Modern Times - I got this on a whim earlier last week, and I'm glad I did! What a good movie! It's the first silent film I've ever seen, given there is slight dialogue in it. What a great initial experience; I loved how it was quick-paced from the get-go, Chaplin's physical comedy got some good laughs out of me, which I wasn't expecting, and Paulette Goddard, what a babe! What a great blind-buy, I hope criterion is releasing more from his estate!

The Sound of Music.

Mad Men Season 1, Disc 1

I watched this tonight too. I'd seen a few episodes before and couldn't really get into them, but I still jumped at the Amazon deal. I'm enjoying it much more this time around, though I'm still not completely hooked.

Crank 2: High Voltage

Fun and hilarious. Shit was so over the top.

paths of glory

Mad Men Season 1, Disc 2 I love this show.

The Dark Knight - It's been about a year and a half since I last watched this. I fucking love this movie.

Back to the Future

Last night we happened upon Batman: Under the Red Hood at Walmart for $10 and indulged with some birthday cash. Hadn't seen it before, but heard good things and in any event I'm a major Bat-dork so I was gonna get it anyway. I haven't been an active comic reader in ages, but I did recognize some of the elements mined for the story. Kind of nice, and I loved Bruce Greenwood as Batman. Easily one of the best Bat-vocalists not named Kevin Conroy we've had yet. Took me a while to acclimate to the Joker, both in look (clearly skewed to incorporate some of the Heath Ledger look, particularly the hair) and voice (John DiMaggio reminded me of the voice Michael McKeen did in the "Legends of the Dark Knight" episode of Batman: The Animated Series, which was never a favorite Joker voice for me).

All in all, an enjoyable Blu-ray though I'm irked at the absence of a commentary track.

Bridge on the River Kwai

Sunshine Cleaning- First time viewing. Underrated with a strong performance by Amy Adams. My only gripe with it is some parts of the plot seem really forced/unnecessary.

Insomnia- It's been a while since I've re-watched this film. Great stuff.

The Proposition- Gritty and fun. Love the music. Great ending.

Predators- Alright film. Really lame decisions with parts of the plot. Needed less chatting and more things blowing up.

Batman Begins

Kick Ass

Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe

So much fun. Who doesn't love Toho Kaiju films?

Christmas Vacation A little holiday cheer in HD. Picked up the disc a couple years back when Blockbuster was blowing out their HD DVD's. Disappointed in the presentation compared to the SD but it was only $5 so I went with it.

The feelgood Holiday classic The Killer Inside Me

This!

Alien (Theatrical Version)
Aliens (Director's Cut)

Fantasia 2000. Still just as captivating as it was back in 2000 when I saw it in an IMAX theater.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice. A complete waste of my time... and I'll be promptly selling it.

Casino Royale with Picture-in-Picture video commentary by Martin Campbell and Michael Wilson. Not sure why, but it was kind of hard to stay interested. I think the PIP feature hurt, actually, because the box they were in wasn't permanently on screen; it would appear in different places at different times so it was kind of distracting. Speaking of distracting, what was the point of having a video commentary without Barbara Broccoli?

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition - The film itself on disc 1 with that Disney View screen boarders thing on and some of the features. But I am too tired to finish these. So the rest of Disc 1 and all of Disc 2 can wait for tomorrow.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated)
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Monsters, Inc.
Nightmare Before Christmas

Dollhouse Season 2 (eps 11, 12, and 13) - A superior, and very under rated show. This was the year I finally got around to watching Lost (all 6 seasons over a couple of months) so I've experienced some stellar serial TV via Bd- but for me, this was the first sci-fi/fantasy genre show that has been able to satisfyingly resolve itself. Plenty of douchebags can come up with a great premise and then throw out plenty of complications- but almost no one can actually pay them off satisfactorily. Whedon did. The production may have been modest in scale compared to things like Lost or BSG, but the show had me riveted at the end with plenty of great comic book style twists, turns and revelations. One of the best blind buys I've made yet.

13 Going On 30 I would almost be embarrassed to admit watching this if I didn't come to the conclusion on this second viewing, that it's one of the most entertaining and well executed contemporary romantic comedies I've ever seen. Go ahead and scoff and sneer, but the way the main characters behave in this I find to be more emotionally honest than in most so-called realistic dramatic films. Not a perfect film (as Berardinelli points out in his review "the idea that a magazine about "real women who are smart and pretty and happy to be who they are" is likely to win a circulation war with a celebrity gossip magazine is blatantly ridiculous.") but that doesn't dilute the potency of what does work in the film for me. A very satisfying pick-up, especially since I got it for little more than a Wal-mart discount bin price in a BOGO sale.

Saturday night Back To The Future Part 1