Dr. Strangelove (1964)

  I've never really cared for any of Stanley Kubrick's films.  I know they're iconic but not a single one has been something that I would watch twice.  Dr. Strangelove did nothing to change this opinion.

A zealous Army general (Sterling Hayden) enacts a set of orders enabling a nuclear strike on Russia.  It was meant as a failsafe should Washington, D.C. be destroyed in a surprise attack, but the general believes that it is his solemn duty to protect the precious bodily fluids of Americans by destroying the Red Menace.  President Muffley (Peter Sellers) assembles his advisors, as well as the Russian ambassador (Peter Bull), in the War Room to try and stave off full-fledged nuclear war.  Unfortunately, the deluded general has the only passcode that will stand down the assorted bomber units and time is running out.

There is a lot of humor to be mined from the absurdity of mutually assured destruction and the nuclear arms race in a post-Cuban Missile Crisis world.  Unfortunately, this movie confines itself to bad puns and stupid names for characters like 'Jack D. Ripper' and 'Merkin Muffley'.  Peter Sellers plays three roles in the production, with his most recognizable being the titular Dr. Strangelove.  The inclusion of the character makes no sense and seems to exist only to make Nazi references.  I'm sure it's an allusion to the fact that we actively recruited top German scientists after WWII, absolving them of whatever crimes of affiliation they might have had, but it's still a one-line joke.  I honestly don't understand why people wax poetic about this movie.

Flashdance (1983)

  Did I mention that I love movies featuring dancers?  Cuz I do.  Even though I have all the rhythm of a spastic tortoise, nothing stops me from enjoying the way these people can command their muscles to do their bidding.  That's a kind of magic I do not possess.

By day, Alex (Jennifer Beals) is a welder in a Pittsburgh factory.  But at night, she indulges her passion for dancing at the local bar.  She wants to be a repertory dancer, a legitimate ballerina, but lacks the formal training.  Her mentor, Hannah (Lilia Skala), urges her to apply for an audition anyway.  Alex must balance her love of dance against the fear of failure, especially as she and her friends are targeted by local flesh peddler, Johnny C. (Lee Ving), always looking for fresh meat to work in his disreputable nude bar.

Jennifer Beals is iconic in this and for good reason.  She nails that fresh faced yet street wise dancer persona.  What she cannot do is actually dance.  All of the major dancing is done by a professional.  When I first watched this as a kid, I never noticed but in the age of digitally superimposing an actress's face on top of a dancer's body, the tricks used back in the 80's stick out like two left feet.  I'm sure they did their absolute best and I hope that doesn't ruin the movie for anyone but it's something I couldn't ignore once it was pointed out to me.

The Lorax (2012)

  This was way cuter than I thought it was going to be.  I had heard that it was a little too heavy-handed with the environmental message so I hadn't made any sort of effort to see it, but I was really missing out.  It is adorable!

Ted (Zac Efron) wants to impress Audrey (Taylor Swift), but the only thing she wants is a tree.  See, Ted and Audrey live in the town of Thneedville, where everything is made of plastic and fresh air has to be bought in bottles from Mr. O'Hare (Rob Riggle).  Real trees are nowhere to be found.  But Ted's Grandma (Betty White) tells him that way outside of town lives a man called Once-ler (Ed Helms) and if anybody knows what happened to the trees, it would be him.  Because he killed them.

This is the same studio that did Despicable Me and a lot of the non-main character voices sound like they could have been Minions.  Otherwise, this is definitely a unique film that stands on its own merits.  It is very upfront with its agenda but I never felt like I was being force-fed something to which I didn't already ascribe belief.  I don't think there is an age too early for people to start teaching their kids responsibility and that includes social and environmental concerns.  Your beliefs may be different.  Regardless, The Lorax is a super-cute film from start to finish.

High Tension (2003)

This French horror film ruffled the waters a few years back.  I found it on a list of the 100 Goriest Horror Movies and added it to my queue.  I didn't put the whole hundred on because I had seen some of them and others just didn't sound good.  Martyrs also came off that list, as well as a couple of Japanese horrors that haven't come up yet.

Marie (Cecile de France) goes with her friend Alexia (Maiwenn) to Alexia's parents' house out in the country so they can study for their college exams without distraction.  Of course, that means that the very first night they arrive, a psychopath (Philippe Nahon) breaks in and slaughters Alexia's mom, dad, and little brother before kidnapping her.  Marie manages to hide from the killer during the initial rampage but must find a way to follow him in order to save her friend.

I think the filmmakers did a great job hiding the third-act twist for most of the movie.  I had already had it spoiled for me by the internet but knowing actually made me curious enough to see the movie.  If you don't know, I'm not going to spoil it for you.  I don't remember what ranking this got on the 100 Goriest, but it definitely deserved to be on the list.  There are buckets of fake blood, severed limbs, severed heads, and enough blunt force trauma to keep an entire ER busy.  It's not one that I would buy, most likely, but I did find it very entertaining to watch.  I would recommend it for fans of the slasher sub-genre.

The First Wives Club (1996)

  God, this movie is soooooo 90's.  Don't get me wrong, I still love it to pieces, but it isn't exactly immortal.  Although, it does function as a decent time capsule, like a fly preserved in amber.

Three best friends from college get together after twenty years at the funeral of their fourth friend, Cynthia (Stockard Channing).  Cynthia committed suicide after a very public revelation that her husband had left her for another, younger woman.  Annie (Diane Keaton), Elise (Goldie Hawn), and Brenda (Bette Midler) find themselves in the exact same situation, but they resolve to get revenge on their exes instead.  Along the way, they discover that you really can do anything as long as you've got the right friends.  And a ton of money.  And accomplices.  And mob ties.  But mostly money.

This came out when I was still in high school and I must have seen it a dozen times before I graduated.  At some point, I believe everyone has fantasized about sticking it to an ex and movies like this are beautifully cathartic.  I try and keep that in mind when I cringe over some of the less relevant sections, like the lesbian bar and the impromptu musical number.  It's worth it for the supporting cast alone, featuring Maggie Smith, Bronson Pinchot and a blink-and-you'll-miss-it bit part by Timothy Olyphant.

Lions for Lambs (2007)

  This was a horribly pretentious movie masquerading as film.  I generally have a lot of respect and admiration for Robert Redford and I don't even disagree with the points he makes in the movie, but his method of delivery was just awful.  It might have worked as a stage play but that kind of earnest hand-wringing doesn't translate well to the screen.

A professor (Robert Redford) urges his recalcitrant student (Andrew Garfield) to not tune out the world around him.  Meanwhile, a veteran journalist (Meryl Streep) interviews a slick politician (Tom Cruise) on his new plan for winning the war in Afghanistan.

That's all it is.  People talking to each other the entire running time.  I can deal with talking movies when they have something worthwhile to say, but "war is bad" isn't only tepid as a statement, it's juvenile.  I would rather have watched 90 minutes of Robert Redford ranting about damn kids and their iPods and iPads and iPatches who won't get off his lawn and get jobs like decent folk.  At least that would have felt personal.

Limitless (2011)

  This was way more entertaining that I thought it would be.  I don't know why, but I thought it was going to be much more of a downer.

Edward (Bradley Cooper) is falling apart.  He has a contract for a book he hasn't started writing, his girlfriend (Abbie Cornish) dumped him, and he is going precisely nowhere.  Then he runs into his ex-brother-in-law, Vern (Johnny Whitworth), who gives him a small clear pill called NZT.  The drug allows Edward to access all of his stored memories, giving him the ability to make connections he couldn't see before.  Almost overnight, he solves every major problem in his life, then moves on to become a financial wizard.  But every drug has side effects, and the clandestine nature of the substance means that there is only a limited supply.  All of a sudden, Edward has enemies within and without.

If this had been even slightly less self-aware it probably would have tanked.  Fortunately, it maintains a very lighthearted spirit.  I especially enjoyed the uses of filters to show his perception on (yellow filter) and off (blue) the drug.  It added to the experience without being over the top.  I did not enjoy the opening credits, however, as they employed a vertigo-inducing zoom through that made me feel like I was going to puke.  Watch those at your peril.  The rest of the movie is good, light fun.