Lots of movies, but the start of comic concerts being a big part of the list. Given the country's circumstances, something has to keep us from crying.

Going to try to post only two months at a time so as not to overwhelm.

MOVIES WATCHED IN JANUARY

Jan 3 - 6 - Earth Abides (2024)
After months of isolation, Isherwood "Ish" Williams, learns that most of the world has fallen to a mysterious illness. Yet, despite his instincts to further isolate, Ish leads the charge to develop a new civilization.
Creator: Todd Komarnicki
Stars: Alexander Ludwig, Jessica Frances Dukes, Rodrigo Fernandez-Stoll

Not as good as I had hoped, but done well enough. The book was mostly followed, though there are some definite changes.

Jan 8 - 10 - Before (2024)
After tragically losing his wife to suicide, child psychiatrist Eli Adler encounters a troubled young boy who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli's past.
Creator: Sarah Thorp
Stars: Billy Crystal, Jacobi Jupe, Maria Dizzia, Rosie Perez, Judith Light

I was never quite sure how things would turn out, as there were plenty of false leads. The element of the supernatural only added to the mystery. Very well done.

Jan 13 - Gabriel Iglesias: Legend of Fluffy (2025)
Follows Iglesias reminisces on the perils of life, including dating, home break-ins, and turbulent plane rides, in his 27th year of comedy, shot at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida.
Director: Manny Rodriguez
Stars: Aitch, Gabriel Iglesias, Kenan Thompson

I loved this. Fluffy never fails to deliver.

Jan 15 - 17 - Silo: Season 2 (2023)
Men and women live in a giant silo underground with several regulations which they believe are in place to protect them from the toxic and ruined world on the surface.
Creator: Graham Yost
Stars: Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins

Just keeps getting better. I still need to read the books, so I don’t know how close this is to them. Doesn’t matter, because I’m already hooked.

Jan 20 - Roy Wood Jr: Lonely Flowers (2025)
In this stand-up special, Roy Wood Jr explores how lack of connection has sent society spiraling into a culture full of guns, rude employees, self-checkout lanes, and why some of us would rather be alone rather than be connected.
Director: C. Craig Patterson
Star: Roy Wood Jr.

Rather introspected, but funny nevertheless. Has some great points, too.

Jan 22 - It Ends With Us (2024)
When a woman's first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.
Director: Justin Baldoni
Stars: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Hasan Minhaj

After all the hype, I was expecting more. Which relationship is good, and which is bad, is pretty obvious. Lively’s character comes across as weak-willed, while Baldoni’s is just a jerk. What her choice should be is pretty obvious, too.

Jan 25 - Bill Burr: Live at Red Rocks (2022)
Comedian Bill Burr sounds off on cancel culture, feminism, getting bad reviews from his wife and a life-changing epiphany during a fiery stand-up set.
Director: Mike Binder
Star: Bill Burr

Another great comedian. This concert was especially hilarious.

MOVIES WATCHED IN FEBRUARY

Feb 4 - The Return (2024)
After 20 years Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, where he finds his wife held prisoner by suitors vying to be king and his son facing death at their hands. To win back his family and all he has lost, Odysseus must rediscover his strength.
Director: Uberto Pasolini
Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Charlie Plummer, Marwan Kenzari, Claudio Santamaria

No finery here. The “castles” probably look more like what they actually looked like, giving the movie authenticity. And Odysseus isn’t the straight up hero he’s usually portrayed as. Well worth watching.

Feb 6 - Here (2024)
A generational story about families and the special place they inhabit, sharing in love, loss, laughter, and life.
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Paul Bettany

There doesn’t seem to be an actual plot, and the main character is not even the house, but the land it’s built on. Still, an interesting movie.

Feb 8 - The Wild Robot (2024)
After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
Director: Chris Sanders
Stars: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal, Kit Connor, Bill Nighy, Mark Hamill

I didn’t think I was going to care for this movie, but it sort of grew on me as time went by. The ending made it all worth while.

Feb 9 - Goodrich (2024)
Andy Goodrich's life is upended when his wife enters a rehab program, leaving him on his own with their young kids. Goodrich leans on Grace, his daughter from his first marriage, as he ultimately evolves into the father she never had.
Director: Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Writer
Hallie Meyers-Shyer
Stars: Michael Keaton, Mila Kunis, Danny Deferrari

An excellent movie, though it didn’t get much publicity. Both Keaton and Kunis are great in their roles. Highly recommended.

Feb 17 - Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (2025)
Bridget Jones navigates life as a widow and single mum with the help of her family, friends, and former lover, Daniel. Back to work and on the apps, she's pursued by a younger man and maybe - just maybe - her son's science teacher.
Director: Michael Morris
Stars: Renée Zellweger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Leo Woodall, Hugh Grabt, Colin Firth

A lovely movie, but I don’t think it was as good as the first two. Bridget should probably have gotten her s**t together after all those years.

Feb 19 - Free State of Jones (2016)
A disillusioned Confederate Army deserter returns to Mississippi and leads a militia of fellow deserters and women in an uprising against the corrupt local Confederate government.
Director: Gary Ross
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Keri Russell

An excellent movie. While the War is definitely front and center, it’s the characters who make the movie shine. Highly recommended.

Fab 22 - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Movie star Nick Cage is channeling his iconic characters as he's caught between a superfan and a CIA agent.
Director: Tom Gormican
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Neil Patrick Harris

A very strange movie. Funny, but strange. Cage does well, but it’s Pascal who saves the movie.

July and August should have been posted together, but September was a crazy month, so I never got around to it. So, three months and lots of movie.


MOVIES WATCHED IN MOVIES WATCHED IN JULY

Jul 10-11 - Hitler and the Nazis: Evil On Trial (2024)
Chronicles Hitler's ascent to power, his regime's use of propaganda, censorship, and anti-Semitic policies, as well as the eventual downfall of the Nazi leadership.
Stars: Devin Pendas, Zora Gerda Fejes, Károly Kozma

Interesting, though little that I didn’t already know. Would be well worth watching for those new to the subject. (!)

Jul 11 - Remembering Gene Wilder (2023)
A special tribute documentary honoring Gene Wilder's life and career.
Director: Ron Frank
Stars: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Rochelle Pierce, Henry Connick Jr., Alan Alda, Carol Kane, Eric McCormack

I always loved Wilder, so I especially looked forward to this documentary. Informative, and very well done. I loved it.

Jul 12 - IF (2024)
A young girl who goes through a difficult experience begins to see everyone's imaginary friends who have been left behind as their real-life friends have grown up.
Director: John Krasinski
Stars: Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, John Krasinski, Fiona Shaw, Steve Carell (voice), Phoebe Waller-Bridge )voice), Louis Gossett Jr. (voice)

Hey, what can I say? I can’t get enough of this movie. I’m sure this won’t be the last time I watch it.

Jul 14-15 - Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in 2 Pieces (2024)
Follows the life and career of actor Steve Martin.
Stars: Steve Martin, Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Gopnik, Lorne Michaels, Martin Short Martin Mull

Another really good documentary about a comedian. I wasn’t a real Martin fan until I saw him in his later movies. I’ve come to appreciate his humor, though.

Jul 18 - The Newspaperman: The Life and Times of Ben Bradlee (2017)
A documentary about Ben Bradlee, the iconic editor of The Washington Post.
Director: John Maggio
Stars
: Marion Barry Jr., Carl Bernstein, Ben Bradlee Jr., Tom Brokaw, John Dean, Norman Lear, Jim Lehrer, Robert Redford, David Remnick, Bob Woodward

The little I knew about Bradlee was from things written about his reporters, and the stories they covered. It was good to learn more about the man behind the scenes.

Jul 31 - Dark Waters (2019)
A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.
Director: Todd Haynes
Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, ill Pullman, Mare Winningham

A truly horrifying story, but an excellent and compelling movie. Mark Ruffalo is, as always, great.



MOVIES WATCHED IN AUG

Aug 8 - Frontline: Biden’s Decision (2024)
A look at President Joe Biden's rise to the presidency, the personal and political forces that shaped him and his historic decision to step out of the 2024 presidential race.
Director: Michael Kirk

I knew about Biden; of course I did. But this documentary filled out his career, the ups and downs of his life, and what it says about him the he put the nation above his own ambitions.

Aug 9 - Knox Goes Away (2023)
When a contract killer has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son.
Director: Michael Keaton
Stars: Michael Keaton, Ray McKinnon, Cassie Moronez, James Marsden, Al Pacino

An excellent movie. Keaton is, as always, fantastic. Somehow he brings humor to the tragedy of the character’s life.


MOVIES WATCHED IN SEPT

Sept 11 - A Knock at the Cabin (2023)
While vacationing, a girl and her parents are taken hostage by armed strangers who demand that the family make a choice to avert the apocalypse.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Stars: Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, Kristen Cui

I liked this movie a lot more than I thought I would. I’m usually turned off by the whole “god” thing, but it was played quite well here.

Sept 12 - A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)
A young woman named Sam finds herself trapped in New York City during the early stages of an invasion by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Stars: Lupita Nyong’o, Joseph Quinn, Alex Wolff

I really liked this, and Nyong’o was truly excellent. The story is terrifying, and tense, and tragic. Oh, and I had to root for the cat.

Sept 13 - A Quiet Place (2018)
A family struggles for survival in a world invaded by alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.
Director: John Krasinski
Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds

A different focus on the start of the alien invasion. The story has a few plot holes, but I was able to overlook them.

Sept 14 - A Quiet Place: Pt 2 (2020)
Following the events at home, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. Forced to venture into the unknown, they realize the creatures that hunt by sound are not the only threats lurking beyond the sand path.
Director: John Krasinski
Stars: Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Cillian Murphy, John Krasinski

A cotinuation of the family’s story, as they try to survive. Not quite as good as the first movie, but still entertaining.

Sept 16 - Wicked Little Letters (2023)
When people in Littlehampton--including conservative local, Edith--begin receiving letters full of hilarious profanities, the rowdy, Irish migrant, Rose, is charged with the crime. Suspecting that something is amiss, the town's women investigate.
Director: Thea Sharrock
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Timothy Spall

This was a hilarious, truly entertaining movie. Olivia Colman at her best.

Sept 17 - Emma (2020)
In 1800s England, a well meaning but selfish young woman meddles in the love lives of her friends.
Director: Autumn de Wilde
Stars: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Mia Goth, Josh O’Connor, Bill Nighy

This is probably the only Austen adaption I hadn’t seen. I hope there are better, because, while this one got better as it went along, I never really cared for the character of Emma. Hope the time I couldn’t tell if she was naive or mean.

Sept 25 - Odysseus Returns (2024)
Archaeologists have searched Ithaca for the home of King Odysseus for centuries. So, when politician Makis Metaxas discovers the king's tomb. The story of his discovery quickly spreads, but controversy surrounds the case.
Stars: Makis Metaxas, John G. Younger, Emma Greensmith

A fascinating look at how the world of archaeology often works. As in the case of Richard III, the amateur is denigrated with scorn from the professionals. Is it in fact the tomb of Odysseus? They can never know for sure, but circumstance is very compelling. I highly recommend the documentary for anyone interested in Homer’s work.

There's been a lot going on with me, so my movie watching sort of slid. Actually, when it did get around to watching something, it was just as often a documentary as a movie. Terrible how RL can interfere. *g* Anyway, here's three months' worth.

FEBRUARY

Feb 7 - The Circus (2018)
The rise and fall of the circus experience. The story of the circus as an American experiment and entertainment. The story of those who brought it to life.
Director: Sharon Grimberg
Star: Michael D. Lancaster

Interesting and informative. Its beginnings weren’t what I had always thought.


Feb 9 - Killers Of the Flower Moon (2023)
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser

A good movie, but I think it would have worked better if they had stuck more to the book, which I thought was excellent. Still worth watching, though.


Feb 16 - Maestro (2023)
This love story chronicles the lifelong relationship of conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein.
Director: Bradley Cooper
Stars: Carey Mulligan, Bradley Cooper, Matt Bomer, Sarah Silverman

Pretty weird, which I guess was the whole point. I didn’t think it lived up to the hype. Unless you’re a real fan of the man, you may be disappointed.


Feb 20 - Uranium: Twisting the Dragon’s Tail (2015)
Host and physicist Dr. Derek Muller unlocks the mysteries of uranium, one of the Earth's most controversial elements.
Star: Derek Muller

An excellent and in-depth history of man’s involvement with uranium, and the problems we’ve created because of it. Highly recommended.


Feb 21 - Barbie (2023)
Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.
Director: Greta Gerwig
Stars: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, America Ferrera, Rhea Perlman, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren (narrator)

It’s…okay. I watched it because they were hyping it as a feminist take on the doll. I didn’t really see that. I just thought it was sort of silly.


Feb 28 - The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what killed the citizens of a small town and how the deadly contagion can be stopped.
Director: Robert Wise
Stars: James Olson, Arthur Hill, David Wayne

They take way too much time on how wonderful the security is at the laboratory, and how impossible it would be for a contagion to get out. I think more than half the movie was the scientists going through one decontamination after another. It makes for a pretty dull movie, which isn’t made up by the race to stop the contagion once it does, surprise, surprise, get out.


MARCH

Mar 17 - Fiddler On The Roof (1971)
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant with traditional values contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.
Director: Norman Jewison
Stars: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Paul Michael Glazer

I hadn’t watched this movie in years, so when my sister asked me to pick something from her dvds, this was it. A wonderful movie. Sad, yet inspiring. And the songs are superb.



Mar 20 - Poor Things (2023)
An account of the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter.
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Stars: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe

A very strange movie, but ultimately a very good one. It took awhile for me to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. Stone was wonderful, and fully deserved the Oscar.


APRIL

Apr 3 - The Life of Muhammad (2011)
A landmark documentary series examining the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the origins of Islamic faith.
Stars: Rageh Omaar, Tariq Ali, Karen Armstrong

I’d read a book about Muhammad, but didn’t get much out of it. This documentary is so much more thorough. Another highly recommended documentary.



Apr 4 - Dante : Inferno to Paradise (2024)
Chronicles the life, work and legacy of the great 14th century Florentine poet, Dante Alighieri, and his epic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, one of the greatest achievements in the history of Western Literature.
Stars: Catherine Adoyo, Alan Cox, Dikran Tulaine, Fattori Fraser

I read The Inferno years ago, and have to admit that, even with the illustrations, it was hard to envision a lot of what was going on. This documentary filled everything in, and made The Divine Comedy come alive. I’m sure I’ll be watching it again.



Apr 10 - Downwind (2023)
Hiroshima. Nagasaki. Mercury, Nevada? The latter was the site for the testing of 928 large-scale nuclear weapons from 1951 to 1992. Martin Sheen narrates this harrowing exposé of the United States' disregard for everyone living downwind.
Directors: Douglas Brian Miller, Mark Shapiro
Stars: Lewis Black, Mary Dickson, Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, Patrick Wayne

I’ve seen programs about the testing, but none brought home what was done to the people in the area as much as this did. It’s hard not to think that there wasn’t a better way.



Apr 11 - Fail Safe (1964)
A technical malfunction sends American planes to Moscow to deliver a nuclear attack. Can all-out war be averted?
Director: Sidney Lumet
Stars: Henry Fonda, Walter Matthau, Fritz Weaver, Larry Hagman, Dan O’Herlihy, Frank Overton

A bit dated, but still worth watching. The ending, especially, brings home the danger of what we’re playing with.



Apr 12 - The Zone of Interest (2023)
Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden beside the camp.
Director: Jonathan Glazer
Stars: Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Johann Karthaus

It’s horrifying how people can blind themselves to what’s going on around them. Uncomfortable to watch.



Apr 19-22 - Good Omens (2019-)
The End of the World is coming, which means a fussy Angel and a loose-living Demon who've become overly fond of life on Earth are forced to form an unlikely alliance to stop Armageddon.
Creator: Neil Gaiman
Stars: David Tennan, tMichael Sheen, Miranda Richardson, Jon Hamm, Frances McDormand

I loved this, and can’t wait for the third season! Two years to go? Oh, no!

Three months worth of movies!

I tried to watch all the horror movies I have, or wanted to have, all within October. Didn't work out that way. There were just too many (as you will see.) So it slid into November. Which gets pretty busy about halfway through the month. And then December, well forget about doing anything not pertaining to Christmas. Luckily, both November and December lists were short.

So, here we are in January, and I finally did my reviews. Enjoy whatever you can get through. Or maybe all of it if you're of the mind. :-)

MOVIES WATCHED IN OCTOBER

Oct 4 - American Masters: Edgar Allen Poe - Buried Alive (2016)
Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive draws on the rich palette of Poe's evocative imagery and sharply drawn plots to tell the real story of the notorious author. Featuring Tony Award-winning actor Denis O'Hare, the film explores the misrepresentations of Poe as an alcoholic madman. It reveals the way in which Poe tapped into what it means to be a human in our modern and sometimes frightening world.
Director: Eric Strange
Stars: Denis O’Hare

An excellent documentary about Poe. There are quite a few myths about the man that are put to rest. We get to see the person behind the stories, most of which were not horror.

Oct 5 - Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008)
A chronicle of the life, work and mind that created the Cthulhu mythos.
Director: Frank H. Woodward
Stars: Robin Atkin Downes, Neil Gaiman, Peter Straub, Guillermo del Toro, Ramsey Campbell, John Carpenter

Another well made documentary. I’d seen it before, but it was well worth re-viewing.

Oct 5 - Stephen King: A Necessary Evil
Stephen King has been one of the world's most successful bestselling authors for decades. How can the success of his horror novels be explained? Undoubtedly with the inventiveness and effectiveness of his literature. But what else is behind the longevity of its success? On the basis of rarely shown interviews with the author, the documentary explores why his horror stories touch the reader so deeply and how the author succeeded in creating such a gigantic work over the years, the intensity and sensitivity of which makes it part of world literature.
Director: Julien Dupuy
Stars: Micky Sébastian, Kathy Bates, James Caan, Denise Crosby, Tim Curry

Another documentary that dives deep into a horror writer’s life. Some I already knew, but there was much I didn’t. Another one well worth watching.

Oct 6 - King on Screen (2022)
1976, Brian de Palma directs Carrie, the first novel by Stephen King. Since, more than 50 directors adapted the master of horror's books, in more than 80 films and series, making him now, the most adapted author still alive in the world.
Director: Daphné Baiwir
Stars: Mike Flanagan, James Caan, Amy Irving

Not about King, but how his books have been treated on screen. Unfortunately, many haven’t done well, and the documentary doesn’t stint on telling it like it is.

Oct 11 - Macabre (1958)
A doctor's daughter is kidnapped and buried alive, and he is given just five hours to find and rescue her.
Director: William Castle
Stars: William Prince, Jim Backus, Christine White, Ellen Corby

One of my favorite classic horror movies. Castle didn’t insert himself as much in this movie as he did in several others, all to the good.

Oct 12 - Black Sunday (1960)
A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant.
Director: Mario Bava
Stars: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi

Another favorite, and quite well done considering the state of special effects at the time. I remember seeing it as a young child and thinking that Barbara Steele was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Oct 13 - 13 Ghosts (1960)
A family inherits what proves to be a haunted house, but a special pair of goggles allows them to see their ghostly tormentors.
Director: William Castle
Stars: Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary De Camp, Margaret Hamilton

a totally god-awful movie.

Oct 19 - Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
A mysterious and cruel Baron, whose face has become frozen in a horrifying grin, demands that a prominent London physician apply experimental treatments on him to restore his face.
Director: William Castle
Stars: Oscar Homolka, Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe

Another favorite. I remember being horrified the first time I saw this movie. It still shocks the first time you see the Baron’s face.

Oct 20 - The Haunting (1963)
Hill House has stood for about 90 years and appears haunted: its inhabitants have always met strange, tragic ends. Now Dr. John Markway has assembled a team of people who he thinks will prove whether or not the house is haunted.
Director: Robert Wise
Stars: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn

Possibly the best horror movie ever made. Without showing a thing, the movie still terrifies. Such a far cry from the so-called horror movies of today.

Oct 20 - An Angel for Satan (1966)
At the end of the 19th century, in a little Italian village by a lake, an old statue is recovered. Soon a series of crimes start and the superstitious people of the village believe that the statue carries an ancient malediction .
Director: Camillo Mastrocinque
Stars: Barbara Steele, Anthony Steffen, Claudio Gora

Just so-so. Rather disjointed, as the movie is trying to hide what’s going on. It does maybe too good a job.

Oct 21 - Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)
A young couple inherits an old mansion inhabited by small demon-like creatures who are determined to make the wife one of their own.
Director: John Newland
Stars: Kim Darby, Jim Hutton, Barbara Anderson, William Demarest

Totally creepy, though there’s a couple of major plot holes.

Oct 22 - Carrie (1976)
Carrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.
Director: Brian De Palma
Stars: Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt, John Travolta, Betty Buckley

One of the best adaptions of a King book. The acting is superb.

Oct 24 - Salem’s Lot (1979)
A novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.
Director: Tobe Hooper
Stars: David Soul, James Mason, Lance Kerwin, Bonnie Bedelia

A bit dated, yet still enjoyable. Not as creepy as I remember it to be.

Oct 25 - Sometimes They Come Back (1991)
A man and his family return to his hometown, where he is then harassed by teenagers who died when he was a kid.
Director: Tom McLoughlin
Stars: Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, Robert Rusler

From a King short story. Well above either of its sequels.

Oct 26 - It (1990)
In 1960, seven pre-teen outcasts fight an evil demon who poses as a child-killing clown. Thirty years later, they reunite to stop the demon once and for all when it returns to their hometown.
Director: Tommy Lee Wallace
Stars: Richard Thomas, Tim Reid, Annette O'Toole, John Ritter, Harry Anderson, Tim Curry

Still worth watching. The actors, both the children and the adults, all do a great job of bringing the characters to life.

Oct 28 - Frailty (2001)
A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."
Director: Bill Paxton
Stars: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, Powers Boothe

Not what one would normally expect from McConaughey, but one of my favorite of his movies. Very well done with a surprise ending.

Oct 31 - Rose Red (2002)
A college professor and a team of psychics investigate an old abandoned house. Hoping to explain some of the mysterious deaths on the property, the psychics stay in the mansion, but unleash a terrifying force that threatens to destroy all.
Director: Craig R. Bailey
Stars: Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, Kimberly J. Brown, Julian Sands

Very well done, considering the script was created from the King book, The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, which is only half the story. The part about the professor and the team of psychics is all original.

Oops, The Diary... wasn't written by King. Thanks to severina for setting me straight.

( and November and December! )

It's amazing how much of one's time a puppy can take. Even if she'll be eight months in a couple of week. It seemed I had time to watch, though. So having finally added my comments, here's the last two months of movies and tv series.

MOVIES AND SERIES WATCHED IN JUNE

Jun 1-3 - Extrapolations (2023)
Unanticipated stories of how the upcoming changes to our planet will affect love, faith, work and family on a personal and human scale.
Creator: Scott Z. Burns
Stars: Kit Harington, Sienna Miller, Tahar Rahim, Diane Lane, Edward Norton, Leslie Uggams, Meryl Streep

Sad, sometimes downright tragic, but not as hard-hitting as I would have hoped.

Jun 3 - My Policeman (2022)
The arrival of Patrick into Marion and Tom's home triggers the exploration of seismic events from 40 years previously.
Director: Michael Grandage
Stars: Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, Rupert Everett, David Dawson

Interesting, though I found Marion’s actions totally incomprehensible. Such a waste of 40 years.

Jun 6 - The X Files: Fight the Future (1998)
Mulder and Scully must fight the government in a conspiracy and find the truth about an alien colonization of Earth.
Director: Rob Bowman
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, John Neville, William B. Davis, Martin Landau, Mitch Piletti, Blythe Danner

We were binge watching the X-Files and this film fits between seasons five and six. It’s actually quite good, and explains some of what’s going on with the conspiracy…though what’s actually going on is never really explained.

Jun 7-8 - The Days (2023)
Blamed by some, hailed as heroes by others, those involved with Fukushima Daiichi face a deadly, invisible threat an unprecedented nuclear disaster.
Creator: Jun Masumoto
Stars: Kôji Yakusho, Nobi Nakanishi, Yutaka Takenouchi

I was amazed at how badly they initially handled the emergency. There was a lot I hadn’t known about the situation, and the series as a whole is quite revealing.

Jun 10 - Secret Origins: The Story of DC Comics (2010)
The history of the longstanding American comic book company that launched such legendary superhero characters such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Director: Mac Carter
Stars: Ryan Reynolds (narrator), Paul Levitz, Gerard Jones

Most of this I already knew, but it was interesting, anyway. And, well, Ryan Reynolds, even if it was just his voice.

Jun 10 - Super Heroes: A Never Ending Battle (2013)
A comprehensive history of the superhero comic book fantasy genre and its influence on American culture.
Stars: Liev Schreiber, Danny Fingeroth, Mark Waid, Adam West

A slightly different take, since it covered both DC and Marvel. Except for Spiderman, Marvel is a complete mystery to me, so that part was new. Not as interesting or as well done as Secret Origins.

Jun 14 - Till (2022)
In 1955, after Emmett Till is murdered in a brutal lynching, his mother vows to expose the racism behind the attack while working to have those involved brought to justice.
Director: Chinonye Chukwu
Stars: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faiso, Whoopi Goldberg

Really sad. Such a brutal outcome from whistling at a white woman.

Jun 14 - Living (2022)
In 1950s London, a humorless bureaucrat decides to take time off work to experience life after receiving a grim diagnosis.
Director: Oliver Hermanus
Stars: Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp

A slow start, but really good once it gets going. Nighy, as always, is superb.

Jun 17 - Tár (2022)
Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra.
Director: Todd Field
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss

A stange movie about a strange woman. Interesting, in an odd sort of way as you watch the character fall apart.

Jun 18 - Come From Away (2021)
7,000 passengers are stranded after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a small town in Newfoundland, where they were housed and welcomed. Filmed live on stage at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater in New York City.
Director: Christopher Ashley
Stars: Petrina Bromley, Jenn Colella, De'Lon Grant

I loved this. I’d never thought about all those planes that were diverted after the attack, and how the people managed.

Jun 22 - Arnold (2023)
Follows the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, from his days of lifting weights to his successes in Hollywood, his time serving as governor of California, and both the joys and volatility of his family life.
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Ken Waller, Linda Hamilton, Danny DeVito, Jame Lee Curtis

Whether you like him or not, and I do, the film is truly interesting. He’s done a lot in his life.

Jun 22 - Below the Belt (2023)
This documentary is about women suffering with endometriosis. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus.
Director: Shannon Cohn
Stars: Laura Cone, Kyung Jeon-Miranda, Emily Hatch Manwaring

I’d heard of the disease, but never knew how ill-informed the medical establishment was about it. Sort of scary. Makes me glad I no longer have a uterus.

Jun 28 - Ghosted (2023)
Cole falls head over heels for enigmatic Sadie, but then makes the shocking discovery that she's a secret agent. Before they can decide on a second date, Cole and Sadie are swept away on an international adventure to save the world.
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Stars: Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Ryan Reynolds

Sort of silly, but entertaining. One of those movies that you can pretty much figure what’s going to happen next.

Jun 30 - The Fabelmans (2022)
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, young Sammy Fabelman aspires to become a filmmaker as he reaches adolescence, but soon discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Stars: Michelle Williams, Gabriel LaBelle, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Judd Hirsch

An okay movie. Sort of disappointing, though, after everything I’d heard about it.


MOVIES AND SERIES WATCHED IN JULY

Jul 1 - Babel (2006)
Tragedy strikes a married couple on vacation in the Moroccan desert, touching off an interlocking story involving four different families.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Stars: Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Gael García Bernal

An intense and compelling movie that I’d never heard of. Well worth watching.

Jul 9 - The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
Mulder and Scully are called back to duty by the FBI when a former priest claims to be receiving psychic visions pertaining to a kidnapped agent.
Director: Chris Carter
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Billy Connolly, Mitch Pileggi

Though not released then, the film is supposed to take place between the ninth and tenth seasons. I liked that it wasn’t about the conspiracy, yet it wasn’t as good as the first movie.

Jul 10 - The X-Files: The Complete Series
Two F.B.I. Agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained, while hidden forces work to impede their efforts.
Creator: Chris Carter
Stars: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis, Robert Patrick, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Dean Haglund, Annabeth Gish

I really liked the series, though it was obvious that things were running down during the ninth season as they tried to tie up all the loose ends. They never did. To the end, the conspiracy never did make a whole lot of sense, but I loved the monster-of-the-week episodes.

Jul 13 - Stephen King’s A Good Marriage (2014)
After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband's sinister secret?
Director: Peter Askin
Stars: Joan Allen, Anthony LaPaglia, Stephen Lang

If I’ve read the short story I don’t remember it, which was probably good so that the ending remained a mystery. I liked the movie, though didn’t love it.

Jul 15 - Marriage (2022)
Follows Ian and Emma, a married couple, who deal with the ups and downs of their 30-year long marriage.
Director: Stefan Golaszewski
Stars: Sean Bean, Nicola Walker, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Chantelle Alle

This is a really strange series about a really strange marriage. Not at all what I was expecting.

Jul 17-18 - From: Season Two (2022)
Unravel the mystery of a city in middle U.S.A. that imprisons everyone who enters. As the residents struggle to maintain a sense of normalcy and seek a way out, they must also survive the threats of the surrounding forest.
Creator: John Griffin
Stars: Harold Perrineau, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Eion Bailey

This is such a great series. I wasn’t planning on devouring the second season, but I couldn’t help myself. If you enjoy horror, this is the series to see.

Jul 20-26 - Manifest: Season Four (2018)
When a commercial airliner suddenly reappears after being missing for five years, those aboard must reintegrate into society.
Creator: Jeff Rake
Stars: Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, Luna Blaise, Matt Long, Ellen Tanaki, Holly Taylor

After the show was cancelled, I figured that was it. But then Netflix picked it up to finish it off. In a way, I wish they hadn’t, because the series takes off in a “god did it” path. Something of a disappointment, but at least the series did have an ending.


Jul 28-29 - Nova: The Planets (2019)
Using the latest science and the most detailed images ever produced, in combination with Academy Award-winning VFX company Lola Post, Professor Brian Cox explores the planets like never before. These stories of beauty and violence, creation and destruction, show our solar system to be not the serene and orderly system we might have thought, but an ongoing drama with characters and plot twists still unfurling around us. The histories of tragic Mars, a vibrant water planet turned barren desert, as well as the tyrannical Jupiter, which caused chaos in the solar system with its huge size, are brought to life with the latest research and effects to tell a story that has really only just begun.
Director: Stephen Cooter, Martin Johnson
Stars: Zachary Quinto (narrator)

A truly superb series, with a lot of new information. I loved it so much that I bought the DVD set.

A good mix of TV and motion pictures. Most were good, but a couple of clinkers, too.

MOVIES WATCHED IN APRIL


Apr 1 - The Whale (2022)
A reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Stars: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Ty Simpkins, Hong Chau

A real downer of a movie. Yes, the teacher is the whale, but not in the way one would think. Not a movie I’ll watch again, but still interesting. And I can see why Fraser won the Oscar.

Apr 1 - Hasan Minhaj: The King’s Jester (2022)
Features comedian Hasan Minhaj as he shares his thoughts on fertility, fatherhood, and freedom of speech by discussing some of his recent life events.
Director: Prashanth Venkataramanujam
Stars: Hasan Minhaj, Ammad Quraishi

Some funny parts, but I thought Minhaj made it too much about himself. He covered relevant issues, but, because they were about him, it sort of diluted the message.

Apr 1 - Ricky Gervais: Humanity (2018)
Live performance of British comedian Ricky Gervais filmed in London's Eventim Apollo.
Director: John L. Spencer
Star: Ricky Gervais

Now here’s someone who is truly funny. I’d seen this concert before, but loved the rewatch.

Apr 5 - A Man Called Otto (2022)
Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.
Director: Marc Forster
Stars: Tom Hanks. Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Truman Hanks

A sweet film that shows the ups and downs of Otto’s neighbors’ lives. Unfortunately, it’s not hard to see the ending coming a mile away.

Apr 7 - Goodnight Oppy (2022)
The film follows Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rover affectionately dubbed Oppy by her creators and scientists at NASA. Oppy was originally expected to live for only 90 days but she ultimately explored Mars for nearly 15 years.
Director: Ryan White
Stars: Angela Bassett (voice), Jon Stewart, David Letterman

An excellent documentary that follows the “life” of the Mars rover, Opportunity. Okay, so we anthropomorphize robots, but it was still sad when Oppy finally “died.”

Apr 8 - Empire of Light (2022)
A drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times, set in an English coastal town in the early 1980s.
Director: Sam Mendes
Stars: Olivia Colman, Micheal Ward, Colin Firth, Toby Jones

A truly interesting movie, that’s not really about anything, yet is about everything.

Apr 13 - Deep Water (2022)
A well-to-do husband who allows his wife to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.
Director: Adrian Lyne
Stars: Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas, Tracy Letts

Kind of a strange movie. The ending was something of a surprise.

Apr 17-20 - The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2022)
Chronicles rare and fascinating details of how "Star Trek" began, where it's been, and how it's going where no television series has gone before.
Stars: Gates McFadden, Larry Nemecek, Marc Cushman, David Gerrold, Nichelle Nichols, Wil Wheaton, Brannon Braga, Rick Verman, Walter Koenig, Nicholas Meyer, Brent Spiner, Robert Beltran, Tim Russ, Connor Trinneer, Robin Curtis, Catherine Hicks, David Gautreauc, Christopher Lloyd, Kate Mulgrew, John Billingsley, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie, Leonard Nimoy, D.C. Fontana

Quite a bit of new information, at least for me, because TOS is the only one of the older series I watched. I tried Enterprise, but was put off by its “teenage boy” mentality. But I learned enough that I might try watching Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.

My only gripe is that nothing is said about Discovery, or Strange New Worlds which I have been watching. There are photos, but nothing really about them.

Apr 21-25 - Welcome to Wrexham (2022)
Docuseries chronicling the purchase and stewardship of Wrexham AFC, one of professional football's oldest clubs, by two Hollywood actors, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Stars: Wrexham A.F.C., Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney

Never thought I’d be watching a series about soccer. About any sport, really. But, hey, Ryan Reynolds. It turned out to be quite interesting. Not the games so much, but the town’s history and the people who live there. The club goes on to the National League a year later, so the second season should be interesting.

Apr 26 - Blonde (2022)
The story of American actress Marilyn Monroe, covering her love and professional lives.
Director: Andrew Dominik
StarsAna de Arma, sLily Fisher, Julianne Nicholson

About the dumbest movie I’ve ever seen. So much was made up that I couldn’t finish it.

Apr 29 - Clock (2023)
This film by writer/director Alexis Jacknow will follow a woman's desperate attempt to fix her broken biological clock.
Director: Alexis Jacknow
Stars: Dianna Agron, Melora Hardin, Jay Ali

Interesting concept, though I don’t know of any woman who, not wanting kids, wants to “fix” her body so that she does. Really horrifying when you think about it.

Not a great deal of movies in October and November. I guess I was more in the mood for tv series. More in December, though that was more because of Christmas. I hope to do better in the coming months.

MOVIES WATCHED IN OCTOBER

Oct 5 - Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
Professor Albus Dumbledore must assist Newt Scamander and his partners as Grindelwald begins to lead an army to eliminate all Muggles.
Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jude Law, Ezra Miller

A pleasant way to spend a couple of hours, but not a movie I plan on rewatching.

Oct 6 - Free Guy (2021)
A bank teller discovers that he's actually an NPC inside a brutal, open world video game.
Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Ryan Reynolds,Jodie Comer, Taika Waititi

I liked it more than I thought I would. Funny, entertaining, and, of course, Ryan Reynolds.

Oct 12 - The Little Things (2021)
Kern County Deputy Sheriff Joe Deacon is sent to Los Angeles for what should have been a quick evidence-gathering assignment. Instead, he becomes embroiled in the search for a serial killer who is terrorizing the city.
Director: John Lee Hancock
Stars: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto

It’s amazing how well Leto does crazy. But all three leads are great in their roles. An all-around solid movie.

Oct 21 - Lou (2022)
A storm rages. A young girl is kidnapped. Her mother teams up with the mysterious woman next door to pursue the kidnapper, a journey that tests their limits and exposes shocking secrets from their pasts.
Director: Anna Foerster
Stars: Allison Janney, Jurnee Smollett, Logan Marshall-Green

A little known, but well made movie. Janney is excellent. Thoroughly recommend it.


MOVIES WATCHED IN NOVEMBER

Nov 1-3 - Into the Night (2020 Belgium series)
When radiation from the sun causes a global disaster on Earth, survivors on an overnight flight from Brussels race from city to city trying to stay ahead of the sun's rays by remaining in the cover of night.
Creator: Jason George
Stars: Pauline Etienne, Laurent Capelluto, Mehmet Kurtulus

I’m glad to know that there’s going to be a third season, especially since the second season ended with a cliffhanger. Original, and well acted.

Nov 3-4 - Yakamoz S-245 (2022 Turkish series)
After disaster strikes Earth, a marine biologist on a submarine research mission must fight to survive with the crew as a conspiracy comes to light.
Stars: Kivanç Tatlitug, Ertan Saban, Jerry Hoffmann

Not as good as the series it’s based on, but still well worth watching.

Nov 7 - The Good Nurse (2022)
An infamous caregiver is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients.
Director: Tobias Lindholm
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain, Denise Pillott

Redmayne is amazing in his role. Based on a true story, it amazed how much the hospitals were complicit in allowing the deaths to continue.

Nov 12 - Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
A woman who raised herself in the marshes of the Deep South becomes a suspect in the murder of a man with whom she was once involved.
Director: Olivia Newman
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones,Taylor John Smith, Harris Dickinson, David Strathairn

I thought, like the book, the movie stretched credibility. The main character was too good to be true. Not the worst movie I’ve watched recently, but definitely not one of the best.

Nov 13-16 - The Silent Sea (2021 South Korean series)
During a perilous 24-hour mission on the moon, space explorers try to retrieve samples from an abandoned research facility steeped in classified secrets.
Stars; Bae Doona, Gong Yoo, Joon Lee

I loved this. It kept me guessing, and totally involved. I would have preferred a slightly different ending, but it was still satisfying.

Nov 19 - Nope (2022)
The residents of a lonely gulch in inland California bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun

Very strange movie. Funny at times, frightening at others. About what I’ve come to expect from Peele.


MOVIES WATCHED IN DECEMBER

Dec 14-15 - Harry and Meghan (2022)
Explores the span of their relationship, from the early days of the couple's courtship to the challenges and controversies that prompted them to step back from the royal family.
Stars: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, David Olusoga, Serena Williams, Abigail Spencer, Tyler Perry

I don’t normally watch stuff about the Royals, but I needed something that I didn’t need to concentrate on, and that wasn’t depressing. Turns out I concentrated on it more than I thought I would. It’s, of course, just one side of story, but I got the impression that no side comes off as completely normal.

Dec 17 - The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
Director: Martin McDonagh
Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon

A quirky, often depressing movie, but well worth watching. Farrell deserves his award.

Dec 23 - The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
Portrays human bravery and resilience after a tragic volcano disaster in New Zealand.
Director: Rory Kennedy
Stars: Mark Inman, Hazel Osborne, Pouroto Ngaropo, Lauren Urey, Matt Urey

I was amazed that any country would allow tourist trips to an island with an active volcano on it, especially a volcano that erupted pretty regularly. Those caught on the island payed an awful price.

Dec 24 - Spirited (2022)
A musical version of Charles Dickens's story of a miserly misanthrope who is taken on a magical journey.
Director: Sean Anders
Stars: Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer

I loved this! Funny, with some great songs. Definitely adding it as a Christmas regular.

Dec 25 - A Christmas Story (1983)
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark
Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin

What’s Christmas with A Christmas Story? A seasonal favorite. But actually the 1930s, since Ovaltine was replaced as the sponsor on the Little Orphan Annie radio show by Quaker Puffed Wheat in 1940.

Dec 25 - A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
Follows the now-adult Ralphie as he returns to the house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old Man.
Director: Clay Kaytis
Stars: Peter Billingsley, Erinn Hayes, River Drosche

All the adult characters who were kids in the original movie are played by the same actor, but the magic is pretty much gone. It’s set in 1973, “33 years after the events of A Christmas Story.” And wrong again, again because of the change in sponsor. 1972, maybe? It was filmed in Hungary and Bulgaria, and it shows.

I haven't been much into movie watching for the last few months, though by July it did start to pick up. Probably because I was spending time with Anne. August might be better. Anyway, here's the last three months for your "viewing" pleasure.

MOVIES WATCHED IN MAY

May 4 - Star Wars IV: A New Hope (1977)
Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.
Director: George Lucas
Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alex Guinness, Peter Cushing

I remember going to the movies at least a dozen times when this movie first came out. I have to admit, it’s held up well. And, what can I say but may the 4th be with you!



MOVIES WATCHED IN JUNE

Jun 3 - The Age of Adeline (2015)
A young woman, born at the turn of the 20th century, is rendered ageless after an accident. After many solitary years, she meets a man who complicates the eternal life she has settled into.
Director: Lee Toland Krieger
Stars: Blake Lively, Michiel Huisman, Harrison Ford, Ellen Burstyn, Kathy Baker

Another movie I’ve seen before, though it had been awhile. Still, it’s a nice, easy watch and thoroughly enjoyable.


Jun 29 - Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022)
The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa.
Director: Simon Curtis
Stars: Hugh Bonneville, Jim Carter, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith

I wasn’t sure how this would all work out; I was worried it would be the same ol’ same ol’. But I ended up really liking the movie.



June 30 - All The Old Knives (2022)
Two CIA agents and ex-lovers (Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton) are brought back together years after a failed rescue attempt and forced to blur the lines between profession and passion in this deeply riveting tale of global espionage, moral dilemma and deadly betrayal.
Director: Janus Metz
Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Thandiwe Newton, Chris Pine, Jonathan Pryce

This had some twists I didn’t see coming. Well worth watching.



MOVIES WATCHED IN JULY

Jul 4 - Legends of the Fall (1994)
In the early 1900s, three brothers and their father living in the remote wilderness of Montana are affected by betrayal, history, love, nature, and war.
Director: Edward Zwick
Stars: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julie Ormond, Henry Thomas

Another oldie but goodie, though I’ve never understood what was so great about the Ormond character that all three brothers would fall in love with her. But I like the movie, anyway.

Jul 8 - Dead Again (1991)
A woman who has lost her memory is taken in by a Los Angeles orphanage, and a private eye is enlisted to track down her identity, but he soon finds that he might have a past life connection to her that endangers their lives.
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Andy Garcia, Robin Williams, Derek Jacobi

Saw this several years ago, too. Quite interesting and watchable.

Jul 17 - We Need to talk about Cosby (2022)
Writer/director W. Kamau Bell's exploration of Bill Cosby's descent from "America's Dad" to alleged sexual predator. Comedians, journalists and survivors have a candid, first of its kind conversation about the man, his career and crimes.
Stars: Doug E. Doug, Godfrey, Chris Spencer

God, this man was a horror. I remember my younger brother listening to his albums, he’s been around that long. I never did watch the show, so I didn’t have anything invested in him being proven innocent. And after watching this documentary, it’s pretty obvious that he wasn’t.

Jul 18 - Persuasion (2022)
Eight years after Anne Elliot was persuaded not to marry a dashing man of humble origins, they meet again. Will she seize her second chance at true love?
Director: Carrie Cracknell
Stars: Richard E. Grant, Henry Golding, Ben Bailey Smith, Dakota Johnson

I didn’t care for this version, much preferring the 1995 version with Ciaran Hinds and Amanda Root, and the 2007 version with Rupert Penry-Jones and All Hawkins. This one veered a bit too much from the book, and well as trying to be too modern. Plus a wasn’t crazy about Anne talking to the viewing audience.

Jul 19 - Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story (2022)
Jimmy Savile once ruled the airwaves with a quirky persona and good works. So how did this icon manage to hide his many alleged bad deeds for so long?
Stars: Roger Ordish, Mark Lawson, Meirion Jones

I’d never heard of this guy, but seeing him I couldn’t understand why anyone would not think him weird. Another celebrity who hid behind good works.

Jul 28-29 - The Last Movie Stars (2022)
Follows a celebration of Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman's lives.
Stars: George Clooney, Laura Linney, Zoe Kazan, Martin Scorsese, Billy Crudup, Karen Allen, Sally Field, Ethan Hawke, Ewan McGregor, Mark Ruffalo

Well, this is more like it, actors who are actually good people. Yes, they had their problems, but they more than made up for them in the work they did. It was interesting how, just having the transcripts (Newman having destroyed the videos,) they recreated the scenes by having other actors speak the lines.

My first crosspost from LJ. Hopefully, this works out. This month is all movies from one of my "crushes" (a meme that went around awhile ago,) Robert Vaughn.

MOVIES WATCHED IN FEBRUARY

Feb 3 - Hell’s Crossroads (1957)
An imprisoned gunfighter is offered parole on one condition--that he track down and bring in Jesse James.
Director: Franklin Adreon
Stars: Stephen McNally, Peggie Castle, Robert Vaughn

Except for their skewing of history, this isn’t a half bad movie. Robert’s role could have been bigger, too.

Feb 4 - Good Day for a Hanging (1959)
After claiming his daughter's childhood-sweetheart killed the marshal, one man finds himself in conflict with his daughter, his fiancée and many of the townsfolk.
Director: Nathan Juran
Stars: Fred MacMurray, Margaret Hayes, Robert Vaughn, James Drury, Denver Pyle

Solid movie, solid cast. Robert does a very good job with his role.

Feb 5 - The Young Philadelphians (1959)
A promising lawyer tries to handle his social and professional problems while climbing the ranks in Philadelphia.
Director: Vincent Sherman
Stars: Paul Newman, Barbara Rush, Alexis Smith, Robert Vaughn, Brian Keith, Frank Conroy, Adam West

One of Robert’s best movies. A great cast, and an interesting plot.

Feb 11 - The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Seven gunfighters are hired by Mexican peasants to liberate their village from oppressive bandits.
Director: John Sturges
Stars: Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Eli Wallach, Robert Vaughn, James Coburn

A classic, obviously, but Robert’s role could have been larger. Of the seven characters, his has one of the smaller roles. Still, an entertaining movie.

Feb 17 - The Venetian Affair (1966)
Former CIA man, Bill Fenner, now a downbeat, loner journalist, is sent to Venice to investigate the shock suicide bombing by an American diplomat at a peace conference.
Director: Jerry Thorpe
Stars: Robert Vaughn, Elke Sommer, Felicia Farr, Boris Karloff, Roger C. Carmel, Edward Asner

Another not half bad movie. The plot is a little convoluted, but still entertaining.

Feb 18 - The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970)
A man who has been in a coma since infancy is awakened.
Director: Alan Cooke
Stars: Terence Stamp, Robert Vaughn, Nigel Davenport

There was a lot more they could have done with this. Some areas were covered too much, others weren’t given enough time. Not sure how scientifically accurate, though.

Feb 19 - The Statue (1971)
Bolt, a British linguist, develops a universal language, so he's a sudden sensation and receives a Nobel Prize. An ambitious diplomat who is capitalizing on Bolt's celebrity arranges for the U.S. to commission a statue for a London square to honor Bolt's achievement. Bolt's Italian wife, a renowned artist, sculpts an 18-foot nude of him. In a pique because he's neglected her for years to do his work, she gives the statue a spectacular phallus and tells Bolt that he wasn't its model.
Director: Rod Amateau
Stars: David Niven, Virna Lisi, Robert Vaughn, John Cleese

One of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. How Robert and Niven were talked into this is beyond me.

Feb 23 - The Woman Hunter (1972)
A woman vacationing with her husband in Mexico discovers she is being stalked by an international killer.
Director: Bernard L. Kowalski
Stars: Barbara Eden, Robert Vaughn, Stuart Whitman, Larry Storch

The cast lifts the movie to mediocre instead of awful.

Feb 24 - Wanted: Babysitter (1975)
A naive young girl is forcefully kidnapped while babysitting the son of a wealthy food mogul. Her and the boy are held hostage by an ex-stuntman and a vengeful movie star.
Director: René Clément
Stars: Maria Schneider, Sydne Rome, Vic Morrow, Robert Vaughn

Lame title, but it actually had a decent plot. With better writing and actors, it could have been a decent movie.

Feb 26 - Starship Invasions (1977)
An advance team from a dying, far-off civilization seeks a new world to conquer and inhabit -- Earth.
Director: Ed Hunt
Stars: Robert Vaughn, Christopher Lee, Daniel Pilon

Terrible special effects, but the plot was fairly decent. Not a total waste of time.

Managed to watch quite a few, actually, and not a bad apple in the bunch.

MOVIES WATCHED IN JANUARY

Jan 3 - Don’t look Up (2021)
Two low-level astronomers must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth.
Director: Adam McKay
Writers
Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman

A biting satire about how the media hides, or distorts unpleasant facts from the public. And how the public happily goes along with it.

Jan 5 - The Starling (2021)
After Lilly suffers a loss, a combative Starling takes nest beside her quiet home. The feisty bird taunts and attacks the grief-stricken Lilly. On her journey to expel the Starling, she rediscovers her will to live and capacity for love.
Director: Theodore Melfi
Stars: Melissa McCarthy, Chris O'Dowd, Kevin Kline

Tragic, yet uplifting at the same time. A quiet film that had a lot to say.

Jan 7 - The Tender Bar (2021)
A boy growing up on Long Island seeks out father figures among the patrons at his uncle's bar.
Director: George Clooney
Stars: Ben Affleck, Tye Sheridan, Daniel Ranieri, Christopher Lloyd

Another film that quietly gets its message across. Affleck was quite good.

Jan 13 - The Father (2020)
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages. As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
Director: Florian Zeller
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss

Not what I was expecting. The story is told from the father’s point of view, so the viewer is never sure if what is being seen is real, or the imaginings of the father’s deteriorating mind.

Jan 19 - Being the Ricardos (2021)
Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Director: Aaron Sorkin
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda, Linda Lavin

Kidman is great as Lucy Ball, though I found the movie only entertaining, but not compelling. I did learn a few things about the couple, though.

Jan 20 - Burn After Reading (2008)
A disk containing mysterious information from a CIA agent ends up in the hands of two unscrupulous and daft gym employees who attempt to sell it.
Directors: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Stars: Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Tinda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, J. K. Simmons

A very strange (what one expects from the Coen brothers,) but highly entertaining movie. Brad Pitt is especially funny.

Jan 21 - The Wind (2018)
A plains-woman faces the harshness and isolation of the untamed land in the Western frontier of the late 1800s.
Director: Emma Tammi
Stars: Caitlin Gerard, Julia Goldani Telles, Ashley Zukerman

The viewer is never sure if what is happening is true, or the fantasies of an unhinged woman.

Jan 22 - You Should Have Left (2020)
A former banker, his actress wife, and their spirited daughter book a vacation at an isolated modern home in the Welsh countryside where nothing is quite as it seems.
Director: David Koepp
Stars: Kevin Bacon, Amanda Seyfried, Avery Tiiu Essex

Interesting and creepy, though the ending wasn’t a huge surprise.

Jan 22 - The Electric Life of Louis Wein (2021)
English artist Louis Wain rises to prominence at the end of the 19th century for his surreal cat paintings that seemed to reflect his declining sanity.
Director: Will Sharpe
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Toby Jones

Funny, sad, and heartwarming, a startling look at a painter whose work I knew, though I wasn’t aware of the man. Cumberbatch is wonderful.

Jan 26 - The Last Duel (2021)
King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.
Director:Ridley Scott
Stars: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Ben Affleck

Interesting movie, though somewhat slow at times. The story is told three times, from each person’s point of view. Worth watching.

Jan 27 - Power of the Dog (2021)
Charismatic rancher Phil Burbank inspires fear and awe in those around him. When his brother brings home a new wife and her son, Phil torments them until he finds himself exposed to the possibility of love.
Director: Jane Campion
Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee

The movie deserves all the awards it’s up for, especially Cumberbatch. Shows the power of love, though not how one would expect. A movie not to be missed.

Jan 28 - Unforgivable (2021)
A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Stars: Sandra Bullock, Viola Davis, Vincent D'Onofrio, Richard Thomas

It was hard sometime to sympathize with the Bullock character, but she redeems herself in the end. Another good, though not great, movie.

Jan 29 - News of the World (2020)
A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.
Director: Paul Greengrass
Stars: Tom Hanks, Helena Zengel, Tom Astor, Mare Winningham

A lovely story about how love can appear when you least expect it, and how it can change your life. I loved the Hanks character.