1997

Not even close to being my first review for the site, but maybe the first one still archived here after how many times our servers have shit the bed. My review of GOOD WILL HUNTING.

1998

My test screening review of THE BIG LEBOWSKI.

My reaction to the premiere of the EPISODE I trailer in Westwood. My script review that helped kill the SANDMAN movie. My EPISODE I script review that got me Banned From The Ranch. My original THIN RED LINE review. My sneak review of the early workprint of THE IRON GIANT. This may well be my single favorite thing I wrote during my entire time at Ain't It Cool. My review of A SIMPLE PLAN.

1999

My first trip to Austin so I could attend QT Fest III! The first formal interview I did for AICN, which was with Brad Bird, a direct response to the IRON GIANT review I wrote. An early script review of what was then still called CAMERON CROWE'S UNTITLED. Me on a soapbox about a 60 MINUTES report about the relationship between media and violence. Part One of a series I did on the supernatural films of 1999... written before any of them had been released. The series started with WHAT LIES BENEATH... ... then moved on to THE HAUNTING remake... ... then Helgeland's THE SIN EATER... ... and then LOST SOULS... ... followed by a comparison of A STIR OF ECHOES and THE SIXTH SENSE scripts... ... and finally, it all wrapped up with my early review of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Some ShoWest Coverage Of The First EYES WIDE SHUT Teaser. That supernatural series was a countdown of sorts leading up to my ShoWest coverage. I had a day job at the time, and this week in Vegas convinced me to quit that job and pursue AICN as a job for a while. You can read 1999 ShoWest coverage about the New Line presentation, or the Fox event or Disney's programming, or a gigantic report on Warner's luncheon, or either of two separate reports about the Awards ceremony. Early reviews of AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME and AMERICAN PIE, from the days when I still drove Joe Farrell and NRG totally insane. An early review of THE MUMMY. My early review of STAR WARS: EPISODE I. That kicked off the summer of 1999 in earnest, and this was about the time I hit the ground running as a reviewer. I'd been working on the site for a while, but not like this. My review of BOWFINGER. A grab-bag of reviews for LIMBO, RUN LOLA RUN, WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM?, MONKEY BONE, and O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU? A test-screening review of THREE KINGS. A trip to a scoring session for MYSTERY MEN. A rather angry review of THE MUSE, the Albert Brooks film, as well as an open letter to Brooks himself. An early reviw for SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT! An outraged review of THE WILD WILD WEST. A review of Andy Fleming's DICK. Harry and I discuss the insanity of an MPAA ruling on the SLEEPY HOLLOW one-sheet. My review of LAKE PLACID. My review of MYSTERY MEN and EYES WIDE SHUT. My review of THE HAUNTING A news story on a PEE WEE HERMAN film that I wish would finally happen someday. An early report on the first drafts of the LORD OF THE RINGS screenplays. A huge, huge story for the site at the time. A very early review of AMERICAN BEAUTY, one of the first things that got David Poland's panties in a permanent twist. One of several reviews I'll never live down, an early look at THE STORY OF US. My review of the American release of PRINCESS MONONOKE. My review of Luc Besson's THE MESSENGER. My review of FIGHT CLUB, which led Roger Ebert to write me so he could explain exactly why I was wrong. My review of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. My review of BOYS DON'T CRY. My review of PITCH BLACK. My review of END OF DAYS. The first of several articles about Forry Ackerman's legal problems. My review of Jane Campion's HOLY SMOKE. My review of the restoration of REAR WINDOW that USA released in 1999. My first of many failed attempts at a regular column was called RUMBLING FROM THE LABS. #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14: My Miyazaki interview, and #14, part II. #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22, featuring my first mention of the accursed '90s Lists. #23 #24 is... well... gone, evidently. Our servers seem to do that to pieces sometimes. It makes me cry.

2000

RUMBLINGS continues with #25, my first column in the year 2000. #26 #27 #28 #29 #30, featuring an interview with William Goldman. #31, the last of the columns to be numbered. My review of SCREAM 3. Perhaps the single biggest project I ever undertook here at AICN was the '90s Lists, a year-by-year blow-by-blow defense of the decade's place in film history. Here's the first part, featuring 1990, 1991, and 1992. Here's 1993, Part One. Here's 1993, Part Two. Here's 1994, Part One. Here's 1994, Part Two. Here's 1995, Part One. Here's 1995, Part Two. Here's 1996. My review of GLADIATOR from the official AICN preview at the Metreon in San Francisco. Our ShoWest 2000 coverage begins with a general recap of day one. ShoWest 2000: M:I2 Trailer and GOAT ON FIRE & SMILING FISH review. ShoWest 2000: The New Line product reel. ShoWest 2000: WHERE THE HEART IS review. ShoWest 2000: The Fox luncheon. An early review of a workprint of ME, MYSELF, & IRENE. The first of two visits to the set of George Clooney's live FAIL-SAFE remake for TV. The second half of the FAIL-SAFE reports. An early review of Roland Emmerich's THE PATRIOT. Rumblings From The Lab: Script Reviews, Spike & Mike, And my account of being "Banned From The Ranch," one of the single most commented-on things I ever wrote for the site. Rumblings From The Lab: SUPERNERDS, 5-25-77, and RUN RONNIE RUN. My review of JOE GOULD'S SECRET. An early review of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. One of my rare excursions into the world of Coax, with a look at the fall 2000 TV schedule. Rumblings From The Lab: SPROCKETS, SATURN, And Birthday Books. Another excursion into the world of Coax, this time with a tag-team with Herc on the Glory season of BUFFY. Rumblings From The Lab: Special Birthday 2000 Edition. An Interview With Sam Jackson. Rumblings From The Lab, July 4th Edition: My Ten Favorite Films About America. My somewhat unconventional review of the script for PASSENGERS, rumored at one point to be a possible David Fincher film. My review of X-MEN. My review of Aardman's CHICKEN RUN. My review of WHAT LIES BENEATH. My review of GIRL ON THE BRIDGE. My review of John K's WEEKEND PUSSY HUNT. My review of NURSE BETTY. My somewhat infamous review of Tarsem's THE CELL. How infamous? So infamous I had to write another article to discuss the reaction to the review. A look at the special edition DVDs for BOOGIE NIGHTS and MAGNOLIA. I have been lucky enough to attend a few of the Quentin Tarantino Film Festivals in Austin, and they are always fucking amazing. So amazing that I almost never finish my coverage of them. Here are a few entries from my time at QT Quattro: Here's a piece on Spy Night. Here's a piece on the all-night marathon. Here's a piece on Heist Thriller Night. Awwwwww, yeah. Here's a piece on Sex Night. My review of ALMOST FAMOUS. My review of SNATCH. My script review for KINSEY. Rumblings From The Lab: Senate Hearings, Darabont's THE BIJOU, and my CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON review. Script Reviews For BIG FISH, BIG TROUBLE, and PTA's KNUCKLE SANDWICH. My review of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM. My script review of the Laeta Kalogridis draft of TOMB RAIDER. My review of THE CONTENDER. My script reviews for ADAPTATION, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, and THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS. My script review for THE TIME MACHINE. My interview with Jackie Chan and some comments on DRUNKEN MASTER 2. My review of JASON X. Another failed series begins with a review of several episodes of THE PRISONER on DVD. My review of DARK DAYS and an interview with director Mark Singer. My review of THE SALTON SEA. My review of THE CAT'S MEOW. My reviews of UNBREAKABLE and QUILLS. My RUN RONNIE RUN set visit, complete with a cameo for the AICN crew. My review of TRAFFIC. My reviews of O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU and THE GIFT. My reviews of FINDING FORRESTER, CAST AWAY, CROUCHING TIGER, and STATE & MAIN. My reviews of BEFORE NIGHT FALLS, 13 DAYS, and THE FAMILY MAN.

2001

The year began with a few pieces while I was trying to decide if I was going to chuck a ton of responsibilities for a crazy road trip. There was this sneak peek at a BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN remake that never happened. And here's my review of Ted Demme's BLOW. I miss Ted. He was good people. At the spur of the moment, John Robie and I decided to go to Sundance for 2001 to cover it. It turned out to be a great year for the festival, a great experience for us, and still one of my favorite overall AICN memories. I wrote two reviews before I ever left town, but they were both for films that premiered at the fest, so they were part of the coverage: SUNDANCE 2001: My review of SCRATCH. SUNDANCE 2001: My review of MEMENTO. I also did one interview with a friend who was heading up to the fest with two movies: SUNDANCE 2001: My interview with Jimmy Duvall, star of THE DOE BOY and DONNIE DARKO. And then we hit the road, determined to pack in as many days as we could afford. This was out of pocket, and we drove it. Crazy, I tell you. SUNDANCE 2001: DONNIE DARKO and SUPERTROOPERS! SUNDANCE 2001: Day Two, which was one of the single best film days of my entire life. In order, I sat through RAW DEAL, CHAIN CAMERA, HEDWIG & THE ANGRY INCH, and DOGTOWN & Z-BOYS without knowing anything about any of them ahead of time. What a rush. SUNDANCE 2001: INVISIBLE CIRCUS, THE BUSINESS OF STRANGERS, and BROTHER. SUNDANCE 2001: SEXY BEAST, DOUBLE WHAMMY, LIFT, and L.I.E. SUNDANCE 2001: STARTUP.COM, WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER, and the SCRATCH Party. SUNDANCE 2001: WAKING LIFE and 3 AM. SUNDANCE 2001: THE ROAD HOME, MAELSTROM, THE BELIEVER, THE DIARY OF A CITY PRIEST, THE DOE BOY And HEDWIG Live! SUNDANCE 2001: THE ISLE, JULIE JOHNSON, and the worst film of the entire fest for me that year, JACK THE DOG. SUNDANCE 2001: THE CAVEMAN'S VALENTINE, The Awards Show, and the long drive home. In the end, we were named one of three outlets with the best coverage of the festival that year in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY's wrap-up. It was a lot of fun, and even though Robie didn't write for the site much after this, I still think of him as one of the best collaborators we've had on the site in its long run. One of the first big pieces I did after getting back from Sundance was a look at the way the Farrelly Brothers were working with the test screening process on their films, using SAY IT AIN'T SO as the example. They gave me pretty remarkable access to do it. Here's a set visit for THE MAJESTIC on the day Bruce Campbell was shooting his movie-within-a-movie. A double review of SERIES 7 and BATTLE ROYALE. Another quick COAX piece: BUFFY, LAW & ORDER, THE MERCHANTS OF COOL, and more. A review of an indie comedy called AMY'S ORGASM. The headline for this one got me in big trouble with a girl I was dating at the time. Guess why. A random grab bag Rumblings article about LITTLE NICKY, RUN RONNIE RUN, NATURAL BORN KILLERS and Rob Zombie, Cronenberg's SPIDER, and more. Another Rumblings grab-bag, with SHREK, CHEATERS, ONE NIGHT AT MCCOOL'S, SPY KIDS, and more. A script review for WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE... AND YOUNG. A script review for A BEAUTIFUL MIND. A script review for FEMME FATALE. A script review for a very different earlier idea for a TENACIOUS D movie. A script review for MARCI X. Don't ask me what happened. My review of Spike Lee's BAMBOOZLED. My script review for OCEAN'S 11. My interview with John Carpenter about the DVD release of BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA. My review of THE MUMMY RETURNS. The closest I've come to really using AICN as a WGA platform during negotiations. This was as a strike was being threatened in 2001. My review of BAISE MOI (RAPE ME). My review of JEEPERS CREEPERS. A bunch of sequel rumors all in one place. My review of PEARL HARBOR, in which I took sort of a cheap shot at Roger Ebert. Here's Roger, rightfully kicking me in my balls a bit. An editing room visit for TOMB RAIDER. AICN BOOKS: A review of John Irving's THE FOURTH HAND. AICN BOOKS: My review of Michael Blake's THE HOLY ROAD, his sequel to DANCES WITH WOLVES. My review of SESSION 9. My review of Disney's ATLANTIS. My review of Ivan Reitman's EVOLUTION. I went to Florida to visit John Sayles on location for his film SUNSHINE STATE. My script review for MR. DEEDS. My script review of Stephen Gaghan's ABANDON. AICN BOOKS: My review of the short story collection KISSING IN MANHATTAN. Script reviews for several Robin Williams projects, like DEATH TO SMOOCHY, INSOMNIA, and ONE HOUR PHOTO. My review of TOMB RAIDER. My review of A.I., one of the most disappointed I've ever written for AICN. Some comments Harry made in response. My review of KISS OF THE DRAGON. My script reviews for MEN IN BLACK 2 and STAR TREK 10. My script review for TIMELINE. My script review of ABOUT SCHMIDT. My review of JURASSIC PARK 3. Now, you'll notice, that's article #9605 according to the current numbering. We all saw that we were getting close to #10,000, so we started talking about what to publish in that spot. Part One of my John Cameron Mitchell HEDWIG interview. Part Two of my John Cameron Mitchell HEDWIG interview. I enjoyed the Sundance experience so much that when the Fantasia Festival in Montreal asked if I'd like to attend at the last minute, I jumped at the chance, kicking off another round of festival coverage. Here's where I made the decision and started my preparations. FANTASIA 2001: BRUCE LAW - MY STUNTS, DEAD OR ALIVE 2, and DEAD BIRDS. FANTASIA 2001: OTAKU, FUCCON FAMILY, LEGION OF THE DEAD, and short film programs. FANTASIA 2001: ST. JOHN'S WORT and Larry Fessenden's WENDIGO. FANTASIA 2001: CASTLE IN THE SKY, NEKUJIRO-SO, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, JEEPERS CREEPERS, and CITIZEN TOXIE. FANTASIA 2001: METROPOLIS, LYLIA, TELL ME SOMETHING, and more short film programs. FANTASIA 2001: JSA And WILD ZERO. FANTASIA 2001: CHASING SLEEP and $LASHER$. FANTASIA 2001: EL CELO, THE OTHERS, and HEART OF THE WARRIOR. Another COAX piece, my review of the pilot for ALIAS. My review of JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK. My review of the first episode of SAMURAI JACK. The piece I wrote when Pauline Kael died. She, along with Siskel and Ebert, was the reason I believed that film criticism was worthwhile, and an art separate from film entirely. I didn't go to Cannes, but I did finally get a chance to see the sizzle reel that New Line showed for FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, and this was my reaction. My reaction to a test screening of OCEAN'S 11. Another COAX piece, a review of the first season of SIX FEET UNDER. That was article #9932. We were getting reeeeeally close by this point, and the perfect item fell into my lap. I talked it over with Harry, and we decided to publish the following as article #10,000 on the site: My script review for the sadly unproduced KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON by John Milius. COAX: A preview piece at the launch of ADULT SWIM. AICN BOOKS: My review of Salman Rushdie's FURY. This is really emotional, swimming back through all these articles. This next one was the last thing I published before going to bed on Sept. 10, 2001. It was a COAX piece about the launch of BAND OF BROTHERS on HBO. I didn't actually write about 9/11 until almost ten days later. It was a raw time for everyone, as I'm sure you remember, and once I finally felt ready, this is what we published: It's got little to do with movies, but it's what I was feeling at that moment. I don't think it was healthy to be watching nothing but BAND OF BROTHERS in the days after 9/11, and it sort of gave me crazy nightmares. I don't think I wrote about every episode, but I covered many of them. BAND OF BROTHERS: "Carentan" BAND OF BROTHERS: "Replacements" BAND OF BROTHERS: "Crossroads" BAND OF BROTHERS: "Bastogne" BAND OF BROTHERS: "The Breaking Point" BAND OF BROTHERS: "The Last Patrol" Some random Rumblings on Patton Oswalt's script PUBERTY, FREDDY GOT FINGERED on DVD, BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF, AMELIE and more! My reviews of MULHOLLAND DRIVE and IRON MONKEY. DVD SHELF: My review of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HANK GREENBERG. My review of THE MAJESTIC. COAX: Herc and I review the first episode of JUSTICE LEAGUE together. My review for LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. BNAT 2001, Part One. BNAT 2001, Part Two. My 2001 End Of The Year List, Part One. My 2001 End Of The Year List, Part Two. My 2001 End Of The Year List, Part Three. My review of THE ROYAL TENNENBAUMS

2002

My DVD review of MOULIN ROUGE This is a real grab-bag of stuff, with reviews of THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, ORANGE COUNTY, I AM SAM, ALI, and GOSFORD PARK. The I AM SAM review is particularly venomous. My script review for ATTACK OF THE CLONES. My review of A NIGHT AT THE GOLDEN EAGLE. Another grab-bag of films that were shown to me by The Dude, including GIGANTIC, BETTER LUCK TOMORROW, and THE LAST GAME. My review of Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN. My review of BLADE II. My Film Geek State Of The Union, along with an obit for Dick Sylbert and a script review for MONA LISA SMILE. An early peek at the TWO TOWERS trailer. A piece on a proposed DUCK DODGERS series. A report from the FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING DVD release party. My review of PANIC ROOM. A KILL BILL casting rumor that was true when we printed it. Ah, if only it had played out this way in the end... One of my REMAKE THIS! articles about Roy Lee and THE GRUDGE. My SPIDER-MAN review. Part One of my report from the Overlooked Film Festival. Part Two of my report from the Overlooked Film Festival. My review of ATTACK OF THE CLONES. My early script review of X-MEN 2. A set report for DAREDEVIL, complete with Jennifer Garner getting her butt waxed. Literally. My interview with Art Linson about FIGHT CLUB, WHAT JUST HAPPENED, and more. A sneak peek at the JACKASS trailer. My review of Roger Avary's THE RULES OF ATTRACTION. An article about Frank Darabont's involvement with INDY 4 and MINORITY REPORT. My review of SCOOBY-DOO. My review of Scott Frank's MINORITY REPORT script. A set visit to see John Sayles in Florida while shooting SUNSHINE STATE. The Strangest Double-Feature Ever... THE POWERPUFF GIRLS premiere and ICHI THE KILLER. My reviews of LILO AND STITCH and MINORITY REPORT. My review of MR. DEEDS, amidst a fistful of remake news. My review of THE ROAD TO PERDITION. My review of the shooting draft of SUSPECT ZERO, and a discussion of the film's history in development. My review of HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION. My review of MEN IN BLACK II. My very early review of Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN script. My script review for PJ Hogan's PETER PAN. A round-up of reviews for MAY, BUBBA HO-TEP, K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER, THE BOURNE IDENTITY and REIGN OF FIRE. My review of AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER. My review of SIGNS. My reviews of LATE MARRIAGE, SEX & LUCIA, WARM WATER UNDER A RED BRIDGE, ATANARJUAT - THE FAST RUNNER, and TWO WOMEN. My reviews of AUTO FOCUS, ONE HOUR PHOTO, KNOCKAROUND GUYS, and THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE. My review of xXx. Harry's announcement when I signed my deal with Revolution Studios to develop POSTHUMAN. My review of Doug TenNapel's wonderful CREATURE TECH graphic novel. The launch of the formal DVD Shelf column, featuring an interview with Stacy Peralta for DOGTOWN & Z-BOYS. Thanks to AICN and Tim Sullivan, a good friend here in town, I had an opportunity to spend some time with Ray Manzarek as he worked to put together a reunion of The Doors. I wrote two articles about their rehearsals, and then went to New York for another Manzarek-related event. It's still one of the strangest random events out of the entire 12 years I've been at the site. Here's part one of the article. Here's part two of the article. And here's my account of my time in New York. My honest review of the film Manzarek directed probably cost me any further relationship with him, but I don't regret it. He's a great guy, and it was a wild weird little ride getting to know him at all. Oddly, this article also has reviews of SHADE, JACKASS: THE MOVIE, and OLD SCHOOL. My review of Gore Verbinski's RING remake. My reviews of MY LITTLE EYE and VOLCANO HIGH. My infamous review of the JJ Abrams SUPERMAN draft. My review of SECRETARY. My reviews of SPIRITED AWAY, BELOW, and THE FOUR FEATHERS. I can see why Harry never liked it when I overstuffed my columns. This one has reviews for HELL HOUSE, BIGGIE & TUPAC, and Neil Burger's INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSASSIN, plus script reviews for ROD BURGUNDY: ANCHORMAN and CLUB DREAD, as well as a rant against Clean Flicks. Sheesh! DVD SHELF: Reviews of ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS, THE MACK, BLADE 2, JACKIE BROWN, the original Carpenter THE FOG, NEAR DARK, MONSTERS INC., GO TIGERS!, MR. SHOW: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, THE SIMPSONS: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, SCHOOLHOUSE ROCKS: THE SPECIAL 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION, REX THE RUNT, GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES, DON'T LOOK NOW, and REBECCA. My review of David Hayter's WATCHMEN script. My review of PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. My review of EQUILIBRIUM. My review of NARC. My review of ABOUT SCHMIDT. DVD SHELF: My review of the four-disc Extended Edition of FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. My review of FEMME FATALE. DVD SHELF: Reviews of CQ, THE BIG KNIFE, and winners of the PRODUCERS giveaway contest. My review of THE QUIET AMERICAN. My review for CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. My review for ADAPTATION. Harry and I give each other shit over a bunch of new trailers, including X3, T3, and more. My reviews of THEY, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, INTACTO and 8 MILE. My reviews of GANGS OF NEW YORK and CHICAGO. There's part of a review here for CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, too, but some server glitch somewhere fucked up the article, so part of it's gone forever. DVD SHELF: Reviews of AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. My eulogy for the closing of Dave's Video, a mom-and-pop laserdisc store in LA that was tremendously important to me. My favorite films of 2002. My review of THE TWO TOWERS.

2003

My review of CITY OF GOD and a post-Super Bowl look at that year's biggest TV spots. My script reviews for AMERICAN WEDDING and FINAL DESTINATION 2. My review of DAREDEVIL. A round-up of rumors about SUPERMAN (during the Ratner era), LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, and WONDER WOMAN. Part one of my ELF set visit. Part two appears to have been eaten by our server at some point. My reviews of ALL THE REAL GIRLS, LOST IN LA MANCHA, NID DE GUEPES, 800 BALAS, and THE DREW MCWEENY SHOW, a cartoon attack on me. My trip to Atlanta to visit the studios for the indie animated film DELGO. My obit for Michael Jeter. My reviews of THE ANIMATRIX and THE MATRIX RELOADED. My review for X-MEN 2. My review of THE REAL CANCUN, which is part set-visit, part review, part preview. And completely infamous. A special piece in which I am admonished for having admonished the internet about reviewing a pirated version of Ang Lee's HULK. Not one of my finest hours. Our first AICN's Jedi Council article, which has been raped by a server error so there's about half of it missing forever. My piece about the dedication of Ray Harryhausen's star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. My reviews of HULK, SPELLBOUND and 28 DAYS LATER. 2003 was the second year I attended the FanTasia Film Festival in Montreal, and I managed to review a fair amount of material from the fest. Here are reviews for TSUI HARK'S VAMPIRE HUNTERS, Sabu's DRIVE, SUICIDE CLUB, and PLAGA ZOMBIE ZONA MUTANTE. Here's my reviews for THE RESURRECTION OF THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL and OLD MEN IN NEW CARS. Here are my reviews of FLCL and DOUBLE AGENT. Here are my reviews of SAKURA WARS, GODZILLA X MEGAGUIRUS, SIXTEEN TONGUES, LUCKY, and INNER SENSES. Here's my wildly enthusiastic initial reaction to IN MY SKIN, which I called the best film of the festival and one of the best of the year. My script review for THE LIFE AQUATIC. My set report from ANCHORMAN. DVD SHELF: CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND review and mini-reviews of HERO, LEATHERFACE, and BABYLON 5: SEASON THREE. DVD SHELF: SOAP, PRIZZI'S HONOR, Argento's INFERNO, CONFIDENCE, MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING OF LIFE. My reviews of SECONDHAND LIONS, LOST IN TRANSLATION, De Palma's SCARFACE, and a verrrrry early and controversial look at the script for M. Night Shyamalan's THE VILLAGE, which was called THE WOODS at that point. DVD SHELF: New Release Tuesday and reviews of THE HOSPITAL, BURN OFFERINGS, JUGGERNAUT, BADASSSSSSS CINEMA, LAUREL CANYON, HOLES, NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, CHEECH & CHONG'S NEXT MOVIE, THEY LIVE, and RADIOHEAD'S 7 TELEVISION COMMERCIALS. DVD SHELF: My reviews of THE RELUCTANT ASTRONAUT, THE SHAKIEST GUN IN THE WEST, THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, HOW TO FRAME A FIGG, and THE LOVE GOD?, ALIAS: SEASON ONE, FAMILY GUY, VOLUME ONE, BULLETPROOF MONK, THE CORE, Q: THE WINGED SERPENT, GOD TOLD ME TO, PAPER MOON, INTO THE NIGHT, STEVIE, and SPIKE JONZE: THE DIRECTOR'S LABEL. DVD SHELF: POOLHALL JUNKIES, HOOLIGANS & THUGS, THE SHAPE OF THINGS, Sinead O'Connor and Eddie Izzard. DVD SHELF: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, A MIGHTY WIND, WILLARD, CIRCUS OF FEAR, RUSSIAN ARK and DREAMCATCHER. My review of KILL BILL, VOL. 1. DVD SHELF: THE OFFICE, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, 2FAST 2FURIOUS, THE ITALIAN JOB, HOLLYWOOD HOMICIDE, NAQOYQATSI, CANNIBAL: THE MUSICAL and THE ADVENTURES OF INDIANA JONES. DVD SHELF: KIM, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, STRAW DOGS, IRREVERSIBLE, THE MATRIX RELOADED, BATMAN: MYSTERY OF THE BATWOMAN, DVD SHELF: MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, TARGETS, WRONG TURN, Schrader's CAT PEOPLE, PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS, Argento's OPERA, My review of RETURN OF THE KING.

2004

My review of COMIC BOOK: THE MOVIE, and my picks for runners-up to the best of 2003. As with many of the larger articles I wrote, this one was fucked up by a server move, and much of it is lost forever. DVD SHELF: SUPERFLY review, photos of the DVD SHELF. My review of CLUB DREAD, and my picks for the top ten films of 2003. My review of THE PUNISHER. My review of THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. A short piece about interviewing Roger Corman for Fox Searchlabs. DVD SHELF: LOONEY TUNES BACK IN ACTION, LOONEY TUNES: GOLDEN COLLECTION, VOL. 1, THE HIRED HAND, OPEN RANGE, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, THE MISSING, AMERICAN SPLENDOR, WONDERLAND, THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS, MELVIN GOES TO DINNER, KEN PARK, GHOSTWATCH, VAMPIRE CIRCUS, THE OFFICE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SERIES, and ED WOOD: SPECIAL EDITION. My reviews of HELLBOY, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, MAYOR OF THE SUNSET STRIP, plus STAR TREK rumors. My reviews of SHAUN OF THE DEAD, KILL BILL VOL. 2, THE LADYKILLERS, And Mr. Molly's 100 Favorite Moments In Movies. My account of the 2003 Saturn Awards. My interview with Jim Jarmusch. My review of Doug TenNapel's TOMMYSAURUS REX. My review of SHREK 2. My review of BEFORE SUNSET. DVD SHELF: SAVE THE GREEN PLANET, PING PONG, NATURAL CITY, and WONDERFUL DAYS. My birthday column for the year, featuring the 34 things I was thankful for at that particular moment. My review of THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK. My review of HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. My review of SPIDER-MAN 2, which made Sony want to strangle me because they hadn't screened it anywhere at that point. My review of THE TERMINAL. My reviews of THE LIFE AQUATIC and SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW. DVD SHELF: MURDER MY SWEET, GUN CRAZY, Criterion's THE TIN DRUM, UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT, LET'S DO IT AGAIN, A PIECE OF THE ACTION, THE SUNSHINE BOYS, GOING IN STYLE, SPARTAN, SECRET WINDOW, JAPANESE STORY, THE STATION AGENT, BLAZING SADDLES: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, and SCTV NETWORK 90: VOLUME 1. My review of SOME KIND OF MONSTER and my interview with Berlinger and Sinofsky. My interview with Will Farrell, Adam McKay, and David Koechner for ANCHORMAN. My set report for TEAM AMERICA. My reviews of MARIA FULL OF GRACE and HAROLD AND KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE. DVD SHELF: WIZARDS, AILEEN: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A SERIAL KILLER and MONSTER, HOW’S YOUR NEWS?, THE WEATHER UNDERGROUND, STEP INTO LIQUID, THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, THE SON, STAY HUNGRY, THE SET-UP, BREAKFAST WITH HUNTER, DEATHDREAM, ZOMBIE, and THE BOURNE IDENTITY. My review of THE VILLAGE. I visit the Dreamworks Animation Studios to take an early look at work on FATHER OF THE PRIDE. My script review of the John Sayles/William Monahan draft of JURASSIC PARK 4. My review of MEAN CREEK. DVD SHELF: Buena Vista Video Event, THX-1138: THE SPECIAL EDITION, GODSEND, TAKING LIVES, PATHER PANCHALI, GOODBYE LENIN!, THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS, TOM DOWD & THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC, PURPLE RAIN, UNDER THE CHERRY MOON, GRAFFITI BRIDGE, DUEL, and THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS. My reviews of ANACONDAS: CURSE OF THE BLOOD ORCHID, FAHRENHEIT 9/11, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR, I ROBOT, COLLATERAL, OPEN WATER and GARDEN STATE. My script review for THE FANTASTIC FOUR. My review of ALFIE. DVD SHELF: THE ALAN CLARKE COLLECTION, MST3K: THE ESSENTIALS, CLERKS X 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION, THE DREAMERS, DAY OF THE LOCUST, BAADASSSS!, THE BAD SEED, FREAKS, and VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED/CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED, CIRCLE OF IRON, ALIAS: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON, FUTURAMA VOLUME FOUR, COLUMBO: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, FORBIDDEN ZONE and THE APPLE. My review of THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES. My review of I HEART HUCKABEES. My review of TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE. My review of KINSEY. DVD SHELF: OUT OF THE PAST, SUPER SIZE ME, LOVE ME IF YOU DARE, SPRING, SUMMER, FALL, WINTER... AND SPRING, MULAN: SPECIAL EDITION, ALADDIN: PLATINUM EDITION, KAENA: THE PROPHECY, HOME ON THE RANGE, THE HUMAN STAIN, DOGVILLE, COLD MOUNTAIN, MR. SHOW: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON, DA ALI G SHOW: DA COMPLEET FIRST SEAZON, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, MASK, THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR, MEAN GIRLS, THE TOOLBOX MURDERS, GHOSTS OF EDENDALE, THE BOSTON STRANGLER, TERROR TRAIN, THE NIGHT STALKER, EYES WITHOUT A FACE, GHOST STORY, TROUBLE EVERY DAY, BLACK CHRISTMAS, SSSSSSS, THE LEGACY, GINGER SNAPS BACK, HE KNOWS YOU’RE ALONE, I MARRIED A MONSTER FROM OUTER SPACE, IT’S ALIVE, IT LIVES AGAIN & ISLAND OF THE ALIVE, and THE SENTINEL. My interview with Matt Stone and Trey Parker for TEAM AMERICA. My interview with Brad Bird for THE INCREDIBLES. My review of ONG BAK. My review of A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT. My review of LAYER CAKE. My review of THE INCREDIBLES. My review of THE POLAR EXPRESS in IMAX 3D. My review of BLADE: TRINITY. My report from the premiere of GODZILLA: FINAL WARS. My reviews of CLOSER, IN GOOD COMPANY, BAD EDUCATION, and MILLION DOLLAR BABY.

2005

My reviews of BEYOND THE SEA, IMAGINARY HEROES, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, FINDING NEVERLAND, SIDEWAYS, HOTEL RWANDA, SPANGLISH, A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG, THE ASSASSINATION OF RICHARD NIXON, and THE AVIATOR. My favorite films of 2004: the runners-up, the ten best, and some other special mentions. DVD SHELF: BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE, CALIFORNIA SPLIT, THE ALAMO, THRILLER: A CRUEL PICTURE, THE PUNISHER, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, MAN ON FIRE, WALKING TALL, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES Volume One, ACE HIGH, RENEGADE, THE IRON GIANT, THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, LIVE AID, PETER GABRIEL: PLAY, POPEYE'S VOYAGE: THE QUEST FOR PAPPY, MICKEY'S TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT: SEASON ONE, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, GREG THE BUNNY, TAXI: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON, DREAM ON: THE FIRST TWO SEASONS, THE OFFICE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, SEINFELD: SEASON ONE, SEINFELD: SEASONS TWO AND THREE, THE CONTROL ROOM, THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS, and HOW TO DRAW A BUNNY. DVD SHELF: THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?, RAGTIME, NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS, MARK OF THE DEVIL, TWO BROTHERS, THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL, THUNDERBIRDS, ELF, A WRINKLE IN TIME, and MARY POPPINS 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION. My review of THE WEATHER MAN. My review of a test screening of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. DVD SHELF: KING SOLOMON'S MINES, ICE STATION ZEBRA, CELLULAR, THE NOTEBOOK, OCTOBER SKY, FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, RAY, THE FIFTH ELEMENT: ULTIMATE EDITION, and GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE. My review of CONSTANTINE. DVD SHELF: THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, THE VILLAGE, THE BURIED SECRET OF M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN, THAT MAN BOLT, TRICK BABY, WILLIE DYNAMITE, MR. 3000, RIKKI TIKKI TAVI, THE WHITE SEAL, THE TWILIGHT ZONE (1985) SEASON 1, TAXI: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, SOAP THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON, and WONDERFALLS: THE COMPLETE SERIES. My reviews of TWIST OF FAITH, WOLF CREEK, and KUNG FU HUSTLE. DVD SHELF: LAST LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, PARIS TEXAS, PAULY SHORE IS DEAD, LITTLE CAESAR, MIKEY AND NICKY, THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE, BAMBI: PLATINUM EDITION, PORCO ROSSO, ALL ABOUT LILY CHOU-CHOU, THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN, TENNIS ANYONE?, cl.ONE, FAST DRIVER, WE ALL FALL DOWN, and THE SILVERGLEAM WHISTLE. My review of a test screening of FEVER PITCH. My review of MIRRORMASK. My review of MAIL ORDER WIFE. DVD SHELF: My trip to Pixar for THE INCREDIBLES, WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM, THE INCREDIBLES, I HEART HUCKABEES, THE YES MEN, LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN, THE I INSIDE, NIRVANA, BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING, DONNIE DARKO: THE DIRECTOR'S CUT, THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO: SEASON ONE, CUTIE HONEY, and NEW POLICE STORY. My reviews of THE RING TWO, STEAMBOY and OLDBOY. My review of SIN CITY. My review of the second season of Genndy Tartakovsky's THE CLONE WARS. My report from the set of Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN. My interview with Dave Jaffe and a review of his game GOD OF WAR. My report from the set of THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN. DVD SHELF: COURAGE & STUPIDITY, DIG!, END OF THE CENTURY: THE STORY OF THE RAMONES, P.S., BIRTH, PANIC IN THE STREETS, FAT ALBERT, ELEKTRA, SWORD OF DOOM (Criterion), EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING, FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, MODERN PROBLEMS, ICE PIRATES, RACING WITH THE MOON, THE PALM BEACH STORY, THE LOVELESS, TOOLBOX MURDERS, CHARLEY VARRICK, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA, LADY IN A CAGE, AFTER THE SUNSET, DEAD & BREAKFAST, LIBELED LADY, CALL NORTHSIDE 777, DARKNESS – UNRATED EDITION, THE THREE AMIGOS, SUSPECT ZERO, STAND BY ME: DELUXE EDITION, SIDEWAYS, COLUMBO: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON, and MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000, VOL. 7. The 20,000th story on the site, my set report from the London soundstages of THE CORPSE BRIDE. My review of the EPISODE III soundtrack. While I was in London for THE CORPSE BRIDE, I sat down with Lloyd Levin to look at the pre-production work he'd done with Paul Greengrass on WATCHMEN. This report is your best look at what that version of the film might have been. My review of STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH.