My Top 10 Films of 2019

2019 is coming to a close, finally.  Looking back on the year, it sucked personally.  I’m glad it’s winding down and hoping that hindsight is 2020.  At least I got to go to the movies.  Truth be told it’s what kept me together-and it did it more then it should.  The idea of going to Daniel Craig’s final Bond film (No Time to Die), in 2020, more exciting to me than Christmas morning, and it’s what is giving me that extra something to keep going.

In visiting the cinema during the year, I was excited to see a wide range of films.  There were some incredible foreign flicks (Parasite, The Wondering Earth) released this year along with some truly original blockbusters (Rocketman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and some really special indy films (The Last Black Man In San Francisco, The Peanut Butter Falcon).  The summer saw it’s normal sequelthon and I continued to waste my time at Disney remakes like Dumbo and The Lion King.  At least Pixar held up to its usual high standard with the incredible release of Toy Story 4.  With three releases this year I’m worn out of Marvel flicks (Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spiderman: Far From Home), but still really enjoyed the different perspective and how dark the DC release Joker turned out to be.  I always enjoy seeing some great films on the big screen for the first time.  This year some of those classic titles include The Maltese Falcon, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Kiki’s Delivery Service.  Plus getting to see The Polar Express and The Matrix on the big screen again where both treats.

Here’s to the 2019 movies and those to follow in the upcoming twelve months!

Before you get to the list I have a personal note: I take a lot of time, pride, and effort when making this list.  Over the past few years many have torn my list apart with much criticism and frankly I find it offensive.  I don’t do it to you and am tired of it happening to me.  That’s why I haven’t blogged as much this year, though I miss it dearly.

With that said here are my ten favorite movies from the year that is 2019:

10. Doctor Sleep

There was no film I was more two sided about this year than the sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.  On the positive side of the coin was how much I enjoyed the novel, Ewan McGregor in the lead, and the fact that a sequel that a sequel to The Shining was coming to the big screen.  On the hesitant side of the coin was my love for The Shining, a brilliant movie that is turning forty in 2020, and the fact that it was two and a half hours.  Luckily the positive side of the coin prevailed.  The movie played nicely as a sequel to the movie and as an adaptation of the book.  It was everything I wanted: suspense with some great scares, an intriguing story (with out a good story there’s no point in watching a movie), and some incredible performances.  

9. The Last Black Man in San Francisco 

The Last Black Man in San Francisco is truly one of the most original and ambitious movies of 2019.  There’s a lot going on in this movie and is one that must be talked about at length.  I like that in a movie.   There’s a powerful message behind the film and how it comes across is subtle.  I hate when films slap its message across my face and am glad this one didn’t do that.  

I must admit I didn’t fully understand it when I walked out of the theater and after multiple viewings on DVD more sticks out to me.  This one will stick with me for years to come.

8. The Best of Enemies

I am a sucker for stand up and cheer moments in movies and the ending to The Best of Enemies had the best stand up and cheer ending of 2019 The film portrayed an important and uncomfortable piece of local history.  The movie is set in Durham NC and I love seeing stories from my home state on the big screen.  That fascinated me. Sam Rockwell, who is one of the greatest actors out there right now, and Taraji P. Henson both gave great performances in the film.  If a movie can make me uncomfortable and stand up & cheer with it, while teaching me a something, then that’s two hours well spent.

7. Rocketman

This movie is why I love going to the theater to see movies.  It was an awesome blend of music, story, and fantasy that the audience got into.   Everybody their loved the music, the subject matter, and let it be known, during the movie, that they were having one hell of a good time watching it.  It was a visual and audio experience that was just that, an experience.  I was a fan Taron Egerton going into the movie and came out just loving his performance as Elton John.  Fun fact Elton John co-starred with Taron Egerton in the Kingsmen sequel.  If this film doesn’t win the Academy Award for best costume design the Motion Picture Academy is doing their job wrong, it’s easily the best costumed film I’ve seen in a few years.  Considering the source material it should be.

6. Richard Jewell

Let me get this out of the way first: the movie is not on this list because it’s directed by my favorite filmmaker Clint Eastwood.  However that fact doesn’t hurt.  I got caught up in the slow burn of the story immediately.  I knew how the movie was going to end and was still on pins and needles during key events.  The supporting cast, Sam Rockwell, Jon Hamm, Kathy Bates, & Olivia Wilde were all fantastic in their respective performances.  However Paul Walter Hauser (I Tonya, Blackkklansman) was incredible in the title role.  I love that Clint Eastwood cast a lesser known actor in what will be a career making performance.  

5. Toy Story 4

There is no love/hate relationship between me and Pixar, it’s all love.  Toy Story 4 continues that tradition.  Its predecessor, Toy Story 3, still remains the best of the franchise but it set an incredibly high bar.  When your coming off a near perfect movie coming close to besting it is an accomplishment unto itself.  Toy Story 4 took me on a beautiful journey that’s about friendship and standing up for the those who can’t stand up for themselves.  Along the way the journey made me laugh, cheer, and put a lump in my throat.  Any film that can do all that in 100 minutes is a film worthy of being on this list.

4. JoJo Rabbit

What can I say about JoJo Rabbit?  This is one that is very difficult to write about without spoiling the events of the film.  Let me start by saying I did not laugh harder at any other movie I saw this year then I did while attending this one.  All the jokes were well paced and hilarious.  The film balanced its comedy very nicely with very tender moments of sweetness. One of the things I hate the most is when a movie slaps its point across my face.  I find it insulting to my intelligence as a human being and a movie goer.  I appreciated that JoJo Rabbit makes its point about the horrors of war subtly and in a very entertaining way.

3. The Peanut Butter Falcon

You can easily draw a line between the plot of Huck Finn and that in The Peanut Butter Falcon.  Both are great adventure stories, for fans of all ages.  I was impressed throughly with Shia LaBeouf’s performance.  Though I’ve enjoyed some films he’s been in (Lawless, Fury) this is the first time I’ve been wowed by his acting talent.  He’s easily outshined by Zack Gottsagen, the real star of the movie.  I am in absolute love with the casting director for actually casting an individual with down syndrome in the role.  He is the heart and sole of this movie and is a pleasure to watch perform.  His eagerness to have fun, in the film, is contagious and jumps off the screen.  Do yourself a favor and see this charming movie, you will not regret it!

2. Parasite

The trailers, for this incredible film out of South Korea, made it look like a horror flick.  Parasite is pretty far from being a horror flick.  At the heart of the film is a story about the different society classes of South Korea.  This film could have just as easily been set in any country around the world, not just South Korea, and still been as meaningful.  This movie took me out of my comfort zone while rooting for all the various characters.  I love how it blurs the the black and white of the good and the bad into a line of grey.  That makes for a complex movie that warrants much discussion.  Honestly of the films I saw this year this is the one I want to show to people, so I can have the discussions about it face to face.

In terms of foreign films, it’s not only the best I saw of 2019, but one of the best I have ever seen.

1. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood

When I first heard that Tarantino was doing a film featuring Charles Manson I got really excited.  I admit once I heard the full premise of this movie I got a little disappointed that the movie didn’t focus on Manson.  The trailers turned that disappointment into excitement and what a ride this movie was! Normally I’m skeptical of films that are almost three hours long but that didn’t bother me with this one.  I loved all the characters, both fiction and non fiction. I thought they blended together nicely.  I’ve always thought Tarantino’s strongest point as a filmmaker was his writing.  He crafted some great one liners, a unique story, and one ending that will stuck out among the many films I saw this year.

THE BEST OF THE REST:

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: VICE

Every year I publish this list between Christmas and New Year’s Eve.  I tend to miss a movie that’s released wide after the new year or something I haven’t seen that is out during that week.   I always like to acknowledge that there’s some really special films that don’t make the list.  I call this The One That Got Away.

This years one that got away is Vice.  Christian Bale leads an incredible ensemble about former vice president Dick Cheney.  Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell are at the top of their game in this movie.  I loved how the story was crafted.   It showed the rise to power of the former Vice President from an intriguing source.  Needless to say I am a big fan of this movie.

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE (supporting or lead): Zach Gottsagen The Peanut Butter Falcon

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE (supporting or lead): Renee Zwelleger Judy

SCREENPLAY (original): Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

SCREENPLAY (adapted): JoJo Rabbit

THE TOP OF THE DECADE:

The end of the year is a special one.  It concludes the decade.  Below are some of my favorites from the past decade.

A quartet from 2012 Argo, The Master, Skyfall, and Zero Dark Thirty top the list.  Hell or High Water, Inside Llewyn Davis, and Spotlight all follow very, very closely.  Others that I loved include but not limited to Beginners, Birdman or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Foxcatcher, Margin Call, Moonlight, Spectre, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and Trumbo.

With all that said, meet me at the movies.  I’ll be the one gulping down the oversized soda.

FILM FEST 2019

This week my home town of Chapel Hill welcomed the second annual Film Fest 919.  Last year I saw one flick, the future film to be crowned best picture Green Book.  I eagerly awaited this years festivities, even bugging programmers for info about when tickets went on sale.  I was determined to make the most of this years festival. 

This year I loaded up a full schedule.  I saw six films over my four days attending the festival.  I selected two of the movies based on the fact they were Netflix.  It was a combination of I wanted to see them and I felt I wouldn’t be able to see them in a theatrical setting otherwise.  I choose other movies based on what I wanted to see and what is gaining awards buzz.  Here’s what I saw, in order in which I saw, and with my thoughts on the movies.

The Report

What a fantastic movie!  There were parts that were incredibly hard to watch but considering the subject matter that was to be expected.  Adam Driver should earn a second, well deserved Oscar Nomination.  Annette Bening and Jon Hamm both were both fantastic as well.  It’s well paced and the story is just as relevant today as it was when the events took place a short five years ago.  The movie is a great mixture of Zero Dark Thirty and The Post.

The Two Popes

This movie is a great conversational starter.  I was pleased that the filmmakers choose not to shy away from some of the more difficult issues.  It goes very deeply into the debate between Pope Benedict XVI and future Pope Francis about the conservative vs liberal views of the church.  It also goes into the sexual abuse cover ups by the Catholic church.  Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce (The Wife, Tomorrow Never Dies) both shine in the lead roles.  The film plays a lot like Richard Linklater’s Before Series or Southside With You if you haven’t seen that fantastic trilogy.

Ford V Ferrari 

Christian Bale and Matt Damon are great but they’re both top notch actors and that’s to be expected when given good material.  In this case they were both given good material.  The movie itself is a fun ride.  It plays like a Rocky movie in that it’s about an underdog going the distance in a sports related event.  This case its racecar driving instead of boxing.  In the case of Ford V Ferrari it’s also a true story.  The movie runs a good two and a half hours but it goes by in a blink.

Dolemite is My Name

What a blast to watch!  The movie focuses on blaxplotation star Rudy Ray Moore’s rise to fame.  It starts with the creation of his Dolemite character for his stand up routine and the adventure follow Moore (Eddie Murphy) as he struggles turns his cult character into a movie.  Eddie Murphy is at the top of his game as his the rest of the cast including Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Craig Robinson, and a great cameo from Chris Rock.  It’s one I need to see again because I missed parts laughing at the previous joke.

Motherless Brooklyn

I keep forgetting about Edward Norton.  I like him as an actor.  The Score and Keeping the Faith both awesome movies and he’s great in whatever Wes Anderson puts him in..  Hell I even enjoyed his incredible hulk performance.  I said it, get over it.  I really enjoyed the throw back to the film noirs of the fifties and sixties, Chinatown comes to mind when watching this one.  There’s an awesome ensemble here, that’s worth the price of admission.  The big downside is the runtime.  There were times when I felt the two and a half hours.  Then again any film that long runs the risk of losing me for bits and pieces.

JoJo Rabbit

I loved the bizarre since of humor that JoJo Rabbit had.  The entire cast excellent and the movie was incredibly well written.  It’s weird describing this movie: It’s a dark comedy, a war movie, a nazi movie, and told from the point of view of a child.  IT WORKS WELL! It makes a great point and again with an incredibly bizarre since of humor.

Overall I had a great experience at the festival.  I met some really cool people, including some industry professionals, and some six movies that I really liked.  I can’t wait to attend the festival next year!

RETRO REWIND: GATTACA

GATTACA: The big one, the movie I refer to as my all time favorite.  It’s currently fourth quarter 2019, which means I saw this movie twenty two years ago.

I saw it on a rainy Saturday afternoon at the Timberlyne theater, back when they were an Eastern Federal location, years before Regal.  

I was eleven years old back then, when I first saw this movie, and I must admit I fully didn’t understand it then.  That was a mighty big appeal though, room to grow.  Finally I had found a movie I could discuss and theorize about.  Remember I was eleven, not many people my own age were into such movies.  After all this was the same year as the Star Wars Rerelease, Liar Liar, and The Lost World: Jurassic Park.  

One of the things I fell in love with this movie was the look of the movie.  It’s the first movie that I noticed the technical skill behind making movies.

The story also sucked in an eleven year old version of myself, and twenty two years later it still hasn’t released my attention.  When I was eleven NASA, outer space, the Mars Rover all interested me and contributed to my love of this movie.  

As my interests changed over the years I found myself relating to different aspects of the movie.  The puberty stricken teenage version of myself saw Uma Thurman in a new light.  My first Hollywood crush.  As cloning technologies became a fascination of mine, while it dominated the news, the genetic mutation story line of the film became a fascinating plot point.  By the time I was in my mid twenties I discovered horror and mystery films.  Of course the murder aspect of the plot came from and center.  

Of course I skipped over the diagnosis of my heart disorder and watching Ethan Hawke’s character come to terms with his heart disorder became all to real of a relatable plot point.  I love an underdog story and that is at the heart of Gattaca.  

I’m excited to see how this movie continues to change for me as my life does.  

One major things the movie did for me was make the sci-fi genre human.  It taught me that laser swords, aliens, or films on Mars don’t have to dominate the genre.  It’s a lesson I’ve taken with me into other genres and aspects of movies.

JOKER

Saturday night, like I tend to do most Saturday nights, I journeyed a few miles up the road to see a flick.  This weeks film was Joaquin Phoenix in Joker.  I’m a huge fan of Joaquin Phoenix and have loved his work.  Gladiator, Walk the Line, The Master among other were great films that were brought to new levels by his performance.  I was also excited to see a different take on the comic book genre and that was an origin story of a super villain, instead of a super hero.

At 7:30 I was in my seat with a popcorn and oversized soda that’s probably not good for me.  The usual twenty some odd minutes of trailers played.  A few caught my eye but that’s for another day.

Two things stood out for me in the movie about all else.  The first was how dark and slow paced the movie ended up being.  I remember fondly when Jack Nicholson played the joker in Tim Burton’s Batman, and 2019’s Joker throws the camp out the window.  It also expands the craziness of Heath Ledger’s joker from 2008’s The Dark Knight.  That combination added to the darkness of the film.

The other thing that stood out for me was Joaquin Phoenix’s performance.  The performance elevated a mediocre script to another level.  The other thing that elevated the movie was the cinematography.  It made the movie feel like a gangster film of a generation ago.

I don’t agree with some of the Oscar buzz the film is generating.  I have a tough time seeing the film compete for best picture with films like Rocketman and the excellent Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.  I can easily see Joaquin Phoenix being nominated but I still haven’t seen films getting acting buzz like The Two Poles and the always great Christian Bale in Ford V Ferrari.  

Looking ahead the 919 festival is next week.  I have tickets to five films, I may pick up a sixth.  I think I’ll blog about that next week.

My Summer 2019 Wrap Up

Minute by minute the nights are becoming longer, overtaking the hours of daylight.  Thus the summer blockbuster season is coming to an end.  There are still some titles I want to see, chiefly one blockbuster (Angel Has Fallen) but I feel confident that it’s time to look back at the summer and give my thoughts on it.

There were fo films that really stood out for me this summer (Rocketman, Toy Story 4, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Yesterday) and a fifth (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) that caught me completely off guard.  Over all though the summer was pretty much unthrilling for me.  The two Marvel releases (Avengers: Endgame, Spiderman Far From Home) I enjoyed but didn’t love.  With regards to Endgame I had higher expectations and thought the film wasted bits of its three hour run time. 

Sequel syndrome definitely set in this summer.  John Wick 3, Men in Black: International, Annabelle Comes Home,Hobbs & Shaw, Shaft, Godzilla:King of the Monsters were all enjoyable but routine movie fair.  

I enjoyed Long Shot but thought it would be better served as part of next year’s summer schedule.  Other comedies I enjoyed were Stuber, Booksmart and The Dead Don’t Die.  I’m curious to rewatch them on dvd, to see how well they hold up.

Brightburn was fun and featured an interesting premise.  I fear it’ll get unnecessary sequels and that will water down the unique premise behind the film.

I wanted more out of Midsommar.  Overall I enjoyed the movie but left feeling like there was something missing.  I also thought it took too long to get to the main plot.  In a two and a half hour movie you run that risk.  The first half hour though could have been chopped down to six, seven minutes and improved the movie dramatically.  

Now for the bad news: the movies I did not like.  The list is topped by not one, but two, Disney remakes: Aladdin and The Lion King. The Octavia Spencer thriller Ma, did no thrill me.  I was bored with the movie pretty quickly. Dark Phoenix was a massively missed opportunity.

       Anyways fall will be here soon and the release constant release of awards contenders.  There have been two this summer that I think will compete at the Oscars (Rocketman, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and that’s plenty in a season of sequels, remakes, and big blockbuster movies.  

I’ll see y’all at the movies!

A Fall Movie Preview

It’s early August, the days are slowly becoming shorter and soon the summer movie season will  soon come to end.  My summer wrap up will be the subject of another blog.  Right now I’m looking forward to the cooler remaining months of the year and what wonders will be released.

Let’s jump to the big release first, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.  I’m two sided about this one.  The biggest disappointment, beyond the mediocre trailer, is that J. J. Abrams is returning to the directors chair.  While enjoyable, The Force Awakens, was reheated leftovers.  It fun to watch but didn’t do a lot for me.  Rain Johnson’s The Last Jedi, however, was an incredible piece of work and has been the best of the latest Star Wars flicks.  I’m also a bit burnt out on this franchise.  After all this is the fifth film since 2015.  On the other hand it is Star Wars and excitement will set in.

Looking at other sci-fi releases, the Tommy Lee Jones and Brad Pitt team up, Ad Astra, looks intriguing.  

I’m a fan of Will Smith and am looking forward to seeing him team up with director Ang Lee in October’s Gemini Man.

Linda Hamilton is returning to the Terminator franchise and why wouldn’t I look forward to that?

Harriet and Ford V Ferrari both look like the Oscar bait that I am look forward to.  I’ll be there for both.  Plus the ensemble mystery/comedy Knives Out could be good as well.

Thanksgiving will also see the release of the action flick 21 Bridges.  YAY!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood is also coming out.  I like Tom Hanks but he doesn’t nail Mr Rogers voice and that though me off.  I’ll still see it though.  What else am I going to do at the end of November? Thanksgiving?

Finally the WW1 flick 1917 is being released in December.  Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, Skyfall) is a great director and it looks like he has crafted an interesting looking war film.

A Quick Note About Some 2019 Indy Films

Are you as tired of unnecessary sequels and remakes? Has superhero fatigue set in for you as well? Setting aside how great Toy Story 4 turned out to be there have been some really awesome indy films released this year.

First up is The Mustang.  The movie focuses on a prison inmate in a rehabilitation program working with horses.  Films don’t get much more powerful than this one.

Let’s move on with Stockholm.  Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace costar in this bank robbery film that explores the origins of Stockholm syndrome.  The premise of the film is interesting and the plot keeps going like Dog Day Afternoon, keeping the viewer on the edge of the seat.

If you’re into horror and science fiction flicks check out Brightburn.  Yes I mentioned superhero fatigue at the beginning of the blog but this one is different.  It imagines what happens if Superman is a villain instead of a good guy.  The switch makes for some intense moments in the flick.

Then there’s The Last Black Man in San Francisco.  Truth be told the film is about ten minutes too long but still a beautiful drama.  The movie deals a lot about trying to find yourself in the sea of change.  It’s beautifully acted with a very intelligent script.

Are you looking for a comedy? Check out The Dead Don’t Die. It’s a great ensemble zombie comedy.  Yes you read that correct, a great ensemble zombie comedy.  Billy Murray leads the all star cast to some really unique cinematic moments.

There are two releases that deal with music.  First up is Danny Boyle’s love letter to the Beatles, Yesterday.  Following very closely behind is Wild Rose, focusing on a want to be British country singer.  Both films are highly entertaining, dealing with a variety of topics, and feature some really, really great music.

You know the good thing is it’s the end of July and there’s still room for some more indy films between now and the year’s end.

Enjoy the movies!

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS . . .

Over the past many summers it seems local cineplexes have been bombarded with sequels, remakes, and superhero flicks.  

The sequel slump has set in.  The summer started with the latest Avengers film.  It was three hours, while I was fine with most the movie it didn’t have the lasting power of other films in the Marvel franchise.  This was quickly followed by the one, two punch of John Wick Chapter 3 and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.  Both good films in their own way but nothing that blew me out the water.  This was followed by dud releases of Men In Black International and Dark Phoenix.  Along the way there were the unnecessary remakes of Aladdin and The Lion King and the formulaic SpiderMan sequel.  

Toy Story 4 is the lone exception to the sequel releases.  It doesn’t live up to the incredibly high bar set by it’s immediate predecessor but is still an incredibly beautiful movie.  

Summer also sees the release of some strong indy films.  This year has brought the charming Yesterday, the zombie comedy The Dead Don’t Die, and the drama The Last Black Man in San Francisco.  That’s a feast among a sea of summer sequels and remakes.  

I do have a wish for the future of the summer movie season: original ensemble flicks.  May’s Elton John biopic, Rocketman, and July’s Tarantino flick, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are both incredible movies that deserve all the success of a summer sequel. They are both great popcorn flicks that are entertaining to watch.  

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind sequels.  Same goes for remakes, as long as they are good.  After all I’m on pins and needles for 2020’s April release of Bond 25.  Do I need them every week?  No and tonight’s almost sold out crowd of the excellent Once Upon a Time in Hollywood proves that.  I wish it all the success at the box office, so hopefully more films like it can be released as summer blockbusters.

The Good, The Blah, & The Bad: 1/2 way through 2019

Welcome to June!  The summer movie season is in full swing, as is the heat, and annoyingly long hours of day light.  The year is also approximately half way over.  

Every year in December I post my annual top ten list of the year.  I think it be fun to give an update of what I’ve seen this year.  I’m breaking it down in to three categories: The Good (movies I’ve really liked), The Blah (movies that I enjoyed but wanted more out of) and the bad (movies I really hated).  Enjoy and stay tuned for my top ten list in December and other movie postings.

THE GOOD:
Glass

First up is M. Night Shyamalan’s Split and Unbreakable crossover.  I loved both films and was was super excited to see this one.  The movie took its time building to an exciting climax and had great performances sprinkled in from all of its performers.  

Rocketman

Easily the best soundtrack of 2019, so far, and 2019 has had some incredible movie soundtracks.  I loved how the movie blended fantasy elements into its story of a genuine legend.  I also like how the movie didn’t shy away from the rough part of Elton John’s life.  Before you ask, yes I liked it better then Bohemian Rhapsody.  

The Best of Enemies

The Best of Enemies tells an important part of North Carolina history.  It’s a part of history I didn’t know and it fascinated me.  The story had moments that were designed to be uncomfortable that built up to a stand up and cheer ending.  The performances from leads Taraji P. Henson (who is an incredibly diverse actress) & Sam Rockwell (who’s alway great) make the movie special.

Honorable mentions to Long Shot (hilarious, the best comedy of the year so far), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (I loved the 2014 Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, this one was a blast to watch as well.  Just a lot of fun) and Us ( easily one of the most unique films this year).

THE BLAH:

The Public

This movie had an interesting cast and a really interesting premise.  It fell short in the execution.  The movie couldn’t decide if it wanted to me odd and unique in its story telling or drive home a strong point in a strong manner.  What was left was a bit of a mess.

Avengers: Endgame

Don’t misinterpret this one in the blah section, I still really enjoyed it.  I really loved the first forty five minutes of this three hour movie.  It opened some really interesting plot points.  Sadly they were never revisited and the movie fell quickly into the superhero fatigue that has set in. 

Little

The trailer for this movie was really funny.  Outside of the trailer the movie had very few funny parts.  I still enjoyed the movie but not as much as I was expecting.

THE BAD:
Gloria Bell

Man did I hate this movie.  Director Sebastian Lelio has made some great movies, A Fantastic Woman and Disobedience.  He remade his film Gloria (which I disliked as well) in English.  He put Julianne Moore in the lead, which wasn’t enough to make the movie interesting.  I was bored and wanted it to end really badly.

Dumbo/Aladdin

Both movies were awful.  Dumbo was just boring and did nothing for me.  The popcorn I had was far superior.  Aladdin was disappointing.  I love the original and love Robin Williams voice over work.  It felt like almost everyone was whining for the sake of whining.  I never cared for any of the characters in the film.  I dread seeing the “live action” remake of The Lion King.  Disney seems to to really be pushing it with that one.  Dumbo was enough of a stretch.  

Please note I’ve enjoyed Maleficent and 2016’s The Jungle Book.

Summer Movie Watching Habits

Some movies are watched every year during the holidays, others on special occasions.  I propose this: what movies do you watch during the summer?

I have three traditions that I love and some others I try to watch over the course of the long, heat filled, days of summer.  First up is Roger Corman’s 1970’s cult classic Piranha.  I love watching it around the time the pool opens for the season. It’s almost May now, so that one will be going in soon.

Next up is June 6, my Grandmother’s birthday.  In the years since her passing I watch Cinderella Man.  I took her to see it when the movie was released in theaters.  On the drive home she reminisced about the events in the film.  Not the plot but the actual events that the film was based on.  She brought my grandfather home to meet the family and he bonded with her Dad listening to the boxing matches that the film portrayed.  

My third summer time tradition is watching Mad Max: Fury Road around the summer equinox.  I’m not sure how this came about, but it did, and I enjoy it.

Other films I try to watch over the summer months are blockbusters The Day After Tomorrow and Gravity.  Always fun to revisit these movies during the heat of summer.  Both feature a lot of cold.  

Anyways, as I look forward to the upcoming start of the summer movie season, what movies do you rewatch during the summer?

Summer 2019: A Coming Attractions Blog

Spring has sprung and pollen has coated the world, activating my allergies.  With the days, sadly, getting longer the summer movie season is upon us.  

The season will kick off with a huge bang when Avengers: Endgame is released and uh-hum I have my tickets already.  Despite the trailers doing absolutely nothing for me, I’m still excited to see the movie.  The other superhero film I’m eager to see is Spiderman: Far From Home. I love Tom Holland in the role, plus I had a lot of fun watching Spiderman: Homecoming.  

Sequel syndrome is on the horizon for the summer.  John Wick 3, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Men In Black International, Shaft, Toy Story 4, Annabelle Comes Home, and the Olympus Has Fallen threequel Angel Has Fallen will be released during the hot summer months.  I’m sure I’ll find my way to them.

Two musical based films will be released that I’m awaiting to see.  The Danny Boyle musical comedy Yesterday and the Elton John biopic Rocketman will have me singing.

I really enjoy laughing at films.  Two comedies, Longshot and Poms, have me ready to laugh.

Of course the movie I’m most excited to see THIS YEAR will be released during the long summer months.  That movie is Tarantino’s new flick Once Upon A Time In Hollywood.  The film will follow an actor and his stunt double during 1969 with the Manson murders going on in the back ground.  Ever since this was announced a few years ago I’ve been on pins and needles to see it.

Of course there’s always stuff that I couldn’t care any less about.  The live action adaptations of Aladdin and The Lion King (the term is used VERY loosely for the ladder) top that list.  Following very closely are Dora and the Lost City of Gold, The Angry Birds 2, and A Dog’s Journey all make the list.  

Anyways happy movie going!

A Documentary Double Feature

When visiting local cinemas I don’t see many documentaries.  The genre is overshadowed by the number of other genre films that play around me.  In fact the number of documentaries I see theatrically pale in comparison to the number of horror, comedy, or dramatic flicks.  

This past weekend I saw two excellent documentaries.  In addition to the genre they share the two flicks share similar run times and how their subjects fascinated me.  Other then that they are on opposite ends of the cinematic spectrum.  

The first feature was Bathtubs Over Broadway.  Yes you read that title right: Bathtubs Over Broadway.  Just wait till you read what the premise of the movie.  At the center of the movie is a former writer for David Letterman and his obsession with industrial musicals. (See what I mean now?) It’s truly the most unique subject for any kind of movie.  I was surprised at how many celebrities were involved in this super sub genre of musical theater.  Later I was surprised to learn of a personal connection to the style of entertainment as well.  I never would have thought of full fledged industrial musicals as a thing beyond jingles in commercials.  

Through traditional documentary style interviews the viewer learns about the musicals, the music behind them, those who collect the records, and those who perform the music.  Yes the music was catchy, one song about bathroom renovations in particular.  It’s the kind of movie you sit back with your popcorn and beverage and simply enjoy.  To put it another way, it’s a blast to watch.

Speaking of blasts, the other movie blasted off to the moon.   Apollo 11 pieced together news footage, behind the scenes video from NASA, and footage from the voyage to the moon to give the viewer an unbiased look at one of the greatest achievements in the history of mankind.  Though I knew how the events of that historic week unfolded the movie created an atmosphere of suspense leading up to the moon walk.  There were many points, spread over ninety minutes, where I caught myself wanting to cheer for the success as well.  

This movie was produced by CNN, much like Three Identical Strangers and the Oscar nominated RBG.  Just like both those movies I’m sure there will be a DVD release soon and a showing on the network itself.  This is a movie that was custom made to be seen in theaters.  The moon landing footage alone is worth the price of admission.

If you get a chance to see one, or both of these movies, treat yourself.  Enjoy!

The 2019 Oscars!

Something big happened over the weekend, Sunday in particular.  No I’m not referring to the fact that it stopped raining for all of fifteen minutes.  The sixteenth Annual Oscar party happened, and it happened with barely a hitch.  I’m hiding that hitch from y’all, because I can.  One minor hitch, that no one knows about, aside it was a great evening.  It was full of great food, movies, friendly competition, and most importantly people I like being around.

The telecast itself was just blah to me.  I enjoyed the opening performance of Queen and Adam Lambert but it quickly fell into a tedious routine.  The lack of host was desperately missed to break that up.  I was disappointed that Kevin Hart stepped down, two days after his exciting announcement.  I was and still am a huge fan of Kevin Hart.  I was over eager to see him in this role.  While many folks said they did not want to fill his shoes, there were some that said they would.  I was annoyed by statements I read about not being able to find a replacement.

There were a few surprises in the winners list for me.  Chiefly was in the best actress category.  Olivia Coleman took home the prize for her performance in The Favourite.  I enjoyed the movie and thought she was fine in the role.  However it was a second fiddle performance compared to Glenn Close’s in The Wife.

For best picture I was excited to see Green Book take home the award.  It was one of two films I hoped would win the award, the other being BlackKklansman.  In fact I had Green Book at the top of my ballot.  This also meant the two films I wanted to lose the award, lost.  I was bored with A Star is Born.  It’s not an anti musical thing, after all The King & I, South Pacific, and Across the Universe are movies I love and adore.  The other film I did not want to win was Roma.  The movie did not hold together for me in anyway.  Also I did not like the standard it would have set with a Netflix victory.  As a supporter of attending movies on the big screen I deeply offended with the nomination.  It was like the movie going public was being by passed, in favor of a cheap TV movie.  If films like that are going to be nominated I want Sharknado to compete for visual effects.  In the end Green Book was crowned champion and I am more than pleased with that.  I am a huge fan of the movie and both actors in it.  Its director, Peter Farrelly, is credited with some of the funniest movies I’ve seen.  

I look forward to going to the movies and seeing what gets nominated at next years Oscars.  As always I extend an open invitation to anyone wanting to join me at the movies.  Even if it’s a movie I don’t want to see, such as the new Tyler Perry movie opening this weekend, if you ask I’ll go.

For those who attended the party please see below for what I awarded in the shoulda/woulda/coulda and 2018 @ the movies categories.  They are in bold and red.

(NO COMMENTS ABOUT FIRST REFORMED. I’VE HEARD & RESPECT YOUR OPINIONS ON THE MOVIE.  RETURN THAT TO ME).

SHOULDA/WOULDA/COULDA

PICTURE: 1st Man, 1st Reformed, Front Runner, If Beale St Could Talk, Three Identical Strangers, Widows
ACTOR: Ryan Gosling First Man, Ethan Hawke First Reformed, Hugh Jackman Front Runner John David Washington BlackKklansman

ACTRESS: Viola Davis Widows, Felicity Jones On the Basis of Sex, Rosamund Pike A Private War, Charlize Theron Tully

DIRECTOR: Peter Farley Green Book, Barry Jenkins If Beale St Could Talk, Paul Schrader 1st Reformed

SUPP. ACTOR: Steve Carell Vice, Michael B Jordan Black Panther, Jonathan Pryce The Wife

SUPP. ACTRESS: Emily Blunt A Quiet Place, Claire Foy First Man, Amanda Seyfried First Reformed

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Isle of Dogs, A Quiet Place, Sorry to Bother You, Three Identical Strangers
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Black Panther, Christopher Robin, First Man, The Front Runner, Widows

DOCUMENTARY: Love Gilda, 3 Identical Strangers, They Shall Not Grow Old, Won’t You Be My Neighbor

ANIMATED FEATURE: Big Fish & Begonia, Hotel Transylvania 3, Mary & the Witches Flower, Smallfoot

FOREIGN FILM: 1945, Big Fish & Begonia, Mary & The Witch’s Flower, Pope Francis: A Man of His Word

2018 @ THE MOVIES

WORST FILM: Death Wish, Holmes & Watson, The Nutcracker, Mary Poppins Returns, A Wrinkle in Time
SEQUEL: Avengers 3, Creed 2, Girl In the Spiders Web, Goosebumps 2, Incredibles 2, Sicario 2

DRAMA: BlackKklansman, First Man, First Reformed, Front Runner, Green Book, If Beale St Could Talk, Widows

COMEDY:Book Club, Death of Stalin, Happy Time Murders, Night School, Tag, Sorry to Bother You, Vice

SCI-FI/FANTASY:Annihilation, Black Panther, Jurassic World 2, Pacific Rim 2, Rampage, Ready Player 1

HORROR/THRILLER: Bad Times at El Royale, Halloween, Hereditary, The Nun, A Quiet Place, Thoroughbreds

ACTION MOVIE:The Commuter, Den of Thieves, Equalizer 2, Hunter Killer, The Meg, Proud Mary, Skyscraper

INDY FILM:First Reformed, Keep the Change, The Rider, Sorry to Bother You, 3 Identical Strangers, Tully, The Wife

FAMILY FLICK: Christopher Robin, Goosebumps 2, House with a Clock In It’s Walls, The Incredibles 2

ENSEMBLE:Black Panther, Book Club, Isle of Dogs, First Man, The Mule, Old Man & the Gun, Vice, Widows

FIGHT: Any battle in Afghanistan 12 Strong, the fight for equality Blackkklansman, Battle in Wakanda Black Panther, Car Chase The Old Man & the Gun, The Rock vs giant animals in Chicago Rampage

STUNTS: The 15:17 to Paris, Annihilation, The Commuter, Creed 2, Skyscraper, Welcome to Marwen

HERO: Chadwick Boseman Black Panther, Viola Davis Widows, Ewan McGregor Christopher Robin

SIDEKICK:Adam Driver BlackKklansman, Danny Glover Old Man & the Gun, Naomie Harris Rampage

VILLAIN: Josh Brolin Avengers: Infinity War, Colin Ferrell Widows, Michael B Jordan Black Panther

POLITICAL FIGURE: Christian Bale Vice, Jason Clarke Chappaquiddick, Justice Ginsburg RBG, Hugh Jackman Front Runner

VOICEOVER:Jack Black Goosebumps 2, Ethan Hawke First Reformed, Samuel L Jackson Incredibles 2

YOUTH PERFORMANCE:Elsie Fisher 8th Grade, Lucas Hedges Boy Erased, Amanda Stenberg Hate U Give

KISS:Diane Keaton/Andy Garcia Book Club, Amanda Seyfried/Ethan Hawke 1st Reformed, Halle Berry/Daniel Craig Kings, Robert Redford/Sissy Spacek Old Man& the Gun, Liam Neeson/Viola Davis Widows

REAL LIFE PERFORMANCE: Mahershala Ali Green Book, Steve Carrell Welcome to Marwen, Ryan Gosling First Man, Rami Malek Bohemian Rhapsody, Melissa McCarthy Can You Ever forgive Me, John David Washington Blackkklansman

CAMEO:Vera Farmiga The Nun, Justice Ginsberg On the Basis of Sex, Jeff Goldblum Jurassic World 2

LINE:“Nothing is impossible & I do a whole lot of nothing” Christopher Robin “I’m not talking about making a living, I’m talking about just living” Old Man & the Gun “Love is the route of everything, love or the lack of it” Won’t You be My Neighbor

CGI CHARACTER: Slappy Goosebumps 2,  Megalodon The Meg, Folks of Marwen Welcome to Marwen

REVIVAL: Miracle on 34th St (1947), Saturday Night Fever, Sunset Blvd, True Grit (1969), Young Frankenstein