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Stars	Meaning
*	Avoid at all costs
**	Only if it's free
***	Rent it if you can't find anything else
****	Good Flick
*****	My faves of all time

Here is a list of movies I've seen together with my personal ranking and any other thoughts. The old stuff didn't really have any descriptive text.

eMail me if you have recommendations on good flicks you've seen.

Movie	When	Rating	Description
15 Minutes	10.01	***	The story changes from an action movie to a social statement in the last half hour.
200 Cigarettes	7.01	***	Pretty funny and a great 80's soundtrack. Reminded me of After Hours, which is one of my faves.
24 Hour Party People	9.02	****	Fantastic movie about the punk/new wave/rave scene in Manchester from the late '70s to '90s. It's done as a semi-documentary. A must-see if you are into that kind of music.
40 Days and 40 Nights	9.02	***	Predictable story line, but a lot of chuckles nonetheless. The lead actress looks like Lisa Bonet.
A Beautiful Mind	1.02	****	Another great acting job by Russell Crowe (see The Insider), who I would otherwise dislike. Movie skips Nash's homosexual experimentation.
A.I.	4.02	***	Compelling robot story if you are a sci fi fan like me, but bested by Millennium Man. I wish some one would bring the whole Asimov robot series to the big screen.
About a Boy	2.03	****	Surprisingly good movie. Thought it was a regular feel-good flick, but it was deeper. Good cinematography too.
Adaptation	7.03	****	Very good, especially for a Hollywood movie, but they just couldn't resist the Hollywood ending in the last minute ("I love you too").
Airheads	7.01	**	Mindless entertainment by an all-star ensemble cast.
All the President's Men	6.01		No special effects, no action, no famous composers, but great acting and storytelling turns a boring political story into an exciting thriller.
Almost Famous	4.01		Romanticized version of the director's childhood. I've been listening to the classis rock station all day.
Amelie	1.02	*****	The French should try their hands at uplifting movies more often. Best movie I've seen in a long time. Go see it.
American History X	5.01		Best movie tackling racism that I've ever seen. Edward Norton just moved up on my respect list.
American Pie II	3.02	***	More of the same of the original, which means it was very funny.
America's Sweethearts	1.02	***	Billy Crystal has the best role in the movie, which is not surprising considering he wrote and produced it.
Analyze That	7.03	**	Is it a comedy? Drama? Action?
Anger Management	11.03	*	That was horrible. Couldn't they at least try after paying for such high-priced tallent?
Atlantis	6.01		Took the kids. Michael J. Fox & Father Guido Sarducci had great lines, but it wasn't thrilling otherwise.
Austin Powers in Goldmember	12.02	***	Series going downhill. Didn't look like Mike Myers heart was into this one.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery		****	Comedy.
Barbershop	1.03	***	Enjoyed it a lot. Cedric the Entertainer was a blast as Eddie the old barber/philosopher and Eve was also impressive.
Bean		*	Comedy.
Beavis and Butt-head do America		***	Comedy Cartoon.
Bedazzled	4.01		Brendan Fraser was hilarious. The "sensitive" skit had me rolling.
Bend it Like Beckham	6.02	***	Watched it because nothing else was playing on the plane. Turned out to be a nice little movie about ethnic barriers and bridges for foreigners living in the West.
Best in Show	7.01		Would've only been a mildly amusing movie were it not for the hilarious commentary from the dog show announcer.
Big Fat Liar	2.02	***	Not bad at all for a kid movie. Amanda Bynes will make it big.
Blackhawk Down	10.02	***	Slightly disappointed in the movie. Was surprised to learned that all the 1,000 Somalis killed were carrying guns. Watch the PBS documentary if you can.
Blade	10.02	**	Matrix/Mummy/Zombie remix.
Blast from the Past	10.01	***	Brendan Fraser turns in another funny performance. Good for a Sunday night movie (if no late football game).
Boogie Nights		***	Retro Drama.
Bound		**	Mystery.
Bowling for Columbine	10.03	****	Fantastic. Must See. I wish he'd explored the root causes some more (next movie?)
Bridget Jones's Diary	5.01		Pretty funny and a good (albeit exaggerated) illustration of the neuroses of women. Recommended for guys.
Buena Vista Social Club	1.02	****	Most fun I've ever had watching a documentary.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof	7.03	****	Saw it again in Screen on the Green night on the Mall. Beautiful night and the movie was fantastic. Probably Paul Newman's best performance.
Catch Me if you Can	1.03	****	Well acted and fun movie. Perfect for getting rid of the New Year party headache
Cats & Dogs	7.01		Lots of chuckles, but no howling laughter.
Charlie's Angels	5.01		Went in with very low expectations and they were met.
Chasing Amy		***	Comedy.
Chicago	6.03	***	Believe me, I've tried to like musicals, but they just don't work for me. Maybe it's because I've never felt like breaking out into song/dance at a pensive moment.
Chocolat	10.01	****	Loved it! Or maybe it's because I'm a chocaholic.
Clockstoppers	3.02	**	The main premise wears off half-way into the movie. The kids liked it though.
Conspiracy Theory		***	Action.
Copland		**	Shootemup.
Cruel Intentions	6.02	***	Yet another remake of Dangerous Liaisons. The story is so good that it's hard to muck it up.
Daddy Day Care	11.03	***	Most of the funny parts are in the trailers, but an OK family movie.
Deception	6.03	*	Really bad movie which manages to insult every possible ethnicity as well as your intelligence.
Divine Secrets of the Ya-YA Sisterhood	10.01	**	Had a good set up, but I don't know where it was going with its message. People make mistakes? Forgive and forget?
Down With Love	12.03	**	Nice production with strange plot. They successfully imitated a '60s comedy, and its feels just as dated.
Dr. T and the Women	4.01		Romantic comedy that was neither funny nor romantic.
Dude, Where's my Car?	8.01	***	Not as funny as I'd thought, although I think I would've enjoyed it more if I'd been drunk.
Election	11.01	***	I think all the major characters in this entertaining movie were moral messes. Or is that ethical messes?
Enemy at the Gates	9.01	***	Why doesn't someone bring Platoon type realism to WWII movies. Cartoon people rule this and Private Ryan.
Father of the Bride Part II	10.01	**	Not nearly as funny as the original. Not enough Fraank.
Fight Club	9.02	****	There was so much good stuff here that they could've explored a few of the angles in separate movies. Brad Pitt held his own very nicely against my favorite actor de jour, Ed Norton.
Finding Forrester	6.01		Decent movie, but would've been better as a book with more of the teacher-student dialog and less irrelevant action scenes.
Finding Nemo	11.03	****	I used to pay attention to the graphic design in Pixar movies. Now I don't notice and just enjoy the movie, which by the way, is excellent.
Four Weddings and a Funeral		****	Comedy.
Frequency	3.01		OK feel-good movie.
Galipoli		*****	War Drama.
Ghost World	7.02	***	Great low-budget flick which pulls you into enid's weird little world. The ending was a bit weak. Seemed like the director was trying hard to be French about it.
Godzilla		***	Action.
Good and Evil
Good Will Hunting		****	Drama.
Gosford Park	8.02	***	The Oscar nominations must've been a "lifetime achievement" award for Robert Altman because the movie was meandering and bland.
Great Expectations		***	Chick Flick.
Grosse Pointe Blank		***	Romantic Comedy.
Hamoon	5.01		I wanted to change the channel, but I couldn't stop watching this low-budget Iranian movie.
Hardball	4.02	***	Bad News Bears on crack.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	11.02	***	Long, dark and true to the book. Kids got scared a bit, but it was satisfying. The 4th movie is going to be seven hours long
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone	11.01	****	Went with the kids to opening day show. Really well done and true to the book. The kids enjoyed it too.
Hart's War	10.02	***	Was going somewhere special with a couple of nice good/evil juxtipositions, but ran back to the mainstream in the last 10 minutes.
Heartbreakers	12.01	***	See Dirty Rotten Scoundrels instead.
Holes	4.03	***	Movie adaptation of popular kids book was a bit challenging for Shiva (9), but Sandee and I loved it!
How Stella Got Her Groove Back		****	Comedy.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days	10.03	***	Didn't get why they were mad at the end since they both lied to the other. Funny parts.
Ice Age	12.02	***	Starting to forget that these things are computer generated and not regular cartoons. Amusing enough to be "fun for the whole family!"
Il Postino		*****	Drama.
Insomnia	1.03	****	Perfect example of how the name of the movie completely changes the preception of the content. A just above average murder mystery turns into a great psychological thriller.
Jackie Brown		****	Shootemup.
Jerry Maguire		****	Romantic Sports Comedy.
Jurassic Park		***	Action.
Kate & Leopold	7.02	***	Just can't like Meg Ryan anymore. It wasn't bad for a date movie.
LA Confidential		****	Mystery.
Legally Blond	11.01	***	Was funny before it started going for the moral lesson.
Life as a House	5.02	***	Rare movie focusing on fatherhood (and regrets). Not bad at all for a tear-jerker.
Life is Beautiful		*****	Dramatic Comedy.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	1.03	****	Three hours on a Sunday night in a movie theatre and I wasn't bored one second. Great war action and effects make the story come alive.
Love Jones		****	Drama.
Made	2.02	****	Vince Vaughn plays the most annoying character ever written into a movie. It's not Swingers, but it's good.
Maid in Manhattan	4.03	***	J.Lo does a good job (she was an actress first after all), but the plot falls apart after they set up the initial premise.
Maryam	8.02	****	I thought it was a fantastic movie. It captured the whole host of emotions that I had gone through when I moved to the US in 1982. Definitely go see it if you are a middle-eastern immigrant.
Me, Myself & Irene	3.01		Funny, but I just don't like Jim Carey.
Memento	10.01	****	Almost a five star movie. Intelligent plot and great acting. Check out the URL for the movie web site.
Message in a Bottle	9.01	**	Saccharin overdose. Paul Newman was good though.
Midnight in the Garden of		***	Mystery.
Minority Report	12.02	****	Nicely done and mentally challenging sci-fi flick despite the couple of Star Trek-like contortions to make the plot work.
Miss Congeniality	5.01		Good if you are looking for a decent comedy without much mental exertion.
Mission: Impossible		**	Action.
Monsoon Wedding	12.02	***	Two interesting subplots kept the movie together as the main story was predictably weak. High "PBS value" as well.
Monsters Ball	8.02	****	Thought it was an especially good performance by Billy Bob Thornton. Great movie overall, although I left it thinking I was a bit short-changed considering the strength of the opening 30 minutes.
Monsters, Inc.	9.02	****	Not quite as good as Toy Story, but close. This one is crying out for a sequel.
Monsters, Inc.	10.02	****	Not as good as Toy Story, but real close. It's my first DVD so I played around with all the extra features for an hour.
Mr. Deeds	1.03	**	Adam Sandler finds yet another vehicle to play the same role he's been acting all his career. But hey, if people will pay to see it...
Mumford	1.02	***	Mixed feelings here. Seemed like an indie film vehicle for a bunch of holywood semi-stars. A few chuckles and some strong moments.
Murder at 1600	8.02	**	I'm as willing as the next guy to give the director some "artistic freedom" with a story, but this plot had more holes in it than one of my '80s fish-net t-shirts.
My Best Friend's Wedding		***	Romantic Comedy.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding	8.02	****	I was thinking yesterday that I'm sick of "Mary"-alike comedies and then this one comes along. A massive hoot PLUS a lot of inter-ethnic marriage jokes that we loved.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?	8.01	***	Worth watching if you're tired of special effects like I am. It's loosely based on Homer's Odyssey.
Ocean's 11	4.02	***	Well done and constantly moving plot makes for a fun movie... or maybe it was the pitcher of beer at the Cinema & Drafthouse.
Pay it Forward	7.01		Had a lot of potential, but sort'a petered out at the end. I would still recommend it though.
Platoon		*****	War Drama.
Pleasantville		***	Drama.
Proof of Life	9.01	****	Very good action movie. Meg Ryan is suddenly not likeable anymore. I wonder why.
Random Hearts	4.02	**	Harrison Ford should really stick to leading ladies his own age.
Rat Race	8.01	****	Really funny movie based on an old formula. Corny ending, but go see it anyway.
Real Women Have Curves	4.03	***	Movie was good, but beyond that, I liked the combination of foreign movie style with American language. We need more immigrant movies like this.
Rebel Without a Cause	8.01	***	Wasn't bad for an oldie, but I think it needed cultural sub-titles... Dad to daughter: "Come here glamour-puss'".
River's Edge	3.02	***	Crispin Glover and Dennis Hopper's performances save this '86 movie that would otherwise have just been strange.
Rock Star	4.02	***	Fun movie. Markie Mark does a great job as the aspiring rock star. I thought he was lip-synching until I remembered... duh.
Romy and Michelle's Highschool Reunion	4.02	**	OK, but I thought it would be funnier.
Rudy	10.02	***	Finally saw this one after nine years. I think I would've enjoyed it more back then. As it is, I couldn't get away from thinking this guy was a bit cooky, especially after seeing his real picture.
Save the Last Dance	7.01	***	Great moves and soundtrack (1, 2), but the plot has been done many times before.
Saving Private Ryan		****	Drama.
Scooby-Doo	10.02	**	Yawn. They couldn't decide if this is was going to be a kids movie or an adults movie, so they split the difference and made it a teen movie.
Selena	2.02	****	That girl would be rich if she were alive for the latin cross-over era. Mental note to never hire anyone named Yolanda.
Serendipity	6.02	***	Corny storyline, but I enjoyed it so it couldn't be that bad. Good performance by John Cusak. I kept looking for his sister, but she's not working with him for a change.
Seven		**	Mystery.
Sexy Beast	4.02	****	Low budget British movie and not for those averse to VERY crude language, but Ben Kingsley is absolutely a genius in his portrayal of the beast.
Shakespeare in Love		****	Chick flick.
Shall we Dance		****	Japanese romantic comedy.
She's so Lovely		**	Artsy Fartsy.
She's the One		****	Comedy.
Signs	9.02	**	Maybe I'm not smart enough for this one. On the other hand, I got to see a sci fi movie, a boo-flick and religious moralizing in one go!
Sling Blade		***	Drama.
Snatch	8.01	****	British version of Pulp Fiction. Good if you are into that genre.
Snow Dogs	7.02	**	Typical Disney movie: Non-offensive to everyone and not in any way cutting edge, but I guess the kids liked it.
South Park	6.01		It was a really funny movie, m-kay. But don't take your kids, m-kay.
Spiderman	5.02	****	Superman is a woos. Besides a couple of poor monologues on the definition of love at the end (presumably to make it a date movie), the story was well developed and the action was spiderific (can you tell I was a Spiderman fan as a kid?).
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron	6.02	***	Dreamworks' answer to the Lion King. Well done.
Spy Game	10.02	***	Never explained why Robert Redford looked 65 in the 1970's flashback scenes.
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones	6.02	****	I'll lay off the critical review here. I just sat back and enjoyed it.
Starship Troopers		*	Shootemup.
Strange Days		*	Action.
Sweet Home Alabama	3.03	***	Does well despite the predictable storyline. Could've done better without the whole NYC mayor angle and the whacky wedding.
Swingers		*****	Guys flick.
Swordfish	12.03	**	Vehicle for Halle Berry to show off her new body. I hate it when movie geeks type a couple of seconds and break into a secure system. They always get it on the third try.
The Banger Sisters	3.03	***	Fun little movie, but Susan Sarandon looks really bad in those tights.
The Bourne Identity	3.03	***	Did the book justice. Unfortunately, there's no way to impart Ludlum's fantastic ability to set moods/scenes in a two hour movie. Matt Damon does a credible acting job, although looks too young for the part.
The Caves of Steel	3.03		Read it again after, oh, 20 years. It's lost some of its luster with recent tech improvements flanking some of the storylines.
The Circle	6.01		Very well done movie about the plight of women in Iran. The wandering style of the movie was engaging and should be used by more film-makers.
The Contender	2.02	***	I consider myself pretty liberal, but this movie was totally off the scale there even for me.
The Count of Monte Cristo	9.02	****	Very well done adaptation of the Dumas book that didn't skimp on any major part of the story. Best revenge story of all time (better than Death Wish!).
The Dead Poets Society		*****	Drama.
The devil's Advocate		****	Drama.
The Emperor's Club	6.03	*	The only way I'd watch this is if they strapped me into a chair... which is why I dragged through it on the plane back. See The Dead Poet's Society instead.
The English Patient		*****	Chick Flick.
The Family Man	8.01	***	Cute movie. Nicolas Cage continues to do good work.
The Full Monty		*****	Comedy.
The Great Gatsby	8.01	***	It's pretty hard to screw up the great story, buy Coppola gave it some effort with unneeded dramatizations.
The Hours	2.03	***	I liked the concept of the book weaving through time and a lot of the acting. Downers were Nicole Kidman (fake nose and all) and the lack of a point.
The Insider	2.01		Incredibly engaging story, music and cinematography. Despite a weak 2nd half, a four star flick.
The Italian Job	11.03	****	Great heist flick. The only thing I'd change is to set the whole thing in Europe. It just seems less believable in LA: You'd have TV choppers and cops shooting blindly during the chase. I have to see the original (1969) now.
The Legend of Bagger Vance	7.01	***	Long & predictable. Yawn.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring	1.02	****	Totally engrosing, even though it's +3 hours long. They'll make a mint by the time the trilogy is over.
The Man Who Knew too Little		***	Comedy.
The Matrix Reloaded	7.03		Liked it as a Sci Fi fan, but it lacked the originality of the first one, probably because of so many similar fight scenes in other movies. Playground fight could've been reduced by five minutes.
The Mexican	9.01	****	Turned out to be a surprisingly good movie. Goodfella: "My job is to minimize the funkyness".
The Mummy	5.01		Wanted to see what all the fuss is about. Decent Indiana Jones style movie.
The Mummy Returns	12.01	***	Typical action sequel: More f/x, less story.
The Negotiator		***	Shootemup.
The Object of My Affection		**	Chick Flick.
The Peacemaker		**	Action.
The Princess Diaries	9.01	**	Real funny stretches, but looong sappy ending. It's even got a Farsi line.
The Royal Tenenbaums	9.02	***	I'd been warned not to expect too much from this one. I really liked how they told the story, but the story itself was weak.
The Score	1.02	****	Good action flick. Ed Norton morphs masterfully again.
The Shawshank Redemption		*****	Drama.
The Spanish Prisoner		***	Mystery.
The Sweetest Thing	12.02	***	A couple of really funny scenes in this light comedy. Christina Applegate does a great job.
The Tailor of Panama	11.01	****	The anti-bond, or what 007 really lives like and an unfortunately realistic plot. Definitely worth a watch.
The Time Machine	9.02	**	Probably a good sci fi short story by H.G. Wells, but seemed dragged-out as a movie.
The Truth About Charlie	3.03	**	Crash and burn ending ruins promising movie.
The Usual Suspects		****	Mystery.
The Waterboy		**	Comedy.
The Wedding Planner	7.01	**	Lying cheating groom gets together with lying wedding planner. They're perfect together.
The Wedding Singer		****	Comedy.
The Wild Thornberrys Movie	12.02	****	They did the TV series proud by coming up with a nice plot. Parents might enjoy it too if they're not careful.
There's Something About Mary		*****	Comedy.
Titanic		*****	Drama.
Tortilla Soup	3.02	****	I think I just like all "food movies". As you can guess, this one is centered around Mexican food. Don't watch it before a meal!
Traffic	6.01		A very good movie about the effects of drugs on US & Mexican society until... they gave it a happy ending!! I was amazed they had the gall to do that.
Training Day	5.02	****	Out of character role for Denzel makes it a deserved Oscar.
Trainspotting		***	Drama.
Twister		***	Action.
Two Weeks Notice	5.03	***	Par for the course for a Sandra Bullock movie, but I expected more laughs from Hugh Grant, whose understated humor I enjoy.
Valmont	9.01	***	I liked it better than Dangerous Liaisons in many ways.
Vanilla Sky	7.02	****	"What Dreams May Come" meets "Total Recall". Great cinematography and soundtrack and a good job by Tom Cruise (or is it Tom Cruz?)
Wag the Dog		***	Comedy.
Waiting to Exhale		***	Chick Flick.
What Dreams May Come	12.01	*****	Possibly the most visually stunning movie ever. Robin Williams is in way too many of my five stars.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown	10.01	***	I've seen it a few times before. It's still funny.
Wonder Boys	2.02	***	Michael Douglas finally breaks out of the Gordon Gheko mold (nicely) in this dark comedy.
XXX	3.03	***	Vin Diesel surprised me in a pretty cool 007: The Next Generation movie. You'll like it if you like the recent Bond movies.
Y tu Mama Tambien	2.03	***	Starts off with little promise, but strong ending makes you go through the whole movie with a different perspective. It helped that we've been to the coast that they travel to.
Zoolander	4.02	***	OK, but I thought it would be funnier.