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Total Recall

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Memorable Horror Remakes (126 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Oct. 17 2013, 06:33 PM

This weekend, Stephen King's breakthrough novel Carrie returns to theaters in the form of director Kimberly Peirce's remake, starring Chloe Grace Moretz as the title character and Julianne Moore as her violently religious mom. While it seems doubtful that the new-look Carrie will attain the classic status enjoyed by the 1976 original, this sort of thing is hardly without precedent; in fact, there have been so many horror remakes that there's no way we could cover them all at once. We did, however, decide to collect a sampling for this week's list, making room for some of the best, worst, and most puzzlingly misguided examples from the genre. Let's get started, shall we?

Tom Hanks' Best Movies (158 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Oct. 10 2013, 05:58 PM

Co-starring in a short-lived sitcom about cross-dressing friends generally isn't the most direct path to superstardom, but there's an exception to prove every rule -- only one, though; sorry, Peter Scolari -- and after racking up over $3 billion in domestic ticket receipts, winning a mantel full of awards (including back-to-back Best Actor Oscars), and starring in some of the best-reviewed films of the last 25 years, Tom Hanks has demonstrated that he's pretty darned exceptional. With his latest project, the fact-based Paul Greengrass thriller Captain Phillips, arriving in theaters this weekend, we decided now was the perfect time to pay tribute to an impressive body of work by twirling the dials on the Tomatometer, making a list of Hanks' best-reviewed films, and playing Total Recall!

Ben Affleck's Best Movies (108 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Oct. 03 2013, 03:26 PM

Once upon a time, it looked like Ben Affleck might spend the rest of his career in little-seen duds like Jersey Girl and Surviving Christmas -- a precipitous fall for a guy who won an Oscar at the age of 25 and starred in blockbusters like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and The Sum of All Fears. Now just look how things have changed: Having reinvented himself as a critically lauded director with 2007's Gone Baby Gone, Ben's back in front of the camera this weekend in Runner Runner, playing the sleazy head of an online gambling empire who lures a college student (Justin Timberlake) into his operation. What better time to take a fond look back at Mr. Affleck's critical highlights, Total Recall style?

Ron Howard's Best Movies (81 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Sep. 26 2013, 03:12 PM

Movies about race car drivers don't always have the easiest time with critics (see: Days of Thunder, Stroker Ace, Six Pack), but if there's a director in Hollywood capable of turning driving really fast in circles into a solid all-around blockbuster, it's probably Ron Howard. He gets his chance this weekend, as the already well-reviewed Rush (currently playing in Europe and in limited U.S. release) expands nationwide with the fact-based tale of James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Br�hl), 1970s racing stars whose rivalry proved memorably entertaining on as well as off the course. Of course, this isn't Howard's first trip around the track, so we decided to dedicate this week's list to a rundown of some of the brighter critical highlights from a career full of crowd-pleasers. Goodbye gray sky, hello blue -- it's time for Total Recall!

Jake Gyllenhaal's Best Movies (133 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Sep. 19 2013, 06:19 PM

In what promises to be the most nail-bitingly intense kidnapping drama since Ron Howard directed Mel Gibson in 1996's Ransom, Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman team up in this weekend's Prisoners to find a pair of missing girls who may or may not have been lured into a van by gross Paul Dano. In honor of Gyllenhaal's latest dramatic tour de force, we've decided to devote this week's list to a fond look back at some of the brightest critical highlights from a wonderfully eclectic filmography that looks like it's only begun to tap into his prodigious potential. It's time for Total Recall!

Robert De Niro's Best Movies (123 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Sep. 12 2013, 08:46 PM

Witness protection movies are nothing new, but this weekend's The Family has a better pedigree than most, with behind-the-scenes talent that includes executive producer Martin Scorsese and a terrific cast headed up by Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, and the one and only Robert De Niro. De Niro's suffered through some rough recent years at the box office, what with stuff like Killing Season and The Big Wedding, but he's still one of the most respected actors of his (or any) generation, with a filmography so incredible that not even the Best Picture-winning The Deer Hunter can break our Tomatometer-ranked top 10. Now that's what we call a Total Recall!

Vin Diesel's Best Movies (69 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Sep. 05 2013, 05:18 PM

It's been nearly a decade since the surly, freaky-eyed Richard Riddick graced our cineplex screens, but even after the relative failure of 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick, fans never lost hope that we'd see his return -- and neither did Riddick's portrayer, Vin Diesel, who fought long and hard to secure funding for a third installment. It took a lot of work (and leveraging his house) to make it happen, but Riddick is finally here. Naturally, we decided that this week would be the perfect time to devote an installment of Total Recall to the Diesel filmography, and recount the critical high points of a journey that's taken him from bit player to $100 million-grossing franchise topliner, multi-hyphenate media mogul, social media star, and future Marvel hero. Get ready for plenty of action, folks -- it's Vin Diesel time!

Jon Voight's Best Movies (50 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Wednesday, Aug. 28 2013, 04:20 PM

Jon Voight's latest movie, this weekend's Ethan Hawke/Selena Gomez thriller Getaway, has been consigned to late August oblivion -- but well before he spent summer's dog days playing an oddly accented kidnapper, Voight earned a reputation for being one of Hollywood's more talented and hard-working actors, with an eye for scripts that would challenge the audience as well as himself. Naturally, we decided to devote this week's list to an appreciation of his best-reviewed works, so without further ado...everybody's talkin' Total Recall, Jon Voight style!

Lena Headey's Best Movies (103 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Aug. 22 2013, 02:58 PM

A lot of her time is taken up with Game of Thrones these days, but Lena Headey hasn't forsaken her film career; in fact, she'll be seen in an impressive six movies (and counting) between 2013-14. One of those projects, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, is arriving in theaters this weekend, so we decided now would be the perfect time to take an appreciative look back at some of her most critically successful cinematic efforts. From quiet British dramas to Disney flicks and horror films, Lena's done a lot -- and it doesn't look like she'll be slowing down anytime soon. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the finest bits of her filmography here!

Jim Carrey's Best Movies (99 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Aug. 15 2013, 06:06 PM

He earned his first real success by tapping into America's unquenchable thirst for broad slapstick comedy, but Jim Carrey always had bigger ambitions than anyone could have guessed by watching Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and he's proven it repeatedly by choosing projects beyond the scope of Farrelly-friendly laffers. His reach has occasionally exceeded his grasp, but few careers can boast a range extending from Dumb and Dumber to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And with his appearance as the Colonel in Kick-Ass 2 bowing this weekend, we decided there was no time like the present to take a look at the best-reviewed films of Jim Carrey's career!

Matt Damon's Best Movies (102 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Aug. 08 2013, 03:02 PM

Since earning his career breakout with Good Will Hunting in 1997, Matt Damon has won an Academy Award, worked for some of the finest directors (and alongside some of the most talented actors) in Hollywood, and proved his mettle as a dramatic actor, gifted screen comic, and steely action hero. In honor of his latest starring role, in Neill Blomkamp's Elysium this weekend, we decided to rifle through the Damon filmography and take a closer look at the ten most critically successful entries. Which of your favorites made the cut? Which ones have the critics blasphemously overlooked? There's only one way to find out!

Bill Paxton's Best Movies (78 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Friday, Aug. 02 2013, 10:26 AM

Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg are the big stars of this weekend's 2 Guns, but they're not alone; the movie also boasts a solid supporting cast that includes a number of wily character actor vets -- including the one and only Bill Paxton, whose eclectic film and television pursuits have been keeping us solidly entertained for three decades and counting. To celebrate his latest role, we decided to spend this week looking back at Mr. Paxton's best-reviewed roles, and although we had to leave out at least one important cameo (hello, The Terminator) and watch one cult classic dip below the cutoff line (farewell, Weird Science), we still ended up with a mighty fine list of films. Game over, man -- it's time for Total Recall!

Total Recall: Woody Allen's Best Movies (164 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jul. 25 2013, 02:14 PM

He's never been a blockbuster filmmaker, but with more than a half century in Hollywood under his belt -- and dozens of movies along the way -- Woody Allen's consistently prolific output stands as a continuing testament to the ability of brainy, low-budget cinema to find an audience, even during an era in which superheroes, sequels, reboots, and remakes seem to exert an ever-stronger grip on the box office. Love him or hate him, Allen's one of the few directors left who can film people sitting around talking and turn it into a wide release -- and with his latest, Blue Jasmine, arriving in theaters this weekend, we knew now would be the perfect time to pay tribute by looking back at his best-reviewed efforts. Call your therapist, because it's time for Total Recall, Woody Allen style!

Total Recall: Kevin Bacon's Best Movies (121 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jul. 18 2013, 01:40 PM

From starring roles in flicks like Footloose to memorable cameos in films like JFK, Kevin Bacon has been pretty much all over Hollywood during his 35-year professional acting career, working so prolifically that he eventually inspired his own game. But until now, he's never had his own Total Recall -- so when we noticed Bacon's name in the cast list for this weekend's R.I.P.D., we knew exactly what we had to do. Everything is better with Bacon, so let's start the countdown!

Total Recall: Adam Sandler's Best Movies (161 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jul. 11 2013, 10:57 AM

The critics might not be looking forward to Adam Sandler getting the gang back together for this weekend's Grown-Ups 2, but box office receipts don't lie -- the critics are handily outnumbered by Sandler's many ardent fans, many of whom have been laughing it up over the SNL vet's shtick for more than two decades. With another likely hit under his belt, Sandler seemed like the perfect candidate for this week's list, and the results -- while certainly filled with a few more Rotten films than your average Total Recall candidate -- include some of the biggest comedy hits in recent memory. Watch out for Bob Barker and giant penguins, and let's start the countdown!

Total Recall: Johnny Depp's Best Movies (131 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Wednesday, Jul. 03 2013, 04:15 PM

He once seemed destined for nothing better or worse than simple teen idolhood, but since escaping from 21 Jump Street in 1990, Johnny Depp has proven himself to be a brave (and mostly pretty astute) chooser of scripts, building an impressive filmography that encompasses everything from black-and-white arthouse fare (Dead Man) to blockbuster Disney trilogies (Pirates of the Caribbean). This weekend, he returns to theaters as Tonto in Disney's July 4 blockbuster The Lone Ranger, so we thought now would be a fine time to devote a fresh installment of Total Recall to counting down the 10 best-reviewed releases of Depp's 25-year film career. Here we go!

Total Recall: Richard Jenkins' Best Movies (56 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 27 2013, 12:03 PM

Audiences who turn out for White House Down this weekend will be paying for the privilege of watching director Roland Emmerich blow up an American landmark (and/or seeing Channing Tatum in a dirty tank top), but when they do, they'll be getting an added treat: An appearance by the one and only Richard Jenkins, who achieved ultimate "That Guy" status years before earning a richly deserved Best Actor Oscar nomination in 2008. Character actors don't come with much more character than Mr. Jenkins, so with all due respect to Emmerich's effects and Tatum's pecs, we knew this was the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to one of Hollywood's most distinguished supporting players. It's time for Total Recall!

Total Recall: John Goodman's Best Movies (101 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 20 2013, 03:32 PM

Sitcom star, dependable character actor, occasional leading man -- John Goodman has basked in the glow of a number of different spotlights over the last few decades, carving out a career enviable for its versatility and sheer success as well as entertaining to watch. Whether he's making good use of his expert comic timing or lending dramatic gravitas to a scene, Goodman has become a reliable indicator of quality for whatever project he happens to be involved with -- and this weekend, given that the project in question is Pixar's Monsters University, we figured now would be the perfect time to pay tribute to Mr. Goodman with a look back at his best-reviewed films. All hail King Ralph, it's time for Total Recall!

Total Recall: Superman Movies (146 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 13 2013, 01:28 PM

It took a heck of a lot longer than a speeding bullet to get here, but when Man of Steel arrives in theaters this week, it'll herald the return of a beloved franchise that -- although not without its share of ups and downs -- has been thrilling fans for decades. In fact, this year marks the 62nd anniversary of the first Superman movie, Superman and the Mole Men; sadly, we don't have any reviews on file for that one, but that didn't stop us from taking a look back at our hero's other big-screen adventures. From the moments that made us believe a man could fly to the ones that were critical Kryptonite, this week is all about Krypton's favorite son. Up, up, and away, it's time for Total Recall!

Total Recall: Owen Wilson's Best Movies (81 comments)

by Jeff Giles on Thursday, Jun. 06 2013, 03:58 PM

Indie classics, animated hits, well-reviewed dramas, and blockbuster comedies: Owen Wilson has done it all. But one thing he's never starred in is his very own Total Recall, so when we noticed that he'd be reuniting with his old Wedding Crashers buddy Vince Vaughn in this weekend's The Internship, we knew we needed to rectify the situation with a fond look back at some of the many critical highlights from Mr. Wilson's varied filmography. It's time to pay tribute to the man who brought Marmaduke to life, Total Recall style!