Bryan O’Neill’s Movie Reviews & Predictions

Several years ago I decided to save my movie ticket stubs. I thought it might be a nice way to remember what I've seen over the years. The list of movies below represent ticket stubs I currently have in my possession. Unless I’ve noted it in the listing these are all movies I have paid money to see. Looking back, I’ve seen a lot of great movies. There are also many regrets in this list. Although the number of movies I have seen per year have tended to go up, I don't have a goal of how many movies I plan to see each year. Not all movies are great. In fact, as more remakes appear, the quality of movies, in my opinion, has gone down. Since I don't get paid to see these movies or review them I'd rather not spend my money on movies that are crap if I can avoid it.

I love movies, and the experience seeing a film with an audience can bring. It is sobering to realize how old some of these movies are now. *cringe*

Some years are missing because I lost the stubs. Maybe I tossed them accidently or perhaps they are waiting at the bottom of some junk box in the garage. Years like ’95 have one because I was getting a lot of movies for free when I was working at the theater. I could just sign my name to the list and walk in, hence free movie, but no stub. Years that don't have many movies listed are the result of lost stubs, not necessarily because those are the only movies I saw. I watch video/rent when I can. This is just a list of the paid for/stub related movies.

My advice to the casual moviegoer: To maximize your experience, never go into a movie completely blind if you value your time and money. While in past years I might have said it doesn't matter, as movies get worse I think it's smart to know something about it before you go in fresh, especially if you are with a date, family, or children. Once you pay $10 (On average) bucks for a person and another $20 on drinks and popcorn you'll be glad you checked. Don't ask the people at the theatre what they like. All they want to do is sell you a ticket.

Bottom Line: Life is too short to waste it on bad movies.

Predictions: The Future

Ask any seasoned moviegoer about a movie that's coming and they'll probably have an opinion on it. You see enough movies and you start to see the patterns. You hear about it, you think you know how it's going to be, you then see the trailer and you just kind of know how it's going to play out. A lot of movie trailers now pretty much show the whole thing anyway, so in a lot of cases it's pointless to even pay for the full thing. Occasionaly a movie will suprise you, but once you see enough movies, these suprises are few and far between.

The predictions list will be a living document. I will be listing movies I want to see and what I predict the review will be. You might be asking why I would score a movie as 'horrible' in a prediction. If I think it's going to suck, why go see it? I do this because of morbid curiosity. Sometimes I want to see if I'm right. If I'm going to talk about the movie later, then I want to make sure I see it. I don't want to be that guy who talks about movies he hasn't seen. 

Reviews: How I Score Movies

Excellent - This means I loved it or it raised the bar for entertainment somehow. Movies that get this score went above and beyond to entertain. The story was great, the characters fantastic, and proved there's still a spot for quality in moviedom. I would recommend this to see in a theatre or at least put it on your Bucket List to see someday.

Above Average - This means the movie was highly enjoyable but it had issues that kept it from being great. It might have tried to be epic, but took itself too seriously. These movies are often Above Average because they took a chance by doing something unique, or they've somehow put a new spin on an old idea. These movies are fresh and entertaining. It's definitely worth a watch if you like who's in it, or the subject that's it's covering. You won't be disappointed.

Average - In most cases this means the movie tried to be too many things to too many people. There might be some enjoyment here, but overall it's something you've probably seen somewhere else, or even done better by someone else. Maybe Netflix or Redbox it if you are curious, but don't expect greatness.

Below Average - This is a movie that tried too hard to be something it isn't. A below average score means I was probably bored to tears, there was major issue with who they cast in the important roles, or the subject matter was covered in another movie at some point. This is a movie I wouldn't want to see again. If you must see it have someone else buy it or rent it. If you must waste your time on it go for it, just save your cash.

Horrible - This means some sad group of people wasted a lot of time, and money on the development of this stupid thing. It is possible for even the dumbest movie to have some sort of silver lining. Maybe it is one scene that really is excellent/funny/unexpected or a quote that, in and of itself, made me laugh, but in no way can it save the whole movie. Most horrible movies just try too hard to be something they aren't. I think these are movies that shouldn't have been made at all. How well the movie did at the box office (which should be less than what it cost to make) should reflect how bad it is. Granted, that's for big budget horrible movies. Sometimes dumb movies fail in the US but are hits overseas. Other times even a horrible movie can be a blockbuster by virtue of its anticipation. Star Wars Episode I is a great example of this. Smaller, independent films might still suck, but if done cheaply enough, they might actually have made more. Horrible movies that somehow make money are almost guaranteed a sequel or reboot (which will probably suck too), or they'll try to capitalize off the name and make something that goes directly to video (which will suck even more) or they'll take the idea and make a stupid TV show out of it (which will hopefully suck and be cancelled within a few seasons.) Whatever the case, I would recommend you completely avoid it.

This list is updated every Sunday night.