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David Mumpower: First of all, I have kidnapped Edwin's pets and they will not be returned until he writes a 2,500 word treatise on the greatness of Almost Famous. As an aside, who has a pet penguin? Other than Jim Carrey, that is.

Like Max, I recently have been cycling through early 2012 releases. I agree with him that The Grey is not at all what its reputation had suggested. I found it predictable as well as inexcusably boring. I also wasn't wild about Chronicle. I enjoyed it well enough - the apex predator aspect was cleverly implemented - but I found it rather thin on the whole. Maybe I was expecting too much from a slight movie. By the time I caught it, my expectations had grown unreasonably high compared to those who saw it in theaters, I guess.

I also finally watched Panic Room, a movie I had on my TiVo for 4 (!) years. Tying back to the earlier discussion about Kristen Stewart, I found my general dislike of her factored into my viewing experience. I kept rooting for the robbers to kill her, which is probably not what David Fincher intended. Overall, I thought the use of claustrophobia and the frequent surprises in terms of subverted expectations created a taut albeit overlong thriller. I also watched Men in Black 3, and I would describe myself as a fan of the series. I found this sequel perplexing in that Josh Brolin is pitch perfect as a younger Tommy Lee Jones yet the movie dragged a lot. What saved it for me in the end is a sweet final 15 minutes that in no way holds up to the established events of Men in Black yet I loved anyway. Men in Black 3 is a great example of how much a good ending can sway the overall perception of a film. It went from thoroughly mediocre to a marginal thumbs up because of its finish.

My favorite recent movie is Haywire, which is a title I expected to be brutal. I happen to be a Gina Carano fan, but I did not expect her attempt as a lead actress to succeed. I clearly underestimated Steven Soderbergh in this regard as Haywire is a wonderful update on The Limey. In fact, when I got finished watching it, my first instinct was to start The Limey and make a double feature of them. Given how much I love The Limey, this is high praise.

Also, before I forget, I still hate Edwin for that awful thing he said about Almost Famous. That is a blueprint example of how opinions can be wrong. I want to slap the Tiny Dancer out of him.

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