Dead Snow (2009) – Nazis in Norway. They were there and apparently froze up and never left. The Norwegian film industry must be revitalized by this Zombie epic setting a new standard in undead action.

A Perfect Getaway (2009) – Due in no small part to the cosmic ambiguity of Timothy Olyphant, this movie is full of twists and turns and the treachery of writer/director Steve Twoy's script. It is a lot of fun to watch and if you should happen to guess the ending, it will only enhance your satisfaction.

The Crazies – A remake of the George Romero cult classic and the film that prompted Roger Ebert to denounce zombies. But it’s not really about zombies. It’s more about how the government is willing to kill everything and everybody to keep a good secret and it’s pretty exciting.

Shutter Island – Martin Scorsese adds a final line of dialogue to Dennis Lehane’s book and that’s what we are blaming for an inadvertent obscenity and flying out of our chair in a critical snit. Forewarned is forearmed. You can handle it and you should because it is often a stunning movie and a delight to watch.

The Wolfman – It's almost black and white and traditionally creepy looking and Benicio Del Toro makes for a fine wolfman (and does bear a slight resemblance to the original Larry Talbot, Lon Chaney Jr.) and crazy stuff does happen but we didn't really feel the thrills we had hoped for and our associate fell asleep (she claims she just nodded a couple of times). Still, it's an admirable Wolfman effort given so few have actually been made.

Edge of Darkness – Mel Gibson on a straight-up revenge trip after his daughter is killed by the company for which she works and Mel does it as good as anybody. The body count is high, the action is fast and the violence unrelenting, the way, we assume, you like it.

Avatar – We here at Drive-In Reviews have finally seen Avatar for ourselves and are prepared to say without qualification it is the most spectacular movie ever made and can't imagine anyone really arguing the point and yes we saw the 3D bonanza on a mile high screen at the Imax and no we didn't become ill despite Junior Mints and popcorn. Is there someone out there who didn't like this movie?

Legion – Once again it’s the end of the world as God has allegedly lost faith in mankind and so has given the okay to exterminating us. Archangel Michael, however, begs to differ and pays a subsequent visit to Dennis Quaid’s gas station in the middle of nowhere as the fate of man is decided in a grand finale Angel throw-down between archangel Michael and Gabrielle, neither of which resembles Christopher Walken in the slightest. Lots of zombie types and some nice acting. Don’t be greedy.

Kick-Ass – Roger liked it until it moved into “dark, dark” territory. That would be when the 11 year old starts her killing spree just like Angelina Jolie but younger. User ratings for this movie are off the chart suggesting a moral abyss separating viewers and reviewers. But there’s nothing wrong with an occasional moral abyss. Just don’t go swimming.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – In Sweden apparently they take their books seriously and this is pretty much the book minus some extraneous sexual escapades but including Lisbeth's brutal revenge on her probation officer who really messed with the wrong girl. It's something of a murder mystery featuring the the same girl who will be in the next two sequels; the one with the dragon tattoo. The one you don't want to mess with.

Green Zone – Matt Damon is NOT Jason Bourne even though he's made two appearances as Bourne and is preparing for a third with the guy who is directing all Matt Damon war-related movies – Paul Greengrass. My guess is they couldn't pass up this seminal story of how we got tricked into Iraq and were compelled to make this movie no matter what chaos it creates in the Bourne Marketing Dept. Greg Kinnear once again a standout.

Repo Men – They're repossessing organs whose owners have failed to keep payments up and there are an unbelievable number of dead beats, no pun intended. Unfortunately for Jude Law he is not only a repo man but he has also become a client. While the premise of this movie is pretty straightforward they went the distance on ramifications and it gets really disgusting which, of course, is one of the reasons we're recommending it.

The Book of Eli – Denzel Washington is Eli and the book is the Bible but just so you don’t get the wrong idea Eli slaughters several dozen evil doers right at the top and is then hounded relentlessly by Gary Oldman who thinks the "book" is what he needs to rule what’s left of the masses in post apocalyptic America. Thoughtful and bloody but mostly bloody.

Daybreakers – A world where the living dead outnumber the living and the blood supply is running out. Nothing seems to make a lot of sense in this movie despite a reasonably good cast (yes, including Ethan Hawke) and some nifty vampires. But maybe nifty vampires are enough in which case...

It's Complicated – Yes, it’s a romantic comedy and maybe you don’t care but I think Alec Baldwin is about the funniest guy in show biz and I like Meryl Streep and everyone behaved accordingly except for Steve Martin who played a congenial nerd and all too well.

Crazy Heart – Jeff Bridges is the over the hill country singer Bad Blake who is drunk, broke and out of songs. If Jeff Bridges weren’t such a fantastic actor, he might be Bad Blake. As it is, he just plays him in the movie and really well. See Colin Farrell as Bad Blake’s country singin’ protege and not bad for an Irish kid.

Sherlock Holmes – The good news is it's action-packed with both Holmes and Watson (Robert Downey and Jude Law) totally up for the action which is also the news that’s not so good. We may not want our Sherlocks to be action heroes no matter what Guy Ritchie thinks. My guess is, it’s not easy entertaining Madonna. The really good time is expected when MTV finally airs “Jude Law's Nanny”. It promises to tell everything.

Up In The Air – George Clooney appears to have become a movie star for real. Aside from being very good, the movie is making money and its all George Clooney who plays a very happy sales guy who lives in airports and is about to achieve his life’s goal: ten million frequent flyer miles. That, of course, is when, of course, things begin to go awry. George says the film made him rethink his matrimonial stance. Add joke here.

The Road – This is a great movie but not a good time. The end of the world seemed so cool in 2012 but it turns out to be the slow agonizing death of extinction with hope not so much springing forth but just sort of leaking out unnoticed. Especially unpleasant if you have kids and like them.

Ninja Assassin – The fantastic previews led everyone to believe this was going to be something really special and it’s not although it does have more than its share of rousing chop socky action and perhaps that’s enough.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans – We have not yet seen this but Roger is giving it four stars and comparing it favorably to Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel. He says the main difference is the new one is a comedy but we thought the old one was a comedy.

2012 – No we haven’t seen this yet either but who doesn’t want to see the end of the world and live to tell the tale. And it gets three and a half stars from Roger and you get to see that little monk guy swept off a mountain top by a tidal wave. Come on!

Paranormal Activity – a 15 thousand dollar ghost story that really works with one camera, a couple of decent actors and mercifully sparse dialogue.

May (2002) – Roger Ebert proclaimed this debut film by director Lucky McKee a four star masterpiece and he wasn't far from wrong. It is unbelievably creepy and contains its fair share of blood, guts and gore but never so much as to upset the balance of all the hideous ingredients including Jeremy Sisto as a student filmmaker who shows his own short film featuring two lovers eating each other. May loved it.

Layer Cake (2004) – Contrary to what you might think this is not a Guy Richie movie. It's an Irish crime movie and most of the dialogue is easily understandable. Daniel Craig is excellent as a successful cocaine dealer trying to leave the business. It's not easy and for a lot of folks, it's fatal as well as entertaining.

Law Abiding Citizen (2009) – Yes it's a revenge movie but relatively mind boggling and it turns out there might be such a thing as too much revenge. And you may find yourself switching side’s midway through the game. Or not.

Crazy Lips (2000) – Things happen in this movie that simply cannot be believed and is one of the reasons Japanese movies are so darn special. A family searches for their suspected serial killing son with the help of a psychic couple who instigate rape, murder and absolutely unacceptable sexual proclivities. It could not be more offensive or entertaining in that unacceptable sort of way.

Zombie Strippers (2009) – An outbreak of zombies, once again caused by botched military experiments, is overrunning everything including a strip club where some of the girls have fallen victim yet continue to strip to the delight of their patrons until, of course, they start eating their patrons. The movie is suitably tacky, funny and very entertaining but its primary feature is a highly imaginative level of old school gore mixed admirably with the virtues of naked and half-naked women (specifically Jenna Jameson).

Facing Ali (2008) – Ten of his former opponents go on camera to tell what it was like to fight The Greatest. And whether they won or lost, no one denies he was the greatest. Ron Lyle, who came within seconds of winning a decision before it was stopped in the 15th, says, no, he's not bitter, "If it weren't for Ali who'd be here talking to me...and about what?" And George Foreman claims that Joe Frazier didn't know what an Uncle Tom was and thought Ali was accusing him of being a peeping tom.

MosquitoMan aka Mansquito (2004) – This is pretty much what you might guess but distinguishes itself in a number of ways; it takes itself seriously, it features the lovely if eternally untalented Musseta Vander going through a metamorphosis the entire film and much of it in hot pink underwear and the summary on the DVD box is for a different movie albeit another mosquito movie whose identity we have not yet discovered.

It's Alive (2008) – A remake of the Larry Cohen cult classic except now it looks like something from Ibsen with a very formal visual style, a Nordic chill in the action, some wooden acting and credits that would indicate an Eastern European location. Still, if you’re a devotee of the baby’s born evil genre (and who isn’t?), it’s a must see. The baby still slaughters everybody in sight although there is very little sight of the actual baby.

Whip It (2009) – Ellen Page (Babe Ruthless) plays a 17 year old Texas girl who finds a talent for Roller Derby where women are free to kick the shit out of each other in the name of sport. Juliette Lewis is Iron Maven. It’s a funny, smart movie thanks in no small way to director Drew Barrymore who also is Smashley Simpson.

Blame it on Fidel (2006) – In French with subtitles nine year old Anna has the incredible misfortune of going from a wealthy upper class lifestyle, which couldn’t be more fun, to tawdry squalor as her parents are suddenly seized by socialist ideals and the election of Salvador Allende in distant Chili. They subsequently begin to pursue a life of appropriate self denial with an unfortunate vengeance. It’s funny, smart, tragic and, thanks to the nine year old, completely entertaining.

Dog Eat Dog (2008) – Small time crime in Columbia it turns out is just as fascinating as small time crime everywhere else. And nowhere is it acceptable to steal money from your crime boss and yet it keeps happening. In Columbia (home of the Columbian necktie) the results are especially brutal.

Hurt Locker (2009) – First she made our favorite vampire movie Near Dark and now our favorite bomb defusing Bagdad war movie featuring the untimely and hellacious death of Ralph Fiennes which just seemed like an added bonus to a great movie.

Drag Me To Hell – Again and again. This movie was too much fun and spares no one. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore but wait, apparently they do!

District 9 – Aliens as slum dwellers. They arrived here years ago. They are not in good health and they don’t seem too concerned about personal hygiene. And the hero or our story has been genetically altered and is turning into one and his ass is up for grabs by everyone.

Inglourious Basterds – This is a really beautiful movie to watch but it’s also very exciting and Brad Pitt is fantastic. It’s almost irritating that Quentin Tarantino seems to be improving as a movie maker.

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