Say Anything... (1989)

Cameron Crowe's debut feature is a classic romantic comedy/drama about an underachiever who falls for a valedictorian, and the class struggles that ensue as they court romance within their disparate social groups. It's a charming film full of memorable performances that only seem to get better with age, even though it's filled with tropes that have been overused for the past 40 years.

3½ boomboxes outside your window out of 5

BAD WORDS [2014]

Actor Jason Bateman makes his directorial debut with the twisted comedy, Bad Words.
Filled with some hilariously mean-spirited one-liners, the film is sure to offend and disturb anyone who's a bit too light-hearted to indulge in this sort of nasty sarcasm.  Bateman is superb as the vulgar and unlikable lead adult character who pushes his way into a child's national spelling bee contest.  As funny as the film can be, it falls short of anything memorable or a lack of topical conversation afterwards.
To put it simply, Bad Words is just alright.

3 girls without nipples out of 5

PSYCHO [1998]

Director Gus Van Sant collects together an impressive cast for the near shot-for-shot remake of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense classic Psycho.
Being a huge fan of the original film I wanted to hate this film more than I did (and I did for many years) but rewatching it, I found there's a few elements I admire but can't really back up the idea of the whole project.  Van Sant updates a few minor bits to make the story feel a little more modern but the shots, pacing and dialogue all still feel completely outdated feeling like an awkward dream you've had before.  It really is as pointless as you might think but interesting in the sort of way like listening to a faithful yet lesser cover version of your favorite song for nearly 2 hours.

2 newly renovated motels out of 5

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

Why do I do this to myself?

Not even Jim Carrey could save this overbloated piece of fluff, filled with one too many penguin poop jokes. At one point, the movie goes in an interesting direction, when Mr. Popper loses his mind and adapts to the penguin's environment--but then it quickly turns head and becomes the usual formulaic family flick. I would have liked to see the other direction the movie could have gone.

In short: Stop making PG-rated comedies, Mr. Carrey.

1 cell phone in the blender out of 5