Personally I loved Capote, and I thought Hoffman gave one of the best performances of the decade. Never really cared about Infamous.

Haven't done much watching this week, only rewatched Alien, Ratatouille, and Taxi Driver in the last three days respectively. All fantastic films; I had nothing to complain about in the last two, they are both some of the best when it comes to Pixar films and Scorsese films, respectively. Alien has only one little flaw in my opinion – there are moments when it's just TOO slow. Don't get me wrong, I love its slow pace, but there are several moments when the film really goes overboard. Still a great movie, though, had a great time revisiting it once again.

Ed Wood- 9/10 rewach (a shame Burton is too good for the academy. )

Juno- 7.5/10 (dialogue and characters are interesting,but personally it is good not great: still think Lars and the Real Girl is better)

The Princess Bride- 10/10 (A movie full so full of cliches that its story and characters make the movie a fan favorite. Anyone who doesnt like this has a heart made of stone)

This Film Is Not Yet Rated- 8/10 (an interesting documentary with a point clear beginning, middle, and end. Also makes you realize that so many movies were once NC-17 and that the MPAA are nimbwits lacking a fair Rating system)

As for the films above, Michael Moore is so good at being biased, the watcher needs to have an opninon on what the movie is about or else he/she will be easily Mooreized

Blob Remake- the remake with more screaming, less interesting characters (no Steve Mcqueen like presence), more detailed deaths, bad ending… sounds like the formulas of typical hollywood remakes.

Blob 2- a sequel that makes me weep for exisitng (as did City Slickers 2)

Michael Moore is a great editor and confrontational documentary director. I liked Bowling (9/10), Fahrenheit 9/11 (8/10), and SickO (9/10). I look forward to his newest doc. I think Infamous is a greater movie than Capote because of the superior acting of Toby Jones, and the gentler tone of the movie; it took longer in key scenes and played out the relationships with more thought.

This week I didn't see much cause I'm studying for the damn LSATs. But I saw:

"Silence of the Lambs" – 9/10. Great great movie. Perfect character development. Superb payoff at the end. I loved it. Only criticism is how stupid Buffalo Bill turned out to be. If there was more gore, I would've given it a 10.

"Lost" Season 5 – 9/10. Again, I can't say enough about this show. The fifth season is the best one.

That's pretty much it. @kerrysjoo: I agree. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of "South Park", also grieve about their troubles with the MPAA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWdtfSv6h2A&feature=related (start @ 5:00).

They describe how after "Orgasmo" got a NC-17 rating from the MPAA, they asked what scenes they could trim to bring the ratings down. The MPAA then said they weren't allowed to say because they're not a censorship group. But when Paramount was doing "South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut" and received an initial NC-17 rating, the execs from Paramount appealed and the MPAA told them exactly what scenes to cut out or what language to tone down. Great example of how the MPAA is in bed with the studios and they scratch each others' backs.

With all these people championing Lars over Juno, I guess I'll have to watch it again in the near future.

Anyway, saw Chicago this week, and liked it quite a bit. I saw and loved Chicago on the stage in London, but didn't expect to enjoy a film adaptation. But, I thought that Rob Marshall did a great job other than a few missteps, and I'm now looking forward to Nine.

Finally got around to seeing 'Talk to Her'. I thought the script was positively fantastic, and I'm so happy the Oscars gave it the win. Which gets me thinking again about how the Golden Globes gave About Schmidt a win for writing that year, and I can't help but cringe. I thought everything about the script was brilliant, from the dialogue down to the black-and-white short film in the middle of 'Talk to Her'. I simply adored the script.

Same goes for a rewatch of 'There Will Be Blood'. I thought Paul Dano didn't really hold up his end of the acting, and that P. T. could use a lesson in Silence from the Coen Brothers, but absolutely loved the poetic justice that pervaded the entire film, and P.T.'s use of ominous music for scenes that, alone, wouldn't be ominous in the least. A great rewatch, ending a great, but short, week for movies. Hopefully next episode of 'What I watched, what you watched' I'll have some thoughts (without ruining anything) about a couple of the major movies out of Toronto.

I think it is odd that you would champion an old horse like "Black Narcissus" and be ready to pick apart "Infamous" and "Capote," two films, for all their imperfections, which are undoubedly superior to most of what is being plastered across the theatre screens. But I will await you full article. I have more problems with "Infamous" than "Capote" but, once again, admit their imperfections.

I didn't watch much this week. Did get around to watching the first season of "True Blood." Within two minutes I could see the basis for its wild popularilty. Soft porn on American TV! Who of my generation would have thought you'd see the day?

Less than two weeks. I'm counting down the days until I get to see "Bright Star."

My Darling Clementine (1946): A-
The Innocents (1961): A
Adventureland (2009): A-
The Fall (2008): B+
American Psycho (2000): B+
Snatch. (2000): A-

8/30-9/5:

Infernal Affairs II – B-
Hard Eight (rewatch) – A-
Zodiac (rewatch) – A+
Boogie Nights (rewatch) – A-
The Hurt Locker (rewatch) – A
Inglourious Basterds (rewatch) – A+
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (rewatch) – A-

Saw Basterds and Hurt Locker in theatres again, and still absolutely loved both of them. I also rewatched two of PT Anderson's films and found I liked both of them a lot more than I remembered liking them the first time. Zodiac is one of the best films of the decade in my opinion.

I'd give Capote a 5/5, think it's a perfect example of how to make a biopic, excluding showing off an entire life, focusing instead on the most important part of a person's.

As for 2005 as a whole, I loved it. A History of Violence, The Squid and the Whale, Brokeback Mountain, Cache, Howl's Moving Castle, 2046, Kings and Queen, Junebug, 40 Year Old Virgin, Match Point, Me You and Everyone We Know and much more. I believe it was merely a bad year for Oscar nominees, much like 2008's noms, which picked expected pictures and missing most of the really good stuff.

Also, yeah Gremlins! Gremlins 2 is even better.

King Kong (2005) B
The Score (2001) B
Insomnia (2002) C
Gangs of New York (2002) A-
Jurrassic Park (1993) B+
One Flew Over the Cukoos nest (1975) C+
The Game (1997) A
Unbreakable (2000)A
From Dusk till Dawn (1996)B-
Friday (1995)B-

Watched some Sons of Anarchy on DVD, but in regards to movies there are only a few things this week:

Extract: B+ (some great performances, and it's really funny, but it just barely misses Office Space greatness)

Gamer: A- (not a film for just anyone, but Neveldine/Taylor are my heroes, so I love it. Gerard Butler also gets his manhood back after The Ugly Truth, though I actually didn't hate that movie.)

Cars: B (A little boring in the middle, but still pretty entertaining throughout. The voice cast was great, especially Paul Newman in his final work.)

Can't wait for 9! Also, after I finish Sons of Anarchy, Jackie Brown is the next movie on my Netflix queue!

@Patricia: Wow, I could see how we have varied tastes. But then, I am a 26-y/o male, and actually enjoyed "Infamous" over another Capote film. But, for some reason, I just can't force myself to sit through artsy movies about Keats such as "Bright Star." Call it a short attention span or lack of sophistication, but that just does not interest me. That makes kind of glad seeing how someone like you has a completely different taste than mine, and it is absolutely genuine. Same for Brad; who actually watched that age-old movie? But again, it's great because he brings a much more diverse point of view to the table. Who knows, one day I might change, but it won't be contrived by me…

Side note: The "True Blood" popularity is not primarily because of the soft-core porn you describe; rather that's generally what shows on HBO use to draw viewers in, e.g. "The Sopranos", "The Wire", "Rome", etc… "True Blood" is so tremendously popular because it keeps your attention with its rich story arcs, mythology, incredible acting from everyone except Sookie (the main character), and a vast expanse of the knowledge since it is based on a 9-Novel series.

Also, I'm not sure you've noticed also that the Vampires in the show sort of represent Gay America and its constant persecution and how they are misunderstood. This would be primarily because the creator, Alan Ball, is a conspicuous homosexual; not surprising that this series is the most popular amongst the gay community, is it?

Didn't hit up the theaters for anything this week but I did watch some good older films.

Little Shop of Horrors (1986 version): C
Not a great film but nor a terrible film either. Has some funny scenes and some catchy musical tunes. If it had more Steve Martin as the The Dentist I would probably bump it up.

The Informers: C-
I thought the film started out great and then just kind of went down hill. By the end I was left only really caring about Jon Foster's character's story and when a multiple story movie does that it certainly isn't succeeding.

For Love of the Game: B+ (Rewatch)
I am not a big fan of baseball but for some reason this I watch this film every time its on and decided to watch it from my DVD collection this week. There is just something about Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner's character) that pulls me in and never lets go.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: B
Finally got around to watching this and I loved it. Peter Sellers turns in 3 great performances and it had me laughing all the way.

3:10 to Yuma (1957 Version): B
A good western (all though I think I prefer the 2007 version). One point I can't decide between the two is which Ben Wade I like better (Glenn Ford or Russell Crowe). Both had their moments.

District 9 – 8/10 – I felt it was a little over hyped but the effects are amazing, the main actor is vey good and the third act so thrilling it makes up for any slow parts earlier on.

Then, a lot of re-watches:

Knocked Up – 8/10 – Not quite as good as I remembered, but probably slightly better than Funny People.

Superbad – 8/10 – Did not expect it to hold up as well on repeat viewings, but found it hilarious again. My favourite comedy of the last 5 years.

Anger Management – 6/10 – Despite co-starring Nicholson and with a good supporting cast, one of Sandler's worst films. It's just not very funny.

The Cable Guy – 8/10 – I don't know why this film got so many bad reviews when it was released. It is one of the darkest mainstream comedies ever, but Carrey is great.

Parenthood – 8/10 – Fantastic cast, very good feel good film.

300 – 6/10 – At the end of the day it's just (overly) stylised fighting.

Sunshine – 7/10 – Just like Tarantino said, the third act nearly destroys everything that happened before it but everything before it is just about good enough for it to be worth repeat viewings.

@Anonymous' Friend:

The Wire was popular PRIMARILY due to the great story arcs and performances by the cast. A vampire themed show such as True Blood would rely on nudity more to pull in viewers.

I agree with you on Capote. I just had this "blah" feeling in my mind while I was watching the film…I didn't know what I was supposed to feel. As for Hoffman's performance, I respect it quite a bit, but there was no emotional impact for me, I really thought that Oscar should've went to Ledger.

@Anonymous' Friend: Yes, it is nice to be able to have a civilized conversation with those whose taste in all things does not match one's own and yet still be able to appreciate the sensabilities of the other.

"True Blood" has many, many champions. Yes, I know the story line is complex…not as complex as the books, but for the most part. And keeping faith with the books makes sex a big part of the story. But come on, such flagrantly graphic sex and nudity? The show wouldn't last another season if it was toned down. I'll grant you that Anna Paquin gives a consistently great performance. (By the way, vampires stories have been pretty much always been used as metaphoric stories for outsiders of any number of types, frequently with sexual overtones.)

Watch this spot after the premier of "Bright Star" and I'll tell you whether it's an "artsy" film. FYI, I didn't like "Shakespeare in Love," "The Duchess,"
"Becoming Jane," nor most of the big screen Jane Austen adaptations. I'm not necessarily a historical film fan. But this one appeals to me for many reasons, chiefly that I'm a big Abbie Cornish fan and her performance is supposed to be exquisite.

Very slow week for me. Only watched two films, both at the theater.

- La Teta Asustada (The Milk of Sorrow, in its english translation): highly original peruvian movie about a girl who believes she inherited a disease from her mother which makes her feel terrified of men. I loved the main actress and loved how the scenes were built – the piano on the floor, the pearls, the several weddings shown. A great surprise. Won the Golden Bear at this year's Berlin festival. 8/10

- Orphan: I was really enjoying it. It was well paced, extremely well acted – Vera Farmiga is great, and the little girl (I forgot her name, Isabelle… sorry, Isabelle) is very good also – and the director has an eye for the visuals. Several scenes are just beautiful to watch, the camera is in the right place, things like that (that wasn't quite a surprise, since I enjoyed his remake of "House of Wax"). But the manipulation of the girl got too far… You believe a girl you adopted a couple of months ago, or your long term wife? Hello? And the "mystery" behind Esther was so absurd that I laughed for the last 20 minutes. Beyond ridiculous. I haven't laughed this hard in a long time (and I watched Brüno and The Hangover a couple of weeks ago). Shame, since it was a nice movie till then. 5/10

@moveiguzzler: I wasn't saying sex sold "The Wire"; rather, that's what drew viewers in and the plot did the rest. It was definitely not a show for everyone but one of the greatest.

@Patricia: I think you're right to a certain extent about the sex on "True Blood". It certainly has a lot of nudity, but, that's not what the show is known for. People don't realize, but they're victims to a great formula for the format of the show. I am, of course, talking about the cold open start, intrigue followed by small cliff hangers throughout the show supported by great acting, mythology, and plot, and finally a larger cliffhanger at the end.

A lot of shows ("Lost", "24") and novels (all the Dan Brown series) have used this format to keep audiences. Essentially, the director, writers, and editors are pulling the strings of the audience to maintain a response. But if you axe out all the nudity, the show might not be as popular. Not because of the lack of racy scenes, but it wouldn't be real compared to the previous seasons. I mean how do you show vampire and human love without explicitly going to the sex scenes? On a last note though, almost every generation is queuing up o see his show from 13 y/o's to 75 y/o's, any gender. I've seen families flock together on Sundays from kids to the great grandparents tuning in on HBO. The last time I saw this, "The Sopranos" was on.

I'll check out "Bright Star". Only because you trashed "Shakespeare in Love". Talk about overrated. I Hated that movie, and am still griping about the fact that it won over "Saving Private Ryan". Ya ya, we all studied Shakespeare, but I don't want to see that crap on screen.

Ponyo: A-
District 9: A
Dexter-Season 1 (rewatch): A
Adventureland: A-
True Blood-Season 2 (certain episodes)-A+
Obsessed: D

World's Greatest Dad – A twisted dark comedy that has some touching in it. A must-see. 9/10

Green Lantern: First Flight – A straight to DVD animated feature about Hal Jordan's origin story. A fun ride. 8/10

Wrong Turn – An awful "horror" film with a contrived plot and bad performances. I was rooting for the killers. 2/10

Jaws – First time seeing it in its entirety. Still a great movie that made me queasy with the detached limbs and blood floating on the water. 9.5/10

There was a movie that I forgot to mention last week:

Hot Fuzz – I knew that the movie was supposed to be a satire, but I didn't like it. It was dry. The ending is kick ass. That's it. 3/10