The Bat Cave

2010
2009
2008
2000-2007 (Coming Soon)
1990s (Coming Soon)
Pre-1990 (Coming Soon)

There was a point in my life when I viewed myself as a professional film critic, minus the income. Those days have long passed, but I still consider myself a film snob and a pretty good judge of quality movies. My opinion can be trusted. Rather than bore you with long-winded analysis that most people don’t care about, I’m just going to cut to the point. What works and what doesn’t and was it good? At times, I may offer a more in depth look at a film if it’s especially thought-provoking or deserves extra attention.

It’s important to note that I’ve switched my grading scale to letter grades rather than numbers. I figure this better reflects differences in genre… just because Knocked Up isn’t an all-time great film or a Best Picture nominee doesn’t mean that it doesn’t achieve an ‘A’ in comedy. I would view a film that gets an:

A+: a classic, regardless of genre
A: a great movie and a strong example of a top film in it’s genre
A-: very solid movie in its genre
B+ to B-: some noticeable flaws, but still very enjoyable and solid for its genre
C+ to C-: flaws are starting to become unforgivable, but overall, the better films in the ‘C’ range are still pretty decent movies and probably still worth your time. As you move down in the range, the films are becoming increasingly bad and should start coming with a Mr. Yuck sticker.
D+ to D: these are films that are bad no matter the genre: dramas without drama, comedies that aren’t funny, etc. Should be avoided at all costs.
F: I usually reserve a grade like this for films that are complete and utter failures, with no redeeming qualities… or movies that disappoint beyond your wildest imagination.

Viewings Counter: In my opinion, some movies can’t be summed up in a single viewing, gift-wrapped in a review, and categorized for the rest of eternity. Plenty of movies require multiple viewings or change over the course of time. I remember thinking Spider-Man was an all-time classic the first time I watched it… maybe I was high… maybe I was drunk… either way, I was wrong! Instead of the ‘A+’ that an initial viewing had me thinking, 7 years of letting the movie sink in have made me realize that it’s at best a ‘B’. The viewings counter will hold more weight as I revisit movies in my collection and older films I happen to rent and comment on.

Replay Value: My initial assessment of a film’s ability to induce multiple viewings. Some movies, as fantastic as they may be, just can’t be stomached on a regular basis (think mega epics like The Lord Of The Rings or downers like Requiem For A Dream. Movies that have a potential to be viewed relentlessly have a tendency to become cult classics and/or genre favorites.

Oscar Watch: Analysis of a film’s Oscar chances and for what particular categories.