Targets (1968)***
Accomplished debut for film buff turned director Peter Bogdanovich. Interesting, well written script, quite good performances and some nifty camera work.

Anatomy of Hell (2004)**
Not exactly sure what the director was going for in this film of basically, two naked people getting to know each other for a few days but it's definitely not a rom-com! Lots of talk, lots of sex and genital-related activity, some closeups of areas that aren't usually shown in closeup, and an interesting use of a garden tool. A little too direct to be successful, but mercifully short. ("The woman" character gives new meaning to the term "sound sleeper"!)

Staggering Guardian Report Ties David Petraeus to Iraq Torture Centers - Philip Bump - The Atlantic Wire:
"There are other amazing details in the story: that U.S.-funded cameras were used to capture torture footage for an Iraqi TV show; that much of the information came to light thanks to the secret documents Bradley Manning sent to Wikileaks."

Legend (1985)***
One of Ridley Scott's more visually arresting films but this "myth"-mash fails to engage. The actors try their best and Mia Sara (all of 15!) makes a lovely heroine, but the production design and cinematography are the true stars and the script seems more like an afterthought.

Ffolkes (1979)**
"A" list cast stuck with a "B" list director, but still manage to make a watchable and enjoyable actioner about a quirky former soldier and his own team of mercenaries coming to the rescue of Queen and country.

The Hunger Games (2012)**
Technically well filmed and watchable despite its length but suffers from the first-in-a-trilogy story issues, and from the fact that the story just isn't all that well told. Unfortunately, its massive box office success has spawned far too many similarly dystopian sci-fi epics.

Lawfare › Kill-List Baseball Cards and the Targeting Paper Trail:
"Following the vetting and validation of targets, participants in the kill-list creation process also have an opportunity to vote on whether a name should be nominated for inclusion on a kill-list. In the Obama administration, Dan Klaidman, Jo Becker and Scott Shane have reported that this this debate and voting process was colloquially referred to as Terror Tuesdays. (Interestingly, during the Vietnam War targets were approved by the President at what become known as Tuesday luncheons, it seems Tuesdays are a bad day for America’s enemies)."

How can so many persons in positions of power go along with this? "Baseball cards"? "Terror Tuesdays"? And this line is especially rich: " On the one hand, many hands means many eyes, and impropriety may be discovered or reported by whistleblowers." I believe he says this un-ironically. Well I guess as long as there is some process and an extensive paper trail...

via @theharryshearer

Ruby Cairo (1993)**
Starts off rather well and for the first hour is actually kind of engrossing. Then the lovely Andie MacDowell gets to Egypt and the movie falls off a cliff.

The Evil Eye (1963)**
Mario Bava tries his best to make a Hitchcock film with a limited budget, limited actors, and a very limited script. Still, watchable for the many Bava-rian moments.

Side Effects (2013)***
Slick, old-fashioned noir with the usual Soderbergh touches: strong acting, clean, modern production design, superb cinematography. Could have used some Hitchcock-ian humor and perhaps one more twist.

Elles (2011)***
Reliably explicit and frank French film concerning an uptight, upper middle class female journalist haunted by a couple of interviewees' sex lives. Juliette Binoche is very good.

Rescue Dawn (2006)**
Reliably quirky Werner Herzog movie about the survival of a US fighter pilot shot down over Laos in 1965. Some fine performances but some Herzog touches, such as near constant background music and an ending that goes on too long, drag the film down.

Rhodes (1936)*
Ill-conceived and ill-executed biopic of the legendary imperialist which glosses over trivialities such as the Second Boer War and much of Rhodes' chicanery. Walter Huston is watchable in the lead.

Faulk still reeling from 'being cheated' : Stltoday:
"•Mike Martz’s playcalling was awful. The Patriots lined up in a nickel or dime defense with extra pass defenders on 75 percent of the Rams’ plays. Belichick correctly concluded that Martz wouldn’t have the patience or discipline to stick with running the football. Indeed, the Rams attempted 47 passes and only 22 runs."

Ok, once more for the all incompetent sports writers, the number of plays called and the type of plays called as a meaningful statistic bereft of context is MEANINGLESS. Just looking at the stats, the Rams offense was incredibly successful in terms of yardage despite the supposed superiority of the Patriots' defensive scheme. The 3 turnovers directly resulted in 17 Patriots points and was the difference in the game.

The Hospital (1971)****
Exceptional Paddy Chayefsky script, terrific George C. Scott performance, and innovative direction from Arthur Hiller which would be copied 20+ years later by ER and others. Another great movie from the 70's.

House by the River (1950)***
Nifty noir with interesting touches from director Fritz Lang. Jane Wyatt is very good as is the b/w photography.

'Zero Dark Thirty' Is Osama bin Laden's Last Victory Over America: Rolling Stone
"But forget about all of that. The real problem is what this movie says about us. When those Abu Ghraib pictures came out years ago, at least half of America was horrified. The national consensus (albeit by a frighteningly slim margin) was that this wasn't who we, as a people, wanted to be. But now, four years later, Zero Dark Thirty comes out, and it seems that we've become so blunted to the horror of what we did and/or are doing at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and Bagram and other places that we can accept it, provided we get a boffo movie out of it.

That's pathetic. Bin Laden was maybe the most humorless person who ever lived, but he has to be laughing from the afterlife. We make an incredible movie that celebrates his death – a movie so good it'll be seen everywhere in the world – and all it does is prove him right about us."

Boogie Nights (1997)****
Vibrant, compelling, hilarious and a tour de force for director PT Anderson. Clearly influenced by Scorsese, with a near perfect performance from Marky Mark. Period detail is spectacular as is the use of popular songs of the era.

Woman of Straw (1964)**
A complicated murder mystery with a fine cast, well written and shot, but needs a good 30 minutes cut. Gina Lollobrigida is quite good.

Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)*
If a director is going to significantly change a novel in the adaptation to the screen, he really should change the title. Or perhaps Mr. Lyne didn't INTEND to play it as a rom-com after all. Only worth watching for Kim Basinger. Apotheosis of the "80's" movie.