4 Reviews in Under 400 Words

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Based on the same book as I Am Legend (2007), I found this to be more psychologically complex (and so compelling) than the remake. Which isn't to say it's flawless: there are still some elements that just didn't add up, and Vincent Price isn't as likable as Will Smith. Overall, however, The Last Man on Earth is still the better film, delving further into the psyche of a man believed to be the lone survivor of a bacteria that reanimates its slain victims as vampires.

Running with Scissors (2006)
Based on the memoirs of Augusten Burroughs, this film boasts an ensemble cast, but a not-so-ensemble performance. It's... OK. Always quirky and sometimes funny and touching — and yet otherwise so aware of its attempts to fulfill the role of an "Indie" film that it loses its touch. Though if you're intent on watching films cataloging dysfunctional families, you might want to queue it up all the same.

Across the Universe (2007)

Less than 10 minutes into this movie — a musical set in the 1960s to Beatles re-makes — I turned it off. I liked the idea of it better than the execution, foolishly thinking the Beatles songs were more of a "soundtrack" and less so a part of a musical. I was wrong. In typical musical fashion, the characters periodically dance about and burst into song. And with three such instances so early in the film, I knew I didn't have what it takes to sit through more. I learned my lesson with Hairspray.

Good Luck Chuck (2007)
So it turns out Dane Cook is slightly less annoying — and slightly more amusing — in film than he is in his comedy routine (if we can even call what he does "comedy" — I've yet to understand how he became so famous). But that's not to say this film is good, because it isn't. It's crass and offensive, with a few chuckle-worthy lines thrown in here and there. Essentially: it's about a "cursed" man whose ex-girlfriends ALWAYS marry the guy they date right after him. This is all fine and dandy until he meets a klutzy penguin-girl he actually wants to keep around.