Alien Nation

Hancock: Starts off as a comedy based around the idea that superheroes, if they existed in real life, would not be a good thing to have around-- which is not exactly original (coughWatchmencough) but is well done here, with a showily heroic stunt by the eponymous superhero being followed by a newscast in which the mayor bemoans the cost of the property damage. About halfway through, though, it completely forgets about that and becomes again a much more conventional superhero movie, even down to ignoring the abovementioned cost of the damage. Will Smith deserves a better vehicle.

Paul: Alien mythology gets the Shaun of the Dead treatment. Should get way more notice than it does; it's witty, knowing, funny about nerd culture without being nasty, there's a nice bait-and-switch at the climax, and the CGI alien's got brilliantly rendered eyes.

Brick: Raymond Chandler story set in a high school, as a teenager sets out to wreak revenge for his ex-girlfriend's death. The experiment was interesting, but I found it a bit too hard to suspend my disbelief to actually enjoy it.

Scott Pilgrim Versus the World: Didn't expect to love this one, but I did. It was funny, postmodern, and cute, with characters I universally enjoyed, and set in Toronto. A feel-good flick, but one you don't have to feel guilty about watching.

The Birds: Flighty socialite makes a play for cute man, only to be attacked by birds representing the unbridled id of his mother. Seriously, it's true.

Movie count for 2013: 58