David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence, in my opinion, is one of the best movies of 2005. I liked it so much, in fact, that I’m ready to forgive Viggo Mortensen for Hidalgo.

Hostel: the most hyped horror movie of the year. Is it scary? Is it violent? Is it scary because it’s violent? In this article I’ll put these questions to rest. I liked Hostel not in spite of it’s violence, but because of it; and I think that’s precicely the mindset you need to have to enjoy this movie.

Saw 2: Hollowood’s redeption of the slasher sequel genre, or more vapid, substanceless crud from the increasingly unoriginal money making machine that is American cinema? I’ll give you a little hint. As the preview for the movie said: oh yes, there will be blood; but unless you’ve never seen blood shed before, Saw 2 has almost nothing to offer.

We’re at a point in history in which the American public has grown increasingly bored with what Hollywood has to offer. Our market is saturated with comic book crossover duds, hackneyed shock horror, and an infinitely recursive and annoying cycle of uninspired Meet the Fockers-type sequels. Yet here we are, camped in front of our televisions and demanding to be entertained. It’s at a time like this that a film like Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy demands our attention. This twisted story of love and revenge is the perfect film to pull a movie addict out of the holiday movie lineup-induced depression.