Gone Girl. It’s always a great feeling when after 40+ years on the planet a film surprises and lulls me into it. Gone Girl’s the real deal, an absorbing Hitchcockian (Hitchcockesque?) thriller and my favorite on this list. I guess that’s without saying when you’ve got David Fincher at the helm and Jeff Cronenweth behind the camera. And what’s up with Ben Affleck? The guy’s on such a great roll that I can almost forgive him for Surviving Christmas. Almost.

The Equalizer. Saw it in the theatre           awhile back, wanted to watch it again. The original Equalizer’s one of my favorite TV shows, and this hits the same vein as The Fly and Brian De Palma’s Scarface for me: just a solid, modern remake. Lots of menace, lots of action and style.

Jeremiah Johnson. I sought this out because I love John Milius, and I just finished reading an essay on the real life Johnson (a mountain man that sought vengeance against the Crow nation by killing them then eating their livers). The more exploitable elements (namely the liver eating) were swapped out for more emotional beats (independence, love, family), but it works all the same. There’s a lot to be said with the “less is more” theory, and there’s a detached isolation written all over Robert Redford’s manner that’s both seductive and melancholy at the same time. After watching this, I really enjoyed sleeping in my king size bed with heat pouring from the vents.

Expendables 3. The DVD box boasted it was “the best Expendables yet” and goddamn if that was the truth (but not a high bar to jump: I did not like the first two at all. Why the hell did I come back for a third trip?! I blame my low self esteem…) Gone are the horrible CGI bullet hits from the first one and the ultra-goofy antics of the second one. Now if only they can rid of those weird paint-on eyebrows on Sly.

The F Word. This was an enjoyable Harry Met Sally offspring with the meet cute, will-they-won’t they, etc etc beats within. The genre’s dependent on the formula (as most are) — and the success of it really depends on how well you like the actors in the roles. An example? I’d rather follow a life regiment decided by Gwyneth Paltrow than watch a Katherine Heigl rom-com. But I dug Zoe Kazan here, and I’m really liking Daniel Radcliffe lately (The Woman in Black is really, really good and have Horns ready to go for tonight), so thumb’s up, I guess.

Paddington. Took the kids to see it. It’s a nice little film about a talking, marmalade eating bear. Apparently it’s even popular in my generation. I enjoyed the popcorn and the inner debate I held on whether the CGI bear or Nicole Kidman looked the most real.

Modern Problems. I remember the poster for this when I was a kid and always wanted to see it. It’s got a pretty good cast — Chevy Chase (obviously), Dabney Coleman, Mary Kay Place, Brian Doyle-Murray, Nell Carter, Patti D’Arbanville (who, holy crap, was just sexier than hell). It’s not exactly the best Chevy Chase comedy (better than Under the Rainbow, way better than Cops and Robbersons), but there’s a weird, old-school, early ‘80s charm to it.

Black Rain. Black Rain is swimming in cinematic style. So much so, I had to keep rechecking if it was Ridley Scott directing it or his brother Tony (I still miss you, man). As much as I love Michael Douglas (how much do I love him? I’d actually sit and watch him read Gwyneth Paltrow Goop articles), this film is owned by the cinematography. I was on the fence with the story, but jesus christ on a stick, the colors, lighting and camera are mesmerizing.

All Star Superman. Where DC Comics fails in their feature division (exempt are Nolan’s Batman flicks, which pretty much leaves Man of Steel…), they make up for in spades on TV and straight-to-DVD cartoons. I really dug this “final days of the Man of Steel” tale, with some really nice animation and story that’s neither grim and hits the right tone of nostalgia. Good job, WB animator guys!

Superman vs the Elite. I liked All Star so much, I watched this one right after. It’s a great little story about how relevant someone like Superman would be (his ethics, not his powers) in a post-911 world. I’m a big fan of Ellis and Hitch’s Authority series (pro-active, ultra-violent super heroes), so it was good drama to see their moral compass (by way of the titled Elite) vs Clark’s. Once again, great animation.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Ugh.