Movies

Shutter Island (2010) Starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  Directed by Martin Scorsese.  Based on the novel by Dennis Lehane (Mystic River, Gone Baby Gone).  In 1954, U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels is investigating the disappearance of a murderess who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is presumed to be hiding on the remote Shutter Island.  See Shutter Island trailer.

Inception (2010)  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Produced and directed by Christopher Nolan. A CEO-type becomes involved in a blackmailing scandal.  See Inception trailer.

Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (2011) Starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  Directed by Martin Scorsese.  A look at the formative years of the 26th President of the United States, from his transformation from a privileged New York politician to commander of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.

Sinatra (2011) A look at how legendary performer Frank Sinatra became involved with the Mafia.

The Expendables (2010) Starring every single action hero known to man including Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Randy Couture, Steve Austin, Brittany Murphy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Crews, and Danny Trujo.  A team of mercenaries head to South America on a mission to overthrow a dictator.

Aquaman (2013) Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio

Grown Ups (2010) Starring Adam Sandler, Steve Buschemi, Chris Rock, Norm McDonald, David Spade, Kevin James, Gary Bussi, Rob Schneider, Salma Hayek, Tim Meadows, and Colin Quinn.  Thirty years after their high school graduation, five good friends reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Brave New World (2011) Directed by Ridley Scott.  Starring Leonardo DiCaprio

Hamdam v. Rumsfeld (2011) A thriller set against the backdrop of the war on terror, The Challenge tells the inside story of a historic Supreme Court showdown. At its center are a Navy JAG and a young constitutional law professor who, in the aftermath of 9/11, find themselves defending their nation in the unlikeliest of ways: by suing the president of the United States on behalf of an accused terrorist in order to prevent the American government from breaking the law and violating the Constitution.

Escape from Tehran (2012) Written by George Clooney. During the 1979 hostage crisis in Tehran, a CIA operative and a Hollywood makeup artist create a fake movie project as an attempt to smuggle a handful of Americans-in-hiding out of Iran.

The A-Team (2010) Starring Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover), and Jessica Biel.  A group of Iraq War veterans looks to clear their name with the U.S. military, who suspect the four men of committing a crime for which they were framed.

MacGruber (2010) Starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiog, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillippe, Maya Rudolph, and Bill Hader.  In the 10 years since his fiancée was killed, special op MacGruber has sworn a life of fighting crime with his bare hands. But when he learns that his country needs him to find a nuclear warhead that's been stolen by his sworn enemy, Dieter von Cunth, MacGruber figures he's the only one tough enough for the job.  Assembling an elite team of experts—Lt. Dixon Piper and Vicki St. Elmo— MacGruber will navigate an army of assassins to hunt down Cunth and bring him to justice.

Machete (2010) Starring Robert Deniro, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Jessica Alba, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, and Rose McGowan.  The highly skilled Federale Machete is hired by some unsavory types to assassinate a senator. But just as he's about to take the shot, he notices someone aiming at him and realizes he's been set up. He barely survives the sniper's bullet, and is soon out for revenge on his former employers, with the reluctant assistance of his old friend Cheech Marin, who has become a priest and taken a vow of nonviolence. If you hire him to take out the bad guys, make sure the bad guys aren't you.

The Karate Kid (2010) Starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith (Will Smith's kid)  12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

Green Zone (2010) Starring Matt Damon.  Discovering covert and faulty intelligence causes a U.S. Army officer to go rogue as he hunts for Weapons on Mass Destruction in an unstable region.  See Green Zone trailer.

Casino Jack (2010) Starring Kevin Spacey.  Jack Abramoff, a hot shot Washington DC lobbyist, and his protégé go down hard as their schemes to peddle influence lead to corruption and murder.

The Odyssey (2012) Starring Brad Pitt. Directed by George Miller.  Odysseus and his 10-year journey home after the Trojan War, during which he is confronted by natural and supernatural threats including shipwrecks, battles, monsters, and the sea god Poseidon.  Tale is told through Odysseus' son Telemachus.

Clash of the Titans (2010)  Starring Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes.  The mortal son of the god Zeus embarks on a perilous journey to stop the underworld and its minions from spreading their evil to Earth as well as the heavens.

Arrested Development (2011)  Starring Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Portia de Rossi, David Cross, Michael Cera, and Jeffery Tambor.  Presented by Ron Howard (executive producer).  A big screen adaptation of the critically-acclaimed television series centering on the adventures of the disfunctional Bleuth family.

This Must Be the Place (2010) Starring Sean Penn.  Directed by Paolo Sorrentino.  A bored, retired rock star sets out to find his father's executioner, an ex-Nazi war criminal who is a refugee in the U.S.

Moneyball (2011) Starring Brad Pitt and Demetri Martin. The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget, by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

Fair Game (2010) Starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts.  Directed by Doug Plyman.  Valerie Plame's status as a CIA agent is revealed by White House officials allegedly out to discredit her husband after he wrote a 2003 New York Times op-ed piece saying that the Bush administration had manipulated intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Kill Bill Volume 3 (2014)  Directed by Quentin Tarantino.  Starring Uma Thurman.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)  Starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.  Directed by Tim Burton.  19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.  See Alice in Wonderland trailer.

The Rum Diary (2010) Based on the novel by Hunter S. Thompson.  Starring Johnny Depp.  Directed by Bruce Robinson.   Paul Kemp is a freelance journalist who finds himself at a critical turning point in his life while writing for a run-down newspaper in the Caribbean. Paul is challenged on many levels as he tries to carve out a more secure niche for himself amidst a group of lost souls all bent on self-destruction.

Sin City 2 (2011) Directed by Frank Miller.  In the dark bowels of Sin City, Dwight plans to have his vengeance against the woman who betrayed him, Ava Lord, while Nancy is trying to cope with Hartigan's death.

Sin City 3: Hell and Back (2012)  Starring Johnny Depp (rumored). Directed by Frank Miller.  On a dark night in Sin City, an ex-Navy SEAL named Wallace saved a young woman, Esther, from killing herself.  After a night on the town, she was kidnapped by mysterious people.  May God have mercy on those who stand in Wallace's way.

Untitled 300 sequel (2011) Directed by Frank Miller.

Inside Man 2 (2010)  Starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster.  Directed by Spike Lee.

The Book of Eli (2010)  Starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis.  Directed by the Hughes Brothers.  A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.  See The Book of Eli trailer.

Stone (2010)  Starring Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, and Milla Jovovich.  Directed by John Curran.  A convicted arsonist looks to manipulate a parole officer into a plan to secure his parole by placing his beautiful wife in the lawman's path.

Due Date (2010)  Starring Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, and Zack Galifianakis.  Directed by Todd Phillips (of Old School and Hangover fame) A high-strung father-to-be is forced to hitch a ride with a college slacker on a road trip in order to make it to his child's birth on time.

The Hangover 2 (2011) Directed by Todd Phillips.

Dinner For Shmucks Starring Zack Galifianakis, Steve Carell, and Paul Rudd.  An extraordinarily stupid man possesses the ability to ruin the life of anyone who spends more than a few minutes in his company.

Anchorman 2 (2012) Starring Will Ferrell.  Directed by Adam McKay.  The continuing adventures of San Diego news anchor Ron Burgundy. 

The Three Stooges (2010)  Starring Benicio Del Toro, Jim Carrey, and Paul GIamatti.  Directed by the Farrelly Brothers.  Set in modern day and centering on the slapstick adventures of Moe, Larry, and Curly.

The Wolfman (2010)  Starring Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro.  Upon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten, and subsequently cursed by, a werewolf.  See The Wolfman trailer.

Silence (2011)  Starring Benicio Del Toro.  Directed by Martin Scorcese.  In the 17th century two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity.

Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps (2010)  Starring Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen, Susan Sarandon, Shia Labeouf, and Josh Brolin.  Directed by Oliver Stone.  As the global economy teeters on the brink of disaster, a young Wall Street trader partners with disgraced former Wall Street corporate raider Gordon Gekko on a two-tiered mission: To alert the financial community to the coming doom, and to find out who was responsible for the death of the young trader's mentor.

Escobar (2010)  Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day)  Based on the book "Mi Hermano Pablo" by Roberto Escobar Gaviria.  Oliver Stone (executive producer) presents the true life story of Pablo Escobar and how he rose to become one of the world's richest men by leading the Medellin drug cartel and inflicting terror upon Colombia.  

Killing Pablo (2011) Starring Christian Bale and Javier Bardem.  The true story of how the Colombian gangster and terrorist, Pablo Escobar, was assassinated and his Medellin cocaine cartel dismantled by the US special forces abd intelligence, the Columbian military, and a vigilante gange controlled by the Cali cartel.

Hemingway and Fuentes (2010) Starring Anthony Hopkins, Annette Benning, and Andy Garcia.  Directed and written by Andy Garcia.  Ernest Hemingway befriends boat captain, Gregorio Fuentes, who inspires him to pen the famous tale "The Old Man and the Sea."

Blissful (2010) Starring Javier Bardem.  Directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (21 Grams, Babel).  A man involved in illegal dealing is confronted by his childhood friend, who is now a policeman.

The Fighter (2010) Starring Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg.  The Fighter, is a drama about boxer "Irish" Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dicky, a boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs and crime.

The Hobbit (2011)  Screenplay by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens.  Directed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labrynth).  Bilbo Baggins, a Hobbit, journeys to the Lonely Mountain accompanied by a group of dwarves to reclaim a treasure taken from them by the dragon Smaug.

The Long Play (2011) Directed by Martin Scorsese.  Produced by Mick Jagger.  A drama centered on two friends who spend 40 years in the music business, seeing both the rise of R&B and hip-hop.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2010)  Starring Leonardo Dicaprio.  Directed by Martin Scorsese.  Based on the autobiography of Jordan Belfort.  A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration.

I Heard You Paint Houses (2011)  Starring Robert DeNiro.  Directed by Martin Scorsese.  A mob hit man recalls his possible involvement with the slaying of Jimmy Hoffa.

Lincoln Starring Liam Neeson and Sally Field.  Directed by Steven Spielberg.  Based on the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  The sixteenth President of the United States guides the North to victory during the Civil War.

True Grit (2011) Starring Matt Damon, Jeff Bridges, and Josh Brolin.  Directed by the Coen Brothers.  A tough U.S. Marshal helps a stubborn young woman track down her father's murderer.

First Avenger: Captain America (2011) Starring Samuel L Jackson (rumored).  After being deemed unfit for military service, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top secret research project that turns him into Captain America, a superhero dedicated to defending America's ideals.

The Avengers (2012) Starring Robert Downey Jr, Scarlet Johanssen, Samuel L Jackson, Edward Norton, Don Cheadle, Lou Ferigno.

The Experiment (2010)  Starring Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker.  26 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a psychological study that ultimately spirals out of control.

Jack Goes Boating (2011)  Directed by and starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  A stoner limo driver looks for different ways to improve his skill-set as a way to attract a girlfriend.

You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger (2010)  Starring Anthony Hopkins, Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts, and Antonio Banderas.  Directed by Woody Allen.  The movie centers around different members of a family, their tangled love lives and their attempts to solve their problems. 

Robin Hood (2010)  Starring Russell Crowe and Kate Blanchett.  Directed by Ridley Scott (Alien, Gladiator). The story of an archer in the army of Richard Coeur de Lion who fights against the Norman invaders and becomes the legendary hero known as Robin Hood.

The Next Three Days (2011) Starring Russell Crowe and Liam Neeson.  A married couple's life is turned upside down when the wife is accused of a murder.

The Tree of Life (2010) Starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn. The story centers around a family with three boys in the 1950s. The eldest son witnesses a loss of innocence.  

Iron Man 2 (2010) Starring Don Cheadle, Robert Downey Jr, Samuel L. Jackson (rumored), Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, and Gwyneth Paltrow.  Directed by Jon Favreau.  More adventures from billionaire Tony Stark, who leads a double life as an iron-plated crime fighter.  Villains Whiplash and Justin Hammer enter the picture as his nemesi.

Thor (2011) Starring Samuel L Jackson, Anthony Hopkins, and Natalie Portman. Partially disabled medical student Dr. Donald Blake discovers his heretofore unknown alter ego, the Norse warrior, Thor.

Halo (2012) Presented by Peter Jackson (executive producer).  After they crash-land on an artificial ring-world called "Halo", a navy captain, his surviving marines, and a chemically-and-surgically-enhanced supersoldier named John-117 "Master Chief" must find out what the Covenant, the genocidal alien race they are at war with, are looking for on the ring. However, Halo holds more secrets than either side imagined.

Interstellar (2013)  Directed by Steven Spielberg with the screenplay by Jonathan Nolan.  An exploration of physicist Kip Thorne's theories of gravity fields, wormholes and several hypotheses that Albert Einstein was never able to prove.

Here are the 50 most well-crafted, intriguing, mesmerizing, or just plain bad-ass characters of the past 50 years.

1. Vito Corleone- The Godfather
2. The Joker- The Dark Knight
3. Hannibal Lector- Silence of the Lambs
4. James Bond- Goldfinger
5. Anton Chigurh- No Country for Old Men
6. Jules Winnfield- Pulp Fiction
7. Tyler Durden- Fight Club
8. John Doe- Se7en
9. Gollum- Lord of the Rings
10. Red Redding- Shawshank Redemption
11. Wooderson- Dazed and Confused
12. Luke- Cool Hand Luke
13. The Dude- The Big Lebowski
14. Oscar Schindler- Schindler's List
15. Darth Vader- Star Wars
16. Forest Gump- Forest Gump
17. Daniel Plainview- There Will Be Blood
18. Indiana Jones- Raiders of the Lost Ark
19. Tony Montana- Scarface
20. Marty McFly- Back to the Future
21. Travis Bickle- Taxi Driver
22. Han Solo- Star Wars
23. Costello- The Departed
24. The Man With No Name- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
25. John McClain- Die Hard
26. The Terminator- The Terminator
27. Michael Corleone- The Godfather
28. Harry Callahan- Dirty Harry
29. Michael- The Deer Hunter
30. Derek Vinyard- American History X
31. William 'Bill' Munny- Unforgiven
32. Edward Scissorhands- Edward Scissorhands
33. Patrick Bateman- American Psycho
34. Ron Burgundy- Anchorman
35. RP McMurphy- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
36. Detective Alonzo Harris- Training Day
37. Butch Cassidy- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
38. Jack Torrence- The Shining
39. Mr. Blonde- Reservoir Dogs
40. Austin Powers- Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
41. Lil Dice- City of God
42. Ferris Bueller- Ferris Bueller's Day Off
43. William Wallace- Braveheart
44. Bill 'The Butcher' Cutting- Gangs of New York
45. Malcolm X- Malcolm X
46. Sgt. Elias Grodin- Platoon
47. Derek Zoolander- Zoolander
48. Napoleon Dynamite- Napoleon Dynamite
49. Carl Spackler- Caddyshack
50. Bluto-Animal House

1. James Bond --22 films by 6 Bonds with no end in sight.
2. Star Wars
3. Lord of the Rings- Flawless from minute 1 to 683 (extended version)
4. The Godfather
5. Indiana Jones
6. Rocky--The series that taught roman numerals to a generation.
7. Harry Potter -- Highest grossing series of all time at $5.4 billion.
8. Terminator
9. The Clint Eastwood Dollars Trilogy--The third installment of "The Man With No Name," The Good, the Bad and the Ugly might be the greatest western ever made.
10. Die Hard
11. The Bourne Trilogy--An untitled fourth film is in the works.  My vote: The Bourne Illtrocity
12. The Hannibal Lector Movies
13. Matrix
14. Spiderman--$2.5 billion grossed so far with #4 slated for 2011 and a Venom spinoff in 2012.
15. Batman (The Shumacher-Keaton Series)
16. Superman
17. X-Men --5 more films have all been given the greenlight, including Deadpool and Magneto spin-offs.
18. Star Trek--The JJ Abrams installment (11th overall) was a huge success, and 2 more are in the works.
19. Alien
20. Back to the Future
21. Lethal Weapon
22. Shrek--$2.1 billion grossed with 3 more in the works.
23. Pirates of the Carribean--One decent movie and two stinkers.  Still, you can't argue with $2.7 billion grossed.
24. Dirty Harry
25. Cheech and Chong
26. Naked Gun--OJ's second greatest acting job.
27. National Lampoon's Vacation
28. Austin Powers
29. Friday the 13th-- 12 films and counting...
30. Beverly Hills Cop
31. Jurassic Park
32. Nightmare on Elm St--The Nightmare continues in 2010 staring Jackie Earl Haley as Freddy
33. Halloween-- 10 films and counting...
34. Ocean's Trilogy--The modern day rat-pack earned over a billion on this trio.
35. Scream
36. Saw
37. Jaws
38. Mad Max
39. Robocop
40. Karate Kid
41. The Exorcist
42. Major League--Would be much higher if not for the putrid Back to the Minors installment.
43. Rush Hour--Rush Hour 4 sounds like a go.
44. Child's Play --A "darker and scarier" remake of the original 1988 Child's Play is supposed to be in the works.
45. Blade
46. The Mummy
47. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles--Another TMNT is reported to be likely.
48. Poltergeist
49. Mighty Ducks
50. Rambo

Rankings were made taking into account overall ability and range, strength of the roles taken, longevity, influence, and awards won.

1. Robert Deniro
2. Al Pacino
3. Jack Nicholson
4. Tom Hanks
5. Sean Penn
6. Daniel Day-Lewis
7. Paul Newman
8. Morgan Freeman
9. Jack Lemmon
10. Peter O'Toole
11. Dustin Hoffman
12. Ben Kingsley
13. Denzel Washington
14. Anthony Hopkins
15. Leonardo DiCaprio
16. Kevin Spacey
17. Brad Pitt
18. Clint Eastwood
19. Russell Crowe
20. Matt Damon
21. Harrison Ford
22. Edward Norton
23. Ed Harris
24. Willem Defoe
25. Ralph Fiennes
26. Jon Voight
27. Gene Hackman
28. Walter Matthau
29. Richard Dreyfuss
30. Johnny Depp
31. Christian Bale
32. Warren Beatty
33. Sean Connery
34. Benicio Del Toro
35. Michael Caine
36. Phillip Seymour Hoffman
37. Tommy Lee Jones
38. Robert Duvall
39. Liam Neeson
40. Don Cheadle
41. Tom Cruise
42. Josh Brolin
43. Tim Robbins
44. Harvey Keitel
45. Mel Gibson
46. Ian McKellan
47. William H. Macy
48. Paul Giamatti
49. Christopher Walken
50. Joaquin Pheonix
51. Will Smith
52. Kevin Costner
53. Billy Bob Thorton
54. Michael Douglas
55. Laurence Fishburne
56. Samuel L. Jackson
57. Gary Oldman
58. John Hurt
59. Bruce Willis
60. Javier Bardem
61. Heath Ledger
62. Kevin Bacon
63. Jaime Foxx
64. John Malkovich
65. Robert Downey Jr.
66. David Carradine
67. George Clooney
68. Michael Clarke Duncan
69. Robin Williams
70. Forest Whitaker
71. John Travolta
72. Jim Carrey
73. Donald Sutherland
74. Nick Nolte
75. Richard Gere
76. Nicholas Cage
77. Jeff Daniels
78. Steve Buscemi
79. Bill Pullman
80. Jeff Bridges
81. Mark Wahlberg
82. Gary Sinise
83. Viggo Mortensen
84. Kurt Russell
85. Hugh Jackman