PROJECT 365: 26 - 34

26. Bolt - I was a bit leery going in to this but ended up quite enjoying it with many a *laughs* moment. The various pigeons cracked me up and loved the cats teasing bolt from the top of the trailer, tryin to perfect their evil laughs and remember Bolt's message. Vice talent was good, animation was fantastic, story was quite adequate. 3/5

27. The Reader - just came back from a free screening of this and I can see why Kate Winslett is getting so many awards, she is simply stunning in it (and not only 'cause she spends half the film naked and in sex scenes). I didn't now much about the story going in and that was a good thing. Seriously emotionally charged film that doesn't have the typical wrapped up happy ending. Everyone else in the film is great and I totally loved it. 5/5

28. Sharkwater - poorly made but good intentioned doco about the plight of sharks and how their demise due to the popularity of shark fin soup could have massive detrimental effects to the world's largest ecologies. 3/5

29. *Clash of the Titans - classic Ray Harryhausen animated/live action film that doesn't age well. Ah well, maybe childhood memories of these films should stay there. 1.5/5

30. Babylon AD - films like this PISS ME OFF. How do they get the funding to make films with such a disjointed script? Such awful acting? Such lame direction? Honestly, I could have shit a better film than this. -3/5

31. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - had a few giggles but not as amusing as the original. Neil Patrick Harris is, as always, awesome. 1/5

32. Speed Racer - Not a fan of the fast and frenetic nature of this film or the hyper-animated style but I actually quite liked the story line. Not great but not as crap as I thought it was going to be. 2/5

33. Elephant - disturbing Gus Van Sant film that sort of mirrors the events of Columbine High. Good acting and at times good directing - Van Sant's penchant for long ambling shots where you are just following a student walking through the labyrinth of halls worked sometimes but mostly not. It did evoke more eerie feelings towards the end though. Can certainly see where that young Aussie director who made "2:37" got his inspiration from. 3/5

34. Gran Torino - Clint Eastwood is simply awesome as a racist, bigotted, grumpy old man who becomes involved with the lives of two young Asian neighbours. I thought the young guy wasn't the greatest actor in the world but the story and acting from everyone else was just so spot on that it didn't matter. Sad but uplifting ending, Eastwood has certainly decided to pull out all the stops before he carks it. 4/5