman (Christian Bale), the caped vigilante who seems to trust only Gordon--and whom only Gordon seems to trust. They make progress until a psychotic and deadly new player enters the game: the Joker (Heath Ledger), who offers the crime bosses a solution--kill the Batman. Further complicating matters is that Dent is now dating Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, after Katie Holmes turned down the chance to reprise her role), the longtime love of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
In his last completed role before his tragic death, Ledger is fantastic as the Joker, a volcanic, truly frightening force of evil. And he sets the tone of the movie: the world is a dark, dangerous place where there are no easy choices. Eckhart and Oldman also shine, but as good as Bale is, his character turns out rather bland in comparison (not uncommon for heroes facing more colorful villains). Director-cowriter Christopher Nolan ("Memento") follows his critically acclaimed "Batman Begins" with an even better sequel that sets itself apart from notable superhero movies like "Spider-Man 2" and "Iron Man" because of its sheer emotional impact and striking sense of realism--there are no suspension-of-disbelief superpowers here. At 152 minutes, it's a shade too long, and it's much too intense for kids. But for most movie fans--and not just superhero fans--"The Dark Knight" is a film for the ages. "--David Horiuchi"
 

The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan
Starring: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 8.6 (590,233 votes)
Release: Jul 2012
Summary: Despite his tarnished reputation after the events of The Dark Knight, in which he took the rap for Dent's crimes, Batman feels compelled to intervene to assist the city and its police force which is struggling to cope with Bane's plans to destroy the city.
 

Dark Touch

Director: Marina de Van
Starring: Art Parkinson, Pádraic Delaney, Mark Huberman, Marcella Plunkett, Olga Wehrly, Marie Missy Keating, Robert Donnelly, Ella Hayes, Charlotte Flyvholm, Susie Power, Anabel Sweeney
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Studio: Element Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 5.0 (676 votes)
Release: Sep 2013
Summary: In a remote town in Ireland, eleven-year-old Niamh finds herself the sole survivor of a bloody massacre that killed her parents and younger brother. Suspecting a gang of homicidal vandals, the police ignore Neve's explanation that the house is the culprit. To help ease her trauma, dutiful neighbors Nat and Lucas take her in with the supervision of a social worker. Neve has trouble finding peace with the wholesome and nurturing couple, and horrific danger continues to manifest.
 

Darkman

Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake, Nelson Mashita, Bruce Campbell
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8
Release: Aug 1990
Summary: Peyton Westlake is a scientist who has discovered a way to produce synthetic skin. This could revolutionise skin grafting, except for one minor glitch; the synthetic skin degrades after 100 minutes of exposure to light. When gangsters attack Peyton, he is horrifically burnt, and assumed dead. In his quest for revenge, Peyton, aka the Darkman, is able to take on the appearance of anyone (using the synthetic skin,) but he's only got 100 minutes per disguise.
 

Date Night

Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Romance
Studio: 20th Century Fox
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 6.3 (85,155 votes)
Release: Aug 2010
Summary: Phil and Claire Foster are a couple who have been married for several years. Their days consists of them taking care of their children and going to work and coming home and going to bed. But they find time to have a date night wherein they go out and spend some time together. When another couple they know announce that they're separating because they're in a rut, Phil feels that he and Claire could be too. So when date night comes Phil decides to do something different. So they go into the city and try to get into a new popular restaurant. But when it's full and still wanting to do this, Phil decides to take the reservation of a couple who doesn't show up. While they're having dinner two men approach them and instructs them to stand up and go with them. They think the men are with the restaurant and want to talk to them about taking someone else's reservation. But it appears the couple whose reservation they took crossed someone and the two men work for this person. The men are after something, but whatever it is they don't have it.
 

Dave

Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley, Charles Grodin, Faith Prince, Laura Linney, Bonnie Hunt, Parley Baer, Stefan Gierasch, Anna Deavere Smith, Charles Hallahan, Tom Dugan
Genre: Polit-Komödie, Romanze
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 8
Release: Apr 1998
Summary: Bill Mitchell is the philandering and distant President of the United States. Dave Kovic is a sweet-natured and caring Temp Agency operator, who by a staggering coincidence looks exactly like the President. As such, when Mitchell wants to escape an official luncheon, the Secret Service hires Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffers a severe stroke whilst having sex with one of his aides, and Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely. The corrupt and manipulative Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander, plans to use Dave to elevate himself to the White House - but unfortunately, he doesn't count on Dave enjoying himself in office, using his luck to make the country a better place, and falling in love with the beautiful First Lady...
 

Dave Chappelle: For What It's Worth

Director: Stan Lathan
Starring: Dave Chappelle, Greer Barnes
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Sony Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.1 (2,584 votes)
Release: Aug 2005
Summary: "Dave Chappelle-For What It's Worth" finds the Comedy Central superstar in performance at San Francisco's legendary Winterland, where he's welcomed with a huge ovation. Easing into his set, Chappelle shares a few observations about the city itself, noting there's nothing tender about the Tenderloin District: "You've got people smoking crack while sitting in front of Starbucks." Chappelle's inspiration dips a bit after that, as the subject of sex with monkeys and smoking weed with Indians doesn't quite reach his usual standards. Then, suddenly, he's on top of his game again, his material like an echo of vintage Lenny Bruce as he discusses why whites drink grape juice and blacks drink "grape drink," why police harassment has led him to believe in impromptu alibis, and why the culture of celebrity should stay away from real-world issues: "Maybe Jah Rule doesn't have the answers we want in a disaster." "--Tom Keogh"
 

Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly

Director: Stan Lathan
Starring: Dave Chappelle
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Urban Works
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 8.4 (2,861 votes)
Release: Jul 2003
Summary: "Killin' Them Softly" is easily one of HBO's best comedy specials, catching star Dave Chappelle at a career high in 2000 and with an abundance of hysterical, highly polished material. Taking his time, stretching concepts and bits like a master, Chappelle plunges into a wealth of anecdotes and observations about the influx of white people into Washington, D.C. (where this show was recorded) since the 1980s. ("Who are the scariest people? White guys in black gangs. No telling what they did to get respect.") There are fantastic tales of racing cops with Chappelle's white friend, Chip, and a great story about being left alone in a limousine outside a busy crack house. Other good stuff: introducing a kid to a PePe Le Pew cartoon and realizing too late the skunk is a sex criminal, and why we should know our 911 calls will end up played on television. "--Tom Keogh"
 

Dazed & Confused

Director: Richard Linklater
Starring: Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane, Sasha Jenson
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Nov 2004
Summary: You remember high school? "Really" remember? If you think you do, watch this film: it'll all really come racing back. After changing the world with the generation-defining "Slacker", director Richard Linklater turned his free-range vérité sensibility on the 1970s. As before, his all-seeing camera meanders across a landscape studded with goofy pop culture references and poignant glimpses of human nature. Only this time around, he's spreading a thick layer of nostalgia over the lens (and across the soundtrack). It's as if "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" was directed by Jean-Luc Godard. The story deals with a group of friends on the last day of high school, 1976. Good-natured football star Randall "Pink" Floyd navigates effortlessly between the warring worlds of jocks, stoners, wannabes, and rockers with girlfriend and new-freshman buddy in tow. Surprisingly, it's not a coming-of-age movie, but a film that dares ask the eternal, overwhelming, adolescent question, "What happens next?" It's a little too honest to be a light comedy (representative quote: "If I ever say these were the best years of my life, remind me to kill myself."). But it's also way too much fun (remember souped-up Corvettes and bicentennial madness?) to be just another existential-essay-on-celluloid. "--Grant Balfour"
 

Dead Calm

Director: Phillip Noyce
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill, Billy Zane, Rod Mullinar, Joshua Tilden
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.8 (21,780 votes)
Release: Dec 1999
Summary: There are several occasions when this rousing Australian thriller from 1987 should have ended with a well-placed shot from a speargun or a stronger knot of rope, but you don't think about these nit-picky details when you're being scared out of your wits. In a role that catapulted her to international stardom, Nicole Kidman plays a young wife who's joined her husband (Sam Neill) on a yachting trip to recover from the tragic death of their son. Far out to sea, they encounter a sinking ship with one survivor (Billy Zane, ten years before "Titanic"), but inviting him aboard turns out to be a very bad mistake. While Neill attempts to salvage the sinking boat, Kidman is fighting for her life against the psychotic Zane--a villain so creepy that you eagerly look forward to his demise. By the time that moment arrives director Phillip Noyce has resorted to a typical slasher-movie climax (proving that no boat should be without a flare gun), but until then "Dead Calm" is a nail-biting thriller that's guaranteed to keep you in a state of nail-biting suspense. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

Dead Man Down

Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Starring: Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, Terrence Howard, Armand Assante, Raw Leiba, Raymond Mamrak, Franky G, Jennifer Mudge, Jennifer Butler, Wade Barrett, Isabelle Huppert
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Studio: Automatik Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Mar 2013
Summary: Victor, a rising gangland player, has infiltrated the crime empire run by ruthless kingpin Alphonse, with the single purpose of making Alphonse pay for destroying his once happy life. As he meticulously orchestrates his vengeance from his high-rise home, Victor watches and is watched by Beatrice, a mysterious young woman who lives in the apartment across from his. On the surface a fragile woman-child, Beatrice seethes with a rage of her own. When she uncovers Victor's dark secrets, she threatens to expose him unless he helps her carry out her own campaign of retribution. Each fixated on avenging the past, they devise a violent and cathartic plan that could change their worlds forever.
 

Dead Man's Shoes

Director: Shane Meadows
Starring: Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch, Toby Kebbell, Jo Hartley, Seamus O'Neill, Stuart Wolfenden, Paul Sadot, Paul Hurstfield, Emily Aston, George Newton
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Foreign
Studio: Optimum
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Oct 2004
Summary: Richard (Paddy Considine of In America) returns to the rural region of Derbyshire, where he grew up, after seven years in the military. His mentally challenged brother, Anthony (newcomer Toby Kebbell), tags along. Something awful has happened to Anthony, and Richard means to set things right. Richard angrily confronts Herbie (Stuart Wolfenden), a small-time drug dealer, in the local pub, then creepily apologizes to him a few minutes later outside. Herbie runs to his mates and tells them what happened, but before they have a chance to respond, they find that they're targets. Richard starts out with relatively harmless pranks, vandalizing their houses and painting their faces while they're asleep. Sonny (former boxer Gary Stretch), the gang's bullying leader, confronts Richard on the street, but Richard refuses to back down. Sonny's ragtag crew are ill equipped to respond to Richard's ruthless military tactics. As Richard inexorably goes about his business, and the bodies begin to pile up, we learn, through flashbacks, what happened to Anthony.
 

Dead Snow

Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Charlotte Frogner, Stig Frode Henriksen, Vegar Hoel, Jeppe Beck Laursen, Evy Kasseth Røsten, Lasse Valdal, Jenny Skavlan, Bjørn Sundquist, Ane Dahl Torp, Ørjan Gamst
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Zombies
Studio: E1 Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8
Release: Jun 2009
Summary: A ski vacation turns horrific for a group of medical students, as they find themselves confronted by an unimaginable menace, Nazi zombies.
 

Deadfall

Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Starring: Eric Bana, Olivia Wilde, Charlie Hunnam, Sissy Spacek, Kris Kristofferson, Kate Mara, Treat Williams, Alain Goulem, Allison Graham, Jason Cavalier, Patrick Kerton
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Studio: Magnolia Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.3 (16,054 votes)
Release: Dec 2012
Summary: Siblings Addison and Liza are on the run with the stolen loot from a casino job gone horribly wrong. Meanwhile, troubled ex-boxer Jay heads for Thanksgiving dinner with his parents, June and retired sheriff Chet. What will happen when their worlds collide in a twist of fate?
 

Deadgirl

Director: Marcel Sarmiento, Gadi Harel
Starring: Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Michael Bowen, Candice Accola, Andrew DiPalma
Genre: Foreign, Horror
Studio: Metrodome Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8
Release: Apr 2007
Summary: Having skipped school for the day, Rickie And JT find the derelict remains of a hospital. Deep within the bowels of the disused facility the pair happens upon a beautiful young woman, chained, covered in plastic and seemingly dead. Or is she?
 

Deadwood: The Complete Series

Director: David Milch
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Brad Dourif, W. Earl Brown
Genre: Crime, Drama, History
Studio: HBO Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Summary: The town of Deadwood, South Dakota in the weeks following the Custer massacre is a lawless sinkhole of crime and corruption. Into this uncivilized outpost ride a disillusioned and bitter ex-lawman, Wild Bill Hickok, and Seth Bullock, a man hoping to find a new start for himself. Both men find themselves quickly on opposite sides of the legal and moral fence from Al Swearengen, saloon owner, hotel operator, and incipient boss of Deadwood. The lives of these three intertwine with many others, the high-minded and the low-lifes who populate Deadwood in 1876.
 

Dear Mr. Watterson

Director: Joel Allen Schroeder
Starring: Seth Green, Berkeley Breathed, Stephan Pastis, Bill Amend, Jef Mallett, Dave Kellett, Jan Eliot, Lee Salem, Nevin Martell, Jean Schulz, Dan Piraro
Genre: Documentary
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 5.9 (348 votes)
Release: Nov 2013
Summary: 20 years after Calvin and Hobbes stopped appearing in daily newspapers, filmmaker Joel Allen Schroeder has set out to explore the reasons behind the comic strip's loyal and devoted following.
 

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

Director: Kurt Kuenne
Starring: Kurt Kuenne, Andrew Bagby, David Bagby
Genre: Documentary
Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratories
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 8.4 (8,811 votes)
Release: Feb 2009
Summary: In 2001, Andrew Bagby, a medical resident, is murdered not long after breaking up with his girlfriend. Soon after, when she announces she's pregnant, one of Andrew's many close friends, Kurt Kuenne, begins this film, a gift to the child. Friends, relatives, and colleagues say warm and loving things about Andrew, home movies confirm his exuberance. Andrew's parents, Kathleen and David, move to Labrador where the ex-girlfriend has gone. They await an arrest and trial of the murderer. They negotiate with the ex-girlfriend to visit their grandchild, Zachary, and they seek custody. Is there any justice; is Zachery a sweet and innocent consolation for the loss of their son?
 

Death Race

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring: Jason Stratham, Tyrese Gibson
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.4 (109,363 votes)
Release: Aug 2008
Summary: Mayhem rules in Death Race, a head-over-heels remake of the Roger Corman cult classic Death Race 2000, in which cars become lethal weapons. The strength of this new version is its total single-mindedness about vehicular homicide; it has the virtue of no cluttering subplots or simpering sentimentality. And banish all memory of the original's wild satirical comedy: Death Race is as grim as a dinner tray to the face (a reference that will be explained in a key sequence). In a slightly futuristic maximum-security prison, cons take part in brutal races around the island prison, their violent deaths watched live by millions of viewers. Jason Statham, possibly cast because of his driving dexterity in the Transporter movies, plays a man wrongly imprisoned for murder. Joan Allen provides her brittle cool as the warden, who recruits Statham to assume the masked persona of a legendary driver called Frankenstein. Tyrese Gibson is Frankie's main rival, Natalie Martinez provides the fetching eye candy, but the acting honors go to Ian McShane, as the philosophical prison mechanic. One misses the cross-country race from the original film, as the setting here is claustrophobic and the cars are largely colorless and indistinguishable from each other. Director Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) continues to display the sensibility of a video-game addict, which will either be a recommendation or a turn-off, depending on your own tastes. At least it doesn't have the hypocritical moral blathering of something like the somewhat similar Condemned--who knew you could be so grateful for simple, straight-forward head-bashing? --Robert Horton
 

Death Sentence

Director: James Wan
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Garrett Hedlund, John Goodman, Kelly Preston, Matt O'Leary
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.8 (45,203 votes)
Release: Aug 2007
Summary: James Wan ("Saw") brings the ultra-violence to this gritty story of a suburban father (Kevin Bacon) who discovers the consequences of revenge after his son is murdered. The perpetrators of this senseless killing are a multi-ethnic (and highly visible) gang of drug dealers and cutthroats led by the psychotic Billy Darley (Garrett Hedlund); when the case is thrown out on a technicality, Bacon takes a page from Charles Bronson's book (no surprise, as this is based on author Brian Garfield's 1975 follow-up to "Death Wish") and pursues a vigilante course to avenge his boy. Things do not go according to Bacon's plan, which cues a series of frantic and well-executed action set pieces, most notably a parking structure chase that unfolds in a nearly unbroken take. "Death Sentence" breaks no new ground in the action-thriller department, and its characters and dialogue are nearly indistinguishable from any violent crime movie of the last few decades (in its weakest moments, it resembles grindhouse fare like "The Exterminator"); however, Bacon is excellent (as always) as the mild-mannered architect who discovers his inner killer the hard way, and Wan's knack for screen mayhem and unsettling atmosphere are well used here. The DVD includes both the theatrical version and an unrated cut (which offers 10 additional minutes), as well as two making-of featurettes that originally aired on the Fox Movie Channel, and several webisodes that focus on director Wan, his cast, and the film's elaborate stunts and fight scenes. -- "Paul Gaita"
 

The Debt

Director: Assaf Bernstein
Starring: Gila Almagor, Yuriy Chepurnov, Oleg Drach
Genre: Thriller
Studio: Miramax Films
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 6.8 (39,160 votes)
Release: Nov 2007
Summary: The year is 1965. Rachel Brener is one of 3 young Mossad agents teem who caught "The Surgeon of Treblinca" - a Nazi monster who was never brought to trial in Israel. The official reason was that he has committed suicide as a prisoner while being held by his Israeli captive (kiddenappers) in a safe house somewhere in Europe. Today, 35 years after the well communicated suicide story of the monster, a small article appears in a local unimportant paper in a small town in central Europe. Surprisingly the Surgeon is alive and is willing to admit his crimes against the human race and especially the Jews. The 3 older x Mossad agents who are in their late 60th became aware to this unfortunate threatening knowledge. The fact was that the "Surgeon" managed to escape from his guards- our 3 agents by wounding the woman who was not alert enough. Now that the old story came up to live again in a completely different version, they needed to cover their asses and secure their lives, reputation and the story they have invented. They decided to act and take the law into their hands by completing their old assignment to eliminate "the Surgeon of Treblinka", before the big lie will come out to the open. They decided that Rachel is the one to carry out the mission. Rachel today is a well-known beloved writer publishing her new book. She owes that job to her country, friends but especially herself. She will not be able to live with 35 years of terrible lies. Will the respected old lady be able to become once more a cold blooded hit woman and fulfill her destiny and mission to society and to herself?
 

The Decoy Bride

Director: Sheree Folkson
Starring: Alice Eve, David Tennant, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Urie, Federico Castelluccio, Gil Kolirin, Maureen Beattie
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance, Foreign
Studio: Isle of Man Film
My Rating:
Rated: PG
Rating: 4.3 (70 votes)
Release: Mar 2012
Summary: Lara Tyler (Alice Eve) is one of the most famous movie stars around, but all she wants to do is marry her fiance, writer James Aubrey (David Tennant). Besieged by paparazzo (especially Marco Ballani (Federico Castelluccio), who is obsessed with Lara), they escape to the tiny Scottish island of Hegg to try to wed in peace. However when the paparazzo tracks them down, and with the locals smelling a payday, Lara becomes upset and runs away.
 

The Deer Hunter DVD

Director: Michael Cimino
Starring: Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, John Cazale, John Savage
Genre: Documentary, History
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Mar 2012
Summary: Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, "The Deer Hunter" is simultaneously an audacious directorial conceit and one of the greatest films ever made about friendship and the personal impact of war. Like "Apocalypse Now", it's hardly a conventional battle film--the soldier's experience was handled with greater authenticity in "Platoon"--but its depiction of war on an intimate scale packs a devastatingly dramatic punch. Director Michael Cimino may be manipulating our emotions with masterful skill, but he does it in a way that stirs the soul and pinches our collective nerves with graphic, high-intensity scenes of men under life-threatening duress. Although Russian-roulette gambling games were not a common occurrence during the Vietnam war, they're used here as a metaphor for the futility of the war itself. To the viewer, they become unforgettably intense rites of passage for the best friends--Pennsylvania steelworkers played by Robert De Niro, John Savage, and Oscar winner Christopher Walken--who may survive or perish during their tour through a tropical landscape of hell. Back home, their loved ones must cope with the war's domestic impact, and in doing so they allow "The Deer Hunter" to achieve a rare combination of epic storytelling and intimate, heart-rending drama. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

Definitely, Maybe

Director: Adam Brooks
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Kevin Kline, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 4.2 (5 votes)
Release: Jun 2008
Summary: A romantic comedy that begins with a discussion about sex education and ends with a bit of an unexpected twist, "Definitely, Maybe" focuses on an engaging father and his 10-year-old daughter. She is curious about the women her dad loved prior to marrying (and separating from) her mother. Instead of telling her, "None of your business," he decides to tell her about them... Sort of. Will is played by Ryan Reynolds and his precocious daughter Maya is adroitly portrayed by Abigail Breslin ("Little Miss Sunshine"). Will figures out a way to tell Maya about his most meaningful relationships in a PG manner that also is interactive for her (Or as she describes it, "a love story mystery!"). Changing a few of their characteristics and disguising their names, Will tells her about three exceptional women and Maya tries to deduce which one became her mom. Was it Emily (Elizabeth Banks), the wholesome Midwestern girl afraid of the big city; Summer (Rachel Weisz), the exotic journalist; or April (Isla Fisher), the rebel with a cause? Hearing about all these women, Maya asks, "What's the boy word for slut?" Spanning 15 years, back to when Will was an idealistic young man with the hopes of one day becoming president of the United States, the film has a nice light touch and deals with father-daughter bonding issues in a unique, if not completely realistic manner. Reynolds is a genial but bland leading man, but the women--including young Breslin--more than hold their own in this fun film. --"Jae-Ha Kim"
 

Delicatessen

Director: Diane Bertrand, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Marc Caro
Starring: Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Pascal Benezech, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Karin Viard
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Studio: Miramax
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.7 (46,706 votes)
Release: May 2006
Summary: The title credit for "Delicatessen" reads "Presented by Terry Gilliam," and it's easy to understand why the director of "Brazil" was so supportive of this outrageously black French comedy from 1991. Like Gilliam, French codirectors Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro have wildly inventive imaginations that gravitate to the darker absurdities of human behavior, and their visual extravagance is matched by impressive technical skill. Here, making their feature debut, Jeunet and Caro present a postapocalyptic scenario set entirely in a dank and gloomy building where the landlord operates a delicatessen on the ground floor. But this is an altogether meatless world, so the butcher-landlord keeps his customers happy by chopping unsuspecting victims into cutlets, and he's sharpening his knife for a new tenant (French comic actor Dominque Pinon) who's got the hots for the butcher's nearsighted daughter! Delicatessen is a feast (if you will) of hilarious vignettes, slapstick gags, and sweetly eccentric characters, including a man in a swampy room full of frogs, a woman doggedly determined to commit suicide (she never gets its right), and a pair of brothers who make toy sound boxes that "moo" like cows. It doesn't amount to much as a story, but that hardly matters; this is the kind of comedy that springs from a unique wellspring of imagination and inspiration, and it's handled with such visual virtuosity that you can't help but be mesmerized. There's some priceless comedy happening here, some of which is so inventive that you may feel the urge to stand up and cheer. --"Jeff Shannon "
 

Deliver Us from Evil

Director: Amy Berg
Starring: Adam, Jeff Anderson, Pope Benedict XVI, Monsignor Cain, Case Degroot
Genre: Documentary, Crime
Studio: Disarming Films
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.0 (3,311 votes)
Release: May 2007
Summary: Moving from one parish to another in Northern California during the 1970s, Father Oliver O'Grady quickly won each congregation's trust and respect. Unbeknownst to them, O'Grady was a dangerously active pedophile that Church hierarchy, aware of his predilection, had harbored for over 30 years, allowing him to abuse countless children. Juxtaposing an extended, deeply unsettling interview with O'Grady himself with the tragic stories of his victims, filmmaker Amy Berg bravely exposes the deep corruption of the Catholic Church and the troubled mind of the man they sheltered.
 

The Departed

Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.5 (488,967 votes)
Release: Oct 2006
Summary: Martin Scorsese makes a welcome return to the mean streets (of Boston, in this case) with "The Departed", hailed by many as Scorsese's best film since "Casino". Since this crackling crime thriller is essentially a Scorsese-stamped remake of the acclaimed 2002 Hong Kong thriller "Infernal Affairs", the film was intensely scrutinized by devoted critics and cinephiles, and while Scorsese's intense filmmaking and all-star cast deserve ample acclaim, "The Departed" is also worthy of serious re-assessment, especially with regard to what some attentive viewers described as sloppy craftsmanship (!), notably in terms of mismatched shots and jagged continuity. But no matter where you fall on the Scorsese appreciation scale, there's no denying that "The Departed" is a signature piece of work from one of America's finest directors, designed for maximum impact with a breathtaking series of twists, turns, and violent surprises. It's an intricate cat-and-mouse game, but this time the cat and mouse are both moles: Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) is an ambitious cop on the rise, planted in the Boston police force by criminal kingpin Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hot-tempered police cadet who's been artificially disgraced and then planted into Costello's crime operation as a seemingly trustworthy soldier. As the multilayered plot unfolds (courtesy of a scorching adaptation by "Kingdom of Heaven" screenwriter William Monahan), Costigan and Sullivan conduct a volatile search for each other (they're essentially looking for "themselves") while simultaneously wooing the psychiatrist (Vera Farmiga) assigned to treat their crime-driven anxieties.
Such convenient coincidences might sink a lesser film, but "The Departed" is so electrifying that you barely notice the plot-holes. And while Nicholson's profane swagger is too much "Jack" and not enough "Costello," he's still a joy to watch, especially in a film that's additionally energized by memorable (and frequently hilarious) supporting roles for Alec Baldwin, Mark Wahlberg, and a host of other big-name performers. "The Departed" also makes clever and plot-dependent use of cell-phones, to the extent that it couldn't exist without them. Powered by Scorsese's trademark use of well-chosen soundtrack songs (from vintage rock to Puccini's operas), "The Departed" may not be perfect, but it's one helluva ride for moviegoers, proving popular enough to become the biggest box-office hit of Scorsese's commercially rocky career. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

The Descendants

Director: Alexander Payne
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Ad Hominem Enterprises
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.4 (130,943 votes)
Release: Mar 2012
Summary: With his wife Elizabeth on life support after a boating accident, Hawaiian land baron Matt King takes his daughters on a trip from Oahu to Kauai to confront the young real estate broker, who was having an affair with Elizabeth before her misfortune.
 

Descent

Director: Talia Lugacy
Starring: Rosario Dawson, Chad Faust, Marcus Patrick, Christopher DeBlasio, Sergia Louise Anderson, Chuck Ardezzone, Scott Bailey, Tomm Bauer, Aran Bertetto, Peter Bongiorno
Genre: Drama
Studio: City Lights Home Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: NC-17
Rating: 4.6 (1,961 votes)
Release: Feb 2008
Summary: Maya (Rosario Dawson) is like many other college coeds, booksmart yet shy, curious about sex, yet scared to let herself go. One night she meets Jared (played by Chad Faust). When their courtship turns from romantic to horrific in a single violent act, Maya's world is ripped inside-out. Shutting out everyone in her life, Maya loses herself to a dark throbbing underworld of experimentation. Lured by club DJ Adrian (Marcus Patrick), she awakens to a cold and vicious new strength. But will Maya's downward spiral consume and destroy her - or will she be saved by its power? (Edited R-Rated version also availble on DVD).
 

The Descent

Director: Neil Marshall
Starring: Shauna Macdonald, Natalie Jackson Mendoza, Alex Reid, Saskia Mulder, MyAnna Buring
Genre: Thrillers
Studio: Lions Gate Films
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.3 (100,818 votes)
Release: Dec 2006
Summary: Claustrophobia and bloody mayhem collide in the high-adrenaline horror flick "The Descent". Six women (including one who lost her husband and child the year before, and one who harbors a bitter secret) spelunk in an unexplored cavern system that turns out to harbor mysterious, predatory creatures. That sums up the story, but--as with writer-director Neil Marshall's previous low-concept movie, "Dog Soldiers"--the plot doesn't begin to describe the riveting, stomach-lurching thrills this movie provides. The script affords the relatively unknown cast (led by Shauna Macdonald and Natalie Mendoza, both excellent) just enough room to make their characters distinct and genuine, so that when they're dropped into utmost peril our empathy is engaged as much as our fear. The dynamic direction and editing make the cavern a palpable, physical presence, even before the creepy beasts crawl out of their nooks. This is not a movie for everyone; it is extremely gruesome and will induce panic attacks in anyone with even a mild fear of closed spaces. But for anyone seeking something smarter, faster, and more wrenching than static torture-fests like "Saw" or "Hostel", "The Descent" will draw you into its unsettling ooze. "--Bret Fetzer"
 

Desperado

Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Sony Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.1 (93,886 votes)
Release: Jun 1997
Summary: It's Sergio Leone meets Sam Peckinpah meets Quentin Tarantino in this ultraviolent, mythological shoot-'em-up by auteur Robert Rodriguez. In "Desperado", Rodriguez creates larger-than-life, genre-tweaking stock characters and puts them through their paces. As they stride bravely through an Old West lightly dusted with camp humor, they're periodically called upon to nimbly dodge bullets and fireballs through outrageously choreographed displays of Hollywood pyrotechnics. In this bigger-budget semi-remake/semi-sequel to Rodriguez's indie sensation, "El Mariachi" (made, famously, for $7,000), Antonio Banderas is the darkly charismatic El Mariachi, the Mysterious Stranger in town; Steve Buscemi is perfectly cast as his weasely, motor-mouth Comic Sidekick, laying the groundwork for El Mariachi's entrance by spinning saloon stories to build up his legend; Cheech Marin is a standout as the Bartender, who really knows how to handle a toothpick; and gorgeous Salma Hayek is, well, the Girl--treated to the kind of full-blown, slow-mo introduction the movies traditionally lavish on beautiful new stars. It doesn't add up to much, but it's a kick. Be careful not to blow out your speakers with the DVD's Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. "--Jim Emerson"
 

Despicable Me

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Crime
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: PG
Release: Dec 2010
Summary: In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.
 

Despicable Me 2

Director: Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
Starring: Steve Carell, Elsie Kate Fisher, Ken Jeong, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Moisés Arias, Benjamin Bratt, Steve Coogan, Russell Brand, Dana Gaier
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Studio: Universal Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: PG
Rating: 7.7 (86,992 votes)
Release: Jul 2013
Summary: While Gru, the ex-supervillain is adjusting to family life and an attempted honest living in the jam business, a secret Arctic laboratory is stolen. The Anti-Villain League decides it needs an insider's help and recruits Gru in the investigation. Together with the eccentric AVL agent, Lucy Wilde, Gru concludes that his prime suspect is the presumed dead supervillain, El Macho, whose his teenage son is also making the moves on his eldest daughter, Margo. Seemingly blinded by his overprotectiveness of his children and his growing mutual attraction to Lucy, Gru seems on the wrong track even as his minions are being quietly kidnapped en masse for some malevolent purpose.
 

Devil

Director: John Erick Dowdle
Starring: Chris Messina, Jenny O'Hara, Bokeem Woodbine, Jacob Vargas, Matt Craven, Joshua Peace, Caroline Dhavernas, Joe Cobden, Zoie Palmer, Vincent Laresca, Rudy Webb, Craig Eldridge, Robert Lee, Geoffrey Arend, Logan Marshall-Green, Bojana Novakovic
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Studio: Media Rights Capital
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 6.2 (77,024 votes)
Release: Sep 2010
Summary: In Philadelphia, Detective Bowden is still grieving for his wife and son, killed in a hit-and-run five years ago. When someone jumps from a skyscraper onto a truck, Bowden is sent to investigate. Meanwhile, five strangers are trapped in an elevator in the building where the jumper committed suicide. The communication radio in the elevator is broken but the guards, Lustig and Ramirez, observe the individuals via CCTV as events unfold. Tensions run high among those trapped, so Lustig calls the police and Detective Bowden assumes the case. Without being able to contact the individuals, he tries to work out who they are, but he can only account for four of them. Time is running out for the occupants of the elevator, as Bowden realizes he has to get them out quickly.
 

The Devil's Rejects

Director: Rob Zombie
Starring: Sid Haig, Sheri Moon Zombie, Bill Moseley, William Forsythe, Ken Foree
Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller
Studio: Lions Gate
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.8 (55,531 votes)
Release: Nov 2005
Summary: Homicidal maniacs have a field day in Rob Zombie's "The Devil's Rejects", an ultraviolent spin-off from Zombie's critically reviled 2003 debut, "House of 1,000 Corpses". As Zombie continues to cultivate his name-brand variety of extreme horror and splatter-film homage, he definitely takes his place among connoisseurs of carnage. In the case of "The Devil's Rejects", several characters from "1,000 Corpses" return for another marathon of mayhem, as the murderous Firefly family (led by Sid Haig as the maniacal "Captain Spaulding") turn their bloody wrath against hostages in a fleabag motel, while the local sheriff (William Forsythe) plots revenge against them for the killing of his brother. Before their inevitable showdown, Zombie has plenty of fun--perhaps a little "too" much fun--indulging his penchant for sick, sadistic humor and gruesome atrocity. Clearly, Zombie fancies himself as horror's answer to Quentin Tarantino, but he lacks Tarantino's gift for riveting plots and escalating tension. Instead, "The Devil's Rejects" is just raw, rampant excess from start to finish, paying visual tribute to gruesome classics from the '70s and guaranteed to earn the cult status that Zombie is all too obviously aiming for. He's an unabashed horror buff who's carving a niche in the genre he loves, shamelessly satisfying a small but loyal audience of sicko-phants. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

The Dictator

Director: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Sayed Badreya, Michele Berg, Rocky Citron, Liam Campora
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Four by Two Films
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.4 (125,610 votes)
Release: May 2012
Summary: Haffaz Alladeen is the bizarre dictator of the oil-rich African nation of Wadiya. Alladeen is as egotistical and ruthless as dictators come, executing anyone who disagrees with him by using his signature "head chop" signal. Alladeen is summoned by the UN to address their concerns about his nuclear program.
 

Die Hard

Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Alexander Godunov, Reginald VelJohnson
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: 20th Century Fox
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.3 (357,596 votes)
Release: Sep 2004
Summary: "Die Hard" is the movie franchise that made a movie star out of TV star Bruce Willis, and created an entire action-movie genre of its own. In the original 1988 film, Willis plays wisecracking New York cop John McClane, who arrives at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles to meet up with his estranged wife, Holly (Bonny Bedelia), at her office Christmas party. As luck would have it, the company ends up in the middle of a terrorist plot led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his gang of expert killers, and with little help coming from outside, McClane has to pick off his enemies one by one. Thus was born the ""Die Hard" genre", epitomized by such films as "Under Siege" (" "Die Hard" on a ship"), "Passenger 57" (""Die Hard" on a plane" ), "Speed" (""Die Hard" on a bus"), and "Cliffhanger" (""Die Hard" on a mountain"). But few measure up to the explosive brilliance of "Die Hard". Director John McTiernan develops the action at a fast and furious pace, culminating in some fantastic set-pieces on the top of the building, in the elevator shaft, and in the building's outer plaza. Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza's script, based on Roderick Thorp's novel "Nothing Lasts Forever", is smart, funny, and full of memorable lines (among them "Welcome to the party, pal!" and of course "Yippee ki-ay, motherf*****"), and the cast is perfection, especially Rickman as the cunningly evil villain, and Willis, whose McClane character--bloodied, beaten, bruised, and barely breathing, as he battles both bad guys and bureaucrats--is someone audiences could genuinely cheer for. "--David Horiuchi"
 

Dinner for Schmucks

Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Dreamworks Video
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 5.8 (55,641 votes)
Release: Jul 2010
Summary: Steve Carell, whose gift for playing dumb yet remaining sympathetic is unparalleled, and the astoundingly likable Paul Rudd make an excellent comedy team in "Dinner for Schmucks". Tim (Rudd, "I Love You, Man") gets invited to take part in a game his boss plays every year: each of his executives has to bring a perfect idiot to dinner; the biggest loser wins an award and the executive who brought him gets a promotion. Tim's girlfriend thinks the idea is appalling, and Tim reluctantly agrees--until he literally runs into Barry (Carell), an obtuse IRS agent who makes dioramas with stuffed dead mice. Barry is so perfect for the game that Tim can't resist inviting him to dinner--but by inviting Barry into his life, Tim loses control of everything he wants as Barry's bumbling attempts to help go hopelessly awry. "Dinner for Schmucks" has its share of broad slapstick, but what may surprise some viewers is the mix of verbal wit and elegant visual jokes (some of Barry's dioramas are both funny and truly beautiful). The movie's farcical formula is familiar and threadbare, but Rudd and Carell give it genuine heart as well as humor and the supporting performances from Jemaine Clement ("Eagle vs. Shark"), Zach Galifianakis ("The Hangover"), and Kristin Schaal ("Flight of the Conchords") are all deliriously funny. A loose but honorable remake of the French comedy "The Dinner Game". "--Bret Fetzer"
 

The Dirties

Director: Matthew Johnson
Starring: Matthew Johnson, Owen Williams, Krista Madison, Brandon Wickens, Jay McCarroll, Shailene Garnett
Genre: Drama
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Release: Oct 2013
Summary: Two best friends are filming a comedy about getting revenge on the bullies at their high school. One of them isn't joking.
 

Dirty Girl

Director: Abe Sylvia
Starring: Jeremy Dozier, Juno Temple, Zach Lasry, Jonathan Slavin, Marcella Lentz-Pope
Genre: Drama
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.2 (4,696 votes)
Release: Jan 2012
Summary: A comedic story of the search for identity and the redemptive power of unexpected friendship. Danielle is the dirty girl of Norman High School. When Danielle's misbehavior gets her banished to special ed, she teams up with an innocent closet-case and together they head out on a road trip to discover each other and themselves through a funny and serendipitous friendship.
 

Dirty Harry Collection

Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Feb 2010
Summary: DIRTY HARRY Streetwise San Francisco police detective Harry Callahan will nail the serial killer Scorpio... one way or the other... no matter what "the system" prescribes. Don Siegel directs one of the best police thrillers ever made. MAGNUM FORCE Sharpshooting rookie motorcycle cops have turned vigilante, eliminating crooks the courts can't touch – thereby venturing into Harry's cross-hairs. Written by future directors John Milius and Michael Cimino. THE ENFORCER When terrorists rob an arms warehouse and go on a bloody extortion spree, city leaders seek out Callahan, who's now teamed with a lady partner (Tyne Daly) with two jobs: tracking down the terrorists--and winning Harry's confidence. SUDDEN IMPACT On an out-of-town assignment, Harry tracks a traumatized rape victim (Sondra Locke) coldly gunning down her bygone attackers. Fueled by the line that became a national catchphrase: "Go ahead. Make my day." THE DEAD POOL Fame isn't Callahan's style. He'd rather not be lumped in with a rocker, a film critic and a talk-show host. They're slain celebrities named in a mysterious betting pool. And Harry just joined the list.
 

Dirty Wars

Director: Rick Rowley
Starring: Jeremy Scahill, Nasser Al Aulaqi, Saleha Al Aulaqi, Muqbal Al Kazemi, Abdul Rahman Barman, Saleh Bin Fareed
Genre: Documentary
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Release: Jun 2013
Summary: It s the dirty little secret of the War on Terror: all bets are off, and almost anything goes. We have fundamentally changed the rules of the game and the rules of engagement. Today drone strikes, night raids, and U.S. government condoned torture occur in corners across the globe, generating unprecedented civilian casualties. Investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill (author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Mercenary Army) traces the rise of the Joint Special Operations Command, the most secret fighting force in U.S. history, exposing operations carried out by men who do not exist on paper and will never appear before Congress. No target is off-limits for the JSOC kill list, not even U.S. citizens. Director Richard Rowley and whistle-blower Scahill s DIRTY WARS is a chilling battle cry for the soul and conscience of an America few of us know exists.
 

Disconnect

Director: Henry Alex Rubin
Starring: Jason Bateman, Hope Davis, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton, Michael Nyqvist, Andrea Riseborough, Alexander Skarsgård, Max Thieriot, Jonah Bobo, Colin Ford, Haley Ramm
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Studio: LD Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Aug 2012
Summary: A hard-working lawyer, attached to his cell phone, can't find the time to communicate with his family. A couple is drawn into a dangerous situation when their secrets are exposed online. A widowed ex-cop struggles to raise a mischievous son who cyber-bullies a classmate. An ambitious journalist sees a career-making story in a teen that performs on an adult-only site. They are strangers, neighbors and colleagues and their stories collide in this riveting dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world.
 

District 9

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Starring: Sharlto Copley, David James, Jason Cope, Nathalie Boltt, Sylvaine Strike
Genre: Aciton, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: Sony Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Dec 2009
Summary: In 1982, a massive star ship bearing a bedraggled alien population, nicknamed "The Prawns," appeared over Johannesburg, South Africa. Twenty-eight years later, the initial welcome by the human population has faded. The refugee camp where the aliens were located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. In 2010, the munitions corporation, Multi-National United, is contracted to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien chemical and must rely on the help of his only two new 'Prawn' friends.
 

Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing

Director: Barbara Kopple, Cecilia Peck
Starring: Natalie Maines, Emily Robison, Martie Maguire
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Music
Studio: Weinstein
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.5 (3,945 votes)
Release: Nov 2006
Summary: n 2003, the female country band, The Dixie Chicks, are at the top of their game being one of the most successful bands of all time. However with the US invasion of Iraq about to begin over frustrated worldwide objections about this needless war, one of the Chick vents off the cuff in concert about being ashamed of US President George W. Bush. This statement sparks a firestorm of organized and personal right wing attacks against the Chicks for daring to think they have the right to express a negative personal opinion about the President. This film covers the band's effort to ride out the turmoil that would leave their careers under a cloud, but would eventually give them a opportunity to grow as great artists who bow to no one.
 

Django Unchained

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Studio: Weinstein Company, The
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.6 (329,707 votes)
Release: Dec 2012
Summary: Former dentist, Dr. King Schultz, buys the freedom of a slave, Django, and trains him with the intent to make him his deputy bounty hunter. Instead, he is led to the site of Django's wife who is under the hands of Calvin Candie, a ruthless plantation owner.
 

Dog Day Afternoon

Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, Chris Sarandon, Sully Boyar
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.1 (114,209 votes)
Release: Sep 1975
Summary: A gripping true crime yarn, a juicy slice of overheated New York atmosphere, and a splendid showcase for its young actors, "Dog Day Afternoon" is a minor classic of the 1970s. The opening montage of New York street life (set to Elton John's lazy "Amoreena") establishes the oppressive mood of a scorching afternoon in the city with such immediacy that you can almost smell the garbage baking in the sun and the water from the hydrants evaporating from the sizzling pavement. Al Pacino plays Sonny, who, along with his rather slow-witted accomplice Sal (John Cazale, familiar as Pacino's "Godfather" brother Fredo), holds hostages after a botched a bank robbery. Sonny finds himself transformed into a rebel celebrity when his standoff with police (including lead negotiator Charles Durning) is covered live on local television. The movie doesn't appear to be about anything in particular, but it really conveys the feel of wild and unpredictable events unfolding before your eyes, and the whole picture is so convincing and involving that you're glued to the screen. An Oscar winner for original screenplay, "Dog Day Afternoon" was also nominated for best picture, actor, supporting actor (Chris Sarandon, as a surprise figure from Sonny's past), editing, and director (Sidney Lumet of "Serpico", "Prince of the City", "The Verdict", and "Running on Empty"). "--Jim Emerson"
 

Doghouse

Director: Jake West
Starring: Danny Dyer, Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke, Terry Stone, Christina Cole
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8
Release: Oct 2010
Summary: A group of guys head off for a boys weekend to buck up a friend still depressed over a painful divorce. Unfortunately, they end up in an isolated town infected with a bio-weapon that has turned all the women into the man-hating monsters the lads always suspected women were at heart. The guys spend less time bonding and a lot more time fleeing from hairdressers, nurses, schoolgirls and other iconic female figures all looking to snip away with scissors and swords and literally do what the guys have been fearing for years. Deftly satirical, witty and just bloody good fun, Doghouse is the most original battle of the sexes in years.
 

Dogma

Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Kevin Smith, Salma Hayek, George Carlin
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Sony Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.3 (136,792 votes)
Release: Nov 1999
Summary: Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy", both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with "Dogma"--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at "Chasing Amy"), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because "Dogma" is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe.
Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways "Dogma" is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... "subpar". Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. "--Mark Englehart"
 

Don Jon

Director: Martin Saint Charles
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Brie Larson, Tony Danza, Glenne Headly, Rob Brown, Jeremy Luke, Paul Ben-Victor, Italia Ricci, Lindsey Broad, Amanda Perez, Sarah Dumont, Sloane Avery, Loanne Bishop
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Voltage Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: R
Release: Sep 2013
Summary: Jon Martello objectifies everything in his life: his apartment, his car, his family, his church, and, of course, women. His buddies even call him Don Jon because of his ability to pull "10s" every weekend without fail. Yet even the finest flings don't compare to the transcendent bliss he achieves alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Dissatisfied, he embarks on a journey to find a more gratifying sex life, but ends up learning larger lessons of life and love through relationships with two very different women.
 

Donnie Darko

Director: Richard Kelly
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Patrick Swayze, Noah Wyle, Jena Malone
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Studio: Tcfhe
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 8.1 (364,809 votes)
Release: Jan 2002
Summary: This unclassifiable but stunningly original film obliterates the walls between teen comedy, science fiction, family drama, horror, and cultural satire--and remains wildly entertaining throughout. Jake Gyllenhaal ("October Sky") stars as Donnie, a borderline-schizophrenic adolescent for whom there is no difference between the signs and wonders of reality (a plane crash that devastates his house) and hallucination (a man-sized, reptilian rabbit who talks to him). Obsessed with the science of time travel and acutely aware of the world around him, Donnie is isolated by his powers of analysis and the apocalyptic visions that no one else seems to share. The debut feature of writer-director Richard Kelly, "Donnie Darko" is a shattering, hypnotic work that sets its own terms and gambles--rightfully so, as it turns out--that a viewer will stay aboard for the full ride. "--Tom Keogh"
 

The Door in the Floor

Director: Tod Williams
Starring: Elle Fanning, Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger, Jon Foster, Larry Pine
Genre: Drama
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 5
Release: Dec 2004
Summary: Alternately tragic and comic, an exploration of the complexities of love in both its brightest and darkest corners. Adapted from John Irving's best-selling novel A Widow for One Year, the film is set in the privileged beach community of East Hampton, New York and chronicles one pivotal summer in the lives of famous children's book author Ted Cole (Jeff Bridges) and his beautiful wife Marion (Kim Basinger). Their once-great marriage has been strained by tragedy. Her resulting despondency and his subsequent infidelities have prevented the couple from confronting a much-needed change in their relationship. Eddie O'Hare, the young man Ted hires to work as his summer assistant, is the couple's unwitting yet willing pawn - and, ultimately, the catalyst in the transformation of their lives.
 

Doubt

Director: John Patrick Shanley
Starring: Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Studio: Miramax
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 7.5 (67,569 votes)
Release: Dec 2008
Summary: It's always a risk when writers direct their own work, since some playwrights don't travel well from stage to screen. Aided by Roger Deakins, of No Country for Old Men fame, who vividly captures the look of a blustery Bronx winter, Moonstruck's John Patrick Shanley pulls it off. If Doubt makes for a dialogue-heavy experience, like The Crucible and 12 Angry Men, the words and ideas are never dull, and a consummate cast makes each one count. Set in 1964 and loosely inspired by actual events, Shanley focuses on St. Nicholas, a Catholic primary school that has accepted its first African-American student, Donald Miller (Joseph Foster), who serves as altar boy to the warm-hearted Father Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). Donald may not have any friends, but that doesn't worry his mother, Mrs. Miller (Viola Davis in a scene-stealing performance), since her sole concern is that her son gets a good education. When Sister James (Amy Adams) notices Flynn concentrating more of his attentions on Miller than the other boys, she mentions the matter to Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the school's hard-nosed principal. Looking for any excuse to push the progressive priest out of her tradition-minded institution, Sister Aloysius sets out to destroy him, and if that means ruining Donald's future in the process--so be it. Naturally, she's the least sympathetic combatant in this battle, but Streep invests her disciplinarian with wit and unexpected flashes of empathy. Of all the characters she's played, Sister Aloysius comes closest to caricature, but she never feels like a cartoon; just a sad woman willing to do anything to hold onto what little she has before the forces of change render her--and everything she represents--redundant. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
 

Downloaded

Director: Alex Winter
Starring: Sean Parker, Shawn Fanning, Lars Ulrich, Jon Stewart, Noel Gallagher, Henry Rollins, Billy Corgan, Mike D
Genre: Documentary
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Release: Jun 2013
Summary: A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were effected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
 

Drag Me to Hell

Director: Sam Raimi
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Ruth Livier, Lorna Raver, Dileep Rao
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 6.7 (107,318 votes)
Release: Oct 2009
Summary: Christine Brown is a loans officer at a bank but is worried about her lot in life. She's in competition with a competent colleague for an assistant manager position and isn't too sure about her status with a boyfriend. Worried that her boss will think less of her if she shows weakness, she refuses a time extension on a loan to an old woman, Mrs. Ganush, who now faces foreclosure and the loss of her house. In retaliation, the old woman place a curse on her which, she subsequently learns, will result in her being taken to hell in a few days time. With the help of a psychic, she tries to rid herself of the demon, but faces several hurdles in the attempt.
 

Dread

Director: Anthony DiBlasi
Starring: Jackson Rathbone, Elissa Dowling, Shaun Evans, Hanne Steen
Genre: Drama, Horror, Thriller
Studio: SUNFILM Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.8 (159,739 votes)
Release: Oct 2009
Summary: The outcast cinema student, Stephen Grace, does not drive cars due to the trauma of losing his brother in a car accident. He befriends, Quaid, who since the age of 6 has experienced dreadful nightmares and daydreams about the death of his parents. Quaid proposes they research about each one's innermost fear. Stephen sees the chance of developing an original thesis for college and invites his friend, Cheryl, to work with them. Among the interviewees, Stephen talks to his colleague, Abby who works with him in the library. Abby has a complex about the way she looks. When the work is almost complete, Quaid has an outburst at one interviewee's and ends up destroying the camera and editing equipment. Stephen begins to re-evaluate the situation.
 

The Dream Team

Director: Howard Zieff, Edward Burns
Starring: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson
Genre: Documentary, Sports Film
Studio: Universal Pictures
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 6.2 (7,095 votes)
Release: Apr 1989
Summary: The world had rarely seen a frenzy as the one the Dream Team created when it arrived in Barcelona, Spain, in July 1992. The Dream Team featured 11 future Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame players and three future Hall of Famers on the coaching staff, including head coach Chuck Daly.
 

Dredd

Director: Pete Travis
Starring: Karl Urban, Rachel Wood, Andile Mngadi, Porteus Xandau Steenkamp, Jason Cope
Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Studio: DNA Films
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 7.4 (31,882 votes)
Release: Sep 2012
Summary: The future America is an irradiated waste land. On its East Coast, running from Boston to Washington DC, lies Mega City One - a vast, violent metropolis where criminals rule the chaotic streets. The only force of order lies with the urban cops called "Judges" who possess the combined powers of judge, jury and instant executioner. Known and feared throughout the city, Dredd is the ultimate Judge, challenged with ridding the city of its latest scourge - a dangerous drug epidemic that has users of "Slo-Mo" experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson, a rookie with powerful psychic abilities thanks to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighborhood where fellow Judges rarely dare to venture - a 200 storey vertical slum controlled by prostitute turned drug lord Ma-Ma and her ruthless clan...
 

Drinking Buddies

Director: Joe Swanberg
Starring: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick, Ron Livingston, Ti West, Jason Sudeikis
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Studio: Burn Later Productions
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.2 (1,357 votes)
Release: Aug 2013
Summary: Luke and Kate are co-workers at a Chicago brewery, where they spend their days drinking and flirting. They're perfect for each other, except that they're both in relationships. Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris. But you know what makes the line between "friends" and "more than friends" really blurry? Beer.
 

Drive

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston
Genre: Crime, Drama
Studio: FilmDistrict
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: R
Release: Sep 2011
Summary: A mysterious man who has multiple jobs as a garage mechanic, a Hollywood stuntman and a getaway driver seems to be trying to escape his shady past as he falls for his neighbor - whose husband is in prison and who's looking after her child alone. Meanwhile, his garage mechanic boss is trying to set up a race team using gangland money, which implicates our driver as he is to be used as the race team's main driver. Our hero gets more than he bargained for when he meets the man who is married to the woman he loves.
 

Drive Angry

Director: Patrick Lussier
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, Charlotte Ross
Genre: Action, Adventure
Studio: Summit Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 5.5 (57,800 votes)
Release: May 2011
Summary: Take lurid 1970s B movies about fast cars and loose women, add a dash of Nicolas Cage at his most deadpan, and sprinkle CGI and 3D technology on top, and you've got "Drive Angry 3D". Damned badass Milton (Cage) literally busts out of hell to rescue his infant granddaughter from a Satan-worshiping cult leader named Jonah King (Billy Burke from the "Twilight" movies). On his way Milton picks up Piper (Amber Heard), a blond waitress with a bad attitude and a worse boyfriend. But hot on their trail is the Accountant (William Fichtner), a demonic emissary of ambiguous intentions but unstoppable power. From there it's a series of car chases, shootouts, and sex scenes, and sometimes sex scenes that are also shootouts (a bit that was done better, it must be said, in the underrated "Shoot 'Em Up"). Don't ask for coherence or common sense; this is a movie where pretty much any character's main motivation can be summed up as sheer cussedness. "Drive Angry 3D" maintains a general sleazy good humor, and Fichtner at least is enjoying himself--he's giving exactly the kind of unexpected, offbeat performance that Cage used to specialize in. (Cage himself is pretty lackluster here, sadly, and wearing one of his worst hairpieces to boot.) This is self-conscious trash; think of it as a companion piece, both in intention and quality, to Quentin Tarentino and Robert Rodriguez's "Grindhouse" compilation. "--Bret Fetzer"
 

Duck Soup

Director: Leo McCarey
Starring: Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Chico Marx, Zeppo Marx, Margaret Dumont
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Image Entertainment
My Rating:
Rated: Unrated
Rating: 8.0 (36,932 votes)
Release: Nov 1933
Summary: For those who love the Marx Brothers ("Animal Crackers", "A Night at the Opera"), that this movie is side-slappingly funny is a given. For those new to the Marx Brothers, this is the perfect introduction to Groucho, Chico, and Harpo (and even Zeppo), three of the funniest men to ever grace the screen. Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) is the dictator of the small nation Freedonia. The country is a disaster, in financial disrepair, and the wealthy Mrs. Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) is its benefactor and the object of Firefly's shrewd affection. When the leader of the neighboring Sylvania decides he's in love with Mrs. Teasdale, Firefly declares war. The movie, from 1933, is tremendously satirical, a play on politics and war. (As Firefly says to a hapless young solider, "You're a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you're out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are.") Full of witty lines, great sight gags, and even some snazzy song numbers ("Freedonia's Going to War" is the hilarious declaration of battle), this is surely one of the best--if not "the" best--the Marx Brothers have to offer. "--Jenny Brown"
 

Due Date

Director: Todd Phillips
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx, Juliette Lewis
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Studio: Warner Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: R
Rating: 6.5 (170,548 votes)
Release: Feb 2011
Summary: "Due Date" is such a broad comedy, it needs the width of the whole United States in which to play out. Director Todd Phillips ("The Hangover") lets the gross-out comedic charms of his frequent star Zach Galifianakis run wild, which is exactly what Galifianakis fans want. And Robert Downey Jr. reminds viewers of his appealing straight-man comic talents, too. "Due Date" is like "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" meets "Nine Months" with a little of "The Odd Couple" thrown in. The writing of "Due Date" is uneven--perhaps a result of its having had a minimum of six screenwriters working on it. And run time, at only 100 or so minutes, seems much longer. But "Due Date" gets its energy and charge from its two stars and from Phillips's slaphappy direction. Galifianakis plays Ethan, who's a version of every character Galifianakis has played to date--slovenly, irresponsible, and uncensored. Downey is Peter, a straitlaced new father-to-be, who through an improbable series of unfortunate events can find no other way to get across the country for the birth of his first child than to hitch a ride with Ethan. If the situation is somewhat predictable, the comedic moments are not--though by halfway though the trip, viewers may wonder if Peter will be able to resist strangling Ethan with his own scarf, or worse. The deft supporting cast includes Michelle Monaghan as Peter's wife, Jamie Foxx (in kind of a throwaway role), and Juliette Lewis, appealing and not too ditzy. Viewers who love Phillips's and Galifianakis's trademark slapstick shtick will find plenty to laugh about on this long, strange trip. --"A.T. Hurley"
 

Dumb & Dumber

Director: Peter Farrelly
Starring: Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Lauren Holly, Mike Starr, Karen Duffy
Genre: Comedy
Studio: New Line Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 7.2 (181,755 votes)
Release: Dec 1994
Summary: Delivering exactly what its title promises, this celebration of stupidity was Jim Carrey's 1994 follow-up to "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and "The Mask". The film pairs the rubber- faced wacky man with Jeff Daniels as the not-so-dynamic duo of Lloyd and Harry, dunderheads who come into the possession of a briefcase containing ransom money that is intended for Mob-connected kidnappers. Lauren Holly costars as the woman who lost the briefcase, and with whom Carrey falls in love (both in real life and as his moronic on-screen character). As Lloyd and Harry make a mad dash to return the briefcase (never aware of its contents), the bumbling buddies attract Mobsters, cops, and trouble galore. This lowbrow laugh-a-thon scores some solid hits for hilarity, but with gags involving ill-fated parakeets, buxom bimbos, and an overdose of laxatives, be prepared to put your brain--and good taste--on hold. "--Jeff Shannon"
 

Dumbo

Director: Ben Sharpsteen
Starring: Sterling Holloway, Herman Bing, John McLeish, Edward Brophy, James Baskett, Billy Bletcher, Jim Carmichael, Hall Johnson Choir, Cliff Edwards, Verna Felton, Noreen Gammill, eddie holden, Malcolm Hutton, The King's Men, Harold Manley
Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Science Fiction, Family
Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
My Rating:
Rated: G
Rating: 7.4 (46,457 votes)
Release: Oct 1941
Summary: Dumbo is a baby elephant born with oversized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy -- Timothy the Mouse -- the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.
 

Dune

Director: David Lynch
Starring: Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana Mangano, Everett McGill, Kenneth McMillan, Jack Nance, Siân Phillips, Jürgen Prochnow, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Sean Young
Genre: Drama, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction
Studio: Universal Studios
My Rating:
Rated: PG-13
Rating: 6.5 (68,601 votes)
Release: Dec 1984
Summary: In the year 10,191, the world is at war for control of the desert planet Dune -- the only place where the time-travel substance Spice can be found. But when one leader gives up control, it's only so he can stage a coup with some unsavory characters.