The Movie I Saw 2022

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

-0 = Less Than Zero: viewing this is likely to result in a dramatic loss of IQ points.

1. The Thin Red Line (1964) **** Found this movie on ►YouTube, and it was quite excellent...despite the screeching soundtrack and the occasional histrionic acting. Jack Warden did a superb job as the way off kilter sergeant, and Keir Dullea (who would later portray Dave Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey) was pretty creepy as Private Doll. This movie was startling at times, showing aspects of war that I didn't expect to find in a 1964 movie at all...like putting dog tags between a soldier's front teeth (to make it easier for identification, which makes sense, but...for fuck's sake, man!) not once but twice...and like showing a wounded soldier (it's not clear, but it seems that he had been eviscerated by shrapnel) screaming horribly and at length in pain, and a fellow soldier administering a lethal dose of morphine so that the wounded man's suffering would end. In fact, I couldn't help but think that it many ways this movie out-did the much better known Full Metal Jacket (1987)...and was actually a better movie. Speaking of, this The Thin Red Line was directed by Andrew Marton, a name I didn't recognize, but I did recognize several of his other movies: The Longest Day (1962), Crack in the World (1965)--and I have a clear memory of the trailer for that one--the ominous voice intoning, "CRACK...in the WORLD!"--and Clarence, the Cross-Eyed Lion (1965), which led directly into the TV show Daktari (1966-1969), a mainstay of my youth. He was also responsible for directing parts of several very big movies, such as Ben Hur (1959, the chariot race), Cleopatra (1963), Catch-22 (1970),  Kelly's Heroes (1970), and The Day of the Jackal (1973). That's a pretty impressive resume. And just to add a little seasoning, he was Hungarian! (My love for Hungary thus continues to be fed fuel.) At any rate...a movie well worth seeking out, though hard to find, so thanks to whoever posted it on ►YouTube. 1/1/22

2. The Expanse (2022) **** Sorry to see this show go. I think it's one of the best science fiction tv shows ever. 1/14/22

3. Bonus Disc: The Thin Red Line (1998) **** Brought to you by the wonderful folks at The Criterion Collection. The total running time for all of these features was 2 1/2 hours, so I thought it deserved credit as a Movie Watched. And? It was superb. Watching this background stuff really helps me to appreciate the film...seeing all of the thought and effort that went into doing things that in some cases don't look all that impressive onscreen. But God is in the details. 1/16/22

4. The Thin Red Line (1998) ***** This is at least the second time I've seen this movie...possibly the third...and I remembered thinking it was really good, but turns out I was wrong. This movie is superb. One of if not the best movies I've ever seen...and I've seen one hell of a lot of movies. In fact, it's so good that I might have to go back and watch The Tree of Life again, because I'm sure I must have missed something when I saw it before and didn't think much of it. (It's another Terrence Malick directed movie.) 1/19/22  

5. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) Shake-speare, Macbeth, Denzel Washington, and Joel Coen...how could it possibly miss? Well, Shakke-speare, Macbeth, & Denzel were all good. But Mr. Coen... not so much. In fact, the direction on this movie was so bad that it almost overwhelmed a most excellent performance by Mr. Washington. The black and white was a good choice, but pretty much everything else was not. And as a long time fan of the Coen Brothers' work (starting with Blood Simple and going through just about every one of their movies), that's a huge disappointment. But Mr. Coen just wouldn't let things alone...inserting unnecessary and distracting bits (like the third murderer finding Fleance hiding in a field and smiling at him) to distracting visual effects that really didn't make a lot of sense (like Duncan's blood dripping from his hand...when his throat was cut). And other slightly freaky things which looked very low budget and took away from the narrative rather than adding to it. Not to mention changing key bits, like having the murderer throw the child out a window instead of stabbing him. And although that might not seem like such a thing, to me it is, because there's no reason for making this change. With great reluctance, I'd have to say that you should save your 2 hours here and spend it somewhere else. 1/20/22 

6. Kim's Convenience Season 3 (2019) **** This show continues to hit it. Funny, and the bite-size (20 minutes) makes it perfect for just a quick dip. Joe's really gotten to love this show. Started because the Shang-Chi lead has a part in it, but I think he now really enjoys the show for itself. 1/27/22

7. Northern Exposure Season Two (1991) **** This show has officially hit its stride now. Most excellent season...with the 6th episode being one of my all time favorite television moments. 1/27/22

8. Tristram Shandy: A Cock & Bull Story (2005) A very, very odd movie. Lots of meta-commentary...which works for me. A very painful birth scene which just went on and on (about twenty minutes I'd say) almost made me hit the eject button, but once past that things settled into a very nice, psychotic vibe. I liked it enough to want to see what else director Michael Winterbottom had done. Turns out quite a few things...about 50...so I'll see what's available to me. 1/28/22 

9. Kim's Convenience Season 4 (2020) **** Joe has gone into overdrive on this series, so we've been packing them away. 1/29/22

10. Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) *** Didn't want to watch this, but Joe did...and he really wanted company. So I sat down with him, planning on doing some sneak reading. But surprise, surprise, surprise...it was actually quite good...laugh out loud funny on about a half-dozen occasions. Just goes to show, doesn't it? 2/4/22

11. No Time to Die (2021) ** And Jacqueline wanted to see this one. It was really hard for me to keep focused on this movie, though. It's just bad, isn't it? Although I have to admit that anytime Léa Seydoux is on a screen I can't take my eyes off of it. And Ana de Armas is just ridiculously beautiful. (Too bad she didn't have a larger part to play in this story.) So at least there was that. 2/4/22 

12. Kim's Convenience Season 5 (2021) ****...except for the last episode, which gets a big WTF? Can't believe that they pulled the plug on this show immediately after setting up some serious drama. Very frustrating! 2/4/22

13. Enchanted (2007) **** I didn't intend on watching this movie. Jacqueline put it in the dvd player (we're old fashioned that way) and when I caught a glimpse of Amy Adams, I couldn't look away. And you know, for a goofy movie riffing on fairy tale romances, this was quite good...and some of the music was better than quite good. So yep, I came for the Amy Adams, but got more than just that eyeful. 

2/5/22

14. Nancy Drew Reporter (1939) *** This was a pretty entertaining movie, actually...though there were some serious missteps, too. For instance...the depiction of Chinese Americans. And the unbearable song and dance number. And the very abrupt ending. But Bonita Granville was delightful as Nancy Drew. And in what other movie does a 16 year old actor portray a 16 year old character? Well, maybe it happened a lot in 1939, but it sure doesn't happen anymore. In fact, I just watched the first episode of The CW's version of Nancy Drew, and Kennedy McMann, who plays Nancy, was 23 when the show premiered and is working on 26 now. Anyway...watching Nancy Drew, Reporter made me want to watch the other Bonita Granville Nancy Drew movies--there were 4 in all: Nancy Drew... Detective (1938), Nancy Drew...Reporter (1939), Nancy Drew...Trouble Shooter (1939), and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939)--but I haven't yet located a platform which is interested in giving these movies to me pro bono. (On the other hand, the library does have Nancy Drew (2008) and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019), so I might have some of that. In case you didn't realize it, I am in the throes of a Nancy Drew fixation. (See The Book I Read 2022 for more on this.)  2/5/22

15. Shakespeare: The Truth Behind The Name (2021) Robin K. Phillips is the Director, Editor, Music Director, and Narrator of this short (1:39) documentary. I've no doubt that her intentions in putting together this program were good...and if you're new to the idea that the works attributed to William Shake-speare were actually written by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford, then she does a good job of conveying the most important information to show the reasons there are to believe this. Since I've been of that persuasion for a couple of decades, I didn't find anything new here, however, which left me free to concentrate on the things about this program which really annoyed me. I'm sorry to say that there were quite a few, many of them emanating from Ms. Phillips' delivery. She does various accents, for instance...all of which are bad enough to remind me of how I would cringe every time (and there were a lot of them) one of my former girlfriends would try to do an accent. It's just irritating. There are also irritating add-ons, such as a bell that jangles whenever a point for de Vere's authorship is made. Needless to say that gets old fast. So...if you are completely new to this subject, this provides a good capsule summary, and you should definitely ride it out when the annoying things occur. It's worth it. As for me, though...not so much.

2/6/22

16. The Sopranos Season One (1999) **** I had no interest in seeing this show. I'd had my fill of things gangsters long ago. For one thing because I don't need any reminders that human beings are nasty, brutish, and short-tempered. But I was talking to a friend who said some things that made me think that maybe I was doing the bad version of judging the book by the cover, and since AT&T is still giving me HBO Max for free, I thought I'd watch an episode. And it definitely was what I thought it would be...but it also wasn't. So I watched another episode. And somewhere around the middle of the first season--which took me a while to get to--I found myself actually growing fond of several of the characters, not the least of which was Tony Soprano. Because while he is a vicious motherfucker, for sure, there is also something touchingly innocent and sincere about him. So I picked up a lot of steam watching the rest of the 13 episode first season. And I'm looking forward to season two. Which I'll probably start tonight. Mmm-hmmm.

17. The Book of Boba Fett (2022) **** I was really blown away by this series...and not just because of the I'm-Not-Tellin' "guests" in Episodes 5, 6, and 7. In fact, the primary reason that I loved this show was because of the way it synched into events from the movies and other stuff. It was kind of like what Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead was to Hamlet. I also enjoyed the character of Boba Fett...which surprised me, as I didn't care about him at all prior to seeing this show. And also because this seemed to be a show with a very purposeful arc. I enjoyed The Mandalorian a bit, but there were several episodes which I felt were just thrown in to have some cool stuff happen. In TBoBF, everything seemed to be purposeful. Yep, I loved this show. Wouldn't mind having another season or two of this one. 2/10/2022

18. The Mandalorian Season One (2019) **** Second time through for this...and I actually enjoyed it a lot more this time. Probably wouldn't have bothered had Joe not wanted to do it, so I'm glad he was into it. 

19. Peacemaker (2022) **** It's really violent and vulgar, neither of which attract me, but it was also really funny (big shout out to Vigilante) and actually had some touching, heartfelt moments. There's also a really big surprise near the end of the final episode. No spoilers here, but let's just say that if you are a comic book nerd, you will equal with delight. 2/17/22

Meanwhile...I pooped out about 2/3rds of the way through Season Three of Northern Exposure. A shame, because Season Two was so good, but somebody decided to scrape off most of the things that made this show interesting and unique and turn it into a cold soap opera with occasional moments of wit. Not even occasional moments to keep me interested, though. More tedious details HERE. 2/18/22

20. Uncharted (2022) * A star because I love Tom Holland, but I was very sorry to see him in this shitty movie. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen all you really need. After those highlights, it's just improbable action, shallow characters, and an idiot's version of the Da Vinci Code. Save your money and get this from Redbox if you really need to see it. 2/18/22

21. The Mandalorian Season Two (2020) **** As with season one, I liked this show a lot more the second time around. In fact, I liked it so much more that I'm wondering what the hell was wrong with me the first time around. I mean...that finale! That alone was worth the price of admission. And I love the way that the Star Wars saga gap between Episode 6 and Episode 7 is being filled in. I mean...that's a lot of prime real estate to build on, and it looks like that's what's going on right now. I ready for whatever comes next! 2/19/22 

22. Beyond the Spotlight Season 1, Episode 6: Joe Namath (2021) ***** Funny, I came to this expecting (and wanting) highlights of Namath's career, but it really wasn't about that at all. (Hence the title of the series, I suppose.) It was a very moving story about a guy who came up from nothing, hit the big time, crashed into alcoholism, recovered, and all along the way kept saying, "It's not about me" and strove to help others...especially disabled kids. Wow. 2/19/22 

23. The Silence of Mark Rothko (2016) ** I was a little drunk when I watched this, but I enjoyed it, learned a bit. Still don't care for the paintings, though. 2/19/22 

24. I Called Him Morgan (2016) ***** This was a truly great documentary about the great jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan. I only recently happened upon him (courtesy of NPR), but it only takes about a minute to realize that Lee Morgan was one of the great musicians of our time...even though he died at age 33. He packed a stunning amount of music into those years, though. In fact, his discography of solo albums alone runs to 32 releases...and he also recorded dozens of other albums with other folks. How is that possible? (I haven't verified it yet, but I read that he released six albums in one year. Holy shit!) Anyway, the story of Lee Morgan is fascinating in and of itself, but what makes it even better here is the way this documentary was constructed. The use of interviews with members of Morgan's band...the guys who were on the stage with him when his common law wife shot him...were brilliant. The director knew when to shut up, too. There were times when he just let silence overtake the proceedings, and it was good, like taking a deep breath. And there were times when he just let us listen to the music, and that was even better. Yep. Great documentary, for sure.

2/21/22

25. Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase  (1939) *** I spent a bit of time looking for this movie and had no success in locating it. But today I had stumbled upon the fact that Internet Archive had copies of some of the Nancy Drew books I wanted to read, and as I was checking that out I found that they also had this movie up on their site. This was the last of the four * Nancy Drew movies starring Bonita Granville...who, wonder of wonders, was actually only 15 years old when the first of those movies was made, and 16 for this one--which is the age Nancy is in the original novel. As an adaptation, this wasn't very good. In fact, it had almost nothing to do with the novel it was ostensibly based on. But I like Bonita Granville. There are some lapses (like screaming when she sees a frog and getting her boyfriend to fire a pistol because she "doesn't know how"), but for the most part she comes off as the feisty heroine who appears in the original novels. (And who also packs a pistol on occasion, hence my antipathy for the "can you shoot it for me?" bullshit. 2/24/22 

*  Nancy Drew... Detective (1938), Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939), Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939), and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939).

26. House of Gucci (2021) * Wow. I didn't want to see this movie--it was a Joe choice, because he loves Adam Driver--and that usually disposes me to have a better opinion of a film, since my expectations are either low or nil. Not this time, though. I thought this was a huge waste of film and a waste of my time. It was a movie about how rich people hate pretty much everybody, screw pretty much everybody, and don't give a fuck about pretty much anybody. If I want to hate my fellow human beings, all I have to do is drive to Walmart, no need to waste 2 1/2 hours on it. 2/24/22

27. Ukraine on Fire (2016) **** on a normal day, but ***** today, as Russia pounds Ukraine by earth, air, and sea. I don't think you can categorize this as an Oliver Stone film, but he does have a heavy presence in it, both behind the scenes as one of the producers and on camera as the guy who interviews various political leaders...including Vladimir Putin. Who actually comes off as a sane fellow here. So I think I'm going to need to write more extensively about this thing elsewhere, but for now: it does a lot to show you what led to the current state of affairs, and to show you that what you hear in the news might not be what is actually going on. 2/25/22

28. American Underdog: The Kurt Warner Story (2021) ***** Another Joe pick. And this was a really good movie. In fact, it really got to me emotionally several times. And it had some truly funny moments, too. And on top of all of that, it was actually (1) uplifting and (2) based on a true story. So yes, definitely worth your time. 2/25/22 

29. Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019) *** Always sad to find out that one of your heroes was a pretty shitty human being, but there were lots of good moments here, too, so it's definitely worth 2 hours of your life. 2/25/22 

30. Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (1958) ** Only watched this because in the Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool documentary they talked about his soundtrack for it. It wasn't what I would call a good movie. In fact, I'm kind of surprised that Miles even bothered with it. I guess director Louis Malle is well-respected...I'd never seen any of his films before, but his name rang a bell (albeit a distant one with several mountain ranges betwixt my ear and the clapper), so that probably means something. But this was just a stupid little romance / murder story with some huge plot holes ululating at me. Though there was one cool scene where a guy was hanging by a rope underneath an elevator and the elevator started going down. So I'd say there was a good three minutes of this movie that were actually kind of exciting. Maybe even riveting. As for Miles Davis's music, it was quite good, but to be honest I lost track of it as I tried to force myself to pay attention to this silly movie. Fortunately I've been listening to the soundtrack and sans images it's quite impressive. 2/26/22

31. The 255 (2022) ** I like Sebastian Stan...even when he's a bad guy...and it's always a pleasure to look at Penelope Cruz...but that's pretty much all that this movie had for me. It's just kind of the same old shit, you know? None of the surprises surprised me at all...and since none of the characters had more depth than a Petri dish, I didn't care what happened to them at all. This might be worth a Redbox rental...if you have a coupon for at least 75¢ off, anyway. 2/26/22 

32. South Pacific (1958) * Wow. I decided to watch this after reading in The Pacific Trilogy that it was based on a James Michener book. The best thing I can say for it is that there are a couple of catchy tunes to be heard. Other than that...what an excruciating experience watching this was. Unrelenting misogyny, maddening "visual effects" (the screen would go yellow, blue, and I can't remember what other colors because I've blocked the memory from my consciousness) which made it impossible for me to look at the screen until they went away. No, no, no...this was a terrible movie. 

33. The Batman (2022) ***, maybe ****. I really need to see this again. But since it's a 3 hour movie, it might be awhile before I do that. Maybe even not until it comes out on dvd...unless someone I know and love wants to see it with me, because I don't like going to the theater by myself. Alas, most of my friends would turn their noses up at The Batman, though. As for me and my first viewing, I think it's definitely worth seeing. It looks great, for one thing. And I have to say that Robert Douglas Thomas Pattinson did a superb job as The Batman. Much to my surprise. I'd only known him from the Twilight series (yes, I did see them all) and from his turn in Harry Potter, and I couldn't even imagine that he could pull of playing Batman, but yep, he did it. I'd even go so far as to say that no one before him ever looked as good in that cowl. This version of Batman stuck pretty close to what Reality would look like if a guy put on a costume and went out at night to fight crime...no camp. The bad guys aren't funny and zany, they're dangerous and nasty. In fact, there were times when I wondered how this movie managed to stay in PG-13 range, what with the beating people to death, a severed thumb in several scenes, etcetera. A few of my favorite things: Batman is actually portrayed as a detective. I think that's the first time that aspect of his character has achieved any prominence...possibly even any presence...on the screen. And moments where you saw that Batman was still kind of learning his way (this is set in his second year of crimefighting), such as when he does a little "flying" (really gliding, using his inflatable cape...which, believe it or not, actually worked pretty well) and it's clearly an "Oh, shit!" moment for him as he wonders if he's going to fall to his death. And moments of visual loveliness, like when Batman is in a hallway fighting guys who are shooting at him, and the scene is lit by sporadic flashes from the gunfire. Speaking of which, this Batman is pretty heavily armored, and he can take a gunshot or two. Or twelve. The main drawback, of course, is that it's three hours long. And the story seems to thin out a bit. I'm going to try to read The Long Halloween before I see it again, since I've read that the story derives a bit of its plot from that. But yes, it's definitely worth seeing, and I would recommend seeing it in the theater...of course for the picture, but also for the sound. There are times when it just vibrates your bones, and it would take some pretty pennies to replicate that at home. 3/5/22 

34. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) **** Second time around. Still works. 3/8/22 

35. A Journal for Jordan (2021) Well, this movie had a lot going for it. It starred Michael B. Jordan, who is a fantastic actor. It was directed by Denzel Washington, who surely knows everything there is to know about acting and movies. So why was it so bad? I mean like * bad. Well, part of it was the script, of course. It was an I've Seen All Of This Before kind of story. But most of it was the character portrayed by Chanté Adams. I've never seen her in anything before, so I don't know if it had anything to do with her...but the character was just fucking obnoxious. Unrelentingly obnoxious. She was a cock tease (no, don't stay in a hotel, stay with me; no, don't sleep on the sofa, sleep in my bed; oh, yes, kiss me! okay, now stop, go to sleep). She immediately tried to change him (your tennis shoes are dirty; don't wear jeans, wear this suit). She was bitchy (you were with another woman, you weren't in the hospital with your soldier). It was just exhausting to watch her and be frustrated by the unrelenting nastiness of her character. 3/11/22

36. Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time (2021) I'd wanted to see this documentary when it first hit the theater. I'd heard nothing before I saw the title on the marquee at the Village 8, but by the time I had found a free moment...three or four days later...it was gone. I searched the usual suspect platforms for it, gave up, and then kind of forgot about it. Until last night, when I was glancing at  hulu , and there it was. I started watching right away. Didn't get far, as it's rare for me to have much tv time to myself, but even the first 30 minutes were enough to re-ignite my great love for Kurt, which goes back to my junior year in high school (1973 - 1974). I remember...hey, you know what? This is going to take awhile, so let's just say this documentary was both wonderful (because it made me want to read Vonnegut all the way through again) and disturbing (because Kurt was not a very good guy at times). I'd say see it if you love Kurt but can take finding out that he was a shitty father and husband. As for the rest of what I wanted to say ...well, that will be elsewhere. Oh yeah, ***. 3/12/22

37. I was looking for Glory (because Joe really loves Denzel Washington), but one of the hits that came up was a documentary entitled Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary (2016)... because Denzel Washington reads material that had been written by John Coltrane. And all thoughts of Glory vanished. Fortunately, Chasing Trane is available on hulu...and also on Paramount +, btw...so I was able to start watching immediately. And yowza, what a great show. In addition to Denzel on vocals, we also have interviews with people who played with him...and with Winton Marsalis (required for any program which has anything to do with Jazz), Cornel West (one of my heroes), and some surprises like John Densmore * (of The Doors), Carlos Santana and Bill Clinton. Also lots of good footage of Coltrane playing. Director John Scheinfeld really seems to know his shit about Jazz, too...and looking at his filmography, he's done quite a few films about Jazz artists. He also puts Coltrane into the context of the Civil Rights era, which I thought was a very good move. Music doesn't exist separate from the world in which it lives, after all. Most excellent documentary! *****

3/12/22

* Densmore tells a funny story about going to the bathroom a lot at the Coltrane gigs he saw so that he could be next to his Jazz heroes, and about Coltrane noticing and just shaking his head at him. It takes a certain kind of courage to tell a story like that!

38. West Side Story (2021) ** Finally got around to this...and I thought they did a pretty good job, actually...but the basic plot of the story is just so fuckin' stupid that even a pretty good job pretty much sucks. So far as I could tell, this was a note for note copy of the original, but with better dancing and better photography. If that's what you want out of life, then here it is. As for me...I prefer a bit more realism in my fantasy, knowwhatahmsayin'? 3/12/22

39. Come and See (1985) ***** This was a very hard film to watch. It depicts the brutality of war more vividly, more viscerally, than anything I've ever seen before. It makes Saving Private Ryan look like a fucking picnic on the beach. It is horrifying...but it is also artful and at times even beautiful...and there is no way you can watch it without have your heart touched, without having your fundamental being affected. 3/15/22 

40. Mayor of Kingstown (2022) **** I'd actually make this a *****, but there are a couple of moments of violence that are so dissettling that I can't say it's a Must See. I hasten to add that while I deplore vivid depictions of violence and would always prefer a PG-13 version of whatever, the violence in this show actually was necessary and significant. All in all, this is a brilliant show, and it boggles my mind that critics...like those fuckers at Rotten Tomatoes...have given such terrible reviews of it. Jeremy Renner and Tobi Bamtefa are just brilliant...and the rest of the cast is at least good and maybe great. It took me awhile to get around to watching this, but now the tables are turned, and I'm really anxious for the next season...which I don't think has even begun shooting yet. So I guess I'll just watch season one over again. 3/18/22

41. Turning Red (2022) Well...I know this is an important movie for lots of kids...including at least one of mine...but it was hard for me not to turn this one off. As a Control Your Anger thing I guess it works pretty well, but as a Getting Your Period thing I think it fails miserably. Unless I missed a memo, girls can't do rituals under a red moon and cease to have their periods, for one thing. Also, the kid characters in this movie are so obnoxious that it's hard to maintain sympathy for them. And any movie which relies on a physical confrontation between a mother and her daughter for its climax is just wrong all the way down in my book. So no, didn't work for me. 3/19/22

42. Scream (2022)...aka Scream 5. I didn't want to watch it. But Joe did, so of course I kept him company. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea...too many stabbings...but at least there wasn't any gut stuff. And I'd have to admit that while it was stupid and pointless, it certainly wasn't boring. So I'd call it somewhere between * and **, maybe another * if you're into the horror thing. 3/19/22

43. Jungle Cruise (2021) -0 So let me get this straight. Rotten Tomatoes gives Mayor of Kingston a score of 32%, but gives this piece of shit a score of 62%? I think that tells me everything I need to know about Rotten Tomatoes. I could tell that this movie was not going to be good pretty much from the beginning: the cutesy-pie editing, the razz-a-ma-tazz pointless action, the discordant soundtrack. And it got steadily worse: the wretched "characterizations," the trite plot. At 30 minutes I couldn't stand to focus on it anymore. But my #2🌞 REALLY wanted me to see it, so I tried to stick it out by doing some chores whilst watching: folding laundry, putting stuff in the recycling bin, etcetera. And still the movie dragged on. I looked up Emily Blunt on the computer, thinking that perhaps she had had some financial disaster which prompted her to say yes to this script. (I didn't feel any need to check on The Rock, since I know that he'll do pretty much anything for a buck. And I say that with sincere love.) No...in fact, the internet says she's worth $80 million, and that hubby John Krasinski is worth the same, so they're obviously not struggling to pay the rent. I guess it all comes down to what the wise Dave Stewart once said (sang, actually) about David Bowie: "Ain't it funny how money can make you deaf as well as blind." (Not ha-ha funny, of course.) So short version: there is no reason to waste 2 hours and 8 minutes of your life watching this movie. 3/20/22 

44. Fury (2014) ** There are some great moments in this movie, and some great performances, for sure, but in the end I'm left with a bad feeling...and most of it centers around the scene where the tank crew has "dinner" with the two German girls, and the sexual encounter which precedes it. It's not rape,,,but it's not that far from it, and seeing it as anything else renders the scene ridiculous. 2/29/22

45. Morbius (2022) ** There actually were a couple...maybe even several...good moments here, but not nearly enough to float this one up to good. And it seemed like this was at least 50% fight scene, which doesn't do much for me. Save your money, wait for Box.   4/1/22

46. Green Dolphin Street (1947) *** Lana Turner, Donna Reed, and Frank Morgan (the Wizard of Oz, in case you don't recognize him), all wrapped up in one movie. And it was a pretty good movie, all in all. I only watched it because of the title song, though. Eric Dophy's "On Green Dolphin Street" rolls around in my head constantly, so I wanted to see where it all got started. Turns out that while the song appears in a half-dozen scenes, you only hear it for about a minute or less each time, and it's mostly just a string arrangement, so you don't get any of the soul of Dolphy's version. Speaking of, I just had a look at this song has been recorded by a lot of different people...such as, for instance, Jimmy Dorsey, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, and lots of other big Jazz names. I'd only heard it as an instrumental, but when I saw that people like Nancy Wilson and Tony Bennett had recorded versions of it, I decided to see if I could take a lyric based version. And? It was pretty awful. For one, the lyrics are less than insightful:

It seems like a dream, yet I know it happened

A man, a maid, a kiss, and then goodbye

Romance was the theme

And we were the players

I never think of this without a sigh

Lover, one lovely day

Love came, planning to stay

Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting

The setting for nights beyond forgetting

And through these moments apart memories live in my heart

When I recall the love I found on

I could kiss the ground on Green Dolphin Street

Lover, one lovely day

Love came, planning to stay

Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting

The setting for nights beyond forgetting

And through these moments apart memories live in my heart

When I recall the love I found on

On Green Dolphin Street

Lyrics by Ned Washington, who also wrote the lyrics to "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Wild is the Wind."

Nancy Wilson's version was really hard to listen to, as it was just too light and bouncy for me to be able to tolerate. Tony Bennett's was actually pretty decent, as he slowed it down and had very sparse background music.

So there's that. 4/6/22

47. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) -0 If only Jim Carey had decided to retire before making this godawful movie. Relentless stupidity, a complete lack of logic and any sense of reality (and yes, I know it's a movie about a super fast hedgehog, but still...) and at almost two hours, at least an hour and forty minutes too long. There's a teaser scene after the initial credits which seems to reveal that 3 is coming. I am sincerely hoping that I won't have to take the kids to see it. 4/8/22

48. Death on the Nile (2022) *** This movie got some rotten reviews...including a 63% on the Tomatometer...but big surprise, I thought it was pretty good. True, I do like Kenneth Branagh a lot, but I don't think that would make me like a movie he was in if it sucked. I thought it was suspenseful...I sure as hell didn't figure it out before Poriot did...and even a bit sexy. That's good enough for me. 4/9/22

49. Spectral (2016) *** A Netflix film. Which worked for me, in a Army fights Ghosts kind of way. Also starred James Badge Dale, and I've been a fan ever since 2010's Rubicon (still one of my all-time favorite tv shows). Lots of action, and even some smarts here and there. 4/10/22

50. The Office Season 1 (2005) **** Funny...when I first encountered this show I found it stupid and pointless, and had no desire to see any more of it...though I did happen upon it by chance every little once in awhile. But fairly recently I started catching an episode or two every once in awhile and actually enjoyed it. I'll confess that a portion of that enjoyment came from looking at Jenna Fischer (who plays Pam Beesly) who I found to be irresistibly attractive. Then I found out that you could watch at least several seasons of the show on Peacock for free, so I got to it...and just wolfed down the first season, which I found to be pretty funny. I wonder what shifted. I'm still not fond of Steve Carell, but that really doesn't matter with this show, since he plays a character who is despicable. Onward to Season 2! 4/13/22

51. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) ** You know, I enjoyed the first two movies in this series, but this one just didn't do anything for me. There was a scene or two which I found interesting and / or amusing, but as a whole I was just bored...and at almost 2 1/2 hours, that's a lot of bored. 4/15/22

52. The Office Season 2 (2005 to 2006) **** 22 episodes this time around...but I still just guzzled 'em down. In fact, I started thinking, "I should really just buy the complete dvd set--it's only $42 at Walmart, and then I'd get all the bonus stuff that you don't get via streaming." I even went to Walmart and, while looking for a new printer, stopped to see if The Complete The Office was on the shelves. It wasn't. As I finished up this season, though, I started thinking about how much I'd liked the first couple of seasons of Northern Exposure, and how everything kind of went to shit in the third season. So I think I'll just keep watching on Peacock for now. They have the first five seasons for free. And the library has all of the seasons if I want to go that route. But for now...I'm enjoying the hell out of this show. Michael is so fucking obnoxious that I really want to hit him in the mouth every time he comes onscreen. And I really enjoy the interaction between Jim and Pam...and with that final scene in Season 2 (no spoilers here), I am really ready to see what happens in 3. So I'll be going there tomorrow. Mmm-hmm. 4/16/22

53. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) **** I've been wanting to see this again for awhile now, and since (1) it was at Redbox and (2) I had a code to get $1.25 off, so it only cost me 78¢ and (3) the kids were at their mom's house...I went for it. And you know, this movie definitely has its flaws in terms of plot construction, but if you can let go of that, it just hums along, doesn't it? And even manages to hit some real emotional points along the way. I hope that this isn't it for Tom Holland, as I would really like to see more of him as Spider-Man. And, to be honest, I'd like to see some of the mess he was left with in this movie cleared up. I'm guessing that some of that with happen in the Dr. Strange movie...though I doubt very much that Spider-Man will pop up there. And you know...I'd actually like to see more of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spider-Mans. Probably no chance of that, but hey...such is the stuff super-hero nerd's dreams are made on. 4/16/22

54. The Office Season 3 (2006 - 2007) *** */2 I felt like there was a little slippage this season...mostly in terms of just going a little bit beyond what I could buy in terms of characters behaving stupidly. Not enough to dent my love for the show--at least not yet. Some nice surprises behind the cameras: there were episodes directed by Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams, and several directed by Harold Ramis. Onward to Season 4, then.

55. Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest (2011) ***** So there's a commercial...must not be a very good one, as I can't recall what it was for...which uses a song which steals the main riff from "Walk on the Wild Side." And when I first heard it, I was just kind of POed because, you know, they were ripping off Lou Reed. But the more I heard it the more I wondered about it, and eventually I got around to Googling it up and found that it was a song by the group A Tribed Called Quest. And then I went to the public library page and saw that they had the album the song was taken from...their 1990 debut album, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, so I put in a Hold Request for that. And then I saw that there was also a dvd about the band, so I Hold Requested that as well. And now that I've watched it, what can I say? In some respects it's what you would expect to see in a documentary about a hip hop group. But in other ways it most certainly is not. For instance...two of the group members have a falling out and they yell at each other. No pushing, no punching. No glocks. And later on there's a scene in which one of the members talks about the health problems of another member, and he cries. And one member talks about his diabetes and how he eventually has to get a kidney transplant. It all feels very real and very much like an ordinary life in some ways. Which allows me to connect to it. And you, too, probably. Well worth your time. Can you kick it? Yes, you can.  4/20/2022

56. Moon Knight (2022) *** This show had some great moments, for sure...and I thought that it had a really interesting way of presenting mental illness...but in the end it left me feeling unsatisfied. Just a bit too much bogus Egyptian mythology for me...and not enough touches of humor to make for a well rounded show.  5/5/22 

57. The Office Season 4 (2007 - 2008) *** Took a little longer to get through this one, but not for lack of interest or enthusiasm. Just been kind of busy. Right on into Season 5. 5/6/22

58. Blacklight (2022) * Liam Neeson really needs to job stop it. He's 69 years old, FF'sS. I sincerely doubt that he could even kick MY ass at this point. 5/6/22

Sorry to say that not only have I seen two Channing Tatum movies back to back...but I actually saw them back to back, with just enough time to breathe into a paper bag between them. The things I do for the love of my children (in this case Joe) defy all rationality, sanity, and credulity. The first one was

59. Dog (2022) * Which was stupid and improbable, but did have a teeny tiny bit of heart in it, so at least there was that. 

The second one, though, was

60. The Lost City (2022) -0 was just excruciating. Well...except for Brad Pitt, who did an amazing job with a bit part which should have been stereotypical and thus forgettable nonsense. But as for the rest... well, you've seen this movie before. Several times before. And it was a lot better on any of those times, so there's no need to see this one. I am grateful that I have Paramount+, thus didn't have to pay anything more to watch this. I feel that watching it was payment enough. In fact, I want some change. 5/13/22

61. The Office Season 5 (2009 - 2009) "Stress Relief Part I" was the 86th episode of the show...and it went way too far. In this episode, Dwight sets the office on fire, Stanley has a heart attack and Michael shoves his wallet into his mouth, Dwight is taken before the corporate officers and reprimanded but not fired, Dwight cuts a CPR dummy's stomach open and searches for organs, and Dwight cuts off the dummy's face and puts it on his own. Oh, and then Dwight is taken before corporate and told that they had to pay for the dummy and it cost $3,500...but he's not fired. So yes, way too much. It wasn't the first time I thought that they'd gone too far, but it's the first time that thought was sustained for any appreciable length of time...and the first time I thought, "I might be finished with this show." This episode was written by Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby, and my first thought was, "Oh, they gave him a chance to write and he blew it," but then I checked with the Wikans and he had written a number of shows before this, so it wasn't opening night jitters, for sure. At any rate...I'll keep watching, at least for awhile, but I am glad that I didn't throw down $50 for The Complete Series.

P.S. Another low point" Episode 21 "Two Weeks" was so stupid that it was painful. Even the presence of Idris Elba--who was, as he always is, excellent--wasn't enough to rescue this from the abyss of complete stupidity. Only 7 more episodes in this season, so I imagine I'll make it through...but at this point much of my joy in this show has been submerged. I'm beginning to think that the reason I had a bad impression of this show was because I had caught some of these later episodes...and that I was, after all, right in assuming that it was a stupid and worthless show.

P.P.S. And it really never got any better, so I'm now convinced that the reason I had such a bad opinion of this show initially was because I saw one of the episodes after Season 4...assuming that things don't suddenly get better in 6, 7, 8, or 9. I got Season 6 from the library today (no more free Peacock episodes), so we'll see how it goes. I'm not all that hopeful at this point, though. 5/16/22 

62. The Equalizer Season 2 (2021 - 2022) *** You know, I have no enthusiasm for this show at all, yet I find it pretty compelling when I sit down with Joe to watch it. Even touching at times. Go figure. And if nothing else, it's an action show that doesn't star a white guy, so it's significant for that alone. 5/16/22 

63. Halo Season 1 (2022) **** I had low expectations for this series, but decided to check it out just because. And was more than pleasantly surprised. In fact, this is one of the few shows that I wouldn't let Joe "keep rolling" on when I needed to leave the room. And even more than that, I'm actually anxious for Season 2 to appear. (And I'm pleased to say that Paramount+ has already confirmed that there will be a season 2.) 5/19/22

64. Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) **** Got to say...this was a great movie. I laughed, I cried, and the time whizzed by. Some stories ended, some began, and many continued on their way. Also, this made me want to go back and watch the series from the beginning all the way through to the end of this movie again...pretty soon, too. Fortunately there's this thing called Netflix. 5/20/22

65. Take Shelter (2011) **** I thought this film walked the line between horror and a realistic film about mental illness...sometimes taking a step into one direction, sometimes in the other. I found it riveting, and really got caught up in the stories of the characters. And btw, you can watch it for free on  tubi . 5/20/22

66. I often like to watch all of the dvd extras on movies. In fact, I actually prefer to watch all of that stuff first so that I can watch the movie with more insight. So I went for it...and enjoyed it mightily. I really like Jeff Nichols, and am hoping to see more of his movies. Anyway, here's the track list:

Movie with Commentary by Jeff Nichols and Michael Shannon

"Behind the Scenes of Take Shelter" (10:35)

"Q & A With Michael Shannon & Shea Whigham" (19:51)

Deleted Scenes: "Second Counselor Session" (4:30) & "Picnic Table" (1:38)

Theatrical Trailer (2:13)

5/21/22

67. The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) *** Well, if you want to cry a lot, then this is the movie for you, for sure. It was actually a pretty good dog movie, but to be honest, the whole tragedy compounded by people acting in cruel ways was a little too much for me. This is not for the faint of heart, for sure. 5/22/22

68. Muholland Falls (1996) **** This is a pretty good movie in and of itself...though it does have a few really violent scenes that I could have done without. Nick Nolte does a good job as a tough guy cop who doesn't mind coloring outside of the lines, Melanie Griffith does a good job of being the good wife who is mistreated and doesn't put up with it. And Jennifer Connelly...well...sigh. I don't have the words to express how beautiful she is in this movie. I will say that I have not ever seen more beautiful breasts anywhere in my life. Just stunning. 5/25/22

69.  Bosh: Legacy Season One (2022) **** This show really kicks big fat ass... and I say that even though the cliffhanger ending for Season One was totally too steep. I really don't want to wait a year to see how that shit resolves. 5/27/22

70. Top Gun: Maverick (2022) ** Well...it had some exciting moments, for sure, and Tom Cruise looked pretty good, but all of the other "legacy" actors in this movie were kind of pathetic, and it's pretty clear that whoever wrote this didn't know anything about how the military works. Also, the plot was lifted straight out of The Empire Strikes Back. 5/27/22

71. To Walk Invisible (2016) ***** A superb movie about the Bronte sisters. I stumbled across this movie because I was interested in Charlie Murphy from her part in Halo, but I got a lot more than I had hoped for: a touching, intelligent movie about three sisters who struggled with a difficult life and produced some of the best known literature of Victorian England. I was so helped up about the Brontes after seeing this that I immediately went looking for their novels. Alas, I didn't have any. Of course they're easily found online, so I might just do that. 5/28/22 

72. Downton Abbey Season 1 (2010) **** Joe decided he wanted to watch the tv series (since he liked the movies), so now I'm having to restrain him from super-binging on it. I think he'd watch a season per day if I let him. I had seen all of these shows previously, but I have to admit that I'd forgotten most of the details, so it's actually been enjoyable for me as well. In fact, even though I told him I'd only watch one show per day, a couple of times I've relented and watched a second episode. No more than that, though. 

73. The Office Season 6 (2009 - 2010) *** This season was definitely a step up from Season 5, which was almost the end of it for me, but I find myself not all that anxious about going on to Season 7, so I'll just hold off on that for a bit. I think they've pretty much told all of the stories they have to tell about this group, actually, because for the most part we just seem to be running through the same things at this point. Not a good sign...even though there are times when it's still funny. 6/7/22 

72. Downton Abbey Season 2 (2011) **** I have to admit that even though I am enjoying this show...even at the brutal pace Joe has set for me...it also really frustrates me in a not good way. I guess it's just my old age showing, but when characters are treated unfairly it really gets to me. In fact, in the past I've stopped watching shows that I enjoyed simply because I could not stand the hurtfulness that was being depicted. No chance of that happening here, though, as Joe has his heart set on finishing the entire series as soon as possible. Well... 16 shows down, 36 to go. 

73. Jurassic World: Domination (2022) In 3D, no less. Only because I needed an 11:15 start time, though, not because I'm particularly fond of 3D. Is still just looks flat to me. In fact, I slipped the glasses off a couple of times and I literally could not tell the difference between glasses off and glasses on. So if you have to see this thing, I'd say don't bother with the 3D. And the movie itself? I would put this at -0. I don't think there was a minute that went by without me thinking either "No way it would happen that way" or "That was just bullshit." I know what you're thinking there, but no, that's not what I'm talking about. Go ahead and see it and I'll bet you'll feel the same way. It's just non-stop bullshit. I found it boring, and I sincerely hope never to see another one of these movies in the waning years of my existence upon this planet. 6/10/22 

74. The Northman (2022) This was a mystery story. The mystery being why did Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe agree to be in this odious, relentlessly violent and disgustingly gross film? And Anya Taylor-Joy even did a nude scene for it. Two of them. Once you get past the casting, there are absolutely no surprises in this movie. It's a horrible, cruel piece of film, and I wish that I could get my two hours and seventeen minutes back. -0 6/11/22

75. Ambulance (2022) ** I really didn't want to see this movie. And even though I only paid $1.05 to rent it from Redbox (code), I don't feel that I got my money's worth. But you know...I have to admit that it was pretty gripping, pretty much from the get go. So if you like two hour car chases, this might be the movie for you. As for me...I think I'm going to see who has My Dinner With Andre. 6/17/22

76. Downton Abbey Season Three (2012) **** Didn't much like the ending to this season, but before THAT happened, there was lots of good stuff. It kind of hit me that in some ways, this whole series is really "about" Thomas. You hate him sometimes, you feel sorrow for him other times, and sometimes you actually like and even admire him, but to a large extent it's his story which drives the series forward. 6/17/22

77. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) **** There have been times when I've loved Nicolas Cage dearly: Birdy, Raising Arizona, Adaptation.. And there have been times when I've wondered, "What the FUCK were you thinking when you took this role?" (Pretty much all of his 101 other movies.) This one was truly great, though. Sometimes. Other times, it was more of a WTF situation. When it was great, it was straight to the bone in terms of Being Nicolas Cage, with an honesty that was so intense that it was discomfiting. But then there were those other times when it was just a stupid spy movie. Sigh. That's the way it goes with old Nick, though, ennit? 6/23/22 

78. Elvis (2022) *** Well, it's long--2 1/2 hours. And it felt long, too. I was checking my watch regularly during the last hour. On the other hand, there were parts there were very compelling. Of course, the ending (about the last hour) was bone crushingly sad. And I didn't like seeing Tom Hanks as the fat, high-pitched con man. Parts of the movie were confusing, as two and three time layers were juxtaposed. Parts of the soundtrack were bullshit...as when they put rap bits in. All in all I'm not sorry to have seen it, but I wouldn't recommend it, either. Well, maybe as a Redbox rental. It was definitely worth two bucks. 6/24/22 

79. Downton Abbey Season Four (2013) **** Yes, still enjoying the show. Though I have to admit that Elizabeth McGovern is starting to grate on me immensely. She's such a terrible actor! And I'm also a little tired of bad shit happening to Bates--I think it's time to give him a break. And I wouldn't have minded it if Thomas had fallen into the ocean and drowned a bit at the end of Episode 9. But I'll still be starting Season Five tomorrow...or sooner if Joe has his way. That boy is Downton Crazy. 6/25/22

80. Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022) *** I enjoyed this series quite a bit. For one thing, it does a good job of filling it at least part of the gap between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It even goes a little ways to explaining why Obi-Wan Kenobi sat on his ass for twenty years. Hmmm...twenty years? You'd think it'd be more like forty given how old Obi was in A New Hope, but maybe living in the desert blasted the life out of him and his flesh. Let's see...Alec Guinness was 63 in A New Hope, and Ewan McGregor was 34 in Revenge of the Sith,  so that would mean a difference of 29 actual years, but given Hollywood time, I guess we could pretend that was twenty years. Anyway...I enjoyed this series immensely. Come to think of it, I've enjoyed all of the Disney+ Star Wars shows...though I think The Book of Boba Fett is still my favorite. 

81. Firestarter (2022) * Well...why did they even bother? I have no answer, but I can save you a couple of bucks and / or an hour and a half of your life if you just take my word for it and pass on this one. It's not even worth writing about. 6/30/22

82. Redeeming Love (2022) **** Hadn't heard anything about it, didn't have any interest in seeing it. But Jacqueline picked it out, so I kind of started watching it with her. And I soon realized that one of the leads, Abigail Cowen, was pretty freakin' hot, so I started paying attention. And before long, I got completely sucked into it. The beauteous Ms. Cowen and her co-star, Tom Lewis, both did good jobs here, and the story, which could have been maudlin, proved to be quite poignant instead. Well worth seeing. Jacqueline has some kind of weird radar for movies. She almost always picks out excellent ones. 7/1/22

83. Oliver! (1968) **** A bit stilted, of course, since (1) it's a musical and (2) it's 54 years old, but I actually enjoyed this rendition of Oliver Twist. I was also surprised to discover that there were four songs I recognized: "Food, Glorious Food," "Where Is Love?", "Consider Yourself," and "I'd Do Anything." 

7/7/22 

84. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) * There were a couple of laughs in this one, but the vast majority of the movie was slow (checked my watch about a dozen times, starting at the 35 minute mark--not a good sign) and even boring. Sorry to say that I didn't enjoy it at all, definitely didn't get my $9 (x 3) 's worth, and wish I could have waited for Disney+ on it. I'm starting to think that Marvel hit its high water mark with Avengers: Endgame and that it's going to be downhill from here on out. And you know...I think a large part of the deflation is due to turning toward political correctness and inclusivity. Which it pains me to say, flaming liberal that I am, but let's face it: the idea of Natalie Portman as The Mighty Thor is just ridiculous. Well, maybe I'm wrong and the best is yet to be. From what I hear, Adam Warlock is coming up soon, and he's always been one of my favorite characters. 7/10/22

85. Downton Abbey Season Five (2014) and 86. Season Six (2015) Can't remember when I finished Five, but it wasn't all that long ago...maybe a couple of weeks or so. Ahem. I've got to say...I have enjoyed some parts of this show immensely, and I'm particularly fond of Tom Branson...but I'm also really tired of the bitchiness (especially from Mary) and self-centeredness (pretty much everybody who lives upstairs, and many of those who live downstairs as well). So I am not all that sad about viewing the last episode of the show. And I'm also still looking forward to the next movie. It probably won't be around for a couple of years, maybe more, and I think by then I'll be ready for more of it. 7/10/22

87. King Richard (2021) **** I didn't expect to like this movie very much...since (1) I know nothing about tennis, (2) I don't care about tennis, & (3) I am not in love with Will Smith since the slap thing... but I have to admit that (1) Will Smith did a great job and (2) this was a fascinating movie. Special props to Jon Bernthal, who very convincingly played a character who was in no way a badass. It was very cool to see him be able to act in a way that went against "his" type. 7/14/22

88. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022) **** I really enjoyed this movie, and it touched my heart several times. I did have a hard time believing that Rose Williams could fit into the same size dress as Lesley Manville...I'd guess there to be at least a six dress size difference there...but other than that, there were no "WTF?" moments in this movie, as there have been in so many others of late. Also, I did not once look at my watch during the course of this movie. And get this: a movie in which there were no fisticuffs, explosions, or sex. (Though there was some world class cleavage, courtesy of both the aforementioned Rose Williams and the absolutely stunning Alba Baptista.) In the end, I think this movie was about the kindness of people in a world which tends to be kind of shitty, and that's something I always need to hear about. 7/15/22

89. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) ** I really liked the idea of this movie, and there were parts of it that were entrancing and exciting, and other parts that were quite funny, but on the whole it just didn't hang together for me. In fact, I'm sorry to admit that I got a little bored. And the pay-off at the end made me feel a bit like the finale of Lost--not much bang for the buck. Speaking of, I only spent a buck for this movie (coupon code on Redbox), and I almost feel that I got my money's worth. If I were you, I'd wait until it hits Netflix or some other "free" platform. 7/23/22

90. Moonfall (2022) *** This was actually a terrible movie. I could tell it would be just from the trailer. But I was in the mood for a stupid science fiction flick, so I spent a dollar on it (see previous entry). And you know what? I don't think there wasn't a single moment when I wasn't conscious of how ridiculous this whole thing was. I'm pretty sure that every scientific principle invoked was twisted out of recognition. But...it was kind of fun. I actually enjoyed it, stupid as it was. So there you have it. Definitely a buck's worth. Maybe even a buck eleven (to cover the tax). 7/23/22

91. The Thing (2011) ...which is a remake of The Thing (1982), which is a remake of The Thing from Another World (1951), which was based on the novella "Who Goes There?" (1938) by John W. Campbell Jr. So yeah, maybe a bit too much of that. This version went way beyond what I wanted in a movie about 2/3rds of the way through, as the monster continued to evolve into more and more absurd forms which were supposed to be scary. ice scream-y sound effects, though, and at least the female scientist got to be the main badass. This was definitely not worth my time, though. Bring on Kurt Russell! 7/26/22

92. DC League of Super-Pets (2022) -0 Wow. Just...wow. The animation was awful...an abundance of hideously ugly characters. The plot was absurd: a bunch of animals get super powers and imprison the Justice League. The dialogue was banal--not a single laugh in it for me. I really struggled to stay awake through this thing it was just so bad. I also don't think whoever made it knew who their audience was. If it was for kids, then there was some pretty nasty stuff going on...like Krypto sitting on a sleeping Superman's face and characters melting off limbs, sitting in boiling water, etcetera. I don't know, maybe that's normal for kids these days, but it seemed very mean-spirited to me. And if they were aiming for anyone older than kids, then they missed completely, because there was nothing in it for them. Pass on this one. It's not even worth a Redbox rental. Not even with a coupon. 7/30/22

93. Lars and the Real Girl (2007) ***** I think this was my third time for this movie. I could easily watch it another dozen times or so. 8/4/22

94. Milestone: Generations (2022) ***** Short documentary which does a good job of (1) giving a history of Milestone, (2) introduces you to some of the main creators of the comics, and (3) gives you a good idea of where Milestone is headed in the near future. (Particularly exciting for me was the statement that they were going to be going from 3 titles to 6 titles this year. Woo and hoo.) 8/4/22 

95. Easter Sunday (2022) * Early on I thought this movie was going to be pretty good, but it went downhill fast and stayed there. It was really disappointing to see Lou Diamond Phillips involved in this thing...but at least it was a very small bit of involvement. Definitely not worth seeing at the theater. In fact, not even worth a Redbox rental. Not even with a discount code. Nope. 8/5/22

96. Prey (2022) *** Nice twist putting this story into a Native American setting, but beyond that it was all familiar territory. Exciting enough, just nothing new, you know? I watched it for free on hulu, though, so I have nothing to complain about. 8/5/22

97. Nightcrawler (2014) ** This was a pretty compelling movie, I'll admit...but only because it was an exploration of the basest motivations of a horrible person. So kind of a watching a car crash thing. It made me feel worse about my feeling human beings, thus I have to question the validity of its existence so far as I am concerned, since I believe pretty strongly in the idea that art of any stripe should at least aim to better us as beings. Old fashioned and perhaps outdated, I suppose, but there it is. 8/9/22

98. Central Intelligence (2016) *** I remember seeing the trailer for this when it first came out and I had no interest at all in seeing it, but it was on tv and I'm in Covid Isolation, so.... And you know what? It was a fun movie. Kevin Hart was high-larious, and The Rock was The Rock. What more could you want? Also, Danielle Nicolet, who never really caught my eye in her role on The Flash, was just sa-MO-kin hot here. So yes, something for everyone. 8/11/22

99. Bullet Train (2022) **** Well, I saw the trailer and thought it would be good, then I saw the reviews and the box office figures and thought all the good stuff was probably in the trailer, but when I saw it...it was a little too gory for me at times, but it was also so funny that I literally (and I mean that literally) cried from laughing so hard several times. Brad Pitt is still the bomb, man. 8/12/22

100. The Right Stuff (1983) ***** Been awhile since I saw this, and re-watching it reminded me of why I think of it as one of my favorite movies. Sam Shepard was only 40 years old when this movie came out, if you can believe it. I miss Sam. I should probably get down to doing his complete works someday soon. I think I own at least most of his plays, anyway. 8/12/22 

101. Secret Headquarters (2022) * Owen Wilson as a superhero. Well. That really didn't work all that well. And he was the high point of this stupid, pointless movie. I want my two hours back. Saw it for free, so I can't complain about that, but I do feel that money is owed me anyway. There is absolutely no reason to watch this movie. 8/14/22 

102. Beast (2022) ** I have to admit that this was an exciting movie, and that there weren't TOO many times when I thought, "Well, THAT couldn't happen." And I like Idris Elba quite a bit--though I don't understand why he chooses to do so many stupid movies. Speaking of, if your idea of a good time at the movies is watching a lion chase and / or eat people for about an hour, then this is the movie for you. Not for me, though. 8/19/22

103. Nope (2022) ** Funny, it was only a little way into this movie that I started feeling dissatisfied with it, and although that feeling never curdled into dislike, it continued to thicken with each passing minute. I like Jordan Peele, and have seen both of his other movies. (I only count the ones he directed as his.) And thought they were at least pretty good. But this one...nope. There wasn't enough backstory, for one thing: nothing to give a reasonable explanation as to why The Bad Guy (so to speak) was doing we "he" was doing. It also didn't have much to do with being Black in White America, which I thought was the strength of his first and best film. I didn't hate it, but I certainly wouldn't recommend it. Not even for a Redbox rental. But here's the thing: I went to see this with my #1🌞, and when it was over I withheld my judgment and asked him what he thought. He immediately said, "I loved it!" And when we got home he told me that he would like to see it again the next day if his wife would go with him. I talked to him a little bit about the things that I didn't like  --being very gentle about it, of course--and he deflected my critiques, mostly indicating that the things that bothered me weren't of any great importance to him. I find it interesting that two intelligent people of like social and political contexts can have such different attitudes about a movie. I wish Robert Pirsig were around so I could talk about this with him. 8/20/22

104. Samaritan (2022) * Wow. This was a really bad movie. I felt sorry for Sylvester Stallone while I watched it. And it wasn't just the bad, many times re-hashed plot, or the terrible acting, and the lack of any credible character motivation. It truly felt as if there had been no rehearsals for some of the scenes...like they only had the money to do one take, so that was it. And yet according to The Internet, this film cost $50 million to make. I can only hope that $49 million of that when to Sylvester Stallone. This was "free" for me on Amazon (not my account, my son's), and I still feel like I wasted my money.

105.  Ain't in It for My Health: A Film about Levon Helm (2010) **** This was a pretty excellent documentary, and for the most part it made me love Levon Helm and want to know more about him. There was also quite a wealth of bonus material...probably as long as the movie itself, actually, which contained, among other things, a lot of performance footage.

106. La La Land (2016) I like Ryan Gosling. And I thought this movie had some terrific moments--especially that six minute "one cut" opening scene. But I pretty much hated it. Because I pretty much hate romances. I look at this and say, Well, there were two people who didn't like each other very much...until they realized that there really weren't any other options, so they gave it a try. And then they were nice to each other for awhile until they found out that they had to compromise in order to make things work, at which point they drop the pretense of liking each other and became cruel and the separated. And then years went by and the pain of the encounter had faded enough for them to think, "Hey, we had some good times, didn't we?" Yeah. 9/12/22 On the other hand, Jacqueline--who picked it out--seemed to like it. Except for the half she slept through.

107. Barnaby Rudge (1960) Low production values, no stars, and a plot that was but a remnant of the novel's, but you know...it still kind of worked. In fact, I'd say the BBC folks did a right good job of it, and it was no easy job at that. 9/15/22 

108. Pinocchio (2022) Admittedly I'm not a fan of the New "Live Action" Disney movies in general...but my kids were anxious to see this and had set that up with their mom, so I thought I'd give it a shot on my own. About five minutes in I was getting a bit uncomfortable. Way too "cute"...way too self-conscious...way too tedious. I started checking the time at 37 minutes...and was dismayed that I still had over an hour to go. I would have turned it off...but I was doing some stationary bike stuff, so I decided to let it play out. Just in case my initial instincts proved wrong. And? My instincts weren't wrong. What a terrible movie. It will probably make a billion dollars. 9/17/22

109. See How They Run (2022) *** A pretty good movie with more than a couple of laughs...and I thought that Saoirse Ronan was brilliant. But then again, she always is, isn't she? Agatha Christie fans would probably get a kick out of this movie as it centers on her play (The Mousetrap) and features a fourth act appearance by The Dame herself (so to speak). It was a fun little movie.

110. Ammonite (2020) *****  Another Saoirse Ronan movie...with Kate Winslet alongside. This movie was written and directed by Francis Lee, and I was just smitten with her* work here. There is a subtlety to this film that is rarely seen these days. Moments which hang there, leaving you asking, "What?:--not in a frustrating or confused way, but in a "I'm going to have to think about this for a moment way," creating a participatory moment which really pulled me in. For instance, there's a scene wherein  Charlotte Murchison (played by Saoirse) tries to help Mary Anning (Kate Winslet), and doesn't do a very good job of it. When she re-enters the kitchen she is smiling abashedly and in a disheveled condition. She holds the smile for a moment, then bursts into tears and collapses. In any other movie, Mary would have asked, "What's wrong?" and Charlotte would have responded (gasping and sobbing), "I'm such a failure! I can't do anything right!" And then soothing words would have followed. But here, the scene plays out silently. It's not rocket science to figure out the emotions here, but how many movies would give you the opportunity? (The answer is not many. Clearly not even the movie based on this blog entry.) If you're faint of head, be forewarned that there are two lesbian love making scenes. One is devoid of nudity, the other is replete with it, with four tits and two ass cheeks. It only lasts for about a minute, but if you're squeamish about such things, you are here forearmed. I was a little surprised to see Saoirse naked, to be honest, but thought it was done in service to the movie (e.g. not gratuitous). And as for Francis Lee...well, I'm going to go see what else she's done and try to find it. 9/24/22 

P.S. Just looked at the Wikipedia page on this movie, and according to it, the budget was $13.4 million and the box office was $1.4 million. Which is a story in itself, ennit? This was at least one of the best (if not the) movies I've seen this year as well as ever...and as you can see, I see a lot of movies....and it completely tanked at the box office. So go watch it on  hulu  before it disappears.

* I've just been blown away again. When I looked for more information on Francis Lee, I found out that it's a he. I am just astounded that a guy made such a sensitive, woman-centric film. If I had two hats, I'd take them both off to this chap. 

111. A Doll's House (1973) *** I thought that Jane Fonda did a really good job as Nora, but the other actors just seemed okay to me. Worth seeing...especially as it was free on plex, but I'd like to see another version sometime.

112. The Woman King (2022) ***** Didn't even want to see this movie. Had heard a little about it, had seen the trailer, thought, "Nope." But Joe really wanted to see it, so of course I did. And for about the first hour I was really floundering a bit. It wasn't boring, but it wasn't grabbing me, either. And then shit got real. It had me fighting back tears on more than one occasion. It had be feeling jubilant and excited at other times. And by the end of it, I was thinking, "Maybe I should watch that all over again from the beginning." Which I will probably do in the near future. Details as they happen.

P.S. Viola Davis is truly amazing in this movie. Like How Can She Not Win an Oscar amazing.

113. The Martian (2015) ***** This is at least my third time seeing this movie, and it holds up SO well. Actually, this was my first viewing of The Extended Version, but (1) looks like it was only extended by ten minutes and (2) I didn't see anything which looked "new" to me. At any rate...Matt Damon should have won an Oscar for this performance, and Ridley Scott probably should have won Best Director and Best Picture, but you know how that shit goes. Just goes to show how little those fucking awards actually mean.

114. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) **** I really loved this show. It was funny, it was unique, it was fun...and Daredevil showed up a couple of times. Have seen a lot of bad reviews, but I don't get it. I truly can't imagine how you could not like this series. 10/14/22

115. Amsterdam (2022) **** I thought this movie was pretty brilliant. And Christian Bale, whom I'm not always fond of, was just superb. Not to mention funny. And the cast...sheesh. There's Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Rami Malek, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, and Timothy Olyphant. Holy guacamole! And at the end, after more than a few ha ha-s, it kicked in with some topical relevance that was more than a little bit astonishing. 10/14/22

116. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022) **** Despite the critical suspirations, I thought this series was strong from the get-go, and it built to a crescendo that was just amazing. To me, it rivaled the Peter Jackson movies in scope and cinematography, and surpassed them in terms of emotional impact. Just brilliant stuff here. 10/14/22

117. Werewolf by Night (2022) **** Well, this was just fun, wasn't it. A bit stronger on the gore than I expected, but probably still within the PG-13 frame. (And I've certainly seen worse on primetime television.) But even without the benefit of "known" characters--I've been reading comic books for 55 years, and I only knew two of the characters here--this thing just glided along. It was in part a paean to the old time horror movies, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, but it was really not cheesy, and actually managed to create dramatic tension, too. No mean feat. Highly recommended, even if you're not nuts about Marvel and / or comic books in general. 10/17/22

118. Black Adam (2022) *  DC strikes again. Strikes out, that is. What a horrible, stupid, rambling mess of a movie this was. Although I must say that the extra scene after the credits was superb. 10/23/22

119. Tales of the Jedi (2022) *** Short--all six episodes total about 90 minutes, I think--and sweet in that they were good stories about characters you know and love if you're into Star Wars. (And why would you be watching this if you weren't?) 10/27/22

120. Fall (2022) A bad movie, for sure, but maybe more than that, too.  Thinking about writing something. 10/30/22

121. Till (2022) ***** Hard to watch, but I think it's important to do it. 11/4/22

122. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022) I really liked the first half of this movie.   Then Brendan Gleeson (as Colm Doherty) started cutting off his fingers, and I just felt sick to my stomach for the second half of the movie. Not recommended viewing, despite a brilliant performance by  Colin Farrell. 11/8/22

123. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) *** I wasn't expecting much since I thought the first (much praised) movie was really bad (not to mention racist), but I was actually entralled by this movie. A lot of that had to do with the appearance of Namor...which took the emphasis off of the Ultra Futuristic Black Society which was still enmeshed in primitive tribal behaviors. 11/12/22

124. Three Thousand Years of Longing (2022) **** I did not want to see this movie. I love Idris Elba, but the idea of him portraying a genie kind of made me nauseous. But that's not what this movie was about. Not at all. It was about finding meaning in life, and what that means in terms of love, and what love is, and...lots of other stuff, too. I was a little worn out when I sat down to watch this with Joe (it was his choice, by the way), and so now I'm thinking that I might have another look at it before it goes back to the Box tomorrow. 11/18/22

125. The Booksellers (2020) *** Think this was the second time I saw this one, but I enjoyed it quite a bit. Can't remember when I watched it, though...certainly before its placement here would seem to indicate.

126. In Bruges (2008) *** Not sure when I saw this one, either. Liked the first (funny) half a lot more than the bloody finale...but it was better than The Banshees etc. which was by the same writer / director and had the same two main stars, so there's that. Don't think I'd recommend it, though.

127. Country Music: Episode 1 The Rub (Beginnings -- 1933) (2019) A Ken Burns production. Which I fully intend to watch all of, but since each episode in 2 hours long, I figure they should count as "movies," right? This one touched on many figures, but focused on Jimmie Rodgers, with whom I was not previously familiar. He was an amazing guy...and did more in 35 years on this planet than I could do in 135. Some people are just driven, you know? I kind of wonder if they don't have a presentiment of the limited number of their days, and that spurs them to pack as much living in as they can. Whereas for folks like me, the seeming lack of urgency means we spent most of our time on the sofa, smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo. 11/22/22

128. Country Music: Episode 2 Hard Times (1933-1945) (2019) Another interesting episode...and again about people I don't know a heck of a lot about. This episode didn't have just one primary focus character, but spent a fair amount of time on Bob Wills, who was an interesting character.

129. Devotion (2022) I thought this was going to be a really great movie, but it didn't work for me. For one thing, there were so many gaping plot holes that I couldn't really connect with it emotionally.  I did like Jonathan Majors a lot, though, and am looking forward to seeing him in Creed III and whatever Marvel movie he pops up in next.

130. The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004) This was a really bad movie. But I'm probably going to watch the next one (The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines (2006)) anyway. Cause I like libraries. 11/26/22

131. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022) This was actually pretty good. Funny. And even a little bit touching. Plus who knew that Kevin Bacon could sing? 11/26/22 

132. Sully (2016) Jacqueline's idea, and I didn't try to pay attention to it at all at first, but found myself getting pulled in, and by the end of it I was annoyed when the phone rang and I had to watch it with one eye for a few minutes. Yep. Good job there.

133. Corner Gas Season 1 (2004) **** Such a funny show. And I've seen these episodes at least twice before.

134. Stargirl Season 3 (2022) *** I have to admit that despite the bad special effects and inept computer animation, and despite the fact that I really couldn't buy the new versions of Dr. Mid-Nite or Wildcat at all...I'm still going to miss this show, which has been cancelled. That's mostly due to Brec Bassinger, who played the title role. And not just because she was cute, either. She brought a sincerity to the role which I found quite refreshing. Luke Wilson (as Pat / Stripesy) was also delightful. Looks like the ratings had fallen to about 700,000 viewers per episode, though, and I guess even the CW can't go forward with those kinds of numbers. (Even Walker, which is a terrible show, does better than that.)

135. The Mysterious Benedict Society Season 2 (2022) **** I really like this show. Of course, I loved the books, so I was pre-disposed to like it, but I like the show so much that it's made me want to go back and read the books again...preferably out loud to my #2son, so there's that. 

136. The Howard Stern Interview: Bruce Springsteen (2022) **** This was a looooooong interview. Over two hours. But (1) Bruce played A lot of music during the interview and (2) much to my surprise, Howard Stern was great. Even if you're not a Springsteen fan, this is worth seeing.

137. The Hours (2022) **** The opera version. The first act was a little dissettling and took some getting used to, but Act II was pretty magnificent, and packed a big emotional wallop. Definitely worth seeing. Even though I paid $25 to see it. In fact, worth re-seeing, so hopefully it will show up on a platform where I can do that in the near future. 

138. Biography: KISStory (2021) **** I'm not sure why I started watching this. I've had a bit of affection for Kiss over the years...especially for the Destroyer album...but I wouldn't really call myself a fan. But once I started watching, I didn't want to stop. This was a fascinating story. It was also very cool to see Bob Ezrin, whose work I've long admired, putting his two cents' worth into the mix. If you have any love for rock 'n' roll history, I'd upgrade this to a Must See.

139. The Full Monty (1997) ** Some friends told me how funny this movie was, so I gave it a shot.  And there were some moments, for sure, but all in all this didn't work for me. I guess I find it too improbable that hundreds of people would come to see some pretty pathetic looking neighbors take off their clothes.

140. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2022) *** I had no desire to see this movie, but for some reason Joe did, so off we went...out into some of the worst weather we've ever had in Louisville, when the mayor was warning us to stay off the roads. But the theater isn't that far down the road, and I wasn't in the mood to deal with an autistic meltdown, so I girded up my loins and went for it. And you know... it was worth it. This was a good movie. It actually made me want to listen to Whitney Houston's music...a feeling I've never had before in my life. 11/23/22

141. His Dark Materials Season 3 (2022) **** A most excellent show...with a really, really REALly sad ending. 12/27/22