Adam West's Tales from Beyond

This is truly bad. The stories are like what I imagine Amazing Stories and Twilight Zone received in the mail from rabid fans. If they then made them anyway with one camera guy, had the kid delivering the sandwiches direct, filmed them in the model house in a mediocre development, and went to the mall and picked people at random to star in it...nah, they still would have done a better job. This is depressingly bad.

The Golden Compass

I really enjoyed this movie, but I have to give it 3 stars because had I not read the book, I quite likely would have been lost. I know, I know, referencing the book is a vile atrocity, but the truth is they took out all of the relationship and character stuff that makes it work. The development never goes far enough to really get why these people are doing what they are doing, what their loyalties and allegiances are, and why they have them. It's absolutely lovely and I think they did a wonderful job on the casting. I just find that the heart of the story was left on the cutting room floor. You shouldn't have to read the book to get the movie, but this one falls into that category.

Alice

There are lots of complaints around the fact that this is dark and disturbing. Yes, it is. So is the book it was based on. Alice is truly disturbing to anyone who has read it or seen a more accurate movie representation, such as this. I found it really interesting and, yes, a bit cringeworthy, but still more true to the ideal of the book than most of the Disney-esque portrayals. What irritates me more with Svankmajer than the content of the story, is the quality of the stop motion. Why is it possible for a basic cable comedy show like Robot Chicken to perform believable motion, but not a major motion picture? It is, however, fascinating and his eye is great for portraying that otherwordly feeling his films try to engender. Surreal and haunting. I would definitely recommend it for a watch.

Severance

This is an awesome little jewel from the UK. Survival horror, low key comedy that doesn't overpower everything, a little bit of social justice...it's got it all. If I had to classify this one it would be blacker than pitch comedy. The acting is really nice and understated, the characters are idiosyncratic without being lampoons of stereotypes, and the dialogue really rolls well. Definitely put this one up for a watch.

Aguirre: The Wrath of God

Good god, give me back those 94 minutes of my life. Disturbing and haunting..hmm..only if you are haunted by megalomaniac artistic temperament types strutting around a boring, slow, movie with little character development. I know, better than half of the people on here will think me a troglodite, but this just did nothing for me other than make me want to slap the taste out of Klaus Kinski's mouth.