February movies continued:

28. Rubber (2010)
Seinfeld used to brag that it was a television show about nothing. Wrong. This movie was about nothing. I really didn't know that anyone was still working in the Theater of the Absurd, but there it is. It's not bad for experimental theater, but then making it better would also have made it less experimental, I suppose.

29. Kiss Me Kill Me (1973)
A little sex, a little super-natural conspiracy, a little art-house: this movie was made for drive-ins. Satisfying in oh so many ways. This film was also released as Baba Yaga, Devil Witch, so maybe I should count it as two movies?

30. I Killed That Man (1941)
This is a b-movie detective story that would have run as a movie-house undercard back in the day. Really, it's not too different than modern television police procedurals.

31. The Wasp Woman (1959)
In a sentence: trying to recapture her lost youth, the head of a cosmetics company takes an experimental drug that turns her into a giant wasp. It is what you think it is.

32. Marty (1955)
Another Best Picture winner, and the film that made Ernest Borgnine. It watches like a 1950s television drama because it was adapted from a television drama. If you like that sort of thing, you'll love this; as good as 1950s television drama gets.

33. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
I like Dustin Hoffman, but I avoided watching this for years because I figured that it wasn't the type of movie I like to watch. It's very, very good. But it isn't the type of movie I like to watch. This was the fourth Best Picture Oscar winner that I watched this month, and it wasn't the last.

34. Religulous (2008)
Bill Maher's assault on religion would have been more entertaining if it wasn't so damn belligerent. Bill, if your argument is so strong, you shouldn't have to try so hard to make it.

35. The Protector (2005)
Friend Brian recommended this movie years ago, and he was totally right. (That will be the first and only time I say that, Coop, so enjoy it.) The kung-fu action is simply top-notch.

36. 8½ (1963)
This is the first film I watched in 2012 that had me thinking about it for days after watching it. I'm still not sure whether I like it, but I think that very aspect of it is why so many critics call it such a great film.

37. Planet Terror (2007)
This was the second movie I watched this month that made me actively angry after it was over. I knew going in that I hate zombie movies, and this film contains every reason why with excessive gore and violence, impossible fantasy presented as science, stupid characters, and everyone losing in the end as civilization collapses. Ugh. Take note, Trey: this is the second movie this month that kills a dog. Unlike Paul, which killed a dog in order to motivate the characters, this movie kills a dog just to kill a dog. That's unforgivable, even in a film that pretends not to be taking itself seriously. The movie kills a child -- self-inflicted gunshot wound -- for the same reason. There is no message in this movie, so is this non-stop meaningless death is supposed to be entertainment? Zookeeper was better than this. I swear, I will never watch another zombie movie ever. EVER.

38. The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
They really, really don't make films like this anymore. It's a good film with an entertaining mix of adventure and romance, but these days there would have to be some foolish sidekick, a chase scene, and far more violence -- this film has none to speak of. This film has been remade several times, and I look forward to seeing if the more recent versions aren't more of what I expected from Hollywood.

39. The Help (2011)
Mom voted that we watch this film rather than watch the Academy Awards. I'm glad we did. (I love you, Emma Stone.)

40. Kisses for My President (1964)
The last time I saw Fred MacMurry, he was an adulterer in The Apartment. In this film, he is the devoted husband of the first female U.S. President. If you are familiar with My Three Sons of The Shaggy D.A., you know what this film is. The best part of this light comedy is the archaic attitude towards women in power. Unless, of course, you are a Rush Limbaugh supporter.

If you've been counting, you'll note that, yes, there are two more films I watched in February that aren't on this list. I'll get to them in a later post.

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