Happy Friday! Here are three quickie reviews from Letterboxd. Three good movies! So wanted to post these here too.
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood (2022)
Directed & Written by Richard Linklater
Starring: Glen Powell, Zachary Levi, Jack Black
My Opinion:
Loved this. I think Linklater is a brilliant writer when at his best. Just like with Dazed And Confused, he captured the nostalgia for an era perfectly. Although this setting was slightly before my time, the ‘70s & even early ‘80s in America remained so largely unchanged that this film transported me right back to my childhood (eating sugary cereal & watching Sesame Street). A beautifully done love letter.
I think my husband would have loved this film too.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Based on Dune by Frank Herbert
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem
My Opinion:
Feel the same about this as Part One. Love heavy sci-fi & the book & think Villeneuve makes gorgeous films. Think they’ll stand the test of time like the best sci-fi from 40+ years ago. But don’t think I’ll ever love these as much. Can anyone explain what’s missing in modern filmmaking for me? Visually stunning but don’t come close to Alien, Star Wars, 2001, etc. What’s missing? Genuinely – I can’t explain it…
Yes, these films are very good. Some of my favorites from the past few years. But only when compared to the other films from the past few years.
My Rating: 8/10
Hatching (2022) (Finnish: Pahanhautoja)
Directed by Hanna Bergholm
Starring: Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Reino Nordin
My Opinion:
Really liked this. So my type of movie. Always love a film that’s weird as shit while exposing the worst types of people in society (Like the 1989 film Society – love it!). This also somewhat has a body horror element & the girl, Siiri Solalinna, is so good (I can’t believe she’s been in nothing else). Would love to see more work from her & from director Hanna Bergholm. Good stuff.
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, Paul Freeman, Mickey Rourke
Plot Synopsis: Does it matter?!
My Opinion:
This was bad but I’m now obsessed with JCVD movies after avoiding watching them while growing up. Thought they looked dumb (well, they are) but damn they’re fun! And I love those splits. This is a late one, 1997, and it suffers from not having that ‘80s/early ‘90s vibe I love. And Rodman can’t act. But JCVD still makes it watchable. I’ve ranked his films here now that I’ve seen quite a few.
My Rating: 6/10(too high, it’s shit, but I now think I love JCVD)
Okay, the above is my Letterboxd review but while I was watching this, I made note of the below comments/thoughts I had:
Good Lord this is bad from the get go.
Excellent! Already had a “slowly walking away from an explosion” scene.
What the hell is going on in this amusement park? This is so OTT. Hilarious. Shit blowing up & loads of people getting shot & I should probably know why but I don’t because I’ve kind of not been paying attention. Man this has been going on forever…
Holy shit – did they kill a little kid???
Wait – how the hell are they suddenly in a hospital with a bunch of babies?!
OMG – was Mickey Rourke going to blow up those sweet little babies?!?!?! What a dick!
This movie is terrible. But not in that good ‘80s/early ‘90s kind of way like JCVD’s older films. This was 1997? Doesn’t have the cheesy magic of his older films. Very happy there’s no mullet, though. He’s looking kind of hot without it.
Okay, there appears to be an attempt to add some sort of ridiculous plot to this thing now. I’m bored. Get back to blowing shit up.
Oh yeah… where did Dennis Rodman go? I’ve come back to this after falling asleep & kind of forgotten about the fact he’s in this too… What the hell was his role again?? Guess I’ll find out when he shows up again.
Bwahahaha! Okay, JCVD has been recuperating after being blown up & he’s just chucked his walking stick & immediately started doing some sexy splits up against the wall. He’s healed! JCVD is back!! Okay, now I’m getting more interested…
Okay, he’s now getting back into shape using a big bucket of rocks & weightlifting a bathtub full of water? God I love how this guy always finds the most awkward ways to work out in his films.
I totally missed why there are lasers in the water. Not that it matters. Let’s get Rourke & Rodman back into this thing.
Oh, by the way, JCVD has a sexy pregnant wife in this who has been told that he’s dead. Forgot to mention that. Gotta have the sexy wife for him to be reunited with at the end, of course. And she makes art. She’s classy.
Oh, there’s Rodman. Remember when that dude was famous? Is he still around?
Oh yeah – he’s a weapons dealer or expert or something? Oh boy, Rodman really can’t act. Making JCVD seem Oscar-worthy.
And they’re now jumping out of a plane for some reason.
Aww, JCVD’s baby has been born.
People are getting shot & shit is blowing up again.
Who is this crazy woman? Did I miss something? (Probably)
They blew up a swimming pool.
Okay, that wasn’t his wife & baby. A message has been left for him to say his baby is due tomorrow, so he’s off to find his wife. (Because babies are of course always born on their exact due date)
Rodman is gonna team up with JCVD since he now knows a baby is involved. Cute.
I completely forgot about this dumb JCVD disguise
I’ve lost the plot. Not that it matters. Save the wife & baby!
This movie has the largest amount of breaking glass I’ve ever seen in a film. Seriously. What’s with everyone crashing through glass constantly?
There’s a guy trying to stab JCVD with a knife he’s holding between his bare toes. Whyyyyyy?
Cybermonks?! Lmao.
Rodman’s acting is giving me second-hand embarrassment.
Baby has been born. They’re gonna kill the wife now. For whatever reason. I dunno.
Aww. Wife is still alive. They’re together again! Reunited and it feels so gooooood.
Baby is missing, though. JCVD is off to find his baby! Gonna have a showdown with Mickey Rourke. Remember when Rourke was kind of hot?
My daughter had to show me something so I was distracted & now have no idea why JCVD is suddenly battling a… tiger? Of course. That’s normal.
He escaped from the tiger. Now it’s time for hand to hand combat with Rourke. Or foot to foot. Foot to face?
They’re also surrounded by mines for some reason. Again, very normal.
Rourke is named Stavros, by the way. Feel like that’s been a bad guy name in something else. Like Doctor Who or something.
Rourke blew himself up with a mine just as that tiger was about to attack him. Remember the tiger?
I don’t know how to explain this but JCVD, Rodman & the baby were just saved from burning to death in another massive explosion by a Coca-Cola machine. This film was clearly sponsored by Coke. Now I remember a Coke can being used prominently earlier (after JCVD peeled off his own fingerprint – forgot to mention that, it was gross).
I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…
Wait. Who the hell is this dude at the end? That’s the end?! Well, at least JCVD is safe with his wife & baby! I can’t believe they ended on Rodman poorly delivering a dumb line. That was seriously embarrassing. Please tell me he did no other acting? I can’t remember if he was in other stuff.
Man, that was awful. But I think I still have a thing for JCVD so it was worth it.
Haha – I read this at Wikipedia while putting this post together. Deserved… “It received negative reviews and was nominated for and received three Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Supporting Actor (Rodman), Worst New Star (Rodman) and Worst Screen Couple (Rodman and Van Damme).”
Hey all! Happy April! Man, I’m so glad the clocks have finally changed here in the U.K. – these dark & dreary days are not helping my mental state. Love when it stays light for longer in the evening.
Here are my reviews for all that I watched in February (watched a lot of Oscar nominees in February & March). Will try to post the March roundup soon too. Been watching far too many movies to try to pass the time alone.
MOVIES WATCHED IN FEBRUARY (ranked best to worst):
– Past Lives – Finally! Another Oscar nominee this year that I actually liked! Maybe loved. This was a beautiful film. Made my heart both swell & break. That can be dangerous at my age – I can’t handle more heartache! Such strong characters with a deep connection. Loved them. I need a happily ever after…
I added this to My Top Ten Films Of The 2020s (so far) list. I’ve also done a ranked list of the 33 Oscar nominees that I’ve seen this year (including shorts etc). This movie is 3rd on that list. I’d say I only loved the top three (and maybe the fourth, Anatomy Of A Fall, which was also great). And hated the bottom three, one of which was up for Best Picture (Poor Things). Remember when the Oscar nominees were more… watchable? – 8/10
– Suncoast – Good performances from all but Nico Parker is the star here. She’s great as the teenager wanting to live a normal life while having to help her single mother with the full-time care required for her brother. Man, her mother made me so mad sometimes… A heartbreaking story that may hit too close to home for anyone in a similar situation. – 7.5/10
– Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – I have to confess I’ve not seen all these films & can’t say for sure which I missed (2 & 4, I think). Spy films aren’t my thing despite being “exciting” (you’d not believe how few Bond films I’ve seen). The stories are so samey & blend together into one for me (like Marvel). However, I really enjoyed this one! Probably helps that it’s a “rogue AI” story, which is SO my type of thing.
I may rewatch all these from the start someday as I know they deserve it. I do think this series is an excellent example of this genre & Cruise’s brave stunts are truly amazing (and stressful). I absolutely love the strong female characters, especially in these final films. All the characters are very strong, which is more than can be said for a lot of action films. For the first time, I’m actually looking forward to the next Mission Impossible film. – 7.5/10
– Society Of The Snow – Good film, performances & character development. Makes me want to watch Alive again, which I’ve not seen in years. Such a tragic story but the will to survive is so inspiring that it’s easy to see why this event has been explored in so many documentaries, films, etc. A solid true story survival film. – 7/10
– Killers Of The Flower Moon – Compelling story. Great performance from Lily Gladstone. DiCaprio & De Niro feel like they’re just phoning in these Scorsese performances now, though. Disappointing. And despite a compelling story, the film did drag in places & was too long. Well made, as to be expected, and it’s one of the better Best Picture nominees this year. But it’s certainly not up there with Scorsese’s very best. – 7/10
– Mission: Impossible – Fallout – Watched this only because I realised I’d need to see it before watching Dead Reckoning before the Oscars. Preferred Dead Reckoning but both were good & have me thinking, as mentioned above, that I should give the rest of these a rewatch from the start (plus a first time watch for a couple of them). – 7/10
– Nyad – Quite enjoyed this, but I’m a sucker for feelgood true stories about people with so much determination to accomplish something big (which my lazy ass can’t relate to at all). Great characters & thought Bening, Foster & Ifans were all very good. Honestly enjoyed this more than some other big Oscar nominees, which I found a complete chore to sit through. – 7/10
– The Marvels – This was fine. Not the best MCU film but certainly not the worst. Really enjoyed seeing these three working together & Kamala Khan is a fun character. Loved Nick Fury as always & the kitten thing was hilarious. But, as with most Marvel films, I couldn’t now tell you the plot & cannot for the life of me even remember the villain. Disposable entertainment. But still a bit better than I was expecting of this one. – 6.5/10
– The Fabelmans – I never expected a Steven Spielberg film about the love of cinema, which is so my type of thing, to be so boring? It’s certainly no Cinema Paradiso. I did still enjoy parts of this semi-autobiographical tale & loved David Lynch but I just didn’t really care about all the dull family drama. It just didn’t capture that “love of film” like I was hoping. And I was distracted by that horrible haircut on Michelle Williams. – 6.5/10
– Orion And The Dark – Rarely a fan of DreamWorks so to say that this is one of their slightly better films isn’t a huge compliment. I find their characters very weak compared to Pixar, Disney, or Ghibli & I already remember very little of this 2 months after I watched it. I remember decent animation & an okay story that felt too similar to the absolutely brilliant & far superior Inside Out. Fun but forgettable. – 6.5/10
– Rustin – Not sure what to say about this Oscar nominee. The film wasn’t quite as compelling as I’d expect considering such a strong & interesting story. Can’t explain why. Very good performance from Colman Domingo, though, so am glad it’s getting recognition with a nomination. Is certainly a film that is still worth a watch for its story & main performance. – 6.5/10
– Flamin’ Hot – A fun film which I obviously only watched because it’s up for one Oscar (original song, which I can’t even currently remember). A better film than I expected for one that’s about the guy responsible for bringing us Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. One of those perfectly pleasant “rainy Sunday afternoon” watches. Enjoyable but forgettable. But still more interesting than you’d expect. – 6/10
– Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken – An okay coming of age story, similar to Turning Red, but I feel like its target audience would have no interest in watching this & see it as being for kids. But let’s be honest – nothing will ever top Inside Out in capturing what a girl feels like when growing up (still my now-teen daughter’s favorite film, as it’s timeless in a way that I’ve never found of any DreamWorks films). Meh. I’ll forget this in a year. – 6/10
– El Conde – It’s that time of year again when I hate myself for wasting my time on stuff I wouldn’t normally watch. But it’s up for an OSCAR! Whoopie shit. Cinematography? Fine, it looked good. I’ll give it that. But I hated everything else. To be fair, I’m just not a Larraín fan I guess. Hated this even more than Spencer (maybe). – 4/10
Movies Rewatched In February
– Blade Runner – Rewatched this in memory of my husband as it’s a favorite of both of ours. Absolute sci-fi classic. And still just so visually stunning. Man I miss films like this… – 9/10
– Waitress – Adore this film. One of my favorites from the past 20 years & one of my most rewatched in that time. Reviewed it in full already here. Would love if it was one of those films that I talked someone into watching & they ended up loving it too… RIP Adrienne Shelly – Thanks for the beautiful film. – 9/10
– Fight Club – First rewatch of this in many years. Holds up well & still my favorite Fincher film. Still love Brad Pitt in this. Still love it ending perfectly with Where Is My Mind playing. Not a fan of recent Fincher films – I miss his older stuff like this. – 8.5/10
– Ted – Rewatched this after watching the TV series. It’s a fun film. What can I say? I like vulgar teddy bears. – 7.5/10
Documentaries, Shorts, Miscellaneous Watched In February
All were Oscar nominees…
Documentary:
– American Symphony – A good documentary (stuck it in a list of Oscar nominees to watch so just assumed it was up for the documentary Oscar but it was only up for song). A very talented guy. Such great commitment to his music as well as his lovely wife. I’ve seen too many cancer stories in these two months since losing my husband, though. Affects far too many people. Heartbreaking.
Shorts:
– Invincible – A heartbreaking short about a troubled boy in a youth detention centre who wishes to escape. Found it the most moving of the shorts I saw this year. By the way, if I’ve seen them, they’re available somewhere in the U.K. Worth a watch.
– The After – Yet another heartbreaker (why do Oscars shorts have to be depressing 90% of the time?!). Too bleak, though. Glad it’s not based on a true story. I often avoid stories with kids being hurt or killed… Can’t take that.
– Island In Between – A fascinating short about the islands of Kinmen, of which I knew absolutely nothing (but I never know anything about anything, to be fair).
– The Barber Of Little Rock – Again, a worthy true story for an Oscar-nominated short. I do appreciate that the nominations get me watching these sort of things (when available) & it’s great when they bring awareness to issues that not all of us may be aware of.
– The Last Repair Shop – And another worthy true story I was completely unaware of. I think it’s great that this group of people keep the musical instruments working for students whose lives are sometimes made better through their love of playing those instruments. Inspiring.
– Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – A fun short with two great ladies who have lots of personality. Didn’t expect the farting in an Oscar nominated short…
BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS IN FEBRUARY
TV SHOWS WATCHED
– Schitt’s Creek: S4-6 – Binged the shit out of this while depressed. It helped a tiny bit (I guess). Ended up liking this show quite a lot by the end. Loved these characters.
– The Office (U.K.): S1-3 – Binged this as well. The most TV I’ve watched in years. Need to take my mind off of things. This was good – I can see why it was popular. Holy shit they portrayed office life perfectly! Best thing to do that since Office Space. I’ve worked with every single one of these characters. And I don’t often rewind scenes to rewatch them so you know they’re damn good when I do that. Rewatched that kiss a good few times. Perfection. Loved that ending so much. Glad I finally checked this one out. Am curious about the US version too now but discouraged by how many damn seasons there are. Typical Americans! Have to outdo everyone. Ha. For anyone who has seen it, is the US one worth watching? I’ve seen some clips & it honestly doesn’t look as good…
– Shrinking: S1 – Maybe wasn’t the smartest choice to watch this one at the moment considering the subject matter (spouse who has passed away). Honestly, though, it’s a great show. Liked it a lot. And Harrison Ford is fantastic (man he was hilarious while high!). Really looking forward to a second season. Are we getting one?! Hope so. This ended on a cliffhanger…
– Superstore: S1 – After Schitt’s Creek, I wanted another lightweight sitcom to binge (especially while eating supper – I’m a “watch TV while eating supper” person. Don’t tell anyone – they say that families shouldn’t do that but it’s just two of us so screw it – it’s what we like to do!). Anyway. Daughter had seen a few of these episodes when things broke & we could only watch live TV for a little while so she said she’d like to check these all out from the start. I’ll say it’s one that takes a while to get into but, just like Schitt’s Creek, I ended up hooked once getting to know the characters. Creek is better but this one really has grown on me a lot & I look forward to watching an episode most nights.
– Ted: S1 – Yeah, I like vulgar teddy bears.
– The Summer I Turned Pretty: S2 – Daughter & I chose this one to watch together. We laughed a lot at the OTT teenage drama. First season was much better than this second one, which does a “back & forth” timeline thing which is completely unnecessary for a teen drama like this. No need to overcomplicate the story…
– Silo: S1 E1-7– Read this first books years ago. Liked the story a lot but clearly not enough to read the rest of the books. Remember the book being too long & dragging the story out too much. Show is feeling the same way. Love Ferguson but I’m bored with the show.
– Avatar: The Last Airbender: S1 E1-2 – Daughter liked the animated series a lot. We weren’t feeling this live action version – Doubt we’ll continue.
– One Day: S1 E1 – Liked this book & original film adaptation. Figured I’d check out this new adaptation but, meh, what’s the point? The film was fine. Not bothered about sitting through an entire series to watch this story I already know yet again.
– Brooklyn Nine-Nine: S1 E1 – My attempt to find another sitcom. I fell asleep. Maybe I’ll retry at some point… Is it worth it? The first episode certainly didn’t grab me (but many sitcoms start that way).
BOOKS READ
– The Girl Before by JP Delaney – Intriguing story. Hateful characters. One of those very much along the same lines as The Girl On The Train, The Woman In The Window, etc. Will be very surprised if they don’t adapt this into a movie. Which will of course be mediocre, like the book (and all the others just like it). But they’re guilty pleasures for me. At least it’s a slightly unusual concept. Here’s the plot synopsis from Amazon:
“EMMA: Reeling from a traumatic break-in, Emma wants a new place to live. But none of the apartments she sees are affordable or feel safe. Until One Folgate Street. The house is an architectural masterpiece: a minimalist design of pale stone, plate glass and soaring ceilings. But there are rules. The enigmatic architect who designed the house retains full control: no books, no throw pillows, no photos or clutter or personal effects of any kind. The space is intended to transform its occupant–and it does.
JANE: After a personal tragedy, Jane needs a fresh start. When she finds One Folgate Street she is instantly drawn to the space–and to its aloof but seductive creator. Moving in, Jane soon learns about the untimely death of the home’s previous tenant, a woman similar to Jane in age and appearance. As Jane tries to untangle truth from lies, she unwittingly follows the same patterns, makes the same choices, crosses paths with the same people and experiences the same terror, as the girl before.” – My Rating: 2.5/5
BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH
Will post my March roundup (once I’ve actually written the reviews). And I’ve started April by watching some brilliant films, so looking forward to reviewing those. One immediately got added to my all-time favorite movies list, which rarely gets new additions…
Upcoming Movies I Want To See:
No clue. I bitched at Odeon for not letting anyone under 18 have annual passes as it’s pointless for me to get one for myself & not be able to include my daughter but we sure don’t seem to be missing anything good at the moment anyway… Are any good movies coming out this year?! Did really like Dune: Part 2 a lot but that’s all this year has had to offer so far?! It’s already April! Man, think back to the 80s when you’d have multiple absolute classics released every damn month.
Since I mentioned it above in the Fight Club review, I’ll end with the Pixies song Where Is My Mind? (I know that feeling…)
Based on Road House by David Lee Henry & Hilary Henkin
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Austin Post, Conor McGregor
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) Ex-UFC fighter Dalton takes a job as a bouncer at a Florida Keys roadhouse, only to discover that this paradise is not all it seems.
My Opinion:
Original Road House is a big guilty pleasure of mine & the all-time BEST “so bad it’s good” movie. I adore it plus it’s insanely rewatchable. This new one sadly doesn’t capture its spirit but it makes a good effort & I had a lot of fun with it despite it being unnecessary. Sam Elliott, Jeff Healey, the throat-ripping, f*%^ing to Otis Redding, and the polar bear are sadly missed (but the crocodile was cool, I guess).
Gyllenhaal is good but doesn’t do the “tortured philosophical soul” thing as well as Swayze. The lesser characters aren’t as fun as in the original (for a “bad” movie, the original did a great job with character development). I didn’t mind the change to a young girl & father and I liked Jessica Williams as the Road House owner (who I also really liked in the TV show Shrinking which I’ve just finished). Daniela Melchior is also fine as the Kelly Lynch character (but I missed the loads of hairspray). Although I loved Jeff Healey as the Road House musician & a great character in the original, the music played at the bar in this one fit the vibe well. Sadly, the biggest thing letting this movie down was Conor McGregor. Despite both being “so bad they’re good” movies, I still get thrown out of a film when the acting is just so bad that it’s distracting & that’s unfortunately the case with McGregor. Biggest fail for this film. Well, that & having no Sam Elliott character?! What a stud.
I’ll honestly never rewatch this one when I can just rewatch the superior original with Swayze (and I do actually rewatch it every December while wrapping Christmas presents as that became a tradition for me after first seeing it that way). But, as far as movies from the disappointing past four years or so go, this remake is honest to god one of the more enjoyable films I’ve seen in a while. Seriously. I miss stupid, fun movies. It put a smile on my face. And I don’t think it ruins the Swayze film, as enough was changed for it to not feel like an exact copy. A remake of a favorite that actually managed to not piss me off! Good enough for me.
Happy Oscars Day!! Ugh. Why do I care?! I loved three of the nominees. I quite liked several. Many were meh. I absolutely hated a few.
I did manage to review all that I’ve seen recently on Letterboxd yesterday (clearly a very productive day for me… Screw housework!). So I’ll include the links to my reviews below because you obviously want to read my ramblings, right?! 🙂
Ranked list of all nominees I’ve seen, starting with my favorites:
And here’s the full list of nominees. I’ve put a heart by the one I want to win & a trophy by the one I think will win in each category (if you can see emojis on whatever you’re looking at this on, I guess). Oh, and I’ve not researched ones I’ve not seen AT ALL. Can’t be bothered so don’t take these guesses too seriously…:
Best picture
American Fiction
Anatomy of a Fall
❤️ Barbie
The Holdovers
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
🏆 Oppenheimer
Past Lives
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best actor
Bradley Cooper – Maestro
Colman Domingo – Rustin
Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers
🏆Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer
❤️Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction
Best actress
Annette Bening – Nyad
❤️🏆Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon
Sandra Huller – Anatomy of a Fall
Carey Mulligan – Maestro
Emma Stone – Poor Things
Best supporting actress
Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer
Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple
❤️America Ferrera – Barbie
Jodie Foster – Nyad
🏆Da’Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers
Best supporting actor
Sterling K Brown – American Fiction
Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon
🏆Robert Downey Jr – Oppenheimer
❤️Ryan Gosling – Barbie
Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things
Best director
Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet
Killers of the Flower Moon – Martin Scorsese
🏆Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan
Poor Things – Yorgos Lanthimos
❤️The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer
Best adapted screenplay
American Fiction
❤️Barbie
🏆Oppenheimer
Poor Things
The Zone of Interest
Best original screenplay
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
Maestro
May December
❤️🏆Past Lives
Best original song
The Fire Inside – Flamin’ Hot (Diane Warren)
I’m Just Ken – Barbie (Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt)
It Never Went Away – American Symphony (Jon Batiste, Dan Wilson)
Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) – Killers of the Flower Moon (Scott George)
❤️🏆What Was I Made For? – Barbie (Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell)
Best original score
American Fiction
❤️Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Killers of the Flower Moon
Oppenheimer
🏆Poor Things
Best international feature
Io Capitano
Perfect Days
❤️Society of the Snow
The Teachers’ Lounge
🏆The Zone of Interest
Best animated feature
❤️The Boy and the Heron
Elemental
Nimona
Robot Dreams
🏆Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
Best documentary feature
Bobi Wine: The People’s President
❤️The Eternal Memory
Four Daughters
To Kill a Tiger
🏆20 Days in Mariupol
Best costume design
❤️Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
🏆Poor Things
Best make-up and hairstyling
Golda
Maestro
Oppenheimer
🏆Poor Things
❤️Society of the Snow
Best production design
❤️Barbie
Killers of the Flower Moon
Napoleon
Oppenheimer
🏆Poor Things
Best sound
The Creator
Maestro
❤️Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
🏆Oppenheimer
The Zone of Interest
Best film editing
Anatomy of a Fall
The Holdovers
❤️Killers of the Flower Moon
🏆Oppenheimer
Poor Things
Best cinematography
El Conde
Killers of the Flower Moon
Maestro
Oppenheimer
❤️🏆Poor Things
Best visual effects
The Creator
Godzilla Minus One
❤️Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
🏆Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One
Napoleon
Best live action short
The After
❤️Invincible
Knight of Fortune
🏆Red, White and Blue
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Best animated short (dunno – seen none!)
Letter to a Pig
🏆Ninety-Five Senses
Our Uniform
❤️Pachyderme
War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko
Best documentary short
🏆The ABCs of Book Banning
The Barber of Little Rock
❤️Island In Between
The Last Repair Shop
Nǎi Nai and Wài Pó
Hey all. 🙂 I watched some great films in January. And watched a lot of TV. Did short reviews on Letterboxd, so I’ll post those below..
MOVIES WATCHED IN JANUARY (ranked best to worst):
– The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya – This was the first film I watched in 2024 & it was a great choice to start the year. The animation was beautiful & I loved the story, which I found very emotional during the most emotional time in my own life. Studio Ghibli means a lot to me & I’ve now seen them all since watching this & The Boy And The Heron in January. A bittersweet feeling to have no new Ghibli films to watch now…
– Ran – I’m going to make this the year I finally watch all the Akira Kurosawa films I’ve had on my watchlist for years, as the ones I’ve seen so far are perfection. This was great & an epic start to 2024 (with this & The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya watched on New Year’s Day). Not quite up there with the likes of Seven Samurai & Ikiru but close. Kurosawa was pretty damn good at this moviemaking thing… – 8.5/10
– The Boy And The Heron – Watched this & The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya in January, sadly leaving me with no more Studio Ghibli films to watch. Loved this. No, it’s not up there with Miyazaki’s very best (but what is?). This had that beautiful, wonderful weirdness I love so much about Ghibli & it was great seeing a return to that. Not sure it has the “rewatchability” of things like Totoro but I adored it & hope it wins the Oscar.
And I really hope we get more Studio Ghibli films… They mean so much to me. ❤️ – 8/10
– The Girl Who Leapt Through Time – Another very enjoyable Mamoru Hosoda anime film. Watched this on my birthday as it had been on my watchlist for ages. Wolf Children still definitely my favorite, though. Summer Wars maybe second. Have to come clean, though, and admit I zonked out through a good chunk of this. Still need to rewatch what I missed, so not yet reviewed this on Letterbxd. But think my rating probably won’t change… – 7.5/10
– The Creator – Enjoyed this, as huge fan of science fiction & especially man vs AI stories. But have to admit that, reviewing this a month later, I don’t remember it well so it clearly could’ve been stronger in some way. Admittedly, I watched it at the lowest point of my life so I could probably do with rewatching it someday. Giving it a decent rating for the story & it being a genre I love. – 7/10
– Maestro – It’s that time of year again when I watch movies that I wouldn’t normally bother with if they weren’t up for some Oscars. This was fine but a bit bland. Yes, the performances were good (I especially liked Mulligan). I’m glad they got the REM song into this. And Snoopy! I’ll forget this in a year. At least it was less of a drag than Napoleon… – 6.5/10
– No Hard Feelings – This was surprisingly bad considering Jennifer Lawrence’s star power. I mean, I’ve seen worse in this genre but Lawrence feels very out of its league? She does comedy well, though, so it’s a shame that this film wasn’t good. I’m all for fun, old-fashioned, offensive sex comedies but can we get Lawrence into one that’s actually funny? I like her. She deserves better. – 5.5/10
– Bottoms – WTF was this? Okay, this old-fart, Gen-X, John-Hughes-lover finally can’t relate to teen movies anymore. And I LOVE a good teen movie. Probably a favorite subgenre along with coming of age films but I’ve found in just the past few years that I can’t relate to them anymore. Are we really so different now? Damn. Was this meant to be a comedy? I’m confused. Get off my lawn! – 5/10
Movies Rewatched In January:
– Pretty In Pink – Rewatched this with my hubby & daughter to start 2024 as my husband loved John Hughes & especially adored this film. I know a big part of that was because of the soundtrack, which is brilliant (as are all Hughes teen movie soundtracks). This film, along with so many others, will always be tied to my time with my husband & will always have a special place in my heart. ❤️ – 9/10
– Some Kind Of Wonderful – Followed up rewatching Pretty In Pink with watching this, as our daughter hadn’t yet seen this (she’s seen all the best Hughes films – Am happy she’s a fan too!). Figured she should see Pretty In Pink the way it should have ended. Pretty In Pink is still the superior film. But Watts is cooler than Andie. Andie is cooler than Keith, though. What we need is for Watts & Duckie to meet… – 8/10
BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS IN JANUARY
TV SHOWS WATCHED
– Schitt’s Creek: S2-3 – Been all over the place emotionally the last couple of months, so have felt like binging lots of TV (especially lightweight sitcoms – any recommendations? I need another one as good as Community!). I’d already seen & liked season 1 of this, but it really grew on me with season 2. Not as “laugh out loud” funny as Community but these characters are great & very likeable in that way you want sitcom characters to be. Probably my favorite new sitcom I’ve watched in a while.
– Black Mirror: S4-S6 – Finally binged the final seasons of this. I have a love/hate relationship with this show. I think the story ideas are very good but the execution isn’t great. I just always compare it to The Twilight Zone in my mind, which will always be my all-time favorite TV show & which did similar stories so perfectly. That show was so original & ahead of its time while Black Mirror feels like an inferior copy.
Think I struggle with how bleak Black Mirror is as well. Yeah, I know that’s the whole point of these stories. Humanity sucks! But The Twilight Zone didn’t leave me feeling, I dunno… So damn hopeless? Probably not explaining this well. I love the shit out of these types of stories, so will always watch any new Black Mirrors. I just wish they were better & that I enjoyed the show a bit more. It’s no Twilight Zone, although it badly wants to be…
Did like some episodes much more than others, though. Ranked every episode of Black Mirror on Letterboxd here. Of those binged in January, Hang The DJ & Black Museum were easily my favorites.
– The Summer I Turned Pretty: S1 – The daughter & I needed a new show to watch together so we checked this out. It’s fine in that “overly dramatic teenage issues” kind of way. We liked it but made fun of all the drama & how the girl in this cannot make up her damn mind on which boy she’s in love with.
– Squid Game: The Challenge: Cheesy reality show crap but, honestly, I totally got into it… (Bring on season 2 of Squid Game! I absolutely LOVED season 1)
BOOKS READ
– A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle – I sometimes try to read these classics that I missed out on as a kid. This was a very enjoyable sci-fi fantasy with enough weirdness to have made me really like this one if I’d read it when younger. Too bad the recent movie adaptation looked dodgy? I’d still like to watch that now, though. Oh, and I really liked one creepy part in this that made me think of that movie Vivarium. I liked that weirdo movie. I think of it often… – 3.5/5
BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH
I watched a lot of the Oscar nominees, so I’ll probably do a post with my reviews of the nominees this weekend. Man, what a load of rubbish! Squeezed in a few more nominees just this week & they were so disappointing: Pretty Things (ugh), Napoleon (boring), and Oppenheimer (sorry, not awful but far from Best Picture material in my opinion. but I’m kind of anti-Nolan).
I still need to review all the movies I watched in February (there were a lot). I’ll post a roundup of those at some point.
I’m off to see Dune: Part Two this weekend! Looking forward to it, but it’s so damn long… (I accept that when it’s a Kurosawa film)
Watched some of the Peanuts shorts on Apple TV in December – Gonna spend a day binging all the Peanuts stuff someday soon & will post about them then. Adore Peanuts. Especially Snoopy!
Don’t think we watched any TV shows in December…
BOOKS READ
– Only You Can Save Mankind by Terry Pratchett – Don’t have many books left in the house that I’ve not read so grabbed this book of hubby’s from years ago. It was fine but very much aimed at pre-teen boys (especially those who loved video games in the 80s, which hubby certainly did). Very unlike the one other Pratchett book I’ve read (The Colour Of Magic, which was much better). But a fun read for old Gen X farts who grew up on stuff like The Last Starfighter. – 2.5/5
BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH
Catching up on posting the roundups of what I watched in January & February. I’ve logged them on Letterboxd but reviewed none of them yet. Will probably only do very short reviews of those on Letterboxd so will post those links in the roundup posts.
Will also post my 2023 ranked movie lists even though that seems a bit pointless now.
And will try to do an Oscars post as have watched a lot of the lesser nominees (once again have missed out on a lot of the Best Picture nominees where I was unable to go to the cinema).
I currently have Napoleon on in the background while preparing this post, just because it’s up for a few Oscars. Why do I do this to myself?! It’s not my type of thing at all. Bloody boring.
Upcoming Movies I Want To See:
I do plan to go to Dune: Part Two. Going to be very difficult – The hubby was a big Dune fan & was very much looking forward to seeing Part Two. 💔
Just need to add that I’m very annoyed that my closest cinema doesn’t do an annual pass for those under 18?! Was planning to do annual passes for me & the daughter on her 15th birthday as we’d like to start going to movies regularly again. Not very family friendly! So I’d have to pay full price for her to join me every time?? Rubbish. Pissed off at myself for not driving in this country, so I’m limited by where I can get to via bus. Grrr.
Hi All. Thank you for your replies to my last post. Sorry I wasn’t feeling up to replying until now. My husband sadly passed away about a month ago.
Not going to say too much personal stuff as he was a private person. But I need to say a little about the person I’m now going to miss every single day for the rest of my life. I’m only mentioning our main shared interests in relation to this blog but there was obviously so much more that we shared in our 25 years together & I just want people here to know that he meant the world to me.
Despite our US/UK distance, we managed to meet & instantly bond over a deep love of music & movies. He had many jobs, all within the music industry he loved, and had a U.K. chart hit just before I moved here to be with him. I was incredibly proud of all the music he created and am especially fond of two albums he made & had released to streaming services during the height of Covid. Knowing they’re out there in the world gives me some comfort. He loved music so much and wanted to share that love with everyone.
And, obviously, we both had a huge passion for movies as well. I certainly don’t have the talent like he had when it came to music, but he was still extremely proud of my movie blog (which I thought, and still think, is a bit silly). I’m no writer. When creating a post, I still think “Why am I posting this just to tell people that I really liked (or hated) a movie when there are loads of proper writers giving their opinions?!”
But he acted like my blog was some great accomplishment & was always encouraging about it. He was that way about everything I did in life. He loved reading every single post & discussing them all with me. And he helped with a lot of things, too, especially in the early days. He designed & created my logo and we spent many good times discussing & putting together the top ten lists that I used to post, many of which were his idea. He’d send me movie-related articles he thought I might like to share & create custom images when I needed them. He loved my blog. Because he loved me.
Not sure how to continue living each day now, let alone post about movies. But one of the messages he left for me & for our teenage daughter (also very passionate about movies & music) was that we should “grow that passion” as it will help us through the ups & downs in life. He’d be heartbroken if we stopped enjoying the things that the three of us spent so much time enjoying together.
So, although it still feels strange & “wrong” without him, we’re still watching movies & listening to music. I know that every movie I now see & every song I now hear, especially ones I know he’d have loved, will contain some sadness. Right now, that sadness is overwhelming. I know he wouldn’t want that. And I know I have to keep watching. And listening. And posting. And living.
So I’ll start again soon, at least with the monthly roundup posts. And my obsessive need for order may require me to finally post my year-end top movie lists for 2023 since I do that every year & missing a year will mess my brain up! Seriously. Hubby would fully understand my need to do that. No one has ever known & accepted me the way that he did. Honestly, I’m a complete pain-in-the-ass. I don’t know how he put up with me.
Hi All. Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas.
I’ll try to do my usual soon & post my year-end top ten lists. Letterboxd has made that really easy – I already have my ranked 2023 movie lists there anyway. Oh boy I love ranking & rating things! Such a weird obsession. I do it with everything, too – not just movies. Recent example: I got my daughter an advent calendar of crystals this year so we ranked them all from our favorite to least favorite once all were opened. Is that weird? Should I seek help??? I so want a Letterboxd type of app for music as well! And TV shows. And books.
Anyway. I try to keep my “real life” separate from my online life. I’m an extreme introvert so I keep to myself. I mean, I function in society (Somewhat! Ha!). But let’s just say that Covid turning my job into 100% WFH since March 2020 has been a dream come true. Love it. I think I could happily not leave my house for months at a time.
What I’m saying is: I keep to myself and the only ones who really know me are hubby & daughter & my mom. And I’m fine with that. So I have talked very little to those in real life about the past two years of my life. Which is probably why I’m posting this here on my secret movienerdblog. And I can delete this later.
It’s almost the two year anniversary of my hubby being diagnosed with the big C (we don’t like saying the word). His pain has been excruciating pretty much from the start but the last six months especially have been complete hell. As of the afternoon of Christmas Day, he can barely speak so can’t really communicate with us anymore and can no longer do anything for himself.
So, yeah, I’m heartbroken. We’ve known there was nothing they could do for quite a while now but this new change came very suddenly & unexpectedly. Except for the usual terrible physical pain, all was fine just two days before Christmas. I didn’t think we’d suddenly no longer be able to talk & to share absolutely everything with each other like we have for over 20 years.
So, that’s it. Sorry to dump my problems on the few people who may happen to read this! Will I still be on this blog? Probably. I’ll need to continue to have a hobby to keep my mind off of things. I promise I’ll go back to just movie-talk soon & hopefully not post something like this again anytime soon. Or ever.
Guess I better post reviews for these new Christmas movies that I watched for the first time (rewatched loads of older favorites as well). One of these was pretty good but the rest weren’t the best…
– Violent Night (2022) – Enjoyed this one. Am a fan of Wirkola’s Dead Snow films & thought The Trip was pretty good. I’d say this is almost up there with Dead Snow for me. David Harbour was a good “sick of this shit” but still a nice & caring Santa. Great to see Beverly D’Angelo in another good Christmas film, although as a very different character from Ellen Griswold. Jean-Claude Van Dipshit! Bwahaha! Good, violent Christmas fun. – 7/10
– Candy Cane Lane (2023) – Man they pump out some weird family Xmas films now. To be fair, this was an original idea so I appreciated that & the tiny people were fun. I wish the execution of the story was better. Main characters were underdeveloped & Jillian Bell was annoying. Had they done better with those elements, it may have given this the rewatchability required of a Xmas movie. But one watch is fine for this one. – 6/10
– Spirited (2022) – Well. This was a bit rubbish but I’d feel like a Scrooge to give a Christmas movie a low rating. It gets an extra star for its one good song, “Good Afternoon” (which I guess means “F*^k You”, so I can appreciate that – Bah Humbug!). Ferrell & Reynolds were reliable but phoning it in a bit (Ferrell’s Elf poops all over this). Liked Octavia Spencer’s character, who was pleasant as usual. – 5.5/10
– Family Switch (2023) – Very sad to see Jennifer Garner go from one of the best body-swap films ever (13 Going On 30, obviously) to such an inferior one. Is it the worst one? Maybe not – there have been so many. But some of the jokes were pathetic & the baby/dog thing was weird. Lessons were learned, they all lived happily ever after, and we’ll get another movie just like it again. And again. And again. – 5.5/10
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Laurence Fishburne, Bill Skarsgård, Lance Reddick, Scott Adkins, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, Ian McShane
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) In the film, John Wick sets out to get revenge on the High Table and those who left him for dead.
My Opinion:
In a Ted ‘Theodore’ Logan voice: “Whoa“.
F^*k Yeah! I loved this! I’ve enjoyed the John Wick films & think they’ve created a thrilling world & character. But, honestly, they aren’t really my type of thing & I’ve only watched them because I’ve been in love with Keanu since my teens. As with most franchises, I’ll always think the 1st one is the best as it brilliantly set up this character but the 4th is now easily my favorite & by far the most fun.
This film looked amazing, especially during the Osaka Continental stuff, which I think was maybe my favorite part of the film. Although there are so many great action sequences that it’s hard to choose just one… Oh yeah, and the Game Of Death-style sequence through the building was kick ass! Plus I was able to watch that whole bit as it was more like watching a video game instead of that close-up squishy violence I can’t take in these films (I’m a wuss). Oh, and the ascent up the stairs! Plus, of course, that final showdown which had me holding my breath. Man, so many brilliant action scenes. Crazy.
Also, so many dark, nighttime scenes but you can actually see what’s going on the whole time! Amazing. See, filmmakers? It’s possible! Speaking of which, I loved Donnie Yen’s character. How is he always so cool? So many of the characters are so damn good in these films: Laurence Fishburne, Hiroyuki Sanada, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, every dog in every film, etc etc. All so great. Why is it so hard for other movies to create good characters? And is it just me who thinks this or is Bill Skarsgård adorable? My favorite Skarsgård! Oh, also loved the very few women in this too: Rina Sawayama & that wildling from GoT Natalia Tena. They were cool as hell too. Can we get the hinted-at revenge sequel with Rina Sawayama & Donnie Yen, please?! Oh yeah – and The Warriors-style DJ woman is also groovy. John Wick indeed borrows from many films but you can’t fault that when it does it with so much style.
I just love how ridiculous these films can get away with being. Why were all those people still dancing, surrounded by falling water, while people were being killed all around them?? Why?! Because it looks cool! That’s why! It makes no f^*king sense. It’s silly & insane but entertaining as hell. It’s what action movies should be. But the John Wick films never feel dumb. They know what they’re doing with these films. They get a perfect blend of being slick & cool, having gorgeous settings, and giving us amazing action scenes that would feel too excessive if they hadn’t done such a fantastic job setting up such strong characters & an immersive universe. Plus, I’m always a big fan of revenge films. Who isn’t? Revenge is sweet.
Loved it. Loved it! But, please please please let it be the final John Wick film. Give us new stories with any of the other characters from these films, as they’re all so great that they’d each make for very good separate films of their own. This film is a perfect ending for John Wick’s character & it’s one of those occasions where the final film has made the entire series go up in my estimation.
My Rating: 8.5/10
I haven’t added this to my 2023 movie rankings yet as I’m finding it so difficult to decide if this or Barbie is my number one…
Finally managed to watch four big 2023 releases before the end of the year. Ended up writing quite a bit for a couple of those below, so I decided that I’ll post my John Wick: Chapter 4 review later today. That one deserves a post of its own…
– Saltburn (2023) – I have no clue why, as these “filled with pretty people & trying to be edgy while actually being very shallow” movies normally annoy the shit out of me but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Isn’t being shallow the whole point? This movie isn’t very deep but I loved the dark humor, especially from Pike, Grant & Mulligan who were all fantastic.
Those characters were actually the highlights for me (I’m old). Mulligan was funny as hell & Pike’s one-liners were brutal. But I have to admit that Barry Keoghan, who gives me the bloody creeps, was brilliant. And, being old, I don’t know who the hell Jacob Elordi is but he was great too (Yeah, I know he’s in that Euphoria thing which looks like something I’d hate with a passion). I hated all these people SO much. But in that good “love to hate” kind of way. The story isn’t exactly the most original but the characters & the dialogue were fun & I liked not always knowing where the story was going.
And I still believe that rich people truly are this f*^ked-up & that these movies just like to pretend the characters are an exaggeration. Which reminds me that I absolutely HATED last year’s “rich people suck” movie Triangle Of Sadness & found The Menu very overrated. So, again, not sure why but Saltburn just worked for me in a way that those didn’t. I think it was just much more fun to watch than those were? Fennell’s Promising Young Woman is definitely the better film but I have to admit that I had more fun watching this one. But even though I enjoyed this I can absolutely see why some hated it…
And, Film Miasma, I honestly don’t know what you’d make of this film (strong hatred could be a possibility?) but you really should watch it as you could quite literally use one of your favorite tags…
My Rating: 8/10
– Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse (2023) – I absolutely love the animation style in these films & the characters are great. I’m a bit sick of superhero films but found Into The Spider-Verse a breath of fresh air. While this was still very good, I just far preferred the story in the first film. This one is starting to get messy, which is something that annoys me about the MCU & not what I want from these. We’ll see what the next film is like…
My Rating: 7.5/10
– Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny (2023) – Hmm. Well, I decided after the last film that I’ll just pretend the first three are a trilogy & this film hasn’t changed that. This wasn’t awful but, as with most sequels of the past 20 years or so, it’s just so pointless. For me, it didn’t really ruin Indiana’s character so that’s good at least (that’s more than I can say for the Star Wars sequel trilogy).
Thought this started out quite well with the sort of fun adventure story I expect from these films. And I loved seeing a younger Indiana Jones again (although some thought that looked terrible it seems but, whatever, I’m old and my eyesight is shit so it looked good to me!). And I really don’t like the little I’ve seen of Phoebe Waller-Bridge so was very worried about her being in this but I found her character… not hateful, at least. But I certainly would have no interest in watching her as the lead character if that’s their idea?
I just found myself literally falling asleep in the middle of this & it took a few tries to get the whole thing watched. And I can’t explain why as it tries to have the same type of story we got in the first three films. But it’s just so soulless? It feels like it’s trying too hard to copy previous successful elements, such as trying to give us a new Short Round character.
Oh well. I don’t know exactly what this movie is missing but I shouldn’t be falling asleep in the middle of an Indiana Jones film. It didn’t ruin its legacy for me and it wasn’t as bad as I feared but, like with The Crystal Skull, I’m barely going to remember a thing about it in a couple of years.
Hi All! Four more quickies today, mostly from 2023…
– The Family Plan (2023) – This was better than expected. Still a pretty standard “family member is actually a trained killer!” comedy but it felt a tiny bit different, mainly in that it took the story slightly more seriously. It won’t change the world but it was an enjoyable afternoon watch & that baby was absolutely adorable. – 6.5/10
– Vesper (2022) – Always a big fan of post-apocalyptic/dystopian sci-fi so glad I finally got around to watching this. Didn’t love it like I was hoping but I thought the film looked impressive for what I assume wasn’t a huge budget. The story was okay but the characters felt underdeveloped & I wish I’d cared more about them. Worth a watch for sci-fi fans but not one I’d re-visit. – 6/10
– Theater Camp (2023) – This was a fun mockumentary, which I usually enjoy (nothing beats This Is Spinal Tap in this genre). This had funny moments but I think they were wasted on me as I couldn’t relate to any of this film whatsoever. Think it must help to be a theater/drama kid, which is the exact opposite of my introvert personality. Not a bad film, though, and probably hilarious to those who can relate. – 6/10
– May December (2023) – An odd film. Not sure what its point was? Did it have one? It certainly didn’t explore its complicated, icky story or try to make us understand these characters. Moore & Portman were reliable as always, but… Meh. – 6/10
Ho ho ho! Hope you all had a good Christmas! Mine was bloody awful. Here are three 2023 releases I watched…
– Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023) – Good & realistic coming of age film. Always a fan of this subgenre. Abby Ryder Fortson, Rachel McAdams & Kathy Bates were all great & a believable, loving family. The only unbelievable part was girls wanting to get their periods? Seriously?! They call it The Curse for a reason! Overall, though, I didn’t relate to this one as much as Kelly Fremon Craig’s The Edge Of Seventeen, which I preferred.
– The Covenant (2023) – Not my usual type of thing but this was very good. Great story & characters you actually care about. Really picked up in the second half of the film. A lot of tense action & strong performances from Jake Gyllenhaal & Dar Salim. They worked so well together. Definitely worth a watch if you love a good war movie. – 7/10
– Leave The World Behind (2023) – My expectations were low when I saw this was from the guy who did the extremely underwhelming Comet film but this sounded intriguing. It’s better, mainly thanks to its strange score & eerie mood plus the actors all did well. I appreciated its atmosphere but the story went nowhere & I was a bit “What was the point?” at the end. Liked the Friends-loving daughter, though. I’d probably watch my favorite film as the world ended tbh. – 6.5/10
Looks like a scene from Bambi’s Revenge. I’d totally watch that movie…
– STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie – A great look into the life of Michael J. Fox & how he lives with Parkinson’s disease. Wonderful to see such a lovely & supportive family by his side. His honesty, humor & determination are inspiring. Already seen a lot of Back To The Future footage (being one of the greatest movies ever) so I really enjoyed seeing so much from behind the scenes of Family Ties & his first interactions with wife Tracy.
Shorts:
– Snoopy Presents: Lucy’s School – Not sure why I’ve not yet caught up on all the newer Peanuts stuff on Apple TV+. Absolutely adore Peanuts & these new ones are respectful to all our beloved classics. They’ve done a great job keeping the characters exactly as expected as we’ve known these characters & their personalities for decades now. And Lucy is still a bitch. Ha! I’m gonna try to binge all the Peanuts stuff, old & new, some weekend soon. Love it.
Holy shit – Can you believe I watched those Wes Anderson Netflix shorts? I hate Wes Anderson movies! And, holy shit, you know what?! I really liked these shorts! Maybe I can only take him in small doses… But it’s more likely that I just really liked these Roald Dahl stories. Yes, I think that’s the real reason. I’m a fan of his stories such as those in the Tales Of The Unexpected TV series (love that show). But, that typical Wes Anderson style that gets on my nerves actually worked perfectly with these Dahl stories. In my opinion, at least. Seriously. Perfect pairing. And great casting.
– The Swan – My favorite of the four shorts. Heartbreaking story but also something quite beautiful about it. Fantastic story. Really liked how Anderson did this one. Rupert Friend was perfect.
– The Rat Catcher – Liked this one a lot as well. SUCH a typical Dahl story. A lot of fun. Ralph Fiennes was great.
– Poison – Didn’t know where this story was going. Did NOT expect that ending. What a downer. Punches you in the gut, though. Not as strong as the first two but again worked really well with Anderson’s style. Liked the set used, looking like a stage play. Love Ben Kingsley. Again, perfect casting.
– The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar – Not as into this one as the rest, but it was still good. Much longer than the others. Maybe I really do want Anderson only in very small doses. Story was the least interesting as well. But still enjoyed it much more than Anderson’s full length films.
BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS IN NOVEMBER
BOOKS READ
– The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Read this as really liked the plot synopsis (from Amazon): “Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived. Which raises the ultimate question: with infinite choices, what is the best way to live?”
Was an enjoyable book. Who doesn’t love the thought of undoing all of our regrets? But its overall theme of, I assume, appreciating the life that we have was a hard thing to accept with what’s happening in my life currently. I also didn’t really care that much for the character of Nora, who came across as a bit selfish. But it’s still a great idea for a story & I think it would make a decent movie if they ever decide to adapt it. – 3/5
TV SHOWS WATCHED
None! Not ONE! Although, come to think of it… we started the newest series of Only Murders In The Building recently. Really do want to finish it sometime. Life is, ummm… a bit difficult at the moment. Unlikely to watch any new TV shows anytime soon.
BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH
Upcoming Movies I Want To See:
Very excited that Across The Spider-Verse is going to be on services this coming Friday… Been a very disappointing selection of current streaming movies the past couple of months!
I normally end these posts with a song from a movie I watched in the month. But all I remember is Tubthumping by Chumbawamba in the film Champions and that song is annoying, so I’ll skip posting a song this month. 🙂
Starring: Storm Reid, Joaquim de Almeida, Ken Leung, Amy Landecker, Daniel Henney, Nia Long
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) Its plot follows June Allen, a teenager who tries to find her missing mother after she disappears on vacation in Colombia with her new boyfriend.
My Opinion:
Really enjoyed this, as well as the film Searching. Thought being set entirely on screens would be annoying but it works very well. Both have solid stories, which is more important than the screen gimmick. I love a fun mystery thriller! Used to get films like this more often. I miss them. Searching was a bit better but both were very enjoyable & I’d happily watch further standalone sequels.
Oh yeah – just realized that’s the girl who was the friend in The Last Of Us. I liked that episode. And I liked that dude’s character in the below photo.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Renfield (2023)
Directed by Chris McKay
Based on Dracula by Bram Stoker
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Nicolas Cage
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) Renfield, Dracula’s henchman and inmate at the lunatic asylum for decades, longs for a life away from the Count, his various demands, and all of the bloodshed that comes with them.
My Opinion:
For some reason I wasn’t expecting this to be the Deadpool of vampire movies but I had a lot of fun with the OTT comedic violence & Nicolas Cage actually being less wacky than usual. Nicholas Hoult was funny & I really liked Awkwafina‘s character plus they worked well together. I love horror comedy, though, so can see this not working for everyone. One of 2023’s more enjoyable films for me.
My Rating: 7/10
Champions (2023)
Directed by Bobby Farrelly
Based on Campeones by Javier Fesser & David Marqués
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The film stars Woody Harrelson as a temperamental minor-league basketball coach who, after an arrest, must coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities as community service.
My Opinion:
Enjoyed this. Can’t say it’s something we haven’t seen a lot (angry guy is ordered to work with people who are seen as less fortunate & sees the error of his ways & becomes a good person – Holy shit, how many times have we see this?!). But what can I say? I like a feelgood film with genuinely likeable characters & this ticks those boxes. A predictably pleasant watch.
Hi All! Done with your Christmas shopping yet? Here are three movies I didn’t hate! 🙂
Starfish (2018)
Directed & Written by A.T. White
Starring: Virginia Gardner
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) A unique, intimate portrayal of a girl grieving for the loss of her best friend, which just so happens to take place on the day the world ends.
My Opinion:
This is the type of indie shit that I love. Weird story with a deeper meaning, some sci-fi, slightly pretentious. Very me. But this didn’t quite work. Liked the end & brief horror, Virginia Gardner was good, music a bit annoying, some experimental scenes didn’t quite work, and the story was a little too nonsensical. But I appreciate films like this being made & always eagerly watch them.
It reminded me a bit of the film Bokeh, although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that one if you liked this. Maybe. Far more happens in Starfish (although Starfish was way too slow). But absolutely nothing happens in Bokeh. It’s just beautiful and has a similar, melancholy feel to it that this film also had. Plus the fact that most everyone on Earth suddenly disappears in both films. Both are far from perfect & probably quite “boring” to a lot of people, but I still think about Bokeh sometimes & know that I’ll still be thinking about Starfish sometimes. So, yes, I do really appreciate that.
Oh, and the more obvious comparison to Starfish would be Another Earth. Also a very “me” film. I’d definitely recommend Starfish if you liked Another Earth. Very similar vibe.
Okay, I just read this about Starfish director A.T. White at IMDb: “He wrote, directed and scored the film. Every cent he makes from ‘Starfish’ is donated to Cancer Research.” Well now I think he’s amazing. The type of music may not be totally for me but this film shows a lot of potential. I’d definitely watch more of his work. And I hope this movie made & somehow continues to make lots of money.
Oh, and this girl was also in the movie Fall which I thoroughly enjoyed even though it was absolutely ridiculous.
My Rating: 7/10
Landscape With Invisible Hand (2023)
Directed by Cory Finley
Based on Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) When an occupying alien species’ bureaucratic rule and advanced technology leaves most of Earth impoverished and unemployed, two teenagers hatch a risky plan to ensure their families’ futures.
My Opinion:
A strange film that looked very much like the indie weirdness I go for, but it didn’t really work for me. Love the idea but think it tried to make too many different (obvious) points when it could have devoted more time to just a couple of its ideas, giving more depth to the story & characters. But I appreciate its effort & uniqueness. (And I recognised the girl from Space Station 76, a film I loved. She was also in Beau Is Afraid, which I reviewed yesterday. I hate you Beau Is Afraid!)
My Rating: 6/10
Bring It On (2000)
Directed by Peyton Reed
Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku, Jesse Bradford, Gabrielle Union
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The plot of the film centers around two high school cheerleading teams’ preparation for a national competition.
My Opinion:
Rewatched with the daughter for the first time in years. Holds up fairly well. I still like it, but it could’ve been great as a dark, Heathers-style comedy. I like the routines. I was a cheerleader in high school, which is hilarious to anyone who knows me as I’m the LEAST cheerful & MOST introverted person I know. Think I saw myself as Dushku‘s character (but I was a dork).
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) Based on the Canadian 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews, itself inspired by the gas-facilitated rapes that occurred at the Manitoba Colony, a remote and isolated Mennonite community in Bolivia, the film follows a group of American Mennonite women who discuss their future, following their discovery of the men’s history of raping the colony’s women.
My Opinion:
A worthy film with worthy acting & a worthy story that I have no clue how to review. The story? Not at all surprising but still shocking & heartbreaking. Great performances, especially from Mara & Foy (Foy was the angry one, right? I was on her side – Pissed OFF). Glad Polley was recognised with a deserved Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar. Good film that would make a great play.
My Rating: 7/10
Unlocked (2023) (Korean: 스마트폰을떨어뜨렸을뿐인데)
Directed & Written by Kim Tae-joon
Starring: Chun Woo-hee, Yim Si-wan, Kim Hee-won
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) A woman’s life is turned upside-down when a dangerous man gets hold of her lost cell phone and uses it to track her every move.
My Opinion:
This was fine. I admit I was doing other things so I had the English dubbing on, which always ruins a movie a bit. Shame on me. The story was decent enough & shows how easily we could be taken advantage of through our reliance on our smartphones. The villain wasn’t very believable & those cops did a terrible job. Some things were also too far-fetched but it was still an enjoyable thriller.
My Rating: 6/10
The Killer (2023)
Directed by David Fincher
Based on The Killer by Alexis “Matz” Nolent & Luc Jacamon
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Kerry O’Malley, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte, Tilda Swinton
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) It follows the titular assassin as he embarks on an international vendetta after a hit goes wrong.
My Opinion:
Man this was boring. Sorry. I watched it for Fassbender as I can take or leave Fincher (will this get me kicked out of the online film community?!) but his narration was too damn much. Blah blah blah! Shut up, man. And he’s usually great but his character was so bland. And The Smiths are okay but only in small doses. And the story was absolutely nothing special. What am I missing?
FYI Film Miasma – If you haven’t seen this yet, I can’t see you loving it since Fassbender never shuts the f*^k up and I know you hate too much talking in movies…
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) Its plot follows the mild-mannered but paranoia-ridden Beau as he embarks on a surreal odyssey to get home to attend his mother’s funeral, realizing his greatest fears along the way.
Okay, the above two lines are all I wrote on Letterboxd. Because, honestly, sitting through this goddamn film was exhausting & I couldn’t be arsed to write anything about it after it had already wasted too much of my precious time.
I’ll say this: I find Ari Aster’s films interesting and, as I always say, I far prefer interesting to boring. Although I didn’t love them, I still appreciated a lot about Hereditary & Midsommar & wrote quite a lot about them in my reviews. I struggle to even write the short Letterboxd 8-line paragraph for most films now because, well, most movies these days aren’t worth saying much about. They’re bland.
So at least Beau wasn’t bland, I guess. But, unlike Hereditary & Midsommar, there’s nothing I appreciated about it. And I like weird. And I often like slightly pretentious. Hell, I think I love what I’ve seen of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s films (Santa Sangre & El Topo). Love them or hate them, you at least can’t say those two films aren’t entertaining! Weird & pretentious can be fine but I want a movie to also be watchable. Beau is like some kind of endurance test to see if you can sit through the damn thing just to get your film community cred on Letterboxd & shit. Do I win something?! It took me about six separate times but I suffered through all of this thing! Are you all happy now?!?!
Beau is afraid. Of what, I don’t know. Giant penises, I guess. I don’t care. Beau can go f*^k himself.
Okay, I thought of one thing I liked. I’m giving this an extra half a star for that guy hanging from the ceiling. Because of all the what-the-fuck moments in this, that one was the what-the-fuckiest for me for some reason. Oh, and I think there’s at least two head squishings, including one I think you see (I dunno, I looked away). Aster loves his decapitations & head squishings! I’m sure they all have some deep f*^king meaning, of course.
(Yet I’d probably still rank this above Under The Silver Lake. But maybe below the horse-fucking movie. Yes, below the horse-fucking movie. Oh my god – I just realised that all three are A24 films… I’m starting to seriously hate you, A24!)
My Rating: 4/10
*Added an extra half a star for the freaky mask during the play too. Ugh. Am I trying to talk myself into liking this piece of shit?! Oh – Minus half a star for ripping off Tromeo & Juliet, though. Wait… Also adding an extra half a star for having the young girl from Space Station 76 in this because that movie is kind of great. But minus half a star for now tainting that movie for me.
Oh! And you know what else is better than Beau Is Afraid? The movie about people disappearing up a guy’s butt. Seriously. I’d watch Butt Boy 100 times before I’d ever sit through Beau Is Afraid again. (maybe)
I’ll still probably watch Ari Aster’s next film. I hate myself.
Hi All! Nearly Christmas! I better try to catch up on reviews. Here are three “perfectly fine” 2023 movies that I watched last month…
You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023)
Directed by Sammi Cohen
Based on You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah by Fiona Rosenbloom
Starring: Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler, Sunny Sandler, Samantha Lorraine, Dylan Hoffman, Sarah Sherman, Dan Bulla, Ido Mosseri, Jackie Hoffman, Luis Guzmán
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) It tells the story of two best friends whose bat mitzvah plans go awry as they fight for the attention of the same popular boy.
My Opinion:
First of all: I’m not an Adam Sandler hater so I was happy to check out his daughter’s film. Thought this was a fun film that captured how traumatising & awkward those coming of age years can be. And, sorry, but that “might have to sleep in the bathtub” line was funny. Also, Rabbi Rebecca rules. Oh! And I appreciated the older sister always watching horror movies.
My Rating: 7/10
Quiz Lady (2023)
Directed by Jessica Yu
Starring: Awkwafina, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, Holland Taylor, Tony Hale, Jon “Dumbfoundead” Park, Will Ferrell
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) A game-show-obsessed woman and her estranged sister work together to help cover their mother’s gambling debts.
My Opinion:
A fun but somewhat forgettable film. Awkwafina & Sandra Oh were both likeable & funny. The “I’m high on drugs” scene used so often in comedies was a good one here (can I have some of that first stuff? those clouds were adorable!). Liked the end. A worthwhile one-time watch.
My Rating: 6.5/10
She Came To Me (2023)
Directed & Written by Rebecca Miller
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Marisa Tomei, Joanna Kulig, Brian d’Arcy James, Anne Hathaway
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) A composer who suffers writer’s block rediscovers his passion after an adventurous one-night stand.
My Opinion:
This was an odd one but I kind of liked it, mainly because I really like Peter Dinklage & Marisa Tomei. They were great as always. There are a few stories going on here & you’ll honestly never guess where any of them are going or what Tomei’s character does for a living. A pleasant “Sunday afternoon” kind of movie worth a watch if you like its charismatic stars.
Hi All! Think I’m a day or two late on this. But I’ve been doing this 11 years now. 11 years! Spinal Tap would be proud!
Well, things are absolutely terrible life-wise the past two years but I try to keep things going here as movies (watching them, posting about them, keeping a diary of them, making lists of them… god I’m a nerd) are my form of escapism. And I need a lot of that at the moment!
Time is short so I’m going to do what I did for my blogiversary last year & just list my Top Ten Lists For 2023 So Far as it’s nearly the end of the year anyway. Only been to the cinema a few times, so this is mainly movies “released in the U.K. for the first time in 2023 that I actually managed to watch”. So, yes, most big cinema releases are sadly missing if they aren’t streaming yet.
FYI – all my lists & my movie diary & reviews are also on my Letterboxd profile here.
So here are My Top Ten Movies Released To U.K. Cinemas Or Streaming Services In 2023 That I’ve Seen So Far:
I’ve seen much better older films this year than 2023 releases. Seen so many decent ones that I need to make this one a Top 20. So here are My Top Twenty Older Release Movies Seen In 2023 So Far:
The full list of absolutely everything I’ve watched & read this year is here if you’re super bored or want to see what terrible movies I ranked the lowest (Under The Silver Lake. And I’m only halfway through it but think that Beau Is Afraid will be another contender for the biggest piece of shit I’ve seen this year. Yikes…).
Thanks to those who are still around here & reading my ramblings & putting up with me taking ages to reply to comments. I’m so glad you’re still here! I always appreciate hearing from people, old & new. 🙂
Happy Black Friday, All! Hope the Americans had a lovely Thanksgiving yesterday (I forgot all about it. Didn’t even watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving!). Anyway, I’m sick of posting reviews of movies I found “meh” lately so here are three good ones…
Blow Out (1981)
Directed & Written by Brian De Palma
Starring: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget slasher film, unintentionally captures audio evidence of an assassination involving a presidential hopeful.
My Opinion:
How does this 1981 film look so much better than most the shit that gets made now? Do love De Palma when he’s at his best. Have ranked this 6th of his films, but those 6 are all excellent. Travolta is surprisingly good in this, I liked the story and loved the sound effects & movie stuff, and it had great imagery which I’m always a sucker for (love the shot in front of the flag as well as all the shots with the fireworks in the background). Great stuff!
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.
My Opinion:
I actually knew nothing about this but it seems popular so I had to check it out as I love this sort of thing. The film looks fantastic & there’s some great imagery, which I loved. Plus a wonderful eerie atmosphere & gorgeous isolated setting. And a creepy hole! It took a while for the story to really get going but the final act made up for that (although the ending was too abrupt). Glad I checked this one out.
My Rating: 7.5/10
Pretty Woman (1990)
Directed by Garry Marshall
Starring: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Ralph Bellamy, Jason Alexander, Héctor Elizondo, Laura San Giacomo, Alex Hyde-White
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The film’s story centers on Hollywood prostitute Vivian Ward and wealthy businessman Edward Lewis. Vivian is hired to be Edward’s escort for several business and social functions, and their relationship develops during her week-long stay with him.
My Opinion:
Finally rewatched this one with the daughter for the first time. Hadn’t seen it in years. Think it has aged well, although it’s certainly one of those very ‘90s romcoms (which is fine with me – they were a guilty pleasure at the time). Love her or hate her, Roberts is great here & truly made this film the big hit that it was. A fun & very quotable film with great outfits.
Starring: Eve Hewson, Jack Reynor, Orén Kinlan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) A single mom at war with her son is trying to find a hobby for him. One day, she rescues a guitar from a dumpster.
My Opinion:
Disappointed to find out this is Sing Street without the really catchy songs & without very likeable characters. Didn’t care that much about selfish Flora or her delinquent son. Might not help that I’m not a big fan of bland guitar ballads. Meh. Maybe I was just in a bad mood. I like the poster, though. And I still love Sing Street.
FYI – Flora will let you come on her face & let it run down her neck. Or something like that. A film for the whole family!
FYI Again – Think she’s Bono’s daughter.
My Rating: 6/10
Fingernails (2023)
Directed by Christos Nikou
Starring: Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Jeremy Allen White, Luke Wilson
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The film follows a woman who starts working at an institute that tests whether the love between two people in a couple is real.
My Opinion:
Liked the concept but the story’s execution was boring & the characters were extremely dull. How do films with great ideas manage to be boring? Are they trying too hard to appear worthy? Oh well. Maybe watch if you like the (wasted in this) actors or idea. The film TiMER has a similar idea without big names but with a better story, so maybe watch that instead. But neither film explores this idea in-depth.
My Rating: 6/10
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Directed by Rob Marshall
Based on Disney’s The Little Mermaid by Ron Clements & John Musker & “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen
Starring: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, Art Malik, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The plot follows the mermaid princess Ariel, who is fascinated with the human world; after saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to walk on land.
My Opinion:
Not the worst of the completely unnecessary live-action Disney remakes, I guess. But The Little Mermaid isn’t a huge favorite, so I was going to be slightly less annoyed than I was by live-action Beauty And The Beast (man I hate that one). The cast were all perfectly fine. Meh. I’ll only ever rewatch the animated films. Those are the only ones I (and most people) truly love.
Starring: Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, P. J. Byrne, Lukas Haas, Olivia Hamilton, Max Minghella, Rory Scovel, Katherine Waterston, Tobey Maguire
Plot Synopsis: Orgies. Shitting. Pissing. Puking.
My Opinion:
Oh boy. I don’t know where to start with this one. I didn’t love it. The crazy shit, piss & puke-fuelled beginning was giving me a headache & stressing me out. But then I really liked the next bit with Robbie & Pitt making their movies. That was a lot of fun and I think they were both excellent in these roles & easily the best & only truly great things about this film. Oh, Jean Smart was also fantastic (Remember Designing Women?? Underrated!).
Also really enjoyed the section with Robbie making her first movie with sound. And also the snake bit, which may be my favorite despite actually thinking that part was absolutely ridiculous. But this movie is all about excess & that part was so outrageous that it kind of worked for me & was at least funny unlike some of the other “shocking” scenes. Oh, I also thought the character of Robbie’s female director was good. It’s a shame that the main dude they focus on, who is in love with Robbie despite her being completely unlikeable, is just a bit dull as a character. But I guess he was going to seem that way compared to everyone else.
I just didn’t think all these different stories worked together that well. It was like several short films all shoved together and it felt messy. Then the entire ending, set years later, lacked any true emotion and seemed so far removed from everything that came before it. I didn’t believe for one second that he could feel so emotional over Robbie’s hateful character plus that Cinema Paradiso-wannabe ending was pathetic. As a movie lover, there’s nothing I love more than a “love of cinema” film but man that ending was so fake & forced.
Pitt & Robbie were great, yes, and this movie proves that they both have true star power & can carry a film but I wish I’d cared about the fate of their characters a little bit. Had some sympathy for Pitt as a fading star, I guess. Wish I’d loved this but it was far too long, had too many pointless scenes as well as main characters that I didn’t care about at all, and a ridiculous ending. Worth a watch for the good scenes mentioned above and for Pitt’s & Robbie’s performances but I’d never want to sit through the entire film again.
My Rating: 7/10(decent rating mainly for the performances plus the film admittedly looked fantastic, but I may later knock off half a point)
**Sorry, Film Miasma! Know you liked this one a lot. But I think we liked the same things about it anyway.
Ignore this post. I’m required to post my October roundup before I’m allowed to post any reviews of what I watched in November. Because I’m anal like that. 🙂 So let’s get this out of the way so I can post my Babylon review later today! That movie was fucking nuts.
And I can’t be arsed with adding any pictures to this post…
I love all the shorts on Disney Plus – always fun & easy to stick on while eating dinner. Especially like the Donald Duck ones. A few I watched in October: Donald Duck Chips Ahoy, Old Mac Donald Duck, and Wynken, Blynken & Nod.
BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS IN OCTOBER
TV SHOWS WATCHED
– Ahsoka: S1 E8 – Very good show! It’s no Mandalorian, but Grogu is going to be impossible to beat (love that adorable little fucker). Great addition to the Star Wars universe.
– Mr. Mercedes: S2 – Not as strong as Season 1. And I don’t remember book 2 & 3 as well now but did they skip straight to book 3 for season 2? What the heck is season 3 gonna be about, then?? Still enjoying it as I really like these characters, though (especially Holly, as mentioned in the below book review…).
BOOKS READ
– Holly by Stephen King – Okay, I love the character of Holly. I assume she’s a “love her or hate her” character but she must have fans (and King must love her too) as she’s now been a part of so many of his stories. She’s a very relatable character for me with her social awkwardness & her love of movies. Oh, and Jerome & Barbara are also great and in this a lot as well. Such a fun group of people & they work so well together. The story in this is fine – I wouldn’t say it’s something we’ve not had from King before. It’s also not all “weird supernatural shit”, which is too bad as the weird supernatural shit is what I always like the most. But it was a very enjoyable read & I loved spending time with these favorite characters again. – 4/5
BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH
Not much until after the crazy Xmas season! Oh crap… Blogiversary is coming up next week again. I always feel like I have to post something for that. Will see if I have time!
Upcoming Movies I Want To See:
Everything. Don’t get to go to the cinema anymore. 😦 Daughter went to The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes. I’m jealous.
Happy Halloween! 🎃 Man, what a disappointing selection of crap I watched to review for Halloween this year. 😭
Oh well. The first two were interesting, at least. And Titane is certainly memorable! I only hate the last one.
Titane (2021)
Directed & Written by Julia Ducournau
Starring: Vincent Lindon, Agathe Rousselle, Garance Marillier, Laïs Salameh
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The French-Belgian co-production stars Agathe Rousselle in her feature film debut as Alexia, a woman who, after being injured in a car crash as a child, has a titanium plate fitted into her head.
My Opinion:
Absolutely hated this. At first. But it kind of grew on me when the dude was all “You’re my son!” & they had the weird relationship & dance scenes. Hated the disgusting violence at the start but liked the body horror ending (which took far too long to arrive). But I love Akira & like Tetsuo so maybe I’m weird. Think this movie is shit, though. I don’t get the love. Just because it’s “shocking”? So what?
My Rating: 6/10
Censor (2021)
Directed by Prano Bailey-Bond
Starring: Niamh Algar, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin, Sophia La Porta, Adrian Schiller, Michael Smiley
Plot Synopsis: (via IMDb) After viewing a strangely familiar video nasty, Enid, a film censor, sets out to solve the past mystery of her sister’s disappearance, embarking on a quest that dissolves the line between fiction and reality.
My Opinion:
This had a good idea but the story went nowhere & the film ended up not really having anything at all to say about censorship & the effect violent movies may have on society etc etc. Felt a bit pointless. It had a decent look & the actress was good but it was too slow & nothing happened until the love-it-or-hate-it ending. Was like Berberian Sound Studio crossed with In Fabric. Meh. Not for everyone.
My Rating: 6/10
Talk To Me (2022)
Directed by Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Based on Concept by Daley Pearson
Starring: Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, Joe Bird, Otis Dhanji, Miranda Otto, Zoe Terakes, Chris Alosio, Marcus Johnson, Alexandria Steffensen
Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia) The film follows a group of teenagers who discover they are able to contact spirits using a mysterious embalmed hand, only for things to go too far.
My Opinion:
Don’t have a good reason why but I didn’t like this. The idea was decent & it did have some intense & fairly scary moments. But I didn’t care about anyone, except maybe the younger brother, and it was honestly too violent. I know it’s a horror but I think I’m just wussing out on the ones that are too graphic now. And the music they listened to annoyed the hell out of me. Ha. I’m so old. Get off my lawn!
Cinema Parrot Disco 