13 Ways of Looking at a Dark Knight | 08.27.08
Flak's writers head to Gotham to understand what makes the most successful movie in a decade tick: rhetoric by Joshua Adams, realism by CarrieLynn D. Reinhard and collateral damage by Andy Stilp.

Sundance: Made for America | 02.13.08
There's a sleight of hand always operative at Sundance — an illusion manufactured not so much to hide the truth as distract attention from the cynical reality of the festival. By Ryan Young

Cloverfield: Stuck in the Eye of the Beholder | 01.28.08
Cloverfield's visual schtick is a good concept in theory, but it turns out to be a ridiculous, nauseating medium to inflict upon the viewers. By Andy Stilp

Cloverfield: Something, Like, Wicked This Way Comes, Man | 01.28.08
Much like the 9/11 attacks, Cloverfield illustrates the way constraint sometimes provokes imagination to exponential efficiencies. By David Essex

Beyond Superfly: A Critical Reevaluation of American Gangster | 01.23.08
The critics miss the point of one of the year's most complicated creations: cinema's first "post-gangster" character. By Stephen Himes

Snakes on a Bingo Card | 08.03.06
Play along at home as Flak predicts the content of the upcoming Snakes on a Plane. By Flak Staff

2007 Flak Film Also-Ran Awards: The Steak Knives | 02.21.07
We just can't kill the Oscars, but we stab them with our steely knives nevertheless with Flak's third annual also-ran film awards. By Flak Staff

2006 Flak Film Also-Ran Awards: The Steak Knives | 02.27.06
Flak raises its steins to the coulda, the shoulda and the woulda. By Flak Staff

Popcorn Picnic on the Best of 2005 | 01.04.06
Jonesy and Danny debate just what constitutes a perfect 10. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

2005 Flak Film Also-Ran Awards: The Steak Knives | 01.27.05
We say: Shmest Picture. What were the movies' second-best accomplishments of the year? By Flak Staff

2004 Oscars Dialogue | 01.27.04
Flak's critics pair off and sound off on the Best Picture nominees. By Flak Staff

Velvet Crush: Live from the 2004 Oscars Red Carpet | 03.02.04
Snagging bleacher seats for Oscar's gala walk is not the pop-culture paradise it would seem. By Andy Stilp

2002 Oscars Roundtable | 02.12.02
Flak's film staff goes to town (and back) on the 2001 Academy Award nominees. By Flak Staff

In Pursuit of Oscarness | 03.27.01
The last 10 years of Oscars, and whether the Best Picture was really the best picture. By Flak Staff

Best of the '90s: Film | 01.03.01
Seven unfortunate trends in modern film, and the movies that spawned them. By Flak Staff

David Mamet | 03.12.02
David Mamet is just the snob's George Lucas: Neither has had to think hard in years, succeeding instead just by showing up. By Matt Fisher

David Manning's Manifesto | 6.15.01
The only scandalous aspect of this whole imbroglio is how much you care about it. By David Manning

Chris Marker: La jetee/Sans soleil | 08.22.07
It takes a 21st century, multimedia mindset to appreciate the art and prescience of this unsung visionary filmmaker. By Andrew Stout

Doublethink: Michael Moore, Christopher Hitchens, George Orwell and the Soul of the American Left | 08.06.04
Criticism of Fahrenheit 9/11 is not only justified, it's necessary. But who's contradicting the contrarians? By Stephen Himes

How to Write an Academy Award-Nominated Script | 02.24.05
Four easy lessons for becoming the next Akiva Goldsman. By Rick Paulas

James Schamus: Interview | 12.22.00
The screenwriter of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon talks about the challenges and rewards of his daunting, cross-lingual project. By Eric Wittmershaus

Snape, Professor Severus: Review | 11.16.01
To sir, with love. By Julia Lipman

The Second Tour of Three Kings | 04.09.03
World events have ordained David O. Russell's Gulf War adventure story as the most important American movie of the past 10 years. By Stephen Himes

The Spielberg Ending | 06.28.05
Predictable, trite and all too self-satisfied — those are the only words to describe the nattering class that refuses to grapple with our best, most challenging blockbusteur. By Sean Weitner

Star Wars 2: Attacking the Clones | 05.16.02
Go behind the scenes of the real Tatooine, deep into the heart of Nerf Herder central and through all the fantastic, myth-suffused worlds created by George Lucas. Bonus: Exclusive outtakes from the DVD! (posted 11.12.02) By Flak Staff

Sundance 2007: Prizes from a Jury of One | 02.01.07
Doling out awards ranging from "Worst Waste of Talent" to "Best Use of a Supermodel," a visiting critic sizes up the latest crop of indie flicks. By Laura Birek

A Tolkien of Our Affection | 12.19.01
A consideration of one of the 20th century's seminal works as it enters the 21st century … and the multiplexes. By Flak Staff

Waters, John: Interview | 08.11.00
A chat with the maker of Cecil B. DeMented and other twisted flicks. By Eric Wittmershaus

When There's No More Room in Hell: Zombies and Post-Sept. 11 Horror | 04.14.04
In the wake of the 2001 attacks, terrifying has been more and more oriented on terrorism. By Tony Nigro

Archived Film Reviews

11'09"01 | 01.31.03
It's when you get past the hectoring and the deep-sounding questions that you see the true artfulness of this reflection on 9/11. By Jessica Chapel

15 Minutes | 03.14.01
The movie may claim to take aim at the fame game, but — shame shame — it only offers the same old tame blame. And it's lame. By Sean Weitner

300 | 03.15.07
If you can get past stuff such as "history" and "context," 300 is the feel-good romp of the year! By James Norton

3000 Miles to Graceland | 02.27.01
3000 miles is about how far you'll want to be away from this movie. By Andy Stilp

40 Days and 40 Nights | 03.08.02
40 Days and 40 Nights invests a little raunch into its romantic comedy, but the insight and entertainment it provides are huge dividends. Or not. By Rasheed Newson and Megan Christensen

The 6th Day | 11.26.00
This cloning-centered sci-fi potboiler makes an effort to not take sides in progressive sci-fi fashion, but it can't get away from its reactionary, "fire bad" horror heart. By Sean Weitner

8mm | 02.26.99
It's the vacant-headed Reefer Madness of the porn industry. By Sean Weitner

A

Aeon Flux | 12.10.05
Jonesy and Danny try to imagine what the movie would be like if it were a monster hit. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

A.I. | 07.06.01
Is it the movie of the year? Absolutely, postively, sort of, maybe. By Sean Weitner

Alexander | 12.10.04
Why make a three-hour epic about a young conqueror in steamier times and not exploit the steam? By David Essex

Ali | 01.7.01
Ali is a shining example of the glories of the biopic. By Rasheed Newson

All the King's Men | 10.26.06
All Oscar's women and all Oscar's men couldn't put Willie together again. By Matt Hanson

Almost Famous | 09.22.00
The 15-year-old future of rock journalism takes a walk through middle America in search of something... real. By Andy Stilp

Amadeus | 04.19.02
Amadeus isn't about Amadeus. It's about us.

Amélie | 12.06.01
Jean-Pierre Jeunet's latest breathes some life into the love story. By Eric Wittmershaus

American Pie | 07.14.99
This dubious high-school confection of sexual frustration and lowbrow humor isn't worth biting into. By Megan Christensen

American Pie 2 | 08.18.01
American Pie 2 revives a very proud, very old storytelling tradition. No, it has nothing to do with pastry molestation. By Andy Ross

American Psycho | 04.26.00
A first-rate treatment of Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel about the impossibly wealthy Patrick Bateman, who spends his spare time cutting people up. By Eric Wittmershaus

American Wedding | 08.07.03
American Wedding is enriched by the twin enigmas of Stifler and ... Bob Dylan? By Stephen Himes

America's Sweethearts | 07.27.01
Julia Roberts. John Cusack. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Billy Crystal. The director of Revenge of the Nerds II. Where could it have gone wrong? By Megan Christensen

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | 07.23.04
Will Ferrell's new flick recalls a time when men could believe that guys as fat, hairy, mustachioed, ugly and morally and socially repugnant as them were really attractive to women. By Stephen Himes

The Anniversary Party | 06.19.01
Rarely has there been a more chillingly realistic portrayal of the insanity that goes on between two people in love. By Lindsay Robertson

Antitrust | 01.13.01
The Microsoft antitrust trial as scripted by a clan of coffee-crazed conspiracy theorists. By Mac Slocum

Anything Else | 09.26.03
Hard though it may be to believe, Woody Allen the man is not the same as Woody Allen the character. Anything Else proves it. By Tony Nigro

Arlington Road | 07.05.99
More or less a total disaster, Arlington Road sports a host of solid elements that add up to a single smoking bomb of film. By Sean Weitner

Asoka | 11.13.01
A Bollywood blockbuster brings the fun back to the theater. By Benjamin Arnoldy

Atlantis | 06.20.01
As its next salvo in the animation wars, Disney presents a stunning, literate adventure movie. By Andy Ross

Austin Powers in Goldmember | 08.04.02
It's that rare kind of comedy that cuts across tastes — and IQ — to keep everyone teary-eyed with laughter. By Diane Snyder

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me | 06.14.99
Austin's back in a sequel that takes the concept as far as it'll go, and a little further. By Megan Christensen

B

Bad Santa | 12.11.03
Too shiftless to be anything like a conscious social critique, Bad Santa nevertheless serves up delicious subversion. By David Essex

Bamboozled | 10.25.00
Spike Lee's latest is a tornado of self-importance, racial questions and unrealized — but visionary — filmmaking. By Sean Weitner

Basic Instinct 2 | 04.12.06
To demonstrate his acting chops relative to Sharon Stone, Brando has Roger check out The Godfather's parts I, II and III. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Batman Begins | 06.23.05
Bruce Wayne as Jack Ryan plus John Walker Lindh? If only the movie were as interesting and as crazy as that sounds. By Sean Weitner

The Battle of Algiers | 02.20.04
The Pentagon's right: There's a lot to learn from this movie about how to deal with terrorism. But it's not the lesson they think. By Elbert Ventura

A Beautiful Mind | 01.7.01
John Nash's beautiful mind, filtered through Ron Howard's eye and Akiva Goldsman's ear, won't leave too bad of a taste in your mouth. By Andy Stilp

Bedazzled | 10.25.00
This battered Harold Ramis remake of a classic film can't hack it. By Sean Weitner

Before Night Falls | 02.01.01
History and fiction is meshed into a tremendously poignant and mesmerizing film. By Sara J. Brenneis

Bend it Like Beckham | 04.08.02
It's surprisingly similar to My Big Fat Greek Wedding — and considerably better. By Andy Stilp

Best in Show | 10.09.00
Christopher Guest turns his formidible powers of lampoon and ridicule upon a fresh target: obsessive pet owners. By Aaron Tassano

Better Living Through Circuitry | 06.29.00
A documentary of the rave scene that lets its participants spill their guts without getting in their way or pushing the scene on its viewers. By Aaron Tassano

Beyond Borders | 10.31.03
The commitment of Angelina Jolie's character to UN charity work is less interesting than Jolie's own. By Andy Stilp

The Big Bounce | 02.13.04
Walk away, folks. Nothing to see here. By Tony Nigro

Big Trouble | 04.21.02
Barry Sonnenfeld's genius is that the film is funnier than the sum of its gags. Unfortunately, it's also the film's critical marketing handicap. By Mark McConville

Black Hawk Down | 02.07.02
Black Hawk Down's mechanical approach doesn't even attempt to capture the complexities of war. By Bill Tivenan

The Blair Witch Project | 07.20.99
More than the sum of its hype, this movie brings a new level of experimental narrative structure to the mainstream. By Sean Weitner

Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows | 10.30.00
The sequel poses questions as mind-bending as its predecessor. Unlike that film, however, this one is fatally boring and not scary at all. By Sean Weitner

Blue Crush | 08.30.02
A stunning triumph of truth in advertising. By Zeke Jarvis

Blow | 04.06.01
Resist the pun. Resist the pun. Resist the pun. By Lindsay Robertson

Borat | 11.13.06
In Kazakhstan, barbarian mockumentary feels superior to you. By David Essex

Bounce | 11.17.00
A lot of people will love this movie. They are wrong. By Eric Wittmershaus

The Bourne Identity | 06.25.02
Matt Damon's character may be CIA, but it's his CYA skills that make us feel for him. By Rasheed Newson

Bowfinger | 08.29.99
Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin team up to make a wacky film about an out-of-contol, low-budget... film. By Sean Weitner

Bridget Jones's Diary | 04.16.01
This v. funny romantic comedy gets a lift thanks to its Austen powers. By Megan Christensen

Bright Leaves | 11.05.04
More a candid look at tobacco culture than a calculated argument against it, Bright Leaves is still likely give most smokers pause. By D.W. Young

Brokeback Mountain | 1.25.06
Two crusty Hollywood denizens give a fresh new Ang Lee film an even fresher twist. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Bubba Ho-Tep | 11.18.03
Lots of movies manufacture cult appeal rather than earn it; Bubba Ho-Tep does both. By Ryan Vu

Buena Vista Social Club | 07.29.99
Wim Wenders calls is a musicumentary of Cuba. Flak calls it pretty damn good. By Will Schmenner

Butterfly | 09.15.00
A magnificent tale of the Spanish Civil War, seen through the eyes of a child. By Sara J. Brenneis

C

Calendar Girls | 01.20.04
Another Full Monty retread, this time with stripping. Hey, wait a minute …. By Chris Pepus

The Cat in the Hat | 12.01.03
The problem with kids' movies like this isn't just that they don't understand childhood; they don't understand adulthood, either. By Stephen Himes

Cars | 06.16.06
Continuity takes over the driver's seat. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian/P>

Casino Royale | 11.29.06
Bond has always managed to stay modern, but to suit our War on Terror times, he had to go back to his roots. By Michael Noble

The Cat's Meow | 4.27.02
If the filmmakers wanted to criticize the dark side of Hollywood, there are better based-on-true-events stories than this cruise-ship murder mystery. In fact, there are better stories on the same yacht. By Tony Nigro

Cecil B. DeMented | 08.11.00
Close, but no holy grail; this look at guerrilla filmmaking falls short of greatness. By Eric Wittmershaus

Charlie's Angels | 11.12.00
The premise is promising, but, Charlie, how'd you let your angels get me down like this? By Stephanie Kuenn

Chop Shop | 05.05.08
This sympathetic look at New York City's underbelly is a refreshing antidote to Bloomberg-era ennui. By Patrick Burns

The Chronicles of Riddick | 06.23.04
Is it a coincidence that the title anagrams to "Didn't choose richer flick?" By David Essex

Chuck and Buck | 07.28.00
Low budget sabotages a script as promising as those of Being John Malkovich or The Usual Suspects. By Aaron Tassano

Cinderella Man | 06.23.05
Ron Howard on fistiana and the American dream. By Joshua Adams

Cold Mountain | 01.08.04
This adaptation is Anthony Minghella's chance to extract the novel's story from its overwrought prose. He blows it. By Stephen Himes

Collateral | 08.20.04
Michael Mann has gone from making movies worth pondering to simply making ponderous movies. By David Essex

Contender, The | 10.13.00
Gender politics, electoral hijinks and sex whirlpool together to make a fascinating political thriller. By Sean Weitner

Control | 11.21.07
Besides carrying its own baggage, the Joy Division bio-pic is successful at the things other such films often mess up. By Andrew Stout

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie | 04.16.03
Cowboy Bebop is a shameless genre mishmash, but it's one of the most glorious, intellectually stimulating genre mishmashes ever. By Tony Nigro

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | 12.22.00
Chinese pulp fiction takes on epic proportions in this remarkable, see-it-to-believe-it film. By Sean Weitner

Croupier | 06.12.00
This remarkably pretentious film about British casinos and a hard-working would-be writer tells where it should have shown. By James Norton

D

Dancer in the Dark | 10.15.00
Scandinavian weirdos Lars Von Trier and Björk team up to make a beautiful movie together. By Stephanie Kuenn

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys | 07.08.02
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys understands fantasy, but its tragedy is less assured. By Andy Ross

The Da Vinci Code | 05.25.06
Danny's hundred viewings of Death to Smoochy almost pay off. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

The Day After Tomorrow | 06.09.04
The Bush administration doesn't want you to see The Day After Tomorrow, which might be its first pro-environment policy decision. By Stephen Himes

Death to Smoochy | 04.05.02
Avoiding Death to Smoochy makes up for that time that you hooked up with your ex and shouldn't have. By Rasheed Newson

Deep Blue Sea | 07.27.99
This funhouse mirror version of Jaws pulls the audience in with its unexpected majesty. By Sean Weitner

The Devil Wears Prada | 07.07.06
As we should have learned from Britney, Jessica Biel and countless other entertainers typecast as wholesome, beware their ability to overcompensate. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Die Another Day | 11.26.02
A string of great scenes and one cinematic crap-grenade still add up to the best Bond in years. By Bob Sassone

Directors Label Series 1 DVDs | 01.13.04
Music video directors finally get the auteur treatment on three new collections, but only one really goes behind the music. By Andy Ross

A Dirty Shame | 11.05.04
It's the improbable question of the year: What if John Waters had made The Passion of the Christ? By Stephen Himes

Disney's The Kid | 07.22.00
Accept this comic romp for what it is, and enjoy yourself. Defy it at your own peril. By Mac Slocum

Domestic Disturbance | 11.13.01
Most bad movies are forgettable. Others are already forgotten. By Rasheed Newson

The Dreamers | 02.27.04
If it's the sex you're interested in, beware: The "NC" in NC-17 must stand for "numbingly cerebral."

Dude, Where's My Car? | 01.03.01
Dude somehow manages to screw up one of film's prime conventions: stupid is funny. By Andy Stilp

Dungeons and Dragons | 12.14.00
A swords and sorcery flick so powerfully bad it took two critics to dispatch. By James Norton and Eric Wittmershaus

E

Eastern Promises | 10.04.07
David Cronenberg's Russian mafia thriller is dark, engaging, beautifully acted and only slightly tarnished by an implausible fourth-quarter surprise. By James Norton

East is East | 05.16.00
When second generation Pakistani immigrants wrestle with their father's plans for their lives, a rambunctious, hilarious and clever film results. By Benjamin Arnoldy

Elf | 11.14.03
Even in an elf suit, Will Ferrell's emotional riskiness makes him a cut above his dumb-comedy competition. By Stephen Himes

Elizabethtown | 10.21.05
Danny's Elizabethtown crush would make Virginia Woolf proud. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian.

Enchanted | 11.28.07
Disney's latest princess turns out to be a benevolent dictator. By J. Daniel Janzen

Enemy at the Gates | 03.22.01
The thing the snipers really should have been shooting at is the film's plot. By Andy Stilp

E.T. 20th Anniversary Edition | 03.27.02
If Spielberg's later movies have convinced you he can't do children right, you need to check out one of the best children's movies ever. By Christopher Hickman

Evolution | 06.11.01
Who ya gonna ... oh, um. Never mind. By Sean Weitner

The Eyes of Tammy Faye | 08.28.00
This nuanced look at Tammy Faye Bakker gets past the layers of makeup, and discovers a human being. By James Norton

Eyes Wide Shut | 07.24.99
Stanley Kubrick's much-hyped final flick leaves the audience — justifiably — wanting more. By Megan Christensen

F, G

The Family Man | 12.24.00
Heaven help us if The Family Man is the Christmas fable we deserve. By Sean Weitner

The Family Stone | 01.10.06
Danny drops some science on movie illogic. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Fahrenheit 9/11 | 07.02.04
Moore's critics are wrong to critize the film's factual accuracy. His polemic may provide the last, best, most Darwinian hope for American democracy. By David Essex

Far From Heaven | 01.13.03
Best film of the year? Sure, if that year is 1957. Otherwise, it's a movie for eighth graders in social studies. By James Norton

The Fellowship of the Ring | 12.20.01
The flagship for the current generation that doesn't have a cinematic adventure to call its own. By Sean Weitner

Femme Fatale | 11.14.02
A top-notch thriller that turns conventions on their heads to find a new way to worship women and the movies. By Sean Weitner

Final Destination 3 | 02.22.06
Don't mind the reaper. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | 07.18.01
The story's disappointing, particularly to those who know their "Final Fantasy," but there's no denying that the history of animation has just been rebooted. By Andy Stilp

Finding Forrester | 01.15.01
An underwritten movie about writing, a clichéd portrait of two men defined by their originality. By Sean Weitner

Finding Nemo | 06.05.03
Finding Nemo continues Pixar's trend of totally whomping on the competition. By Andy Ross

Firewall | 02.15.05
A poetical reading by Danny: La Cinéphile Jeune Sans Merci, or Ode to a Harrison Burn? Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Fog of War | 01.07.04
Rather than challenge Robert McNamara's tell-all Vietnam memoir, Errol Morris is disappointingly content to simply film it. By Clay Risen

Forgetting Sarah Marshall | 04.28.08
Until producer Judd Apatow creates some three-dimensional female leads, his films will be as immature as his leading men. By Stephen Himes

Freddy vs. Jason | 08.25.03
Subtext? Not much, apart from its rousing revival of old-school horror in the face of post-Scream banalities. By Tony Nigro

From Hell | 10.26.01
The only problem with this gothic whodunit is that it's a whodunit. By Sean Weitner

Gangs of New York | 01.16.03
Sure, it's got some wicked good knifefights. But history — albeit broad and loosely presented — is the reason it's great. By James Norton

Garden State | 09.20.04
The Graduate gets on the bus. By Martin Scribbs

The General's Daughter | 06.17.99
The extent of this film's odious crapulence has to be seen to be fully understood. But that would be a mistake. By Sean Weitner

George Washington | 02.02.01
George Washington languidly tears up cinema as few movies do anymore, and demands to be seen. By Eric Wittmershaus

Ghost World | 08.14.01
The title refers to that period after high school and before the rest of your life; it's American Pie for the hipper-than-thou, but it's also a very well-made movie. By Eric Wittmershaus

Gift, The | 01.24.01
The only people associated with this film giving the audience any gifts are its actors. By Sean Weitner

The Girl Next Door | 01.20.04
Nutty as a fruitcake, this movie tries to cross Risky Business with American Pie while asking "WWJFKD?" By Stephen Himes

Girl with a Pearl Earring | 01.20.04
The ads promise bodice-ripping, but it's the genuine insight into the life and times of a great artist that's really ravishing. By David Essex

Glitter | 10.09.01
Well, it's not A Hard Day's Night. Hell, it's not even Magical Mystery Tour. By Rasheed Newson

Go | 04.10.99
Pulp Fiction gets an unneeded re-animation and comb-over. By Jeremy Richards

Gods and Generals | 02.27.03
"Civil War buffs may love it," says Roger Ebert. He's dead wrong. By John Gorenfeld

The Golden Compass | 01.03.08
From a source text as rich and as magnificent as Philip Pullman's novel, Weitz has produced a film every bit its equal, all the while deftly handling the elephant in the room: What do we do about the whole God thing? By Andy Stilp

Goodbye, Dragon Inn | 09.17.04
Celebrated director Tsai Ming-liang visits a dying moviehouse and finds humor, transcendence and ghosts. By Tim Eagon

Groove | 06.29.00
Groove is a film about the rave scene, but its evolving characters and measured pacing make it universal. By Aaron Tassano

The Grudge | 11.02.04
This is director Takashi Shimizu's fifth version of this movie, and he's got the scares down to a science. By Tony Nigro

H

Hannibal | 02.22.01
A mindless film that stares into the very issue The Silence of the Lambs dodges, and blinks. By Sean Weitner

Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle | 08.10.04
The new American dream as viewed through the haze of marijuana smoke and onion mist. Plus: In terms of being ethnic in America, do Harold and Kumar have it easier than the belly bomber itself? By Stephen Himes and Martin Scribbs

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | 06.11.04
Lots of growing up on display, and not just in front of the camera. By Andy Stilp

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 11.18.05
Just because the Harry Potter movies aren't lighthearted doesn't mean they couldn't use some heartlight. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Haunting, The | 07.26.00
Fact: Nobody will get any pleasure out of this limp would-be horror film. That's all there is to it. By Sean Weitner

Heist | 11.17.01
It's pure Mamet, and pure pleasure. By Rasheed Newson

Helvetica | 06.26.07
Know your font, know yourself. By Benjamin Chandler

Hidalgo | 03.12.04
This slice of equestrian lore is better suited for the glue factory than the dream factory. By Andy Stilp

High Crimes | 04.13.02
There's only one way to enjoy High Crimes: Flak's drinking games. By Rasheed Newson

High Fidelity | 04.03.00
John Cusack does for Chicago what Woody Allen did for Manhattan. By James Norton

The Hills Have Eyes | 03.21.06
In the mold of such Trojan horses as Robocop and Starship Troopers, The Hills Have Eyes offers a Frenchman's (literally) cutting critique of American culture. By David Essex

Hollow Man | 08.09.00
Hollow, man. By Sean Weitner

Hoodwinked | 02.07.05
Jonesy and Danny question the salt of animators unwilling to take the time to do a job well. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

House of Mirth | 03.03.01
The House of Mirth is not a barrel of laughs. By Stephanie Kuenn

House of 1000 Corpses | 04.29.03
They said Rob Zombie might be the savior of American horror. Someday, maybe, but not today. By Tony Nigro

House of Sand and Fog | 01.16.04
A top-flight cast turns a fight over a foreclosed house into an exploration of the heart of all conflict. By Ryan Vu

House of the Dead | 10.24.03
What's the difference between the makers of House of the Dead and zombies? Zombies have to have brains. By Chris Pepus

How High | 12.29.01
How High is the appropriate question, because this stoner comedy is miles above its how-low-can-you-go peers. By Stephanie Kuenn

How the Grinch Stole Christmas | 11.22.00
The Grinch is just business as usual in Hollywood, and that's a shame. By Sean Weitner

Howl's Moving Castle | 06.22.05
Hayao Miyazaki's latest masterwork. By James Norton

Human Nature | 04.30.02
Can you hold the fact that it's less funny than Being John Malkovich against it? Yes. By Ben Siler

The Human Stain | 10.31.03
The Human Stain contains two or three interesing movies. We would have been happy with one. By Andy Ross

Human Resources | 09.21.00
Class and labor issues combine and boil over into a powerful film. By Eric Wittmershaus

Hurricane, The | 03.14.00
Cliches and predictable plot twists sap some of the emotional power from this otherwise raging film. By Eric Wittmershaus

I, J, K

Ideal Husband, An | 06.30.99
Welcome to the dour and humorless tundra of modern Oscar Wilde adaptations! By Sean Weitner

I Heart Huckabees | 11.03.04
If all people want is cheap oil and Wal-Mart convenience, should liberals just give up? The director of Three Kings asks ... but doesn't answer. By Stephen Himes

I'll Sleep When I'm Dead | 09.03.04
A statement from the British gangster film tradition to Guy Ritchie: "Bugger off." Literally. By Andy Stilp

An Inconvenient Truth | 06.29.06
A (future) Jonesy laments the bad timing of Al Gore's truth. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

The Incredibles | 11.16.04
Everyone can groove to it, but for the geeks, Brad Bird and Pixar tackling superheroes and James Bond is ambrosia. By Sean Weitner

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | 05.27.08
Indy's swan-song represents a colossal failure of vision, but don't blame Harrison Ford for that. By Stephen Himes

In Her Shoes | 10.14.05
Jonesy and Danny run a mile In Her Shoes and ponder Hollywood's version of footbinding. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Inside Man | 04.06.06
Danny attempts the Clive Owen stare but instead learns about the male gaze. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Insomnia | 06.05.02
Insomnia is an unususally good film weighed down by the usual old cliches. By Sean Weitner

In the Bedroom | 02.11.02
While the film is commendable in some ways, it's not nearly as insightful about human behavior as everyone (the filmmakers included) thinks it is. By Sean Weitner

In the Mood for Love | 04.27.01
Wong Kar-Wai understands how much of romance is tragedy. By Stephanie Kuenn

Intolerable Cruelty | 10.22.03
The Coens are credited with the movie's screenplay, but not its story, and it shows: It's too staight and too tame. By Sean Weitner

Keep the River on Your Right | 06.01.01
An artist's exploration of painting, world travel and cannibalism. By James Norton

Jaws | 07.14.06
The untold origin of Roger, and why he looks somewhat familiar. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian/P>

The Kid Stays in the Picture | 08.26.02
Autohagiography reaches new heights of fun. By James Norton

Kill Bill, Vol. 1 | 10.23.03
Is Kill Bill obscene? Ask James Joyce. By Stephen Himes

Kill Bill, Vol. 2 | 04.29.04
Making the worth of Vol. 1 contingent on Vol. 2 was a ballsy, double-or-nothing wager. Tarantino busts. By Stephen Himes

Killer of Sheep | 09.06.07
This bitter earth, what fruit it bears. By Sean Weitner

King Kong | 12.23.05
Just how realistic is the new King Kong? Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

A Knight's Tale | 05.17.01
It won't rock you. By Andy Stilp

Kissing Jessica Stein | 04.08.02
The movie's subversion of the boy-meets-girl structure doesn't end by making it girl-meets-girl. By Jana E. Ballinger

A Knight's Tale | 05.17.01
It won't rock you. By Andy Stilp

L

Lady in the Water | 07.26.06
Shyamalan has been called arrogant because he cast himself as a world-changing writer/martyr in this film, but that's the least serious egoism problem on display. By Sean Weitner

The Ladykillers | 04.06.04
Two terrific lead performances make up for the missing ensemble magic. By Robert McEvily

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life | 08.04.03
For a movie to make you appreciate the original Tomb Raider, it has to be a special kind of terrible. By Stephen Himes

The Last Castle | 11.03.01
Just because it's predictable doesn't mean it's not satisfying. By Rasheed Newson

The Last Samurai | 12.31.03
It's OK for Hollywood movies to play fast and loose with history … but only if they do it well. By Stephen Himes

The Legend of Bagger Vance | 11.14.00
A golf movie that's about as confusing as a nine-iron to the head. By Andy Stilp

The Libertine | 03.14.06
It would take a John Ashcroft to make the story of the Earl of Rochester this unsexy. By David Essex

Life | 04.14.99
A film that tries to be universal manages to become so much less. By Sean Weitner

Like Mike | 07.21.02
You look at the actors in Like Mike are wonder, 'What were they thinking?' Now you know. By Bob Cook

Lilo & Stitch | 06.28.02
Reports of the death of hand-drawn animation are greatly exaggerated. By dummies. By Andy Ross

Limbo | 06.23.99
Limbo is as John Saylesian as they come. Whether that's a good thing is up to you. By Sean Weitner

Little Black Book | 08.25.04
Another sexless "romance" aimed at pubescent girls and their Republican mothers, but at least one with some comedy chops. By David Essex

Long Night's Journey... | 03.22.00
An account of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission that proves that Sundance can still showcase some winners. By Stephanie Kuenn

Lost in Translation | 09.15.03
Sometimes the only way to your destination is to completely stray from the path. By James Norton

Love Actually | 11.19.03
If you've seen Deep Inside Christy Canyon, there's nothing new in the directorial debut from Four Weddings and a Funeral's scriptwriter. By David Essex

Love and Sex | 09.12.00
High Fidelity, again — but this time it's for girls! By Eric Wittmershaus

Lovely & Amazing | 07.26.02
Lovely & Amazing takes self-esteem issues so personally that the film itself seems to suffer from them. By Mark McConville

Lucie Aubrac | 09.28.99
Cartoonish characters and a black-and-white plot structure mar what could've been riveting historical drama. By James Norton

Lumumba | 09.17.01
Sometimes trying to deify a hero can backfire. By James Norton

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The Man Who Wasn't There | 11.26.01
The question of whether the Coens love or hate their characters is definitively answered. By Sean Weitner

The Majestic | 01.12.01
Snide critics put it on worst-of-the-year lists, but The Majestic is endearing, if you have a heart. By Rasheed Newson

The Manchurian Candidate | 08.11.04
Is John Kerry is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful Democratic presidential candidate Jonathan Demme has ever known in his life? Quite the opposite. By Stephen Himes

Man on Fire | 05.05.04
Tony Scott does Big Brother one better, giving us Two Hours Hate. By Stephen Himes

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World | 11.28.03
Director Peter Weir brings his 'A' game to an uncomplicated story and sails to nirvana. By Andy Stilp

Matchstick Men | 09.19.03
If you can accept the fact that director Ridley Scott hates Americans for being a bunch of vain, superficial pussies, then Matchstick Men is a pretty good movie. By Stephen Himes

The Matrix | 03.31.99
It's not Citizen Kane. It's a helluva lot more fun, and it's got some great shoot-outs, to boot. By James Norton

The Matrix Revolutions | 11.10.03
The revolutions in question are the spinning heads of audience members who — justifiably — expected some answers. By Sean Weitner

Mean Girls | 05.07.04
Tina Fey's poison-pen ode to adolescence from the perspectives of a high-school teacher and big brother. Plus: Why the Secret Service cannot be allowed to watch the movie. By Stephen Himes, Andy Stilp and Martin Scribbs

Meet the Parents | 10.07.00
Ben Stiller meets his perfect vehicle, the farce, in this film about a prospective husband meeting the father-in-law from hell. By Sean Weitner

Memento | 05.02.01
Style righteous slapped ass your get will backwards review this writing mongers gimmick attention. By Eric Wittmershaus

Men in Black II | 7.17.02
Director Barry Sonnenfeld continues to perfect his patented "badcap" style — marrying audience-confounding illogic with his boundless imagination. By Sean Weitner

Metropolis | 01.30.02
Metropolis may get sidetracked from its main point, but its soulful mix of its influences and its fierce artistry are commendable enough. By Tony Nigro

Mexican, The | 03.14.01
The main problem with this pistol-hunting comedy is its scattershot aim. By Eric Wittmershaus

Miracle | 02.19.04
What kind of movie turns one of the most jingoistic sports moments of all time into a critique of America? A terrific one. By Stephen Himes

Mission: Impossible III | 05.11.06
This marriage just got a whole lot more impossibler. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Mr. Deeds | 07.11.02
Adam Sandler + $20 million = Sandler giving us the funny. What part of this was so hard for the makers of Mr. Deeds to understand? By Mark McConville

Mona Lisa Smile | 01.02.04
In Mona Lisa Smile, Julia Roberts's art teacher rails against reductionism of art and ideas. The irony is lost on all involved. By Stephen Himes

Monkeybone | 03.06.01
The film reaches for "brilliantly ramshackle" and fails — but what an endearing failure it is. By Sean Weitner

Monsters, Inc. | 11.09.01
The undeniable advance in computer animation it represents is only its second best innovation. By Andy Ross

The Mothman Prophecies | 02.08.02
Too cryptic for anyone's good. By Rasheed Newson

Moulin Rouge | 06.06.01
It may not be a great love story, but it's the love story we need. By Lindsay Robertson

Mr. 3000 | 10.01.04
Mr. 3000 doesn't hit it out of the park, but by stringing together a lot of slight, genuine surprises, the film succeeds. By David Essex

Mulholland Drive (review) | 10.19.01
Ceci n'est pas une pipe. But Lynch's movie about the treachery of the cult of personalitylessness is quite a pipe dream. By Sean Weitner

Mulholland Drive (story analysis) | 10.19.01
It's a disservice to this carefully crafted movie to say it's incomprehensible. Warning: 100% spoilers. By Andy Ross

Mulholland Drive (audio commentary) | 05.06.02
Trying to get a handle on the trickiest, thinkiest movie of 2001? Flak takes you through it scene-ny-scene. By Sean Weitner and Andy Ross

Munich | 01.17.06
Op-ed nudniks insist Spielberg shouldn't be taken seriously because of his blockbuster past. They have a new masc—er, ally. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Muse, The | 08.28.99
In a poignantly self-reflective move, Albert Brooks has made a creatively castrated film about creative castration. By Sean Weitner

My Son the Fanatic | 07.12.99
Torn apart by ethnic, religious and cultural passions, the characters of My Son the Fanatic create an unforgettable film. By Eric Wittmershaus

Mystery Men | 08.10.99
Loser superhero pals fight a feel-good battle you know they're destined to win. By Will Schmenner

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National Treasure | 11.19.04
Question for "DaVinci Code" fans: What does it say about a book when a Jerry Bruckheimer movie tells the same story more effectively? By Andy Stilp

The New World | 02.20.06
Terrence Malick makes the colonists' arrival at Jamestown beautiful, authentic and as strange as '50s sci-fi. By David Essex

New York Minute | 05.27.04
If this is family entertainment, why do the Olsen twins spend 25 percent of the movie naked? By Stephen Himes

Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton's The | 10.27.00
The gorgeous animated feature that brought definition to a whole set of sullen teens. By James Norton

No Country for Old Men | 11.14.07
The Coen Bros. meet their soulmate in Cormac McCarthy. By Sean Weitner

No Such Thing | 05.11.02
The movie invokes the Theatre of Cruelty, but if great art has to hurt, this is clearly not painful enough.

Not Another Teen Movie | 12.27.01
The blueprint is well established. How hard would have been for Not Another Teen Movie to have enough creativity to follow through on it? By Rasheed Newson

Notting Hill | 06.02.99
Julia Roberts meets Hugh Grant. By Megan Christensen

Novocaine | 11.23.01
Noir movies are unrelentingly grim portraits of doomed people. And then this movie has to go and ruin everything. By Rasheed Newson

Nurse Betty | 09.16.00
Director Neil LaBute doesn't sell out with Nurse Betty; he steps up. By Clay Risen

O, P, Q

O Brother, Where Art Thou? | 01.22.01
More than just a simple adaptation of Homer's "Odyssey," O Brother shines on its own merits. By Zeke Jarvis

Ocean's Eleven | 12.14.01
Not only a revenge fantasy, but also a fantasy of a Hollywood movie — star-studded, cleverly plotted and full of panache. By Rasheed Newson

The Omen | 06.07.06
Jonesy and Danny tragically misapprehend the moral nature of coating foodstuffs in guacamole-"flavored" powder. By Sean Weitner

One Hour Photo | 09.23.02
Although it's not a shrill, rabbit-boiling affair, the movie is still plenty creepy, possibly because of how similar its director and its psycho seem. By Sean Weitner

The One | 11.08.01
Elton John's passionate love song is dramatized to poignant effect. Starring Jet Li. By Andy Stilp

Open Range | 08.20.03
It's no masterpiece, but it reminds us that the western has a lot to say about the war on terror. By Stephen Himes

The Orphanage | 02.12.08
The new generation of Spanish spooksters keep finding ways to turn Hollywood chills into someting deeper. By Sara Brenneis

Out of Time | 10.10.03
I don't think I thought I saw them try. By Andy Stilp

Panic Room | 03.29.02
The tight little thriller so good it makes you name-check Hitchcock. By Matt Fisher

Pan's Labyrinth | 02.19.07
Even if the characters in your ideal movie are historical figures and not Mr. Eyeball Hands, you'll love Pan's Labyrinth. By Sara J. Brenneis

The Passion of the Christ | 03.03.04
Less a motion picture than a motion painting, The Passion of the Christ is, paradoxically, a wrenching and deeply personal Hollywood spectacle. By Stephen Himes

Payback | 03.14.99
The only thing as boring and tired as the main character's archetype is Mel Gibson's incarnation of it. By Sean Weitner

Pay it Forward | 10.20.00
Subtle like a baseball bat, and considerably less fun. By Andy Stilp

Pearl Harbor | 05.29.01
A paragon of scope, grace and storytelling in the historical epic — an instant classic. Ha! Just kidding! By Stephanie Kuenn

Phone Booth | 04.15.03
TAn incomprehensible villain leaves you feeling disconnected. By Andy Stilp

Piano Teacher, The | 04.15.02
Those expecting Skinemax will be disappointed, but the movie's so good that they won't be too disappointed. By Clay Risen

Pineapple Express | 08.07.08
The classic Apatow stoner comedy, only all twisted up and adulterated with some heavy shit. By Stephen Himes

The Pink Panter | 02.21.04
While Christopher Hitchens picks on Garrison Keillor for picking on Bernard Henri-Levy, all in the name of US-French relations, it's Steve Martin who stumbles onto a solution ... before letting it slip through his fingers. By Stephen Himes

Pledge, The | 02.11.01
The efforts of Sean Penn and Jack Nicholson aren't sufficient to keep this film aloft. By Clay Risen

Pollock | 02.18.01
Unquestionably good, but frustrating because it could have been better. By Eric Wittmershaus

Porn Star: The Legend of Ron Jeremy | 02.17.02
If pornography were really this much fun to make, we'd all be doin' it. But it's not. By James Norton

Poseidon| 05.18.06
Rather than take a lesson from modern disaster movies' frenzied pacing, Jonesy and Danny let it mellow. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoain

Planet of the Apes | 08.03.01
Director Tim Burton brings art to the multiplex and restores respectability to the sci-fi movie. By Andy Ross

Popcorn Picnic
Read the latest or visit the archives. By Chris Shadoian

Possession | 09.18.02
Contrary to many claims, A.S. Byatt's "Possession" is a perfect candidate for a movie. Preferably a better movie than this one. By Megan Christensen

A Prairie Home Companion | 06.12.06
Wherein Garrison Keillor struggles with being a deity. By James Norton

Proof of Life | 12.08.00
Those proclaiming great things should prepare to eat Crowe. By Stephanie Kuenn

Punch-Drunk Love | 10.24.02
Rather than a collaboration, Punch-Drunk Love becomes a competition between Adam Sandler and acclaimed director P.T. Anderson. Anderson loses. By Clay Risen

Quills | 01.10.01
This retelling of the Marquis de Sade's heartwarming story is just too damn earnest. By Clay Risen

R

Reconstruction | 09.21.04
Reconstruction taps on the looking glass but never steps through. By Sean Weitner

Red Dragon | 10.04.02
Director Brett Ratner further defines himself as the go-to guy for mediocrity with the third incarnation of America's favorite cannibal franchise. By Sean Weitner

Remember the Titans | 10.06.00
Denzel Washington's strong, understated performance turns a football story into a ringing account of racial struggle. By Andy Stilp

Requiem for a Dream | 11.03.00
Bleak, depressing, shocking and disturbing. Brilliant. By Eric Wittmershaus

Resident Evil | 03.30.02
Zombie movies work best when they're slow and quiet. Resident Evil is fast, noisy and far too slick. By Ben Siler

Return of the King | 12.19.03
While it may not be perfect, it doesn't get any better than this. By James Norton

The Ring | 10.22.02
A great, chilly slice of outside-the-box horror. By Sean Weitner

Road to Perdition | 07.19.02
Murder takes on many faces in Road to Perdition, and none of them are pretty. By Rasheed Newson

The Royal Tenenbaums | 01.03.02
The faceted complexity of Wes Anderson's characters render them incomprehensible to some observers. But to others, they shine. By Jessica Chapel and James Norton

Runaway Jury | 10.21.03
Grisham's cynical take on how cases get decided makes for a rollicking potboiler. By Andy Stilp

The Rundown | 09.26.03
Sure enough, The Rock knows his role: the next huge action star. And he's the perfect man for the job. By Stephen Himes

S

The Saddest Musc in the World | 08.09.05
A throwback in more than just its look, Guy Maddin's latest brings new life to the melodrama. By Martin Scribbs

The Salton Sea | 05.24.02
The Salton Sea gets more drama from the standard junkie milieu than you're used to. By Niall Lynch

Saw II | 11.04.05
Jonesy and Danny seek outside expertise to comprehend the complex interplay between film artists' metaphorical exploitation of the grotesque and audience's desire to undergo proxy suffering to achieve catharsis. Conclusion: That scene with the meathook was totally bitchin'. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

A Scanner Darkly | 07.20.06
The secret weapon of this dystopian masterpiece is that it delivers on the comedy, blackly. By David Essex

Scarlet Diva | 08.22.02
Asia Argento may be the hottie of the moment, but there are other, more self-serving reasons to see Scarlet Diva. By Clay Risen

School of Rock | 10.09.01
It's not just a Hollywood marketing conceit; there really is a profound connection between rock music and teaching children. Flak's resident teacher reports. By Stephen Himes

School for Scoundrels | 10.18.06
In the epic battle of Napoleon Dynamite vs. Bad Santa, we all lose. By David Essex

The Score | 07.23.01
The score? De Niro, 1; Norton, 0; Brando, -1. By Andy Stilp

Seabiscuit | 07.31.03
Seabiscuit attempts high drama, but only delivers the thrill of sports. By Andy Stilp

Secretary | 10.16.02
Secretary is not the transgressive story it pretends to be. By Clay Risen

The Sentinel | 04.27.06
In-depth with one of cinema's great stone-faced supporting actors. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Serenity | 10.18.05
Can the best TV writer out there adapt his own series to the movies and make non-fans care? By Alethea Allarey

Serenity | 10.07.05
Jonesy and Danny's good pal George gives Joss Whedon a lesson in everything that's wrong with Serenity. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Series 7 | 04.09.01
If its only strengths were satire and parody, then you'd have to say it coulda been a contender. Fortunately for all, the hilarious Series 7 has even more to offer. By Sean Weitner

Sex and the City | 06.06.08
Spare yourself and enjoy it, says Sex, preferably in a truly hideous dress. By Eve Adams

Sexy Beast | 07.22.01
Finally, a gangster flick that shows someone's gotten over Guy Ritchie. By Eric Wittmershaus

Shadow of the Vampire | 02.09.01
This period piece celebration of an ugly old vampire is packed with promise, but fails to deliver the goods. It does not, however, "suck." By Zeke Jarvis

Shaft | 07.13.00
This remake of the blaxploitation classic manages to be considerably more middle-of-the-road than the original. By Sean Weitner

Shallow Hal | 11.22.01
The Farrellys come back to "nice." It's the wrong direction. By Aaron Tassano

Shrek | 05.24.01
Deconstruction of the fables; or, fables of the desconstruction. By Sean Weitner

Shrek 2 | 06.03.04
Attention, those of you who loathed the original: This is the 2004 winner for most improved franchise. By Stephen Himes

Sicko | 07.19.07
Michael Moore says his goal is health care for the poor, but his movie really only argues that the middle class should get a better deal. By Eve Adams

Signs | 08.07.02
Signs is spooky, but it shows the hand of a master panderer. By Sean Weitner

Simone | 09.06.02
A straightforward, topical, thoughtful, boring, boring movie. By Andy Ross

The Sixth Sense | 08.12.99
This one will haunt filmgoers for a long time after they leave the theater. By Sean Weitner

Slackers | 02.18.02
Stop them before they kill again. By Rasheed Newson

Snatch | 01.26.01
This "lad film" takes a wild swing at its audience. By Andy Stilp

Songs from the Second Floor | 09.03.02
The pending apocalypse sends a Swedish city into a spiral of despair, destruction and human sacrifice. What could be funnier? By Kevin Dolak

Soul Plane | 06.04.04
Based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, David Lynch brings to cinematic life that transcendental plane where souls reside. Starring Snoop Dogg and Tom Arnold. By David Essex

South Park | 07.02.99
Is it worth spending two hours to watch filmmakers extend an animated middle finger to the MPAA? You be the judge. By Sean Weitner

Spartan | 03.24.04
Finally, a David Mamet movie with characters who put their money where their mouths are. By Matthew Fisher

Spider-Man | 05.06.02
Spider-Man represents both the good and bad sides of comics-to-film adaptations … but mostly the good sides. By Andy Ross

Spider-Man 2 | 07.14.04
Sam Raimi's comic book follow-up is a summer blockbuster, but it's still great filmmaking. by Stephen Himes

Spy Game | 12.04.01
Explaining the dirty dealings of the CIA is the exclusive purview of our storytellers, and Spy Game does it just fine. By Rasheed Newson

Spy Kids | 04.05.01
A kid's classic, and it couldn't happen to a nicer film. By Sean Weitner

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams | 08.19.02
Spy Kids 2 is the first digital video work of a digital video evangelist — and it doesn't make a convincing case. By Sean Weitner

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over | 07.30.03
The Toymaker is not the only split-personality megalomanical genius to be seen in Spy Kids 3. There's also his director. By Sean Weitner

Starsky & Hutch | 03.18.04
Director Todd Phillips has something to say, but trips over himself going for the easy laughs. By Stephen Himes

Star Trek: Nemesis vs. Starship Exeter | 01.29.03
Franchise excess takes on excessive fandom in a battle ... to the death! By John Gorenfeld

Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace | 05.20.99
Strictly speaking, it's not much better or worse than the original, but it's far less awesome. By Sean Weitner

Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones | 05.16.02
It may be fast food, but it's some of the best out there. By Niall Lynch

Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith | 05.20.05
Straight talk from C-3PO. By Ryan Coulter

State and Main | 01.04.01
David Mamet delivers a surprise, and it's not the witty, clever-yet-deep film you might expect. By Eric Wittmershaus

Summer of Sam | 06.28.99
Spike Lee serves up a film that's disturbing for a whole host of mostly negative reasons. By Will Schmenner

The Sum of All Fears | 06.13.02
For Sum, Flak provides the balance sheet. By Sean Weitner

Sunshine State | 08.09.02
John Sayles integrates all of his gender, racial and class concerns like never before. By Stephen Bracco

SuperBabies: Baby Geniuses 2 | 09.17.04
It takes a special kind of terrible to fail to live up the the badness of the first Baby Geniuses. By Stephen Himes

Superman Returns | 06.23.06
Roger discovers his personal kryptonite. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Suzhou River | 04.27.01
An outstanding riff on one of the great movies, and a tremendous love story in its own right. By Sean Weitner

Sweet Land | 01.09.07
Sometimes understatement is the best way to say something truly important. By Joey Rubin

Swing Vote | 08.05.08
The makers of this toothless pro-vote satire may think they're skewering politics and the media, but intentionally or not they're really slamming the small-town America they claim to revere. By Stephen Himes

T

Talk to Her | 08.03.99
Modern-day solitude collides with the absurd, making a foreign film that you don't have to be pretentious to enjoy. By Sara Brenneis

Talladega Nights | 08.18.06
An earnest stab at Red State masculinity that comes up just a bit short below the belt. By Stephen Himes

The Tao of Steve | 09.09.00
The chaos of the individual meets the sweep of spirituality in this offbeat comedy. By Mac Slocum

Tarzan | 06.21.99
Visceral, thrilling and 100 percent by the numbers. Review includes amazing review generator for every animated Disney film, ever, and helps crack the cryptic "Disney code." By Sean Weitner

Team America: World Police | 11.02.04
The crown jewel of the most fiercely political movie year in ages, Team America eviscerates both sides while skewering the action-movie-addled middle. By Stephen Himes

The Terminal | 07.14.04
The great director aims to find humanity in an inhumane world, but ends up rubbing it in our faces for an hour too long. By Stephen Himes

Terminator 3 | 07.18.03
Terminator 3, like its predecessors, is skillfully designed to reveal our national mood while thrilling our pants off. By Nick Gorski

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre | 10.30.03
The remake is not obscene because it's disgusting; it's obscene because it's carefully structured to be absolutely devoid of meaning. By Stephen Himes

The Thirteenth Floor | 05.24.99
A film with the slogan "question reality" should do better than this. By Sean Weitner

The Thomas Crown Affair | 08.03.99
Finally: An action film that career-obsessed thirtysomethings can really groove to and rally behind. By Sean Weitner

Those Who Love Me Will Take the Train | 09.14.99
And those who love good movies can see something else. By James Norton

Time Code | 05.10.00
Stunning technology and a half-decent plot combine to make Time Code a worthy avatar of the digital revolution. By Sara J. Brenneis

The Time Machine | 03.19.02
The story of the L.A. Confidential star who labored through a number of roles before starring in a big-budget Dreamworks spectacle may sound familiar. But this time, it doesn't have a happy ending. By Andy Stilp

Time Regained | 01.20.01
Yes, you can successfully adapt a classic modern novel, and this film is Proust positive. By Sean O'Neill

Tokyo Godfathers | 02.04.02
A John Wayne western recast as a homeless men's odyssey by way of John Donne. Must be anime. By Tony Nigro

Traffic | 01.17.01
A subversive, compelling and entertaining look at a war that's ripped America apart for decades. By Stephanie Kuenn

Training Day | 10.20.01
The urban blight and police corruption angles you see in the ads are all a put-on — this is mindless, visceral fun. By Rasheed Newson

The Transporter | 10.24.02
Like the title promises, this movie transports you to a magical world where everyone's a vegetarian and we all live together in harmony. OK, not really. By Andy Stilp

Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story | 03.16.06
The 24 Hour Party People crew shows they never meta-plot device they didn't like. By David Essex

Tron | 4.22.02
Who's going to control your computer, anyway? You, or some Master Control Program? The sci-fi story of our time is now out on DVD. By John Gorenfeld

Trouble Every Day | 04.10.02
Though not Claire Denis' finest hour, Trouble Every Day is a fresh look at an old story. By Jeff Rigsby

Troy | 05.27.04
How can they have spent this much time adapting Homer and not picked up anything he knew about moviemaking? By David Essex

Two Family House | 10.28.00
A refreshing romantic comedy with some surprisingly heavy issues. By Eric Wittmershaus

The Two Towers | 12.27.02
More magnificent than The Fellowship of the Ring, and yet out of touch with the heart of the story. By Andy Stilp

U, V

Ultraviolet | 03.09.06
Jonesy and Danny show they love Milla Jovovich not wisely but too well. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Unbreakable | 11.28.00
The really surprising twist is that it's a thinking person's film. By Sean Weitner

Underworld: Evolution | 1.31.06
Danny toes the line between "stocking cap" and "stalking Kate." Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

United 93 | 05.05.06
A terrific piece of filmmaking that preserves the clarity of The 9/11 Commission Report while suffusing it the empathy of the movies. By Sean Weitner

United 93 | 05.04.06
United 93 approaches the open wound of Sept. 11 as both a scalpel and a saltshaker. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Vanilla Sky | 12.19.01
Leaden dialogue and far more concepts than actual ideas? This is the new Cameron Crowe movie? By Christopher Hickman

Vanity Fair | 11.05.04
Director Mira Nair makes Thackeray her own — and misses the point. By Andrew Stout

Veronica Guerin | 10.17.03
Do Jerry Bruckheimer and Joel Schumacher do justice to Veronica Guerin? Flak goes to Dublin to find out. By Seamus Sweeney

V for Vendetta | 03.23.06
Jonesy hips his friend to the virtues of Alan Moore, but not of Kevin Smith. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

The Village | 08.11.04
The Village is only the latest in a series of election-year movies that show we love leaders that lie. By Martin Scribbs

The Virgin Suicides | 05.17.00
A tragically empty, beautifully scored, stunningly shot flick about attractive, undeveloped characters. By Eric Wittmershaus

Volver | 12.13.06
Spain's reigning filmmaker returns to his classic form with a brilliant and sometimes understated tour through his own past. By Sara J. Brenneis

W, X, Y, Z

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 10.21.05
The movie is a ringer for a Best Animated Film nomination, but there's another Oscar it equally deserves: Best Actor. By Andy Stilp

The Wash | 03.22.02
America's two whitest men review the latest offering from Messrs. Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. By James Norton and J.R. Norton

Waking Life | 10.23.01
Waking Life shows what can happen when a brilliant director uses technology to blur the line between video and animation. By Clay Risen

Walking Tall | 04.02.04
This Rock-starring, plank-swinging remake is as much of a political parable as the original. By Stephen Himes

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 10.19.05
The movie is a ringer for a Best Animated Film nomination, but there's another Oscar it equally deserves: Best Actor. By Andy Stilp

The Way of the Gun | 09.20.00
A heist gone bad that eventually packs quite a punch. By Sean Weitner

The Weather Man | 10.28.05
Jonesy teaches Danny the true meaning of Halloween horror. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian.

The Weather Underground | 09.05.03
Looking back from their desk jobs, these radical '60s bombers say they'd do it all again. But what would their younger selves say about those desk jobs? By Clay Risen

What Women Want | 12.21.00
This review asks the equally inscrutable question, what do critics want? By Sean Weitner

Wild Wild West | 07.01.99
Totally excoriated by critics, Wild Wild West actually delivers. It just delivers far less than it should. By Sean Weitner

Wimbledon | 10.01.04
Much can be said about the authenticity of the film, but none of it allays the pesky matter of Kirsten Dunst and her project-sinking performance. By Andy Stilp

The Women Chaser | 08.01.00
Just when things are starting to look bleak for film noir, in steps The Woman Chaser to save the day. By Eric Wittmershaus

X-Men | 07.14.00
Finally! A comic-inspired movie that isn't half bad. By Eric Wittmershaus

X-Men: The Last Stand | 06.01.06

The X-Men movies get a lot of credit for offering subtext to their action extravaganzas. Danny shows Jonesy how that trick works. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian The Yes Men | 11.05.04
Meet the men that put the "WTF?" in the WTO. By Tim Eagon

Yi Yi | 04.19.01
Can a great movie grow out of the old mid-life crisis archetype? More than you know. By Stephanie Kuenn

You Can Count on Me | 11.21.00
Ordinary people given an extraordinary treatment. By Eric Wittmershaus

Yours, Mine and Ours | 12.02.05
Danny learns the uncomfortable truth about the "family values" of Yours, Mine & Ours. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian

Zathura | 11.11.05
Some movie tie-in merchandise is best left unpurchased. Popcorn Picnic by Chris Shadoian