Watched, Read, Reviewed: July 2026

Guess I better get this roundup out of the way so I can move onto the movies I watched in August. Plus I’ll talk about my Scotland trip & the two concerts I saw there (The Cure & Deftones) when I do my August roundup post.

MOVIES WATCHED IN JULY (ranked best to worst):

The Wages Of Fear – 8/10
The Invite – 8/10
Redux Redux – 7.5/10
Minions & Monsters – 7.5/10
Hundreds Of Beavers – 7.5/10
Heel – 7/10
The Driver – 7/10
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come – 7/10
Final Destination Bloodlines – 7/10
Mile End Kicks – 6.5/10
Whistle – 7/10
The Devil Wears Prada 2 – 7/10
Masters Of The Universe – 6.5/10
Over Your Dead Body – 6/10
In Cold Light – 6.5/10
LifeHack – 6/10
Lake Michigan Monster – 6/10
Micro Budget – 6/10
Evil Dead Burn – 6.5/10
Greenland 2: Migration – 6/10
The Dink – 6/10
Lee Cronin’s The Mummy – 6/10
The Devil’s Mouth – 5.5/10
Bugonia – 5/10

Movies Rewatched In July:

Project Hail Mary – 9.5/10
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence – 9/10
The Warriors – 9/10
The Kid – 9/10

Short Watched:

The Non-Actor – A Mubi short with Maya Hawke & Victoria Pedretti, whose character is losing her hearing. It was fine but I don’t really rate Hawke’s acting. Ever. Which is too bad, as I really like both her parents.

BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS THIS MONTH

Live Shows Attended

Avenue Q – Had seen this many years ago with the hubby & thought it was fun. Took the opportunity to bring the daughter to it when I saw it would be playing on his birthday, as I think he’d really like knowing she got to see it years later as well (especially as she loves inappropriate humor & I knew she’d like it – current teens seem more chill than the generation before them?). Plus I got to refresh my memory as it was so long ago that I saw it. Yep, still fun. We had a good time. After recently seeing The Book Of Mormon, however, Avenue Q really does feel more like standard Sesame Street.

Ranking Of Live Shows I’ve Seen:

My Neighbor Totoro
Spirited Away
Hadestown
The Book Of Mormon
Six
Waitress
The Hunger Games
Avenue Q
Legally Blonde
Clueless
Wicked
School Of Rock
Beetlejuice
The Lion King
We Will Rock You
Edward Scissorhands Ballet
Little Shop Of Horrors
Mary Poppins
Stomp
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saw this as an outdoor performance in Wisconsin & it’s last because I only saw half of it as it was cancelled due to rain)

TV SHOWS WATCHED

I Will Find You – Oh wow. Good thing I typed this into my draft post at the time as I’d have not remembered watching this. Yet another Harlan Coben TV series adaptation, so it was exactly as expected. Had twists & turns but not nearly as many as most of his stories. Light, throwaway, guilty pleasure TV. Not the worst or the best of the Coben shows but not a good sign that I had to look it up to remind myself what it was about as I type this no more than two months after watching it.

Ride Or Die: S1 E1-4 – Not actually sure which episode I’m on as I’ve kind of lost interest & not continued. I’ll finish it, though, just been very busy. Not exactly my kind of thing but I like these two ladies (Hannah Waddingham & Octavia Spencer), so figured I’d check it out. They’re the best thing about the show & work really well together. On a side note, someone mentioned Waddingham in Game of Thrones & I was like “Who the hell was she?”, so I looked her up. I had NO clue that the “SHAME!” lady was Waddingham!!! WTF?! Probably because her hair is covered. Honest to god – if you change your hairdo in any way, I’m not gonna recognise you. I’m terrible with faces.

Lessons In Chemistry: S1 E1-5 – Read this book (review below). A good book with really strong & quirky characters who I liked a lot. I always like watching a TV or movie adaptation after I’ve read a book, so I started this when finished. What a massive disappointment! Terrible adaptation. I guess I’ll finish it at some point but I’m annoyed that they didn’t do these characters justice at all & they’re so unlike the characters in the book. They’ve made the show a pure melodrama with none of the subtle humor of the book that comes from the characters being odd & never quite fitting in when it comes to social situations (especially main character Elizabeth Zott & her boyfriend Calvin Evans). I liked them a lot in the book and could relate to that awkwardness. Brie Larson is good in the show, though. I’m a fan & it’s absolutely nothing to do with her as it’s all down to the writing and how much they drastically changed from the book. Why do they do that?! Adding in things that never happened & changing other characters so completely that they’re actually someone else entirely, such as her neighbor. Grr. Why does stuff like this annoy me so much?! Who cares?? lol. Just FYI – If you’re interested in this one, PLEASE read the book instead. Or at least first.

BOOKS READ

Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus – Read this for book club at work & really enjoyed it. It’s about a female scientist living in the (even more) sexist world of the ’60s who, after losing her scientist job, ends up hosting a cooking show in which she applies her scientific knowledge. It’s a book where the story is good but the characters are better & are what make it so good. Absolutely loved nerdy & awkward main character Elizabeth Zott & boyfriend Calvin Evans plus their dog Six-Thirty. They were so weird but fun, adding in humorous moments to lighten some very dark & dramatic occurrences (which the TV adaptation doesn’t do at all and is just purely depressing). And as much as I wanted all the horrible & sexist men in the book to suffer, I think the story had Zott’s character dealing with all the harassment in a much more realistic way, by mostly just ignoring it and doing what she could to get by, as a woman back then really had no options & it would have been unrealistic if she’d suddenly turned into T2‘s Sarah Connor or something. Enjoyable book. Am glad it was chosen for book club. – 4/5

Now Reading: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins & Exhalation by Ted Chiang

BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH

Post August reviews. I’m always behind. Why does it seem like I’m always so damn busy when I have zero life?! 🙃

Upcoming Movies I Want To See:

Not really looked into upcoming releases. Bad Apples looks interesting. And I really want to see Fall 2 as I really liked that stupid first movie.

Over Your Dead Body, The Devil’s Mouth, Lee Cronin’s The Mummy & Bugonia Reviews

Over Your Dead Body – Unnecessary but fun English-language remake. Would recommend the original instead but this wasn’t bad, especially if you like the actors. Weaving is growing on me. Saw this just after Carolina Caroline, which I think was the first time she really stood out in a role (for me). I’d recommend that first if you’re a fan of good performances & chemistry but this is worth a watch too just for some fun. – 6/10

The Devil’s Mouth – Yikes. I’m not a big shark movie fan (why are there SO many?!). So I’ve not seen ones I’m sure are worse but I think this is the worst I’ve seen. Dreadful characters & special effects. Boring dumb instead of fun dumb. I preferred Thrash from this year, which was also bad but doesn’t deserve its current lower rating than this one. Kathryn Newton wasn’t terrible, though, so extra half star for her I guess. – 5.5/10

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy – This was a weird one. I don’t think I really liked anything about it yet it has the elements seen in countless other horror films that I like okay. I’m not sure what wasn’t working here. It actually has a pretty good & fairly original story. The acting is fine (for horror). I think the misleading title didn’t help, as I’m not a big fan of demon possession films. It felt too much like Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise but with all the fun sucked out of it. And I quite liked that film despite not being an Evil Dead fan. I can see that a lot of people really disliked this one but I can’t pinpoint what is that bad about it. I’ve certainly seen far worse horror films. I just didn’t get much enjoyment from watching this plus I kept checking how much time was remaining as it’s definitely too long. But I’ve still upped it half a star from my original rating as I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as the reviews & ratings seem to suggest? – 5.5/10

Bugonia – I hate Lanthimos films. Sorry. Forced myself to watch as it was a Best Picture nominee. Maybe I didn’t give it a fair shot based on what I think of his work? Nah – this was just boring. At least stuff happens in his other films, I guess, not just in the final 20 minutes. I’ve actually upped this half a star for the ending, which I didn’t hate… Found that more entertaining than anything in any of his other films. 

Well, I’ve added it to my Weird Movies I Love… And Hate list (at the bottom with the 14 or so that I don’t like)

And added to My Ranked 2026 Oscar Nominees list. – 5/10

Since most of the above movies were a bit rubbish, here are the excellent films that I rewatched in July…

Project Hail Mary – 9.5/10
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence – 9/10
The Warriors – 9/10
The Kid – 8.5/10

Minions & Monsters, Masters Of The Universe, Micro Budget & The Dink Reviews

Minions & Monsters – I like minions, okay?! They’re hilarious. I think the first Despicable Me is fantastic with a big heart, great humor & amazing soundtrack yet doesn’t get the same love as films from studios like Pixar. Sadly the sequels & Minions movies haven’t lived up to the first film but this was loads of fun. A film-lover’s delight with lots of silent-era movie references. The minions were as funny & lovable as always. A joy to watch. This was a great love letter to classic Hollywood. – 7.5/10

Masters Of The Universe – Well, this was quite fun. I’m of the (old) age where I could’ve been a fan of the ‘80s cartoon but I never really watched it (just She-Ra a little), so I have very limited knowledge of these characters & none of the nostalgia. This did lose steam after a fun start. Appreciated the campiness, though. That’s what these types of films should be, in my opinion. Hate ones that try to take things too seriously. – 6.5/10

Micro Budget – Amusing. Would probably be much more appreciated by people who have worked on low budget films. The only thing slightly letting this down is the director character crossing that line into annoying asshole instead of just funny asshole a few too many times. – 6/10

The Dink – Can’t say I was really caring about the story or the main dude in this at all. He was annoying. However, I really liked Mary Steenburgen’s character  & it was good seeing Ed Harris too. But I still don’t really understand what pickleball is or why it’s so popular. Is it just an American thing? Why am I asking?! I don’t care. Extra half star for John McEnroe’s enormous snacks. I want that pretzel… – 6/10

The Wages Of Fear, Hundreds Of Beavers, The Driver & Lake Michigan Monster Reviews

The Wages Of Fear – Finally got around to watching this highly rated film and, yes, it mostly lives up to the hype. Well, the main part of the film certainly does. It was slow to start but I was on the edge of my seat once their journey started. Man, that was indeed tense. Absolutely loved every bit of that (it was stressing me out how they kept slamming the truck doors shut whenever they got out?!). What let the film down for me, though, was what an utter asshole Mario was, especially to his lovely Les Diaboliques girlfriend? I feel like the movie would have been more emotional for me if I hadn’t wanted that dude to blow up the whole time?! – 8/10

Hundreds Of Beavers – This may be the most bizarre film I’ve ever seen? And I love weird films (I made a list of the weirdest I’ve seen here). It took me a while to get into this & I do think it was too long & a bit repetitive but, wow, I gotta hand it to them on originality! Not all of it worked but when it was at its funniest it was hilarious. I loved the smaller bits too, like the running gag with the spittoon. Just an insanely clever & original film, which is something I always appreciate as I watch so many films & find too many boring or predictable.

I was hoping to love this but I think I mainly just appreciated it. Although I certainly did like quite a few scenes & gags. In all honesty this isn’t one I can see myself watching again as I think the most fun to be had here is being surprised at every crazy turn this takes as you watch it for the first time. I also don’t feel like I’d need to watch it again as I’m never going to forget a thing about it as it’s so unique, which again is important to me as so many films are instantly forgettable. 

Toward the end of the film there is a map & that’s when it hit me that this was very likely made by people from my home state (it was). Yeah, I can absolutely see that now as these dudes feel like people that I grew up with in Wisconsin & I’m wondering if anyone from my tiny town has even heard of this obscure film (doubtful, which is a shame as I think some would love it). But I’ve lived in the U.K. a long time now so for all I know this was a massive hit in Wisconsin?! Anyway, I’m weirdly proud of this movie now as very few cool things have come out of Wisconsin. So I have to give it at least a 4/5 Letterboxd rating for that fact plus, again, just for being one of the absolute strangest & most memorable films I’ve ever seen. – 7.5/10

*Am wondering if you’ve heard of Hundreds Of Beavers, Eric Undead?? Because I feel like you could love it?! Or, possibly, think it’s the biggest piece of shit ever?! It really could go either way! 😁

The Driver – Watched this as I know it’s a big influence on things like Drive & Baby Driver plus I love Walter Hill‘s The Warriors & have been wanting to see this. Very good film. Sleek & stylish. A shame to see it in poor quality on live TV with commercials, which maybe didn’t help, but this isn’t really a favorite genre of mine so I appreciated it more than “liked” it. Plus I’m going to sound like an idiot but I can never follow the plot in these heist type thrillers. I could clearly never be a criminal. Ryan O’Neal confused me with the locker thing here & with the short-change thing in Paper Moon. I could be so easily scammed. – 7/10

Lake Michigan Monster – Decided to give this a try after watching Hundreds Of Beavers made by the same dudes, which I appreciated for its originality & maybe being the most unique film I’ve ever seen. I was proud when I realized it was made by fellow Wisconsinites. Sadly, this one didn’t work for me (but I’ve given it an extra half star to be loyal). Still appreciate the effort they put into this, though, and I can again say this was definitely unique. – 6/10

Mile End Kicks, In Cold Light, LifeHack & Greenland 2: Migration Reviews

Mile End Kicks – Was intrigued by the indie music scene setting of this plus I really liked Ferreira in Bob Trevino Likes It (great film – check it out!). She’s again really good here although I was hoping it would be more about the music & her love of that (kind of like an Almost Famous thing). It’s more about how messed up she is. And why did she like that asshole singer?! Still a good watch & Ferreira was the highlight. – 6.5/10

In Cold Light – Not a lot to say about this as there seems to be so many straight-to-streaming depressing crime dramas just like it. I know it’s one I won’t remember a thing about in a couple years & I’ll probably knock my rating down half a star. But I like Maika Monroe, as I think a lot do, so it’s worth a watch if you’re a fan as she always does well in this type of role (but it would be nice to see her branch out). Oh, Troy Kotsur gives a good performance as well. All the acting was fine, the story was just not that interesting. – 6.5/10

LifeHack – This was an okay hacker story, although the whole time I was kind of annoyed they were committing this crime as I didn’t get why they were doing it? Not the best character development either but I think that can be difficult when all done through computer screens. It did manage that okay but I think this concept was handled much better in the films Searching & Missing, which I liked quite a bit. – 6/10

Greenland 2: Migration – Didn’t notice this sequel had come out. Must admit I barely remember the first one, just that I thought it was decent for a straight-to-streaming film but that it was also in the Covid era when we were desperate for movies, right? I’m not sure what it was about this one, which wasn’t bad, but just felt very forgettable? I do always enjoy a disaster movie, though, so I still found it entertaining & worth the watch. – 6/10

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come, Final Destination Bloodlines, Whistle & Evil Dead Burn Reviews

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come – Fun sequel. Not quite as good as the first film but pretty close. And… I honestly don’t know what to say about this? If you liked the first, you’ll like this as it’s the same thing again. Loved seeing Elijah Wood, Sarah Michelle Gellar & body horror king David Cronenberg. Liked the ending. These are two solid horror films. Kind of hoping they’ll stop here before ruining it but am sure they’ll make more. – 7/10

Final Destination Bloodlines – A nice surprise. I like the clever concept of these films but didn’t watch the last two as they appeared to be getting stale. Was nice this tried something a little different while staying true to the idea. Really liked the initial disaster & setting. The penny was a nice touch & the characters, while not the best, at least had some humor. Inventive deaths again. Entertaining entry in this mostly solid franchise. – 7/10

Whistle – Better than I was expecting. I think what maybe hurts it is the concept feeling so close to Final Destination, but it’s a fun twist on that and I liked the idea. It also resulted in some crazy kills if you like that kind of thing. I liked at least 3 characters, too, which is more than can be said for many horrors. I’ve talked myself into upping this to 3.5/5 from 3/5 on Letterboxd. It has an old school slasher feel, which I really liked. 

Just have to add, though, that it was hilarious when they had Dafne Keen lying on the floor surrounded by vinyl records to show us she was cool. And it was good stuff like The Cure so I thought that must mean I’m cool too until we found out they were her dad’s, so I guess I’m just old. Damn. (Although my teen daughter & many of her friends do genuinely love ‘80s & especially ‘90s rock, goth & metal so there’s hope for the future) – 7/10

Evil Dead Burn – I don’t really like the Evil Dead films but I had some time to kill & this movie was the only option. I did, however, quite like Evil Dead Rise. I liked how outrageous that one got with old school body horror & dark humor. This one was just missing any sense of fun for me plus I’m not a fan of gore (which makes actually being a big horror fan difficult). Did like the main girl, though, and the abusive hubby/boyfriend thing is overused yet still works almost every time in horror films because who doesn’t want to see guys like that get their comeuppance? Not a bad film overall, just not really my thing. And I feel like it’s probably the weakest of all the Evil Dead films but can’t say if that’s what fans of this franchise feel or not as I’ve not read reviews. Oh, if you’ve not watched this yet stick around for scenes during & at the end of the credits… – 6.5/10

The Invite, Redux Redux, Heel & The Devil Wears Prada 2 Reviews

The Invite – Really enjoyed this & one of my favorites this year. Proof of how good movies can be when they have a really good script as well as strong performances. Thought everyone was fantastic (especially the beautiful women pretending to be attracted to the mid guys but, hey, that’s every movie). Not even sure I can pick who was best. Maybe Cruz, who was very sexy, although Rogen was a great surprise as I found him far more funny here than in his many pure comedies. His delivery of some very funny lines was perfect. Also loved Wilde’s neurotic energy & Norton’s mysterious but somewhat awkward character. Good stuff. Want to see more films like this one.

It’s funny how the trailer really gave nothing away. I thought at first that this was going to be some psychological thriller. Love that it’s an awkward relationship comedy drama. – 8/10

Redux Redux – I’m always so happy to find small sci-fi gems like this. Immediately put this on after reading its synopsis of a grieving mother travelling through parallel universes to kill her daughter’s murderer over & over again. That’s awesome?!? What a great concept. It’s handled very well, too, with a strong performance from Michaela McManus as the heartbroken mother. It tackles her grief as well as what she feels is her loss of humanity after living this life of revenge. The addition of a teen girl in need of her help was necessary for the story & I loved that but the only thing that let the film down a little bit for me was how unlikeable that girl was. It’s a small complaint, though, as this was still great. Am so happy that stuff like this does still get made, even though you really have to seek it out & it’s a shame that many will miss out on this one. – 7.5/10

Some other lesser known(?) sci-fi gems, for those who love this kind of thing as much as I do:

The Frame, Circle, Linoleum, Robot & Frank, I Origins, The Vast Of Night, Coherence, The Artifice Girl, Caddo Lake, Monolith, Space Station 76

I know I’m forgetting some… Oh, and too many time travel & time loop movies to be able to mention them all: Predestination is probably my favorite although I think that’s pretty well known. But still a gem. And Primer, Timecrimes, Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes & River.

Heel (aka The Good Boy) – Went into this not knowing anything & expecting more of a horror but was glad it turned out to be a decent psychological thriller. Good performances, especially from Riseborough, and about a million production company logos(!). Really liked the idea, though I don’t think this method would actually work on this generation of narcissists. However, I still liked the effort & how it ended. Good film.

Oh, and funny that I watched Kes for the first time this year as well. Liked that movie a lot and it was the perfect fit for this film. – 7/10

The Devil Wears Prada 2 – Had to lower this rating on Letterboxd as I can’t possibly give it the same as the first film, which is much better (that’s like 3.75/5 while this is maybe 3.25/5). Certainly for fans of the first film as it’s more of the same thing but with much less bite. Nice seeing the characters again, although I couldn’t buy into Andy caring that much after 20 years away from these people? And I still think Miranda is way too mean to Emily. – 6.5/10

The Odyssey (2026) Review

The Odyssey (2026)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Based on Homer’s Odyssey

Starring: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Samantha Morton, Jon Bernthal

Music by Ludwig Göransson

My Opinion:

There. I watched it. Was dreading it as I find Nolan’s films overblown, with characters I don’t care about, and too many well known actors in roles that don’t always suit them. His films tend to just leave me cold? And I don’t usually like the sword & sandal movies. But I know this will be up for Best Picture so I forced myself to watch it. Well, I’m happy to say that I didn’t hate it. So, yay.

To be positive for a change, I’ll start with what I liked about this. And, to be fair, I don’t think I really hated anything. Oh, I should also point out that I don’t really know the source material whatsoever & I sure as shit am not going to pretend like I’m going to go & read some ancient Greek literature now. Let’s be real.

I really liked John Leguizamo, who was probably my favorite character. But I’ve always liked him for some reason (FYI, I recommend Bob Trevino Likes It if you like him). And I liked that sweet loyal dog. And Samantha Morton was fantastic & her weird-ass part of the story was maybe my favorite bit. Does she not have an Oscar?! Honestly think those two out-acted everyone. I liked the dead soldiers bit (it made me think of Game Of Thrones which, hey, I did actually read). The cyclops was kind of fun (although I preferred the cyclops in Minions & Monsters recently, I’m serious). Liked Lupita Nyong’o & Jon Bernthal. And Matt Damon was very good & I quite like him as an actor but he’s one of those that I just see as the actor the whole time (not really his fault). Feel the same about Hathaway but she was also good here. Oh, and I did really enjoy the final climactic scene. Oh! And that one dude had a really cool helmet. Why did he get the coolest helmet?! (He was important, I guess)

I won’t go on about the negatives too much. I’d say the main negative was that some of the acting wasn’t up to par but that’s pretty typical for a Nolan film & I do think that’s his fault as he seems to hire big names without worrying if they’re right for a role. Yes, I do agree that Holland was weak compared to everyone else but his naïveté kind of worked for the character & I didn’t really have a big problem with him. Found Robert Pattinson a little disappointing as well as some actors in much smaller roles.

That’s really it for a tangible negative thing but what I find harder to explain when it comes to Nolan’s films is that they just don’t move me in any way? As I said, they leave me cold. I feel no emotion while watching them. Also, I just watched this “epic journey” spanning however many years it was but I didn’t feel the scale of that in any way whatsoever? I didn’t feel like I’d just gone on this massive journey with this character, whereas there are loads of films (and plenty that are far shorter) which were much more immersive and which absolutely did make me feel like I was right there with the characters through their trials & tribulations. I just don’t think Nolan’s films have ever come anywhere near capturing that kind of thing in the way that the true masters seemed to do with ease. He’s never going to give us an emotional epic like Seven Samurai (okay, though, that one is also long). But, heck, as I’ve just recently rewatched it here’s a much shorter “epic journey” film that makes me feel like I’m there with the characters the whole time: The Warriors. And not an unfair comparison, as that was inspired by an ancient Greek tale. And countless other Hero’s Journey films through the years such as the obvious Star Wars. Or Lord Of The Rings. Or Alien & Aliens. Or Gladiator to stick to something a bit closer. All big, emotional, fully immersive films. I’ve never personally had that from a Nolan film. He makes me feel like I’m watching a movie. I don’t want that. I want to get lost within the magic of cinema. And I know this probably looked good on a big fancy screen but it mostly looked dark & dreary to me (as do all modern movies, though). Man I miss bright & colorful movies… 

Okay, I’ll stop rambling. I’m glad so many of you do like his films but I feel like I never will (Well, I do love one of his films. I’ll let you guess. Or you can look at the below list). I’m actually quite happy that I did enjoy plenty about The Odyssey (especially Leguizamo & Morton). And I wasn’t ever really bored, which I was fully expecting to be after being bored out of my mind during Oppenheimer. I didn’t absolutely love this & I am unlikely to ever feel the need to watch it again. But I did like it. It wasn’t bad. I think Gladiator & Clash Of The Titans (1981) will remain the only movies of this sort of genre that I like quite a lot, though, and will always happily rewatch. 

I finally made this list here for anyone interested in seeing a ranking of Christopher Nolan movies made by someone who is very much not a fan. But I do love the first film on the list (it’s a favorite).

My Rating: 7/10

Watched, Read, Reviewed: June 2026

MOVIES WATCHED IN JUNE (ranked best to worst):

Yi Yi – 8/10
Angel’s Egg – 8/10
Voicemails For Isabelle – 8/10
100 Meters – 8/10
The Plague – 7.5/10
Carolina Caroline – 7/10
Toy Story 5 – 7/10
Sirāt – 7/10
Dead Man’s Wire – 7/10
The Secret Agent – 7/10
The Ballad Of Wallis Island – 7/10
The Mosquito Coast – 7/10
The Uninvited – 6.5/10
Rush – 6.5/10
Disclosure Day – 6.5/10
Office Romance – 6.5/10
They Will Kill You – 6.5/10
Arco – 6/10
The Sheep Detectives – 6/10
Propeller One-Way Night Coach – 6/10
Little Brother – 5/10

Movies Rewatched In June:

The AristoCats – 9/10
American History X – 8.5/10
The Princess And The Frog – 8/10

Short Documentaries:

The Devil Is Busy – Catching up on some of the Oscar nominated short documentaries from this year. Admit I never watch stuff like this until the Oscars come around. Too depressing & too disturbing. Decent documentary but made me angry. Of course.

Armed Only With A Camera: The Life And Death Of Brent Renaud – Another Oscar nominee. Again disturbing. Know he was a journalist & his whole life revolved around showing us the atrocities of war, etc, which I do respect & I think the people who do that are very brave. But this documentary still felt kind of wrong in how it was handled. Maybe a little exploitative. But maybe what he would have wanted? Very sad.

Short Films:

The Phone Call – An older Oscar winning short. Do prefer the fictional shorts, although they’re always heartbreaking as well. This one was very good (and very sad). Could relate to it a lot. And good performances.

Butcher’s Stain – A nominated short from this year. Liked the “twist”. Hate how much hate is in the world. But feel like he could’ve said what was really happening at the end… (Which I know wasn’t the point of the film, though)

Asparagus – A fucked up 1979 short on Mubi. Man, they had good drugs in the ’70s. I liked the very retro animation, I guess. Don’t know what the hell was going on. The woman shits out some asparagus & later sucks on some other asparagus like it’s, you know, the thing that asparagus looks like. There’s phallic asparagus all over the place. So kind of what you’d expect from an artsy-fartsy short from the ’70s. See what I mean? Check this out:

BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS THIS MONTH

Live Show Watched

Waitress – Went to a local theatre for this one & really enjoyed it. I ADORE the film (review here) so had been very curious to see how they made it into a musical. Think it worked pretty well. Had a good sense of humor to it, too. One of the better live shows I’ve seen recently.

Ranking Of Live Shows I’ve Seen:

My Neighbor Totoro
Spirited Away
Hadestown
The Book Of Mormon
Six
Waitress
The Hunger Games
Avenue Q
Legally Blonde
Clueless
Wicked
School Of Rock
Beetlejuice
The Lion King
We Will Rock You
Edward Scissorhands Ballet
Little Shop Of Horrors
Mary Poppins
Stomp
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saw this as an outdoor performance in Wisconsin & it’s last because I only saw half of it as it was cancelled due to rain)

TV SHOWS WATCHED

Widow’s Bay: S1 – Oh yeah, kind of forgot about binging this one. Did enjoy this, although it was slow to start. Took a while to get into the characters. Loved the woman who works for him & thought the weirdo little episode focusing on her was the best. One I’ll certainly continue watching if they do another season (assume they will). Has a good overall story & I think they can do plenty more with it. Plus good quirky characters.

Spider-Noir: S1 – Enjoyed this much more than I was expecting as I’m definitely all Marveled-out. But Cage is always entertaining, whether you like him or not, and I thought he was pretty great in this role. Like how it had the option to watch in color or black & white (I watched it all in color, and the colors were fantastic!). That singer had some cool dresses, too – one reminded me of In The Mood For Love. Stylish show & it captured the noir vibe. Good stuff.

BOOKS READ

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez – Read this for book club at work. Well, admit I didn’t quite finish it as I could see politics being discussed later in the book & I was already angry enough so didn’t want to be reading that part. The content of the book is very good & thorough. It’s honestly scary (but not at all surprising) that there are thousands of stats referenced that prove just how shit the world treats women (think the final quarter of the book at least is just all the references). Or, more specifically, just how much women aren’t even given the slightest bit of thought when it comes to making laws, designing products, government planning of infrastructure & healthcare, etc etc etc (hence being invisible – think the biggest example often mentioned from this book is how for years they didn’t even have any crash test dummies with a female build). So the facts are all there & very impressive but I do wish the book was written differently to make it more… Interesting to read, I guess? It’s important data but not presented in a way that is really going to make anyone truly stop & think about it. What I mean is that it’s very hard to just read hundreds & hundreds of stats. That’s going to be dull for everyone, even data scientists. It made it feel like a chore to read this quite long book. I say this as someone who used to prepare company dashboards. They really needed to add some charts & graphs to this as seeing this data visually represented would be much more impactful. So it’s hard to know how to rate this… It’s an important book with loads of facts everyone should know about. But it’s also a difficult read as it really is just stat after stat being thrown at you. So the lowish rating is for the dull presentation of data that is actually not at all dull (and very anger-inducing). – 3/5

Now Reading Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Which I’ve now finished, as I’m writing this late, so will review in the July roundup post)

BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH

Suppose I should try to post my July movie reviews this week. I watched waaaaay too many movies in July. That usually means I’m depressed.

Upcoming Movies I Want To See:

I’m going to try to force myself to sit through The Odyssey today. I just do not like Christopher Nolan. I don’t get the hype. I’m actually dreading it but also know it’ll be up for Best Picture, so I feel like I have to watch it. Which is dumb. Who’s forcing me?! lol

So will check out the latest Spider-Man next weekend instead as two movies that long in the same weekend sounds kind of exhausting. I don’t know if this is a spoiler but it’s ALL OVER the place anyway so I’ll just say I’m quite excited about seeing X-Men introduced into the MCU. I’ve always liked the X-Men movies more than the MCU movies. The characters are just better. Could be fun! Am so bored with the Marvel stuff. They need to make some good movies again…

Other than that, there aren’t many movie releases in the next couple months it seems?? The End Of Oak Street looks interesting.

The Uninvited, Office Romance, Sheep Detectives, Propeller One-Way Night Coach & Little Brother Reviews

The Uninvited – One for those who like movies that feel like plays, with good performances & some tension. I can’t say I cared that much about these characters plus their dramas & lives were a little dull. But I enjoyed the performances & did really like the addition of Lois Smith‘s character, who is essential to the story & the only one I did kind of care about. Mainly worth a watch if you like the actors & like actors acting. – 6.5/10

Office Romance – On the slightly better end of straight-to-streaming comedy (I say this after seeing the absolutely dreadful Ladies First & Little Brother, my god). Rom-coms these days are often a bit better than straight “comedy” it seems. Betty Gilpin was easily the funniest one in this, though. The romance worked well enough, I guess. The end credits were amusing. An easy, entertaining watch. And quite raunchy. – 6.5/10

Sheep Detectives – A nice little story & family-friendly (despite the MURDER). Daughter said I could watch this without her as she said it looks like one for those who like the Paddington movies. Yeah, I can see this having the same audience (though for older kids). Some nice sentiments regarding life & death. It’s really quite sad at times. Sweet but a tad too cheesy for me overall. Winter lamb was cute. – 6/10

Propeller One-Way Night Coach – Umm. Just a bit dull with bad acting & annoying constant narration. It’s not exactly awful & it’s thankfully short but I think it’s mainly just for people who really really love airplanes. The one good thing I’ll say is that its early ‘60s nostalgia kind of worked. – 6/10

Oh, just to add that I didn’t know beforehand that a bunch of John Travolta’s family were in this. But I knew instantly who the below girl was when she turned up. Holy shit – she’s an EXACT cross between Travolta & Kelly Preston.

Little Brother – Why do I watch this straight-to-streaming “comedy” crap?! Okay, there is occasionally one that isn’t bad but I’m not sure it’s worth suffering through stuff like this. It’s just really hard to tell if a stupid comedy is gonna be “good stupid” or “bad stupid”. Know what I mean?! Well, this is of the bad stupid variety but at least it’s not as bad as the recent Ladies First (which isn’t saying much). But it’s not good when the “ass eating” bit is your best scene… – 5/10

Movies Rewatched In June:

The AristoCats – Yes, I have this ranked very high in my Animated Disney Movies list. I adore this film. It may have helped that this & Sleeping Beauty were the first 2 favorites for my daughter when she was a toddler, but I did love both as a kid too. The characters & songs are fantastic, with Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat probably being my #1 Disney song. Plus Scatman Crothers is in this. That’s cool as shit. – 9/10

American History X – First rewatch in long time. As disturbing as always, especially that one scene that I still & will always turn away from. Norton is great in this role & I can’t believe how this film has not aged in the slightest. It truly feels like it could have been made just last year instead of almost 30 years ago. That’s crazy. This world sucks. – 8.5/10

The Princess And The Frog – Been rewatching a lot of Pixar & Disney as comfort movies. I like this one a lot & think it’s an underrated Disney film. I love its old style of animation so much more than what we got the following year with Tangled. Tiana is a great character, it has a cool villain, and it has some strong songs (Almost There being the highlight). I just wish more time was spent with Tiana as a human. – 8/10

Angel’s Egg, 100 Meters, Toy Story 5 & Arco Reviews

Angel’s Egg – Very happy to have been given the chance to see this apparently quite obscure 1985 anime film from the director of Ghost In The Shell. No, I’m not sure I have any clue what the hell was going on but it sure looked nice. The whole thing is more of a “vibe” & I really enjoyed its style & the eerie world it created. A strange & beautiful film. – 8/10

I’m gonna include several images from Angel’s Egg, as it has such cool visuals:

Now onto another anime film…

100 Meters – As a firm hater of sports, I do for some reason love a good sports movie. And as a lover of anime, I thought I’d give this one a try after seeing its high rating. It’s a very good sports movie, which very much captures the passion & the different reasons these boys have for running. Strong characters & relationships & quite exciting races. Really enjoyed this one. – 8/10

My Anime Movie Ranking

Toy Story 5 – Yes, they really should have stopped making these after number 3 as that was the perfect ending to this (toy) story. But these characters are so fun & honestly such a big part of so many of our lives after all of these years that I understand why they keep milking it. I do always like revisiting these old “friends” (though I’m happy enough with just some more Toy Story shorts, which are always fantastic). Also, the Pixar original films of recent years have been so shockingly bad that I was kind of relieved to just get yet another sequel with some old favorites, despite so many sequels annoying me, as I knew it would at least be better than Pixar’s recent output.

This one was fine. It’s certainly the weakest of the five but it’s still far from being bad. I don’t think these latest character additions are very strong compared to previous films but we don’t really need yet more toy characters at this point. I liked the focus on Bonnie & making friends & the new girl that she meets. Even at my ripe old age I can still relate to the difficulty in making friends at a young age (and at my old age!). Kind of liked the “villain” not being pure evil for a change as well. It’s not as funny as previous Toy Story stuff, so I did miss the humor (not that this doesn’t have humor in it, as it obviously does). I also feel like this is aimed at a younger audience than previous Toy Stories? This has been part of the problem with Pixar of recent years, as they now make me feel like I’m watching a kid’s movie instead of just a really good film in general like in Pixar’s golden era. Toy Story 5 isn’t nearly as bad for that as other recent stuff like Elio, I just wish Pixar could get back to making really good films for all ages.

Oops. Don’t want to go off on a Pixar rant again like I did for Hoppers. Yes, Toy Story 5 was unnecessary but as always it was enjoyable to again spend time with these characters that we love. It was never going to live up to the first 3 films but at least its heart is closer to old school Pixar than new Pixar. – 7/10

Arco – A weird little animated film involving a robot is right up my alley, so I had really been looking forward to finally seeing this Oscar nominee. I wasn’t really feeling this one, sadly. I appreciate its originality but I didn’t care that much about the characters or its unusual story or its animation style. However, I did like that bittersweet ending. Man, that was sad. I’m a sucker for that kind of ending. – 6/10

My Ranking Of The 2026 Oscar Nominees I’ve Seen

Yi Yi, Sirāt, The Secret Agent & The Mosquito Coast Reviews

Yi Yi – Been wanting to see this for ages, especially as it’s so high in the Letterboxd rankings. It’s very good, though I can’t say it moved me as much as others that are high in that list. It’s a slow burn & I can see it maybe growing on me. I can certainly see why so many people do connect with it. And I can certainly relate to past regrets & could identify with many of the characters in some way. With the boy on the cover & always the one to be featured, I thought he’d have a much larger role & would like to have seen a bit more of his life.

As I’ve been trying to watch more of the Letterboxd Top 250, I think I just couldn’t help but compare it to my favorite one that I’ve watched recently (Tokyo Story). Both are very good films worthy of their high ratings, but Tokyo Story was just the one that I found more emotional in terms of stories having to do with life, death, and relationships within a family.

FYI – Yi Yi is on Kanopy in the U.K. They have a great selection of foreign films. And Tokyo Story on Plex. – 8/10

Sirāt – Watched this foreign film nominee right after The Secret Agent (Sentimental Value my fave, not yet seen The Voice of Hind Rajab). This was odd but I kind of liked it? I like to be surprised sometimes & have no idea where a story is going. Or maybe I liked that the one rave woman reminded me of Tank Girl. Not sure I’m happy with the, um, occurrences?! But I can say that I was sure as hell not expecting them… – 7/10

My Ranking Of The 2026 Oscar Nominees

The Secret Agent – A good film but I’m not sure it’s Best Picture material. Took a while to get into but did buy into it once he arrived at the refuge & we got to know the others & find out more of his story. Not sure how I feel about the ending, which suddenly shifts in an unexpected way. Watched nominee Sirāt after this & liked that a bit more, although it was weird as shit (probably because of that), but this is the better film. 

Wait! This had the weird leg bit! How could I forget?! Okay, both were weird as shit. But I kind of liked the leg bit, which felt so out of place. Suddenly felt like I was watching Rubber. – 7/10

The Mosquito Coast – Thought I’d seen this, especially as I love Harrison & River, but none of it was familiar. Man, Ford’s character was an asshole! Liked seeing him in something quite different from his most iconic roles, though, and nice to see Helen Mirren in this too. Quality acting from all, as expected, and River once again shows just how talented he was. Still wish we could have seen him in many more movies. – 7/10

Carolina Caroline, Dead Man’s Wire, Rush & They Will Kill You Reviews

Carolina Caroline – Wasn’t sure about watching this when I saw it was from the director of Snack Shack, which I found very boring. And also Dinner In America, which I initially hated & then found strangely fascinating & then really liked the ending. I find myself still thinking of that movie sometimes, which I can’t say of many instantly forgettable films, so I figured this one was worth a shot.

Although this has a pretty standard Bonnie & Clyde story we’ve seen before, it works as Samara Weaving & Kyle Gallner are great together (and he may be a criminal but he’s much more likeable than in Dinner In America). They have brilliant chemistry & you almost want them to live happily ever after despite having no excuses for their behavior. I know her character had mommy issues but her dad seemed very sweet & I didn’t think her sudden obsession with a life of crime made much sense. I’m from an extremely small & boring town too & never had any desire to go all Bonnie & Clyde. To each their own, I guess! I could never do that short change scam either. Saw that in Paper Moon recently & it still confuses me. I’d be screwed if they tried that on me.

I was surprised to quite like this but it was very much thanks to fantastic performances from the two leads, as the story itself is nothing new. They really do make this film work. – 7/10

Dead Man’s Wire – Not gonna lie, I mainly watched this for my big crush on Bill Skarsgård. Was intrigued by this true story, though, and to see another Gus Van Sant film (especially after finally watching My Own Private Idaho this year). Pretty fascinating & not really someone who should have been seen as a hero in any way. Enjoyed the story & performances and do love a ‘70s setting. – 7/10

Rush (1991) – Wanted to see this for years, as it’s from my ‘80s/early ‘90s teen years & there are very few films from then that I’ve not seen. I really like Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is the highlight of this. Also liked seeing Jason Patric in something other than my favorite vampire film but, damn, he was a bit creepy & rapey here. A decent film, though I can’t comment on if it was accurate on drug crime & addiction. I didn’t know that Sam Elliott was in this, so that was a nice surprise. Stud. – 7/10

They Will Kill You – Ah, didn’t know this was going to be silly. But that’s okay as excessive violence isn’t really my thing & I do prefer it when a violent movie is fun (or in this case, just maybe a bit too silly). It’s a shame the awesome Giorgio Moroder song Tears wasn’t in the movie as its use in the trailer made this film look kick-ass. Sad the movie didn’t live up to the trailer but I had some fun with it & I think Zazie Beetz is cool as shit. – 6.5/10

Voicemails For Isabelle, The Plague, The Ballad Of Wallis Island & Disclosure Day Reviews

Voicemails For Isabelle – Really liked this. What makes films like these, as they are common, is having likeable & believable characters with strong relationships. In this case, Zoey Deutch is very charming & the romance with sweet Nick Robinson does work. But it was her relationship with her sister that worked best here & which I found very moving. She continued to be such a big part of the film even when she was no longer present & you could really feel Deutch‘s pain. It’s a lovely film. Made me wonder what I’m missing as an only child.

Hate that her name was Isabelle, though! The name of my only U.K. friend, who abandoned me during the worst time of my life. It’s true that blood is thicker than water. Now I wish I had a sister. – 8/10

The Plague – This was good. Liked the use of sound & the constant feel of unease. I have such an extreme hatred of bullies, making this a very unsettling watch. With so many scenes set in pools, I kept wishing these two boys could’ve been friends with the girl from Let The Right One In. – 7.5/10

The Ballad Of Wallis Island – Nice, safe, very British. I liked that the characters felt very real & the different types of loss were handled very well. A bittersweet film. I really liked how the weird dude did play on words with celeb names because I do that a lot. Like when I make my favorite breakfast & I’m like “Time to make my bagel! My Ed Bagel-y Jr!”. The dork in this would like me. – 7/10

Disclosure Day – Being Gen X, I grew up on & of course love Spielberg’s films. Especially fond of his sci-fi (E.T. is my #1 of his). So I’m not sure if I’m disappointed as my expectations were probably way too high? But I don’t think that’s the problem. I think the biggest issue is that this story doesn’t work like it did in the ‘70s/‘80s. Plus I wanted much more sci-fi & far less car & train chase action. I wanted characters I cared about. Yes, we definitely got the Spielberg look & John Williams sound but I don’t think we got the heart that his very best work contains. It felt more like Spielberg trying to recapture the time when big blockbuster movies felt magical & people were far less cynical.

After watching this, I saw on Twitter (I’ll always call it Twitter) that the “Me and my friends would’ve killed E.T. With hammers I can tell you that much” tweet was brought up again in response to this film as it’s the perfect example of why this type of movie sadly doesn’t work now. People are too awful. I love the thought of the whole world coming together in awe & sympathy over something but I just can’t suspend disbelief quite that much anymore. They don’t care if humans suffer, so they sure as hell won’t care about aliens suffering (on a news report they all instantly believe instead of thinking it might be AI). It was just disappointing to sit through an action movie in anticipation of a great sci-fi ending & then have those final 20 minutes or so fall completely flat. 

I’ll stick with E.T., who was just lucky to have been left behind on Earth in 1982 instead of now. – 6.5/10

Watched, Read, Reviewed: May 2026

MOVIES WATCHED IN MAY (ranked best to worst):

The Mandalorian & Grogu – 8.5/10
Barry Lyndon – 8/10
We Bury The Dead – 7.5/10
Obsession – 7.5/10
Remarkably Bright Creatures – 7/10
Finding Emily – 7/10
Kamikaze Girls – 7/10
The Testament Of Ann Lee – 7/10
Backrooms – 6.5/10
The Apple – 6/10
Pretty Lethal – 6/10
Roommates – 6/10
The Smashing Machine – 6/10
Pillion – 6/10
Swapped – 6/10
The Wolf Of Snow Hollow – 6/10
Ladies First – 4/10

Movies Rewatched In May:

Star Wars – 10/10
The Empire Strikes Back – 10/10
Return Of The Jedi – 10/10
WALL-E – 9.5/10
Monsters, Inc. – 9.5/10
Bambi – 9/10
Dazed And Confused – 8.5/10

BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS THIS MONTH

Live Shows Attended

The Hunger Games Live Show – The Hunger Games live show was interesting. Felt a bit odd at first so it did take some getting used to after knowing the book & movie so well. Think the daughter didn’t love the girl playing Katniss. She was okay. But it was at least entertaining being in a special arena built specifically for this show, with the actors & sets rising up out of the floor & doing a lot of aerial stunts high up in the air. Plenty of fire & fake blood, too. Some of the sections people sit in move as well (I made sure to book seats that wouldn’t be moving). So we did enjoy the spectacle of it all plus I quite liked the area (the Troubadour Theatre in Canary Wharf). Plenty of shopping & good places to eat. A very enjoyable day out in London.

Beetlejuice Musical – The daughter & I do love Tim Burton’s best films but Beetlejuice has never been an absolute favorite for either of us. Still wanted to check out the musical in London, though. It was fun but think we were both a little underwhelmed. She already liked a couple songs but overall it’s a bit cheesy with modern humor that didn’t really work (for me, at least). I think Michael Keaton & Winona Ryder are just so good in the movie roles, too, that it just doesn’t work as well without them. Glad to have seen it but it will never be a favorite of all the live shows we’ve seen.

TV SHOWS WATCHED

Hacks: S1-S5 – Binged this all in May, not knowing it was actually finishing in May. Took a little while to get into but really liked it by the end of season one. The character of Ava was annoying as hell but also very funny at times & the relationship with Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance worked perfectly. Smart was so good in this. All the characters were fun & some of the famous guests were great (Laurie Metcalf in a small role as a tour manager was absolutely hilarious). Glad I kind of just stuck this on at random.

The Boroughs: S1 – Really enjoyed this, which is like a cross between Cocoon & Stranger Things. And a bit of Batteries Not Included. It has a very ’80s Spielberg movie vibe, which I loved. And a fantastic cast of big name stars. And an enjoyable story that didn’t drag on for too long (I do love a limited series, which this currently is, but I have no clue if they plan to continue it. I hope not, as too many things get dragged out for too long). Would love to see more stuff like this made. It’s rare to have older people be the big stars of a show these days as everything is aimed at the young now.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles: S1 E6-8 – I’ll just say what I said in my April roundup: Enjoyed this show, but more for the people starring in it than the story itself. Can’t say I could relate to any of the characters, but the big names involved were all very good (Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer & Nick Offerman). Oh, and Nicole Kidman was of course very good too but why is she in everything?!

Russian Doll: S1 E1-4 – Like Natasha Lyonne & the Groundhog Day concept for this show. But so far it feels like this story is going nowhere? Hoping it picks up…

Grey’s Anatomy: S22 E17-18 – Meh.

The Pitt: S1 E1 – Just wanted a random show I can stick on when bored (like Grey’s Anatomy) but I wasn’t feeling this. It was too “realistic”. Was hoping it would be more like ER with Noah Wylie in it. Think I only like medical dramas when they’re more about the drama (and the sex) between the medical staff. No thanks on seeing close-ups of nasty leg wounds & shit. I’ll stick to my more soap opera kind of medical shows.

BOOKS READ

Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi – Loved the idea of this & it’s great that it’s a series but I really couldn’t get into this book. I just didn’t care much about the characters, although those working in the cafe did grow on me by the end. Maybe didn’t help that it started with an annoying character & the most uninteresting story. Each story felt like it dragged on for too long, too, which isn’t good when it’s actually a fairly short book. I don’t know if, being a Japanese novel, maybe stuff gets lost in translation a bit. I still think it’s a nice idea with the potential for lots of good individual stories. Would make for a great TV show with the right writers & stronger characters. Was hoping to like this more. Still like the idea but have no interest in reading more from the series based on this first book. I’ll wait for a TV adaptation. – 2.5/5

Plot Synopsis (via Amazon): “In a cosy back alley in Tokyo, there is a cafe which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time. Prepare to meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer in order to:
– confront the man who left them
– receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer’s
– see their sister one last time
– meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.
But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat. They cannot leave the cafe. And finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .“

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez – Partway through this workplace book club choice. Not a “fun” read & I don’t tend to read non-fiction. But it’s certainly an interesting read, although I don’t need the tons of data evidence just to prove how much the world hates women. Every woman already knows that.

BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH

Maybe try to actually keep up with posting reviews of what I watch in June. 🙂

Upcoming Movies I Want To See:

Disclosure Day! Tickets already booked.

Watched, Read, Reviewed: April 2026

MOVIES WATCHED IN APRIL (ranked best to worst):

Mrs. Miniver – 8.5/10
Being There – 8/10
The Drama – 8/10
Clockwatchers – 7.5/10
La Chimera – 7.5/10
Rental Family – 7.5/10
Significant Other – 7/10
Sexy Beast – 7/10
Pizza Movie – 7/10
Regretting You – 6.5/10
Bring Her Back – 6.5/10
The Conjuring: Last Rites – 6/10
Apex – 6/10
Thrash – 6/10
Outcome – 6/10
Man Finds Tape – 5.5/10
Cimarron – 5/10

Movies Rewatched In April:

City Lights – 9/10
Sunshine – 8.5/10

BOOKS, TV, MUSIC, MISCELLANEOUS IN APRIL

Live Show Attended:

Little Shop Of Horrors – Went to a small, very local production of this. Not my favorite musical but was fun to watch. Think I need to rewatch the Rick Moranis movie sometime, as not seen it in years. And never seen the one with Jack Nicholson.

Ranking Of Live Shows I’ve Seen:

My Neighbor Totoro
Spirited Away
Hadestown
The Book Of Mormon
Six
The Hunger Games
Avenue Q (Re-watching this soon as saw it many years ago & my memory is fading)
Legally Blonde
Clueless
Wicked
School Of Rock
Beetlejuice
The Lion King
We Will Rock You
Edward Scissorhands Ballet
Little Shop Of Horrors
Mary Poppins
Stomp
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saw this as an outdoor performance in Wisconsin & it’s last because I only saw half of it as it was cancelled due to rain)

TV SHOWS WATCHED

Margo’s Got Money Troubles: S1 E1-5 – Enjoyed this show, but more for the people starring in it than the story itself. Can’t say I could relate to any of the characters, but the big names involved were all very good (Elle Fanning, Michelle Pfeiffer & Nick Offerman). Oh, and Nicole Kidman was of course very good too but why is she in everything?!

Shrinking: S3 E10-11 – Still think this is a really well-written show with strong characters & that Harrison Ford is fantastic. But a bit worried that they’re continuing after this season, as I don’t know where they can go from here.

High Potential: S2 E17-18 – Getting a bit serious now…

Grey’s Anatomy: S22 E16 – Only one episode was released in April? That’s ridiculous. I’m too lazy to go see what that one was about. Same old shit, I’m sure.

Saturday Night Live: S51 E16 (Jack Black) – Meh. Don’t really remember the episode now. Black was fine (the guests are always better than the cast these days).

TV Shows Rewatched:

Community: S2 E14 (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons) – My second favorite episode of this show. Wish I could find another sitcom that I could love as much as I love this one.

BOOKS READ

Don’t think I finished any books in April. Believe I started When The Coffee Gets Cold, which I wasn’t feeling.

BLOG PLANS FOR THE COMING MONTH

Upcoming Movies I Want To See:

Really looking forward to Disclosure Day. And will of course watch Toy Story 5 but they should’ve stopped at 3.

Pretty Lethal, Roommates, Swapped & Ladies First Reviews

Pretty Lethal – Throwaway fun that I’ll mostly forget about in a year. It was helped by having a decent cast & I thought all the girls did well in these roles. As far as violent ballet movies go, I at least liked it much more than Abigail & Red Sparrow but far less than the John Wick Ballerina… – 6/10

Roommates – This was fine. A bit over-the-top but enjoyable enough. Not quite as fun as the Bat Mitzvah movie. Loved the Steve Buscemi cameo, though. I’ll be happy if he keeps having cameos in their films just like he does in their dad’s. An extra half star just for Buscemi! – 6/10

Swapped – This was fine. A generic straight-to-Netflix animated film with a villain plot my daughter immediately predicted (Well, she’s a teen so we’re not this film’s younger target market). Of the two animated body swap movies this year, this one is no worse than Hoppers. In fact, this one didn’t annoy me as much (probably as I expect better from Pixar). But both had messy plots & characters I didn’t care about. – 6/10

Ladies First – Awful. Made me appreciate Barbie even more, for handling a similar theme in a much more entertaining & intelligent manner. I don’t think the plot of “a world run by women who all act like the absolute worst men in society” gets its point across. A world run by women would be nothing like the world we live in now, as women don’t act in the same way that men do? It wouldn’t just be a very basic role reversal. Stupid & childish “humor”. And I’m saying that as someone who does like Borat… SBC needs to stick to that kind of over-the-top character. Was dreadful in this role, especially when working alongside some top-notch actors (what on Earth were they doing in this film?!). Embarrassing. Especially that sudden “It’s A Wonderful Life” ending. – 4/10

Remarkably Bright Creatures, Finding Emily, The Testament Of Ann Lee & The Smashing Machine Reviews

Remarkably Bright Creatures – Oh my god I don’t think I’ve ever loved a movie house as much as Sally Field’s wooden Scandinavian dream in this. Gorgeous. And she likes Dala horses like me, too! I know nothing of this book but the film was very sweet. Field & Pullman are so likeable & you just want both their characters to find some peace. The whole “narrated by an octopus” thing was weird at first but it worked for me. There are plenty of heartwarming stories just like this one, so that little quirk made this feel more unique. I liked it. A simple but lovely film about human connection. – 7/10

Finding Emily – A pretty standard romcom with likeable leads who have good chemistry, which to me is what’s most important for a film like this to work. Plus I do love an international romance as I’m an American girl who also ended up with a British guy. The story was fun & Spike Fearn and Angourie Rice are cute together. Seen a lot of films with Rice & she’s always good. – 7/10

The Testament Of Ann Lee – Had no clue this was a musical when I started it & still didn’t realise it was until after four or five songs. I thought, man, these people just like singing. It worked for me, though, and made for a far more interesting film than I was expecting. Seyfried was fantastic & it’s a shame she was snubbed at the Oscars. And she has a lovely voice. Glad I watched it despite having no interest in the topic. – 7/10

The Smashing Machine – This was worth a watch for Johnson’s very good performance. Admit it’s not a subject that interests me but this film just didn’t make me care about this sport or the characters. As a hater of sports, I’ve still loved plenty of sports movies. The great ones, such as Rocky, capture the humanity & the passion involved. I just kept thinking of how good The Iron Claw was as I watched this. – 6/10

Gonna stick my May Rewatches in here too…

Movies Rewatched In May:

Star Wars – Perfection. Needed a comfort rewatch. – 10/10

The Empire Strikes Back – Love it. Another comfort rewatch. – 10/10

Return Of The Jedi – Had to rewatch my favorite trilogy to cheer myself up as it’s been a hard month. And figured I might as well for May the Fourth. – 10/10

WALL-E – My favorite Pixar movie & an overall favorite film. The beginning of this film is absolute perfection. Adore WALL-E as a character & Thomas Newman’s score is gorgeous (as always). Having a rough month so have been rewatching my favorite comfort films. Reviewed this in full here. – 9.5/10

Monsters, Inc. – My second favorite Pixar movie from the era when Pixar could do no wrong (I miss those days). Easily the best & most original Pixar story and some of their strongest characters. Who doesn’t adore Sulley & Mike? Sulley & Boo are so sweet & Mike is hilarious. Another comfort film that always cheers me up. – 9.5/10

Bambi – Another comfort rewatch. What’s sweeter or more heartwarming than Bambi? (Minus the tragic & violent death). And Thumper rules. If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all! My Animated Disney Movie Ranking. – 9/10

Dazed And Confused – Rewatch of a Linklater favorite with the daughter watching for the first time. Love the nostalgic feeling I get from this, despite being an ‘80s/early ‘90s teen, as I still have fond memories of the ‘70s as well (god I’m old). It just captures the American way of life from that time so well. And our town had a dude exactly like McConaughey’s character, unfortunately. My Richard Linklater Movie Ranking. – 8.5/10

Barry Lyndon, Kamikaze Girls, The Apple & Pillion Reviews

Barry Lyndon – Not sure what to say about this. It’s indeed a gorgeous-looking film & I have always respected Kubrick as one of the very best filmmakers. This deserves the praise it has received but I found I really had no interest in the story or the characters at all. I appreciated it but didn’t “like” it. It was a feast for the eyes & I’m very glad to have finally seen it, but I feel no need to ever watch it again. – 8/10

Kamikaze Girls – Weird but fun. Quite enjoyed this & watching their strange friendship develop. It’s nice to watch a movie where you have absolutely no clue what’s going to happen next. – 7/10

The Apple – Been wanting to see this piece of cheese for years, as plenty of the ‘80s Cannon films are guilty pleasures of mine (especially Breakin’, which I don’t feel at all guilty about, and their version of Snow White that my daughter loved when younger). This is supposedly “one of the worst films ever made”. It’s bad but it’s certainly not the worst thing I’ve ever seen. And “The Apple” song was catchy. If this movie had actually been a little worse it may have achieved cult status as it definitely had that potential. The Apple is a bit like Phantom of the Paradise, if Phantom of the Paradise was shitty & uncool instead of being awesome. And I’ve liked Catherine Mary Stewart ever since Night Of The Comet (another film I don’t feel guilty about loving), so it was great seeing her in this. She & Kelli Maroney also follow me on Twitter, which is awesome.

So, yeah, this film is pretty bad but it’s also kind of fun & I could never really hate an ‘80s film that’s this cheesy while (I think?) trying so very hard not to be. Makes me want to rewatch Xanadu now. Love this kind of thing. Man I miss that era. – 6/10

Pillion – Can’t say I could really relate to any of these characters but did feel for Melling‘s character. Good performances & Skarsgård is certainly handsome (but my heart is with brother Bill). Liked the ending, which felt real. – 6/10

Here’s The Apple song from The Apple for your viewing pleasure…

We Bury The Dead, Obsession, Backrooms & The Wolf Of Snow Hollow Reviews

We Bury The Dead – Really liked this, but it’s a very “me” film as I love dystopian or apocalyptic or anything remotely “zombie-like”. Not sure why it took so long to make its way to U.K. streaming as it’s better than many cinema releases. Ridley is choosing interesting roles & I thought she did well in this. Some good films in this genre are going unnoticed, such as the recent Die Alone which I also really liked. I’d recommend both to fans of this sort of thing. – 7.5/10

Obsession – Can’t say this is going to be an absolute favorite new modern horror movie for me, but it was good. A solid horror film. While the idea has been done before, the way it was presented felt original. I think it was maybe because the behavior of the characters felt real, which can rarely be said of horror characters. There’s real devastation & trauma & regret. I felt for them (mainly Nikki, obviously, but I was so prepared to hate Bear’s guts before this movie even started so it was good to see that it at least started out more innocently than I was expecting). Inde Navarrette‘s performance was great, so she’s definitely one to watch. And I’m interested in seeing more work from Curry Barker based on this film as well. Love to see modern horror movies that feel fresh. – 7.5/10

Backrooms – Like the concept of this & the Internet sensation of which I only have limited knowledge. The liminal space thing is truly creepy & I liked the first part of the film more, when it was just slightly unsettling with its not-quite-right rooms & lights emitting a dreadful glow & hum that would drive anyone insane. Funny the original image that inspired The Backrooms is from my home state, as I’ve definitely been in creepy buildings like that. It’s the kind of thing that freaks me out more than in-your-face jump scares.

So I do appreciate that & was hoping to love this film. It was okay, but just didn’t quite work for me. I didn’t find it as unsettling as I was hoping, especially as it got more crazy & a little silly toward the end. Plus the characters were weak. Maybe it would’ve been better if I cared at all about them? However, it’s great to get original horror these days. I’ll still take that over bland sequels, remakes & reboots. So I appreciated more than actually liked this film. 

My Ranking Of Some Films With A Similar Vibe:
1. Vivarium – 4/5 👍 
2. The Blair Witch Project – 3.5/5
3. Backrooms – 3/5
4. Skinamarink 0.5/5 👎

My Rating: 6.5/10

The Wolf Of Snow Hollow – Wasn’t really feeling this one. Realised after starting this that it was a Jim Cummings film, whose Thunder Road didn’t really speak to me either. While I preferred the story in this one due to its horror element, I found his character a bit too annoying. I just didn’t care very much about any of the characters. But decent plot & ending. – 6/10

The Mandalorian And Grogu (2026) Review

The Mandalorian And Grogu (2026)

Directed by Jon Favreau

Based on Characters by George Lucas

Starring: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allen White, Brendan Wayne, Lateef Crowder, Jonny Coyne, Martin Scorsese, Sigourney Weaver

Plot Synopsis: (via Wikipedia)
In the film, which is set following the fall of the Galactic Empire, Djarin and his apprentice Grogu are enlisted by the New Republic to rescue Rotta the Hutt (White) in exchange for information on a target.

My Opinion:

I loved this. Watched it with a big smile on my face. Yes, it’s just like a very long episode of the TV series. But I love the TV series, so what’s wrong with that? And I’ve loved Star Wars my entire life. And, yes, like many I’m a huge Grogu fan. I fully admit that most of my favorite movie characters are “cute, lovable creature or robot” so of course I immediately fell in love with Grogu from the first second we saw him in The Mandalorian. I went “Oh my god what is THAT!”. He’s an amazing creation & I’ll watch everything they ever make with him. Yes, they’ve dragged this out just like they do with everything that is popular. The ending with Luke was absolute perfection (and with R2-D2, my very favorite Star Wars character – I told you I love cute robots). Yes, it should have ended there but I’ll never stop watching the adventures of Grogu & The Mandalorian. I love seeing their relationship continue to develop. It’s a fantastic “father/son” story and I’m not sure why some people are pretending like this movie or the final season of the show are bad. It’s not as strong now as the first two seasons of the show, which will always be hard to live up to, but it’s still very far from being bad? The Mandalorian & Andor have kept my love of Star Wars alive in a way that the frustrating sequel trilogy didn’t quite manage. 

Okay, enough rambling – I’m just honestly confused by some of bad reviews for this film. Some of it seems to be people feeling this wasn’t “cinematic” enough? Are we all just really spoiled now or what? The show itself, and especially Andor, are very cinematic & indeed better than many films. And some say it didn’t move the story forward. But is that necessary? This was just another small adventure and I really enjoyed that. Plus we got the best character development for Grogu that we’ve ever had. The section with him caring for Mando was brilliant & really showed just how much he’s learning & growing. We’ve had plenty of focus on Mando’s character in the show, so it was great to see the impact that he’s made on Grogu in this film. Plus, like many have said, I would absolutely love a spin-off series that’s just Grogu & the Anzellans having mini adventures. They’re absolutely adorable together. I love them. LOVE them!! So damn cute (and one of the very few good things to come from the sequel trilogy). 

Okay, I think we’ve established that I love Grogu & all cute creatures so just a quick mention of a few other things. I enjoyed the Rotta storyline (even if he looked a little dodgy). I loved having Sigourney Weaver in this as a massive fan of the Alien films & Ripley (even though she was underused, although it was maybe better that way). I can’t believe that Martin Scorsese is high in my Letterboxd stats as an ACTOR this year (his character was fun & I loved that he looked just like him). I liked Zeb. Oh, brief baby Rodian was cute! Sorry, I’ve gone back to cute things… Oh! And the Ludwig Göransson score was fantastic. As always. 

Anyway. I had a lot of fun with this. It’s okay for a movie to just be a fun adventure with some characters that you love.

My Rating: 8.5/10

Mrs. Miniver, Being There, Clockwatchers, La Chimera & Cimarron Reviews

Mrs. Miniver – Watched this as part of my Best Picture Project. This was so good! Seems to not be mentioned much? I liked it more than many other Best Picture winners (ranked here). Characters are always important to me, so that’s why this film worked for me as they were so strong in this. Especially loved Greer Garson & Teresa Wright, who both won acting Oscars for this (and it also won Best Director). Well deserved! They were brilliant. And I loved seeing It’s A Wonderful Life’s Clarence in another lovely role.

The ending of this film hit me hard. So I’m kind of glad I knew nothing about this so had no expectations & ended up loving it. But also sad that this one isn’t mentioned as much as other Best Picture winners. That’s a shame. Is this not as popular of a war film due to its focus on female characters? Or do people not find the well-to-do old school British people relatable? I liked these elements a lot. It’s a war film from a different perspective.

This movie is one that I’m thinking of adding to my overall Favorite Movies list (which is far too long already – I just can’t narrow it down. I like too many movies!). I’ll think about it. The female characters are fantastic but the ending is what elevates this one even more. It’s a very strong ending. So glad I watched this. Feel like I may have missed out on it if it wasn’t for me attempting to watch all Best Picture winners.

Best Picture Winners Ranked

War Movies Ranked

My Rating: 8.5/10

Being There – Have wanted to see this for years. Still trying to decide how I feel. Was hoping to love it but didn’t fully connect with it despite it being my sort of thing. Can understand it being adored. I appreciated its charming quirk & think it could grow on me. I got Local Hero vibes from it. As always, I loved seeing Shirley MacLaine. I definitely liked this quite a bit. It’s unusual. Need to think about it some more… – 8/10

Clockwatchers – Really enjoyed this, but ‘90s indies that often had Parker Posey in them are very much my thing (also really liked Party Girl recently). Great group of women, including Lisa Kudrow & Toni Collette whose work I always enjoy. They worked perfectly together & the film captured some of the annoying bullshit involved in office jobs. Always happy to discover movies like this that I missed at the time. – 7.5/10

La Chimera – Extra half star for the excellent use of Kraftwerk in this! Quite liked this, though am not sure why. It’s an odd film & not one I’d watch again but it had some beautiful scenes & an unusual story. English dude was a bit cantankerous but the characters were all entertaining. Didn’t love it but can certainly see why some do. I did really like it. – 7.5/10

Cimarron – I watched this as part of my Best Picture project & don’t know what to say as it was just so boring. Major disappointment watching this after Mrs. Miniver, which was a great & very worthy Oscar winner. The dude in this was just so annoying & the acting wasn’t the best. I didn’t care about the characters or the story. Easily one of the weakest Best Picture winners that I’ve seen so far. – 5/10

Might as well stick these reviews here, for two great movies that I rewatched recently…

City Lights – A rewatch with the daughter watching for the first time. Probably my favorite Chaplin film. Very close with Modern Times but the ending of City Lights gets me every time. Absolutely love it & that final shot. One of my all-time favorite movie endings. – 9/10

Sunshine – Saw this at the time & liked it. But what stuck with me all these years was the fantastic score while I no longer remembered much about the film. I absolutely loved this on the rewatch (I do adore sci-fi). The score is brilliant but so is the film. Moody & atmospheric. I also love its descent into horror at the end, which I know didn’t work for everyone. Boyle Top 3 & maybe even 2nd to Trainspotting. – 8.5/10

Significant Other, Bring Her Back, The Conjuring: Last Rites & Thrash Reviews

Significant Other – Liked this. Had somehow never heard of it until the other day. Maika Monroe does like to be in stuff like this… I liked what it’s not subtly saying about relationships, which I think are far less beneficial for women than many men like to think. At least, that’s my interpretation. Kind of a good companion piece to the recent Netflix series Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen. – 7/10

Bring Her Back – This was okay and, yes, certainly dark & depressing. But plenty of horror is? Some great acting, though, which I always appreciate in horror. The child actors were great, too, which for me is even more impressive. Very difficult scenes for them, especially the poor abused boy. Yikes. I want to like this more but it just didn’t quite work for me. I did like it more than Talk To Me at least. – 6.5/10

The Conjuring: Last Rites – Maybe the weakest of the four Conjuring films (it’s between this & the previous one), but it was fine. Just a little underwhelming after the first two, which were really good. But I do enjoy this universe & these characters, so was happy to watch this one despite it being a little dull. Some of the most iffy looking “scary” stuff in this one, though. I hate laughing out loud at things that are meant to be scary. – 6/10

Thrash – Far from the best shark disaster movie but not the worst (which isn’t saying much). Giving birth amongst sharks was hilarious (& her mom saying she should have a water birth. Hardy Har!). That was the better storyline of the main two. Whitney Peak was good – will do well in The Hunger Games prequel. This was safe & bland for a Tommy Wirkola film. Disappointing compared to something fun like Dead Snow. – 6/10

Sexy Beast, Regretting You, Outcome & Man Finds Tape Reviews

Sexy Beast – Do like Glazer’s work, especially his music videos & Under The Skin, so was always interested in checking this one out. Wasn’t feeling it at first but Ben Kingsley was entertaining as hell. Never heard the C word so much in my life. Great performances & Glazer’s style make this a far more interesting British gangster film than others in this genre. – 7/10

Regretting You – I have no Colleen Hoover experience as those type of books are very much not my thing yet I’ll happily watch their lightweight movie adaptations (sort of a fan of cheesy Nicholas Sparks movies too but you couldn’t pay me to read those books either). This is the first of hers I’ve seen & I know she’s hated but this wasn’t “awful”. It’s the exact sort of predictable thing I expected, yes, but Mckenna Grace helped save it & she had good chemistry with Thames. The adults were far weaker and Williams & Franco had zero chemistry. And the dead ones had NO character development beyond the fact that they were cheating assholes for no reason explained in this film (couldn’t believe just how quickly they killed them off). But I’ve seen far worse movies in this genre. It’s probably just not helped by the Hoover hate train (which seems to have zero impact on them pumping out film adaptations of her stuff). – 6.5/10

Outcome – This was pretty bad & probably deserves to lose at least half a star but I just can’t rate anything starring my beloved Keanu too low. Keanu isn’t the issue, though, so was still worth watching for him. And Martin Scorsese was good. The story just wasn’t interesting nor were the characters. And Jonah Hill’s character was annoying as hell. Completely unfunny (if that’s what he was meant to be?). Was mid90s good or was I just imagining that? I liked that at the time. – 6/10

Man Finds Tape – I always appreciate a low budget film with an original story. I think it’s great that you can sometimes find some real gems, especially in the sci-fi & horror genres. So I feel bad that this one didn’t work for me. I didn’t care about the characters & the story wasn’t interesting enough to hold my attention after a good start. I do still appreciate the effort involved but this isn’t one I’m going to remember. – 5.5/10

The Drama, Rental Family, Pizza Movie & Apex Reviews

The Drama – Really liked this & all the “drama”. Can see why some would hate this, as uncomfortable cinema doesn’t work for everyone & also doesn’t always work in a film but this one did it right. The building tension was great as well as the dark humor. Pattinson & Zendaya were very good. Yes, Haim‘s character was annoying as hell & her secret was much worse. But I think that’s part of the point. It’s unfortunate that she represents what most of society has become, at least certainly on social media. – 8/10

Rental Family – A lovely, safe, feelgood film. A little slow to start but I was feeling it & caring about these characters by the end. Fairly lightweight but there’s nothing wrong with that. Can I rent a friend?! A massive film & music loving nerd would be preferred. Oh, this had a lovely score as well. – 7.5/10

Pizza Movie – Warning: Long review for a silly movie.

This was so ridiculously dumb. But I’m embarrassed to admit that I laughed out loud a few times, which I rarely do during modern comedy films. So I’m completely confused. What do I rate this?! It’s dumb as shit but funny when the comedy occasionally works. It’s not up there with the best stoner comedies like it clearly wants to be but I had some fun with it.

I’m still trying to decide what I thought of this movie. I’ll first say, if you watch it, the beginning is awful. Stick with it for when they start tripping. I think I also appreciated just how absurd this is. If you’re gonna make a dumb stoner comedy, you may as well just go for it & be completely outrageous even if not every part of it works. I’ll add that there are “stages” to their high, which was fun. Most of them are dumb, some are hilarious. So, slight spoilers now if you want to avoid the next bit, but I just want to mention my laugh out loud moments:

– The entire exploding head sequence was actually hilarious. Best bit of the whole movie. 
– The dude turning into the butterfly. 
– The delivery robot wasn’t exactly laugh out loud funny, but was a fun little addition.
– The bit at the very end with the really annoying “baddie” (also maybe not laugh out loud, but I liked that bit).

So, yeah. Check it out if you like stoner comedies I guess. But you’ll probably either love it or think it’s a big pile of shit. I think I’m in the middle but certainly leaning more toward liking it… – 7/10

Apex – This was so by the numbers in the “overcome the opening tragedy, especially if you’re an attractive female” genre. What is that genre?? Well, as a female (of the less attractive variety) I do enjoy this sort of thing. Not as much fun as Fall (guilty pleasure) but was entertaining. Theron was good & Egerton seemed to enjoy being completely unhinged. And I love that Chemical Brothers song.

Why do people do stuff like climb mountains, though?! Seriously. Heights are my number one fear, yeah, but I’m also far too lazy for that shit. – 6/10