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The Best Movies of 2009
The Best Movies of 2009
Below is my list of the best movies that I have seen that were released in 2009 (even if some were made in 2008). I have included trailers for each movie. Click on any of the highlighted titles for my full review of that film. I highly recommend all of these movies. I will continue to add to this list if I see any more movies from 2009 that are worthy of this list.
Public Enemies (2009)
The Hangover (2009)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
The Box (2009)
The Road (2009)
Movies that were good, but did not quite make the list are:
State of Play (2009)
Push (2009)
Extract (2009)
Taken (2008)
Brothers (2009)
The Messenger (2009)
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)
Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Terminator Salvation (2009)
Up (2009)
The Proposal (2009)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)
Surrogates (2009)
Couple’s Retreat (2009)
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
Redbox Best Comedy Movies List March 2018
Redbox Best Comedy Movies March 2018
There are not very many titles on this list and here is why. First off, really funny movies are few and far between, these days. Hollywood has somehow gotten the idea that they have to make movies with a little bit of everything in it. They spit out movies with a little bit of story, a little bit of action, some drama, and a sprinkle of comedy, and then they call it a comedy. They are diluted comedies. What is the problem with that? Well, it is usually not very funny or entertaining. The most recent example of this is Gringo (2018).
I think Redbox has picked up on this, because not only do they have plenty of terrible comedy movies to choose from, they continue to bring back past comedies that were very successful when they were out originally. Notice how half of these movies came out before 2017? Notice also how half of these movies have Will Ferrell in them? Will Ferrell literally accounts for half of the best comedies inside of the box.
Below is my list of the best comedy movies that I have seen that are currently at Redbox.
The Best Comedy Movies Currently at the Redbox March 2018:
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Elf (2003)
21 Jump Street (2012)
Daddy’s Home (2015)
Daddy’s Home 2 (2017)
The House (2017)
CHIPS (2017)
Baywatch (2017)
Going in Style (2017)
Wilson (2017)
The Best Movies of 2011
The Best Movies of 2011
Below is my list of the best movies that I have seen that were released in 2011 (even if some were made in 2010). I have included trailers for each movie. I would love to eventually write a review of each of these films and talk about why I enjoyed them so much. But for now, just know that I highly recommend all of these movies. I will continue to add to this list if I see any more movies from 2011 that are worthy of this list.
The Town (2011)
Limitless (2011)
Hugo (2011)
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Moneyball (2011)
Source Code (2011)
The Beaver (2011)
50/50 (2011)
In Time (2011)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011)
30 Minutes or Less (2011)
Change-Up (2011)
Take Me Home Tonight (2011)
Movies that were good, but did not quite make the list are:
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Unknown (2011)
The Ides of March (2011)
The Best Movies of 2012
The Best Movies of 2012
Below is my list of the best movies that I have seen that were released in 2012 (even if some were made in 2011). I have included trailers for each movie. Click on the highlighted titles for my full reviews of each of those films. The movies that are not highlighted, I have not reviewed yet, but I still highly recommend them. I will continue to add to this list if I see any more movies from 2012 that are worthy of this list.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Contraband (2012)
The Grey (2011)
21 Jump Street (2012)
Dark Shadows (2012)
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Lawless (2012)
Looper (2012)
Argo (2012)
Movies that were good, but did not quite make the list are:
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Total Recall (2012)
The Expendables 2 (2012)
Heights Theater Columbia Heights, MN
Heights Theater Columbia Heights, MN
The other night I ventured out to see an old classic inside of an older classic. The beautifully maintained one-screen Heights Theater in Columbia Heights, MN was playing the film, The Window (1949) as part of a recent RKO “Film Noir” film festival that is still going on this month.
The Heights Theater is a nostalgic escape. It is 92 years old! It was built in 1926. Originally, it was used for local stage plays and vaudeville acts, besides a simple movie house.
I was last at this theater a handful of years ago for a Thanksgiving showing of Bringing Up Baby (1938). Before that, I attended part of a weekend movie marathon there when I was a teenager.
That movie marathon became part of “The Guinness Book of World Records.” People had the unique opportunity to stay overnight all weekend in the theater (they brought blankets, pillows, toothbrush, etc.). If they stayed the whole weekend and attended every movie that played each day, then they got their names into “The Guinness Book of World Records” (supposedly, but I never fully looked into that).
If my memory serves me correctly, I went to that movie marathon back then during two of the three days of that weekend. I was there specifically to see Laurel & Hardy, and I think even The Three Stooges on the big screen. I also stayed for a couple of feature films, but I cannot remember the titles.
Each time that I have been to the Heights Theater, it looks better than the time before. The owner of the theater is Tom Letness. He also owns the Dairy Queen next door. Both businesses were featured during said movie marathon. Letness has ensured painstaking restorations which have brought this little Historic Theater back to its former glory.
This little piece of history will transport you back to a simpler time. There is a certain elegance and sentiment that wafts throughout the lobby. It is a subtle hint of what to expect when you are actually in the theater, itself.
The theater is an antique and it has been maintained in the same way that you would treat an antique, with care and precision. There are so many details that bring you back to the atmosphere of old, like the vintage twinkling chandeliers on the ceilings overhead, the flickering marquee above the sidewalk outside, the organ player playing with care before the showing of each film, the gorgeous art posters adorning the walls, the old-fashioned red curtains opening and closing across the small screen before and after the show, and the real butter on the reasonably priced popcorn. These are among many other things that I have left out for you to see for yourself.
The preservation of this Historic Theater is impressive. It’s a movie lover’s paradise. It is definitely worth the visit, if you’ve never been before.
There is an upcoming Alfred Hitchcock Film Festival that I will likely attend. The classics often make a very fitting return to this classic theater.
The Best Movies of 2015
The Best Movies of 2015
Below is my list of the best movies that I have seen that were released in 2015 (even if some were made in 2014). I have included trailers for each movie. I would love to eventually write a review of each of these films and talk about why I enjoyed them so much. But for now, just know that I highly recommend all of these movies. I will continue to add to this list if I see any more movies from 2015 that are worthy of this list. 2015 was a particularly good year for movies.
The Revenant (2015)
Black Mass (2015)
Southpaw (2015)
No Escape (2015)
The Martian (2015)
Run All Night (2015)
Ted 2 (2015)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015)
The Gift (2015)
Room (2015)
Spectre (2015)
Creed (2015)
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
Good Kill (2015)
Emagine Willow Creek Theater in Plymouth, MN
Emagine Willow Creek Theater in Plymouth, MN
Gone are the days of the singing candy boxes dancing across the screen along with the trailers before the feature film. Gone are the days of the Cineplex Odeon Cinema. Muller Family no longer owns this theater. Emagine has redefined what I call my “home theater.” The Willow Creek Theater has come a long way, and I’ve been along for the whole ride.
This movie theater opened in 1989. It is the first theater that I remember visiting as a child.
I visited the nearby General Cinemas Shelard Park Theater in St. Louis Park since I was in the womb up until near the time that theater closed. However, I’ve kept coming back to Willow Creek.
Willow Creek has always been more memorable and it has stood the test of time. The evolution of this theater has been a sight to see. Emagine has made some very tasteful upgrades that has transformed this movie house into a new kind of awesome.
These days, theaters need the cushy recliners in order to compete. A bar and restaurant is also becoming the norm. Willow Creek has all of that and more. The popular film themed paintings on the walls are a nice added touch. It classes the joint up, along with the chandelier in the entryway and the weeping willows.
This place is almost a classic. I have spent many a bag of popcorn exploring the movie world here. The movies change, but this theater still feels like home.
MoviePass is it worth it?
MoviePass is it worth it?
If I had known about MoviePass a few years ago, I would have seen many more films in the theater. Also, I would have saved a lot of money. MoviePass takes the stress out of going to the theater. No more worrying about if a film is going to be worth forking over your hard earned money, just to be disappointed.
MoviePass is absolutely worth it. Especially if you purchase it through Costco for $30 less per year than what MoviePass usually charges. $89.99 and you can see one movie in the theater per day for a year (Regular price $120 per year). If you see at least 9 movies in a year, it pays for itself.
Take my word for it. If you see more than 9 movies in a year, you are wasting your money by not having a MoviePass. I’m not trying to sell or advertise for them. I just love mine that much!
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