#121: Captain America: The First Avenger Date watched: 24 May 2012Director: Joe Johnston Writer: These guysStarring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Samuel L. Jackson SUMMARY: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending the USA’s ideals. RECOMMENDED: Yes! My favorite of all the current individual Avenger films. I loved the entire thing. Perfectly executed. Whoever worked on those two X-Men movies should take a lesson from these guys. 

#121: Captain America: The First Avenger

Date watched: 24 May 2012
Director: Joe Johnston 
Writer: These guys
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving and Samuel L. Jackson

SUMMARY: After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending the USA’s ideals.

RECOMMENDED: Yes!

My favorite of all the current individual Avenger films. I loved the entire thing. Perfectly executed. Whoever worked on those two X-Men movies should take a lesson from these guys. 

#120: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) Date watched: 23 May 2012Director: Gavin Hood Writer: David Benioff (screenplay), Skip Woods(screenplay) Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds SUMMARY: A look at Wolverine’s early life, in particular his time with the government squad Weapon and the impact it will have on his later years. RECOMMENDED: No This was even worse than the last X-Men. It could have been amazing, but it was executed really poorly.

#120: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Date watched: 23 May 2012
Director: Gavin Hood 
Writer: David Benioff (screenplay), Skip Woods(screenplay) 
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Ryan Reynolds

SUMMARY: A look at Wolverine’s early life, in particular his time with the government squad Weapon and the impact it will have on his later years.

RECOMMENDED: No

This was even worse than the last X-Men. It could have been amazing, but it was executed really poorly.

#119: The Hollywood Complex (2011) Date watched: 19 May 2012Director: Dylan Nelson, Dan Sturman Starring: Andrew Manley, Rosie Forti and Toni Casala  DOCUMENTARY  SUMMARY: A bunch of families live in one apartment complex when they come out to Hollywood in the hopes of their children hitting the big time. RECOMMENDED: Yes

#119: The Hollywood Complex (2011)

Date watched: 19 May 2012
Director: Dylan Nelson, Dan Sturman 
Starring: Andrew Manley, Rosie Forti and Toni Casala  
DOCUMENTARY 

SUMMARY: A bunch of families live in one apartment complex when they come out to Hollywood in the hopes of their children hitting the big time.

RECOMMENDED: Yes

#118: We Bought a Zoo (2011) Date watched: 16 May 2012Director: Cameron Crowe Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay), Cameron Crowe (screenplay), Benjamin Mee (book)Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church SUMMARY: Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. RECOMMENDED: Yes I know it sounds really stupid, but this is honestly such a great film. Beautifully written, beautiful characters…I loved everything about this, even though it was cliche, which was to be expected. I seriously recommend this.

#118: We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Date watched: 16 May 2012
Director: Cameron Crowe 
Writer: Aline Brosh McKenna (screenplay), Cameron Crowe (screenplay), Benjamin Mee (book)
Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church

SUMMARY: Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.

RECOMMENDED: Yes

I know it sounds really stupid, but this is honestly such a great film. Beautifully written, beautiful characters…I loved everything about this, even though it was cliche, which was to be expected. I seriously recommend this.

#117: The Transporter (2002) Date watched: 16 May 2012Director: Louis Leterrier, Corey Yuen Writer: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen Starring: Jason Statham, Qi Shu and Matt Schulze SUMMARY: This film is about a man whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules. RECOMMENDED: No It was pretty awful. The music made me laugh so hard, though. I’m glad Luc Besson got better. 

#117: The Transporter (2002)

Date watched: 16 May 2012
Director: Louis Leterrier, Corey Yuen 
Writer: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen 
Starring: Jason Statham, Qi Shu and Matt Schulze

SUMMARY: This film is about a man whose job is to deliver packages without asking any questions. Complications arise when he breaks those rules.

RECOMMENDED: No

It was pretty awful. The music made me laugh so hard, though. I’m glad Luc Besson got better. 

#116: State and Main (2000) Date watched: 15 May 2012Director: David Mamet Writer: David Mamet Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy and Rebecca Pidgeon SUMMARY: A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz. RECOMMENDED: No 

#116: State and Main (2000)

Date watched: 15 May 2012
Director: David Mamet 
Writer: David Mamet 
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy and Rebecca Pidgeon

SUMMARY: A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz.

RECOMMENDED: No 

#115: Sabah (2005) Date watched: 13 May 2012Director: Ruba Nadda Writer: Ruba Nadda Starring: Arsinée Khanjian, Shawn Doyle and Fadia Nadda SUMMARY: One day, when Sabah least expects it, she falls in love with the wrong man. She’s Muslim, he’s not. Unbeknownst to her family, she goes on a whirlwind affair before both culture and love collide. RECOMMENDED: YES! I loved everything about this. It was just overall fabulous, in every category. I don’t care if you don’t like sappy movies, you should watch this.

#115: Sabah (2005)

Date watched: 13 May 2012
Director: Ruba Nadda 
Writer: Ruba Nadda 
Starring: Arsinée Khanjian, Shawn Doyle and Fadia Nadda

SUMMARY: One day, when Sabah least expects it, she falls in love with the wrong man. She’s Muslim, he’s not. Unbeknownst to her family, she goes on a whirlwind affair before both culture and love collide.

RECOMMENDED: YES!

I loved everything about this. It was just overall fabulous, in every category. I don’t care if you don’t like sappy movies, you should watch this.

#114: He’s Just Not That Into You (2009) Date watched: 12 May 2012Director: Ken Kwapis Writer: These guysStarring: Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Morgan Lily SUMMARY: The Baltimore-set movie of interconnecting story arcs deals with the challenges of reading or misreading human behavior. RECOMMENDED: No. Unless you’re Caitlin.

#114: He’s Just Not That Into You (2009)

Date watched: 12 May 2012
Director: Ken Kwapis 
Writer: These guys
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Connelly and Morgan Lily

SUMMARY: The Baltimore-set movie of interconnecting story arcs deals with the challenges of reading or misreading human behavior.

RECOMMENDED: No. Unless you’re Caitlin.

#113: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Date watched: 12 May 2012Director: Steven Spielberg Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and Paul Freeman SUMMARY: Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis. RECOMMENDED: Yes A lot of this movie pissed me off, but I recommend it because it’s a classic in film history. And Harrison Ford is a badass, even if it’s just calculated movie luck. Most of the time I was laughing, though, because I kept remembering the ride at Disneyland and marveling at the bad special effects of the time. At times, it felt like the whole thing was a joke. And I was NOT expecting it to be as graphic and violent as it was, because Disney owns it. There was a lot of killing (I’m not saying it was bad; just that I was surprised) and the ending, when they SPOILER ALERT opened the box thing and exploded and their fluids flowed out of them…Whoa. Nightmares. Not really, but I was not expecting that kind of gore wow.

#113: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Date watched: 12 May 2012
Director: Steven Spielberg 
Writer: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman 
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen and Paul Freeman

SUMMARY: Archeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

RECOMMENDED: Yes

A lot of this movie pissed me off, but I recommend it because it’s a classic in film history. And Harrison Ford is a badass, even if it’s just calculated movie luck. Most of the time I was laughing, though, because I kept remembering the ride at Disneyland and marveling at the bad special effects of the time. At times, it felt like the whole thing was a joke.

And I was NOT expecting it to be as graphic and violent as it was, because Disney owns it. There was a lot of killing (I’m not saying it was bad; just that I was surprised) and the ending, when they SPOILER ALERT opened the box thing and exploded and their fluids flowed out of them…Whoa. Nightmares. Not really, but I was not expecting that kind of gore wow.

#112: After Sex (2007) Date watched: 12 May 2012Director: Eric Amadio Writer: Eric Amadio Starring: Marc Blucas, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Emmanuelle Chriqui  SUMMARY: Sex is a background to examine intimacy and vulnerability. Looks at the complexity of modern day relationships told through eight separate couples. RECOMMENDED: Yes 

#112: After Sex (2007)

Date watched: 12 May 2012
Director: Eric Amadio 
Writer: Eric Amadio 
Starring: Marc Blucas, Jose Pablo Cantillo and Emmanuelle Chriqui 

SUMMARY: Sex is a background to examine intimacy and vulnerability. Looks at the complexity of modern day relationships told through eight separate couples.

RECOMMENDED: Yes