The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Catching Fire is both an excellent adaptation and a sequel that improves on its predecessor in every way. Gone is the shaky cam and the confusing narrative. In its place is a two and a half hour movie that doesn't feel boring for a second.

The movie isn't perfect - there's a lot more telling than showing, and a few of the performances aren't stellar - but as a whole, it's pretty great. The cast is stuffed with good actors and Jennifer Lawrence is especially fantastic. I'm not sure this would be enjoyed by anyone who's not a fan of the franchise, but it's a solid film I look forward to seeing again.

3.5 hilarious faces in elevators out of 5.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

When I first watched this movie, I was so amazed by its content that I didn't pay much attention to the film itself. It's not quite as impressive the second time around, but it's still fast paced, funny and interesting. I would have gladly sat through another hour's worth of information.

For film fans, this is a must see. For everyone else, it may not be quite as intriguing, but it's still worth watching. It's a shame the movie is so America-centric, because I'd love to learn about how movies are rated in the rest of the world.

4 vital pieces of evidence stored in trashcans out of 5.

Don't Go in the Woods (2010)

When it comes to horror and musicals, I'm willing to forgive a lot. Unfortunately, Don't Go in the Woods is both a subpar horror movie and a lousy musical. The premise is solid, but the script feels like it was cobbled together in a few days. The songs range from "not that good" to "oh god I need to skip forward", and the horror elements feel tacked on.

D'Onofrio is talented, even when he's making a bad movie, and there are some really nice visuals here. If he'd committed more to the horror aspect, this could have been something cool. As is, it's a mildly unpleasant experiment. I wanted badly to like this one, but I just couldn't.

 1.5 bad Conor Oberst impressions out of 5

Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater (2006)

Musical horror comedies are rare to begin with, but Midnight Ballad for Ghost Theater is truly a movie all its own. Part ghost story, part love letter to the theater experience, Midnight Ballad is a delightful bit of weirdness aimed at film nerds specifically. Its songs aren't anything I'd listen to on my own, but they're performed so wonderfully it was hard to keep the grin off my face during each musical number.

It's far from perfect, but it's relentlessly charming and full of heart. There are times when the story drags, but little things the characters do help keep things interesting. It all builds up to a spectacular ending that was nothing like what I was expecting. I hope this gets a proper western release someday, because I could watch it again and again.

3.5 variations on throat cutting and gut pulling out of 5

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

The musical comedy horror genre is distressingly underpopulated. Based on a musical that was based on the 1960s movie of the same name, Little Shop of Horrors offers campy scares, lots of laughs, and surprisingly catchy tunes. The music is a little dated, but somehow everything clicks together, from the motown Greek chorus to the wonderfully cheesy effects.

What really sells this film is its cast. Steve Martin is at his absolute funniest, Levi Stubb's voice acting is spectacular, and Rick Moranis makes Seymour work in a way few actors could. It's not for everyone, but for those who like a side of music with their black comedy, it's something you can watch over and over again without getting bored. My only complaint is the ending, which is satisfying enough, but doesn't quite match the tone of the film. Look up the original the next time you give this one a watch.

4 long, slow root canals out of 5

Escape from Tomorrow (2013)

Escape From Tomorrow is simultaneously engrossing and incredibly frustrating. The guerrilla film managed to capture some fantastic footage, and most of the performances are solid, but the script just isn't there. It's unlikely that anyone will pull off something like Escape From Tomorrow again, and the wasted opportunity left me with a palpable sense of disappointment.

Sometimes the movie feels like it's trying to be a black comedy, but it never manages to be funny. It's better when it's going for dark, creepy, or just out and out weird, but even that doesn't quite work. The script clearly needed a lot of editing, and it's a shame it didn't get it before this was filmed. As is, it's not a very good movie, but it still makes for a riveting watch.

2 blacked out Neosporin labels of of 5

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - The Hollow Shrine (2008)

So little happens in the fourth Kara no Kyoukai movie that it's easy to forget it exists at all. Nearly every scene we see could have been worked into another film, and it seems like there's not enough story here to justify a full film.

Still, there's something I really like about The Hollow Shrine. I'm a sucker for an eerie hospital, and the ending fight scene is one of my favorites in the entire series. The content here doesn't stand on its own at all, but the scenes themselves are still pretty good. The ending is excellent, and makes you want to start the next movie almost immediately after. As long as you're committed to watching the whole Kara no Kyoukai saga, it's an enjoyable ride.

2 occultists posing as therapists out of 5.

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - Remaining Sense of Pain (2008)

The Kara no Kyoukai films were adapted from a series of novels, and in this entry, I really feel like something was lost in translation. It has an interesting storyline, but characters feel underdeveloped, plot points feel rushed, and many scenes feel like they're missing their emotional punch. The way director Mitsuru Obunai portrays certain scenes doesn't help, and I think the film almost certainly would have been better in the hands of something else.

The best aspects of the Kara no Kyoukai series are still on full display here. There's a terrifically choreographed fight scene, the animation is wonderful, and the backgrounds are gorgeous. If you can ignore the problematic elements, it's still a reasonably entertaining watch. If you're turned off by the opening scene, you might just want to skip this one.

2 reasons kids shouldn't play with knives out of 5.

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - A Study in Murder: Part 1 (2007)

While the first Kara no Kyoukai movie sets up the series, the second film is where you really get an idea of what it's going to be like. It's primarily a character study, but it also introduces one of the major mysteries of the series. Mikaya was mostly missing in action in the last movie, but he gets plenty of focus here, and his scenes help give perspective to many of the moments that came before.

At times, the pacing can be so slow that you might wonder if you accidentally hit the pause button. Enormous amounts of time are dedicated to small, simple scenes. For some, the gorgeous scenery might be enough to keep them interested, but some folks will probably be bored. Just keep in mind that some of these little moments pay off later on.

2.5 people humming Singing in the Rain in the rain out of five

Kara no Kyoukai: The Garden of Sinners - Overlooking View (2007)

Overlooking View is the first in a series of seven films, and when I began to watch it I thought I may have started with the wrong one. You're dropped straight into the lives of these characters, and left to figure out what's going on on your own. The pacing is extremely slow, and it takes a long time to get a sense of the universe and its characters.

From a technical standpoint, the movie is fantastic. The backgrounds are beautifully detailed and the animation is top-notch, especially during the unfortunately brief fight scenes. The music is excellent, and the world is wonderfully atmospheric. But as a standalone film, it falls short. The story has a defined beginning, middle and end, but it's really pure build-up. Each scene is there to make scenes in later films feel more powerful. Unless you're really in the mood for nice animation, this isn't worth watching unless you plan to take on the whole series.

2 cartons of Haagen-Dazs Strawberry Ice Cream out of 5

5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

From a purely visual standpoint, 5 Centimeters Per Second is one of the most beautiful films ever made. The animation is incredibly smooth, so much so that it sometimes feels like you're watching a live action film set in a world where everything looks like a drawing. The backgrounds are stunning and gorgeously detailed. Even shots of the mundane feel heartbreakingly lovely, and every second is a joy to watch.

However, in spite of the fact that I deeply connect to the subject matter, the film's storyline has always left me feeling a little cold. There's something that keeps me from from rooting for the characters or feeling invested in their lives. This might be intentional, but it keeps the movie from being the masterpiece it could be. Instead, it's just a nice little movie with a dreamlike quality that can't be beat if you're in the mood for scenery porn.

3.5 falling sakura blossoms out of 5

Planes (2013)

I was expecting Planes to be aggressively awful. It's a spin-off of Pixar's worst franchise, it's made by the usually awful DisneyToon, and it starred Dane Cook, who makes everything a little bit worse. The odds were stacked against it in every way.

What I got was something aggressively bland. There's nothing particularly good or bad about Planes. There are stock characters, a predictable storyline, and serviceable voice acting. I thought the movie was going to make me want to pull my hair out, but it was just sort of there until it wasn't anymore, and it ended more quickly than I expected. For kids like the one I took, Planes should be a great experience. For everyone else, it's a great time to plan out your grocery list.

1.5 at least the Top Gun thing was sort of clever out of 5

Girl Model (2011)

Girl Model may be a low budget documentary, but its leads are more compelling than characters in many blockbuster films. Time is split between Ashley, a jaded former model turned scout, and Nadya, an innocent 13 year old beginning her modeling career. I was quickly sucked in, and it was easy to forget that what I was watching was real.

But while the subjects were fascinating, I felt the movie was lacking as a documentary. Certain portions seemed designed to be misleading, and intriguing issues were largely left unexplored. In the right hands, this could have been spectacular, but as is, it felt a little undercooked.

2.5 torsos matched with sets of legs out of 5

Indie Game: The Movie (2012)

The Kickstarter funded Indie Game: The Movie manages to be both a love letter to indie games and accessible to those who've never touched a controller in their life. By focusing on the passion behind the games rather than the minor details, it tells stories that are both compelling and easy to relate to. The Super Meat Boy story is a joy to watch even if you know exactly how it ends.

But what really appealed to me about it was how it made me sympathize with creators who were less than likable. Phil Fish and Jonathan Blow are two of the most notorious figures in indie gaming, and while I'm unwilling to spend five minutes in a room with Fish, I came away with compassion and a better understanding of him. It feels honest in a way few documentaries do, and that, more than the subject matter, is what makes it worth watching.

3.5 ways to communicate without making friends out of 5.

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Ghibli is known for transporting viewers to dazzling worlds filled with incredible scenery and amazing exploits. But Whisper of the Heart isn't about fantastic adventures or chimerical lands. It's about the adventures we create ourselves. It's a sweet, quiet little coming of age film that beautifully shows what it's like to discover your passion.

Whisper of the Heart may be short of fantasy, but it's still full of wonderfully detailed backgrounds you could stare at all day. The animation isn't quite on par with some of Ghibli's later films, but it's still solid, and the movie as a whole is very well made. There's a romance subplot that feels almost unnecessary, but I like it anyway. It's the sort of movie that doesn't weave a story as much as capture a snapshot in time, and when it comes to tales like that, I enjoy the little extras.

4 almost magical antique stores out of 5

Cold Fish (2010)

When compared to Love Exposure, Cold Fish feels almost ordinary. Sure, it's a movie about tropical fish salesmen and old man sex and ghastly murders, but it has a reasonably coherent plot and a 2 and 1/2 hour runtime. Sounds like fun for the whole family!

The editing is spectacular, full of rapid back and forth scene changes that feel completely fluid. Shamoto very hard to read, but that makes him fascinating, and his transformation is riveting. However, the violence in the film is brutal, intense, and misogynistic in a way that can be excruciatingly uncomfortable to watch. Sometimes I felt like Sono was more interested in cruelty than his characters, but it's called the Hate trilogy for a reason. Still, the black comedy is well executed, and if I have the stomach for it, I might go back and watch this again.

3 bones covered in soy sauce out of 5.

Love Exposure (2008)

When a movie is nearly four hours long, it's fighting an uphill battle. Even a well-paced, smartly written movie  can start to wear on you after 200 minutes. Love Exposure is many things, some good, and some bad, but the one thing it never is is boring.

Love Exposure is perhaps the weirdest, most complicated love story ever told. It probably also has the most pantyshots ever seen in a single film. It's hard to tell if it's a complex exploration of Japanese culture, or an exploration of director Shion Sono fetishes. There's way too much shaky cam, and the plot is problematic, but the characters are surprisingly entertaining and the soundtrack is a lot of fun. I'm not sure if I liked this movie, and I don't think I'll ever sit down again, but it kept my interest, and that's saying something.

2.5 erection epiphanies out of 5.

Re-cycle (2006)

Labeling Re-cycle a horror movie is a bit of a stretch, but it's all the better for its lack of big scares. This is a parade of the fantastic, a tale of a writer's mind and all the ideas that lurk within. The plot sometimes feels like an excuse to showcase spectacular visuals, and I'm perfectly okay with this.

There's no denying that Re-cycle's script is a little lacking, but it's such a visual treat it's hard to care. The Pang Brothers have always had a great visual style, but this is their masterpiece, a buffet's worth of visual feasts. I would have loved this even if it had no plot at all. It was just so imaginative and was a joy to watch. As long as you don't come in expecting an involving story, you'll have a terrific time with this one.

4 forests of corpses out of 5.

Marebito (2004)

Marebito is the sort of movie that's more interesting than it is good. Both its characters and its Lovecraftian premise are fascinating, and I struggled to take my eyes off the screen even when nothing was happening. The film is packed with compelling ideas, but they're rarely capitalized on, and the whole thing feels a bit undercooked.

I've read Takashi Shimizu filmed this in only eight days, and it shows. If he and writer Chiaki Konaka had spent a little more time on this, I think it could have been something truly special. Shimizu is a talented director, and there's plenty to like about this. It's terrifically atmospheric, it has great visuals, and the actors give excellent performances. It's disturbing in a Cronenberg sort of way, and it holds up to repeat viewings. I just wish the film realized its full potential.

3.5 seconds of missing camera footage out of 5.

The Forbidden Door (2009)

The Forbidden Door is a tricky to rate. It's so convoluted that I felt like I had watched at least three different movies, but that messiness is effective. It's hard to tell if writer/director Joko Anwar knows exactly what he's doing, or just threw stuff at the screen to see what works. All I know is that I enjoyed the experience.

The film is visually stylish from the credits on, and has some great performances. The script asks a lot of Fachry Albar, but he rises to the challenge every time. It's dark, violent, and can be quite hard to watch, but it's always compelling, even when it feels like it's gone completely off the rails. I think it would have been stronger without a certain early scene, but maybe it serves a purpose I just don't understand. It's one of those movies.

3 scenes after the credits out of 5.