The Movie I Saw 2018

***** = Must see. 
****   = Really good. 
***     = Worth seeing. 
**       = A waste of time, but one or two good moments.
*         = Not worth your time.
 -0       = Less Than Zero.



1. The Greatest Showman (2017) * Oh my gosh, was this really the first movie I saw in 2018? What a shame that is . . . because it was a really, really REALly bad movie. It had absolutely no heart whatsoever, and it may have included the stupidest lyrics I've ever heard in a musical. And I have seen quite a few musicals. Many of them bad. This was one of those movies where after you've watched forfuckingever and think you can't stand it much longer, but surely it's about over,  you check the time and see it's not even halfway over. Mmm-hmmm. Avoid it at all costs.

2. Lady Bird (2017) ***** Man, I wish this had been my first movie of the year. It was just brilliant. Non-stop brilliant, too. Funny as hell, but poignant as heaven, too. Young Saoirse Ronan was superb. Reminded me of somebody, but I can't put my finger on whom. Can't even decide if it was someone famous or someone I know in "real life." (Assuming this is "the real life" and not just fantasy.) Anyway . . . see this at all costs!

3. Crash (2004) * You know, this movie really sucks. It seems like pc, guilty white guy who's secretly (and unknown to himself) a racist. Except for the Matt Dillon moments. They're fuckin' beautiful. The rest of it is bullshit, though.

4. Jack Taylor Season 2 (2013) **** I really love this show. Especially Cody.

5. Jack Taylor Season 3 (2016) Didn't like the first two shows much--the lack of Cody, sure, but also the upping the ante on the on-screen violence, which I thought was unnecessary and unpalatable.  But that third one was superb. I'd watch a Season 4 if they made it.

6. The Post (2017) **** A little slow at first, but at around the 1/3 mark it kicks into gear and doesn't stop kicking ass until the credits roll. Superb job by Hanks, Streep, and (especially) Odenkirk. You know, actually I take that **** back--this is a def *****.

7. The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) ** A Joe pick, go figure. But you know . . . it wasn't awful. Even though I felt like I'd seen everything in the movie before in other movies. Several times. But Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson brought the heat, and they actually managed to charm some movement into this dead snake.

8. The Snowman (2017) *** . . . verging on ****. Which surprised the hell out of me. I had read so many bad reviews of this movie     . . . including one which included comments from the director saying that he hadn't been able to finish the film . . . as in he actually hadn't finished making the movie . . . that even my great love for Jo Nesbø and Harry Hole couldn't get me into the theater. (And that is a great love--I've read all eleven of the Hole novels.) But when it hit Redbox I figured why not. And? And something must be wrong with me, because I thought it was actually quite good. I might even watch it again just to make sure I didn't miss something.

9. Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017) ***** Beautiful movie.  I want to see it again. And maybe a few more times after that as well.

10. The Maze Runner (2014) *** Watched this to ramp up for the new one, which Joe is dying to see. (We're on for tomorrow.) I didn't feel that I had a firm grasp on the story so far, and the library had the first and second movies, so I thought I'd go for it. Enjoyed this more than I thought I would . . . and am looking forward to watching the second movie tonight.

11. Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) *** Got this one in before going to the theater for III with Joe, too. Enjoyed it. Had a shitty copy of the dvd from the library, which damaged some of the joy, but hey . . . it was free.

12. Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018) ** Well . . . I was ready to like this movie. But it only took a few minutes before I started thinking, "What the fuck is up with that?" And that thought recurred a half-dozen times throughout the movie. There were just way too many Hollywood Bullshit moments. For instance? Well     . . . slight spoiler, so highlight if you want to peek: the gang is going to raid a train. They manage, after some difficulty, to stop it. And when they do, the sing out and the rest of the gang pops out from their cover in the desert. Well . . . there was NO FUCKING WAY they could have known that the train would stop THERE. In fact, given the parameters of the story, there was every reason to think that the train would have been stopped somewhere else. So that's a bullshit thing, ennit?

ANYway . . . I did like the lead actor, Dylan O'Brien, quite a bit. (Is it just me, by the way, or is he DEAD UP Rob Lowe's non-birth son?) And not in a gay way 1 . . . thought he is pretty darned good lookin'. So I wouldn't mind seeing some more movies with him in them.

1  Not that there's anything wrong with that.

13. Damnation: Season One (2017) ***** Actually finished watching this series awhile back, but forgot to put it on the list. Was reminded when I got the news that the show was not going to be renewed for a second season. Figures: I thought it was brilliant. I'm going to watch the season again soon, and I'm really going to miss it. At least seeing it tipped me off to how good Killian Scott is, and that has already led me to watch all of Jack Taylor, which I enjoyed, and I've just started watching Ripper Street, which looks pretty good as well.

14. Neptune (2015) ***** Superb movie. I joined Flix (admittedly for a free trial, but still) so that I could watch this, and I was glad that I did. Gonna watch it again. Probably today, actually.

15. Where We're Meant to Be (2016) **  You know, this could have been a really good movie. There were some good / interesting moments, the production values were high. But most of the acting was just so bad. I felt like I was watching an early cast rehearsal . . . maybe even a cold reading. It did have a fabulous poster, though--which is why I chose to watch it in the first place. (Book, cover.)

16. Quaker Oaths (2016) **** I really enjoyed this movie. Interesting plot line, pretty girl, good acting. Mmm-hmm.

17. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) **** Still enjoyable the second time around. They got most of this shit right this time around. Except for the whole boat cut in two bit, of course.

18. The Wind Rises (2013) ***** What a wonderful movie. Seeing it made me want to see / re-see all of the Studio Ghibli movies. 

19. Neptune (2015) ***** Second time. Still superb. Watched it with Pat, who also liked it a lot.

20. Jellyfish Eyes / めめめのくらげ  (2013) * Alas, it was quite bad . . . but it was Murakami's first movie, so of course a must see. And there were one or two mi-- . .  .  No, that's a lie. It was really bad.

21. Ghost in the Shell (2017) ***** Man, I love this movie. 4th time around. And watching it reminded me that I need to go back and watch all of the anime shows and movies. And read the rest of the mangas as well. Mmm-hmmm.

22. Black Panther (2018) I hated this movie, thought it was racist, and would give it a * or even a -0, but I have to admit that even amidst the bullshit and awfulness there were a couple of good moments, so I'll have to stick by my own guns and give it **. But you definitely should save your money and wait for it to hit Redbox. 

23. Stargate (1994) **** This, on the other hand, was quite the pleasant surprise. Not only was this not the bad movie I'd imagined it to be, it was actually quite good. They even managed to NOT do several bad things that science fiction movie almost always do. (Like going to another planet only to find that everyone speaks English and eats hamburgers. Not in this movie!) And Kurt Russell may be the first major star I've seen who played a military man who actually had a haircut that was suitable for the military. Yep, ahmo get me some moe of this Stargate shit.

24. Stargate: Atlantis: Season One (2004) **** I really, really like this show. The season finale was totally ass kicking. Glad I was able to watch the third part of it right away--I wouldn't have been a patient waiter if I'd been watching this back in its broadcast television days. Onward to Season Two!

25. Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience (2017) **** Superb show. Very poignant. I'm going to have to get that box set of the first ten Chicago albums out again, I think. If you (as I once did) think of Chicago as a bunch of fluffy ass kissing shits, this will most certainly change your mind. 

26. Gethsemani (2003) ***** Superb documentary. Made me want to go sign up for the tour of duty. 

27. Death Wish (2018) -0 Well, that was bound to happen after such a string of good movies, wasn't it? Of course, this was a Joe choice, as I was pretty certain it wouldn't be my cuppatea, but it was so much worse than I could have guessed that it amazed me. There was some really awful brutality and ghastliness . . . and every time an awful thing happened, the guy next to me would chortle with delight, which didn't exactly add to my enjoyment. And Bruce Willis, whom I have loved since the days of Moonlighting, was just pitiful. He was just this side of doddering, for fuck's sake. I mean, really. Save your money and your neurons and skip this one. It's not even worth a Redbox rental, much less theater price.


28. Flower Drum Song (1961) **** I just kind of stumbled on this musical from the Rodgers and Hammerstein boys, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. It started with me finding the soundtrack at The Great Escape for 99¢, liking the cover enough to pick it up, noted that (1) it was by the aforesaid Rodgers and Hammerstein, but I'd never heard of it before and (2) the original musical was directed by Gene Kelly, so I picked it up. Gave it a listen and was pretty taken with it right away, especially "A Hundred Million Miracles"--which sounded very familiar, and which I finally realized was a parallel universe version of the song "Impossible" from Cinderella (also written by Rodgers and Hammerstein)--and "I Enjoy Being a Girl," which of course everybody knows. So after spinning both sides of the record a dozen times or so I went looking and found the movie on dvd at the LFPL, and gave it a watch. And it was dated in some ways, of course, but it was also quite progressive in two unexpected ways: the cast was primarily Asian--unheard of at the time--and the female characters were not just passive dunderheads--unheard of even today. 

29. Chris Rock: Tamborine (2018) ** There should be a rule for comedians: no talking about your divorce. It's just awkward and pathetic. It's never funny. That said, the first twenty minutes of this stand-up routine made me laugh pretty hard. Then Chris got around to the divorce stuff, and all smiles stopped. So if you want to enjoy this show more than I did, watch until he starts to talk about his divorce, then stop. You'll have a three or four star experience then.

30. Darkest Hour (2017) **** Some superb moments, but I liked the HBO thing a bit more, actually. Just sayin', sir.

31. Pink Floyd: The Story of Wish You Were Here (2012) **** The best, of course, was the bit with Roy Harper. Wish he was there more. And too bad Roger Waters was such a hole about the vocal track for "Have a Cigar." But he's a pretty big hole most of the time, so . . . . 

32. Tomb Raider (2018) ** One of the things that continues to amaze me is that these Power Movies (Grrrl Power, Black Power, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera) invariably contain antithetical moments which undermine the Power being "Honored." Case in point: Lara Croft is A Powerful Woman, yet throughout this movie her breasts are a focal point, she is rescued by men several times, and she is clearly a psycopath. Re: the last bit, she goes from a regular kid to a remorseless serial killer in the space of a few hours. I'm not sure what her final kill count was, but it was better than Hamlet's. So, yeah. Another movie I'd rather not have spent ten bucks to see. There's been a lot of that going on lately.

33. A Wrinkle in Time (2018) **** Not great, but (1) it had a heart, (2) it didn't exploit women, (3) it didn't glorify violence, and (4) it made sense. That's a hell of a lot more than I can say for most movies these days. No wonder it's not doing well.

34. Stargate: Atlantis: Season Two (2005) **** Even better than Season One. For one thing because it has Jason Momoa, who is awesome. And a mere 26 years old. 

35. Stargate SG-1: Season One (2007) **** Ah, man, this show just kicks ass and then runs around the block and kicks balls. Great acting, inventive story-telling, witty writing, humor, wonderful allusions, pretty girls. Who could ask for anything more? If you're anywhere close to being a science fiction fan, this is a definite *****. Which would be me. So 21 episodes down, 22 + 22 + 22 + 22 + 22 + 22 + 20 + 20 + 20 = 192 episodes to go. And the two movies. And then the 40 episodes of Stargate Universe, of course. Oh, and the 40 34 Webisodes as well. And aren't there some comic books? Oh and the novels. Sheesh, I don't think I'm going to live long enough to explore every nook and cranny of this Stargate universe (no cap) . . . but I'm not finished looking around yet, for sure. Onward to Season Two!

36. Jessica Jones: Season Two (2018) **** I don't want to have to wait two years for another season, guys and gals. Let's get going on this, okay? The only thing that would have made this better is if Luke Cage had poked his nose into a couple of scenes. 

37. Pacific Rim (2018) * Not only was this an amazingly bad movie, it was amazingly inept as well. I thought it would never end.

38. The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus (1973) * You know, I love Johnny Cash, and I am more than a little bit fond of Jesus, but this movie was just terrible. I don't think there was a genuinely moving moment in the whole 93 minutes. Which is puzzling, because obviously this was straight from the heart for Johnny. 

39. Ready Player One (2018) **** Pretty damned close to a work of genius. 

40. Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018) ***** This movie really blew me away. 

41. Lilies of the Field (1963) ***** Found this on vhs at Half-Price for a buck. Played fine, and what a superb movie. A movie about people reaching up to be better than they were before. The kind of thing you don't see a whole hell of a lot of these days.

42. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) **** Have to say . . . despite my reservations going into it, this was one kick ass movie. I guess I should be that surprised, since the Russo Bros--who did Captain America: Winter Soldier--handled the directing chores . . . and that is one of the best super-hero movies ever IMHO . . . but they also helmed Captain America: Civil War, which was not very good. Despite the stunningly large cast, though, this movie really worked. In fact, it worked so well that it didn't even seem crowded except when that was needed (e.g. fighting the raging hordes trying to overwhelm Wakanda). I might even go back and see this again by myself. Shit, I might even go 3D on it this time.

43. Lost in Space (2018) *** Not really good, but not really bad, either. And it looked great (set / special effects / etc. - wise). I would be willing to watch another season of it if it makes it that far . . . though I suspect that it won't. There wasn't enough of the old feel to capture the hearts of fans of the original, and there wasn't enough nudity and sex (actually there wasn't any of either) for the new folks. Although there were plenty of mean and self-centered people (virtually every character, even "the good guys"), so maybe that will be enough for a new crowd. We seem to like mean and self-centered these days.

44. Dungeons and Dragons (2000) ** No, it wasn't great. But you know, it wasn't terrible, either. I don't see why this movie took such a drubbing from the audience and critics, actually. 

45. The Last Airbender (2010) ***** Speaking of movies which took a drubbing . . . a 6% score on Rotten Tomatoes? Seriously? Well, I saw this movie at Half-Price for a buck and I picked it up. I had already seen it in the theater (and liked it a lot) and watched it at least one other time on television (and still liked it a lot), and I was ready for another go. And you know what? I still like it a lot. And I am not normally a fan of  M. Night Shyamalan's work. I guess they're never going to make the sequels, and that's a shame. Maybe I'll check out the cartoon version sometime. I have seen and enjoyed bits of it, but can't find it on any of the platforms I subscribe to and don't really want to pay full price to see it. 

46. The Killer Inside Me (2010) ** Casey Affleck, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson . . . and based on Jim Thompson’s best known novel . . . how could it possibly go wrong? Well, mostly it didn’t. Although the “some graphic nudity” warning seemed like a bit of a rip to me, as there was slightly less nudity than I would have liked to have seen. All three of the aforementioned actors did good jobs. I guess it’s just that the story itself is so brutal . . . and seeing it (as opposed to reading it, which I did a few years back) is just a little bit too much. Seeing people beaten to death is just not something I can endure. But there were a few missteps as well. For one thing, the music. It was okay throughout most of the film, but there were two spots . . . one of which was the big climactic finale . . . wherein the music director was just way off—choosing “funny” / light-hearted music to contrast with the drama. It might have seemed like a good idea on paper, but it’s just distracting and annoying in the film. The other misstep was the special effects at the end, which were just tacky. I mean, just spend the extra $20 and burn that shit for reals, boys. ANYway . . . I bought it for a dollar and I got to see Jessica Alba almost graphically nude, so I guess I got my money’s worth, but I wouldn’t suggest shelling out more than a dollar for it. Hell, come on by and I’ll give you my copy for free. I sure won’t be watching it again. 

47. Saving Private Ryan (1998) ***** It took me forever to watch this movie for the first time (awhile back), with many starts and then giving up because of the intensity of the violence. Pretty much what happens every time I try to watch Schindler's List . . . which I still haven't managed to make it through. But I knew that I would want to see SPR again at some point, and that point came when I found a copy of it at Half-Price for a dollar. And I just finished watching it . . . and I think I might just could watch it again. What an amazing movie. The violence is hard to take, but at least it's not bullshit violence, you know? And there's a moral center to this movie that just kind of takes your breath away. Yep, definitely a great one.

And a brief aside: the last four movies I've watched were all purchased in one trip to Half-Price, and three of them were clearance section $1 movies. I'm kind of amazed that I've watched all four of them already, as I have a history of buying stuff and then not getting around to it for a year . . . or ten. So money well spent, and maybe the turning over a new leaf? Here's hoping. I don't need any more stuff that just sits around.

48. Deadpool 2 (2018) ** Ah, man. It could have been beautiful. I was really jazzed about going to see this because (1) I loved the first film so much and (2) the trailers made it look awesome. But as for (2) . . . the trailer made Yellowbeard  look good, too, and we all know how that one ended. Yep . . . this was just a bad movie. And the ultra-gorey violence did not help. There were some funny bits, but I was kind of exhausted by all of the stupidity by the time we got to them, so the edge was definitely not sharp. Josh Brolin looked awesome as Cable, but he had to deliver some unbelievably bad lines . . . several of which had to do with dubstep, which should give you some idea of how awful the lines got. The extra scene was so good that it almost deserves an extra * just for that . . . but no. No movie which essentially ends, "And then I woke up" deserves no more than ** . . . if that. Give it a miss until it hits Redbox. Which should be in about two weeks.

49.  The Commuter (2018) ** Oh, Liam. Please stop. You said you were going to. Leave us with something to love, at least.


50. 12 Strong (2018) ** Note to Chris Helmsworth: love you madly, Chris, but you just cannot do an American accent, so please stop trying. The movie itself? Meh. For a story based on true incidents, it sure didn't seem very real to me. 

51. 1945 (2017) ***** One of my favorite movies ever. And not just because it was Hungariancentric (though that didn't hurt). Slow start, and a bit confusing as "the mystery" was revealed in little puzzle pieces, but picked up with intertwining story lines, and I was mesmerized before long. Also made me cry at that moment. But for a movie that had some Holocaust connections, this was surprisingly restrained in terms of the horror, which actually made it all that much more horrific. Not that it was a Holocaust movie . . . it wasn't. It was more about how quickly and viciously we judge people and assume the worst of them. A message both sides need to heed in this new American Century.

52. The Seagull (2018) ***** Beautiful movie. So of course I saw it in an almost empty theatre (7 people, 3 of whom were me and the kids)  . . . and of course even though it had a modest budget it lost money. 

53. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) -0      Meanwhile . . . this movie, which cost $170 million, has made $712 million in two days, and is already in the top 100 box office winners of all time. Which would be fine if not for the fact that it is a terrible movie. I lost count of how many times I thought, "Well THAT was stupid." And this movie added nothing to my understanding of the world or my soul--as The Seagull and 1945 did.  Hell,  it didn't even entertain  me.  Though I have to admit that the rest of the audience (packed house, by the way) seemed pleased with it. So I guess it's just me.

54. The Death of Stalin (2017) **** I really liked this movie a lot. It was funny . . . in a weird, Brazil-y kind of way . . . but it had some bite, too. Not to mention historical chops. In fact, I liked it so much that I watched it for a second time this afternoon (after watching it for the first time last night). And liked it even more the second time.

55. Heaven's Gate (1980) ***** I'd watched this before some time ago, prompted by the information that it was one of the biggest box office disasters of all time, and I was surprised to find that I liked it. Liked it quite a bit, actually. And my friend Marrilyn has mentioned it several times, so it has been in my peripheral vision. So when I saw the Criterion edition at the library, I picked it up. Watched it with Joe...all 219 minutes on two discs of it...and we both liked it. A lot. This movie is amazing. I am at a loss to explain how it fared so poorly at the theaters. And this version of it has been cleaned up, so what looked almost sepia-toned in the previous version is not bright and bursting with color. This is one of the few truly great films I have seen this year.

56. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) ** Man, what a disappointment. There were some great moments, for sure...most of them courtesy of Michael Peña, who is a highLARious fellow...and it is always a pleasure to look at Evangeline Lilly...but beyond that. Meh. The plot holes were just non-stop, there was a constant disruption in logic which made it impossible for me to get into the story's plot, and the amazing Hannah John-Kamen was seriously underused. Seriously, guys...get a fuckin' clue here. 

57. Escape Plan (2013) ** A really bad movie, but there were some cool bits. Like when Stallone breaks out of his cell and we get our first glimpse of the outside of the prison. It was surprising to see Sam Neill here in such a bit part. It was also cool to see 50 Cent playing something other than a thug. Not enough to make me sit through the sequel...though the presence of Wes Chatham there did lure me in for his scenes, of course of course.

58. Dunkirk (2017) ***** I don't know why I waited so long to see this again, since I thought it was great the first time around, but I did. And seeing it again, not only did I love it even more, but I couldn't stop thinking, "I wish I had seen this in the theater again." The photography is so immensely beautiful...vast ocean vistas, thousands of men standing on the shore, the aerial dogfights.... Great, great movie. The kind of movie that actually gives you insight into what this life is for, you know?

59. Shane (1953) **** A little corny, but even so this was a captivating movie. Might even need to add a * to that rating, come to think of it. Maybe I'll amend after I watch it again with the commentrack on. I was surprised to find out that this was kinda sorts based on the 1892 Johnson County War--which was also the source material for Heaven's Gate. It's a small world after all.

60. A Wrinkle in Time (2018) *** Yet another movie that I thought was pretty good but which tanked at the box office. Some flaws, for sure...not the least of which were what I thought were terrible special effects, especially The It shit. But the heart of the movie was beating, and I thought that most of the actors did good jobs. But what the fuck do I know? 

61. John Carter (2012) *** John Carter was not a good movie...but I enjoyed it, for the most part. It was a huge box office bomb, though, so I guess that's probably that so far as Barsoom and the Silver Screen go for the foreseeable future. A shame, though, as this could easily have been a much better movie. The easiest thing to fix would have been Lynn Collins' portrayal of Dejah Thoris.  If you're familiar with the books or even comic book versions, you'll be cognizant of the fact that she is very scantily clad. And if you're familiar with Lynn Collins, you'll be cognizant of the fact that she has appeared unclad on several memorable occasions. Memorable? Nay, breathtaking occasions. You could push it pretty far and still stay in PG-13 territory. But what does this movie do? A little bare midriff, virtually no cleavage whatsoever, and ZERO ass. What a waste. The girls get a much better deal on the skin here, as the mostly shirtless and short short pants wearing Taylor Kitsch looks really good. As for the rest...well, they made the story way too convoluted, added a lot of unnecessary shit to the story, and all of that, for sure. But more skin for Lynn would have caused most of us to overlook...or not even see...those things. Maybe next time.

62. Mama Mia: Here We Go Again (2018) -0 Wow. Just wow. There literally (literally literally) was not a minute during this movie wherein I didn't feel aghast, insulted, or just stunned at how bad this was. The only two good things I can say about it are (1) there was some beautiful scenery and (2) Lily James is a very hot little piece of ass. But I still want my money back. And my time. 

63. The Case for Christ (2007) ***** I'd say more...but not here or now. I do think this is a must see, though, and found it very thought-provoking.

64. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) **** One extra * because it has Léa Seydoux in it...but even without her, this is a good, action packed movie, and it has 72% less stupidity than most Hollywood action movies. Rock on, Tom Cruise, I've got your back, bro.

65. Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) **** Pretty exciting stuff. Could have used more pretty girl, but other than that, a most enthralling movie which certainly did not feel 2 1/2 hours long. Also good to see Henry Cavill in a different kind of role. He did a good job.  

66. Red Sparrow (2018) -0  What a wretched, awful, ugly, soulless movie. And a lot of that comes down on Jennifer Lawrence, who is terrible. Completely unconvincing as both ballerina and as badass, a Russian accent which comes and goes, and a willingness to do a completely unnecessary and vulgar nude scene...in which she doesn't even look good. Should have saved that shit for a better movie, Jenny.  There were some torture scenes in this thing which really deserved harder than an R rating. Just awful stuff. I'm really sorry that I wasted 2 hours and 20 minutes of my life on this shit.

67. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) *** Y'know, it's funny. This wasn't a great movie by any stretch of the imagination. The sound was bad...in the way that all British films from the 60s are bad, kind of muffled and empty. And for the most part either no music or really bad music--the happy spritely tune with lots of flutes kind of music. And there were some extremely corny directorial choices--for instance, there were three times when the film was speeded up...for no apparent reason, and much to the detriment of the film, I thought. And the actors who played The Boys all looked like they were in their forties...though I don't suppose they were. The guy who played the lead was 25. Sure looked older than that, though. And I think the fight choreography in this film was the worst I have ever seen in my half a century's worth (plus a few years--I started young) of movie viewing. But despite all of that...this movie was about something. About something more than the brutality of human nature and the lack of possibilities for redemption or salvation. And yes, I am thinking of Red Sparrow there. Watching this movie also made me feel like reading the short story again. I am pretty sure that I haven't read it since high school...though I suppose it's possible that it was actually in college. Even if it was the latter, though, we're still talking about 35 years since my eyes touched the page.

68. The Predator (2018) * Wow, what a bad movie. It was (once again) one of those movies where I thought, "That wouldn't happen that way" just about every minute. A shame, too, as it looked pretty great, and had some good folks working in it. But all for naught. It was also very gory, and featured Autistic Kid as Super-Hero, two things I'm not in favor of. (Reference the latter: people with special needs do not have to have Super Powers in order to be worthwhile as human beings. Just sayin', sir.) And get this: there's a scene wherein Olivia Munn is naked, and we don't even get to see anything below her clavicle. That's just bullshit, man. I want my money back.

69. Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2017) **** This, on the other hand, was just brilliant. Great fun, humorous, but also with some important points to make regarding gender roles and the treatment of women in our fucked up society.

70. Famous Authors: Edgar Rice Burroughs (2001?) From Kultur video...which I have not known for its quality productions. And this was no exception. Poorly organized, limited (and repetitive) visuals. 

71. Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018) ***** this was not a great movie. But it's a must-see anyway. Details to follow in a blog entry soon.

72. California Typewriter (2017) **** A superb documentary. Loved seeing Tom Hanks, and whatever is above loved for seeing Sam Shepard. I wonder if this was his last appearance on film? Neither IMDb nor Wikipedia lists it on his list of credits, so I don't know for sure. Anyway...a truly superb documentary. Inspiring, even. Though it really is about typewriters, so forewarned / forearmed and all that.

73. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)  *** A couple of my friends (I actually do have more than one, surprise surprise) told me how much they liked this movie, so I snagged it from the library. And Woody Harrelson, whom I don't always love, was superb. And Sam Rockwell, whom I have never loved, was likewise superb. And Frances McDormand, whom I almost love, was mostly great. And I was thinking this was a ***** movie...right up until the Molotov Incident. And then I just lost all of my belief in the film. And then it just kept getting worse, and the ending...are you shitting me? Fuck. If this movie had ended when Mildred (Frances McDormand) got the letter from Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), it would have been full 5 for me. But Martin McDonagh screwed the pooch. And after watching his short film Six-Shooter (which was put on as a dvd extra), I can see how that happened: this guy is just a mean fucker. I don't know how he managed to keep his shit in check through the first half of Billboards...but I think that that was all of the humanity he had in him.

74. Siberia (2018) ** the "Russian" girl was hot, and Keanu was pretty cool up until the end, wherein he inexplicably turned into John Wick, but watching this movie was not a good experience for me. I'd say spend your $2 on something else on Redbox.

75. The Passion of the Christ (2004) ***** An astonishing movie. It made me cringe, it made me cry, it make me think hard about things I'd already been thinking about. Not a pleasant experience by any means--the violence is truly brutal--but there was more to the movie than that, for sure. Masterfully directed, I must say. Hats off to Mel Gibson for this one. 

76. Little Women (2018) * Oh, man...this was a bad, bad movie. The woman who played the lead was so obnoxious that all I felt for her was contempt...which kind of killed the whole thing. But none of the other actors were very good, either, so at least there's that.

77. Venom (2018) -0 This movie was so bad that it's hard to say anything beyond that. It was stupid, mean-spirited, illogical, and trite. Tom Hardy, an actor I have on occasion loved (Child 44, Dunkirk), was just horrifically bad. That simpering voice...sheesh, really? I kept feeling like this was a Saturday Night Live skit based on the movie rather than the movie itself...except it just. Wouldn't. End. Save your money. This is not a MARVEL movie in any way. Seriously. 

78. Skyscraper (2018) *** Yep, believe it or not. In fact, maybe even a notch above that. I know it's hard to believe. I thought that the trailers looked stunningly stupid, too. And I felt like I had seen this movie several times before. But there were several things going on here that made this movie work. For one thing, the special effects were actually pretty stunning. It looked RAIL, man. For another thing, there were some nice little bones here and there. For instance, when The Rock makes it into the burning skyscraper (not a spoiler, as you can see that he does this in the trailer), one of the cops monitoring him via video gives a little "Yes!" cheer under his breath. And as for the missing limb...that makes a difference. It becomes a bigger story right there...a story about overcoming a really bad situation...and then going into an even bigger really bad situation with that handicap. Besides, it's The Rock, man. You know you can't help but love The Rock. All in all, it was a pretty good way to spend two bucks and 102 minutes. 

79. Goosebumps2: Haunted Halloween (2018) * This, on the other hand, was pure trash. I was tempted to go Less Than Zero on it, but there was a little tiny flicker of something or other than didn't totally suck. Or maybe I just nodded off and dreamed that part. Whatever. This was a terrible movie, though.

80. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) * Oh. My. God. Interminable. If you find out that you only have 100 minutes left to live, by all means go to see this film. It will feel like years. And you'll gladly surrender to the Almighty at the end of it, exhausted from the effort of struggling to remain conscious.

81. Lars and the Real Girl (2007) ***** One of my favorite movies ever. This is a movie which makes you laugh, cry, and feel better about the human race. The kind of movie I need to see more often.

82. Jesus' Son (1999) ***** Another great movie. Billy Crudup was amazing, and the "guest" spots--Jack Black, Denis Leary, Dennis Hopper, and Holly Hunter--were not only superb, they didn't even feel like "guest" spots. Speaking of which, this might be my favorite Jack Black performance ever...and he has done some superb shit, for sure. Started reading the book (by Denis Johnson), which is what made me want to see the movie (again...saw it seven years ago, but didn't remember it at all; but 2011 was a hard year, man) and am going to get right back to that right quick.

83. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) **** Funny. I only went to see this movie because the sequel is coming out and the kids want to see it, and I realized that I remembered almost nothing about the original. I do remember thinking that it was pretty weak, though. Well...I was wrong. I was real wrong. This was a truly delightful movie. And BTW, I am totally enthralled with Alison Sudol, who played Queenie. What a sexy woman! And without being in the least bit whore-y, which is what seems to pass for sexy in these end times. ANYway, I am now enthusiastically looking forward to seeing Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald next week. 

84. The Shape of Water (2017) ***** Watched this again--this time with sister Mary. There were some hard moments for her--like the beheaded cat bit, which I had forgotten...and the tearing off the dead fingers bit, which I think I had suppressed...but she liked the movie in spite of those violent moments. And me? Loved it all over again. What a superb movie. Can't believe it actually won Best Picture. How did that happen?

85. Daredevil Season 3 (2018) **** I thought this was the best season yet...and I have loved DD from the beginning. Most excellent stuff. Hope we get to see some more.

86. They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018) Really interesting documentary about Orson Welles's "last movie." And even better, Netflix has edited together a version of the previously unfinished and unreleased movie and put it up, so ahmo go see that next. 

87. Sahara (2005) *** Kind of stupid, but kind of fun, too. Not nearly as bad as the reviews would have you believe.

88. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) *** Not as good as the first, but still a pretty enjoyable movie. I really like Dan Fogler, by the way. Only just realized that he was the same dude who is on The Walking Dead.

89. Robin Hood (2018) -0 One of the worse movies I've ever seen. Just awful. 

90. The Ballad of Lester Scruggs (2018) **** Not the best Coen Brothers movies, but certainly an interesting one. I particularly liked the James Franco performance. That dude is okay sometimes. Also good to see Liam Neesom not pretending to be a bad ass. He is really too old for that shit, y'know?

91. Creed II (2018) ** This movie had some good moments, for sure...and I really like Michael B. Jordan a lot...


92. Garbage Warrior (2007) ***** Fascinating documentary about the man who started the Earthship thing...so it's about the environment, it's about climate change, it's about politics, it's about power and ignorance...and there's even a hot chick in it at one point. Something for everyone.

93. I, Robot (2004) *** Y'know, the special effects look pretty bad with my 2018 eyes, but I actually enjoyed this movie. I'd seen bits of it out of order lots of times, but this was the first time I sat down and watched it wall to wall, and I thought it was worth doing...and that Will Smith did a really good job of it. He so funny.

94. Atlas Shrugged, Part I (2011) * Thought I'd have another go at this--saw it six years ago. And? Not really worth doing. I was still thinking of going on to Part II, then read that all of the parts were played by different people. What? And apparently Part III has a new cast yet again. Sheesh. Maybe they need to have another go at this?

95. Green Book (2018) ***** A truly great movie. Viggo Mortensen does a superb job here. This movie also made me aware of and love the music of Don Shirley. BTW, Joe was Facebook messaging a friend and wanted to tell said friend about this movie, so he wrote this synopsis: "it's about the white man was mean and nice and the black guy plays a piano and it was very funny." What more could you want from a movie?

96. A Game of Thrones Season One (2011) **** Pretty hard to watch at times, what with all the murder, torture, and rape, but I have to say that once I got past the second episode I did start to get caught up in it. Big kiss to the Louisville Free Public Library for making seasons Two through Seven available to me. (I had purchased Season One some time ago, watched the first two episodes, and quit in disgust.)

97. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) *** Joe says: "Looks pretty good. Kingpin killed Peter Parker. And Miles's uncle. That's all." Ooops, did I forget to say SPOILERS? Well. As for me... https://songsofinnocenceampexperience.blogspot.com/2018/12/bill-sienkiewicz-spider-man-into-spider.html

98.  Game of Thrones Season Two (2012) **** Yeah, I already got season three, so you could say I'm into it. Wish they'd quit killing the people I like the best, though. Motherfuckers. The dvd commentary tracks are usually quite interesting. The ones with the technical people are the best. The ones with the writers--especially George R. R. Martin--usually end up being long bitch sessions about how This Isn't the Way I Originally Wrote It or This Isn't the Way It Was in the Books. And most of the actors just prove how vapid they are...not to mention the fact that several times they have given away things that hadn't happened yet in the series, which is really not very nice.

99. Aquaman (2018) *** Worth seeing...and probably the best DC movie so far...but SO fuckin' ponderous and top heavy, y'know? Haven't these guys watched ANY of Marvel's movies? 

100. Bumblebee (2018) * Mind-numbingly stupid. And John Cena didn't help.

101. Game of Thrones Season Three (2013) **** Well here's something I never thought I would say with respect to this show: Jaime Lannister is now my favorite character. I would not have believed that possible for the first two seasons, but you get a bit of a twist this time around. And speaking of twists...all kinds of shit happens that I didn't see coming. And some of the things that I thought I saw coming didn't arrive...at least not yet. So. Keeping this spoiler free, so I'll just say that I am looking forward to Season Four. In fact, I wish I had it right now. It's at the library, too...but it's Christmas Day, and the library is closed. Damn. I could start that free HBO trial...but I was going to save that for Season 8, y'know? Sigh. 

102. Game of Thrones Season Four (2014) **** Hmmm. Y'know, Season Eight hasn't even come out on HBO yet. There's going to be a problem in a couple of weeks, isn't there?