"Dinner for Schmucks"

"Idiocracy"

"Idiocracy" is Mike Judge's second full-length, non-animated film. I hope you've all done yourself the service of viewing "Office Space", many, many times. If not, do yourself a favor, and watch it - it's one of the most astoundingly funny films I've ever seen, and underneath its relatively simple plot is a level of intelligence and a depth of social commentary, one would not expect from standard comedy fare. After experiencing the near perfect balance of both subtle and blatant humor throughout "Office Space", we can only ask - Why did it take six years before Mike Judge was given another shot at directing? And could his follow up film showcase the man's brilliance as effectively as his prior film?

"House of Wax" (2005)

First off, let me start by saying "Paris Hilton is truly a terrible actress." That being said, she's barely in this film, which is quite a relief. From the moment she delivered her first line, I trembled at the thought that she may actually appear in more movies after this. That's a scary thought. Had she appeared in it more often, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much as i did.

"House"

"House" is a film that never really got the appreciation it deserved. While more of a comedy than anything else, "House" still maintains a lot of creatively creepy moments, and also shows off some impressive special effects, both in monster makeup and even a few sequences of stop-motion animation.

"Hot Fuzz"

"Hot Fuzz" is a sort of hybrid action-comedy, which lies, thematically, somewhere between solid action, and parody/satire; contextually, somewhere between "Naked Gun" and "Bad Boys" (or any other film from Bay/Bruckheimer). With only a handful of films under his belt, Edgar Wright is establishing himself as one of the most consistently competent directors going. He has an incredible understanding of every genre he's worked in – "Shaun of the Dead" blended incredible humor with genuine horror to create a film that seemed to be in a genre nearly of its own. "Shaun" succeeded so well as a film, the restrictions within its genre were completely negated. Wright also directed the trailer for “Don't,” which appeared during the intermission between Rodriguez and Tarantino's films in "Grindhouse". The trailer seemed torn directly from the 70's, and was perhaps the most faithful trailer to its inspiration. After Wright's trailer, I thought to myself, “I want to see that movie…” The trailer was both hilarious, and showed some incredible potential as an exploitation horror film.

"Hostel"

Eli Roth is certainly a director to watch. "Cabin Fever" was one of my favorite horror films of the past few years. It was an incredible blend of gruesome effects and some genuinely funny comedy, which made for a very enjoyable experience. I was hoping to get as much out of "Hostel" as I did out of "Cabin Fever", albeit they are entirely different films in tone. I had very high expectations, as the promotional trailers would lead us to believe "Hostel" was "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" for a new generation. But one thing I've learned in my movie viewing years, is that we are more often let down by the Hollywood system, than we are impressed. This is also the case with "Hostel".

"Home Alone"

While the majority of John Hughes films (both produced and directed) are quite well known and have a large following, arguably none are as recognized or popular as the original "Home Alone". Grossing an impressive $533 Million, it was one of the most successful films of all time, and still holds in the top 25, based on total gross. "Home Alone" also served to start the career of Macaulay Culkin. How does it hold up today, Fifteen years after its release? Pretty well, actually.

"He Was a Quiet Man"

I'll do my best to keep this short…

"He was a Quiet Man"'s DVD cover is riddled with award and critical praise. And it's no doubt that Frank Capello's first film in ten years has received significant respect from more notable critics than myself. So how is it possible that I can dislike the same movie so very much?

"Hell's Ground" aka "Zibahkhana"

Let me start by introducing "Zibahkhana" to you, as you must understand that this is Pakistan's first splatter movie. Pakistan has been producing horror films since the late 60's, yet never capitalized on the formula of the American slasher film which was so popular in the 1980s. It's bizarre, because the influence of American horror cinema is evident in Omar Ali Khan's film within the first few minutes, and it only gets more noticeable as the film progresses.

"Haunted Highway"

I love perusing the previously viewed sections of my local video stores, in search of anything which may be of interest to a horror fan like me. This includes foreign films, and direct to video flicks which may have slipped past me on their initial release. DTV horror films are now being released on such a large scale that it is impossible to know which are good, and which should be avoided. "Haunted Highway" certainly belongs to the latter group.

"Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay"

Harold & Kumar are mistaken for terrorists after sneaking a bomb on board their flight to Amsterdam. They are detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba until they escape and try to clear their names… And Neil Patrick Harris rides a unicorn.