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Max Braden: Since our last tally I've only seen Lone Survivor in theaters. It's moving, especially the closing credits. I think it merited a position in the Best Picture list, or at least as much buzz as Zero Dark Thirty received at this time in Oscar season.

Here's what I've seen lately on DVD:

The Croods - I thought Emma Stone provided some funny mannerisms to her character, and I was almost shocked at the apparent direction they were taking at the climax. The movie's a bit noisy, and I didn't like the humanistic Belt or wildly creative animals. The cinematography was nifty, though.

How I Live Now - This could really be a sequel to The Host, because Saoirse Ronan again tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. But where The Host is so silly it's mockable, Ronan's character in How I Live Now is so unbearable I wanted to throw her to the wolves in the first 10 minutes. And every 10 minutes until the end.

Enough Said - One of Gandolfini's last roles is one of his best. And I normally find Julia Louis-Dreyfus a little too much, but I really, really liked her in this. I just think they got the tone perfectly, even if the plot was a little sitcom-y, it never felt that way to me.

Blue Jasmine - I *hated* this character so much I had to pause for three 15 minute breaks in the first hour. I'm convinced that Woody Allen just steals his ideas from his social circle gossip, and he actually admires people like this.

The Summit - There's more tragedy here, about the loss of life on K2, but I still think Touching the Void is a much more harrowing mountaineering documentary.

St. Trinian's 2 - I watched this one because I watched the first one, because Colin Firth was in it. I can see how this very British comedy wouldn't play well in the U.S. But I was actually mildly amused by Rupert Everett.

Riddick - Pretty rote material for a Riddick movie, but Matthew Nable steals the movie, and Katee Sackhoff is a kick-ass addition.

Mud -There was all this great buzz about this movie. Matthew McConaughey is good, as are the boys, but the movie just felt flat and contrived to me.

Sanitarium - I rented this mostly because of the presence of Malcolm McDowell, expecting to not enjoy these short stories. I was correct.

Escape Plan - Twenty years ago it was the ultimate dream to see Stallone and Schwarzenegger in the same movie together. But now when it happens, it just fizzles. Not like Tango & Cash bad-good, but just fizzles. And Vincent D'Onofrio turns in one of the worst performances of the year.

Don Jon - When I first saw this movie's trailer I thought that JGL was a few years past the Jersey Shore peak. That's still the case but it's not as painfully obvious in the movie. The hallway grinding scene: very sexy. Glenne Headly: very funny.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 - There are some cute moments in this movie but I've just never been taken by this series.

Blue Caprice - I wanted to see this movie about the DC snipers because I live(d) just down the road from one of the shootings, and the movie was an eye-opener about how long their spree went on. But boy, did this movie drag out.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters - This is a perfectly fine young adult adventure, and I think it's an improvement over the first movie in the series, but I feel a little too old to enjoy it.

A Single Shot - Sam Rockwell is normally great in comedic roles, but he's also really good in this drama.

Free Samples - This movie is written to be a little two quirky and the main character is a bit too unlikeable for someone who has it pretty easy, but I grew into her story. It's odd how Jesse Eisenberg is good at playing a cocky jerk.

Kick-Ass 2 -I enjoyed this sequel, maybe more than the first movie. I don't think I'm bothered by the violence as some people are, but I think it doesn’t enhance the story to be something more than just a teen fantasy.

Captain Phillips - Maybe knowing the outcome of this movie diminished it for me, but I never really found it very harrowing. Barkhad Abdi is good and perfectly cast.

Man of Tai Chi - Keanu Reeves nearly ruins the movie for being overly stiff and a cartoon villain, but there's a beautifully choreographed fight to a draw between Chen Hu and Yu Hai that was one of my favorite scenes of the year.

Turbo - My brother thought I was being silly but I really wanted to see this movie from the first moment I saw the trailer. It lived up to my expectations for the most part, and the cars looked excellent.

The Spectacular Now - Shailene Woodley is fantastic in this movie, absolutely natural. Miles Teller is a little too Vince Vaughn too early in his career, but it works.

You're Next -I might have skipped this movie as just another slasher flick, but thanks to recommendations from David Mumpower and others, I watched and loved this movie. It's so darkly funny I could never quite tell if that was intentional or a happy accident. The actors playing the parents are terrible, but Sharni Vinson's character Erin is a great kick-ass heroine.

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