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Brooklyn's Finest
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - In the 1970's, 80's and 90's, New York City and Brooklyn were portrayed in movies as dens of iniquity where evil (and rats) lurked in the shadows of every alley. That's why we believed each case on Cagney and Lacey, NYPD Blue and Law & Order could really happen (and often... more
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Alice in Wonderland
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Poor Tim Burton. When his name gets attached to a film, the expectations and the hype explode beyond the stratosphere, and you can't live up to it every time (kind of like having a date with Megan Fox and finding out she's a nice girl who needs to be home by 11 PM). more
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The Crazies
3 Waffles (Out of 4) - You know how much I hate nepotism and would rather mock the rich and the famous than laud them or even give them the faintest of praise. However, I can't deny the obvious (and it is killing me to my core). The spawn of Michael Eisner can direct. He must have made a second... more
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Shutter Island
3 Waffles (Out of 4) - This is the movie where Leonardo DiCaprio proves he is committed to recycling. After practicing, studying and spending all of that money on lessons to speak with a Southie Boston accent in The Departed, he brings it back for Shutter Island! more
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Valentine's Day
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Call it the romantic in me, or label me a sap, but I didn't hate it. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. more
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Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - The people behind Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief are trying to follow the Harry Potter formula to make some box office magic (even bringing in the director of the first 2 Harry Potter movies), but this film is not even as exciting as a rabbit being pulled... more
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From Paris With Love
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - From Paris With Love is a movie that shows you better have good writing if you want to be a traditional action thriller. Otherwise, just blow stuff up with a vengeance and let people enjoy the ride. more
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Dear John
½ Waffle (Out of 4) - Dear John is a movie that shows you how shallow people have become in 2010. This isn't a movie about a man and woman falling in passionate, life-changing, mesmerizing and everlasting love. It's a movie about a great set of abs falling in lust with a great pair of ... legs. more
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When in Rome
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Stop me if you have heard this one before (and, you have). Kristen Bell stars as Beth - a hot young blonde in New York City who works so hard, she doesn't take time for love. Suddenly, while preparing for the most important art show she will ever put on for her employer,... more
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Edge of Darkness
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Forget about Dirty Harry or Chuck Norris being your go-to tough guys when the audience wants to see some slime ball agents of evil get blown away with a vengeance. Mel "The Australian Madman" Gibson is ready to kick some booty. Do you feel lucky, mate? Do ya? more
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Extraordinary Measures
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - If you see the ads for Extraordinary Measures, you quickly realize the marketing team isn't sure what they have and they don't trust the product they must sell. Sometimes, I see ads that make Extraordinary Measures seem like a potboiler of a thriller where two guys go... more
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Tooth Fairy
0 Waffles (Out of 4) - I am a big fan of Dwayne "I Will Always Call You The Rock" Johnson, so I hope he was paid well for this one. In fact, I hope he went into the negotiations with a list. more
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The Lovely Bones
2 Waffles (Out of 4) - Set in 1973, Saoirse Ronan stars as Susie Salmon - a young high school girl who has a great life ahead of her. She is experiencing her first crush. She has a loving family. She's passionate about photography and shows some real potential. And, Susie is about to be brutally... more
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The Book of Eli
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - He has won Oscars, starred on Broadway and still ranks as one of the coolest men on the planet. What is left for him to accomplish? Denzel wants to kick some boo-tay! more
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Youth in Revolt
4 Waffles (Out of 4) - Michael Cera stars as Nick Twisp - an aspiring teen novelist in Oakland who lives with his mother, Estelle (Jean Smart), and whatever loser guy she might be dating at the time. Right now, that loser guy is Jerry (Zach Galifianakis) and he has found himself in the middle of... more
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Daybreakers
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Set in 2019, Ethan Hawke stars as Edward Dalton - a humanitarian vampire scientist trying to invent an alternative to human blood (he's part MacGyver, part Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and part Robert Pattinson, but he keeps his shirt on). See, some sort of virus infected... more
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Leap Year
1 ½ Waffles (Out of 4) - Yes, January is the time for movies with ridiculous premises that make you believe every studio exec in Hollywood is engaging in Amy Winehouse levels of drug use. Leap Year doesn't disappoint. It's a movie that makes you think you stepped back into 1950, which makes me... more
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A Single Man
Set in 1962, Colin Firth stars as George - a college professor suffering from the tragic loss of his beloved partner, Jim (Matthew Goode). Finally at his wit's end and full of pain that won't go away, George has decided to end it all, but life keeps getting in the way. more
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It's Complicated
Meryl Streep stars as Jane - a restaurateur who doesn't spend a great deal of time in the restaurant because her love life is starting to explode (I guess flirting with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin is more interesting than rolling out some croissants). She got divorced from Jake (Alec Baldwin)... more
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Sherlock Holmes
If you are a fan of Basil Rathbone as a stuffier, cooler, calmer Sherlock Holmes, Robert Downey, Jr. might not exactly be your cup of tea. He is more of a Dr. House-like Sherlock Homes, which works just fine for me (and anyone who has no idea who Basil Rathbone is). more
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The Young Victoria
The Young Victoria is a movie about British history for those who love soap operas, and don't care alot about British history. Why let those pesky details and accuracy get in the way of looking at some pretty dresses? more
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Did You Hear About the Morgans?
Now, I am starting to understand why Hollywood continues to deliver up sequels and remakes. If these are the new and groundbreaking ideas, there is no hope for originality. more
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Me and Orson Welles
Set in 1937, Zac Efron stars as Richard - a high school kid who dreams of acting professionally. In a classic entertainment biz twist of good fortune, Richard finds himself passing by the Mercury Theater as Orson Welles (Christian McKay) is going on one of his frequent tirades and bursts of genius. more
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The Princess and The Frog
In a world where everything is computer generated, in 3-D and full of big name stars who want to collect fat paychecks for little work (OK, we all want that), The Princess and The Frog feels like a classic Disney movie made during the age of Bambi and Snow White. Rejoice! more
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Invictus
I kind of feel sorry for Clint Eastwood and the gang this week. Invictus is a traditional, dramatic sports movie about honorable people, and we'd rather see The Tiger Woods Story this week. Honest, reputable competition doesn't stand a chance against multiple affairs, sexy text messages, salacious... more
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Up In The Air
When I grow up, I want to be George Clooney. Even when he's miserable, going gray and possibly wearing dentures, women think he is a sexy beast. more
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Brothers
Tobey "Sign Me Up For a Spider-Man Sequel" Maguire stars as Captain Sam Cahill - one of the best Marines in The Corps, a husband, and the father of two adorable kids. Just as his troublesome brother, Tommy (Jake Gyllenhaal), is getting paroled from prison, Sam has been called back for a second tour... more
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Everybody's Fine
Robert De Niro stars as Frank - a recently widowed man trying to figure out what to do with his life. All of his children were closer to his wife, and he has been feeling sick lately, so he invites everyone to come back home for a big barbecue. Of course, each of the kids comes up with a last... more
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Ninja Assassin
If bloody mayhem is your idea of fun, this movie could cause you to explode in joy. more
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The Road
If you have had a bad day, your girlfriend dumped you, you have troubles at work or might be feeling down because someone swiped the last piece of cake you had been dreaming about all day long, The Road is the movie that will drive you over the edge, so hide all sharp objects before you buy a... more
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The Fantastic Mr. Fox
If I have said it once, I will say it a million times. Talking animals are funny. more
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The Blind Side
I should hate this movie with every ounce of my being (and that's alot of ounces). Yet, it has a certain charm that draws you in like the girl next door, when she has her hair up in a pony tail and smiles at you like you're George Clooney, Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron all rolled into one. more
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The Messenger
Don't call it a comeback because Woody Harrelson never went away! While he has been active for many years, it feels like Harrelson is on a big career upswing with Zombieland and this smaller independent film that will remind everyone how good of an actor he is. more
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Willie Waffle Interviews Rain from "Ninja Assassin" Video
Willie Waffle, DC50 Movie Maven, sits down with Rain, the star from the new movie "Ninja Assassin". more
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"The People Speak" Documentary Video
Chris Moore, Executive Producer, discusses his new documentary titled "The People Speak" at George Washington University. more
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Ten9Eight: Shoot for the Moon
Given all of the shenanigans and despicable activities we have seen destroy the economy, I wouldn't hold it against you if you had a bad opinion of CEOs and businesspeople (especially the ones who walked away from failed companies with multi-million dollar bonuses in their pockets). However,... more
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Lee Daniels Interview - "Precious" Video
Willie Waffle and Lee Daniels chat about the movie "Precious" more
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The Men Who Stare At Goats
Set in 2003, Ewan McGregor stars as Bob Wilton - a reporter in Ann Arbor who wants to shake up his life after his marriage takes a turn for the worst, and he starts to question the decisions he has made. To prove something to himself and his estranged wife, Bob decides to become a war reporter... more
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The Fourth Kind
After the most buzzworthy film of the year (Paranormal Activity) came out of nowhere to become the #1 movie in America, the marketing team behind The Fourth Kind is going to great lengths to make us believe the events depicted in this movie are real (just like the guys behind Paranormal Activity... more
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A Christmas Carol
I know you hear the names Walt Disney and Jim Carrey and start to think this is going to be some G-rated safe animated version of A Christmas Carol your 4-year old precious little bundle of joy will want to see because it will provide holiday memories for a lifetime (until those memories are... more
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Astro Boy
I used to be a huge Nicolas Cage fan, but am I the only person who just hears his voice or sees his face in a commercial and assumes the movie will be a dreadful, horrible, failure of a film? Seeing a trailer for Astro Boy haunted me for weeks and caused me to have all sorts of flashbacks to... more
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The Damned United
This movie has box office poison written all over it like graffiti on all of those building you pass when riding the Red Line towards Silver Spring. It's about soccer. It's British. The only thing it is missing is subtitles! To win over American audiences, The Damned United has to be The... more
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Law Abiding Citizen
Gerard Butler stars as Clyde Shelton - a mysterious figure who wants vengeance after his wife and child are murdered during a home invasion. The brash assistant district attorney, Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx), cuts a plea bargain deal with the more sadistic of the two killers, which angers Clyde, and... more
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Where The Wild Things Are
Reactions to Where The Wild Things Are tend to break into two categories. On the one hand, people are excited for the movie because they read the book. On the other hand, people are scared because they read the book (and don't want to see those childhood memories destroyed by some cold-hearted... more
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New York, I Love You
I want to review this movie, but it is such a mess, I don't know where to begin. Not even an appearance by Blake Lively was enough to make me happy when I went to see New York, I Love You, so you know there is no hope. more
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Paranormal Activity
You have heard the buzz, seen the commercials and probably had a friend or two check it out at one of those midnight shows, but is it too... more
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A Serious Man
If you believe most movie critics and stuffy film aficionados, the release of a Coen Brothers movie is akin to the birth of Jesus compelling fans to sing alleluia and buy their tickets with Frankincense and Mir. Don't buy into the hype! I might be at risk of having my movie critic card stripped... more
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Couples Retreat
Am I the only one who thinks Couples Retreat was just an excuse for the producers, director and stars to spend a few months having fun on the beaches of Tahiti? After seeing the results, I think it is pretty clear they did more partying than working, and still got paid millions of dollars. I... more
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"Capitalism: A Love Story" Review and Moore Interview Video
Among all of the filmmakers out there in the world today, it's hard to find one who gets as much attention as Michael Moore (although, Roman Polanski... more
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The Boys Are Back
Clive Owen stars as Joe - a disconnected father and sports reporter who suddenly becomes the only parent for his 6-year old son (Nicholas... more
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No Impact Man
It is the rare masochistic person who wants to go to the movies to be preached at, so I can understand why you might be afraid to see No... more
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The Informant
What is it with Matt Damon and his overwhelming desire to wear all sorts of makeup, goofy noses and funny glasses? According to legend and rumor (all lawyers should note the RUMOR and... more
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Love Happens
Are we supposed to take the title Love Happens as a positive or a negative? On the one hand, it sounds whimsical and magical like any time you... more
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All About Steve
I know someone somewhere thought it was cute play on words (and famous movie titles) to call this one, All About Steve, but it's a movie that is really something about Mary,... more
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World's Greatest Dad
If you follow movies, you might have noticed World's Greatest Dad is part of a growing trend. Instead of debuting in a handful of movie theaters in New York and Los Angeles,... more
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Play The Game
There have been many things in this world I never thought I would see, and watching Andy Griffith receive, umm, "oral pleasure" was one of them until I saw Play The Game. What... more
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Taking Woodstock
For the holidays, I am buying a calendar for every studio and marketing exec in Hollywood. They put out Halloween movies in August. Christmas movies come out at Halloween. I... more
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Inglourious Basterds
With (intentional) bad spelling and historical errors, Inglourious Basterds will be the bane of English teachers and World War II buffs everywhere. Unfortunately, the bigger... more
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The Time Traveler's Wife
Let me get this straight. A beautiful, smart woman like Rachel McAdams is willing to put up with a dude who disappears on a whim and leaves her alone for days and weeks on end?... more
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District 9
District 9 is for every person who walks out of the cineplex complaining that they want to see something different and original. That doesn't mean it is awesome, but it is... more
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra
Welcome to a world "in the near future" where female army uniforms are unbuttoned all the way to the the navel and every military person looks like a model (was this somehow... more
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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Warner Brothers teased, tempted and tantalized us when they moved the release date from November 2008 to July 2009, but was Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince worth the wait?... more
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The Ugly Truth
This is another one of those movies where the brains of Hollywood want us to believe someone who looks like Katherine Heigl has trouble getting dates. Trust me, I, and most men,... more
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Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
They survived the ice age. Then, they survived the meltdown. What's left? The mildly cloudy and partly sunny? Do we care? more
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Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg
The artistic and entertainment output of our Nation's Capital does extend beyond The Real World DC (which should elicit sighs of relief from the local arts community). This week,... more
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The Proposal
Let me get this straight. It's about a guy who has to be blackmailed into marrying Sandra Bullock? Blackmailed? He'd have to be married to Scarlett Johansson for that to be... more
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Public Enemies
How in the world can you make a gangster movie with Johnny Depp into one of the most boring movies of the year? We're talking gangsters and Tommy Guns and bank robberies and the... more
