SOUND OF MY VOICE  (2012)  ***1/2 out of 4  In this psychological thriller, journalists Peter and Lorna undergo an elaborate preparation process in order to infiltrate a cult, but the mystery only deepens when their blindfolds are removed.

My Review: An absolutely riveting film.  I wasn't a huge fan of Another Earth, but Brit Marling is a revelation here as the mysterious cult leader Maggie (who has a small but devoted group of followers convinced that she comes from the year 2054).  Maggie is a fascinating bundle of contradictions, and the journalists (Christopher Denham and Nicole Vicius) find themselves sucked into her vortex to varying degrees.  The script (by Marling and director Zal Batmanglij) manages the tricky feat of always staying one step ahead of you, and the ending is thrilling and hauntingly ambiguous.

TIME BANDITS  (1981)  ***1/2 out of 4  In Terry Gilliam's fantastic voyage through time and space, a boy escapes from his gadget-obsessed parents to join a band of time-traveling dwarves. On their journey, they visit Napoleon (Ian Holm), Robin Hood (John Cleese) and King Agamemnon (Sean Connery), among other popular figures. It's a giddy, visually outrageous fairy tale, a revisionist history lesson and a satire on technology gone awry -- all wrapped into one adventure.

My Review: Ceaselessly inventive and entertaining, Terry Gilliam's oddball fantasy adventure seems to have set the template for many of his future films. From the moment a knight on horseback comes crashing out of a unhappy young suburban boy's closet, leading him indirectly into a fantastical world, Wizard of Oz-style, the energy rarely flags.  Also true of many of Gilliam's later films, Time Bandits gets rather dark as it goes along, but it never loses its sense of wonder. 

TIDELAND  (2005)  *** out of 4  With her parents (Jeff Bridges and Jennifer Tilly) dead from drug overdoses, Jeliza-Rose (Jodelle Ferland) is free to roam the surrounding prairie, where she meets a mentally challenged boy (Brendan Fletcher) and his oddly macabre sister (Janet McTeer). Terry Gilliam directs this fantastical drama that evokes the world of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

My Review: Widely hated upon its 2005 release, I had always kind of avoided this (despite being intrigued by the story) until I started to hear positive recommendations from friends.  Though I understand why it unnerved and disgusted many, many people, I liked it quite a bit.  The fantasy world that Jeliza-Rose loses herself in, in lieu of any responsible adults (and while her father's dead body literally rots away in the living room) is captivating and genuinely creepy.  Somewhere along the line, Tideland crosses the line from dark fantasy into outright horror, and the whole film is so hallucinatory and singular that the viewer may not even notice.  Lots of people may hate Tideland, but I sure didn't.

DARK SHADOWS  (2012)  ***1/2 out of 4  Tim Burton's take on the cult gothic soap follows a centuries-old vampire as he returns to his now-crumbling estate to meet his modern descendants. But what he finds is a house full of secrets and shadows.

My Review: I've been a huge fan of Tim Burton most of my life.  His playful gothic sensibility and pop surrealism had a big hand in shaping my cinematic taste, and Ed Wood, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, Beetlejuice, Mars Attacks! and the original short film "Frankenweenie" are among my all-time favorite films.  It's not that I've hated all the Burton films since Mars Attacks!, in fact I've generally liked them all (especially Big Fish and Sweeney Todd), but none of them had the snap of those early ones for me.

That's why I'm really happy to say that Dark Shadows was such a spooky, gothic delight.  Much creepier and weirder than the goofy trailers let on (it's way closer to Beetlejuice than Alice in Wonderland), this is a Burton film, old-school style.  The Collins mansion alone, a haunted-house maze of cobwebbed secret passageways, is worth the price of admission, and the ensemble cast is just as good, featuring a newly energized Johnny Depp in the lead as the wry vampire Barnabas Collins.  The pace moves swiftly, the story is engaging, and the violent finale thoroughly satisfying.

Also, great '70s soundtrack, especially the extended Alice Cooper cameo.  Not only does he do one of his most popular anthems ("No More Mr. Nice Guy") but the great "Ballad of Dwight Fry" is put to excellent, thematically appropriate use, too!

THE AVENGERS  (2012)  ***1/2 out of 4  An all-star lineup of superheroes -- including Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and Captain America -- team up to save the world from certain doom. Working under the authority of S.H.I.E.L.D., can our heroes keep the planet at peace?

My Review: So much has already been written about this film, so all I'm gonna say is that I'm joining the chorus.  It's awesome.  And congratulations to geek hero Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Cabin in the Woods) for having the chance to bring his unique and clever wit to such a massive production as writer and director.  I even liked the 3D!

THE WHITE STRIPES: UNDER GREAT WHITE NORTHERN LIGHTS  (2009)  *** out of 4  In a captivating mix of striking live footage and poignant off-stage moments, this documentary captures The White Stripes 2007 tour of Canada, showcasing one of the world's most famous and enigmatic bands playing to big crowds in towns of all sizes. The film features performances at traditional venues as well as matinee gigs at unusual places such as a bowling alley, on a boat and even on a city bus. 

My Review: Interesting concert/tour film about the White Stripes' unconventional Canadian tour in support of their 2007 album Icky Thump, playing not just the big cities but small towns and rural areas as well.  The concert footage is excellent, the off-stage stuff intriguing (especially a beautiful scene where the Stripes meet and share music with Inuit elders).  Don't expect to really get to know to Jack and Meg though, as their relationship and true personalities remain as teasingly enigmatic as ever.

THE THREE STOOGES  (2012)  ***1/2 out of 4  The Three Stooges return to the big screen with this contemporary take on the zany trio from Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly. Beginning with their childhood in an orphanage in the 1950s, the film takes Larry, Moe and Curly through their adult years. Three interconnected segments written and directed by the Farrelly brothers contain all-new material but remain true to the classic tone set by the beloved slapstick icons.

My Review: A very pleasant surprise, I'm glad I caught this before it disappeared from theatres.  The best Farrelly brothers film since 2003's criminally underrated Stuck on You, their Three Stooges film is cleverly structured as three back-to-back "episodes" with a classically satisfying story arc (the Stooges need $830,000 to save their orphanage!  Can they do it?)  The film's chief asset is the uniformly awesome performances by Chris Diamontopoulos (Moe), Will Sasso (Curly), and an unrecognizable Sean Hayes as Larry, but they are aided by the Farrellys' unique blend of silly humor and sweet-natured, non-cloying sentiment.  Worth checking out if you can still catch it, or certainly on DVD.

THE RAVEN  (2012)  ** out of 4  After discovering that a string of baffling murders seems to be inspired by the macabre short stories of Edgar Allan Poe, Baltimore cop Emmett Fields turns to the brilliant-but-boozy author to help solve the crimes.

My Review: John Cusack's spirited, campy performance is about the only bright spot in this dreary, dull, not-very-thrilling thriller.  It's too bad, because a Sherlock Holmes-style film taking place in the dark world of Poe could have been really awesome.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD  (2008)  ***1/2 out of 4  On a train crossing the Manchurian desert, an unlikely trio -- good bounty hunter Park Do-won (Woo-sung Jung), bad gangster Park Chang-yi (Byung-hun Lee) and weird train robber Yoon Tae-goo (Kang-ho Song) -- compete to find a treasure map's promised loot. Racing through the unforgiving landscape, they stay one step ahead of rivals and the Japanese army. Ji-woon Kim directs this Sergio Leone-inspired adventure.

My Review: Thrilling, hugely enjoyable action/adventure that plays something like a mash-up of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Kung-Fu Hustle and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  For the first 90 minutes, it's just about perfect: entertaining, sympathetic good guys, really-bad bad guys and a story that rolls along at a terrific pace, filled with wildly cinematic action sequences.  If the last 30 minutes feels exhausting, it's probably just because it's too much of a good thing (and there are far worse cinematic sins).  Highly recommended and available on Netflix streaming.

BULLY  (2012)  ** out of 4  Exploring the subject of school bullying from a personal angle, this eye-opening documentary tracks the stories of five different families whose children are struggling to defend themselves on a near-daily basis.

My Review: School bullying is a serious, important, and unsolvable problem of immense complexity.  Too immense for director Lee Hirsch apparently, whose well-intentioned but mediocre documentary Bully avoids the larger sociological issues at hand in favor of 60 Minutes-style profiles of victims.  These kids' stories are compelling, but their presentation in this film isn't, and the filmmakers ultimately don't seem to have much to say besides "kids can be real shitheads sometimes, and that sucks!"  The film's most fatal flaw, however, is the filmmakers' decision to not interview any actual bullies or their parents.  Without that crucial half of the story, it's a frustratingly one-dimensional film.

RUBBER  (2011)  *** out of 4  Quentin Dupieux directs this inventive twist on low-rent revenge flicks, which follows a car tire named Robert that rolls through the desert Southwest using its strange psychic powers to blow up birds, bunnies, human beings and more. But when Robert spies a gorgeous woman motoring down the highway, he decides to follow her and take a chance on love. This gleefully over-the-top black comedy stars Stephen Spinella and Roxanne Mesquida.

My Review: Any movie about a killer tire would have to pull in a pretty open-minded audience, so it's a good thing that Rubber includes a good number of surprise treats for those open-minded souls.  Part absurdist dark comedy and part hyper-meta satire, it fills up the 80 minutes far better than I expected with lots of creative twists and turns (and lots of exploding heads and animals!)  Stephen Spinella and Wings Hauser are also great and clearly having fun with the deconstructive shenanigans.

STOP MAKING SENSE  (1984)  ***1/2  Director Jonathan Demme expertly crafted this unrivaled concert film from footage of three live gigs at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre. The staging concept -- the brainchild of Talking Heads front man David Byrne -- begins with the lead vocalist striding onto an empty stage, acoustic guitar and boom box in hand. With each new tune, another band member or backup singer joins Byrne onstage, building steadily toward the smokin' finale.

My Review: As good as I've always heard it was, Stop Making Sense is an expertly done concert film chronicling the Talking Heads' live show at the height of their success.  Talking Heads are one of those bands that I have regrettably not gotten around to fully absorbing yet (despite the fact that I already own five of their albums, just haven't gotten around to listening to them yet!) but this excellent film certainly lit a fire under me to get to them.  A gloriously cinematic film, especially the beautifully done, extended opening during which the band members appear on stage one at a time over the course of several songs until at last the stage is complete.

TRINITY AND BEYOND: THE ATOMIC BOMB MOVIE  (1995)  *** out of 4  Using jaw-dropping footage that was previously classified by the U.S. government, this fascinating documentary compiled by special effects filmmaker Peter Kuran and narrated by William Shatner chronicles the development of the atomic hydrogen bomb. Highlights include an underwater detonation of an atomic bomb designed to test the effect of the blast on ships at sea, as well as an interview with nuclear weapons developer Edward Teller.

My Review: The best film I've ever seen about the atomic bomb is 1982's brilliantly haunting collage-style documentary The Atomic Cafe (seriously, seek out that movie if you haven't - and it's available on Netflix Instant, too!)  Trinity and Beyond is a much more straightforward, just-the-facts documentary that suffers from almost too much information over the course of 90 minutes, threatenening to become numbing in the process.  Still, very much worth seeing for those interesting in this fascinating and terrifying subject. 

THE RAID: REDEMPTION  (2012)  *** out of 4  When an elite SWAT team goes after a drug lord holed up in Jakarta's most notorious tenement building, they find themselves trapped and forced to fight their way out through brutal gangsters loyal to the kingpin they were trying to assassinate.

My Review: An insane action movie boiled down to the very basics (skilled, well-armed good guys vs. skilled, well-armed bad guys: GO!).  Maybe more than any other movie to which this comparison has been made, The Raid: Redemption is like a video game, complete with levels and bosses that must be defeated before moving on.  Barely any time for dialogue (beyond the functional necessities) or any character development at all.  None of this is a negative.  For what it is, the movie is just about perfect.  The action is phenomenal, remarkably brutal and almost never lets up.  I can't exactly say it's a complete film-going experience, but for 90 minutes of well-choreographed punching, kicking and shooting it's hard to beat.

THE KID WITH A BIKE  (2011)  ***1/2 out of 4  After being abandoned by his deadbeat dad, 11-year-old Cyril Catoul is virtually adopted by a goodhearted hairdresser who tries to help him. But despite her kindness, the disillusioned boy soon falls in with a young drug peddler.

My Review: Another excellent, naturalistic slice-of-life from the Dardenne brothers, The Kid with a Bike may look like sentimental fluff, but as those familiar with the Dardennes' work would expect, it's actually quite gripping and raw, able to suck you in completely in its very first moments.  As the titular "kid," Thomas Doret is incredible, all the more so for this being his first film.

[REC] 2  (2009)  *** out of 4  In this sequel to their 2007 horror hit [Rec], directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza take viewers back to the scene of the original nightmare -- a now-sealed-off apartment where a raging virus was unleashed on rescue workers. With camera once again in tow, a medical officer and a SWAT team venture into ground zero of the virulent virus to try to contain the disease and abort its deadly spread.

My Review: The original [REC] wasn't just the best of all the Blair Witch knock-offs, but one of the very best horror films of the last decade.  For better and worse, this sequel is pretty much exactly like it.  The novelty of the original is gone, however, despite this film's Exorcist-style twist on it.  The filmmakers also make a serious error by breaking away from the SWAT team to follow a trio of annoying teenagers who decide to break into the quarantined building (with a camera, of course) to...I dunno, look around and get killed.  It destroys the momentum of the movie for about 20 minutes, but after they're out of the picture it starts being pretty awesome again.  And what a finish!

RED  (2008)  **1/2 out of 4  When it becomes apparent that the three teenage miscreants who murdered his dearly loved dog, Red, won't be held accountable for their senseless deed, the normally reclusive and affable Avery Ludlow (Brian Cox) resolves to take matters into his own hands. Trygve Diesen and Lucky McKee direct this disquieting thriller that also stars Tom Sizemore, Kim Dickens, Robert Englund, Richard Riehle, Noel Fisher and Amanda Plummer.

My Review: With a great indie cast (especially a perfectly cast Brian Cox in the lead) and a simple revenge story that has the ring of a good Stephen King yarn, I was expecting a slam dunk here.  And it is pretty good most of the way, with Cox tearing into the role like I knew he would.  The script is a little on the weak side, however, and it becomes a tad silly by the end (the last thing you want in a revenge drama).  Still, worth seeing for the early scenes of Cox and Sizemore going head-to-head and the powerful moments scattered throughout.