Scanners (1981)

Dir. David Cronenberg

In director David Cronenberg's sci-fi horror film, "scanners" and their unparalleled psychic powers are shunned by the "normals." When Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside) forms an army of scanners to take over the world, only his brother Cameron (Stephen Lack), a scanner who wants to distance himself from his abilities, is capable of stopping him. But inexperienced Cameron's battle with the insanely violent Revok could mean a grisly death -- or worse.

Monkey Business (1952)

Dir. Howard Hawks

Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers make a delicious screwball comedy team in this caper directed by Howard Hawks. Grant's a middle-aged fuddy-duddy who may have invented a fountain of youth serum in his laboratory. But when a rampaging chimp mixes it into the water cooler, Grant and wife Rogers regress to their childhood. Marilyn Monroe is also a scream as the dim-bulb secretary to Charles Coburn.

Kung Fu Hustle (Gong Fu) (2004)

Dir. Stephen Chow

Sing (Stephen Chow) is a mobster in 1940s China who longs to be as cool as the members of the Axe Gang, formally clad killers who rule the streets of Hong Kong. But he's so awkward that he can't possibly aspire to be one of them, so he does the next best thing: pretend. Unfortunately, his shenanigans land him in a barrel of trouble with everyone, including the unassuming farmers who till the land, setting off fireworks of massive proportions.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

Dir. Howard Hawks

Love blooms for a hapless scientist and an unstoppable heiress in Howard Hawks's classic screwball comedy. Out to win the heart of paleontologist David (Cary Grant), heiress Susan (Katharine Hepburn) lures him to her home. The hilarity begins when Susan's dog steals David's prize dinosaur bone and her pet leopard, Baby, is mistaken for a zoo escapee. One madcap adventure follows another as they try to save Baby -- and ultimately fall in love.

Mudhoney (1965)

Dir. Russ Meyer

It's 1933, in the midst of the Depression and Prohibition. Calif, a stranger with a past walks into Spooner, Missouri on his way from Michigan to California. He hires on with Lute Wade to earn some travelling money, but gets entangled in a bad family situation: Lute's daughter is married to Sidney, a good-for-nothing drunk that frequents the rural equivalent of a whorehouse and beats his wife and is just waiting for Lute to kick the bucket to get his money. When Sidney and a local wacko preacher begin orchestrating a smear campaign against Calif, he finds it difficult to conceal his past and his growing affection for Sidney's wife.

Phenomena (1985)

Dir. Dario Argento

Jennifer is capable of mentally communicating with insects. She's sent to a Swiss girls school where the students are being murdered. With the help of a wheelchair- bound bug specialist, she must find the killer before he finds her.

American Flyers (1985)

Dir. John Badham

Sports physician Marcus (Kevin Costner) convinces his estranged brother David (David Marshall Grant) to train and compete in a long-distance bicycle race across the Colorado Rockies. Family friction and a deadly medical condition inherited from the men's father complicate their relationship during the rigorous training. Director John Badham captures the breathtaking mountain scenery while giving insight into the tactics of bike racing.

Musa: The Warrior (2001)

Dir. Sung-su Kim

Zhang Zi-Yi, Jung Woo-Sung, Ahn Sung-Ki and Ju Jin-Mo star in this action-packed historical drama about a band of soldiers sent by the Yuan dynasty to broker a peace pact with the Mings. But their efforts are rebuffed by the suspicious clan, who sends them to the desert for spying. When the leader of the group, Choi Jung, meets and falls for the Ming dynasty's Princess Furong, the rest of the group demands that he choose between love or loyalty.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965)

Dir. Russ Meyer

Three strippers seeking thrills encounter a young couple in the desert. After dispatching the boyfriend, they take the girl hostage and begin scheming on a crippled old man living with his two sons in the desert, reputedly hiding a tidy sum of cash. They become houseguests of the old man and try and seduce the sons in an attempt to locate the money, not realizing that the old man has a few sinister intentions of his own.

Spider-man 3 (2007)

Dir. Sam Raimi

After defeating eight-armed cyborg Doctor Octopus, Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) faces off against a new crop of villains, including the shape-shifting Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), in the third adventure of the comic book series. While Spidey's superpowers are altered by an alien organism, his alter ego, Peter Parker, deals with nemesis Eddie Brock (Topher Grace) and gets caught up in a love triangle. Kirsten Dunst and James Franco co-star.

The Host (Gwoemul) (2006)

Dir. Joon-ho Bong

Seoul's River Han is the watery birthplace of a giant mutant creature bent on the city's total destruction. Hie-bong (Hie-bong Byeon) is a humble snack bar owner whose precious granddaughter Hyun-seo (Ah-sung Ko) is scooped up by the scaly lizard, presumably as an appetizer before the beast devours all of Seoul. Can the mild-mannered concession peddler, his dim son and slacker grandson band together and save both child and city?

April Update

April Total = 9
2007 Total = 55

Stats:
Rent - 3
Own - 2
Theater - 1
TV - 3
Other - 0
First Viewing - 6

Ravenous (1999)

Dir. Antonia Bird

Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential), Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) and David Arquette (Scream) must fight brutal elements of the Sierra Nevada wilderness -- as well as their own murderous instincts -- when the inhabitants of an isolated military outpost have go up against a marauding band of cannibals in a deadly struggle for survival.

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Dir. Mel Brooks

Shot in glorious black and white, writer-director Mel Brooks' finest work both parodies and salutes the 1930s Frankenstein movies. Co-writer Gene Wilder soars as mad scientist Frederich Frankenstein ("Fronkensteen!" he insists), with hilarious support from Marty Feldman as Igor, Peter Boyle as the monster, Teri Garr, and the late, great Madeline Kahn.

Superstar (1999)

Dir. Bruce McCulloch

Reprising her popular "Saturday Night Live" role as Irish-Catholic schoolgirl and proto-nerd Mary Katherine Gallagher, Molly Shannon is a comic delight. Deemed the ugly duckling of her high school, Mary Katherine resolves to attain her twin dream: become a "superstar" at a school talent show and kiss the class stud, Sky Corrigan (Will Ferrell). With the Lord Jesus and her wheelchair-bound grandmother as inspirations, how can she miss?

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (L'Uccello dalle piume di cristallo) (1970)

Dir. Dario Argento

Witnessing a brutal attack on a woman but unable to help her, Sam (Tony Musante), an American traveling in Rome, soon finds himself the target of an elusive killer. The deeper Sam delves into the mystery, the more at risk he becomes. This highly stylized thriller marks the directorial debut of horror master Dario Argento (Suspiria, Opera), who would later become known as the Italian Alfred Hitchcock.

Grindhouse (2007)

Dir. Robert Rodriguez/Quentin Tarantino

Two directors with a huge cult following -- Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino -- roll out a horror double bill that pays homage to grind house cinema, complete with an intermission screening fake trailers. Freddy Rodriguez, Rose McGowan, Marley Shelton, the Black Eyed Peas' Stacy Ferguson and Josh Brolin co-star in Rodriguez's Project Terror. Tarantino's Death Proof features Rosario Dawson, Mickey Rourke, Danny Trejo and Naveen Andrews.

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Dir. Joel Coen

The writing-directing Coen brothers serve up their signature brand of offbeat comedy here. L.A. slacker "The Dude" (Jeff Bridges) suffers the indignity of having the favorite rug in his house peed upon by two thugs. (They've mistaken him for a millionaire whose wife owes on some bad bets.) From there, the plot contorts more than a rubberized freak at a circus sideshow. But it's all good fun.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Dir. Russ Meyer

Film critic Roger Ebert penned the screenplay for this Russ Meyer classic, which isn't so much a sequel to the original (based on the Jacqueline Susann novel) as an ebulliently vulgar remake. Chronicling the adventures of a trio of female rockers who find their way from the heartland to Hollywood, the film features all the Meyer staples: bountiful breasts, lesbian love scenes and drug-fueled descents into murder and madness.

Deep Red (Profondo rosso) (1975)

Dir. Dario Argento

Deep Red stars David Hemmings as Marcus Daly, a jazz pianist who witnesses the murder of his neighbor, a psychic who had read the mind of her murderer. Marcus soon teams up with a resourceful reporter (Daria Nicolodi), and the two set out to track down the killer.

Kite (1998)

Dir. Yasuomi Umetsu

College student by day, vigilante by night, Sawa protects the innocent and mercilessly kills criminals in this intense Japanese anime. Sawa's parents were murdered when she was young, and she was adopted by policeman Akai, who teaches Sawa to kill and assigns her to dangerous missions. Friend and fellow mercenary Oburi convinces Sawa that the two should leave Akai and stop killing, but escaping won't be easy.

March Update

March Total = 15

2007 Total = 46

Stats:
Rent - 9
Own - 5
Theater - 1
TV - 0
Other - 0
First Viewing - 13

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Dir. Stanley Kubrick

One of the most authentic portraits of warfare ever captured on film, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket teems with howling madness, stark images and troubling questions about duty, honor and sacrifice. Raw recruits (including Matthew Modine) suffer the grueling ordeal of basic training and battle with the Viet Cong over the city of Hue during the Tet Offensive.

Children of Men (2006)

Dir. Alfonso Cuaron

Alfonso Cuaron directs this film version of P.D. James's classic dystopian novel (and Oscar nominee for Best Adapted Screenplay), a futuristic drama set in a world in which humans have lost the ability to reproduce and subsequently face certain extinction. Things change when a single woman mysteriously becomes pregnant, prompting a conflicted government bureaucrat (Clive Owen) and his ex-wife (Julianne Moore) to join forces to protect her. Michael Caine co-stars.

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Dir. Gabriele Muccino

Will Smith (in an Oscar-nominated role) and his real-life son Jaden star in this tearjerker about a struggling single parent determined to build a better life for himself and his child. Chris Gardner is smart and talented, but his dead-end salesman job barely pays the bills. When he and his 5-year-old son are evicted from their apartment, they face trying times as Chris takes on an unpaid internship at a stock brokerage firm with hopes of getting rich someday.

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Dir. Robert Rodriguez

Robbers-on-the-lam Seth (George Clooney) and Richard Gecko (Quentin Tarantino) take an ex-preacher (Harvey Keitel) and his kids hostage. On a race to the Mexican border, they rendezvous at a cantina, not knowing the owners and clientele are bloodthirsty vampires. That's when director Robert Rodriguez (Desperado) abruptly switches from hostage drama to tongue-in-cheek, vampiric melee, creating a blood-stained ode to 1960s Mexican horror movies.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Dir. Tim Burton

Lucky Charlie Bucket's one of five golden-ticket holders treated to a tour of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in Tim Burton's reimagining. Along with the other four (rather naughty) contest winners, good-hearted Charlie (Freddie Highmore) visits the factory and encounters Oompa Loompas, eats wonderful candy creations and meets the fascinating Wonka (Johnny Depp) himself. From the time he enters the factory, Charlie's life changes forever.

Inside Deep Throat (2005)

Dir. Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato

This fascinating documentary by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato examines the goings-on behind the porn film that grew to become an icon: Deep Throat. Released in 1972, the film made more money than its producers anticipated and ignited a sexual and social revolution. Features interviews with the movie's stars, Linda Lovelace and Harry Reams, plus commentary by director John Waters and writers Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Dir. Jim Sharman

Come to the lab, and see what's on the slab! This notorious horror parody -- a fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi and rock 'n' roll, among other things -- tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) after they stumble across the lair of transvestite vampire Dr. Frank-N-Furter (a brilliant Tim Curry). The film bombed in its initial release but later gained a cult following at midnight showings.

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

Dir. Terry George

Amid the holocaust of internecine tribal fighting in Rwanda that sees the savage butchering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, one ordinary man (Oscar nominee Don Cheadle) musters the courage to save more than 1,000 helpless refugees by sheltering them in the hotel he manages. Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte and Joaquin Phoenix co-star in this powerful film (sort of an African version of Schindler's List) directed by Terry George.

Love Object (2003)

Dir. Robert Parigi

This horror movie follows introverted technical writer Kenneth (Desmond Harrington), who can't bring himself to reveal his feelings for co-worker Lisa (Melissa Sagemiller). Attempting to get over his fear, he purchases a realistic doll named Nikki that looks like Lisa and eventually works up the nerve to talk to his dream girl. Unfortunately, the doll soon becomes jealous of Kenneth's affection for Lisa and reveals her violent tendencies.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

Dir. Larry Charles

Fans of the HBO comedy series "Da Ali G Show" will be delighted to join one of their favorite characters -- the Kazakhstani reporter Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen, in a Golden Globe-winning role) -- as he travels to America to report on the "greatest country in the world." Camera in tow, the boorish journalist sets off on his cross-country road trip, but his original purpose is soon subsumed by a much greater quest -- finding and marrying actress Pamela Anderson.

300 (2007)

Dir. Zack Snyder

Zack Snyder directs this faithful adaptation of Frank Miller's (Sin City) graphic novel about the storied Battle of Thermopylae, a conflict that pitted the ancient Greeks against the Persians in 480 B.C. The film, which blends live-action shots with virtual backgrounds to capture Miller's original vision, co-stars Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Vincent Regan, Rodrigo Santoro and Dominic West.

Night of the Comet (1984)

Dir. Thom Eberhardt

Earth has been ripped to shreds after a run-in with a killer comet, and those who have survived are in a fight for their lives in this campy cult classic. Valley Girl Reg (Catherine Mary Stewart) and her sister (Kelli Maroney) discover they're two of the lucky few. But scientists are after them, and now they must run. Why? Because the researchers believe they need the blood of survivors to concoct a drug that can save them all from further ruin

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Dir. Marc Forster

As a novelist (Emma Thompson) struggles with how to kill off her main character, IRS auditor Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) begins hearing her narration in his head and realizes he must prevent his own death. Crick's world turns upside down, and it's a life-or-death situation as he tries to persuade best-selling author Kay Eiffel to change the ending of her novel. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah lead the fine supporting cast.

Underworld Beauty (Ankokugai no Bijo) (1958)

Dir. Seijun Suzuki

Miyamoto is a former mobster who's just been sprung from jail and immediately has two orders of business he must take care of. First on his list is finding a priceless stash of diamonds that he hid before being locked up; his second task is to find the man who risked his own life to save the ex-con. Things don't go quite as planned, however, when a ruthless rival mob boss arrives to stir things up.

The Prestige (2006)

Dir. Christopher Nolan

At the dawn of the 20th century, rival magicians Robert Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Alfred Borden (Christian Bale) are desperate to reveal each other's secrets. Obsessed by the escalating competition, the two illusionists begin to perform increasingly risky tricks -- which soon turn deadly. Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson and David Bowie also star in this taut psychological thriller from director Christopher Nolan.

February Update

February Total = 15

2007 Total = 31

Stats:
Rent - 6
Own - 4
Theater - 3
TV - 2
Other - 0
First Viewing - 9

Volver (2006)

Dir. Pedro Almodóvar

Written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar, this humorous fantasy stars Carmen Maura as Abuela Irene, who revisits her hometown in the La Mancha region -- in spectral form -- to resolve problems she couldn't settle during her life. Abuela's spirit gradually becomes a reassuring presence to her daughters (Penélope Cruz, in an Oscar-nominated performance, and Lola Dueñas) and granddaughter (Yohana Cobo).

Charade (1963)

Dir. Stanley Donen

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn have chemistry to burn in this suave comedy with an evocative Henry Mancini score. Grant may or may not be a flimflam man who aids the recently widowed Hepburn in her mission to recover a fortune hidden by her late husband. But three sinister crooks -- who'll stop at nothing -- also covet the loot.

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios) (1988)

Dir. Pedro Almodovar

This madcap farce from acclaimed director Pedro Almodovar introduces us to Pepa (Carmen Maura), who's just been dumped by the love of her life, Ivan (Fernando Guillen). What's more, Pepa's girlfriend Candela (Maria Barranco) is involved with a terrorist; Ivan's crazed wife arrives with loaded guns; and Ivan is about to get on a plane that Candela's boyfriend plans to hijack. It's enough to drive any woman to a nervous breakdown ... or beyond!

I'm Not Scared (Io non ho paura) (2003)

Dir. Gabriele Salvatores

Michele (Giuseppe Cristiano), a 10-year-old boy growing up in a southern Italian village, discovers another youngster, Filippo (Mattia Di Pierro), chained up inside a small hole dug in the yard of an abandoned house. Michele soon learns from watching the news that the boy has been kidnapped … and things take an even darker turn when he realizes his own parents may be involved. Aitana Sanchez-Gijon co-stars.

True Romance (1993)

Dir. Tony Scott


In this darkly comic web of crime, murder and mayhem from writer Quentin Tarantino and director Tony Scott, novice prostitute Alabama Whitman and her lover, comic book store clerk Clarence Worley, become a Bonnie and Clyde for the 1990s. When Clarence kills Alabama's pimp, the newlyweds ride off into the sunset -- with $5 million worth of cocaine in a suitcase and the police and the mob on their trail.

Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance (Boksuneun naui geot) (2002)

Dir. Chan-wook Park

Deaf and dumb Ryu (Ha-Kyun Shin) is romantically involved with young revolutionary Young-Mi (Dun-na Bae) and loves his older sister so much that he sells his kidney on the black market to afford her a life-saving transplant. When Ryu find's he's been ripped off, Young-Mi hatches a better plan: She and Ryu will "borrow" the young daughter of the capitalist boss who fired Ryu and raise the necessary funds that way.

Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)

Dir. Guillermo del Toro

In this fairy tale for adults, 10-year-old Ofelia stumbles on a decaying labyrinth guarded by Pan, an ancient satyr who claims to know her destiny. With a new home, a new stepfather -- a Fascist officer in the pro-Franco army -- and a new sibling on the way, nothing is familiar to Ofelia in this multiple Oscar-nominated tale set in 1944 Spain from director Guillermo del Toro.

Jaws (1975)

Dir. Steven Spielberg

When an insatiable great white shark terrorizes the townspeople of Amity Island, a police chief, a grizzled shark hunter and an oceanographer seek to destroy it. Director Steven Spielberg created the summer blockbuster boom with this white-knuckle adaptation of the Peter Benchley novel. John Williams's ominous musical score has become legendary.

A Woman Is a Woman (Une femme est une femme) (1961)

Dir. Jean-Luc Godard

Beautiful striptease artist Angela (Anna Karina) is desperate to have a child, but her boyfriend, Emile (Jean-Claude Brialy), isn't as anxious. Although he cares for Angela and wants to keep their relationship going, he's not ready for a child. Instead, he suggests that she get together with his buddy Alfred (Jean-Paul Belmondo) -- a proposal Angela ultimately accepts, to Emile's shock and dismay. Frenchman Jean-Luc Godard directs.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006)

Dir. Jonathan Liebesman

The genesis of the monstrous Leatherface (Andrew Bryniarski) is recounted in this shocking slasher flick. Before going to fight in Vietnam, two brothers (Taylor Handley and Matthew Bomer) out for a last fling with their girlfriends (Diora Baird and Jordana Brewster) end up in a heap o' trouble when their Jeep crashes. Next thing you know, a psycho sheriff (R. Lee Ermey) ushers them to a place where terror awaits in the form of young Leatherface.

Beyond the Darkness (Buio Omega) (1979)

Dir. Joe D'Amato

This may just be the most extreme movie directed by Italian shock master Joe D'Amato. On the heels of his girlfriend's death, Francesco (Kieran Canter) steps off the edge of sanity completely. Unable to let her go, he keeps her body at home to keep her close. And when that doesn't work to make him feel in control, he starts hunting down women and carving them up, becoming a beast who's lost his tether to humanity.

The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro) (2004)

Dir. Alejandro Amenábar

Based on a true story, this moving film centers on a Spaniard, Ramon Sampedro (Javier Bardem), who's condemned to life as a quadriplegic. Determined to die with dignity, Sampedro leads a 30-year campaign to win the right to end his life. An extraordinary man, Sampedro inspires his lawyer, Julia (Belen Rueda), and a local woman (Lola Duenas) to reach for the stars, and through his inspiration, the women achieve far beyond their wildest dreams.

The Saint (1997)

Dir. Phillip Noyce


Master thief Simon Templar (Val Kilmer) eludes his pursuers by assuming the names of obscure saints. When a Russian politician (Rade Serbedzija) hires Templar to steal the formula for cold fusion, he falls in love with Emma Russell (Elisabeth Shue), the frail Oxford scientist who has unlocked the process' secret. Back in Moscow, Templar must decide whether to betray his new love or the madman who's paying him millions.

Groundhog Day (1993)

Dir. Harold Ramis


In this offbeat comedy from director Harold Ramis, self-centered TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pa., to cover the groundhog's annual appearance. Loathing the event, Connors unleashes his bitterness on his producer (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman (Chris Elliott). The next day, however, Connors finds he's doomed to repeat Groundhog Day -- again and again -- until he learns that his actions can affect the outcome.

PCU (1994)

Dir. Hart Bochner

This satirical comedy -- Hart Bochner's directorial debut, starring Jeremy Piven, Chris Young and Jon Favreau -- follows the hijinks of a band of renegade college students out to unveil the idiocy behind blind political correctness at Port Chester University. The students live at the Pit, a dormitory for those who want a reprieve from the rabid PC environment. When their detractors decide to take them down, they fight to the hilarious end.

January Totals

January Total = 16

Stats:

Rent - 13
Own - 0
Theater - 2
TV - 1
Other - 0
First Viewing - 16