Movies
Welcome to my movie page. Here I list my Sundance history, the movies I have seen, and those yet to be seen. Note: you can click on the column headings to sort the data in each column.
Z’s History at Sundance
To be seen movies
| Priority | Title | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| H | Who Needs Sleep? | I emailed the producer... they may have a distro deal w/ NetFlix soon... |
Seen movies
| Date Seen | Title | Breadcrumb | Grade | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 201007xx | The Bounty Hunter | Air | B- | work and watch - goofy movie about an ex who gets to go after his wife (J. Aniston) because she failed to show up to court (sub plot) - main plot is a bad cop mystery dealio |
| 201007xx | Made of Honor | Air | B- | work and watch flick - "seen it before" love story movie |
| 201006xx | Valentine's Day | ??? | B | many stories about the big day, all coming together at the end - can you guess how it ends? star studded cast |
| 20100515 | Dear John | Air | B- | typical love story at the core, with a military backdrop |
| 20100521 | Invictus | Air | A | Great story about Nelson Mandela and leadership wrapped in a sports blanket |
| 20100410 | Did you hear about the Morgan’s? | Air | B- | work and watch; Sarah Jessica P. and Hugh Grant on the rocks, then back together again |
| 20100319 | The Blind Side | Air | B+ | Inspiring movie about Michael Oher's life - entertaining, happy and sad. |
| 20100313 | Up In The Air | Netflix | B | It's about life in the air and the thought that one on the ground is perhaps more rewarding... |
| 20100220 | Whip It | Air | B | Funny movie about a young girl (Ellen Page) that falls in love w/ the derby |
| 20100206 | Angels and Demons | Netflix | B | Entertaining mystery/thriller about the Vatican and the church's efforts to renew the faith of its follwers (based on Dan Brown novel) - the more you know about religious history, the more you may enjoy |
| 20100123 | Restrepo | Sundance 2010 | B | Good "raw" movie by 2 embedded journalists about a group of soldiers in the Korungaul Valley ("most dangerous place on earth") in Afghanistan |
| 20100126 | Utopia in Four Movements | Sundance 2010 | B+ | Thought provoking "only in real-time" documentary with live narrative and soundtrack (i.e. Sam was there speaking to us and a band/symphony was playing the music live to go with the sights) - very cool idea |
| 20100126 | I am Pat ______ Tillman | Sundance 2010 | A | Great movie about the facts behind Pat Tillman's death - his mother was there after the film to answer Q&A - intense |
| 20100126 | High School | Sundance 2010 | B | I had a splitting headache when I saw it, but it was funny - kind of Ferris Beuller meets Fast Times at Ridgemont and center the story on marijuana |
| 20100127 | Countdown to Zero | Sundance 2010 | B | Covers an important topic to consider - nuclear weapons management; thought it was a bit alarmist in nature, but when one seriously considers what the movie is saying, it is both scary and probably unstoppable (i.e. at some point some idiot will launch another one) |
| 20100128 | Life 2.0 | Sundance 2010 | B+ | Interesting look at three different stories that take Second Life into First (Real) Life - a man accepting his past, a virtual entrepreneur, and an affair |
| 20100128 | Buried | Sundance 2010 | B | A guy, a box, in Iraq - seems like a boring combo, not so much in this movie - good entertainment |
| 20100129 | Holy Rollers | Sundance 2010 | U | Had to leave after the first 30 minutes (freeken construction workers!) - looked like it was shaping up to be a good film though!! |
| 20100129 | Casino Jack and the United State of Money | Sundance 2010 | A | Great documentary on the history of one of the best worst lobbyist in history - Jack Abramoff |
| 20100129 | Louis C.K.: Hilarious | Sundance 2010 | A- | Pretty funny standup shot in Boston and Montreal - one of the funniest pieces was our complaining about ATMs, planes, and cell phones |
| 20100130 | GasLand | Sundance 2010 | B+ | Great movie about the vast amount of natural gas we have domestically, but more importantly how its extraction (through "fracking") is destroying human lives and our water. |
| 20100130 | Please Give | Sundance 2010 | B | Entertaining movie with a glimpse into the lives of those living in an apartment/condo complex in NYC - see description for more |
| 20100130 | The Freebie | Sundance 2010 | B | Looks at what happens with a married couple's relationship when they agree to "single" for a night. Funny parts, but also intense. |
| 20100130 | The Company Men | Sundance 2010 | B | Tommy Lee, Ben Affleck, ... and the list goes on - tons of experienced actors in this movie about life during the recession and how big biz is all about shareholders |
| 20100131 | The Red Chapel: World Cinema: Jury Prize (Documentary) | Sundance 2010 | A- | Great movie about how three (two Danish Koreans) Danes use a comedic veil to infiltrate Northern Korea so people can catch a glimpse of what it is like behind this country's borders. |
| 20100131 | Sympathy for Delicious: World Cinema Screenwriter Drama | Sundance 2010 | B+ | This was a movie about how a non-healer becomes a healer that heals others and eventually heals himself - good flic |
| 20100117 | Avatar (3D) | Sundance in SF | A- | Would have received an A except that it's Dances With Wolves but in the future. Great A/V experience!! Very creative. |
| 20100109 | I.O.U.S.A. | Netflix | A- | Educational and entertaining documentary on the US economy and a fact-based narrative on how we are headed for trouble - my $.02: we need to suck it up and stop consuming so much credit!! (see Sat night live skit portion of the movie) |
| 20100109 | The Informant | Sky | B | Flic w/ Matt Damon as an ADM exec. who while delusional himself, does help the FBI bust ADM for collusion (price fixing) - decent movie |
| 20091215 | Obsessed | Netflix | C+ | pretty faces, lots of drama and women fighting - woohoo. work and watch this one. |
| 20091205 | Funny People | Netflix | B | The movie is indeed funny, but only in bite size portions - Adam Sandler's character struggles w/ the potential of death and his lifestyle and history |
| 20091205 | Up | Sky | B- | work and watch movie but well done animation and overall story line - kids would like this one a lot I think |
| 20091205 | 500 Days of Summer | Sky | B | Typical falling in and out (or in some cases never quite falling in) of love romance story; missed this one at Sundance |
| 20091205 | Ugly Truth | Netflix | B | Funny (a bit crass) movie about what men think like and one woman that gets an explicit dose of it (love story as well) |
| 20091205 | The Hangover | Sky | B- | Goofy movie about a "regular bachelor party" that goes awry with a bit too many drugs |
| 20091114 | Smart People | Netflix | B+ | Entertaining movie about a CMU professor (and his family) after the loss of his wife - witty dry humor |
| 20091112 | Julie and Julia | Sky | B | Work and watch movie - still entertaining, more so because of Julia Childs history/bio piece of the plot (vs. the other portion) |
| 20091107 | Four Christmases | Sky | B- | Funny at the start, goofy and sappy in the middle and end respectively |
| 20091107 | Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince | Sky | B | Decent plot but not that great of an ending all in all - clearly tees up the next flic |
| 20091031 | Man on a Wire | Netflix | A- | great capturing of the plan and execution of the "man on a wire" walking between the World Trade Centers |
| 20091030 | Lions for Lambs | Netflix | A- | great flic - a multi-perspective (soldier, politician, media) view on the war on terror |
| 20091025 | Wolverine, X-Men: Origins | Bluray Test | B | entertaining movie that puts together a decent story around the genesis of Wolverine... make sure you watch until the VERY end (post credits) |
| 20091003 | Seven Pounds | Netflix | B | Worthwhile movie about the pain of loss and happiness of health - decent plot |
| 20090912 | Idiocracy | Netflix | B+ | funny, and scary, movie about where the population may head if people don't educate themselves and instead produce others who won't as well |
| 20090822 | Taken | Netflix | B | Entertaining action film that looks into the underground world human markets; a little far fetched in terms of how it all plays out |
| 20090822 | The Great Buck Howard | FL | B | A mentalist and "my Dad wants me to be a lawyer" get together to go through adventures in road shows - watch in the background flic |
| 20090815 | Star Trek (2009) | FL | B- | Typical legacy brought back to life for a 2009 story - entertaining and predictable worknwatch flic |
| 20090808 | Ronin | Netflix | C- | Spy and betrayl (after betrayl) movie w/ many (too long) car chases |
| 20090808 | Modify | Netflix | B | Interesting movie about body modification (all forms) and the many aspects around it (beliefs, upbringing, etc.) - while the movie explores many motivations, one thing that came through was that people love their freedom most of all |
| 20090710 | Powder Blue | Netflix | B- | Spoiler --> LA-based movie about the life of a jailed (now out) father, stripper, guy who lost his wife, and "The Mortuary Kid" |
| 20090705 | Revolutionary Road | Netflix | B | Intense movie about dreams, reality, and the lack of clarity between the two... |
| 220090703 | Quantum of Solace | Netflix | C | Typical Bond film save the plot was more weak than prior films - some scenes were cheesy |
| 20090621 | On a Clear Day | Netflix | B | Entertaining movie about a father, and the one son he has left in his life, and how the cope with a major loss (by swimming the English Channel) |
| 20090612 | Gran Torino | Delta | B+ | Good movie about an old war vet in Detroit that befriends some immigrants and "does the right thing" w/ a Go ahead, make my day Eastwood flair |
| 20090612 | Punch Drunk Love | TBS | B | Yet another entertaining love story movie with an Adam Sandler anger mgmt. spin/influence |
| 20090606 | Prelude to a Kiss | Netflix | C | Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin have a "super natural" experience as they struggle with their relationship - watch n work flic |
| 20090606 | Hancock | Netflix | C- | watch and work super hero movie w/ Will Smith |
| 20090605 | Frost/Nixon | Delta | A- | great movie about getting Nixon to admit his wrong doing(s) |
| 20090512 | King of Kong | Ajay Kumar | B+ | entertaining movie about video game champions, and classic competition, and the idiots that sometimes participate (or in this case, those that don't) |
| 20090423 | Bottle Shock | Netflix | A- | Pretty good flic about how CA wines came to be known as some of the world's best (and of course two other stories mixed in) |
| 20090419 | Marley and Me | Hollywood | B | Entertaining, but nothing special - sad story of a "horrible" dog with whom a family falls in love |
| 20090419 | Citizen Kane | Netflix | B | Classic Orson Welles movie that was fairly interesting, but still can't believe it's considered one of the "best of all time" movies |
| 20090419 | Good Night and Good Luck | Netflix | B | Could barely stay awake for this after multiple attempts - not bad, just not exciting |
| 20090411 | Curious Case of Benjamin Button | Delta | B+ | Interesting story that gets one to consider the implications of growing young |
| 20090315 | Slumdog Millionaire | NA | B | Entertaining love story told through flashbacks and a game show - so fictional it should have been a cartoon though |
| 20090314 | Rachel's Wedding | Netflix | B | Drug addict trying to fit back into her family's life, and find her own as well. |
| 20090309 | Vicky Cristina Barcelona | Netflix | B | Flic based in Barcelona about four people and finding where they do and don't want to be in life |
| 20090308 | Body of Lies | Netflix | B | Entertaining mid-east vs. USA terrorist movie with slight (but predictable) twist |
| 20090206 | Music Within | Netflix | A- | Entertaining dramentary focused on the man who drove the Americans with Disabilities Act |
| 20081127 | Son of Rambow | Netflix | A- | Funny movie covering a snippet of a couple kids who couldn't be farther apart in terms of fit, but who both love film, and eventually form a strong friendship over it |
| 20081116 | State by State | Flan | B- | Book gone film movie by Powell's Books - couldn't give it a C+ since to be fair I was working while watching it :-) |
| 20081115 | Young at Heart | Netflix | B+ | Very funny, and sad, movie about how singing, and friends are keys to some folks' happiness |
| 20081115 | Atonement | Cable | A- | Good movie about a woman and a critical decision that changes her (and that of others) life |
| 20081023 | Diminished Capacity | Delta | B- | entertaining plot, but gets boring at the end - yet another, work and watch |
| 20081025 | I Hate You Sarah Marshall | Delta | C | classic bf/gf movie where gf cheats on bf, then they keep having second thoughts about it; not a bad ending - still a work and watch |
| 20081025 | Get Smart | Delta | C- | supposedly funny spy movie - work and watch rating |
| 20081018 | W. | NA | B+ | Provides potential (it _is_ a movie) insight into W's "rationale" and his top influencers |
| 20081012 | Swing Vote | Delta | C | What if came down to one person's vote? If it did this movie probably wouldn't do it justice. Work on the laptop and watch movie. |
| 20081010 | 3:10 to Yuma | netflix | C | gunslinging bad guy posse type flic - somewhat entertaining, but my eyes definitely weren't glued to the TV on this one |
| 20081010 | Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Delta | C | A bit cheesy and crummy story line - aliens??? c'mon! |
| 20081010 | Recount | Delta | A- | Good movie about the recount - perhaps a bit biased (Democrat) though... although if true, then it is scary... |
| 20080921 | Vantage Point | Preston | C | Think "24" - the movie (but repeated over and over) |
| 20080920 | Keith | Preston | B | Interesting story about jealousy and what one may do when there's nothing to lose (can't say much more without giving away the story) |
| 20080831 | National Treasure | Random TV | B- | Typical treasure map based adventure - good background movie |
| 20080830 | Tell No One | Robin | B+ | French subtitled movie about a murder mystery involving all sorts of interesting characters |
| 20080813 | The Flying Scotsman | Preston | B | Interesting cycling history of a passionate Scotsman who loved to bike, and took that passion to go on to win world cycling events. |
| 20080811 | Punch Drunk Love | TBS | B | As I was opening my mail I polished this one off via the DVR. Anyhow, funny flic about true love and true violence/temper :-) |
| 20080726 | The Profit | Preston | D | Can't believe IMDB raters gave this 7.4/10 - reminded me a bit of Scientology meets Being There |
| 20080702 | 21 | Delta | A- | not the greatest movie, but the story made up for it - plus it was based on true events |
| 20080629 | Definitely Maybe | Delta | B- | entertaining, but not engaging (i.e. was able to work while watching) |
| 20080626 | Running with Scissors | Preston | B | Entertaining and over the top movie based on the memoirs of a man who grew up around some very eccentric people |
| 20080624 | In Bruges | Sundance 08 | A- | Excellent combo of humor and action with a great storyline. Awesome script. A little bit of a Gross Pointe Blank but in Bruges... |
| 20080608 | Antitrust | Preston | B- | Ended up watching while working at home - not bad. Bill Gates (evil-Bill) guy vs. whiz kids kind of flic. |
| 20080608 | Stardust (2007) | NA | B- | Entertaining, but reminded me of a Disney fairytale taking place in Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings) |
| 20080511 | 27 Dresses | NA | C+ | Predictable romantic "funny" story about two sisters and their love (or supposed) for one man |
| 20080512 | Being There | Todd Pierce | B+ | A somewhat slow movie, but quite funny and scary at the same time... I think this may be how some of our actual Presidents got into office... |
| 20080503 | Juno | Everyone | B+ | Solid story with good acting about kids being put on the maturity acceleration track with an unplanned pregnancy |
| 20080427 | The Great Debaters | NA | B+ | entertaining story of the fight for race (and sex) equality in the 1930's, with a David and Goliath theme |
| 20080426 | Gray Matters | NA | C | To slow for me, but a heartfelt and decent storyline |
| 20080420 | The Departed | NA | B+ | decent movie with a mix of good cop bad cop characters that keep popping up throughout this mafia vs. cop movie |
| 20080420 | Their Eyes Were Watching God | NA | B- | somewhat entertaining but a little boring in the middle and so so ending |
| 20080412 | American Gangster | NA | A- | based on a true story about the drug lords in the NYC / NJ area and one man's ties to it all - Frank Lucas; I liked the storyline and the ending) |
| 20080412 | My Best Friend's Wedding | NA | B | entertaining story of a crazy (in love) woman, played by Julia Roberts, who can't just seem to get the words I Love You out of her mouth... her nutty actions cause a lot of chaos for those in her life and her dream man (and his fiancee) |
| 20080408 | There Will Be Blood | NA | B+ | story about an "oil man" and how he destroys all that is good in his life as he becomes wealthy |
| 20080405 | Kite Runner | NA | A- | story about a boy and his family growing up in Kabul when the Communists invaded... ending with him in San Francisco but having to head back to save a boy... his nephew he later finds out |
| 20080404 | I am Legend | NA | B | story about a cancer cure gone awry and humankind barely surviving |
| 20080329 | Into the Wild | NA | B | story by Jon Krakauer about a boy who wants to live off the land; partially driven to do so by his parents expectations of him which he despised |
| 20080322 | No Country For Old Men | NA | B- | story of a sheriff drug dealer and local west TX dude in a drug deal gone bad; felt like I stepped into their lives to view a part of it all but then stepped out and felt like "hmm. interesting tale." |
| 20080310 | Hitch | NA | B | funny Will Smith movie where he's a "Date Dr." that falls in love with someone that just doesn't believe in love itself |
| 20080310 | Michael Clayton | NA | B+ | good thriller/drama of a lawyer who cleans up a big law firm's messes - has a slight taste of Erin Brokovich |
| 20080310 | Power of One | NA | A | excellent movie of a man's tale of apartheid that starts from when he was born in 1930 |
| 20080310 | Enchanted | NA | C- | i.e. don't let your laptop run out on the plan - saw on UAL, Disney animation / real-life combo with princess/prince theme |
| 20080211 | Scanner Darkly | Preston Hunt | C | cartoon-like futuristic movie with a "bad company" plot line with a cast of well known actor/resses |
| 20080210 | The Brave One | NA | B | go action/drama movie with Jodie Foster - "... and this time she's fighting back!" type of flic |
| 20080202 | The Lost Room - aka Bus Ticket | George Gelly and Michael Cameron | B | sci-fi flic with a father trying to get his daughter back surrounded by a plethora of magic objects to make it all interesting |
| 20080113 | Heartbreak Kid | Erick Dickens | B | mix of witty and cheesy humor; a little of Something About Mary type humor |
| 20070104 | The Bridge | Monica | B | interesting movie; but depressing plot; Golden Gate bridge jumpers/suicide |
| 20070104 | Superbad | advertisement | B- | funny at times; but high school type humor/plot |
| 200712xx | Charlie Wilson's War | NA | A | excellent overview of what may have lead up to 9/11 |
| 200712xx | I Think I Love My Wife | NA | B | funny in a Chris Rock sort of way |
| 200712xx | Oceans 13 | NA | B | entertaining and predictable; same old story line from previous ones |
| 20071117 | Lord of War | Val Ezike | A | see my blog - awesome flic |