Movies I've Watched In 2016 (With Commentary!)

Reservoir Dogs is a damn fine movie. Its quick pace mixed with Tarantino's characteristically clever dialogue and great acting (Tim Roth especially) make the experience fly by. The film is shot in a very gritty style that works super well for building up the intensity when it needs to. A great movie that cemented Tarantino as a director that should be taken note of and kick started his extremely successful career.

Peking Opera Blues is often hailed as a all time classic of Chinese cinema, and after seeing the movie I would have to agree. The movie was equally fun as it was slick and stylish. I love the action choreography and how the movie can switch from being comedic to having some nice dramatic moments without feeling forced. All in all it's just a really good time, and definitely worth a viewing. However, the English subtitles for the DVD and Blu-Ray editions sold in America are frankly horrible, not bad enough to ruin the movie or make it undecipherable... but enough to make the viewer yearn for a translation deserving of such a awesome movie. The fact that I can still enjoy the movie as much as I do despite this flaw is evidence to the movie's quality.

Oldboy is one of my personal favorite Korean films, I love the musical score, the cinematography, the way the plot progresses, and the style that oozes out of all the scenes in this movie. Min-Sik Choi's leading performance is stunning and the villain is definitely an all time favorite of mine. Do yourself a favor and watch this.

I am glad I finally got around to watching this. Whenever I hear that a movie here in the states is a remake of a foreign movie I always hold off watching it to see the original first. Especially here in the last few years where almost all of the remakes have no idea of what made the original so good in the first place (The Secret In Their Eyes, Oldboy, etc.) That being said with the amount of awards The Departed made I doubt it falls into the same category, however I wanted to respect the original vision of the story and as it turns out I really freaking enjoyed it! I love this movie's set up and it's execution is thankfully worthy of it's premise. The leading performances were great and the movie's brisk but poignant storytelling was really appreciated by me.

I first got introduced to John Woo with his extremely famous Hard Boiled, which is one of my 10 favorite action movies easy. So I went into The Killer with high expectations and it definitely delivered. I really enjoyed the music in this movie (which was sampled by Raekwon on his famous debut album), and Chow Yung Fat has so much screen presence here it's unreal. The shootouts are visceral, violent, and soaked in blood... and what's not to like here? It's a damn good action film that I'll definitely be returning to in the future.

This movie is often pegged as indescribable, and while this may not be exactly true (although it is very close) it might work to the viewers benefit knowing as little as possible about the movie going into it... to get the full effect. This needs to be experienced to fully understand how crazy this film really is. It was a funny, psychedelic, disturbing, and ultimately massively creative art horror flick that definitely fits comfortably amongst my favorite horror movies.

My second viewing of Hard Boiled once again proved how much I personally enjoy John Woo's old films. The energy conveyed through the shoot outs in this movie is impeccable. This movie is a much more action oriented affair when compared to The Killer (even though that movie was almost entirely steeped in buckets of bullets and blood). The hospital scene that makes up the last half of the movie is easily my personal favorite shoot out on film. I watched this with my Parents who never seen any of John Woo's films before and they loved it as well. It's nice to be able to sit back and just enjoy watching a movie without a bunch of forced melodramatic clichés bogging down the experience for once.

Went to the movie theater to see this with a bunch of friends and nobody that went had a bad time. The film is everything that one would want in a fun, breezy, high-octane, ass-kicking movie. Deadpool didn't try to revolutionize filming, or make some grand statement, but not all movies have to do that to be worth watching. Sometimes a movie can justify itself based solely on how enjoyable it is to just experience, and this is one of those instances. Definitely worth a ride.

This was my second favorite movie of 2014, and it still remains one of my favorite movies I've ever gotten to see in the theaters. The intensity and buildup of the movie left me completely mesmerized by what I was seeing, when the ending happened it blew my mind (easily one of my favorite movie endings). Love the performances of the two mains and how the movie doesn't try and force too many subplots or excess into the movie, it keeps it focused on the relationship between the two of them. A must watch.

This is my favorite movie I've gotten to see in theater. The discussions that me and my friends had about this movie's themes, characters, and script were one of my fondest memories. That aside every element of the film was expertly placed, nothing seemed excessive, I had a blast picking it a part, but a better time experiencing it.

This movie was one hell of a thrill ride. I loved the practical effects, the stunt-work, and the set designs. The car-chase was intense and the action was exhilarating. The movie nailed exactly what it was going for, a fast paced ass-kicking film that is perfect for putting on with a bunch of friends and some good food for a fun afternoon.