Rear Window ~ One of Hitchcock's best.

The Apartment ~ Definitely a far cry from the romantic comedies of today.

Rewatched the Watchmen. In my opinion, while it doesn't really grow on you and and a couple of moments were more boring this time, it's still as good an adaptation as it could possibly get, and a great stand-alone film. The acting is excellent all-around except for Carla Gugino, the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic (seriously, Martin Scorsese and QT couldn't have found better songs for most of the scenes), and I don't understand why people hate the use of "Hallelujah" – I thought it made the scene incredibly funny and I'm pretty sure that's what was intended. The script, the direction, the cinematography – I think it's all pretty much flawless, and Dr. Manhattan's backstory is one of this year's best standalone sequences/montages, along with the "married life" montage in Up. Overall, it totally belongs in my Top 10 of the year (it's 3rd so far, behind Basterds and Adventureland), and I'm sure I will be watching the Watchmen. Over and over again.

Coming to Adventureland, which as I said currently sits on my #2 slot in my personal 2009's Top 10, I actually watched it just 2 days ago and I loved it instantly. I'm a sucker for low-budget indie dramedies like that, and Greg Mottola's latest was a fantastic one. Very charming and atmospheric little film, with a brilliant soundtrack, sharp writing/directing and great characters all-around – I don't even think I'd be able to pick my favourite out of the bunch, they're all so great. Though I guess I can't not mention Kristen Stewart – awesome, charismatic and very beautiful, I just fell in love with her in this. That girl deserves MUCH better than twilight. And the nostalgia factor… I'll just say, when there were fireworks in the park late in the summer evening, with "Don't Dream It's Over" playing in the background, I cried. Overall, a brilliant little film. Just brilliant.

Went to see Toy Story 3-D Double Feature today, and it was a great time. I haven't watched the movies in several years and forgot much, so it was fantastic seeing them again (I ROFL'd so hard at all the Star Wars references, forgot most of them… nearly died from laughter on "I am your father" bit from TS 2), and the 3-D is, as with Up, glorious – I mean, you really feel like you're there, and that's exactly what a good use of 3-D should be. Not to throw some food right in your face, but to make you feel like you're within the movie, and those guys did just that. Looking forward to seeing Beauty and the Beast in 3-D, I'm sure it's going to be a fantastic experience too. And I won't mind the least bit, if Disney/Pixar guys decide to convert their other films in 3-D… I'm sure they'll get it right.

Damn, I forgot. Rewatched The Big Lebowski yesterday… awesome movie, a whoppin' good time and one of Coens' very best films. Sooo damn funny and entertaining, I think I'll watch it again in a couple of days. Heh heh.

Kramer vs. Kramer – great movie, watched it because I'm trying to make my way through the Best Picture winners. 9/10
The Great Dictator – Didn't like it as much as everyone else does. Again, working my way through the IMDB top 250. 4/10
Battle Royale 2 – Not as good as the first one, a little drawn out. 5/10
Zombieland – Great movie, very enjoyable. 9/10
Rear Window – Good thriller, one of the better Hitchcock movies. 8/10

Forrest Gump A- really good even great but no way was it better than pulp fiction, or shawshank

Beowulf C a big loud Meh

Black Rain C+ solid film not one scotts best

The Colour of Money B+ really good one of my new fav scorsese movies

Panic Room B- good movie by an incredible director

American Gangster B- another solid movie but doesn't compare to scotts other work

O brother were art thou B really good but not better than lebowski in any way

Road to perdition C- very slow, very slow

Primal Fear D+ aside from Nortons stellar performance nothing speacil

The Maltese Falcon (1941): A-, probably my favorite noir and my favorite Bogart performance.

Fight Club (1999): A, what else needs to be said?

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949): B+, a solid John Ford film with an above-average performance from John Wayne.

(500) Days of Summer (2009): A-, funny, clever and extremely enjoyable.

Zombieland (2009): B+, hilarious, and any zombie film is entertaining for me.

Toy Story (1995)/Toy Story 2 (1999): A, caught the 3D double feature. It was like going back in a time machine…

Frankenstein (1931): A-, stylish and creepy. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff own this film.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935): A, slightly better than "Frankenstein," but I think I enjoy the first film a little more.

Notorious (1946): A+, possibly Hitchcock's best film? Tough call.

Lolita (7/10)- Very good, you can see Kubrick was on his way, but seemed like something was lacking. Peter Sellers was amazing as usual.

Barton Fink (8/10)- Actually watched this one as well. The genius is very apparent. Definitely requires a second viewing.

Glenngarry Glen Ross (7/10)- Awesome actors. Good script.

Cop Land (7/10)- Somewhat squanders a great cast. Sly at his best, but multiple holes in the story. Still entertaining.

Surrogates (6/10)- Disappointing. Very mediocre movie.

@justin: Have you seen Being There? If not, give it a shot. I'd be curious to see if you enjoy Forrest Gump as much afterward seeing how Being There did so much of what Gump did 15 years earlier, and did it better.

@Jeremy: One of my favorite Hitchock's is Rebecca, it's in a battle with Rear Window for my personal favorite and The Lady Vanishes is also stellar.

Slow week for me, but I did re-watch some of my favs

Rear Window {10-10} – saw it this weekend for the first time, yeah I know loser right. I absolutely loved every moment of it. Hitch at his very best

Eyes Wide Shut {9-10} – one of The Master's most criminally underrated films. It actually made me think for a moment that Tom Cruise could act

Gangs of New York {9-10} – one of my favorite movies that Scorsese has ever made. Daniel Day- Lewis is spectacular as The Butcher and the set pieces are just beautiful. Acting is very good from everyone that is apart of it outside of Cameron Diaz, who I can't stand at all

Vertigo {9-10} – It now is tied with Rear Window for the top spot for me. Its a shame that this one wasn't a success for Hitch, would have loved to see Stewart and Hitch work together again

"Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father"–This was my second time watching this documentary. Please, everyone on here: WATCH THIS FILM! It will be one of the most shattering moviegoing experiences you will have. It was released only last year in October in a theater run so small it's criminal, but since then it has been slowly building a reputation as being one of the heartbreaking films ever made. You know how everyone is saying they were scared out of their minds by "Paranormal Activity" and you're wondering how a movie could really be that good? Well, with "Dear Zachary" you hear how EVERYONE who watched it started sobbing at some point in this film, and how it broke their hearts, and you wonder: "Can it really be as sad as all that?" And then you watch it, and it is! I got it from Blockbuster over the summer, and at one point (you'll know what point I'm talking about when I watch it), I was crying so hard I had to scream into my pillow. Then I watched it with a friend last Thursday, and is tore her apart. Even talking about the movie the next day made her cry–like legitimately cry tears, not just get all sad. I think it hit her even harder than "Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom," and that is saying so damn fucking much that you can't even know until you've watched it. Brad Brevet, as the man whose work is to watch movies, I command you watch "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father." It is such a wrenching experience.

After that, I needed some low-involvement movies to wind down with, so I watched the first three Scary Movies on youtube. I've already seen 3 & 4, but not 1 & 2.

Then I watched "The Sixth Sense" for the fourth time, and this time I convinced my sister to watch with me. She wasn't interested in watching it because the twist had already been spoiled for her, but in the end she was so glad I made her watch it. It has one of the best structures for a screenplay… EVER. It is so regrettable that Shyamalan has slowly been slipping further with each film.

9/27-10/3:

Antichrist – A
Two-Lane Blacktop – B-
Gigantic – C+
Crank 2: High Voltage – B-
The Killing Room – D
The Gathering Storm – C
Bruno – C
Into the Storm – C
The Merry Gentlemen – C+
Good – D
Big Fan – B-

I've also been catching up on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I'm now through season 3. That show is hilarious.

The Patriot – Typical Holywood melodrama. Ledger did nicely and Cooper held up just fine, but I've never been much of a Gibson fan and this didn't help. Nice to put away on the 'now I've seen it' list but thats about it – C

La belle et la bête – A little too weird and dated for me I suppose. The transitions were sloppy and I literally laughed out loud at the ending. A film you can appreciate for its time, but not a keeper anymore. – C

Sugar – Beautiful follow-up from Fleck and Boden. Great performances and an extremely well done character study. What made it so memorable, however, is it's complete straying away from normal sports films. – A

Les diaboliques – Wonderfully suspenseful film that is apparently held in such high regard for a reason. I won't even begin to try and break all the pluses down in a few sentences, but I will say that the ending truly is an all-time classic. – A

Love The Hudsucker Proxy.

Good Will Hunting 8/10

It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (Season 4) 10/10

Tokyo! 10/10

@Brad Brevet: I saw Inglourious Basterds..and the first thing that came to my mind is that it has a good chance of getting into oscar…the screenplay is good…the editing is decent..Waltz(in supporting actor category) and Kruger and Laurent(Supporting actress)..the last one not sure about it…but the screenplay is worthy of getting a nom along with Christoph Waltz..

I saw a lot of movies. Let's get down to business.

"Scarface" – It's a classic movie that has not aged well. It's long winded and dry. 7/10

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" – A great Rock Doc about the forgotten Canadian band that dreams to hit it big. Great doc. 9/10

"The Big Lebowski" – A Coen Bros. movie that had me scratching my head afterward. 7.75/10

"The Brothers Bloom" – I wanted to see this movie in the theater. Missed it. Now, they I have seen it. It's a great film. Kudos to Rian Johnson. 10/10

"Ultimate Avengers" – This sr8 to DVD sequel was unimaginative garbage. 3/10

"Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" – I saw this at a cheap theater. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed the first film. This movie died on the screen. The magic was gone. 5.5/10

assassination of a high school president- A : with this and adventureland this year, these are now my 2 favourite high school comedies. nothing camp and everything they way you remember high school as being, except of course for the plot. reece thompson is hilarious in his role, and even micha barton is decent! referenced in this movie a few times, its like the "chinatown" of high school comedies. you will understand this when you see it..

road to perdition- A : never knew this was a sam mendes film until recently. his mark is definitely on it, in a good way. Although maybe a miscast tom hanks, the story is simple, but super effective, with the cinematography being no short of breathtaking! do NOT look at this film as being any kind of action film, although there being a few action sequences in the film. one in particular; pouring with rain, utter silence except for the score, bodies dropping to an unseen tommy-gun, could not even blink this scene was so good! and the topical Paul Newman in his last role, so good!

watched a few studio ghibli flicks:

porco rosso- B : loved it, not as much as some other miyazaki films, but still porco is quite a character. this film there is a bit more focus on the central character, porco, than most other miyazakis work where in those the focus is more on the world and its surroundings.

nausicaa- B : the older animation diminished my enjoyment just a tad, but as always the story is super deep and the characters lovable and admirable.

laputa: castle in the sky- A : my fav out of this bunch. childlike chase scenes, packed with hilarious characters, but still with a deep story and themes, as miyazakis work is always full of. Love the world in this film, it sucks you in so well, and every character is enjoyable to watch.

antichrist – ?? : i simply cannot put a grade on this until i have seen it again. the first reaction i had after viewing this was that i never wanted to see it again! but after a few days, i realized there was some brilliance in there. especially the opening 5 mins all in 100fps or whatever it was. couldnt escape the disturbing scenes and how it seemed to me like this was the closest id come to seeing a snuff film. BUT, if you can somehow give it a chance, then it may resonate. it sure did with me, i won't be forgetting it for a while!