tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26005383363857873082024-03-15T20:12:34.138-05:00Why Do I Own This?Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.comBlogger530125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-58062325713401022932024-03-07T08:53:00.002-06:002024-03-07T08:53:25.695-06:002024 Academy Awards Predictions<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhDDXBd3mCVeOnoP13NoYDjpfwawLz5KxSNUsj3Kyztqc-T7Jync6uT7I9Ih0cW2o6yjyFm7GGBhHTjaGS8sX4rrDmcHDoETMHITjdgdN3YZr8-83xJh22Cp_cA88h-Peo1lTLb_piI_GXLLPrOm0bgW5WZIOf89hyphenhyphenyOosqQBw6ZL9mVORtyc4dALGuBL/s760/240301-oscars-academy-awards-statuettes-ew-421p-515321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="760" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZhDDXBd3mCVeOnoP13NoYDjpfwawLz5KxSNUsj3Kyztqc-T7Jync6uT7I9Ih0cW2o6yjyFm7GGBhHTjaGS8sX4rrDmcHDoETMHITjdgdN3YZr8-83xJh22Cp_cA88h-Peo1lTLb_piI_GXLLPrOm0bgW5WZIOf89hyphenhyphenyOosqQBw6ZL9mVORtyc4dALGuBL/w640-h426/240301-oscars-academy-awards-statuettes-ew-421p-515321.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fifteen (!) years ago, I wrote an Oscars preview for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Perry County News</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> around the same time I started this site. Back then, the Oscars meant a lot to me. I was very passionate when movies and performances I loved not only lost, but weren’t even nominated. Over the years, I’ve made my peace with the fact that my tastes and the Academy’s rarely align. But after years of catching crap for not being diverse enough, the Academy has expanded its membership, and because of this, more deserving and interesting nominations have been made. There will always be snubs and undeserving nominations thanks to the campaigning individuals and studios do, but overall, it seems like the Oscars are moving in a better direction. For instance, this year six of the Best Picture nominees made my personal top ten list, which I don’t think has ever happened.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As usual, the bulk of this will just be a listing of my prediction for the winner, my favorite of the nominees, and my favorite overall (which includes actors and movies that weren’t nominated). I’m too lazy to list all the nominees here, so just Google it, or click </span><a href="https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">here</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> for that. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Also, as usual: Hi, Mom! She’s the only person I’m certain will read this, so that’s why I still do it each year even though I’m typically terrible at predicting these.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Cinematography</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Original Score</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Original Song</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“What Was I Made For? - </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barbie</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“I’m Just Ken” - </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barbie</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Visual Effects</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Godzilla Minus One </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(Full disclosure: I still haven’t seen this one, but I’m in the middle of watching every single </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Godzilla </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie right now, and I feel safe saying I’m going to be blown away by </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Minus One</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Original Screenplay</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Anatomy of a Fall</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Holdovers</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Adapted Screenplay</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Documentary</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">20 Days in Mariupol</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Animated Feature</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Robot Dreams</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best International Feature</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Zone of Interest</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Supporting Actor</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Robert Downey, Jr.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark Ruffalo</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Supporting Actress</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Da’Vine Joy Randolph</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Emily Blunt</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Actor</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cillian Murphy</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Actress</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Emma Stone</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Director</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction, Pick, and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Christopher Nolan</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Picture</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Prediction: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Pick and Overall Favorite: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As always, I have no confidence in my predictions, but for the first year in a long time, I don’t think any winner will be undeserving. I was equally split with my top two movies this year with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, so anything they win will make me happy. But I also loved </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barbie </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Holdovers</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and damn near every nominee. Usually, there’s one or two nominations that straight up piss me off, but nothing fired me up too much this year because snubs don’t matter to me when they had no chance of winning, anyway. For instance, people got big mad about Greta Gerwig not being nominated for Director. I get it, and I think she deserved a nomination, but I can’t pick one of the five to toss out for her, and it doesn’t matter anyway since Nolan is one of the only locks I can think of this year. While I’m thinking about it, though, I wish the Academy would just expand the directing category and just automatically nominate the director of each Best Picture nominee. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So that finally ends the 2023 movie season (in March of 2024, for some reason). A lot of people like to casually shit on the movies these days, but I thought 2023 was an awesome year for movies, and surprisingly, the Oscar nominations reflect that. So check the Oscars out this Sunday and see how terrible I am about picking the winners!</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-82889362145083453072024-03-04T17:48:00.000-06:002024-03-04T17:48:14.621-06:00Dune - "Fear the Moment."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskZd4zjxVzyu2UVW0mkVC04LMAICHbC0POxsAnQIxRpN2-zfU-louqFis1MVZejjsQTXBB4CHchkIVsAYjHok8x9oqy99Cep9GuWaaX3U1fu5FD2NR8PgqimvsQEdB4T0ApCQ6MQvfo-el07SBre03hYnG0__F2AWdS_VoA0NMQw2x_s5R8WINATEb1Qd/s2560/Dune-Part-2-Image-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2560" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiskZd4zjxVzyu2UVW0mkVC04LMAICHbC0POxsAnQIxRpN2-zfU-louqFis1MVZejjsQTXBB4CHchkIVsAYjHok8x9oqy99Cep9GuWaaX3U1fu5FD2NR8PgqimvsQEdB4T0ApCQ6MQvfo-el07SBre03hYnG0__F2AWdS_VoA0NMQw2x_s5R8WINATEb1Qd/w640-h320/Dune-Part-2-Image-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dune </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was revealed to actually be </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dune: Part One</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I was a bit disappointed. If it was a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Lord of the Rings </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">situation in which it was all already filmed and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part Two </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">would be coming out a year later or something, it wouldn’t have bummed me out. But </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part Two </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">wasn’t even greenlit until after </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part One </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was released, meaning I was in for a years long wait. Because of this, my reaction to the first film was a tempered, “That was great, but I can’t wait to see the full story.” It felt like a great introduction with all the truly amazing stuff yet to come. This meant my expectations for the sequel were somehow even higher than they were for the first film. So perhaps it’s not that surprising that my reaction to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part Two </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is just, “That was pretty good.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is similar to my experience with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">last year. I watched it and liked it, but when I saw other reactions to the film, I wondered what I had missed (with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I came around with multiple viewings and now consider it amazing). I keep seeing terms like “masterpiece” and “achievement” being tossed around in regards to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part Two</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> along with some high profile names like Christopher Nolan calling it Denis Villeneuve’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Empire Strikes Back</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Now, I liked both of these films, but I did not come away thinking it was a masterpiece.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rather than get into problems I had with the movie (which are vague, anyway, along the lines of, “I wanted to be blown away, but instead I just liked it a lot”), I wanted to focus instead on the moment created by the film. This is a moment a dork like me fears when something weird I like is embraced by the mainstream. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dune </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">should be something I’m kind of embarrassed to like; instead I’m seeing sites like Barstool Sports posting about digging it unironically. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I should be embracing non-dorks liking a movie that features an extended black and white gladiator arena sequence on Giedi Prime that even features weird Harkonnen fireworks. I can, and will, get past that just as I have with every other dorky property that achieves massive mainstream success. What’s harder to get past, as a writer of movie stuff, is critical hyperbole. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Despite the stereotypical reputation of critics and dorks being stubborn pop culture elitists, I constantly second-guess myself. When I walked out of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">last year, my thoughts weren’t, “Why did everybody like that movie so much more than me?” Instead, I wondered what I had missed. What was wrong with me if I couldn’t recognize the genius of that film?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dune: Part Two </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">made me feel like the northern Fremen compared to the southern fundamentalist Fremen in regards to Paul. The northerners were impressed with his abilities, but he wasn’t a god to them…yet, while the southerners were all-in immediately. I’m like Chani, but I want to be Stilgar, using even discouraging examples as evidence of the film’s greatness.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sometimes I need multiple viewings for a film to win me over, which is why this isn’t a review of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dune: Part Two</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. I don’t feel comfortable judging it until I’ve been able to watch it at least one more time. That’s just me; it’s perfectly fine to not be in love with a movie after one viewing, and then just move on. But when people are calling this one of the best science fiction films of all time, I can’t just move on when my response isn’t on the same level. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While there are moments in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Part Two </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">that I love (the aforementioned Giedi Prime sequence, Paul riding a worm the first time, the realistic depiction of religion), overall it didn’t feel as momentous as I thought it should. I’m hoping that another viewing will have the same effect of Paul addressing the elders, or better yet, I want another viewing to use the voice and shout “Silence!” at me when I start to doubt its greatness. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Until then, unfortunately, I’m Chani riding away on a sandworm with a tear in my eye while seemingly the rest of the world has chosen to believe something I still have doubts about.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-43756731152903100962024-02-18T13:02:00.001-06:002024-02-18T13:02:42.460-06:00Star Wars - The Theatrical Cuts<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7O63eM-eSe4myQHHLmXd2b7EWrJlOGypChi8eGmskvtUGUm27HFienBYyEeBjxFh4u3Op-yJ__biW_uga2cjAzp-iZtaqqz8AFcQel0JXOUIlPUzat2moViWt1LDSMcJS0Nl_4vYXaLZ2feIp7HEpgy1SOIjMeozEUdwEB6Rq6BvRC3a2YQFaNjxo_AZ9/s3010/20240218_125548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="3010" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7O63eM-eSe4myQHHLmXd2b7EWrJlOGypChi8eGmskvtUGUm27HFienBYyEeBjxFh4u3Op-yJ__biW_uga2cjAzp-iZtaqqz8AFcQel0JXOUIlPUzat2moViWt1LDSMcJS0Nl_4vYXaLZ2feIp7HEpgy1SOIjMeozEUdwEB6Rq6BvRC3a2YQFaNjxo_AZ9/w640-h386/20240218_125548.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The first time I saw the original trilogy of </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was in the late ‘90s; in other words, I saw the Special Editions. For a little while, I thought Han had always shot first and walked on Jabba’s tail in </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A New Hope</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> rather than </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Then the prequels came out, and I was hooked. And until the Disney stuff started, I was perfectly happy with the six George Lucas films and their little changes with each updated release. I knew fans were upset with the changes to the original trilogy, but when you don’t have the theatrical cuts to compare there isn’t anything to be upset about. And since the theatrical cuts have never been all that widely available, and I didn’t feel like going the bootleg route, I just accepted that I might never see the truly original </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">trilogy. Until I randomly stopped in a Goodwill a few weeks ago. </span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I had a few minutes to kill, so I stopped in a Goodwill to check out their records and movies. It was a disappointing selection until I spotted the original trilogy packaged in a way I hadn’t seen before. In a three-pack of slim cases, this set claimed to have the 1997 Special Editions </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the original theatrical cut of each film. I ponied up the $3.99, and here we are. After a quick Google search, I found out this was a legit release, and it’s the last time these have been officially made available. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’m always looking for a good excuse to revisit </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, so I watched all three theatrical cuts followed by the newest versions streaming on Disney+. I’m not going to get into every single difference (other sites have done that in much greater detail than I could ever do), but I did want to offer my reaction to these films from my perspective growing up with the Special Editions.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A New Hope</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First off, this wasn’t even </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A New Hope </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">back then, so there’s that. No one seems too bothered about that change; the main two issues with this one concern Han Solo. I’ve already mentioned Han shooting first and the added Jabba the Hutt scene. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I agree that Han shooting Greedo first does make him more badass, but having Greedo sneak a shot off first didn’t ruin that for me. In the Special Edition, I still thought it made Han look like someone who can take care of himself and is willing to kill someone, if need be. In no scenario was Greedo presented as a harmless person, so it’s not like Han was originally portrayed as some heartless murderer, and then Lucas ruined it. Then there’s the infamous “Maclunkey!” addition on Disney+. I suppose the issue here is the main issue fans have with most of these changes in general: it’s not necessary. Why change who shoots first? Why add a Huttese phrase? Clean it up, make the laser blast more impactful, whatever. But don’t fix what isn’t broken. It doesn’t ruin anything for me, but I can see why people hate it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As for the Jabba scene, in general I’m okay with it, but only because I already knew who Jabba the Hutt was before I ever saw a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie. If I had the chance to watch the first two films originally, only knowing Jabba the Hutt as a gangster who wants Solo, then the reveal of his appearance in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jedi </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">would have been amazing. Without that experience, I don’t really care that he’s inserted into </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A New Hope</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. I don’t even mind that Boba Fett is tossed in there for fan service. The walking over the tail moment (which I remember Lucasfilm people being really proud of in behind-the-scenes material), does look janky, even on Disney+, but, once again, whatever.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As for everything else, I enjoyed seeing the ‘70s grime of the theatrical cut and all the rough edges of the special effects work. But, in general, I prefer the updated stuff. I know it takes some people out of the movie because it’s different from what they remembered, but that’s not the case with me. I’m glad I got to see </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the way it was originally released, but I’ve made my peace with Lucas’s alterations long ago, so I’ll take the cleaned up version with its controversial changes. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Empire Strikes Back</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is easily the least controversial Special Edition of the original trilogy. They mainly just cleaned up the space effects stuff (though I kind of like seeing the outlines in these original cuts). One of the main changes in 1997 was adding a scream as Luke fell near the end, and that’s gone from the latest version now, which makes me oddly nostalgic for the Special Edition version. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With this one, the changes made after the Special Edition caught some flak. The first is putting Ian McDiarmid in the Emperor scene and changing up the dialogue a bit. I miss the monkey-eyed old lady Emperor, but I’m okay with it. The changes in dialogue are minimal, but some argue it changes things regarding Vader knowing about Luke. Vader’s knowledge of Luke is a whole can of worms unto itself. The new version makes it seem like Vader is learning about it at that moment. I guess that’s okay, but shouldn’t he be more pissed? I get that he’s the Emperor’s bitch at this point, but how do you just brush off that the dude has lied to you about Padme for twenty years? But that’s a weak point in the series no matter what happens in this scene.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">McDiarmid was added to create more similarities between the prequel trilogy and the original, and with that in mind they also changed Boba Fett’s voice from Jason Wingreen to Tamuera Morrison. I still like the original voice, but I understand it makes no sense at this point for Fett to not sound like Morrison. This is just another messy element created by the prequels that they tried to fix later. I get it, but I still like the old version more. Maybe he just had a cold that day that made his New Zealand accent sound more American? Who cares? It’s sci-fi; make something up. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But Fett’s voice and Luke’s scream aside, I still like watching the cleaned up version more.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Return of the Jedi</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Finally, some changes that truly annoy me. Even when I first saw the Special Edition at age twelve, I thought, “What the fuck is this shit?” when the CG muppets started a full on music sequence in Jabba’s Palace. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jedi </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has always been derided for being a bit too kiddie what with the muppet band and the Ewoks, but this is just too much, even for someone as forgiving as me. Not to mention, the original song during this moment is better! This change is unforgivable because it is only there to show off the CG effects of the time. Why else do we get that stupid close up of Joh Yowza (I had to look that up; I’m not dorky enough to just know that name) with spit dangling out of his stupid CG mouth? (By the way, the Max Rebo Band has its own Wikipedia page. God help us all.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I guess I’m okay with them bringing back the original actress to film what happens after she falls into the Rancor pit, but was anyone really confused about what happened to her?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Speaking of pits, the Sarlacc has a beak and some tentacles added to it, but I preferred the simplistic hole with teeth. It honestly looks creepier than the CG monster they added to it. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Back to the music, most people are most upset with “Yub Nub” being taken out of the ending. This one didn’t bother me as much because, dare I write it, I’m not a big fan of “Yub Nub.” The new song is fine, and I definitely like the addition of prequel locations to the ending showing how the entire galaxy has been saved…only to immediately be fucked again by Disney, however.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The changes to the ending I dislike concern Vader in the more recent editions. First off, adding the “No!” as he kills the Emperor is just weak ass shit trying to make his crazy “Nooooooo!” at the end of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Revenge of the Sith </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">make a little more sense. It just makes him look stupid. I also don’t care for the addition of Hayden Christensen to the Force ghost lineup. It doesn’t make sense. Why would the younger version show up? There is an argument that his form is that of when he was last a Jedi, but didn’t he redeem himself in the end? So it should still be the older version. I also don’t like that look Christensen is giving directly to the camera. It’s just another way to tie the prequels visually to the originals, and it doesn’t work for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Because of these changes, I prefer the theatrical cut to any of the later additions. But it looks like such shit on the DVD I bought that I’ll still most likely watch the streaming version just because I’m spoiled by HD now.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Final Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Watching the theatrical cuts wasn’t all that impactful for me as a fan. It was definitely interesting, and I’m glad I finally saw them in this form. But my nerd mind has calmed down a bit these days (but not too much since I’m still writing articles like this), so I’ll just stick with the best looking version of the trilogy offered on streaming. But I’m glad I have some options since I have this set, the original DVDs of the prequels, the original Special Edition VHSs, the Special Edition DVDs, and the Blu-Ray release. It’s stupid that Disney doesn’t clean these up and put them on Disney+ or sell them on 4K, though. It must be a condition with Lucas or something that they can’t do it until he dies, or maybe ever, because they would surely make a profit if they just restored the theatrical cuts and put them back in theaters for a bit before releasing on home video. I hope it somehow happens in my lifetime, because I would love a chance to see an HD version of these instead of digging out my janky Goodwill DVD set.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-19703049137386155172024-02-14T17:18:00.001-06:002024-02-14T17:18:39.010-06:00Snakes on a Plane - My Wife's DVDs<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41RsPpK0r-_bwsAd2xAxbFOwjI1UZ-9V2bIh9DtsX4uYRRxImQP_aA1MDDKAxpgyJVhlcw49X28585AI8RGWMKTenmwEX2CFPOxwro_ywpr29RDupxSou4PpQ5l-2cLm7Lq1vuhQklS9GRBisunAXCZXxxYs1gxu37IuB-T74OE815knKGFGmUfL-oEGY/s3362/20240206_060829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="3362" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41RsPpK0r-_bwsAd2xAxbFOwjI1UZ-9V2bIh9DtsX4uYRRxImQP_aA1MDDKAxpgyJVhlcw49X28585AI8RGWMKTenmwEX2CFPOxwro_ywpr29RDupxSou4PpQ5l-2cLm7Lq1vuhQklS9GRBisunAXCZXxxYs1gxu37IuB-T74OE815knKGFGmUfL-oEGY/w640-h346/20240206_060829.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Future Wife Ghosted Me Because of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">probably isn’t a part of many relationships, but it played a big part in mine. Years before we started dating seriously and eventually married, my wife and I dated briefly. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a reason why it was brief. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I can be pretty tone deaf when it comes to romantic shit, especially back in my early twenties. So when my future wife wanted to go to the movies, I thought it would be fine if I just picked whatever movie I wanted to see at the time. I’m the movie buff, so surely I would pick a good one, right?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This was back when I watched at least one movie a week, and I followed movie news on the internet religiously. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is one of the few movies that seemed completely created by internet buzz, so of course I had to see it. It turned out to not be good or bad enough to be particularly memorable, but even if it had been, it still would’ve ended my relationship.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">To put this in context, we had not been to the movies together yet. This was the first one. I truly thought </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">would be a good date movie. I don’t remember a lot from the actual date. My wife definitely didn’t like the movie, and I just kind of laughed it off with something like, “What did you expect from a movie called </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?” </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So a swing and a miss with the first movie date, but no second date happened. We both returned to college soon after, and things cooled off after that. “Cooled off” is putting it mildly. I think we saw each other one or two more times after that at a party or something, and then we stopped talking altogether. At the time, I just thought she didn’t like me that much and had simply moved on now that college was back in session. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Absence, in this case a long absence, makes the heart grow fonder, though, and five years later we reconnected. And here we are now, with three kids and approaching our tenth anniversary in a couple weeks. But before that reconnection there was pretty much five years of radio silence.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When we got together for real, I asked what happened back then, and my wife told me that choosing to watch </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was partly why. Sure, it wasn’t the main reason. But she was on the fence about me, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">shoved her right the fuck off that fence. What kind of a dipshit would pick this as a date movie? And in what other ways is he defective?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It reminds me of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Step Brothers </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(which would have made a much better date movie as it’s one of my wife’s favorite movies)</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">scene when John C. Reilly farts during the job interview, and it makes Seth Rogen realize how fucked up the two guys are. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was the job interview fart of our relationship. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We’re able to laugh about it now, and for one of our first Valentine’s Days together, we both bought the DVD of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for each other (I bought her the higher quality copy with the slipcase, for the record). It may have ended things initially, but it all worked out, and now </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes of a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a funny footnote in a great marriage.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ueh-rVOrAK4" width="320" youtube-src-id="Ueh-rVOrAK4"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Is It Really That Bad?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I don’t want to get too deep in the weeds about the actual movie, but I did rewatch </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for this, so here are my brief thoughts.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There’s obviously fun to be had with such a clearly stupid movie. But you know there’s something wrong when the funniest part of the movie is the TV edit. Originally, Samuel L. Jackson breaks down and yells, “I’ve had it with these motherfuckin’ snakes on this motherfuckin’ plane!” It’s a funny line and definitely the highlight of the movie, but on TV, the line becomes, “I’ve had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday to Friday plane!” That’s some magical censoring, and it’s funnier than anything in the actual unedited movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">just isn’t good or bad enough. They really messed up when they went CG with most of the snake stuff. According to IMDb trivia (so this is maybe true), the real snakes weren’t moving enough, so they had to use CG for most shots. Fine, but they weren’t going to have real snakes actually bite people on their nipples and dicks (both bites are actual kills in the movie), those were always going to be CG. I think it would have been much more enjoyable and funny if they had gone with rubber snakes in those moments. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And that’s honestly my main issue with the movie. The rest of it is stupid enough to be funny (check the Random Thoughts for specifics), but those horrible CG kills ruin it. But even if they had gone that route, this was doomed from the start. Internet buzz from movie nerds shouldn’t be the basis for a movie. This is a lesson </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cocaine Bear </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">failed to heed. A stupid title alone doesn’t make a movie great. And trying to be a good bad movie is harder than people think. And neither movie tries hard enough. Both </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cocaine Bear </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">feature plenty of goofy moments, but too often it feels like the characters are looking at the audience like, “Isn’t this crazy? Fun, right?” Well, it might have been fun, but then you had to be self-aware about it, and it all fell apart.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Still, you could do worse when looking for a mindless good time. Just don’t make it part of a date night.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Random Thoughts</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The previews on the DVD are, in order, an ad for the soundtrack, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Codename: The Cleaner</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the latest DVD release of the original </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, a sequel to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Butterfly Effect</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, a sequel to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Undisputed</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and the Nicolas Cage remake if </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Wicker Man</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. This was a golden age of cinema.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ten minutes in and no snakes on a plane. Not a good sign for a movie called </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They put leis on people as they board the plane, but the plane is leaving Hawaii. I don't think that's a thing, is it?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The leis are sprayed with a pheromone meant to send the snakes into a frenzy. Say what you will about the bad guy in this movie, but he is definitely inventive.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">David Koechner in the role he was born to play: horny, inappropriate pilot.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The film does a decent job of introducing plenty of dickheads so you can root for the snakes here and there.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">First snake sighting at twenty-three minutes. Unacceptable. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The witness immediately tells a flight attendant he's testifying against Eddie Kim. Does this dude have a death wish?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The flight attendant tells him a story about Kim gouging out someone's eyes then feeding him to a pig. What's the point in eye-gouging the dude? Wouldn't you want your victim to witness the horror of being eaten by pigs? Maybe Kim isn't as inventive as I thought.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The first snake kill didn't disappoint: snake bit to a nipple. How did my future wife not propose to me right when this scene happened?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A dude says, “How's my big boy?” before he pisses. Take a guess what happens to him and his “big boy.” I'll give you a hint: a snake bites his dick.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Okay, it was pretty funny when the snakes dropped down with the oxygen masks.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Everyone move forward! Cautiously!”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So far, the most unrealistic part was that they had a bottle of olive oil on a plane.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Kenan and his homophobic buddy are both openly turned on by a woman sucking venom out of the wound of a child. Disturbing.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I can't believe the stack of loose luggage didn't keep the snakes out.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Good thing they could find a “hardcore snake specialist” on such short notice. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Snakes on crack.” Possible sequel title if this hadn't been a financial disappointment. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Look, I'm glad the dog killer got instant karma, but I did laugh my ass off when he threw that dog at the boa constrictor.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Good old Koechner, even near death he's horny as shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It turns out adding the music video to the DVD was redundant since the video plays in its entirety during the credits.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-442739836989350162024-01-31T17:09:00.002-06:002024-02-15T23:16:37.423-06:00The Notebook - My Wife’s DVDs<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is the kind of movie my wife had in mind when I started doing this. The fact that I have never seen </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has come up a few times, so I finally broke down and watched it. I thought it was fine, but it’s just not my type of movie, which is why I never watched it to begin with. Not to be a basic bitch dude, but I just don’t find love stories all that interesting. At least, movies that are only about love stories; I need something extra in there. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bram Stoker’s Dracula </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">comes to mind. That movie is essentially a love story, but there are vampires and blood and in-camera special effects, and it just looks cool. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has very little going on beyond the central relationship and one of the strongest attempts to make an audience cry that I can remember (for the record, I didn’t cry; more on that in Random Thoughts). Still, there are some crazy elements to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and all of it happens in five minutes.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT_4-MroB24qtArwyHofxGrz8mo3syYLNiNLwUIK-__HIVDJUqn1__noRABr0lI6tcpLmi4I50IARrFWkUTTdbmYMURFWo2UB_piowSgA6D2wiGYohU1LazgdFhvhvW892OLhzMJZD8ZtJ37uTMMltuNh3rT6lUxRXLBNaLMCnVNXBNt0vh-x-SRcYetl/s3300/20240131_164208.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2460" data-original-width="3300" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpT_4-MroB24qtArwyHofxGrz8mo3syYLNiNLwUIK-__HIVDJUqn1__noRABr0lI6tcpLmi4I50IARrFWkUTTdbmYMURFWo2UB_piowSgA6D2wiGYohU1LazgdFhvhvW892OLhzMJZD8ZtJ37uTMMltuNh3rT6lUxRXLBNaLMCnVNXBNt0vh-x-SRcYetl/w640-h478/20240131_164208.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A Wild Five Minutes</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to fill out a full running time, it’s essential to break Gosling and McAdams up for most of the film. It’s set up that her family thinks he’s trash, and things fall apart when they whisk her away back home, leaving Gosling heartbroken. Gosling decides to write her a letter a day for a year to see if she truly loves him. McAdams’s mother intercepts all these letters, leading Gosling to believe it’s over and time to move on (more on that in Random Thoughts). This starts off a crazy five minutes of story.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It starts with Fin (E from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Entourage</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) messing things up between McAdams and Gosling for no reason. McAdams comes by the lumber yard while Gosling is off on a job somewhere, so she talks to Fin. Fin inexplicably tells her it’s over, and she just needs to leave Gosling alone. Why does he say this? McAdams reluctantly leaves, and Fin tells Gosling what happened, leading Gosling to drive off to find McAdams, but he’s too late. Clearly Gosling was not over McAdams, so why did Fin tell her this? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I got vibes from Fin that he actually had feelings for McAdams the whole time to the point that I expected Fin to play a bigger part in the relationship later on. That ended up not being the case, but am I crazy for thinking this? Either way, it was a dick move to tell McAdams that Gosling was done with her.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So Gosling writes the letters, thinks they are ignored, and decides to move on. He and Fin move to Atlanta, but then America enters WWII. They both enlist, and Fin dies in battle (that’s what you get for cock-blocking your best friend!). McAdams becomes a nurse and meets her future fiance (and future cuck) James Marsden.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This all happens in five minutes of running time. I get that the movie has to keep things moving, but it seems like a little more time could have been spent during the war or something. I would’ve liked this a lot more if there had been a moment between Fin and Gosling with Gosling becoming angry with Fin for the McAdams stuff. While angry with each other, Fin could die, leaving Gosling feeling guilty for not patching things up with Fin before he died. This would also make Gosling’s transformation into a crazy person later make a little more sense. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I didn’t expect to come away from this movie being more interested in what was going on with Fin, but this five minute segment just brought up so many questions for me. Perhaps that’s my biggest problem with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">: I’m so uninterested in Gosling and McAdams’s relationship that I find E from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Entourage </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">more interesting. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Why My Wife Likes It</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">First off, I think all women were legally required to like this when it came out twenty years ago (feel old?). Beside that, she said she liked how direct Gosling was with McAdams. Sure, he threatened to kill himself for a first date, which is a bit of a red flag. But it was clear where he stood. I did argue a bit with this because I think a direct move would have been to actually go to McAdams’s house in Charleston instead of writing a letter every day like a romantic lunatic.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So about the crying. The reveal that the old couple was Gosling and McAdams’s characters was pretty predictable. Her suffering from dementia is definitely heartbreaking, but somehow it didn’t get to me enough to produce tears. And I’m a guy who cries like a baby at movies now that I have kids (at least, that’s what I tell myself when I’m reduced to a blubbering mess after watching </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Coco </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">or </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Curious Case of Benjamin Button</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">). Speaking of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Button</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, that’s another love story that has more interesting things going on. Anyway, this ending is extremely depressing with her breakthrough followed by her immediate regression. And just thinking about a lifelong relationship ending this way is heartbreaking. Them dying in each other’s arms is sad, too, but also a nice ending since she does seem to remember again right before they die. I can see why this brings the tears, but I just didn’t connect to the characters enough for it to get to me. Part of it might be the casting; I just don’t buy that Ryan Gosling becomes James Garner. I almost wish they had just used old age makeup on Gosling and McAdams or something, but I guess that would ruin the “surprise” of who the characters are even though I think everyone knows immediately who they are, but whatever. Anyway, I appreciate the effort to make people cry, but this is the rare occurrence of it not working on me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The letter writing stuff just doesn’t work for me. First off, throughout an entire year, Gosling never thought to just make a trip to Charleston to see why she wasn’t responding? It’s not like she was moved to a hidden location; he literally had her address. I just wish there was some reason given for him not being able to make a trip to Charleston, especially since he has no problem going there later in the movie to get building plans approved. Are building plans more important than the love of your life? And how did the mom keep 365 letters away from McAdams? McAdams didn’t get the mail one single time in a year? Was her mom just waiting out there every single day? Look, I know I’m nitpicking here, but this should have been addressed in the movie. I just think the writer loved the romantic idea of someone writing a letter every day for a year and didn’t think about the logistics of it. Just like with the Fin thing, this wouldn’t bother me if I was more invested in the main relationship of the movie. But I wasn’t, so I focus on nitpicky things like this.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The foundation for any good relationship: threatening to kill yourself for a date and lying in front of traffic.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm not sure if I'm supposed to hate her dad. I mean, he's wearing a smoking jacket like an asshole, and he has the mustache of the dude who ties ladies to train tracks in old timey movies, but I just don't know if this is a bad rich man.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So you can go to Charleston to get building plans approved but not to see why the love of your life hasn't responded to 365 letters?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And you just knew Noah was sad and troubled because he grew a drama beard.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dudes don't like this movie because of the unrealistic expectations it creates for a man: “Why can't you be impossibly handsome, fight in WWII, rebuild a plantation mansion by yourself, and turn into James Garner and read to me until I die of dementia?”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">What a strange niche part James Marsden has perfected with this and Cyclops: decent guy who doesn’t deserve to be cheated on but the audience is okay with him being cheated on.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-9372438681307924352024-01-29T15:10:00.001-06:002024-01-29T15:10:51.386-06:00Oppenheimer - "Can You Hear the Music?"<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ86yzD6aKHCJkZ91aCkhJlp2oYyxLVlx6lsfuOFMJGVlR5lMoCzWUdXfMn-lIEbt8fVIjwDEnf33TyN6ZKqYWNoHACjdTNgNZBtMoTtAjLBZSnlbY9WnP2uZdTDe35poHBzEod3uojIa2pCrdPjKRLqJUc5AJTeRRJkjWiLiijdobRyF6hl1fB_tj3k0/s2880/20240119_015302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZ86yzD6aKHCJkZ91aCkhJlp2oYyxLVlx6lsfuOFMJGVlR5lMoCzWUdXfMn-lIEbt8fVIjwDEnf33TyN6ZKqYWNoHACjdTNgNZBtMoTtAjLBZSnlbY9WnP2uZdTDe35poHBzEod3uojIa2pCrdPjKRLqJUc5AJTeRRJkjWiLiijdobRyF6hl1fB_tj3k0/w640-h640/20240119_015302.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Can You Hear the Music?”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I am an admitted Nolan fanboy (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tenet </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was my favorite film the year it came out), so I was extremely excited to see </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">this past July. After leaving the theater, I appreciated how great it was (the acting, music, sense of scope, etc.), but I didn’t exactly enjoy it. I had the same reaction to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dunkirk </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(which I need to rewatch, since I like this film more each time I see it). I just thought that I preferred Nolan when he stays in the fully fictional world; his true stories were too limited by history. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A few months later, I was able to watch it again at home, and again, and again…I’ve watched it eight times now. Initially, I only watched it a second time because it’s Nolan, and seemingly everyone had declared the film a masterpiece. I just wanted to see if what I missed would suddenly click. And it did.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My relationship with this movie is best summed up by the scene between Niels Bohr and Oppenheimer early in the film. He asks how good Robert’s mathematics skills are, and when he hears they aren’t great, he says, “Algebra’s like sheet music. The important thing isn’t, “Can you read music?’ It’s ‘Can you hear it?’ Can you hear the music, Robert?”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This perfectly sums up what I have loved about Nolan’s past two films. I will never understand the science behind what’s going on onscreen, but I love the feeling and experience created in the films. Nolan has caught shit for his sound mixes being so loud that dialogue cannot be understood, but that’s the point. Hearing specific details about how inversion works in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tenet </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">or quantum physics works in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">would be completely wasted on my dumbass. But an amazing score set to riveting visuals I can understand and enjoy. I can hear that music.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Speaking literally about music, this is something else that has been vital in his past two films (although almost all of his work features prominent scores). </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tenet </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">utilized a complex score that incorporated backwards music, and helped set the tone for a grand, serious story about saving the world. Likewise, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">’s score is equally complex (in ways that I don’t completely understand due to my lack of musical knowledge) in how it shifts seamlessly from important moments of history to foreboding tones of what this work will lead to while also featuring softer moments of the human relationships established throughout. The cliché is that a score should be enjoyed but not noticed, but with Ludwig Göransson’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tenet </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">scores, it is clear that the score can be an integral and noticeable aspect of a great film. Hans Zimmer may have made Nolan’s most famous (and copied) scores, but Göransson has made the best and most complementary ones. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tenet </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, my first viewings left me a bit confused and not exactly blown away, but thanks to Nolan’s reputation and visuals along with an interesting score, I knew I needed to revisit these films. Because of this, my appreciation of both films only grows with each new viewing. And this has led to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">becoming the most watched film for me in Nolan’s filmography. I don’t fully understand what’s going on here, but I can hear the music, and that’s all that matters.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Small Moments in a Big Film</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is this big film essentially about the end of the world filled with huge moments and lengthy and dense dialogue scenes, it’s a film filled with little moments that I love that bring me back to the movie again and again. I just wanted to mention them here.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">First is the “Can you hear the music?” scene I went into detail about above. I have nothing to add there aside from that I’ve seen a YouTube clip of this scene posted by someone at a screening that featured a full orchestra performing the score live, and I am extremely jealous.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The introduction of Groves is great. Damon isn’t getting enough credit for his performance here, providing some drastically needed humor to this serious film. And I love it when he sends Dane DeHaan off to dry clean his jacket.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is also the first time you hear the theme that plays signifying the friendship developed here that reappears a couple more times later on.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was worried about Einstein being in this movie at first because he’s become more of a character than an actual human at this point in history, but the scene in which Oppenheimer tells him about the possibility of igniting the atmosphere put my fears to rest.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Casey Affleck showing up to be a creepy bastard.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The way the score starts to incorporate Geiger counter noises as they get closer to completing the bomb…er…gadget.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Trinity test, of course.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The crux of the film, and the most effective individual moment, for me is Oppenheimer’s speech after the bomb had been dropped. The sound design of this moment puts you right into Oppenheimer’s mind as he wrestles with this celebration of death he feels responsible for, but the standout moment is when a scream is isolated from the cheering crowd. Within a jubilant, patriotic assembly, such a scream would just blend in; but isolated from it, it sounds more like someone’s response to witnessing a nuclear weapon destroy the world around them. I get chills every time I watch this scene, and I’m getting them as I write about it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Truman calling Oppenheimer a cry baby.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oppenheimer snubbing Strauss’s loser son and fiancée. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Matthew Modine’s righteous anger at the closed hearing: “Excuse me, gentlemen, if I become stirred. But I am.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oppenheimer realizing Groves had Pash transferred.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Groves’s nod to Oppenheimer as he leaves the hearing. And, “But I don’t think I’d clear any of those guys,” and Jason Clarke’s dickhead smile in response.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Emily Blunt’s takedown of Clarke: “‘Cause I don’t like your phrase.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Downey, Jr.’s angry meltdown at the end, during which they should have just had young Han Solo hand him an Oscar.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Emily Blunt’s response to Teller’s attempted handshake.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The final scene revealing the conversation with Einstein, and that perfect ending moment, conveying the guilt Oppenheimer will carry with him for the rest of his life.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts / Favorite Quotes</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As a lifelong resident of Indiana who grew up playing basketball, it’s hard to associate the sound of people stomping on gym bleachers in a negative connotation.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With each rewatch, I enjoy the old man (John Gowans, who was first credited as an old man in 2003) in the hearing more and more. It’s great when he laughs along with Emily Blunt, but his best moment is when Oppenheimer tells them that Berkeley only had the leading physics department once he had built it, and the old dude nods like, “That’s right, motherfuckers.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s nice watching young Han Solo and old Iron Man be slight dicks to each other for the whole movie while Jeff from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">American Dad! </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">just kind of hangs out, eating soup and whatnot.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The same dude who brought Michael Myers his mask in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(2018) is the same dude who suggests treason to Oppenheimer. This fucker needs to just leave people alone.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oppenheimer putting on his high-waisted pants and dorky hat and grabbing his pipe is treated with the same reverence as the first time Batman puts on the Batsuit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">James Urbaniak was brought in to say one line about trees with a German accent.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Before his standout moment near the end in his testimony at the hearing, Oscar-winner Rami Malek’s main role is to have writing implements taken or smacked away by Oppenheimer.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dane DeHaan has aged to become the perfect wormy guy in a movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It took me eight watches of this to finally notice that someone was playing the bongos two different times at Los Alamos: at the Christmas party/Niels Bohr surprise and after the Trinity test. With very little research, I found out it was Richard Feynman, and he really did play the bongos.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Birth control is a little out of my jurisdiction, General.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Groves, seeing a pregnant Kitty: “Clearly.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I worry about an America where we do these things and no one protests.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The isolated scream during the pep rally speech gives me chills every time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You shook his fucking hand?” Why did he tell her that he shook his hand?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“...but I don’t think I’d clear any of those guys.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The score takes on a softer tone when Groves leaves the hearing and gives Oppenheimer a nod. It’s the little moments like that that stick with me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In fact, that part is actually a little theme that plays during another moment when Oppenheimer realizes that Groves had Pash transferred. It’s the “Groves was really my friend” theme.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Only a fool or an adolescent presumes to know someone else’s relationship.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I now believe that Lewis Strauss was behind the JFK assassination.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Emily Blunt deserves a nomination just for that look she gives Teller when he goes to shake her hand.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-34292094136859414412024-01-11T15:46:00.002-06:002024-01-11T15:46:11.495-06:00Top Ten of 2023<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAdFsiDISeQoeZjaALPqMNWkvNSOfyHt31lFPslGy0RpmdFmRNOrTrRzBP73OgBooSw6fH_Qek_Vmq0orOKzXoi99mhqPuVoFfjHnOwUBGz2NHDdMA_sCrGuiiJFjQ_eYfZq9Titvtb8aONFKtz-PCDufzRWiHCKrJ5T4EqIxYlQEumQyBFmELLcag68/s3300/20240111_154343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="2460" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWzAdFsiDISeQoeZjaALPqMNWkvNSOfyHt31lFPslGy0RpmdFmRNOrTrRzBP73OgBooSw6fH_Qek_Vmq0orOKzXoi99mhqPuVoFfjHnOwUBGz2NHDdMA_sCrGuiiJFjQ_eYfZq9Titvtb8aONFKtz-PCDufzRWiHCKrJ5T4EqIxYlQEumQyBFmELLcag68/w478-h640/20240111_154343.jpg" width="478" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This year started slow for me. Up until July, my favorite movie of the year was </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dungeons and Dragons</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Nothing against that movie (it’s still in my top ten), but I was getting worried about how I was going to fill up a list of ten. But then all the heavy hitters started coming out, and I could have easily made this a top twenty, which I kind of did by including ten honorable mentions. Aside from the top two films, I could see this list being completely different every time I write it, so this is just what it is today. There’s something about all of these movies that I loved, and I thought this was one of the better years for film in recent memory. As always, I want to remind the twenty or so people who read this that these are my favorite films of the year, not the “best” films. Finally, there were a few movies I wanted to watch that I didn’t get to yet, but I can’t put off this list any longer. They are: </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Godzilla Minus One</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw X </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(I will get to this one and update my rankings for the whole franchise, too), and </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Thanksgiving</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. There’s a ton of stuff I didn’t watch, but these three are the ones that I felt could possibly make my list. </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oh, and I’ve done this differently from year to year, but the last few I’ve been starting with the number one film and working down from there. I think most people do more of a countdown style, but I don’t for whatever reason. Anyway, here you go:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBbcbLHFfszedrYIhnjN-VHzGOmJ6mOkniLCfrmcrZ_2SH4SMT6z0jKsfpdPUn7OTY2kJ1RvCjWGdyv4PIwGu5YlShznp5g1c8LPzrbZccQD1C68NayMNb3gWDbp6_AZG0F3Bu7CZcIC5wjMz-HbYX0mRfT4cyuIohK2ep0LI4nABWE3FcxGzQBsmiKyi/s960/original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBbcbLHFfszedrYIhnjN-VHzGOmJ6mOkniLCfrmcrZ_2SH4SMT6z0jKsfpdPUn7OTY2kJ1RvCjWGdyv4PIwGu5YlShznp5g1c8LPzrbZccQD1C68NayMNb3gWDbp6_AZG0F3Bu7CZcIC5wjMz-HbYX0mRfT4cyuIohK2ep0LI4nABWE3FcxGzQBsmiKyi/w640-h360/original.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Poor Things</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve already </span><a href="https://whydiot.blogspot.com/2023/12/poor-things-kubrickian.html?m=1" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">written a full review</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> of this, so I’ll just add this: every year there’s a movie that is seemingly universally beloved that doesn’t click with me. Some stuff just isn’t for me, no matter how well made it is. That’s nothing special. What is special is when something like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> comes out, because it’s one of those movies that I immediately love so much that I simply cannot understand how literally every one who sees it doesn’t think it’s the best film of the year. Normally, I come away from a film I love thinking, “Well, I liked it a lot, but I’m a weirdo.” With this one, I think you’re the weirdo if you don’t love this movie. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DVg2PK2PmIe1rjySWMSUBwIplNfMO7K8QT3SqOdIKvB2cf0FakncWvxIEYl9texgnvk_e-kV0LDYcWSWgrHQqz-rRit9Fs6zzzh3b-ide9aUkl-FEHRPa19zEdS-f31j07Jan4vZNWGkSO683rfXLJ7q-o-RLi2gkkK9O0dFmeo8avAVAGlqb67R2Ecm/s1200/GF_07748_MSG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4DVg2PK2PmIe1rjySWMSUBwIplNfMO7K8QT3SqOdIKvB2cf0FakncWvxIEYl9texgnvk_e-kV0LDYcWSWgrHQqz-rRit9Fs6zzzh3b-ide9aUkl-FEHRPa19zEdS-f31j07Jan4vZNWGkSO683rfXLJ7q-o-RLi2gkkK9O0dFmeo8avAVAGlqb67R2Ecm/w640-h426/GF_07748_MSG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wasn’t crazy about this the first time I watched it. I knew it was good, but it didn’t click with me. I thought it was like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dunkirk </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for me, a movie I know is good, but I didn’t love. Then I watched </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oppenheimer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">five more times. The acting, the structure, the mood, the music, it all just came together for me. It’s like when Niels Bohr asks Oppenheimer if he can “hear the music.” At first I couldn’t, but now I’m hearing it, in typical Nolan too loud fashion. In any other year, this is my number one, but the sheer joy I get from watching </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> changed that. Still, this is a movie I love, and maybe after watching it four or five more times I’ll feel prepared enough to write a full article about it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYlbW-z_fnMj_SZ_XqYYo31xwE3-lr9IBditRMfFAztpGKvMtcvKQJ5OmCcufP8woGYhOsFaFCpiT4hbNuI427o8ZenTmDMzZQvdmkumwX56cF4ngLj5TlA9aDdV-fHh_fEyqkKzF93gwn7idPZ3X5H-BH2ITpzg092_2JgCHc00pHD1bUOBXQuMcJIAg/s2000/627-killersoftheflowermoon-feature-s14631f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBYlbW-z_fnMj_SZ_XqYYo31xwE3-lr9IBditRMfFAztpGKvMtcvKQJ5OmCcufP8woGYhOsFaFCpiT4hbNuI427o8ZenTmDMzZQvdmkumwX56cF4ngLj5TlA9aDdV-fHh_fEyqkKzF93gwn7idPZ3X5H-BH2ITpzg092_2JgCHc00pHD1bUOBXQuMcJIAg/w640-h426/627-killersoftheflowermoon-feature-s14631f.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Killers of the Flower Moon</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s Scorsese, and it’s a big sweeping story about horrible things people do in the name of greed. Of course, I’m going to love this movie. And I’m really enjoying this later stage in his career in which he makes sure no one can claim he’s glorifying any of the terrible behavior of the criminals in his films. These are horrible people and are presented as such. What made this stick with me long after watching it was how successfully Scorsese was able to show how these people didn’t even consider the Osage as fellow humans. This is a terrible moment in history, and Scorsese presents it as such.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwELpQiL30NcKb8GfP8Uxuo62KI2Se3picFY3MCMhymGVQe747haKMSTEMShO1Nf0J8BD27lkfCyN24p9WzJSeHShkmqtM5YgJJqRBdYghKUINRzKroN9qkTIJWFFhONi0DNkNrlbn3lhyphenhyphen1feOncX77EME__7bXVW8Jzc2GIStMD3Ctava5gaD1drHfJm/s1440/TheZoneOfInterest_textless_ProRes422HQ_24p_1920x1080_178_Rec709_51-20_20230929.00_46_51_20.Still001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwELpQiL30NcKb8GfP8Uxuo62KI2Se3picFY3MCMhymGVQe747haKMSTEMShO1Nf0J8BD27lkfCyN24p9WzJSeHShkmqtM5YgJJqRBdYghKUINRzKroN9qkTIJWFFhONi0DNkNrlbn3lhyphenhyphen1feOncX77EME__7bXVW8Jzc2GIStMD3Ctava5gaD1drHfJm/w640-h480/TheZoneOfInterest_textless_ProRes422HQ_24p_1920x1080_178_Rec709_51-20_20230929.00_46_51_20.Still001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Zone of Interest</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No other movie on my list has stuck with me after a single watch as much as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Zone of Interest </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has. Initially, I thought the idea of the movie was more effective than the movie itself, but that’s not true because it stuck with me so strongly. It’s not a movie that I would typically want to watch again, but I feel like I have to because it keeps popping up in my mind, and I feel the need to watch it again. Much like the title of writer/director Jonathan Glazer’s previous film, this one just gets under your skin.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o_NsyMXE5_2EI4lcsybH5unqBJQGxmhH3YpB3UEl5fBLGuKjIEL3C5RWU-fzsAOv6D7fT4hM9lDYnXWDHrDLTnvjUj29To2RqjZl0YOwgPb-7urqtNzwwKtnFWsaqCC_U-5z7np-cYg4fAHoRuZjF7XEqInjxoWJS2c-H8ihFCI7hngucFVNQhI1KN9O/s2560/TV-Comp-CFEdit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1610" data-original-width="2560" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1o_NsyMXE5_2EI4lcsybH5unqBJQGxmhH3YpB3UEl5fBLGuKjIEL3C5RWU-fzsAOv6D7fT4hM9lDYnXWDHrDLTnvjUj29To2RqjZl0YOwgPb-7urqtNzwwKtnFWsaqCC_U-5z7np-cYg4fAHoRuZjF7XEqInjxoWJS2c-H8ihFCI7hngucFVNQhI1KN9O/w640-h402/TV-Comp-CFEdit.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Iron Claw</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is another one that stayed in mind long after watching it. The tragedy of this wrestling family is compelling, and the performances are great across the board, but it’s the mood of the film that worked most for me. The wrestling is treated with such seriousness, despite the innate silliness of the profession, that it creates the perfect tone. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxalhzIQ6bXMj7_3di2Ec_DTQTC5gJCy8QmGuju8PPkarMhWAnbEbQkxZLFLlW0ZAcIMTrxGdT5l5XjHHbo4saMvnTLQXPW7WyPzcTRfYuQ3WzoGjqjSprjgzOyJqCANdfSglKL3AUq8LQFxZExV71KXBpC52KTWwvGFJYDh-4wpuL18FBNKTO7ja6kdf/s3823/MV5BZDdkZTg0ZjYtNjIzNS00YzM3LWI4NzUtNmJiMWMxYmUwODg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2151" data-original-width="3823" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdxalhzIQ6bXMj7_3di2Ec_DTQTC5gJCy8QmGuju8PPkarMhWAnbEbQkxZLFLlW0ZAcIMTrxGdT5l5XjHHbo4saMvnTLQXPW7WyPzcTRfYuQ3WzoGjqjSprjgzOyJqCANdfSglKL3AUq8LQFxZExV71KXBpC52KTWwvGFJYDh-4wpuL18FBNKTO7ja6kdf/w640-h360/MV5BZDdkZTg0ZjYtNjIzNS00YzM3LWI4NzUtNmJiMWMxYmUwODg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQWFybm8@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">John Wick: Chapter 4</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Enough with the miserable stuff, the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">John Wick </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">franchise is a perfect example of what I want from action movies: a good time. This is somehow still fun four movies in and nearly three hours long. This is a fitting swan song to the most dependable action franchise in recent memory. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEUYTEYYrr4gyHO6LmlZWxnBTjvjtSb0qFcwf95iON9HsFtQM-TZHSka4UNKlvO8eSZ7wUViZkESsHYaL9CaXvINlGOsEeUTkzhCfJXlrRHTO5uK6y5LNIJupLKGWp3JLWiImdJH9YiC-rdWieUX_hYJUmixPQ7Az-FVmoQz5hpoC2ttXgWVac6xwoxSP/s1000/1103_holdovers-3-1000x667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEUYTEYYrr4gyHO6LmlZWxnBTjvjtSb0qFcwf95iON9HsFtQM-TZHSka4UNKlvO8eSZ7wUViZkESsHYaL9CaXvINlGOsEeUTkzhCfJXlrRHTO5uK6y5LNIJupLKGWp3JLWiImdJH9YiC-rdWieUX_hYJUmixPQ7Az-FVmoQz5hpoC2ttXgWVac6xwoxSP/w640-h426/1103_holdovers-3-1000x667.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Holdovers</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This was going to be in the honorable mentions, but I watched it again the other night, and it made its way into the top ten. Giamatti is great as always, but I mainly appreciate that a story that could easily delve into weepy melodrama stays funny and touching throughout.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHO8FkMEC52thB9Zo1C8oFMoa99BNYdMSES0uV-IUvYUBKHGRTr9KhCcJXpRHA6dHo0bRsEp5XIwkHNKd2rFDUHPxdRiD3ONOnk1TLNphilAPVIZMX8hwkCZWzJJUviCo1KS6HIGIpfRfCAE7U4AuBql2lZsMfwnwoDtUs-p1gt550atcrqzwmlQlzwmYy/s600/The_Killer_First_Reviews-Rep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="600" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHO8FkMEC52thB9Zo1C8oFMoa99BNYdMSES0uV-IUvYUBKHGRTr9KhCcJXpRHA6dHo0bRsEp5XIwkHNKd2rFDUHPxdRiD3ONOnk1TLNphilAPVIZMX8hwkCZWzJJUviCo1KS6HIGIpfRfCAE7U4AuBql2lZsMfwnwoDtUs-p1gt550atcrqzwmlQlzwmYy/w640-h334/The_Killer_First_Reviews-Rep.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Killer</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m a Fincher fan, so this was right up my alley. It’s also quite funny, as Fassbender keeps repeating rules like a mantra throughout despite breaking every one of them. Good stuff.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0PiAm2jY9lApvops_haf4t9OgZwdt8HdTf2mHha37EKXsdPHVHtKLggGM5BvtNRf6rkIYqDjKWFaWsVz07hf_VHazBe0lAoOBoyDaFlTSr81b0MR3nD2HEGBOiFnNZWTTWqpKmDfZxNqgx5WjYBmzSIyeqMVjWQUdRvizfSR8v9aAIrVyBnWF3PCGwRe/s2148/107276473-1692200730219-107276473-1690308883192-Screenshot_2023-07-25_at_20928_PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1262" data-original-width="2148" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm0PiAm2jY9lApvops_haf4t9OgZwdt8HdTf2mHha37EKXsdPHVHtKLggGM5BvtNRf6rkIYqDjKWFaWsVz07hf_VHazBe0lAoOBoyDaFlTSr81b0MR3nD2HEGBOiFnNZWTTWqpKmDfZxNqgx5WjYBmzSIyeqMVjWQUdRvizfSR8v9aAIrVyBnWF3PCGwRe/w640-h376/107276473-1692200730219-107276473-1690308883192-Screenshot_2023-07-25_at_20928_PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barbie</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Next to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I found this to be the funniest movie of the year. The sequence in which the Barbies conspire to take down the Kens cracked me up and also hurt with how accurate it was (fun fact: I would be the type of Ken who could be distracted by asking me about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Godfather</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVxY7hY8ow0go3xVvWzh13I4EsStyxuv4d1Q9Vttq3HdRpnNaAS_WY7ZFAh4Ujyuob_1-IjpAUZJjRWPDEyc28hat4kkfwmaPJa1HQmiSxXTZ4adm65vNljAQ_CVVeDfeJ_88UzacBTU0LOyjMj7lmi56lqs9xgwXEAnuG-RsRZShjN0j3uiJiETaWuKh/s1200/Honor_Among_Thieves1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVxY7hY8ow0go3xVvWzh13I4EsStyxuv4d1Q9Vttq3HdRpnNaAS_WY7ZFAh4Ujyuob_1-IjpAUZJjRWPDEyc28hat4kkfwmaPJa1HQmiSxXTZ4adm65vNljAQ_CVVeDfeJ_88UzacBTU0LOyjMj7lmi56lqs9xgwXEAnuG-RsRZShjN0j3uiJiETaWuKh/w640-h360/Honor_Among_Thieves1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Next to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barbie</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the funniest movie of the year. I had to watch it again to make sure I legitimately enjoyed this movie and it wasn’t just that I enjoyed it because I was expecting it to be garbage (thanks to the disastrous previous live action adaptation). But this is just awesome, even when you don’t compare it to crappier versions of it. The talking to the dead soldiers sequence put me over the top with this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Honorable Mentions - I also really liked all of these, and I’ll explain why in one sentence or phrase or name for each.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Boy and the Heron </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- Miyazaki is a blindspot for me, so maybe this isn’t as good as his best, but I wouldn’t know, so I loved it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">20 Days in Mariupol </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Should be required viewing for people like me who tend to ignore the news because it’s too depressing; yeah, it’s depressing, and the least I could do is be aware of it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leave the World Behind </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I know this one made a lot of people big mad with the ending or whatever, but I had a lot of fun with it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Napoleon </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- I am so happy that Ridley Scott is still out there making classic epic action movies with a touch of weirdness; looking forward to the director’s cut.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Promised Land </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- Mads fucking Mikkelsen growing potatoes.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Robot Dreams </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- The most delightful surprise of the year for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dream Scenario </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- Amusing metaphor for fame in our shitty digital world.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Beau Is Afraid </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- This one is wild, but it makes the list for the perfect encapsulation of anxiety exhibited in the first act.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Smoking Causes Coughing </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- So weird, so funny.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">- Saved this for last because people would probably stop reading if they knew this made my list, but fuck it, I love these stupid, crazy movies; I’m sick of superhero movies for the most part, but if they’re willing to be this goofy and weird, then I’m in.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-40552142287379431742023-12-25T19:18:00.001-06:002023-12-25T19:18:12.067-06:00Eyes Wide Shut - Bathroom Handshake<p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGzESae5BYo_STzW38imf-snlHrRtvt6vB8ppblhad-TSwXhE-chcMv8Zl1RpAXTxV25Lqi4Ez0WXZM7gBzIdN7e3EHGNgrREswWwzq97uMmw9GT1iRQvO8tAFtseIqmqEgab7s9GaOsTgYM2Lu-MIXQ-5MiV9i0BEVZozMrdSvlDZMZrY-n6vVmRU8Fq/s3214/20231221_044025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="3214" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGzESae5BYo_STzW38imf-snlHrRtvt6vB8ppblhad-TSwXhE-chcMv8Zl1RpAXTxV25Lqi4Ez0WXZM7gBzIdN7e3EHGNgrREswWwzq97uMmw9GT1iRQvO8tAFtseIqmqEgab7s9GaOsTgYM2Lu-MIXQ-5MiV9i0BEVZozMrdSvlDZMZrY-n6vVmRU8Fq/w640-h362/20231221_044025.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve been writing a yearly article about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Eyes Wide Shut </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">since 2018, and I don’t plan on stopping until I have nothing to say about this movie. No matter what, I will always plan on watching this movie around Christmas so I can watch it amid the glow of Christmas decorations. I truly think it enhances the experience. One day I might run out of things to share about this movie, but that didn’t happen this year. That said, I do believe my days of doing deep dives on this Kubrick film are over, and I’ll just write short articles about whatever jumps out at me with each subsequent viewing.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Part of the reason I’m stopping the deep dives is because of the fandom this movie has produced over the years. Just spend a few minutes on reddit or YouTube regarding this movie, and it’ll make your head spin. The conspiracy theories almost ruin the film for me at this point because nearly every one of them seem to claim that the “movie isn’t what it seems.” I like what “it seems” to be, though. Too many of these conspiracy theories seem born of people who initially hated Kubrick’s last film and had to find a way to enjoy it. I just enjoy it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Beyond the crazy stuff, there are people much more knowledgeable and motivated than me that have written book-length articles just about the art on the walls of the Harford apartment or how each degree of Freemasonry is represented in the film, etc. Whenever I try reading those articles, I just get lost in the history or whatever that I don’t know, and it just makes my head spin. Much like the conspiracy theorists, this stuff seems obsessed with everything but what is actually happening on screen. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For me these days, I only want to watch this movie and judge it by what I see on the screen and what I already know. I don’t want to have to do homework to watch this movie. I just watched it, and this is what spoke to me this time: the bathroom handshake.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXUbtHeRZY0Qw2Y8bVUD1UEFtjNVDi_Rwph50_JgzRKHeG1qt7_I-O9fMF_Dn90W-hfm7rSj-wmvJhUMXmnUHjxbVl0iZGedG-R8F0fpwWrpneFqeiVHTr46xOWuvuFWQwypuM-V8hfNL8xSfwuCK25KcjsvTzo_Caa-Dg_8ZUQnM9n2Irlr4gUulxdvL/s3172/20231221_044609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="3172" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXUbtHeRZY0Qw2Y8bVUD1UEFtjNVDi_Rwph50_JgzRKHeG1qt7_I-O9fMF_Dn90W-hfm7rSj-wmvJhUMXmnUHjxbVl0iZGedG-R8F0fpwWrpneFqeiVHTr46xOWuvuFWQwypuM-V8hfNL8xSfwuCK25KcjsvTzo_Caa-Dg_8ZUQnM9n2Irlr4gUulxdvL/w640-h366/20231221_044609.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Victor Ziegler: Big Dick Energy</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My favorite scene in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Eyes Wide Shut </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has always been the Victor Ziegler scene near the end around the pool table. The whole thing plays out very similarly to the orgy ritual, with Ziegler hitting the cue ball on the pool table like Red Cloak hitting his staff on the ground (some have theorized that this means Ziegler is Red Cloak, but that’s fucking stupid since he’s clearly the one in the pirate mask). It also leads to what makes me revisit this movie each year: Ziegler’s explanation of what happened. I change my mind on what I believe from him each time I see it. And Pollack is so good in the scene. He’s somehow convincing as both someone who wants to save and kill Bill.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But that scene isn’t what stuck out this time. It’s that first creepy moment near the beginning of the film. Bill is called up to Ziegler’s insanely fancy bathroom featuring erotic artwork, a couch, and a vanity (I used to think it was just a desk, but I noticed the mirror this time; it’s still a doozy of a vanity, but it’s more normal than just a desk being in there). Ziegler, a true rich degenerate, was sampling a hooker, Amanda, for the orgy the next night when she OD'd on him. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That alone is fucking insane. How unhinged is this man to pull this shit during his own Christmas party with what appears to be hundreds of guests? This couldn’t wait? This is just evidence that Ziegler feels above basic humanity. He’s rich and powerful enough to do whatever he wants, which apparently includes banging hookers in his bathroom/small apartment during social events.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Despite this feeling of power, though, he still sticks with simple customs, like handshakes. As Dr. Bill arrives to check on Amanda, Ziegler shakes his hand. This always struck me as odd. First off, they’ve already seen each other that evening, so it wasn’t a “hello” handshake. It feels more like a business handshake, because that’s what this situation has become: a cold, non-emotional issue that needs to be resolved. And you shake fucking hands when dealing with things like this.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">From this point on, Ziegler is all business. He just wants this woman out of the house as soon as possible because he’s done with her. You can see the annoyance on his face when Bill tells him Amanda needs to stay there for a few hours. Sure, he was worried that she might die, but not because the loss of human life would trouble him; it was because getting rid of a dead body in the middle of his Christmas party would be a nightmare.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">During this, Ziegler makes an odd power stance behind Bill, seeming to point to his own crotch while Bill checks on Amanda. He does a similar thing in the later scene when he stands at the pool table with the pool cue situated at his crotch. As if the situations weren’t example enough of his power, Ziegler must be exuding big dick energy at all times.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This has ramifications for Ziegler’s later explanation of the events at the orgy. There are times when I’ve watched this and believed everything Ziegler tells Bill. Perhaps that’s naive of me, but as I’ve gotten older conspiracy theories have become less interesting to me because they require more energy. It’s easier to just believe this prick. But not this time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">While I still think Nick Nightingale is alive (mainly because he was taken back to his hotel, which doesn’t really make sense if the goal is to kill him), I don’t believe that Amanda died of an overdose. He was so ready to be rid of her in the earlier scene that it was clear he didn’t see her as human. She was a product for him to use and throw away, if need be. The bathroom handshake started me down this route, but one line from Ziegler sealed it for me during the pool table scene when he describes Amanda’s death: “The police are happy.” </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">First off, how does he know they’re “happy”? And what a weird way to say that. Why not, “The police don’t suspect foul play” or something? Why bring up the police at all? It all just sounds like he’s trying too hard to make it seem normal when he’s already made it clear that he thought of her only as a disposable hooker. He draws the line at killing musicians with families (because that would lead to questions) and doctors (who can be of use to him), but a woman with an established drug problem? No loss there. All this from a handshake; so much for no more deep dives.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGTYW-YsnZGih0Z5rtD-aXF-zNlkKa7qVcCUnryGLWW_JnELwYuDkt8NptOqIe19kGp-l4sltJ4oy2oUa0gHFrSX0dt__71IAXvCpoYMkV6TFAQojKONN1potWwlVt3GXrdHzvSJmx5gYNNQlD5HkJnOgpbkOFSGlHzCfc_O2bmnyaXdJDO_BbHRcdB7h/s3011/20231223_012447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="3011" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGTYW-YsnZGih0Z5rtD-aXF-zNlkKa7qVcCUnryGLWW_JnELwYuDkt8NptOqIe19kGp-l4sltJ4oy2oUa0gHFrSX0dt__71IAXvCpoYMkV6TFAQojKONN1potWwlVt3GXrdHzvSJmx5gYNNQlD5HkJnOgpbkOFSGlHzCfc_O2bmnyaXdJDO_BbHRcdB7h/w640-h386/20231223_012447.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">You can tell Nick is bored playing at the party at the beginning. He's probably thinking, “The fuck party job is so much cooler than this shit.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There are random stacks of books throughout the Harford residence. I imagine Kubrick’s house always had books lying around everywhere.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Would you like to sit down?”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Sure, but first I need to put my hand on your dead dad's forehead because that seems like a doctorly thing to do.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Of all the Christmas movies, this benefits the most from being viewed next to the glow of a Christmas tree.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You should have tits you're standing so close!” What?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I wonder how many takes of eating Snackwell’s and smoking Kubrick put Kidman through. “Stanley, I'm on my third box of cookies and second pack of cigarettes, what do you want!”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the first time my dumbass noticed the tribal masks on Domino's wall.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There's never a good time to tell your husband about your dream of fucking other men while you laugh in his shamed face, but the night that you also told about your naval officer fantasy and his disastrous attempt at infidelity leading to a sex cult of the wealthy elite possibly planning to kill him is probably the worst time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Cruise is such a cocky prick when he hits on Domino's roommate. The way he says, “Hello, Sally,” makes me wish he contracted HIV from Domino.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Having Matt Pinfield stalk you through the streets of Pinewood NYC must be terrifying.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Always cracks me up seeing Bill drinking Budweiser.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-16299465543168467742023-12-19T18:04:00.001-06:002023-12-19T18:04:27.719-06:00Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Rare, Plain Gems<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2c5mabCxL9P7FMiMUVCcdkfK4ICkq-UD18pUa6s4gfRxNoiMtlN-twSjVwndJwD1PQOIfCxk0YDX1TYPSqfqUtjWnCbD9kX6dLMjXKnjANuIot4ibBnr2hSXZqBVG-HZEC46EPXkRLDsNNjKusbgxJBgWjtE9sULZHug4X-JF9UENAKAs0SZYPsqFyThW/s2880/20231219_175335.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2c5mabCxL9P7FMiMUVCcdkfK4ICkq-UD18pUa6s4gfRxNoiMtlN-twSjVwndJwD1PQOIfCxk0YDX1TYPSqfqUtjWnCbD9kX6dLMjXKnjANuIot4ibBnr2hSXZqBVG-HZEC46EPXkRLDsNNjKusbgxJBgWjtE9sULZHug4X-JF9UENAKAs0SZYPsqFyThW/w640-h640/20231219_175335.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Something I never would have predicted happened to me this summer: a new </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie came out, and I didn’t make a point to watch it. To be clear, this isn’t because </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kingdom of the Crystal Skull </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">ruined the series for me (I actually like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skull</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but I understand why others hate it). I didn’t watch </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dial </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">immediately because of Disney.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve written before about how <a href="https://whydiot.blogspot.com/2019/12/im-just-star-wars-fan.html?m=0">Disney has altered my fandom of </a></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://whydiot.blogspot.com/2019/12/im-just-star-wars-fan.html?m=0">Star Wars</a></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Essentially, I still like the franchise, but there’s so much now (all the movies and TV shows) where there was once so little (six main movies and cartoons and EU stuff that could be ignored, if you like) that it became just another bloated franchise to me. I still like it, but it’s no longer a big deal. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is different. This is the first, and supposedly only, project they’ve created for the franchise. Because of this, and the announcement of James Mangold as director, I was initially excited. There weren’t five TV shows or a bunch of recap videos I had to watch to understand who was who and what was going on. This was going to be a simple return to the world of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Then I saw the tepid response from Letterboxd entries and reviews. It was a resounding, “That was certainly an </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> movie,” or “Well, it was better than </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crystal Skull</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.” Honestly, I would have been more excited if people had been calling it the worst in the franchise. I’ll take total dogshit over “meh” any day when it comes to movies. It appeared, based on the snippets of reviews and responses I read, that Disney had played it safe, so I figured I could wait until this came to Disney+ or was cheap on Vudu (I went with Vudu, but it is now on Disney+.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When I finally got around to watching it in late November, I was pleasantly surprised by </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dial</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. The lowered expectation certainly helped, but I enjoyed this final Indy movie. Like others, I didn’t think it reached the heights of the original films, but it was a lot more fun than people had been letting on. But after a rewatch and thinking about it a bit, I realized that Disney had changed my fandom again.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Disney’s treatment of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has lowered my expectations to the point that average is now great. Yes, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dial </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is pretty forgettable as a final film in one of cinema’s most beloved action franchises, but it’s not a completely soulless cash grab that sets up a dozen other shows, movies, and games, so…thumbs up?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It saddens me a little that Disney has turned my once fiery fandom into a defeated acceptance of whatever they churn out, but it’s probably for the best. No one wants to read a forty-year-old dude rant and rave about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. (Based on my site numbers, no one wants to read what this forty-year-old dude has to say about anything, but that’s understandable, there’s a lot of us on the internet.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Still, Disney had a chance to do something a little different here. </span><a href="https://thedirect.com/article/disney-indiana-jones-franchise-end" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They claim that the series is over, and no one is taking over the role</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Assuming they plan to stick with that plan (and I think they will, at least until Ford and Lucas have been gone for a few years), </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dial </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">could have been the rare true ending for a franchise. But instead, it felt like the middle. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">*</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">SPOILERS BEYOND*</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They had a chance to either kill off Indy or let him live out his final days in the distant past. Instead, he’s brought back home to experience a Mutt-less version of the ending of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crystal Skull</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, even down to him grabbing the hat back at the end instead of letting it go. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I understand why they didn’t want to kill him off; it’s an unnecessary and predictable bummer of an end. But why introduce time travel and not let him stay in the past? The character is arguing to be left there, and as an audience member I was supposed to be on Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s side saying, “No, you have to live!” But instead, I was thinking, “This makes sense for you as a character. Enjoy your final days goofing off with Archimedes.” </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But the Disney machine is incapable of doing something like that. Even with their bullshit about actually ending the series, they still made sure to include a younger version of Indy in the form of the never-before-mentioned goddaughter played by Waller-Bridge. And you know she’s there just in case her character somehow becomes beloved and the film is astronomically successful (neither of which happened), so that Disney has somewhere to go beyond Harrison Ford. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Perhaps I’m being too cynical, and Waller-Bridge is simply here to inject some young energy into the series. Fine, but that’s also something Disney seems to always try and fail to do. It’s this obvious attempt to placate old fans (“Here’s Harrison Ford, we brought Sallah back! Do you love us yet?”) and new fans (“We know you kids don’t know who these old men are, but what about this lady and this Short-Round facsimile? Do you love us yet?”), and it almost always leaves both sides feeling indifferent. I would rather they just let someone make a true film without having to consider anything like that. But it seems like writers and directors are given a list of shit that must happen in these movies, and they have to try to sneak in a good movie somewhere in the middle of it all. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But I claimed I liked this, right? I really do. Disney has changed my fandom, but I’m still capable of enjoying </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">on a surface level. And this film has all the things I want from the series: ridiculous punch sound effects, Nazis as the bad guys, chase scenes, John Williams(ish) music, slightly true historical stuff, some supernatural stuff, etc. And when I wasn’t being taken out of the film by some of the weaker elements (it’s too long, the de-aging stuff is a little distracting, etc.), I had a good time with it. And I’ve watched it three times now, and I still enjoy it each time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sure, when I stop and think about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dial of Destiny </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">as the final </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Indiana Jones </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">film, it doesn’t hold up. But that’s no way to watch a movie like this. When I watch it just to watch it; it’s fun, and that’s it. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Disney or any other film company is not capable of recreating the magic of the films of my childhood. You can’t replicate the past, and they should stop trying, and we should stop expecting them to be able to do it in the first place. So I know I’m not getting anything special from Disney. But I have come to appreciate the rare, plain gems that they’ve produced over the years, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Dial of Destiny </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is one of them.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This should have been the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No Time to Die </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">of the series (flawed, but at least the character [at least this version] is unequivocally done. Instead, it was more like the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Moonraker</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, not as bad as you’d think, but certainly not special.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Took me a couple viewings, but I noticed that instead of the Paramount mountain transition that started the first four entries, we get the Lucasfilm logo transitioning into a lock on the back of a truck…lame.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Aside from the foreboding music at the very beginning (and the iconic flourishes here and there), the score is a bit of a letdown.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I don’t mind the de-aging, but the voice is definitely still aged.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">After Mikkelsen survived that hit to the head on the train, I expected there to be a supernatural twist, like he had already used the dial to go back and save himself or something (I know, I know, paradox blah blah blah, but that’s time travel for you). For him to have simply survived it is crazy, even for this series.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The chase scenes are okay, but way too long. Trim those down and maybe this thing gets closer to two hours, which would be a vast improvement.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">What is up with the one CIA dude on crutches? Holbrook even asks how he broke his ankle. Did I miss something, or is this an even lamer version of C-3PO's red arm?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, so much has happened between movies. Mutt joined the military to piss Indy off? First off, they seemed to be on pretty good terms at the end of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crystal Skull</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Second, Mutt didn’t seem to be a big fan of authority. Sure, he was nineteen in that movie, but I don’t see how you go from rebellious (as in literally dressed like Marlon Brando’s character in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Wild One </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">who is a rebel just for the sake of being one) to joining the military when you hit thirty. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m typically not a fan of underwater diving sequences…and I’m still not.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“My friend was just murdered!” Thanks, Indy, I was thinking the same thing.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“They’re not going to hurt him.” You mean the Nazis who have literally killed everyone in their path so far? Yeah…</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Bring him.” But why? I get that the movie can’t just let Indy lie there and die in the cave, but at least have Mikkelsen explain why they need to bring him. Just have him say something like, “I may need help with the calculations” or something equally generic to justify it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Ear of Dionysus is no Petra, but it's still a cool real world location. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They really fucked up not leaving Indy in the past. Why do basically a repeat of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Crystal Skull</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> ending even down to the hat fake out? I just don't get it.</span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-66869388878067054242023-12-18T16:35:00.002-06:002023-12-18T23:18:21.790-06:00Poor Things - Kubrickian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9hyoHmiI66bJA0NIXi8TCK8Ww-GoFdekMddx_hwDHMAcHAaBrMGInYdJoflbCr7Z5igBkFRk1gEaNg4zPEKP1CIESsy7RGbwq9mxobz__X_OlLXGMhWqDbgPtOQ5jd9yZNWleSMQli6rZ_hCZ8PlLgTz98Xt5T8CmML51-tXe-ozgOlTZppRL2GBnHHA/s2880/20231218_163253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9hyoHmiI66bJA0NIXi8TCK8Ww-GoFdekMddx_hwDHMAcHAaBrMGInYdJoflbCr7Z5igBkFRk1gEaNg4zPEKP1CIESsy7RGbwq9mxobz__X_OlLXGMhWqDbgPtOQ5jd9yZNWleSMQli6rZ_hCZ8PlLgTz98Xt5T8CmML51-tXe-ozgOlTZppRL2GBnHHA/w640-h640/20231218_163253.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yorgos Lanthimos’s films have always been divisive, with films like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dogtooth, The Lobster</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Killing of a Sacred Deer </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">either completely working for people (like me) or falling completely flat on their deadpan faces for others. Then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Favourite </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">came out and garnered a lot of awards attention (Olivia Colman won Best Actress and the film was nominated in nearly every major category). While </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Favourite </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has its odd moments, it’s positively mainstream for a Lanthimos movie, which is why it disappointed me. I was afraid that Lanthimos had lost his weird edge. Then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">kicked in the door holding a chicken dog, peed on the floor, tried to punch a baby, and let out a noxious burp bubble into the air.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In other words, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is wildly strange all around. It’s also the funniest, most well-acted, and inventive film of the year. (It’s also my personal favorite, and <a href="https://whydiot.blogspot.com/2023/12/2023-ifja-awards.html?m=1">it won Best Picture from the Indiana Film Journalists Association</a>.) </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is hard to summarize, but here goes: Emma Stone plays Bella, a Frankenstein’s Monster-ish creation of scientist Baxter (Willem Dafoe). She begins the movie as an adult with the mind of a baby, but as she matures at a rapid rate, she decides to see the world with one of the best cinematic rapscallions of all time in Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, in a shockingly funny performance). Bella sees the best and worst of the world, and it’s all presented in fantastical, horrible, and hilarious ways. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I typically do not like writing plot summaries (you can always just Google it or watch a trailer or something), but I liked the challenge of it for this one since I liked it so much. This movie simply works on every level for me in a way that I haven’t felt since Stanley Kubrick’s films (more on that later).</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The writing (Tony McNamara, adapting the novel by Alasdair Gray) is the standout element, as the entire film is quotable. It’s funny, but the straightforward, child-like dialogue of Bella also points out many of the ridiculous elements of humanity. And while it’s all quirky and funny, I still cared about most of the characters, though they could be framed as villains in other films (especially Dafoe’s character). </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It takes skill to deliver the funniest lines of the script, especially in Lanthimos’s signature tone. And Emma Stone is perfect. She has to play an adult baby, a prostitute, and a scientist all in one role. Her performance as an adult baby alone is adwards-worthy, the rest is just a bonus. And Mark Ruffalo is an amazing foil to her. It’s funny when he just goes along with Bella’s oddness, but it’s the best when she finally breaks him, causing him wonder, “What the fuck are you talking about?” multiple times throughout. His transformation throughout the film is equally impressive and amusing. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The writing and acting are so great in this film, it almost seems to be a waste that the music and production design are so unique, as well, because they are nearly an afterthought when they would be the standouts in other, weaker films. The discordant score captures the unsettling mood of each scene. And the creatures (what other film has a chicken dog walking around with no one talking about it?) and set decoration complete the picture by creating a world that is recognizable but also fantastical. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">All of this is enough to make this one of my favorite movies in recent years. But it’s the Kubrickian element that I think will cement this among my all-time favorite films. Lanthimos is no stranger to the Kubrick comparison. Anyone who uses deadpan humor, tracking shots, and slow zooms gets compared to Kubrick at some point. This is why I usually don’t like calling things Kubrickian these days. While </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">does have all those Kubrick-like elements, I label it as Kubrickian for what it represents in Lanthimos’s career arc. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">isn’t actually similar, story-wise, to anything Kubrick would make. But it is the kind of movie he would make. Kubrick, while toiling around in similar thematic areas with his films, never tried to make the same film twice. And Lanthimos appears to be on that same track. The fact that I didn’t love </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Favourite </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">now seems like a good thing. If he kept making movies like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Lobster </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">over and over, it would get tiring immediately. To go from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sacred Deer</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Favourite </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Things </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">shows a willingness to go to new, interesting places, much like how Kubrick could go from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Barry Lyndon </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Shining </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Full Metal Jacket</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. The style may be similar, but the content shows a desire to keep things interesting. And for Lanthimos, that also means getting very weird sometimes, and that works for me. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I only focused on Stone and Ruffalo, but truly every performance in this is great. Dafoe is amazing, of course, and Ramy Youssef has many great moments reacting to Dafoe’s craziness. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is a gloriously demented mashup of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Benjamin Button</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jack</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">,</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Forrest Gump</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Fate had brought me a dead body and a live infant. It was obvious.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“It…was?”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“She grabbed my hairy business!”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I was chloroforming goats all morning. I may have ingested too much.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Lanthimos is truly like Kubrick. It’s not just that their films share some superficial similarities, it’s the tone in which they are made. This very much strikes me as the type of film Kubrick would make if he were still alive.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I worry myself in typing this, but Yorgos Lanthimos gets me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I am so happy to live in a world in which a company is willing to give this lunatic a lot of money to make hilarious shit like this, which is a film that dares to ask, “What if Dr. Frankenstein was good at his job?” </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The segment of her just wanting to eat, drink, and fuck reminded me of when Bender became a human on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Futurama</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I never knew I needed to hear Mark Ruffalo say, “What the fuck are you talking about?” in a British accent. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Hope is smashable. Realism is not.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Usually, I think movies don’t justify their length, but I could watch Emma Stone break down situations in a deadpan manner for five hours, at least. My favorite was her working out how it made sense to start working in a Parisian brothel.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Her first customer kind of looks like Will Forte from the plane sketch in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I Think You Should Leave</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Hence, I seek employment at your musty-smelling establishment of good-time fornication.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“She is no different to the chicken dog.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“He has cancer, you fucking idiot.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the most exciting character Ruffalo has played in years, maybe ever.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-18726717482947383332023-12-18T05:47:00.000-06:002023-12-18T05:47:00.343-06:002023 IFJA Awards<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvU2Jkg2NGO-UyEt-nfCdweG7s2LX4rdfkycHQwq3D-5O6vV6G-GdBwO0mzA-mDlVIvbn-fAQ5EFVpYpDW55ksZpPPLuQWPqTGUewpIrhCMIVfcCTU56AnUNYfgcSgmQiNN8eQscwm9YIZ6H2zHHcu5X_5ZWGft5U4G-tgVKwi_jvQrA60KsenRZmtj-3/s522/2023%20awards%20web%20banner%204_3-01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="522" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOvU2Jkg2NGO-UyEt-nfCdweG7s2LX4rdfkycHQwq3D-5O6vV6G-GdBwO0mzA-mDlVIvbn-fAQ5EFVpYpDW55ksZpPPLuQWPqTGUewpIrhCMIVfcCTU56AnUNYfgcSgmQiNN8eQscwm9YIZ6H2zHHcu5X_5ZWGft5U4G-tgVKwi_jvQrA60KsenRZmtj-3/w640-h478/2023%20awards%20web%20banner%204_3-01.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Indiana Film Journalists Association has named </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Poor Things”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> the best film of 2023, a strong showing that also included Best Lead Performance for </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Emma Stone</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mark Ruffalo</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> for Best Supporting Performance, Best Director for </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Yorgos Lanthimos</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, Best Adapted Screenplay (</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tony McNamara</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), Original Vision and Best Ensemble Acting. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Its seven wins is the most ever in the 15 years of the IFJA awards.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Oppenheimer,”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> which was named runner-up for Best Film, also was runner-up in four other categories: directing, lead and supporting performance, and ensemble acting. It notched three wins: Cinematography, Editing and Musical Score. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Eight other films were voted Finalists for Best Film. Along with the winner and runner-up, they represent the IFJA’s selection as the Top 10 movies of the year. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The Zone of Interest”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> was awarded Best Foreign Language Film and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> won Best Animated Film. </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Kokomo City”</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> was named Best Documentary.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">David Hemingson</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> took the Best Original Screenplay award for </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“The Holdovers.” </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Writer/director </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Celine Song</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> earned the Breakout of the Year Award for her debut film, </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Past Lives.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award, which goes to a film or filmmaker with Indiana ties, went to </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sam Mirpoorian</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, director of the documentary </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Greener Pastures.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">IFJA members issued this statement for the Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Sam Mirpoorian has shown that an Indiana-based filmmaker can make major waves across the cinematic landscape. His documentary ‘Greener Pastures’ is a powerful look at the lives of independent farmers shot over several years, traveling alongside them before and during Covid, observing their struggles with depression and substance abuse but always demanding we see their intrinsic dignity as those who nourish us. Mirpoorian has rendered those who were largely invisible indelible in our eyes and hearts.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In addition to the winner, IFJA recognizes a runner-up in each category (with one exception, noted below). Here is the complete list:</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Picture</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Other Best Film Finalists:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (listed alphabetically)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Barbie</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Holdovers</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">John Wick: Chapter 4</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Killers of the Flower Moon</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">May December</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Past Lives</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Robot Dreams</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Animated Film</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Robot Dreams</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Foreign Language Film</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: The Zone of Interest</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Godzilla Minus One</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Documentary Film</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Kokomo City</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: 20 Days in Mariupol</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Original Screenplay</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: David Hemingson, The Holdovers</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Samy Burch (screenplay/story) and Alex Mechanik (story), May December</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Adapted Screenplay</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Tony McNamara, Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, Barbie</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Director</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Lead Performance</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Emma Stone, Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Supporting Performance</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Robert Downey, Jr., Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Vocal/Motion Capture Performance</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Hailee Steinfeld, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Shameik Moore, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Ensemble Acting</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Musical Score</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Ludwig Göransson, Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Robbie Robertson, Killers of the Flower Moon</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Breakout of the Year</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Celine Song, Past Lives</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Charles Melton, May December</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Cinematography</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Hoyte van Hoytema, Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Dan Laustsen, John Wick: Chapter 4</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Editing</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Jennifer Lame, Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Thelma Schoonmaker, Killers of the Flower Moon</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Best Stunt/Movement Choreography</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Jeremy Marinas (fight coordinator), Scott Rogers (stunt coordinator) and Stephen Levy (stunt choreographer), John Wick: Chapter 4</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Jennifer White (choreographer) and Lisa Welham (associate choreographer), Barbie</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Original Vision Award</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Poor Things</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Runner-up: Barbie</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Edward Johnson-Ott Hoosier Award*</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Winner: Director Sam Mirpoorian, Greener Pastures</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">*As a special honor, no runner-up is named for the Hoosier Award. It is named after founding IFJA member and longtime NUVO Newsweekly critic Edward Johnson-Ott.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">About IFJA:</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> The Indiana Film Journalists Association was established in 2009 to celebrate cinema and promote quality film criticism in the Hoosier State. To be eligible for our awards, a film must have had a general release on any platform during the current calendar year, screened to IFJA critics in advance of a following year release date, or play in a major Indiana film festival.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://indianafilmjournalists.com" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">http://indianafilmjournalists.com</span></span></a></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-66264418959814787862023-11-29T16:45:00.001-06:002023-11-29T16:45:07.589-06:00My Wife’s DVDs - Fried Green Tomatoes<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGnmsE2feKvkt4IPdUSFBr1QdcO7M1GNr_pWehry8z5nYqQEZxBxE3Tqxv-YlIZk0ouaR9muV9P-325VRjdrkBzC2zrruoBChpwmZBmrQJzgtNGsJ1W22_WohwWyHIUj9qDH3hhHbJJ3gZlBIpJZ1qTQlgsakqndztGlZqFL2NO7xHemlTiY-v_UDrQZZ/s2402/20231120_210951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2402" data-original-width="1816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvGnmsE2feKvkt4IPdUSFBr1QdcO7M1GNr_pWehry8z5nYqQEZxBxE3Tqxv-YlIZk0ouaR9muV9P-325VRjdrkBzC2zrruoBChpwmZBmrQJzgtNGsJ1W22_WohwWyHIUj9qDH3hhHbJJ3gZlBIpJZ1qTQlgsakqndztGlZqFL2NO7xHemlTiY-v_UDrQZZ/w484-h640/20231120_210951.jpg" width="484" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; white-space-collapse: preserve;">*<b>SPOILERS</b>*</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is the fourth entry in this series, but in many ways, this is the first true pick because it hits my biggest blind spot in cinema: chick flicks. I doubt that’s an acceptable phrase these days, and I’m okay with not using it anymore because one of my goals in watching my wife’s DVD collection is to open my mind to movies I once thought weren’t for me. And when I was growing up </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fried Green Tomatoes </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">definitely seemed like a movie that was not made with me in mind. I won’t apologize for not wanting to watch movies like this as a child, but avoiding them as an adult is just sexist.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s sexist because the reason why I would think a movie like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fried Green Tomatoes </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">isn’t for me is because the main cast is female. That shouldn’t keep me from giving a movie a chance. This was made doubly true after I asked my wife why she liked this movie enough to own it, and she said it was because of the perspectives it presented for the time and place of the story. If a woman watches this for a new perspective, then a dipshit dude like me definitely needs to see it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The different perspectives presented in this movie are the second-class citizens of the South in the Depression era. The bulk of the story is about the lives of Idgie and Ruth, two women who open a restaurant in their small town (where the titular tomatoes come from). Rather than accept the situation their gender and time period placed upon them, they persevere to live the way they want…to a point (more on that later). </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Idgie and Big George are able to save Ruth from an abusive marriage, and at their restaurant they strive to treat everybody as equally as they can (they are reminded to make sure the African-American customers stay outside behind the restaurant though everyone is fine with a Big George cooking for whites </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">blacks), but there are plenty of struggles. The KKK is present, and Ruth’s estranged husband is a looming threat. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Refreshingly, the sheriff helps out with the Klan, and Ruth’s husband is killed by Sipsey. Big George gets rid of his body by cooking it and feeding it to the detective investigating the murder. When typed out, that feels like quite the gruesome turn for a movie I once considered exclusively for women. It’s still a wild plot point, and it’s the only thing I kind of knew about the movie even though I had never seen it. The dark comedy of the detective eating multiple plates of the man he’s searching for is easily my favorite part, but the whole movie works for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It mainly works because all the main characters are likable. And while I’m more pessimistic about how this situation would have turned out in reality, it was nice to see this small community come together to protect each other, even getting a preacher to lie in court at one point. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The one aspect that seemed missing in the film was a full acknowledgement of Idgie and Ruth’s relationship. It’s very clear that they are in love beyond friendship, and in the book this is overt (at least that’s what the summary I read claimed). But for a film in 1991, an open lesbian relationship must have been deemed too controversial for a mainstream movie. At least it wasn’t completely excised since I was able to pick up on the undertones. Since the hint of the relationship is there, this isn’t a weak point in the film; it’s just something that I think would be more overt if it was made today. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As with most of my cinematic blindspots, I’m glad I finally checked this out thanks to my wife’s DVD collection. While I know there are some movies coming up that truly aren’t for me (looking at you, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Notebook</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), I am done dismissing any of them as movies only meant for women. From here on out, if I think a movie sucks it will be because it sucks, not because I didn’t even watch it because “it’s not for me.” It’s not fair to lump </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fried Green Tomatoes </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in with something like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fifty Shades of Grey </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(which I did see with my wife opening weekend, and which does suck) just because I’m not the target audience. They are wildly different movies, both in content and quality, and it’s stupid to put them under the same label.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-87047803476096722832023-10-31T02:21:00.004-05:002023-10-31T02:21:38.330-05:00Halloween - Ranked<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_P4nXcLsRVYIkYmLGLFfYw6Bi4Xdce4GqOXsjkufwKz_7D1zr4X7aMs6qYsDFTzeDqg2MIAodJfuDD_V0j83wucb6TxDhV9bcgzdeW86wlawary6412pd8iu1QDYDk-493g6_k96H0J_s6ODTH578SYd2EQnepBInPNGGXgXRNU7soitOU59BPIrtGSN/s2880/20231030_234819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu_P4nXcLsRVYIkYmLGLFfYw6Bi4Xdce4GqOXsjkufwKz_7D1zr4X7aMs6qYsDFTzeDqg2MIAodJfuDD_V0j83wucb6TxDhV9bcgzdeW86wlawary6412pd8iu1QDYDk-493g6_k96H0J_s6ODTH578SYd2EQnepBInPNGGXgXRNU7soitOU59BPIrtGSN/w640-h640/20231030_234819.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When I started watching this entire series, I wasn’t much of a fan. I had seen the original and a handful of sequels, but there were a lot of blindspots. Now that I’ve watched them all (some of them multiple times), I’m definitely a fan of the series, though it still ranks beneath </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">for me. For the most part, I enjoy the original but then I want something different from the sequels and remakes. The series is so all over the place, but I find something to enjoy in all of these movies. Some are funny, some are brutal, some are so bad they’re good, etc. In other words, this isn’t a scientific ranking. It’s just which ones are my favorite at the time. I’ve already written about all of these in individual articles, so I’ll keep my reasoning short for each entry. Just know that this is the ranking of someone who watched all of these close together and that rewatchability is a big factor for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Oh, and speaking as someone who has done a number of these horror rankings now, this series is the absolute worst when it comes to keeping the titles unique. There are three </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">s and two </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween II</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">s, for instance. It makes writing about it annoying as I don’t like having to include years in parentheses after the title. Anyway, I just wanted to bitch about that a little. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(1978)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I first watched this years ago, I didn’t understand why it was considered a classic, especially in terms of John Carpenter’s work. While it’s still a bit low among Carpenter’s work for me, my appreciation of this as a slasher film has grown with each new viewing. I love the simplicity of it. There is no baggage to this film that every sequel and remake inevitably has to deal with. You can just sit back and enjoy it. I also like how much of it takes place during the day time, and, of course, Carpenter’s music is perfect.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween Ends</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I imagine I lost a few people with this one, but who cares? I love this entry. I honestly considered putting it at number one for a bit. The mood of the film gets me every time, and I honestly cared about what happened to the main characters. The “ending” promised by the title felt a little tacked on, but I also appreciate the filmmakers finally giving this series a definitive ending…until the next reboot, that is.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween Kills</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This felt like a brutal ‘80s slasher done with the craft I’ve come to expect from David Gordon Green. It’s hyper violent and goofy. That might put some people off, but that’s what I want from this series. If it wasn’t for the “Evil dies tonight” stuff, it would be number 2, at least.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(2018)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Obviously, the new movies worked for me. Each one felt different, which I appreciated, with this one feeling like an attempt to make it like the original. They did a good job of it, but it also makes it the least interesting entry in the new trilogy. Still, it’s leaps and bounds above the other nonsense.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween III: Season of the Witch</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Honestly, this one shouldn’t even be considered a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie. But once you get past the fact that this was an attempt to turn the series into an anthology series rather than a Michael Myers series, there’s a lot of fun to be had with it. My favorite aspect is how much of a dirtbag Tom Atkins is in it. At one point, he seems to slow the investigation down just so he can get some beer. And the mythology stuff they made up for this is so wacky you have to laugh. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Much like my enjoyment of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">III</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, this is definitely in the “so bad it’s good” territory. I prefer the Producer’s Cut, but it’s still incomprehensible trash. There are magic runes and a cult or something. It’s wild. But they were going for something with this nonsense, and I appreciate it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This one is sloppy, but it has my favorite Loomis appearance. He is so unhinged in this, and it’s great. He holds up a child as bait for Michael Myers at one point. It’s nuts. This set of movies really made Loomis seem crazier than Michael.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This one get a lot of love from the fans as a return to form for the series, but I found it a bit boring. I get that bringing Michael back was a popular move, but I only enjoy this one because it’s the beginning of Loomis totally losing his mind.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween II </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(1981)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This one is fine if you just wanted a direct continuation of the first film, just done a bit more poorly. But it features a horror movie pet peeve that I cannot stand with the dark, empty hospital. Maybe hospitals were like that back then, but I just find it crazy that there’s hardly anyone around, and they keep the lights off. And I don’t like that this one created the “Laurie is Michael’s sister” plotline.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween II </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(2009)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I claimed to want something different from the sequels, and Rob Zombie delivered with this one. It’s just not a fun watch for me. I appreciate it, and it’s honestly more interesting than most of the films in this series. But for my rankings, I have to put it near the bottom because I never want to see it again.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">11. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween H20: 20 Years Later</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maybe I’m too harsh with this one, but I just didn’t care for how much it was trying to be </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream with Michael Myers</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">12. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(2007)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rob Zombie made this his own, but he was handcuffed by the mythology, forced to give all the backstory of Myers that I’m just not interested in. And just like his much better sequel, it’s not a fun watch for me. It’s an ugly, brutal movie, and I appreciate that, but give me crazy Loomis and magic rocks over this shit every time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">13. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween: Resurrection</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I do enjoy Busta Rhymes in this piece of dog shit, but overall this is just the laziest entry in the series. And the tacked on beginning featuring Jamie Lee Curtis is a middle finger to the series. This stupidity should be a lot more fun, but for me, it was just unbearable.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-18173071363782713882023-10-30T15:40:00.003-05:002023-10-30T15:40:57.802-05:00Halloween, Kills, Ends - The New Trilogy<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4RewAL_eVoKw0yNDDwSnSBbgOA7ZDfSBXMmryfciqDdhteXUMKETJoQxXZW7KB1hQsTGvyeTH_BVO9roJy0VE2zeWavmPbZTocPw2hYSXedH8qbPzegxb3sz7NN4j69yiU1dSq0uqjylNMiSC8fHRgiYtjefP8zBTBIg953DdGi1dNxkDNlCUzqM57hR/s2880/20231030_083104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4RewAL_eVoKw0yNDDwSnSBbgOA7ZDfSBXMmryfciqDdhteXUMKETJoQxXZW7KB1hQsTGvyeTH_BVO9roJy0VE2zeWavmPbZTocPw2hYSXedH8qbPzegxb3sz7NN4j69yiU1dSq0uqjylNMiSC8fHRgiYtjefP8zBTBIg953DdGi1dNxkDNlCUzqM57hR/w640-h640/20231030_083104.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The release of the newest </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">trilogy from writer/director David Gordon Green and writer Danny McBride spurred me on to watch every single entry. It wasn’t that I loved them at first, it just made sense to finally watch them all since the series was relevant at the moment. I liked the 2018 (hereafter just referred to as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) film well enough, but </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">didn’t impress me at first. Then I watched them all and revisited those two films along with the newest entry, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween Ends</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and something clicked with me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The general consensus is that </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was a great return to form for the series, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">destroyed that goodwill, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was head-scratchingly bad. But as I rewatch these films, I feel nearly the opposite. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is my favorite with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">a close second, and I find </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to be the most boring entry (though I really like that one, too). After watching </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">the first time, it made me reflect on what Green and McBride may have been trying to do with this trilogy.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">To be clear, I didn’t do any research as far as watching interviews about this or any other behind the scenes material. In all likelihood, there was not much of a plan when it came to this trilogy, especially since the pandemic messed with their original release schedule. Much like the most recent </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">trilogy, each film seems to be its own thing, adding and dropping ideas from film to film. That didn’t work for me with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Star Wars</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but with a sloppy-ass series like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, it didn’t bother me at all.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, it seemed like this was the attempt to make a classic </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">film. Every sequel was ignored, and Jamie Lee Curtis was brought back once again, this time sticking with the original plotline that did </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">not </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">have her revealed as Michael Myers’s sister. John Carpenter was brought on to do the music (and as a name-only producer), and it generally felt like it belonged in the same world as the first film. It did well critically and commercially (a rarity for the series), and people were excited about the series for the first time in a long time. I like it, but upon a rewatch I find it a bit boring and too safe. We all know Michael is going to escape and get his mask, yet we still have to go through the motions we’ve seen multiple times. I wish the film had moved a bit faster. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">directly addresses my issues as it lives up to its title. Michael is a true killing machine in this from the get-go, and we don’t have to waste time with him finding his mask or any nonsense like that. The first film took its time setting up his return, so </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">gets to unleash him. In this way, the film felt like Green and McBride doing their best version of an ‘80s slasher movie. Goofy characters are introduced seemingly just to be killed, and the kills are much more brutal this time around. Critics, and some audiences, were put off by this, for some reason. I’ve read comments along the lines of feeling “betrayed” by the setup of the first film to then take this turn. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But this is exactly what I want from a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie. I want to get introduced to Lenny Clarke playing with a drone, only to have Michael using Lenny’s back as a knife block moments later as Lenny’s wife watches as she fights for her life. I feel like Gordon and McBride found that elusive sweet spot of goofy and horrific with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The only thing that holds it back for me is the “Evil dies tonight!” nonsense, and the tacked on idea that the anger of the townspeople somehow powers Michael. Yes, the mob forming and forcing a mental patient to kill himself makes a bit of a point of how Michael and fear in general has messed up the town. But the mob then attacking the actual Michael being presented as something wrong that inadvertently powers Michael didn’t work for me. What were they supposed to do, forgive him? It just felt like an afterthought tacked on to this otherwise gloriously gnarly film.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">comes out and Michael spends a lot of it hanging out in a sewer while a dude named Corey sort of becomes the new Michael while trying to date Jamie Lee Curtis’s granddaughter. This movie should suck, but it’s my favorite of the trilogy and nearly my favorite in the entire series. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">By leaving Michael and Laurie on the sidelines for much of the film, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is able to finally present Haddonfield as an actual town. More people are introduced, but not just to be killed (but yeah, almost all of them end up dead). They are there to show how ugly this town has become and how Corey and Allyson are products of the town’s response to Michael. My main issue with the commentary about the townspeople in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is that it just doesn’t make sense that Michael’s actions in the 1978 original are enough to alter a town so much. (One of Allyson’s friends mentions this in the first film, but that doesn’t excuse it.) It simply isn’t plausible to me that the town would be able to be this riled up so quickly, but it’s a movie, so who cares? It just didn’t work for me. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But the amount of kills in…um…</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> coupled with Michael’s supernatural ability to survive and disappear legitimizes the darkness of Haddonfield in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. This makes for a disjointed experience which is why it’s probably true that these guys had no idea this is what the third film would be like, but it somehow works. Corey’s transformation from unlucky babysitter to new Michael is compelling because you can understand how the town did this to him. There’s still some supernatural stuff happening with him and Michael (he stares at him and makes some connection, and he appears to heal faster when he kills later on), but in general he seems to be more the product of Haddonfield than Michael’s evil puppet or something. Michael is just a gateway for him. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There’s a lot about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">that I love, like the score and soundtrack or the brutality of the kills once Corey goes full Michael, but what sticks out the most to me is that they were able to replace Michael with some angsty dude, and it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t care who had the mask on when that blow torch kill happened because it was awesomely brutal. This may be called </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">because of the literal destruction of Michael at the end (though this feels more like fan service than where the story was naturally going), but it was the end for me because it made Michael irrelevant for most of the movie. And if Michael doesn’t matter, then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">can finally end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It made sense for Jamie Lee Curtis to be back for the first film, but it seemed like they were forced to include her in the sequels. This is why you have that mob nonsense in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">at the hospital because Laurie was stuck at the hospital, so there had to be some reason for something to happen there. But the point of the first film was that she was actually irrelevant to Michael. She was just in his way, and this is confirmed by having the doctor lead Michael to Laurie’s compound. It would have been much more satisfying if the rest of Laurie’s story arc was her dealing with the fact that her whole life of prepping was for this made up idea in her head that Michael was after her. But then they have Michael kill Karen, and it justifies Laurie’s mission. And by having Michael come back at the end of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">it adds even more fuel to her made up narrative. He was just there to get the mask from Corey. It had nothing to do with Laurie. Once again, she was just in the way. And these films never explore that idea because fans want to see Jamie Lee Curtis vs. The Shape. It doesn’t ruin any of these movies for me, but it does make me wonder how much better </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">could’ve been with less or even no Laurie at all.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I like to think the repeated mention of cherry blossoms is a McBride reference to Stevie from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Eastbound and Down</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, who went by Cherry Blossom when Ashley Schaefer made him dress up as a Japanese geisha.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Poor Ronnie. Dude was just hiding from his wife in his junkyard office trying to watch a Van Damme movie (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hard Target</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), and he ends up catching friendly fire from the douchiest character in the movie. His is the only tragic death in the film.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That is one nasty little three-way Michael, Corey, and Officer Doug Mulaney have in that sewer.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The diner in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">claims it had Banh Mi Sandwiches. Good for you, Haddonfield.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The mythology of Michael was all over the place in this trilogy. In the first film, he’s just a man. In </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kills</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the hatred of the town makes him supernatural. But in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ends</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, he’s a wheezing, seemingly dying shell living in the sewer even though the town is as fucked up as it’s ever been. Why isn’t the hatred and death in Haddonfield fueling him anymore? Instead, he gets power from killing. Then why hasn’t he been killing more. The homeless dude mentions that Michael has been dragging people into the sewer over the years, but why not kill a bunch and be super powerful? It’s all a little confusing. But I just go with whatever each individual film decides Michael is. As a complete story in three parts, however, it’s messy as fuck. But at least it’s not the Cult of Thorn.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Officer Mulaney is at the diner with his buddies celebrating one of their birthdays. He made a cake for the guy. They have a balloon at the table. No wonder Ally doesn’t want to fuck this dorky dildo.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I rewatched this again right before I wrote this. But at first I just wanted to watch the part with “Come 2 Me” by Johnny Goth playing as Corey and Allyson ride on the motorcycle. I got sucked in and watched the whole thing again. This is a very close second in the entire series.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-56014137641780657262023-10-25T14:13:00.008-05:002023-10-25T14:24:19.779-05:00Halloween and Halloween II - The Zombies<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj-OM5xp-GkJ-1hao7zF9_Yrc-yyzYMOrMlZDUD8Km6O0us5SHpEs4v6nqq2JN8UEGx4BFhct63Re-ei_1UGfoK5ErvDz1Nifjd9nCURYw2-VEthfQ756G-QGnWqmsGfeskSrSLlEzHV3hsJA4Hgjd5XXNZ2-crSFj29N7V0P6zWszTnDQyZaSvozVGSW/s2880/20231024_221221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj-OM5xp-GkJ-1hao7zF9_Yrc-yyzYMOrMlZDUD8Km6O0us5SHpEs4v6nqq2JN8UEGx4BFhct63Re-ei_1UGfoK5ErvDz1Nifjd9nCURYw2-VEthfQ756G-QGnWqmsGfeskSrSLlEzHV3hsJA4Hgjd5XXNZ2-crSFj29N7V0P6zWszTnDQyZaSvozVGSW/w640-h640/20231024_221221.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When Rob Zombie was handed the keys to the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">franchise, I was excited. I thought </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">House of 1000 Corpses </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was a promising start, and I flat out loved </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Devil’s Rejects </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(and I still feel the same about those movies). I just knew Zombie would bring something brutal and interesting to a franchise I wasn’t a big fan of (at the time). I was half right.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Zombie’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is brutal and ugly, but I never find it interesting. In the first film, Michael Myers’s backstory is completely fleshed out. Michael has a terrible home life thanks to an all-time shitty stepdad who gives the dickhead dad from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Curse of Michael Myers </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">a run for his money and an older sister who doesn’t seem to care about him. He’s bullied. He mutilates animals. With no one seeking real help, despite a mom who seems to truly care about him, he does what we all knew he was going to do and kills his sister, his stepdad, and his sister’s boyfriend (and he killed a bully earlier, for good measure).</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With that bummer of a beginning out of the way, we can get to the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-type stuff now, right? Nope. Now we get a lengthy sequence of Loomis trying to get through to Michael. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t. Finally, there’s a time jump and adult Michael escapes, and the movie can really begin.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But we’re forty minutes in at that point, and I’m just exhausted. What follows is the fairly standard version of the first film, but much more brutal than we’ve ever seen. At the time, I thought this was just okay, but I would rather have seen an original film from Zombie. Watching it now, it’s one of my least favorite entries in the series because there’s no fun to be had, and it simply fleshes out shit I didn’t need or care to know about.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But what could Zombie do? Fleshing out Michael’s origin was the only way he could put his stamp on this story, so that’s not his fault. This just should not have been a remake. If they had gone the same route David Gordon Green went in 2018, then this would probably be a much more interesting and entertaining entry without all the backstory baggage. But I’m still glad this version exists. If you wanted a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie that went all in on the brutality, you couldn’t ask for a better movie. I just don’t want it, but for all you sick fucks out there: enjoy.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Zombie’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween II</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, especially the director’s cut,</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a whole new ballgame. Zombie has said in interviews since that they were going to make these movies no matter what, so he might as well be the one to make them, but the experience overall was a negative one for him due to constant studio interference. So for the second film, it seemed like he decided to say, “Fuck it,” and make the most batshit entry he could. Mission accomplished.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Once again, this is not an easy watch. Right off the bat, you get EMTs talking about having sex with dead bodies, who then slam into a cow in the middle of the road leading to Michael escaping and murdering them. Myers disappears into the countryside becoming a mythic creature following his ghost mom and a white horse. But his impact on the survivors never leaves. Laurie is a broken person, and this film more than any other in the series, attempts to show what trauma can do to a person. (It’s not that the other films don’t address it, but this film makes it a much more debilitating condition.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is all interesting, but it’s just not a fun watch. That’s not what Zombie is going for, though. I want a little bit of fun with these movies, so Zombie’s entries aren’t for me. But just like the first one, I’m glad this exists because it is different. In that way, this is much better than the first film because Zombie was able to tell a complete story of his own without having to stay within the bounds of the original storyline. Here, Michael can be a roided up Manson-looking motherfucker who rarely even wears the iconic mask and even talks at one point. I cannot get behind the talking part, though, especially since it’s just him yelling, “Die!” Isn’t Michael always implying “Die!” when he stabs people and shit? Anyway, this is a wholly unique take on Michael and Laurie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the end, I still wish Rob Zombie had kept making his own movies at this time rather than falling down the franchise rabbit hole. But </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a more interesting series because of his involvement. These movies may not be for me, but at least they’re distinguishably different from the rest. You could show me scenes from the fourth, fifth, or sixth film and it would be a blind guess which one it came from. If I see a single shot from one of these, I will immediately recognize it as a Zombie film. In a series this long and rehashed, that’s an accomplishment.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Random Thoughts</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm a pretty vulgar person, but the amount of cussing in Zombie's films has just become annoying over the years. Nearly every character cusses like an elementary school kid who just discovered cuss words. As someone who uses profane language in articles and Letterboxd entries, this has caused me to reevaluate the amount of cussing I do. I'll still use it when I find it necessary and/or funny, but I have been deleting a lot of it when I proofread these days. Thank you, Zombie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I did like Malcolm McDowell's dirtbag version of Loomis, mainly in the second film. He gets to go full asshole, and he seems to be enjoying himself. I'm glad someone is in these movies. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I love that Zombie included a scene of Loomis buying a gun. It always cracked me up how trigger happy of a therapist Loomis was l, especially in the sequels. To see him buy the gun was a fun nod to that.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There's a lot of hate towards the casting of Sheri Moon Zombie (Rob's wife) in nearly every movie he makes. I don't hate her as a performer, but her characters are typically screeching, foul-mouthed annoyance machines. So it was nice to see her as a calm angel of death type character in the second movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Speaking of which, she may have been a loving mother to Michael, but she was painfully oblivious. Her response to the school finding a dead cat in Michael’s backpack: "Come on. Big deal. He found a dead cat." Yeah, people come across dead animals in the road and whatnot all the time, but we don't pick them up and keep them as toys! So it might be a "big deal."</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-6377688199001565862023-10-24T15:12:00.002-05:002023-10-24T15:12:49.879-05:00Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later and Halloween: Resurrection - The Ripoffs<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyqxCdQh6Of4b6yggIifxnneeUsgpE4T7hjx3ZQaP4XrmiVTv_H1T5weQsVv1hexa7XBRxuR9cQzd0dqIj4eeNE-Zp7a-vWchY07c4rnH3zqDkon78mRAEoW9ML0Av4Bv9COr0lpC4xmigK8zZpoMwpsQ_SSU6RaGnjH2k48YbTl7Ny8IxBAvV0rU6HYG/s2880/20231024_150708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTyqxCdQh6Of4b6yggIifxnneeUsgpE4T7hjx3ZQaP4XrmiVTv_H1T5weQsVv1hexa7XBRxuR9cQzd0dqIj4eeNE-Zp7a-vWchY07c4rnH3zqDkon78mRAEoW9ML0Av4Bv9COr0lpC4xmigK8zZpoMwpsQ_SSU6RaGnjH2k48YbTl7Ny8IxBAvV0rU6HYG/w640-h640/20231024_150708.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After the debacle that was </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween 6</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the franchise did its first slight reboot. Ignoring the previous four films and just continuing the story of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween II</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(yes, that’s the actual full title) was meant to be a return to form for the series. Perhaps it’s the inclusion of Jamie Lee Curtis or just the return to the relatively simple slasher formula, but people seemed to be into it. I was not. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maybe if I had watched this back when it came out I would feel differently. But I saw this for the first time a couple weeks ago, and all I saw was a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie with Michael Myers in it. For some, that’s just fine. But I like my series to stay in its own lane, even if I’m not even sure what that lane is.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Identity is the constant problem of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">series. It basically invented the slasher genre, yet it could never figure out what that meant. The copycats, like Jason and Freddy, at least seemed to have an idea of what those movies should be like (even though most of those movies suck, too). </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has gone from a nearly perfect model for a slasher movie, then a bit of a repeat with the second one, then they tried to ditch the slasher from their own genre, then brought him back and tried to explain why he’s a supernatural killer, leading the franchise into some truly goofy nonsense. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So when the hot franchise of the time, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (which owes its own existence to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), popularized slasher movies again, it’s easy to see why the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">franchise would start copying the copycat. I get why people would like it. There are plenty of familiar horror movie references (and so many </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Psycho </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">references that they even felt the need to cast Curtis’s mom, Janet Leigh, in a small role), and there is a decent mix of comedy and horror. But I kind of like the stupid shit that came before this movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I know I’m in the minority on this one, but I would rather see a franchise grasp wildly at wacky ideas than just start trying to be like the latest trend. So even though </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20 </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is actually one of the better made films in the franchise, it’s one of my least favorite. I would rather watch Paul Rudd play with magic rocks than watch </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream Featuring Michael Myers</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I might not know what a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie should be, but I know I don’t want it to be like this. Though I will give it credit for attempting to wrap up the Jamie Lee Curtis storyline, but of course that wouldn’t last, which unfortunately led to the aptly titled </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween: Resurrection</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween: Resurrection </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is rightfully considered one of the worst films in the series. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20 </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">seemed to truly end Michael Myers’s story, but this film revealed that Myers had switched outfits with a paramedic, meaning Laurie decapitated an innocent man at the end of that film. That infuriating fake out alone makes this one stupid, but apparently there was a series rule at the time that Michael couldn’t really die. This leads to Curtis coming back to essentially film an extra ending to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20 </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in which she’s in a mental institution, traumatized after killing an innocent man. But her trauma is an act, as she knows Michael will come for her. He does, and he kills her. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wouldn’t have a big issue with this turn of events if this segment had been the actual ending of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Sure, some might be upset that Laurie dies and Michael lives, but at least it would be a proper ending for one of the characters. Anyway, that segment placed at the beginning of this film is just an excuse to put Curtis on the poster, because it has nothing to do with the rest of the movie, aside from establishing that Myers is still alive.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After the opening, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resurrection </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">turns into a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie, which is what truly makes me hate this one. The basic plot is about a manipulative producer, Busta fucking Rhymes, for some reason, who has purchased the Myers house and is going to film a web reality show in which college students explore the house, uncovering the secrets of Michael Myers. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This goofy concept feels more at home in a later </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie than a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie. I get that Michael has a connection to his childhood home, but there’s a dungeon in the basement? And I’m not talking about the fake dungeon Busta Rhymes made for the show; there’s an actual dungeon that is revealed to be Michael’s secret home for who knows how many years. That just feels like a Jason thing to me. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Since he kills Laurie at the beginning, that means this film is still in the original, original sequel, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">’s timeline. So Michael killed Laurie, fulfilling his mission or whatever, and then went back to the Haddonfield house and built a dungeon? And somehow he didn’t notice and kill the TV crew building a fake dungeon right next to his real dungeon? I guess I can accept that he would return home, but I don’t like the idea that he has nothing to do now, so he just builds a dungeon. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But I’m getting too nitpicky with the series if I’m just arguing that a movie shouldn’t exist. I just wanted to point out that it’s too much like a Jason movie. Once I’m past that, if it’s done well, this movie could still work. But it doesn’t. It’s not scary or funny enough to justify its existence.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Some of the Busta Rhymes stuff is stupid enough to be enjoyable, but just like with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, this just doesn’t feel like a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie. If I want to watch a Jason-type character killing random attractive young people, I’ll just watch that. And the focus on the early internet stuff just makes the movie laughably dated. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Watching every one of these movies over the course of a week was definitely a bad idea, as I was very sick of it all by the time I got to this one. But it seems like everyone else was done with the series, as well, because they decided to jump on the remake bandwagon after this one, putting the keys to the franchise into Rob Zombie’s grimy hands.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">H20</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I never knew the phrase </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">20 Years Later </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was actually part of the title. As if </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20 </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">wasn’t clear enough. But we’re talking about a movie that thinks its audience is so fucking stupid that when it gives the date of “October 31,” the filmmakers felt the need to add “Halloween” to it. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Why do I feel like I’ve seen Josh Hartnett wear a very loose, untucked shirt and loosened tie in five different movies? Was this look in his contract next to the “must have weird, shitty haircut” demand?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Two characters are straight up watching </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream 2</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There’s a Jason mask, and a dude dies while getting a corkscrew a la Crispin Glover in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The mask looks like shit in this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Resurrection</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Couldn’t all of these have this subtitle?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">H20</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> was the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">version of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Resurrection </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> version.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the second film in a row that he lowers himself down from an overhead pipe using one hand. It makes no physical sense, and it looks goofy.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The eyebrows are way too prominent on this mask.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">What the fuck is going on here? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Somebody apparently told Busta Rhymes that whispering his lines might mask his lack of natural talent. It doesn’t.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The emphasis on technology is hilarious. First off, an online only streaming show, while slightly predictive, would be worthless in 2002, when most people were still dealing with dial-up in their homes. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I hope you like early 2000s webcam quality footage, because you'll be seeing a lot of it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The house party that stops to watch this shit is the most unrealistic part of the movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So the dungeon is fake, but what about the dungeon behind the fake dungeon? Myers was clearly living there. So there's an actual dungeon under the house?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My feelings about Busta Rhymes in this are all over the place. His acting in early scenes is distractingly bad, but then he starts talking shit while dressed as Michael Myers and it’s funny. Then he somehow survives and saves the day, but then starts spouting off one liners like he’s Schwarzenegger. Okay, he’s my favorite part of this stupid fucking movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-28831682062806616692023-10-17T17:57:00.002-05:002023-10-17T18:03:23.837-05:00My Wife’s DVDs - Gothika<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5_Yt-oozQbgMsVkJEMauF4dH4IQxqlyYpqLiqIQISPG8FhNj1O4rKziptiOOgNiFfD266SR5TOzMUUs_2wVvsMImJdxXhKrRBUR6s9iaj8PFr6ouPmbvVbyzGUXiaJwimnXuBdxiw65B8RHlRou8x0HEAvfAIzrLFFPZvHDxYGbOeeZ0t9ZSds2PR695/s1400/gothika13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5_Yt-oozQbgMsVkJEMauF4dH4IQxqlyYpqLiqIQISPG8FhNj1O4rKziptiOOgNiFfD266SR5TOzMUUs_2wVvsMImJdxXhKrRBUR6s9iaj8PFr6ouPmbvVbyzGUXiaJwimnXuBdxiw65B8RHlRou8x0HEAvfAIzrLFFPZvHDxYGbOeeZ0t9ZSds2PR695/w640-h320/gothika13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It occurred to me a few days ago that going with </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">from my wife’s DVD collection for October doesn’t fit very well thematically with the usual horror stuff I like to do around this time. So I’m double-dipping this month. Horror movies are few in her collection, but there were some options. It was between </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(obviously), </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Exorcism of Emily Rose</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Taking Lives</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Grudge</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. My wife doesn’t even know why she has </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Exorcism </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Grudge</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and I’ve joked about her owning </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">before, so that’s why it made the cut. </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It wasn’t entirely clear to me whether or not </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was even a horror movie. The cover and title certainly make it seem that way. After watching it, I would classify it more as a supernatural thriller, but there are certainly horror elements to it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is about a psychiatrist (Halle Berry) who encounters a mysterious woman, blacks out, and wakes up as a prisoner in her own asylum for killing her own husband. She doesn’t remember any of it, and the film is essentially a mystery. Why did she kill her husband? Is the mysterious woman real? Is she a ghost? Is Halle Berry actually crazy? Etc. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While there isn’t anything overly special about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">aside from the cast (Berry, Robert Downey, Jr., Charles S. Dutton, Penélope Cruz, John Carroll Lynch), it works as a mystery. It leaves enough clues to keep you guessing throughout, and you’re not sure who is on Berry’s side until the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As long as you don’t scrutinize things too much, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is fine. But there was one major plot element that bothered me: why would a psychiatrist who committed a crime be placed in the asylum she worked at? There’s no way that’s the right move since she will know the inner workings of the facility </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">be forced to be around former patients. I get that the movie doesn’t exist if she isn’t at this particular facility, but it still bugged me. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Beyond that, this movie refreshingly avoided a few tropes I was worried about going in. First off, I typically hate mental asylum movies and shows. Too often every character is presented as drugged out, and you have to constantly wonder if anything is really happening or is it all in the character’s head. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">makes it pretty clear early on that something strange is happening, and it limits the amount of time spent in the asylum.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Aside from a shower scene and a short conversation with Cruz, Berry spends all her time either in solitary confinement or out of the asylum entirely. She is constantly escaping from the place, and the movie is better for it. I was worried I was about to sit through at least an hour of group therapy scenes with Berry claiming she doesn’t belong there and so on and so on. Instead, since these morons put her in her own asylum, she easily escapes the place which adds some much needed action and suspense.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As for this being a good “scary” movie to watch, it certainly is dark, and there are plenty of jump scares, but I wouldn’t consider this a horror movie. It’s definitely marketed as a scary film because that’s just easier to sell than “supernatural thriller.” My wife bought it because she thought it was “suspenseful,” and I completely agree with that. I expected to be able to make fun of this (because it’s at 14% on Rotten Tomatoes and is generally considered a misstep, along with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Catwoman</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, after her Oscar win). I can see why this movie isn’t a classic, but 14% on RT seems too low. Maybe my low expectations made it seem better, but I don’t know what anyone would want from this movie aside from a decent mystery, a couple twists, and a few jump scares.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Maybe that’s the problem, though. As it is, I’ll probably forget the plot of this movie within a week (in fact, I’m still not sure if this was actually the second time I’ve seen </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">). If it was an absolute trainwreck, it might have left more of an impression on me. Instead, when it was over, I just thought, “That was decent.” And sometimes that’s the worst thing a movie can be. But I’m glad my wife bought it at the used DVD sale at Movie Gallery over a decade ago, because it gives me the chance to check out movies I never would have watched (or forgot that I already watched). But I do hope it was part of a "Buy two, get one free" promotion or something.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Random Thoughts</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"You're dead!" Wait. Is this one of those </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sixth Sense </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">knockoffs from back then, and she really is dead? I hope not.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Married to Halle Berry? Good for you, Charles S. Dutton!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">…and she killed him. Bad for you, I guess, Charles S. Dutton.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">She does therapy in the darkest prison in America.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Nice to see Robert Downey, Jr. post-drugs but pre-Marvel comeback.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They wouldn't send a psychiatrist to the prison she worked at, would they? Seems like a bad idea for a former doctor to now be a fellow patient.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Charles S. Dutton in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So I Married an Axe Murderer.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Was not expecting the end credits song to be the “Behind Blue Eyes” by Limp Bizkit. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And the video for it is on the DVD!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But seriously, who at the studio looked at this supernatural Halle Berry thriller and thought, “This needs a cover of a classic Who song by Fred Durst to play over the credits”?</span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-7454074202145712692023-10-10T19:07:00.004-05:002023-10-10T19:07:39.486-05:00A Nightmare on Elm Street - Ranked<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve been a horror kick for a few years now. Growing up, I always considered myself a Jason fan, but when I decided to write about the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday the 13th </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">series, I realized I hadn’t seen most of the movies. And then I realized I hadn’t seen all of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movies, or the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Texas Chainsaw Massacre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movies, or the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">franchise, or the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leprechaun </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movies, or the…you get it. Of course, this means I had not seen most of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nightmare on Elm Street </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movies. Before I decided to go through them all, the only three I can remember actually watching all the way through were </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy vs. Jason</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">New Nightmare</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and the 2010 remake, and I only watched </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy vs. Jason </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">because of my aforementioned Jason fandom.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQAjevmo1b4jf9czXAD5Fy503I9zLdnJ_B8o3iBSkEgn_QIeHX2mM4pG7KsP88rPzwial514Xm1B8SF_RKSlPTrgQG5_0HysVWGH-tPKH6Rg20SIKDDFYsHGHmB02YTaVlQtLj8hyphenhyphenuduBb92XSfxmI7gcV9Z-klhlurbthBd85FFYghphwu6rLi-SMhFb/s1600/MV5BZTBmMzBjYjQtNmRkMi00NzNkLWFlZjctZDA0N2QxODllN2EyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ4ODE4MzQ@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQAjevmo1b4jf9czXAD5Fy503I9zLdnJ_B8o3iBSkEgn_QIeHX2mM4pG7KsP88rPzwial514Xm1B8SF_RKSlPTrgQG5_0HysVWGH-tPKH6Rg20SIKDDFYsHGHmB02YTaVlQtLj8hyphenhyphenuduBb92XSfxmI7gcV9Z-klhlurbthBd85FFYghphwu6rLi-SMhFb/w640-h360/MV5BZTBmMzBjYjQtNmRkMi00NzNkLWFlZjctZDA0N2QxODllN2EyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ4ODE4MzQ@._V1_.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Looking back at the other two Freddy movies I had seen, the remake was just part of the trend at the time of remaking the classics into even darker, more violent versions of the original and I watched the other remakes from the time, so why not watch this one, too? As for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">New Nightmare</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I have no clue why I would have watched that since your enjoyment of that one is so tied to the rest of the series. So much must have been lost on me when I first watched it, which is probably why I barely remember it aside from it being a meta-type version of the story.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I really don’t know why I shied away from this and all the other franchises growing up, but I guess I actually found these scary, at least in theory. Watching them now, I enjoy the ones that go for a unique tone that is just the right mix of horror and comedy. If it tips too far one way or the other, it ruins it for me. The </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nightmare </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">series, like other franchises that the studios couldn’t let die, eventually ventures into straight up comedy, but along the way they made a few classics. And I’m glad I finally sat down and watched all of these. Overall, I would still rank this behind </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Friday </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Halloween</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but it’s a lot closer than I initially thought it would be. Anyway, here is my ranking, including my favorite kill and dumbest moment in each film.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is exactly what I think a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nightmare </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">should be. It’s creepy, gross, funny, and always entertaining. After a slip-up with the second film, they truly figured out what Freddy should be like: funny at times, but still gruesome and terrifying. It’s a fine line to walk, but </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dream Warriors </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">figured it out. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: The puppeteer kill makes my skin crawl just thinking of it, but I have to go with the iconic TV kill.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: With all due respect to Ray Harryhausen, that stop motion skeleton shit was awful. (I know Harryhausen didn’t work on this; I’m just referencing the fact that he created stop motion.)</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT4a4SOR0XZXaJup-kraL0wGXURVRkDgje6k1XKKsM5YpyFAMJx4pociSDPWSj4T2a4zEHLeL-X5zB0NnLX1YF2z6Mqb7f6cGii8iNnu063RPRbo8MXzPPIogLVwMF6DvBeyTrNlbeil1Zf3AA9NbpcNjWpobdsa2whncOd8zFLa8EDSRF_ECY-18FB1X/s836/primetime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="836" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggT4a4SOR0XZXaJup-kraL0wGXURVRkDgje6k1XKKsM5YpyFAMJx4pociSDPWSj4T2a4zEHLeL-X5zB0NnLX1YF2z6Mqb7f6cGii8iNnu063RPRbo8MXzPPIogLVwMF6DvBeyTrNlbeil1Zf3AA9NbpcNjWpobdsa2whncOd8zFLa8EDSRF_ECY-18FB1X/w640-h338/primetime.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is one that I appreciate more than enjoy, but revisiting it after watching all of them made me like it more. I think this one will grow on me in the future, and I do plan on rewatching it in the future. It’s just a great premise, and it finds a great, dark tone that the series has struggled with ever since. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: The Depp blood geyser, of course.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: Not a lot of stupid shit in this one, but I guess I’ll go with Nancy’s mom keeping Freddy’s glove. What was her reasoning there?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They were smart to just keep the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dream Warriors </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">vibe going with this one, though it’s not as good. Still, this is the type of Freddy movie I want. And I liked how they handled the dreams in general in this one. I watched it on DVD, so the part that replayed a couple times genuinely fooled me into thinking the cheap-ass DVD I bought was messed up. Good job, Renny Harlin!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: The weightlifting scene that turns into a Kafka-esque bug death was great.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: The soul pizza is silly as shit, and the invisible karate fight is hilarious. But Freddy raps at the end of this, so no contest.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy vs. Jason</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It almost feels wrong to include this on the list because even though it definitely is a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nightmare </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie that Jason is brought into, Jason takes over the movie just like he takes over the plot. He gets to do almost all of the killing, and Freddy has to sit on the sidelines regaining power for most of the movie. Still, this is the tone I want for both of these franchises, so I had a lot of fun with it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: Well, Freddy just gets to kill Mark in the bathroom, so I guess I’ll go with Mark in the bathroom.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: The Jason pinball scene was silly, but the dumbest thing this movie does is make Jason afraid of water. Right after this revelation, Freddy taps into Jason’s brain and Jason is walking in water. So he’s afraid of this shit, but deep in his mind he’s surrounded by it? Whatever.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">New Nightmare</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After the pure trash of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Dream Child </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy’s Dead</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, it’s amazing that they found a way to keep this series going without totally rebooting it. Going meta was such a good choice, and it set the stage for Craven to start his other franchise, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Scream</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. While this isn’t a traditional Freddy movie, it’s still one of the scarier entries, especially from a parental standpoint. There are a lot of scenes dealing with Nancy’s son that are awful to imagine happening with your own kid. That said, they dip into that well a few too many times as this movie is just too long. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: None of them are that great, but the babysitter getting dragged around the ceiling was nice, but mainly for nostalgic reasons.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: The random eels or whatever at the end were pretty silly, but the part when he tries to eat the kid’s head looked dumb as shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is the last movie on the list I actually enjoy. In general, it’s not a great </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nightmare </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie because it nearly ruined the mythology for the rest of the series. But there’s so much weird stuff going on with the main character’s parents, and there’s a gay undertone throughout the film that keeps this one entertaining. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: Marshall Bell getting towel-whipped comes to mind, but I have to go with the dildo at the pool party who thought he could negotiate with Freddy fucking Krueger.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest moment: All of it? But the bird blowing up and the dad’s cherry bomb accusation was pretty funny.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is when the series starts to shit the bed. It’s just a mess trying to explain why Freddy is reborn or whatever, which leads to a baby and child Freddy at one point. And it just looks stupid, not scary. Worse than that, this one just isn’t that fun despite being stupid. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: The Cronenberg-esque motorcycle is so much better than this film deserves.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: I thought little kid Freddy looked goofy.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZcwL0eD58Zhmdue7Pnq65ImeHLu6reiDRmjknofNrpuCv1-ACIu3ueYTUOtKvzAaBvGDhrw3pLqC-9NDJTpCWUt43lw-qm1faoKXttD9yNJdd3pUIXD6rir90OUQ2IF5Ckf8Wkg9HxEnKfwvFXjYoMBrqJcnQY02aAqBPRqGy3q0HHlXyb3k5yrK8qJ-/s800/freddys_dead_the_final_nightmare_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="800" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ZcwL0eD58Zhmdue7Pnq65ImeHLu6reiDRmjknofNrpuCv1-ACIu3ueYTUOtKvzAaBvGDhrw3pLqC-9NDJTpCWUt43lw-qm1faoKXttD9yNJdd3pUIXD6rir90OUQ2IF5Ckf8Wkg9HxEnKfwvFXjYoMBrqJcnQY02aAqBPRqGy3q0HHlXyb3k5yrK8qJ-/w640-h364/freddys_dead_the_final_nightmare_5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Normally, a series getting this desperate (3D to the point that the characters actually put on 3D glasses at one point, and a lengthy video game sequence) will make a movie so bad it’s good. But this just didn’t work for me. Freddy is inherently a little on the funny side since he’s always talking shit, but this is the only film in the franchise that I felt went only for laughs and just gave up on being a horror film, as evidenced by the Rosanne and Tom Arnold cameos.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: Carlos’s deaf kill was a surprisingly inventive moment in this one. Freddy really milked it to great effect.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dumbest Moment: There are so many, but I guess I’ll go with the video game stuff, especially when the guy starts moving in the real world like a video game character. Yaphet Kotto holding nunchucks in preparation for a real world Freddy fight is a close second, though.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A Nightmare on Elm Street </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(Remake)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I think any fan of the series could predict this as my last place choice. This movie is so hated I can’t believe it hasn’t been revisited as a “misunderstood classic” or something yet. I suppose it’s a credit to its shittiness that no one is defending it. For me, it just overcorrected the tone. If </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy’s Dead </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was too silly, then this was way too serious. It was the trend at the time, I guess, but this series was never meant to be this dour. On paper, the premise is super dark, I get it. But in practice this just doesn’t work unless you make it a little entertaining. This is a miserable slog that I truly regret rewatching for this list.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Favorite Kill: I just watched this a day ago, and I can’t even remember any of the kills. They recreate a few from the original, so I guess I’ll go with the ceiling one again.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dumbest Moment: So why didn’t the police search Freddy’s barely hidden child molesting dungeon in the basement of the pre-school? They seriously couldn’t find it? And why the fuck was someone who looks like Jackie Earle Haley allowed to work there, not to mention LIVE IN THE BASEMENT. For a movie that goes for a super serious tone, that’s some </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Freddy’s Dead</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-level stupid shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-22324025362469077532023-10-04T17:59:00.002-05:002023-10-04T17:59:36.758-05:00My Wife's DVDs - "8 Seconds"<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOJD5_PEZOg_CoBqgTdDjCn5eZrsBSHvYi5c5KThsyUO6L52KouNI4n0MBpk_lJ2U3xL_Pu6gqOI6pFrmjrCnWzY6LomKMe3A5wBUYfUnR3bibKU7T3tZw5M9vRSR-mrkFhpapKAa42byFHh7VnEizR14sTa2p3AKy7K_wwRpH1GH0wJPw80W6KK2MI69/s2951/20231003_215537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2951" data-original-width="1816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOJD5_PEZOg_CoBqgTdDjCn5eZrsBSHvYi5c5KThsyUO6L52KouNI4n0MBpk_lJ2U3xL_Pu6gqOI6pFrmjrCnWzY6LomKMe3A5wBUYfUnR3bibKU7T3tZw5M9vRSR-mrkFhpapKAa42byFHh7VnEizR14sTa2p3AKy7K_wwRpH1GH0wJPw80W6KK2MI69/w394-h640/20231003_215537.jpg" width="394" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">After starting with a bit of a joke title with </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Perfect Husband</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I let my wife pick one of her DVDs this month, and she went with </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, the true story of professional bull rider Lane Frost. I’m not sure how popular this movie is on a broad scale, but this was a very common DVD to see in anyone’s collection around here. We don’t live in rodeo country here in southern Indiana, but there’s enough country culture to make this a popular movie. Despite its popularity, it has been at least twenty years since I last watched this one. </span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">SPOILERS ahead.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">No Adrians Here</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is directed by John G. Avildsen, most known for directing </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rocky </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and…</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rocky V</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. This is only notable because both the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rocky </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">series and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> involve someone trying to make it in a dangerous sport. With the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rocky </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">series, it became a common aspect for every film to have Adrian try to get Rocky to quit. She would either make idle conversation about Rocky getting hurt, or she would drop the facade and flat out tell him he was going to lose or die in the ring. She was a real buzzkill for the franchise because the audience didn’t watch these movies to see a monosyllabic Stallone contemplate the dangers of his career; they were watching to see nonstop haymakers to the head. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, thankfully, has no Adrian. Lane is encouraged to keep at it with the bull riding throughout the movie. At one point his wife does get angry with him for setting up a series of rides against an “unrideable” bull, Red Rock. But she’s just mad that he isn’t home very much; she doesn't seem all that concerned for his safety. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Everyone in the film, including Lane’s parents, just accept that this is what he does. Yes, it’s dangerous, but he’s one of the best at it. Who are they to try to keep him from bull riding? Even when Lane takes a hoof to the balls (more on that later) and questions his future as a bull rider, his buddy Tuff (a perfectly dickish Stephen Baldwin, even with the exaggerated accent) literally calls him a “puss” for even thinking about it and tells him to “cowboy up.” In between the “puss” and “cowboy up” he makes a point about Lane wasting his talent for safety. Yes, he might live to be a hundred if he quits, but he wouldn’t be special. And even though Lane does end up dying from bull riding, no one feels regret about it. Hell, Tuff uses it as motivation to become an even better bull rider. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This makes a movie that could be a complete downer much more enjoyable. Everyone knows bull riding is dangerous, and even with the main character dying, no one wants to watch a bull riding movie if it involves someone being told to stop bull riding the whole time. And as for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rocky</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, some of those sequels would be a lot more enjoyable if Adrian would just keep her mouth shut.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVRyiv2-K1uw_HkNU02uHZwNmY6c9bJq_D0B6TbA4OykWR40J_zmVuxPsKhmfZflEobNwDirnwmEhmkEoCaqtqV9mB4T66UpdzIAURRYIU4ks5_AFBbbasjQA0UkFaodHozbqQBUqPrZnEacZkqcD1YsW04rbroZfHD3Qvh4KuyCn6RC_UYDz7eOKpm7u/s2060/Little-Girl-with-Hands-Up-on-Reindeer-Games.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2060" data-original-width="1886" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIVRyiv2-K1uw_HkNU02uHZwNmY6c9bJq_D0B6TbA4OykWR40J_zmVuxPsKhmfZflEobNwDirnwmEhmkEoCaqtqV9mB4T66UpdzIAURRYIU4ks5_AFBbbasjQA0UkFaodHozbqQBUqPrZnEacZkqcD1YsW04rbroZfHD3Qvh4KuyCn6RC_UYDz7eOKpm7u/w586-h640/Little-Girl-with-Hands-Up-on-Reindeer-Games.jpg" width="586" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This Movie Humbled Me, Testicularly Speaking</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When my wife and I started to watch </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I didn’t think I would find much to identify with. I’m not exactly a country boy (writing a movie blog mostly for fun for over a decade might have already tipped you off in that regard), so I was just looking forward to a straightforward bull riding movie. Then Luke Perry took a hoof to the balls. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A day earlier, we took our kids to Holiday World, a local theme park. Our kids are too little to ride some of the rides by themselves, so my wife or I have to step in and ride with them. I had the honor of riding with my kids on Reindeer Games (not based on the Ben Affleck movie, by the way), a mini-tower ride that vaults you up and down. The problem with this ride is the seat which basically has a saddle pommel you have to navigate over to sit down. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Full disclosure, I’m too big to be on this ride to begin with, and I’ve had issues with this stupid pommel before. But it was just discomfort. This time, however, I smashed a testicle on the pommel as I sat down and spent the whole ride trying not to vomit. As I limped away from the ride, I had to sit down for a while. I told my wife that I should have skipped the vasectomy I had earlier in the year and just rode this stupid fucking ride a few times. (No joke, the pain from getting on Reindeer Games dwarfed any discomfort I had from my vasectomy.) </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I was able to walk it off, but it was easily the most pain I had ever experienced in that…area. Cut to the next night and I see that hoof come down. If I didn’t already feel like a real “puss” from being injured by a kids’ ride, then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">hammered the point home harder than a bull hoof to the balls. Typically, I wouldn’t want to share such an embarrassing story about myself here, but I couldn’t help pointing out the weird way I identified with this movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My Wife’s Thoughts on </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8 Seconds</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We didn’t get into too deep a conversation about this movie once it was over, mainly because this is simply a good biopic. I was surprised by how warts and all it was concerning Lane and Kellie’s marriage, but overall it was a solid, standard biopic. My wife did point out that they did a good job of making you feel for every character. This might be Lane’s story, but there is a good amount of character development for all involved. Kellie Frost gets plenty of scenes showing what life is like for her as Lane gets more popular and spends more time on the road. Lane’s parents get some moments, especially his father who had regrets about whether or not Lane knew he was proud of him. And Lane’s friends, especially Tuff, evolve from one-dimensional shit-talking buddies into full characters. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0Lm2sUyjqmE58SF_kjT5zNXCfEvfcKc-TFuf-BzW-3b92gIsQ-GfD3tEfel4SLdObKZvJ-nZ0gKPIPl07Fb-KEd8KPfwZHrdOvkhJMHHxzGjGd0r8zLYIL1839ROZb61whDySP5t3nuM-Dvy_lpInYu1Y2Gp3oPYgeA3xyV5dh1o3Lchf0myMDWJX9LI/s2880/20231004_174750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2880" data-original-width="2880" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0Lm2sUyjqmE58SF_kjT5zNXCfEvfcKc-TFuf-BzW-3b92gIsQ-GfD3tEfel4SLdObKZvJ-nZ0gKPIPl07Fb-KEd8KPfwZHrdOvkhJMHHxzGjGd0r8zLYIL1839ROZb61whDySP5t3nuM-Dvy_lpInYu1Y2Gp3oPYgeA3xyV5dh1o3Lchf0myMDWJX9LI/w640-h640/20231004_174750.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">James Rebhorn was born to play a dad.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Stephen Baldwin as a cowboy is hilarious.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But it's perfect casting since he's a dick.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This movie had Whataburger in it before it was cool.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The amount of ADR during the car rides is crazy. There are multiple scenes of just a car driving down the road, and then the guys start giving exposition that was clearly recorded later. You can get by with this once, but the movie uses this to the point that it was distracting for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“And Renee Zellweger as a Buckle Bunny.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fun fact: I might be the movie guy, but my wife is so much better than me at spotting actors in small roles, like Zellweger in this. But it has to be an actor she knows, usually from some ‘90s kids movie or something. In other areas, she can be way off. For instance, she thought Alfred (Andy Serkis) in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Batman </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, who’s been dead since 2015.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-58017432752262609702023-09-25T16:15:00.001-05:002023-09-25T16:15:31.419-05:00Saw - Ranked<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1PGc-_03E6Xvx5iNsofzOgcerzFJ8WOhbKbH8BZdzcmGsquagrCIRsCJ3w_m4NBu3RSDBWC1PBsq7OcBYo485ef1CEFz_-kwLz6310qUirz038nlAD7QmVjHlrj-Bo4GKcKpFeMMwUG-wEP_C1U_rUyhdNLhgcgceovofTdY-GaKHRT89K5gX_lL4CFe/s320/nbbypnctsvg41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="320" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1PGc-_03E6Xvx5iNsofzOgcerzFJ8WOhbKbH8BZdzcmGsquagrCIRsCJ3w_m4NBu3RSDBWC1PBsq7OcBYo485ef1CEFz_-kwLz6310qUirz038nlAD7QmVjHlrj-Bo4GKcKpFeMMwUG-wEP_C1U_rUyhdNLhgcgceovofTdY-GaKHRT89K5gX_lL4CFe/w640-h480/nbbypnctsvg41.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw X </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is coming out soon, and all of the previous nine movies were available on streaming services I have access to, so I decided to rank all of these. I truly began regretting it during </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw IV</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but I couldn’t let the time I had already committed to this go to waste, so I trudged on. But it wasn’t worth it. This series does not need this many entries, and the need to tie all of the first six or seven movies to a dead character made them convoluted to the point that I didn’t even try to understand what was happening in most of these. But I guess I’ll still watch the new one. At least that one finally decided to go full prequel (to parts </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">II </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">through </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spiral</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">) and sequel (to the original) so that Jigsaw is still alive, and is actually active rather than lying in a bed. I just hope there’s a scene in which he buys the hundred tape recorders needed for all the sequels.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Also, there’s a lot of cussing in this ranking because a lot of these movies made me mad and all of my Random Thoughts are written as I watch the movies. I’ve been cussing in my articles on this site for a while, but I go a bit overboard here.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1uD-hj1efgYHTRJ25vDs7Go6GfQ1hs5TCU4F2bpYeTe-tjIgKSngWTCtkVQxiYo3iPwpjW6rmg_OBReZQ0bEnUCGThoEM6X4DnvRLdBLovyuU0NAUoRd0Cf2dc6geq9MNq5mFCfPxuOcTt38sCQqi3yPK0ytj6QPlz7x5FcJEM5_MEzRE6bmeg_GBuv/s600/saw-2004-cary-elwes-ending-gun-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="340" data-original-width="600" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQc1uD-hj1efgYHTRJ25vDs7Go6GfQ1hs5TCU4F2bpYeTe-tjIgKSngWTCtkVQxiYo3iPwpjW6rmg_OBReZQ0bEnUCGThoEM6X4DnvRLdBLovyuU0NAUoRd0Cf2dc6geq9MNq5mFCfPxuOcTt38sCQqi3yPK0ytj6QPlz7x5FcJEM5_MEzRE6bmeg_GBuv/w640-h362/saw-2004-cary-elwes-ending-gun-review.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I rewatched this, I was underwhelmed by it. The twist is still decent, and the general set-up is interesting, but the execution of it all was too music video-like for me with all the quick cuts and sped up scenes. But when I look back at this one compared to the insanity that follows, it is easily my favorite just for the simplicity of it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I do not like Leigh Whannell in this. I guess that's intentional, but he really gets on my nerves at the beginning. And some of his line delivery sounds like voice acting in video games from that era.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"My name is Lawrence Gordon. I'm a doctor." I bet he introduces himself like that no matter the scenario.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">You can blame escape rooms on this movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’ve always thought the puppet was much more funny than menacing, especially when it rolls out on a tricycle.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I guess your enjoyment of this series mainly depends on how much you like traps. I like traps a little, I guess. Maybe that’s why I skipped out on the last six of these.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Hey, Leigh, I know your acting is already dogshit, but I need you to really lose any semblance of talent or skill for this fake death scene.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leigh’s character straight up lives in John Doe’s apartment from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Se7en</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Seriously, why is his apartment so horrible?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Using the camera flash to see in the dark was effectively creepy.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Also, the puppet is stupid, but that pig mask is kind of freaky.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Zep, you perverted little psychopath!”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Danny Glover says, “What the fuck?” when his gun runs out of ammo, like he didn’t realize that was possible.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In defense of Leigh Whannell, Cary Elwes fucking sucks in this, too.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Apparently sawing off your own foot turns you into a Dickensian ghost.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw 3D</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was so exhausted by the series when I got to this one, but it somehow stood out among all the sequels because it made the traps fun and used victims I would want to see punished. I also liked the return of Cary Elwes, but he wasn’t used nearly enough. Honestly, if the movie was completely about him and his actions after the first film, then this would probably be my favorite overall.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So on certain platforms this is retitled </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw: The Final Chapter</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. So they wanted to get rid of the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3D </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in the title since that gimmick has faded (not to mention, it’s always weird to have a franchise with both a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3 </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3D</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), so they go with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Final Chapter</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">? Have they learned nothing from all the “final chapters” in every other horror series? These movies cannot end. And here we are now, with three movies after the “final chapter.” Why not just retitle it to Saw</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> VII</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">? Were they afraid the Roman numerals were getting too high for the audience to know them?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It took six sequels of backtracking and over-explaining to finally show what we’ve been mildly interested in from the get-go: what happened to Cary Elwes after he left the room? Was Elwes that hard to get back for one of these? Why wait so long?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Update: according to IMDb trivia, Elwes sued the filmmakers over his original salary, and he only came back after the lawsuit was settled out of court.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Now Jigsaw is just going after bad girlfriends?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I dig that it’s on display for the public, though. That’s a welcome change from the typical Freddy Krueger boiler room bullshit the series has been using the whole time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Is the chick who fucked me in your bed two days ago worth one of our lives?” Profound.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The cops show up and just try to hold the crowd back instead of, I don’t know, shooting out the fucking glass!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When the stupid puppet got sprayed with blood I laughed.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You and your girlfriend and all your friends are racists.” Jigsaw is finally picking some good victims: cheating girlfriends and racists are a lot easier to watch get tortured than, say, a father grieving the death of his son.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jigsaw’s message to the dude from Linkin Park was recorded on an 8 track tape. Come on, how was he able to do that? Who can just make an 8 track tape in the 2000s? The dude has used dozens of tape recorders at this point, and when he decides to branch out it’s with an 8 track tape?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The car trap was great. This is what the series should have been the whole time: fun. It took them six movies to finally have fun with this silly franchise.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the one with that infamous shot of Jigsaw wearing a backwards baseball cap to look young in a flashback. It’s definitely silly, but it’s not like they were trying to pass him off as a teenager or something. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Finally, a SWAT team shows up while the game is still happening.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw VI</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">If these movies could focus, they honestly wouldn’t be all that bad. But they are too busy trying to come up with flashbacks to justify Jigsaw still being on screen. Or they need to resolve multiple questions from the previous films. Or they need to set up new mysteries for the next movie. In doing all that, the filmmakers forget about the actual movie at hand. It’s like doing all your homework but skipping the test. What’s the point?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The attack on the heartlessness of insurance companies is about as subtle as one of Jigsaw’s traps, but I still like it. At least this portion of the film has a point and is trying to say something beyond, “You need to learn to appreciate life.” This is the first time I felt that Jigsaw’s victims were worthy of torture. Or not. I’m just in a dark place concerning insurance companies right now, and this shitty film scratched an itch.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I basically hate all these fucking movies, but at least this one is starting off by delivering on the torture porn label. The beginning shit was truly hard to watch. The previous two films had gore, sure, but a lot of it was too stupid to be disturbing or enjoyable.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So you make the choice to cut your arm off and you start with a knife when a cleaver is an option? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Making health insurance agents and an executive the villains is a great move. Give me someone to hate, other than Jigsaw. And who hasn’t been violently angry with a health insurance company?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“What am I supposed to learn from this?!” I’m with you, lady.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This movie has to show so many flashbacks to remind the audience who’s who that it’s comical.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“John’s dead. And his work is almost done.” Don’t make promises this never-ending series can’t keep, you boring motherfucker.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So this was all done as an alternative to methadone? Fuck off, Jigsaw. Your victims have no rhyme or reason. If someone doesn’t say “God bless you” when you sneeze they might end up in one of your traps, you asshat.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I don’t know why I’m still nitpicking this shit, but the trap with the insurance guy and the janitor (who’s being punished simply for being a smoker) requires one of them to die. Jigsaw himself set this one up since he’s in the video, so it’s not one of the copycat or apprentice traps. This one proves he is a murderer since one of these men </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">has </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to die. By the way, how were either of them supposed to survive that one exactly? Hold their breath for a full hour? I can’t even figure out what the traps are at this point.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The next trap has the insurance fucker choosing which of his co-workers gets to live. The two workers are not there for any reason other than they work in the same office as this guy. So what is Jigsaw’s reasoning for one of them dying? What lesson will either of them learn from this? This series can’t even follow its own rules. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And there’s an easy fix to this one. Just make the guy think he’s choosing for one to die rather than actually killing the person. He’ll still go through the anguish of being face to face with a life and death decision, and no innocent person has to die.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Follow the policy!” What a lame thing to yell out before you die.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw II</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For a series known for its traps, these traps are kind of lame. The pit of hypodermic needles was cool, but most of the rest are plain or forgettable. Gunshot through a peephole, an incinerator? Big deal. Give me some Rube Goldberg stuff. But yeah, I hate needles, and that scene has stuck with me through the years while nothing else has.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But I guess elaborate traps would be a waste, since the group inside is sabotaged at every turn by the muscled up dude who just wants to break down doors and punch holes in the wall. What’s the point in designing something cool when you’ve written a fuckhead like that into your script? That character was the perfect scapegoat for the writers and a punishment for the audience. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The original was a slight rip off of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Cube</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but this one went all in. But, you know, did it much worse than that movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Man, Jigsaw is really fucking mad about having cancer. I mean, this is a ton of work to be doing while you’re dying. Some people accept their fate and make the most of their final days. Jigsaw designs elaborate traps and gets people to help capture multiple people and forces them to play his “game.” It’s impressive. Evil, but impressive, too.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jigsaw fuckin’ hates snitches.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">You know the acting was bad in the first one when you excitedly think, “Hey, they got Donnie Wahlberg for this one!”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I’ve been drunk. I spent three years in college.” I like this guy. I hope he dies first.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Update: Yes!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Those of you familiar with the Tokyo subway attacks…” Damn, Jigsaw, I have to do horrific torture shit to myself </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">keep with current events. Fuck you!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Shawnee Smith claims Jigsaw took her again because she was hurting herself. But I think it was her new haircut.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Chekhov’s nail bat. You knew that was going into the back of someone’s head.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This has got to be the only movie in which a cancer patient is savagely beaten, and the audience is supposed to be at least a little okay with it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“You will find your son in a safe and secure place.” I see what you did there, Jigsaw, you jokester.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So if a Wahlberg could just resist being a hothead for a couple fucking hours, then he and his son would be fine? Impossible.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jigsaw</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I started to like this one because it felt like a standalone entry for a half hour or so. But then it just had to tie it all back to the beginning again, and it lost me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Which one of you assholes shot him in the chest?"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm sure it'll be part of some dumbass twist, but I like how the one dude at the beginning dies basically because he didn't wake up when the others did. That would be me, dying in one of Jigsaw's traps by overstepping.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"No, that's not creepy at all." It actually isn't. I've always found the puppet much more funny than scary.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Sweetheart. Lollipop." When is this douchebag going to get desperate for new degrading nicknames and just call her "sugartits"?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When the detective is asking about the pathologist, his army buddy says that he had been captured in Fallujah, but not before "taking out three Taliban." Those are two different wars.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">These movies are at their weakest when they rely on autopsies for gore.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They literally dig up Jigsaw's grave in this one. If that's not a metaphor for this overlong franchise, I don't know what is.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This had my interest for about half the movie, and then I just wanted them to reveal the stupid twist and get it over with.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And surprise, surprise: Jigsaw had another accomplice the whole time that we're just now meeting. Fuck this shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The dumbest thing about the series is how Jigsaw is presented as this religious figure that turns everyone he meets into his devoted follower. Cops, junkies, shitty X-ray techs, they're all just bumbling through life until they meet this raspy old bitch, and then they become members of a murder cult. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I wish they had never done all these flashback reveals and just made the killer a new copycat every time. You could still find a reason to shoehorn in a Tobin Bell flashback. If they had gone that route then maybe these movies could be their own stories instead of always having to find some convoluted connection to the original. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But what do I know? I'm just a dildo actually watching all these fucking things.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJii7HivPDbseOtudVycmeTdHpHqVFieocIEji2R6wY3M0RcbF6nvoN4shhT1NgTmUUq83VmgsBOKVPeKg6bF8hxu1AJy1K7tsbkdfXtZ71qcfT1M_XEgZ9uBBkWb_NK4ps80fHr8NuK2Fru2FWIS1TzyFhW4Li_AM0xrkSBohz8HnFw5plkgrVTQ11lQ/s800/Spiral_-From-the-Book-of-Saw-2021-Movie-Official-Trailer-%E2%80%93-Chris-Rock-Samuel-L.-Jackson-2-8-screenshot.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="538" data-original-width="800" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgJii7HivPDbseOtudVycmeTdHpHqVFieocIEji2R6wY3M0RcbF6nvoN4shhT1NgTmUUq83VmgsBOKVPeKg6bF8hxu1AJy1K7tsbkdfXtZ71qcfT1M_XEgZ9uBBkWb_NK4ps80fHr8NuK2Fru2FWIS1TzyFhW4Li_AM0xrkSBohz8HnFw5plkgrVTQ11lQ/w640-h430/Spiral_-From-the-Book-of-Saw-2021-Movie-Official-Trailer-%E2%80%93-Chris-Rock-Samuel-L.-Jackson-2-8-screenshot.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spiral</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Good for them for finally moving on from Tobin Bell, even if they’re bringing him back in the new one. At least there was an effort with this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Technically this is what I asked for from this series after </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Jigsaw</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but I should have been more specific. I still want the focus on the traps and shit, just no Tobin Bell. I'm so tired of the cops in this series. Who watches these movies and thinks, “Why aren’t there more scenes in the police station?”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This movie can fuck right off with that bullshit "From the Book of Saw" they added after the fact to the title to make sure all the dumbasses knew this was a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And what the fuck is the "book" of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">? It's as stupid as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Book of Boba Fett</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. This is a visual medium; stop calling it a book to try to sound smart or classy or whatever.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like Rock, but I just do not buy him as a renegade cop going through a divorce getting yelled at by the chief like it's 1987.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"I been staring at this shit for five hours. I don't even watch porn that long." Who the fuck does?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I hope the killer ends up being Samuel L. Jackson for some dumbass reason.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So is this supposed to be the same police department as the other movies? If so, it looks completely different and there's no one still there from previous films. To be fair, though, a bunch of cops died in one of these, and that dude set the police department on fire in that one. So…good call, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spiral</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I take back the Samuel Jackson thing. I hope Rock's the killer.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Actually, I hope Rock and Jackson are both the killers, but somehow they don't know they don't know about each other being the killer. Let's get real stupid with this.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Rock wearing a backwards cap in a flashback has to be a reference to Jigsaw wearing one in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw 3D</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And it was the new guy. Fucking lame.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_rGLA-03gR9P3xERa7Uk12o3nwyBBb9qBP2jXT9VjYByGtbmB3OpONRhmrheXb9bzswsjOKjnb4wXa7Phx87uCpEzmfNTnCk_3lGgGJPHnq0-_Soea6NOyiy4jSlPqciIaG_TVF9t4awIwO-O_vNslzyLJELx9IGvdzdtHTXNj4xC_K7SPCUaiuwOdqL/s800/4-The-Pig-Vat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_rGLA-03gR9P3xERa7Uk12o3nwyBBb9qBP2jXT9VjYByGtbmB3OpONRhmrheXb9bzswsjOKjnb4wXa7Phx87uCpEzmfNTnCk_3lGgGJPHnq0-_Soea6NOyiy4jSlPqciIaG_TVF9t4awIwO-O_vNslzyLJELx9IGvdzdtHTXNj4xC_K7SPCUaiuwOdqL/w640-h360/4-The-Pig-Vat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw III</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I watched this when it originally came out I turned it off and gave up on the series in general when I got to the scene of rotting pig carcasses being dropped into a grinder, with the…uh…juices being used to drown someone. I remember being tired of the “torture porn” genre in general at this point and thinking, “This is what it’s come to, just watching animal carcasses being mulched up?” With years between these viewings, I still think it’s a mediocre movie, but I felt compelled to watch the whole thing this time. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is just a messy movie in more ways than one. And it’s lame every time Jigsaw pulls out yet another tape recorder to play a message, proving all this sloppy bullshit was somehow by design. And that’s my main problem with these bottom three entries: this stupid need to make it all an elaborate plan staged by a dead man. They just keep retconning stuff to make it work to the point that Jigsaw had a dozen people working for him when he died. It’s just ridiculous and, more importantly, it isn’t fun to watch.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The first half hour of this feels like the ending and beginning of two separate films. Every time I start to think the story is beginning, things switch to a completely unrelated character. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I wasn’t a father the first time I saw this, so the dead son stuff didn’t resonate much with me. Now, though, it had me far more invested than in the previous two films.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The tone is set right out of the gate with a man screaming, “You fucking bitch! I’ll fucking kill you!” repeatedly. You just know you’re in for a fun time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The sound effect of Donnie smashing his foot is ridiculously squishy. You’d think his foot was a garbage bag filled with lube based on that noise. And yeah, I do know what a garbage bag filled with lube sounds like when you smash it. Don’t tell me how to live my life.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This one annoys me mainly for its run time of 108 minutes. True torture would be one of these goddamned things lasting two hours. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Every time Angus Macfadyen yells all I can think about is him screaming at his leper dad in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Braveheart</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He claims the test is for Jeff to learn to forgive the driver that killed his son. “Jeff, I’ve designed multiple horrific torture devices to teach you the power of forgiveness.” What the fuck are we doing here, Jigsaw?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There is a legit scene in this movie of Angus Macfadyen doing a drunk version of the Travis Bickle “You talkin’ to me?” scene from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Taxi Driver</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Now I’m back on board with this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Macfadyen went to the Gerard Butler American Accent Institute for Scottish Actors (you know, the GBAAISA). Just let these bastards be Scottish in movies. Just have them say, “When I moved here from Scotland…” at some point and problem solved!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I’m a human just like your son was.” “‘Was’?” I know he’s dead, but he’s still a person.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Burn the only belongings I have left of my dead son or let the shithead judge who let the killer off easy die? How is this even a choice, Jigsaw? Maybe the twist at the end makes this more compelling or something. We’ll see.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But I have to tell you, Jigsaw, if I’m in Macfadyen’s shoes, this little tour of all the people who played a part in my son’s death and the release of his killer isn’t torture at all. It’s a fucking fun house for my vengeance. Thanks for setting it up, you crazy cancerous bastard. (PS I know this is technically all Amanda’s plan, but it’s funnier to talk shit to Jigsaw.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Dude, if you’re going to save the guy being drowned in mulched up pig carcasses, do it before you have to get down in the muck, too.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The editing of this film, in which going over files or preparing for a surgery features a series of jump cuts and sound effects, makes it seem like the movie is bored with itself at times.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I don’t condone murder. I just like setting up elaborate traps that make it easy for people to kill themselves. It’s the traps doing the killing, not me.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So the gist of this one is that Jigsaw isn’t a good judge of character since he picked Amanda to be his successor but she’s just a murderer?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Saw III: Jigsaw’s Shitty Protege</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Though you may not see any threat.” His wife is wearing a metal collar with multiple shotgun shells on it pointed at her head. If he doesn’t see a threat, he’s fucking blind.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jigsaw must have a whole closet full of those stupid tape recorders in his workshop. It was comical when it’s revealed that he’s been holding one in bed this entire time. Does he have a podcast studio where he spends all day making these tapes? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But seriously, to try to claim that the ending was by Jigsaw’s design is idiotic. He knew Amanda would only wound Lynn and not shoot her in the head? He knew Jeff would shoot Amanda? And why is he so obsessed with Jeff forgiving people? Who fucking cares if this guy forgives anyone? You wanted him to forgive people, yet you left Amanda in charge of all the traps, so all the people Jeff needed to forgive died even if he forgave them and tried to save them? (Except the judge, who was just standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or was that fucking planned, too?) What is anyone supposed to really learn here? I just hate that Jigsaw is presented as this evil, calm genius of what it means to be alive when he’s just a masochist dildo with a tape recorder and an unstable assistant.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw V</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">If they could just let some time pass in this series maybe it could feel fresh or interesting. But their need to keep Jigsaw sort of alive for the events of the movie make things more ridiculous and convoluted to the point that it’s impossible to follow and/or care about the twists or plot in general.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jigsaw is getting fucking lazy and just ripping off Poe with this first trap. It is the fifth film, and he’s been dead for two movies now, so I guess I should give him a break. (I know he didn’t actually do this one, but who fucking cares at this point? It’s all Jigsaw, no matter who’s actually designing these things.)</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Tobin Bell must have the record for most time spent on screen playing a corpse.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Where’s my dad? Where’s my mom?” Yeah, Jigsaw and assorted underlings, where are the little girl’s parents? You fuckheads and your obsession with making people “live a true life” sure end up killing and irreparably damaging a lot of innocent bystanders.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Or let me guess, she ends up being the new Jigsaw in about fifteen more movies. And it was all part of the plan!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">New Jigsaw makes little dioramas of his traps? What a fucking loser.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This whole series has become one big retcon explaining all the previous traps and victims and Jigsaw apprentices. But in explaining and adding so much backstory, it’s turned into a giant convoluted mess that isn’t worth trying to sort out.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m assuming the part with the people trapped in the sewers is either happening ten years in the future or ten years in the past or some dumb shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Update: It’s yet another game that is happening during </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw III</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. For fuck’s sake I wish this series would move on. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“In the end it will be clear.” No it fucking won’t.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Watching all these will be worth it to me if there’s just a scene of Jigsaw buying the tape recorders.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The blood trap with the saws is idiotic. You don’t have to keep putting your arm deeper into the trap. Once you’re bleeding from that big of a cut, you’ll keep bleeding. You don’t need to jam your arm in up to the elbow to get more blood. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw IV</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is the worst for me because the FBI guy and the cop looked alike and were so boring to the point that I couldn’t tell them apart. So when the twist involved both of them, I didn’t know who was the victim and who was the secret Jigsaw apprentice. And the ending reveal just pissed me off. It was the first one that made me angry after watching it, so it’s the worst, but my bottom three are all equally miserable viewing experiences.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While I find it hilarious that these films went with Roman numerals for the sequels, I do honestly appreciate that they held off from subtitles or different titles altogether for so long. I am so tired of seeing </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Revenge, Retribution, The Final Chapter, Origins, The Return, </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">etc. in titles. Just give it a number and move on.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Whoa, was not expecting to ever see Jigsaw’s dick. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m surprised they didn’t find a whole tape recorder in his stomach.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That autopsy was so unnecessary. I know this series gets shit for gratuitous gore and whatnot, but at least it’s because of a trap or something. Just showing a full on autopsy is going for gross out shit for no reason other than trying to get the audience to say, “Ew!” They could have easily had them find the tape without actually showing the necessary steps to get to it. Or maybe I’m just a bitch who doesn’t want to watch an autopsy.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Maybe all this started when Jigsaw came across an amazing sale on tape recorders.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Is there a more worthless cinematic SWAT team than the one in the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">franchise? These dudes are never showing up where people actually are, and if they do, it’s because the killer wanted them to.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Having a very hard time giving a fuck about any of this.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This series just got way too far up its own ass with the stupid twists.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It was kind of funny watching Donnie Wahlberg flail around mumbling, “Motherfucker!” I guess.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like how Jigsaw has all these pictures of the junkie who caused his wife’s miscarriage like he’s a private detective following a cheating spouse. You know who the guy is already, why do you need all these pictures?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So let me get this straight: it was okay for Jigsaw to get revenge on the junkie by torturing him and sidestepping so that the junkie fell into a razor wire trap, but the dude from the last film simply wants to kill the guy who killed his son (he had a gun but he hadn’t tried killing him or anything), so you put his whole family through death and torture </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">kill the people involved with his son’s death anyway? But because you said, “I forgive you” to the junkie and made it so he “technically” killed himself, you’re living life to the fullest while the dude from the last film’s entire family needed to be taught a lesson. Jigsaw, you’re not a villain because of your death traps. You’re a villain because you are an insufferable, self-righteous fuckhead who bought a shit ton of tape recorders.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Seriously, I think these films are trying to make Jigsaw into some cool horror icon a la Jason or Freddy, but the longer they go on, the more I hate him.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This ridiculous need to end each film with a twist really shit the bed with this one. It didn’t help that I could barely tell the FBI guy and the cop apart. So I didn’t even know who was being revealed as what. And then for it to have all been happening the same time as the last film? Fuck off.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-16612926316772336052023-09-18T16:53:00.003-05:002023-09-18T20:41:21.785-05:00Malone - Best VHS Cover Ever<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJF3H5wkoR3uugic0PB7yc5QJi6E4BCHAJqEGeD1f4Jpigxl2k4rG6BfNDYznykphrcN_HUGvZfrn_mbRnX8btqPki-yfJ8SykMalXgJE9-F6QH5CpPb6q2Rb5tnG17_7nr9Oj8iiv1JfMHOWEbPjfLHUh57VyOJteRld4Zp9JTK8y66dvXqSTcoIk1ol/s2694/20230911_131610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2694" data-original-width="1812" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJF3H5wkoR3uugic0PB7yc5QJi6E4BCHAJqEGeD1f4Jpigxl2k4rG6BfNDYznykphrcN_HUGvZfrn_mbRnX8btqPki-yfJ8SykMalXgJE9-F6QH5CpPb6q2Rb5tnG17_7nr9Oj8iiv1JfMHOWEbPjfLHUh57VyOJteRld4Zp9JTK8y66dvXqSTcoIk1ol/w269-h400/20230911_131610.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When Kino Lorber announced that they would be releasing the 1987 Burt Reynolds action movie </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">on Blu-ray I immediately requested a copy to review. It’s not that I’m a huge Burt fan; it’s because of the original VHS case for the movie. As a kid, I spent the night at a neighborhood friend’s house quite often, and I always went through their movie collection, and their copy of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">always cracked me up. What could this movie be about? A denim clad lunatic known simply as “Malone” firing a shotgun as flames roar behind him? Could this be the best movie ever made? Unfortunately, in my youthful ignorance, I never watched it. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Years later, I felt compelled to watch it, especially after my brother had a poster made for me (shockingly, he couldn't find a legit poster for the movie online). I found it decent, but it wasn’t as crazy or as bad as I had hoped. It was just one of those action movies about an wandering badass who gets caught up in a land fight in a small town. Reynolds himself referenced </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Shane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">when talking about the movie, and it made me think of Van Damme’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Nowhere to Run </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and Seagal’s </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Fire Down Below</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Revisiting it with this new release, I enjoyed it much more. I’ve come to appreciate the lesser known action movies of the 1980s. At the time, these things were a dime a dozen, but compared to a lot of the quick-cut CG action movies of today, a movie like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a unique treat. The action is brutal and realistic (back when they used squibs and practical fake blood), and the pace is relatively slow. The film doesn’t feel the need to make sure something blows up every three minutes to make sure the audience is still paying attention. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That said, there are still explosions and gun fights and general badassery, but it’s subdued. Reynolds isn’t playing a superhero in this. He gets hurt, and he constantly talks about how old he is. He still kicks everyone’s ass, but he’s not a dick about it. I love </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Deliverance </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Burt, but it’s nice to see weary </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Burt, too. The main movie people point to as proof of Reynolds’s talent as an actor is </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Boogie Nights</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is evidence, as well. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The supporting cast keeps things interesting, too. Cliff Robertson is genuinely menacing as a white supremacist militia leader with aims at taking over the entire country. He’s not hamming it up, and playing it more realistic makes him seem truly dangerous. Tracy Walter (wearing a suit!) and Dennis Burkley make for great local dickheads. Scott Wilson and Cynthia Gibb provide the heart of the film. And an underused Lauren Hutton has a couple good scenes, but she seems to be there just so Malone has someone to have sex with and die which spurs Malone to action at the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Malone </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is better viewed now as a throwback to the simpler days of action movies. It’s short and to the point, has a great cast, and features enough practical action to keep things moving. It’s not a classic or anything, but it’s definitely more than just a funny VHS cover.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Blu-ray</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As for this new release, I’m not a specs guy, but I thought it looked great. There’s still some grain to the picture, but I kind of liked it. Sometimes if an older movie is cleaned up too much it just feels wrong. As for special features, there’s a decent commentary with a couple historians. They offer up some trivia about the film (and one of the dudes did the same research I did as he directly quotes a couple things from the IMDb trivia page for the movie), and spend a bit of time discussing Reynolds’s career as a whole. And normally I wouldn’t consider the inclusion of a trailer as that “special” of a feature, but it’s cool here as a time capsule of what previews were like in 1987. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The two books Burt travels with: a book about how to play poker professionally and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dispatches</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> by Michael Herr, who wrote the narration for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Apocalypse Now </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and co-wrote </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Full Metal Jacket.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Refreshingly, Burt acknowledges his age and doesn't come across as a completely untouchable badass in this one, but he still kicks a goon in the balls so hard that it sterilizes him.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The sterilized goon is Dennis Burkley, a "that guy" from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Doors, Beyond the Law, Rush, </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Con Air</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, among a hundred others. But I'll always remember him as Earl from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tin Cup.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Thankfully, Burt doesn't bang the teenager, but of course they have to make it clear that she's down for it if he wants.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"You just getting up or going to sleep?"</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Haven't decided yet."</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">What? Is that cool or just stupid?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The squibs in this are great.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Man, his wig looks like a straight up hair helmet at times.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like how the villain acknowledges how stupid it was to kill Lauren Hutton, since it was just going to piss Malone off.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The part when he shoots the goon in the head and the goon falls through the hole in the floor is badass.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-50244603138574318842023-09-12T01:53:00.002-05:002023-09-12T06:32:34.195-05:00My Wife's DVDs - The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A common complaint I hear from my wife is, “Why don’t you ever write about movies I like?” Our tastes in film do not have a lot of crossover, so I have rarely written about any movie she has seen or even wanted to see. And since I’ve started primarily writing about older films from my personal collection, this has gotten even worse. A couple weeks ago, after I posted my Letterboxd entries about all nine </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">movies (I’ll post a ranking later this month), she asked me again to write about something she likes. When I asked what I should watch, she didn’t have an answer. With no recommendation, I decided to check out her DVD collection and start a monthly series about it.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbchkhpoYi0KDxKJolwSJbcZPr-UR1N56OdU3taG3VsRyU9MZfl4n5N1sQE1mpOvQwoCTHGRDlL-TlgMhNQ4qRhZjiCgAdbTLC083D1IukaKfaVlSkCHDyuz5nHyeeZn9bOw32EBKzqxl7jNXP93AXXKQ5RrzRYmG24kv-nHcT6rxX8sgN6rjsPkXx7vum/s2417/20230911_130934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2417" data-original-width="1813" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbchkhpoYi0KDxKJolwSJbcZPr-UR1N56OdU3taG3VsRyU9MZfl4n5N1sQE1mpOvQwoCTHGRDlL-TlgMhNQ4qRhZjiCgAdbTLC083D1IukaKfaVlSkCHDyuz5nHyeeZn9bOw32EBKzqxl7jNXP93AXXKQ5RrzRYmG24kv-nHcT6rxX8sgN6rjsPkXx7vum/w480-h640/20230911_130934.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve been making fun of my wife’s DVD collection for years. As someone who takes his movie collection far too seriously, her haphazard collection of movies features some headscratchers. She has three copies of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Blind Side</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, a copy of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw IV </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(so she should have loved my recent </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Saw</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-fest), </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gothika</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and plenty of random crap she didn’t even know she owned (like the movie the I watched for this, for instance). Over the years, I have bought a few movies for her that range from movies that we have a personal connection with, like </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Snakes on a Plane </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(the movie I took her to on our first date, which put our relationship on hold for a few years), but mostly I have bought her copies of movies she loved from her childhood. So after this first tongue-in-cheek article, you can expect more popular nostalgia picks from the ‘90s. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But for this first week, I had to go with the title that spoke the most to me: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. My wife had no idea she owned this. As you can tell from the picture, this was picked up at a video store sale, and I hope it was part of some kind of “Get five movies for $10” promotion or something. If she paid $7.99 for this made-for-TV movie, she got ripped off. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Too Soon, Too Soon</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Aside from the joke of picking this movie for the title, I thought a made-for-TV true crime movie starring Dean Cain would be something that wouldn’t take up too much of my time. Just breeze through it and ramble on about it for about five hundred words. And that was the case until I reached the end of the movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I know nothing about Scott and Laci Peterson (in fact, multiple times while prepping for this article I tried to Google “Drew Peterson” instead of “Scott” because I didn’t even remember the first names of this case). It’s just one of those inexplicably popular cases that I completely ignored back when it actually went down. I knew people were fired up about it, and since Scott is currently in prison, I just assumed he was clearly guilty. The end. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So as I was watching this completely fine TV movie, the only thing that I could think to comment on was Dean Cain’s performance. He comes across as an unfeeling, untrustworthy weirdo. It’s perfect casting because the main thing about this case is Scott’s reaction to the situation and the revelation that he had been cheating on Laci. But according to IMDb trivia, Cain claimed he had been performing the role as if Scott was innocent, because the movie had been made before the trial ended (much more on that in a bit). If that’s true, then Cain failed terribly and his natural mediocre talent inadvertently led to a great performance. I find that hilarious, and aside from Roy from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Office </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(David Denman) appearing in this as the world’s most loyal friend, nothing about this movie stuck out to me. Until the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The movie ends with Scott being arrested. The imagery of that along with Cain’s performance and the film’s focus on all of his odd and/or dirtbag behavior made it very clear that he was guilty. You can’t fault the filmmakers, though, because he had been declared guilty by the public at this point, and the film was just giving the people what they want. Because let’s be honest about the intended audience for this film; this was meant for those rabid people holding signs outside the courthouse. And my wife…and eventually me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was willing to let it go at that, but then I ended up in a YouTube rabbit hole that ended with me thinking Scott might be innocent. But the dude is a proven liar. I only question his innocence based on physical evidence. Anyone who claims he's innocent because they know him and "he couldn't have done this" is forgetting that this is the guy who was still telling his girlfriend that he was in Paris while he was dealing with his missing wife. Anyone capable of lying like that can lie about anything. You can do your own research, but based on the evidence presented in the shows I watched, this dude was not proven to be guilty. He was proven to be a piece of shit, sure, but that’s not illegal. In the material I watched, the defense of Scott Peterson is pretty much that it was decided that he was guilty because he was so unlikable in the media’s eye. And a few of the investigator’s found his behavior so odd that they simply knew he was guilty even without any strong forensic evidence. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The existence of this TV movie is evidence that the general thought was guilty. But the movie doesn’t show Scott killing Laci or anything like that. It just shows all the circumstantial evidence mounting against him (the bodies being found in the bay he was fishing in that day, the motive created by his affair in which he told a girlfriend that his wife was dead, his general aloofness throughout, etc.) as everyone starts to suspect him. So with this coming out during the trial it was just added to the pile of the public assumption of guilt. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">While the goal of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Perfect Husband</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> was not to inspire the audience to look into the case on their own, that was the effect it had on me, and in that way the movie surprised me. One thing that didn’t surprise me is the subtitle of the film: </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Laci Peterson Story</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. That is just a lie. Just like most of the stuff I watched online about the trial, someone always feels the need to tack on something at the end about how all this is really about the tragedy of Laci and her unborn son’s deaths. But if they were the focus, they wouldn’t be tacked on as an afterthought. And that’s a big problem in the true crime genre in general: we all get so invested in these trials that it’s easy to forget the victims. And I’m guilty of it, too, only bringing it up at the end of this article, but I’m just sticking to the formula of the genre. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Despite the sad subject matter, my first pick from my wife’s DVD collection was a success. It still doesn’t make this DVD worth $7.99, but I certainly got more out of it than I expected. But next time I’ll definitely pick something a bit more light-hearted.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-20950031013265126002023-08-31T16:14:00.010-05:002023-08-31T17:06:14.884-05:00James Bond - Overall Ranking<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Originally, I revisited the James Bond movies simply because I wanted to see them all finally. Then I decided to write about each Bond actor’s set of movies because it seemed silly to watch that many movies and only write Letterboxd entries for them. After ranking the movies of each Bond actor, I figured I also needed to rank the movies altogether. Since I’ve already written as extensively as I plan to about the films of Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, and Craig, this list will be very sparse, only one or two sentences per entry. This ranking isn’t about which film is objectively best; it’s about my personal favorites, and which ones I consider rewatchable. Also, I am counting </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Never Say Never Again </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">in the list; it may not be canon in the proper series, but I still consider it a Bond movie since Connery was in it (I don’t count the original </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino Royale </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">because that was more like Austin Powers than James Bond). With that out of the way, here is my ranking of the Bond franchise.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGTZi8PoHyFDd-b-V1ANMNqrj4YqBacqA9dmy5OsaZb5PeruNJIvNdXG8N2VJCRyMrwx4SkE4wxrA7qirRxOWRTyzwjoEPT3det9EhPtvxJxTypiBq8TeLot3GVu92VQLBqSerzAaDtcNgGllgdpX3cJicGWe-vwlxE2p30ctLdwqxyZcXwDWRrT2oTdg/s1400/007-eras.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGTZi8PoHyFDd-b-V1ANMNqrj4YqBacqA9dmy5OsaZb5PeruNJIvNdXG8N2VJCRyMrwx4SkE4wxrA7qirRxOWRTyzwjoEPT3det9EhPtvxJxTypiBq8TeLot3GVu92VQLBqSerzAaDtcNgGllgdpX3cJicGWe-vwlxE2p30ctLdwqxyZcXwDWRrT2oTdg/w640-h320/007-eras.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Casino Royale</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The only Bond movie I watch at least once a year; just a perfect introduction to my favorite Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Skyfall</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A very close second; the most straightforward and enjoyable of the Craig Bonds.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is a total nostalgia pick partially because of the game, but I truly love this one to this day.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Russia with Love</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">If I’m watching Connery as Bond, this is my pick; and the locations are amazing in this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This will raise some eyebrows, but I thoroughly enjoy Craig’s Bond getting his first traditional (and slightly goofy) outing as Bond with the gadgets and all the side character mainstays.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">6. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Goldfinger</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The best music in the series, and that’s saying something.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">7. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No Time to Die</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s a bit messy as it feels like two different types of Bond movies combined (the serious first three Craig movies combined with the sillier </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), but I like both types, so it worked for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">8. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You Only Live Twice</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is the type of Bond movie that </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Austin Powers </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was spoofing, and for good reason: it’s silly and awesome.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">9. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Living Daylights</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The original serious Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">10. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Spy Who Loved Me</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I am admittedly not a fan of Moore, but this is the closest he came to making a classic Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">11. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Licence to Kill</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The original pissed off Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">12. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Die Another Day</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I originally hated this one, but I’ve come to appreciate the total insanity of it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">13. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On Her Majesty’s Secret Service</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Lazenby is all right, and I dig how serious they went with the ending.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">14. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tomorrow Never Dies</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It has everything a great Bond movie should, but something doesn’t click; it does feature a perfectly hateable villain, though.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">15. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dr. No</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Yeah, it’s the original, but I’ve seen it twice and never want to see it again.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">16. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Moonraker</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My expectations were in the gutter for this one, but I was surprised at how traditional this one was despite the space gimmick.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">17. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A View to a Kill</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Moore is far too old at this point, but Walken is a lot of fun in this, especially when he comes unhinged at the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">18. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The World Is Not Enough</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This one has its moments actionwise, and Brosnan was great in all of his appearances, but this one was just a bit boring.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">19. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Octopussy</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is one of the goofier ones as it has Bond literally dressed up as a clown at one point.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">20. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For Your Eyes Only</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is when Moore’s age started to get to me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">21. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Quantum of Solace</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I’ve actually come around on this one a bit, but I still find it such a missed opportunity that it lands near the bottom for me; if the action wasn’t so </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bourne</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">-inspired, maybe I would have liked it more.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">22. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Live and Let Die</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Moore started off with two gimmicky entries; I like this one slightly more than the other one because I like New Orleans.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">23. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Diamonds Are Forever</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Connery as Bond in Vegas should have been amazing, but it was a bit boring as the Blofeld stuff was wearing thin at this point.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">24. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Man with the Golden Gun</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">They brought back the stupid sheriff from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Live and Let Die</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">; that alone puts this near the bottom for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">25. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Never Say Never Again</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A remake of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Thunderball</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, which is the only Bond movie I flat out hate; this one is only above the original because they replaced one of the insufferable underwater scenes with an ‘80s requisite nonsense video game scene.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">26. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Thunderball</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The underwater stuff is just so damn boring.</span></span></p>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-44824080280151265482023-08-23T14:56:00.001-05:002023-08-23T14:56:08.517-05:00James Bond Ranked - Daniel Craig<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFZXYgJKVHEn8YDC21zrzQn1eM3ubyevTLOEBucQ5EvuoYrAA4KIA4v71XgPAwazTl1rtxhvPgpC4rTuzEKw0Anb-D7-cMgw_EkMJdgDdywp4HhGAOzNxupzNYBlLpMqlqQS7j-uwc3pv13aDuceM8ANKpXpU06HhLSrZfsQzLIGjyREe7_e8EN4YqL9l/s1920/torture007_WEBSITE_IMAGE_SIZE_LANDSCAPE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1920" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFZXYgJKVHEn8YDC21zrzQn1eM3ubyevTLOEBucQ5EvuoYrAA4KIA4v71XgPAwazTl1rtxhvPgpC4rTuzEKw0Anb-D7-cMgw_EkMJdgDdywp4HhGAOzNxupzNYBlLpMqlqQS7j-uwc3pv13aDuceM8ANKpXpU06HhLSrZfsQzLIGjyREe7_e8EN4YqL9l/w640-h472/torture007_WEBSITE_IMAGE_SIZE_LANDSCAPE.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Pierce Brosnan was my Bond for a long time due to my love of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(both movie and game), but by the end of his tenure I was ambivalent towards the franchise. He fizzled out with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Die Another Day </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">(a movie I’ve warmed up to now), and I enjoyed the Austin Powers franchise more than Bond. When both series ended, I didn’t think much about Bond. Then </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino Royale </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">came out. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino Royale </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was like no other Bond movie I had ever seen, and it remains my favorite Bond film of all time. Craig, a relative unknown at the time, retained the classic feel of Bond (rebellious, drunk, womanizing) while also being modern. This was a new Bond, and it was what I had always wanted from the franchise.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Over his five films, Craig got to slowly piece together every element of James Bond. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">was his introduction, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Quantum</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">…happened, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">brought in Moneypenny, Q, and a new M, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">brought back Blofeld, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No Time to Die </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">gave him a definitive end. There are definitely some ups and downs along the way (I don’t care for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Quantum</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No Time to Die </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">are very divisive among fans), but one thing cannot be argued: Daniel Craig got to portray James Bond in a complete story arc from his first moments as a 00 agent to his final mission. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I truly wasn’t sure who my favorite Bond would be when I started this rewatch. But after watching all of the Craig Bonds at the beginning and then watching them again at the end, the answer is clear: Daniel Craig is my James Bond. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1.</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Casino Royale</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For whatever reason, I don’t want this to be my number one, but it’s one of the few Bond movies that I regularly return to year after year. Hell, it inspired this whole series of articles. I rewatched </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">because the Rewatchables podcast covered it a couple months ago, and it made me want to revisit all the Craig Bond movies, and that led me to finally watch every single Bond movie. If this movie made me do that, how can it not be my personal favorite? No fucking way this happens if I start with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Live and Let Die</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s a great introduction for Daniel Craig, who is the first Bond to get the reboot treatment to the point that we start with him getting 00 status. Even Connery was already established in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dr. No</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. That, and an attempt to make Bond more of a human (which they tried with the last few minutes of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">On Her Majesty’s Secret Service</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">), made this resonate with me, even if a lot of the “traditional” Bond stuff is missing or only being established. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The establishment of the mainstays of the franchise is also what I love about this whole series of films. It takes three movies for Craig’s Bond to finally have his new M, Q, Moneypenny, and all the things that come with those characters. This is why I have a soft spot for </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, since I consider that Craig’s only movie that attempted to be like a classic Bond movie, even though the rest of his run was an attempt to do something new with the franchise.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But specifically back to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, there is so much to this movie that makes it an enjoyable standalone story. Craig is a natural as Bond, and he gets an all-time villain with Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre, though I would argue the casting is better than the character in that department. Just like with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, director Martin Campbell is able to orchestrate great action set pieces that are easy to follow. And the filmmakers found a way to make poker interesting by adding in some crazy fighting between hands. Oh, and the title song by Chris Cornell is easily one of the best of the series.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Everything works with this movie, and it only gets better when viewed among the entire series. Coming back to it after watching every other movie, I found </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">just as entertaining as when I first watched it years ago when I was mostly ignorant of the overall franchise (I had only seen the Brosnan movies and a couple Connerys). And it remains one of the only movies in the series that I plan on watching at least once a year.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Really dig this introduction of a new Bond. And damn sure better than that "other fellow" nonsense from Lazenby. Though Craig is just straight up staring into the camera at the end of the title sequence…</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My favorite part of the parkour sequence was when the jumpy man jumped through a tiny window and Craig just fucking Kool-Aid Mans through it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Keeping Judi Dench while rebooting the series was a good move. I just love how exacerbated she constantly is with Bond in this. "How does he keep doing these things?"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mads Mikkelsen is the Darth Maul of this series. He's so perfect as a Bond Villain, yet we only get him for one movie. But they keep bringing back that boring ass Mr. White?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Does Dimitrios have the worst night in cinematic history? He loses his car to a man who also takes his wife, he gets scolded by his nefarious boss, then the dude who took his car and wife stabs him to death at the airport. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It's not much of a contest, but Jeffrey Wright is far and away the best Felix Leiter. I like how he seems to whisper every line. And I'm still waiting for an opportunity to place a drink order like his: "My man, bring me one, as well. Keep the fruit."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That was quite the tip Bond gave the dealer at the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Do you think the blonde lady that's with them when they take Bond to the derelict ship for some ball torture is regretting her life choices in that moment? I mean, there are certainly some glamorous aspects of being Le Chiffre's girlfriend, but is it worth surviving machete attacks from African warlords and having to tag along for the ball torture of a British spy?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like typing "ball torture."</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The ball torture scene is certainly hardcore, especially for a Bond film, but at least he cracks a few jokes during it to lighten the mood.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bond is truly a rookie in this one. Only having sex with one lady </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">falling in love with her? What is this, amateur hour?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This was the major competition for the number one spot. The only thing that keeps it at number two is that I find </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino Royale </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">an easier rewatch, and </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is a bit on the long side and has that sequence of Bond having to prove he’s physically ready to come back, which I’m not a fan of. Aside from that minor nitpick, this is a damn near perfect Bond movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s also easily the best looking Bond movie thanks to Roger Deakins. There are just so many moments in this film that are cinematically beautiful, which is a rarity in the franchise. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And this is the film that completes Craig as Bond with Moneypenny, Q, and the new M being introduced. It would honestly have been fine if Craig walked away after this one. He had rebooted the Bond character with all the traditional pieces in place, so it would have been easy for a new actor to just slide in. I like the next two movies more than most, but I can see the argument for ending Craig’s run with a trilogy. That’s how good </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is; it makes you wish Craig would have stopped so he could end on such a high note.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Poor Ronson, we hardly knew ye. In fact, we didn't know you at all. You were just there to show us M values the mission over her agents.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I think I love Skyfall for the reverence it gives to M. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is easily the only Bond film that makes you even think of M as a character, and Judi Dench deserves it, so that's a big reason why I hold this one in high esteem.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The main reason why this doesn't make the top spot is the necessary Bond coming back scenes.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I hope they keep the same Q, M, and Moneypenny when they start back up.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">There's so much I love about this movie more than the other Craig movies: the most striking visuals of the franchise, the score, the banter with Q, a villain actor on par with Le Chiffre, a very straightforward plot, etc. But for whatever reason, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is the one I will always rewatch before this one, and I think there's more to it than simply being first.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I wish they spent more time on Silva's island. What a cool villain lair.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And that rat story? As far as Bond villain speeches go, it's hard to beat.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And he has a fucked face? And he seems to want to fuck Bond? This guy's the total package!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Speaking of which, why is this the first time a male villain seemed to want to fuck Bond? All these dudes are obsessed with him, and you're telling me Silva's the only one who's possibly getting boned up over it?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The more times I watch this, the more I appreciate Roger Deakins's work.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I know the place is sold, but do you really need to blow a hole through a door to test your sawed off shotgun, Finney?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZUP_cBF5HOXB4XVqeOSTATSVerfsiBpMTQ6FEEKbBc56PCJPRjCvVNth4VWf6Of4CKpEwH54aH6jNEImRfbaS4EmeLIL_N6ACacGixYzHhX_AbM3yQY3eqfwkyM8fF-VCssKq5bywVW_U1f-lKBzMj4jayPs61JpGd9LPxy8I95rwxuPAP7n2nxmkt2k/s800/Movie-007-JAMES-BOND-Spectre-Skull-Skeleton-Scary-Halloween-Carnival-Cosplay-Costume-Masquerade-Ghost-Party-Resin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZUP_cBF5HOXB4XVqeOSTATSVerfsiBpMTQ6FEEKbBc56PCJPRjCvVNth4VWf6Of4CKpEwH54aH6jNEImRfbaS4EmeLIL_N6ACacGixYzHhX_AbM3yQY3eqfwkyM8fF-VCssKq5bywVW_U1f-lKBzMj4jayPs61JpGd9LPxy8I95rwxuPAP7n2nxmkt2k/w640-h640/Movie-007-JAMES-BOND-Spectre-Skull-Skeleton-Scary-Halloween-Carnival-Cosplay-Costume-Masquerade-Ghost-Party-Resin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This is where I will lose some people because a lot of people hate this one. They feel that the return to the more traditional goofy-type Bond was a complete step backwards from the amazing </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. I love </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but one thing that I was looking forward to at the end was the next film being a regular Bond film that didn’t require a new element to be introduced.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is the first movie Craig gets to play Bond with all the traditional pieces in place. It is not nearly as momentous as </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and the Blofeld stuff feels almost shoehorned in, but I had fun with it. With </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, I can turn my brain off and enjoy a Craig Bond without caring too much about what’s happening. Why is Bond using a plane to chase down an SUV? Who cares? Why is Dave Bautista trying to kill him on a train when Blofeld wants him alive? Who cares? Why does the movie keep going after Blofeld’s compound blows up? Who cares? I don’t. But others do, and they hate this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Oh, and that Mexico City Day of the Dead opening is one of my favorite sequences in the entire series.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It only took four movies for Craig to get the traditional gunsight opening.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I love the Day of the Dead setting for the opening set piece.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I knew this was going to be my kind of Bond movie when he fell through the collapsed building and landed on a couch. Finally, some silly shit for Craig.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Not a fan of the Sam Smith song.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How did it take this long to get Monica Belluci in one of these?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bond thinking he can sneak in to the SPECTRE meeting just with the ring is about as smooth as Bill Harford thinking he can get into the Eyes Wide Shut orgy wearing a rented tux and showing up in a cab.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The SPECTRE meeting was reminiscent of the early films: just a straight up evil board meeting.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bautista's character name of Hinx sucks, but aside from that he is easily the best henchman of the Craig era, not that there's much competition. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Chasing down a car in a plane is definitely one of the silliest action sequences of these films, and I like it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Pretty sure Ralph Fiennes was told to look at Andrew Scott as if he was willing to choke him to death at any moment in every scene.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This will be blasphemous to the traditionalists out there, but I like the train fight in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">more than the one in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">From Russia with Love.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Okay, shooting down Blofeld’s helicopter with a handgun from a boat is pretty fucking stupid.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I guess I get the need to finally completely destroy the old MI6 headquarters, but overall it seems like the movie should have ended when Blofeld’s compound was destroyed. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I like that this is Craig's first time having a full traditional Bond movie with all the expected elements, but it seems too late. There were rumors around this time that Craig wanted out, and to just get one more movie after this makes this four movie set up feel pointless. I suppose that's exactly why a lot of people hate this movie. Before </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, it seemed like Craig's run was going to be a completely serialized story with a beginning, middle, and end. Then comes </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spectre </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to toss in Blofeld while giving Craig a Connery-type entry. I love it for that because I always wanted to see Craig in a more traditional Bond film, but I get why people dismiss this one. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with it.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vIVMxXs75aIkybxvIci16LVrJbJEkvGTDX4X1bX29AieU6rDVm-hphXgs0HVgOG-D3rHa2lbO0RM8NSPjev2GvLmqmUrLl1-0LYn0nzAZEtBzLCPI0egX487uFbxkqxQFfL_ackIUmZz78ERIlsJBxKOUZqZBbC4D9O5qGPJZY91IMLzbupm0JDn0OBa/s1776/no-time-to-die-film-still-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="1776" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vIVMxXs75aIkybxvIci16LVrJbJEkvGTDX4X1bX29AieU6rDVm-hphXgs0HVgOG-D3rHa2lbO0RM8NSPjev2GvLmqmUrLl1-0LYn0nzAZEtBzLCPI0egX487uFbxkqxQFfL_ackIUmZz78ERIlsJBxKOUZqZBbC4D9O5qGPJZY91IMLzbupm0JDn0OBa/w640-h480/no-time-to-die-film-still-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No Time to Die</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Don’t focus on the spot this falls on in the list; I like this one a lot. It’s just that it always makes me want to rewatch all the other movies first to get the full experience, so the rewatchability is low. There’s a lot of great stuff here, both action and story-wise. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">First off, they kill off Bond, which is kind of wild. I’m still interested to see how they handle a new Bond after this. Do they just do the same thing they’ve done throughout the series and just have a new guy? Or do they go with the fan theory fans had with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino Royale </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and just have a new person take over the 007 spot (which they actually already did in this movie)? Speaking of which, why is no one even floating the possibility that Lashana Lynch will just continue to be 007 in new movies? It just has to be a man, I guess?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Anyway, my main issue with this one is that it feels like two movies stuffed into one. If Craig was not wanting to leave, I believe two very good movies could have been made of this. The first film could be all the stuff that leads to Blofeld being killed, giving that character and story more time rather than making it feel like an afterthought and making Blofeld end up being one of the weaker villains of this run. And the second film could have been the focus on Safin and Bond having a kid and all that. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But they did what they had to do, and this is what we got. I still like it, but every time I watch it, I can’t help but think what could have been had they had more time. No time to die, indeed (I’m sorry).</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The beginning is definitely the most creepy the series has ever been.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That motorcycle jump seems simple, but it's one of my favorite stunts in the Craig era.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is a fairly serious movie, but David Dencik is playing a fucking cartoon character.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Why couldn't we get a spinoff of Bond and Leiter just partying and crushing ass?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But seriously, Leiter was never used enough in these movies. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ana de Armas should definitely show up in future installments, even with the recasting or rebooting or whatever they do of Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Roger Moore didn't do much better than Craig, but definitely killed Blofeld in a much more entertaining fashion.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I get that it's a family home, but I wouldn't stay in the place that the scarred poison genius super villain once killed my mother and attempted to kill me at, even if the weirdo ended up saving me from the ice.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That foggy forest sequence is great.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">David Dencik seriously said, "Run!" to himself before trying to run away. What the fuck is he doing in this movie?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I first watched this, I thought it was kind of messed up when Nomi killed Dencik. Upon a third watch, I can't think of a better character to kick into a pool of acid.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How do you tell your parents you've taken a job as a henchman on a poison island? "But Dad, you don't get it, I'm one of the guys who stirs the acid pool. You've never supported my dreams!"</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I love the indifference with which he kills Safin.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ultimate Bond move: finds out he has a kid, dies for the first time in franchise history.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">5. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Quantum of Solace</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I hated this the first time I saw it. I still hated it the second time. Finally, after watching every movie, and then revisiting it, I still don’t like it, but I don’t hate it anymore. I’m okay with the overall plot now, but it’s still pretty boring, even if it is realistic. I could see an evil group of powerful people trying to exploit the water of foreign nations, but I don’t dig it in a Bond movie. Or maybe it’s more about the villain. Greene is my least favorite villain by a long shot. He’s easily hateable, but there’s nothing imposing about him at all. He’s just a douchebag Bond has to defeat.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Story aside, this is the most action-packed film out of the five, but it’s not shot well. The writer’s strike at the time was blamed for the story being boring, but why couldn’t they then focus on getting the action right? Instead, it just looks like a </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Bourne </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">rip off throughout. There’s some great stuff happening, I’m sure, I just couldn’t see it because no action shot lasts more than a couple seconds in this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That written, this is still a Daniel Craig Bond movie, and I like all the characters involved. It’s more enjoyable than I give it credit for, but it’s still not a film I ever want to watch again. And nothing of vast importance happens character-wise, so it’s easy to just go from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, which is what I wish had happened anyway. Just a forgettable entry in an otherwise awesome run of Bond movies.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I guess the car chase is okay at the beginning, though it’s still too Bourne for me.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I do like the reveal that Mr. White was in the trunk the whole time.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I know the title song gets a lot of shit, but I don't mind the music. The singing, on the other hand…</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">At least M calls out the annoying trope of "We have people everywhere." I just find it lazy when you can just say any character was a double agent the whole time whenever you need something to happen.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is definitely more action-heavy, which is a shame since the action is just okay.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sucks that Mathis died, but I'm glad they brought him back and confirmed he was innocent. I liked him in </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Casino </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and didn't like that they left it as a possibility that he was a traitor still at the end.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Do we forgive each other?" What does Bond have to forgive Mathis for? Mathis was proven to be innocent.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I'm assuming the writer's strike is to blame for nearly every conversation being interrupted by gunfire.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">They open that chute so late it's pointless. Literally a second before they hit the ground. Come on!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"You and I had a mutual friend!" is pretty weak as far as one-liners before you kill a guy go.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like how Greene literally has to puppeteer his Simple Jack henchman, and just for the dude to get blown up.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Greene's downfall: hitting himself in the toe with an ax. What a lame dildo of a villain.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2600538336385787308.post-48857913196160659192023-08-16T16:09:00.002-05:002023-08-16T16:09:21.865-05:00James Bond Ranked - Pierce Brosnan<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBUrUBz1V_Dw0CQruv198aPhPtsarlwF_Prckgw04kvhbj9CX0NPT12PD6oo_vk6XQ0DYvSCtJaen21DldXxJw5sp8AwF_FkRmRwLbMjlmAQ88PXdnMPxPxQF6VNyRUHUv9cwFb6xbuE_RQR7G0smR60mCmkF5F8wLGeQQVVS7Of42il5aG8hGDSTDBV2/s300/GoldenEye007box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="206" data-original-width="300" height="439" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVBUrUBz1V_Dw0CQruv198aPhPtsarlwF_Prckgw04kvhbj9CX0NPT12PD6oo_vk6XQ0DYvSCtJaen21DldXxJw5sp8AwF_FkRmRwLbMjlmAQ88PXdnMPxPxQF6VNyRUHUv9cwFb6xbuE_RQR7G0smR60mCmkF5F8wLGeQQVVS7Of42il5aG8hGDSTDBV2/w640-h439/GoldenEye007box.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I think most people think of their favorite James Bond as whoever was playing the character when they were young. For me, that was Pierce Brosnan. Because of the rights issues that curtailed Dalton’s run, I was eleven when Bond finally picked back up with </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. So that cemented Brosnan as Bond for me. Oh, and I had a Nintendo 64. So Brosnan is the Bond that makes me feel the most nostalgic for the series, which sucks because out of his four films, </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is the only one I love upon a rewatch. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This might be spoiling my eventual overall rankings, but after rewatching the Daniel Craig movies, nostalgia just isn’t enough for Brosnan to remain my favorite Bond. The quality of the films just isn’t there. That’s not to say they suck or anything. Hell, I even liked </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Die Another Day </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">this time around (and I hated that one the first time I saw it), but only </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">is special. I blame Austin Powers. Due to that series being so popular during Brosnan’s run, it must have been difficult to write these movies. How do you pay tribute to the past while there’s a popular parody franchise making fun of it? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">But I still like all of these movies. There’s just some unidentifiable aspect that keeps most of them from being great. It’s like they were holding back and going for it in the wrong places. This is nothing against Brosnan, however. I still think he’s great as Bond; it’s just that his movies didn’t live up to his potential. At least we’ll always have </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">1. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">GoldenEye</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">No surprise here. My love of this movie may be way too tied into my love of the videogame, but so what? Aside from nostalgia, Brosnan is a natural in his first outing. The action is crazy, but great. And the character work is surprisingly deep, thanks to Sean Bean’s former 00 agent villain. I think </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Skyfall </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">handled that villain premise better, but it’s still a great dynamic here. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This is one of the few Bond films I will revisit on a yearly basis. It took what Dalton started and brought Bond into the modern era just before Austin Powers showed up to fuck it all up for a few years.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Those Russian soldier extras went to "just jump backwards whenever you get shot" school of stunt work.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The techno-ish music seemed pretty cool when I was eleven watching this. Now, I still think it's kind of cool. Fuck off.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That admiral dude had a pretty damn stupid face when he died, but honestly, I hope I look like that when I die.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Crazy that Joe Don Baker went from villain to folksy CIA buddy (and Felix Leiter replacement) in two movies.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How much liquor does Ourumov's flask hold? I swear he takes fifteen drinks from it during the tank chase.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO1TjGGdNoh3CzTCB-q6Tjnt__0q_h2yxQAWMrd8Ou7P2OLNLaL9kZgMkKIgXv3gBDCmJiJ-TvUDDuXnnAG1LhMWeBvgZJCE151PRKiKh7ONzN-63nu4LUOy1b-pUnuCfpw_TaB6Zh2UZ-dlx5BbZE3Ag9qFJOveuwQcD5TQsQcoIP-KGm8tLDGYdRWsV/s510/die-another-day_510x317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="510" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBO1TjGGdNoh3CzTCB-q6Tjnt__0q_h2yxQAWMrd8Ou7P2OLNLaL9kZgMkKIgXv3gBDCmJiJ-TvUDDuXnnAG1LhMWeBvgZJCE151PRKiKh7ONzN-63nu4LUOy1b-pUnuCfpw_TaB6Zh2UZ-dlx5BbZE3Ag9qFJOveuwQcD5TQsQcoIP-KGm8tLDGYdRWsV/w640-h398/die-another-day_510x317.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">2. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Die Another Day</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Brosnan films have all hit differently for me now that I can appreciate them within the entire series, and this one has benefited from that the most. Originally, I thought this was stupid trash, and I hated it. Now, I think it’s stupid trash, and I kind of love it. All the stuff at the ice palace is just so silly, from the horrible CG parachute-surfing, the cars that can inexplicably drive on ice as if it’s pavement, and the space laser! When it first came out, I just thought it was horrible, and that sequence ruined the movie for me. I was more of an Austin Powers than James Bond fan back then, so I guess I wanted my Bond serious, and the goofy shit should be left to Mike Myers.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Now, I can appreciate certain types of goofiness in a Bond movie. When one of these movies really leans into the ridiculous stuff, I sometimes enjoy it. This one hit that mysterious sweet spot for me, though the reliance on CG still bothers me (thankfully that moment is pretty short). Part of my enjoyment probably has a lot to do with how bland I found the previous two Brosnan entries. It’s like the filmmakers knew this and decided to go crazy for Brosnan’s last hurrah. It doesn’t always work, but at least I had fun, and I’ll damn sure remember this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I remember them announcing a spinoff for Halle Berry from this movie, and I always assumed it didn’t happen because this one wasn’t well-received. Turns out MGM just didn’t want to spend enough money on it. So instead, Berry chose to make </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Catwoman</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Oof.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I believe this marks the first, and only (thank fuck), time they added a CG bullet to the gun barrel intro.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Starts off with Bond and a couple other spies catching some bitchin’ waves in North Korea. I remember initially hating this movie, but should I have loved it?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Find me a new anger therapist.” Look, it’s pretty funny that you would put a plain therapist in a bag and kick the shit out of them, I don’t think it’s necessary to add “anger” to their title. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Madonna honestly isn’t bad in this, but why the fuck is she in it? Wasn’t it enough for her to do the title song? It’s horribly distracting when she shows up.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">It’s rumored that George Lucas modeled the Obi Wan and Anakin fight from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Revenge of the Sith </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">on the fencing match in this.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I like how Miranda Frost stops the insane sword fight, which had gone on for minutes through the entire building using every sword-type from history with a “That is enough!” Maybe you should have done that three swords earlier, Miranda.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“An ice palace can be such a treacherous place.”</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s kind of great how they couldn’t decide on which typical Bond villain plan to choose, so they just picked three of them: a smuggler with a space laser who wants revenge.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The CG may look like shit by today’s standards, but in 2002…it also looked like shit.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Definitely my biggest complaint then and now is the reliance on so much CG. No other Bond movie has come close to relying this much on it.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The surfing/space laser shit was definitely my breaking point when I first watched this. Now, I still find it very silly, but I appreciate it when a Bond movie goes big with its goofiness.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The villain has a fencing studio/dojo on his airplane. Maybe I love this fucking movie.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bond doesn’t turn the traction on his car’s tires until he needs to hide on an incline. So that previous ten minutes of insanely precise driving on ice was done with regular old tires. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The son of a North Korean general, who genetically altered himself into a poncy British fuckhead, electrocutes then shoots his father moments after activating a space laser over the DMZ. Two random military dudes look at each with faces that say, “What the fuck is going on here?” You guys and me both, random military dudes.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This film has the audacity to keep going for a half hour </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">after </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">all the ice palace nonsense.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Just trying to imagine the headlines that day: Tensions at the Korean border intensified today as a rogue North Korean soldier used a space laser to destroy the minefield at the DMZ.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ha! The movie got me on this one. Moneypenny is shown typing up something that says a “freak electrical storm” caused the damage. But that was done while she was masturbating with the VR glasses. Does that count? </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That Gollum-looking fucker lasted a lot longer than I expected.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Drowning you didn’t seem to work. I’ll have to try something more to the point.” Well, you could kill her right now with that sword you have at her throat. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Getting killed by a copy of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The Art of War </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">with a knife through it has to be a metaphor for…something.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">3. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Tomorrow Never Dies</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On paper, this should be a classic Bond movie: great action, a truly hateable villain, arguably the best Bond girl in the series, a blond weirdo henchman, plenty of goofy Q shit, Bond in a tuxedo, etc. But somehow I’ve never been able to get into this one, and this is my third time watching it. There’s just something about the energy of these Brosnan movies. I feel like we’re in this weird middle area that Dalton fell into between the goofiness of Moore and the uber-seriousness of Craig. Some of it works, some of it doesn’t. And sometimes I just don’t give a fuck about what’s going on.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"A Terrorist Arms Bazaar Outside Russia" Sounds like a fuckin' party!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I don't know the appropriate amount of time to kiss a dead lady, but that kiss Bond gave Teri Hatcher's dead body was way too long.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Jonathan Pryce's little racist martial arts display is wild.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I think of all the Bond villains, I've wanted Pryce to die the most. He is just such an unsufferable fuckhead.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Give the people what they want!" Bonus half star giving Pryce such a gnarly death.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Half star rescinded for not having Michelle Yeoh be the one to take out Stamper and instead have her need to be saved by Bond's kiss.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5kFfEQL1c8W27dxjMBmwhOvFj5UNKhW1lsnmt9Th9uyOomjzH6FpYDuBIjahqnMi4XxeSim8YLejIzk94ySsHnPnQauqso65V4mkiCv2_sufpVe0ysTybNWTgXYYHZyZrP2ZP3Um0jhGyzf7PWjtAUy9bJXfSjQk-k3C2CA1YGbq03bxzLoDm7xsc0c2/s2048/rawImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU5kFfEQL1c8W27dxjMBmwhOvFj5UNKhW1lsnmt9Th9uyOomjzH6FpYDuBIjahqnMi4XxeSim8YLejIzk94ySsHnPnQauqso65V4mkiCv2_sufpVe0ysTybNWTgXYYHZyZrP2ZP3Um0jhGyzf7PWjtAUy9bJXfSjQk-k3C2CA1YGbq03bxzLoDm7xsc0c2/w640-h426/rawImage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">4. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The World Is Not Enough</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I mainly remember this one as the “Dr. Denise Richards” movie, and she is definitely the weakest link of the film. Though she’s not as distracting as I remember. I also didn’t remember this movie being so unremarkable. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Brosnan is still fine, and I generally love him as Bond, even though his films tend to disappoint me. But the villains are lacking. Sophie Marceau is fine, I guess, but Robert Carlyle is such a missed opportunity. You get fucking Begbie for a movie and turn him into the most boring terrorist in the history of cinema. I wish they would have just had him literally play the part as Begbie. Sure, it would be wild and make no sense (and Bond being called a “cunt” would certainly ruffle some feathers), but it would be memorable, at least. You could even get Johnny Lee Miller and Ewan McGregor to cameo and talk shit about Brosnan as Bond compared to Connery. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Okay, I’m getting way off topic here, but that’s the problem with this movie. Rather than write much about it, I’d rather imagine some fantasy version of it that would’ve been more entertaining. As it is, it’s a serviceable, and forgettable, entry.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Random Thoughts</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That cigar shit with Moneypenny was a Clinton joke, I guess. I don't like it when these movies date themselves with shit like that. Not as bad as the Thatcher bit from </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For Your Eyes Only</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, but it’s in the ballpark.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How lucky for Bond that Q was working on a boat the day that an assassin on a boat attacked MI6 headquarters.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">No joke, they added a screeching tire sound effect when Bond’s boat turned around. This does not bode well for this one.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">A hot air balloon, too. Wait, this is the one with Denise Richards playing a physicist named Christmas. Why am I expecting anything less than complete goofy nonsense?</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Shadows stay in front or behind. Never on top." So, you know, don't fuck her, Bond.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I can't believe it took this many movies to give the horniest man in cinema glasses that allow him to see through people's clothes.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I dig the helicopters with the saws attached to them, but that seems like a wildly ineffective way to try to kill someone.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Denise Richards spouting off nuclear physicist dialogue is one of the most ridiculous things in a franchise that includes submarine cars, jet packs, volcano lairs, space laser battles, a henchman with metal teeth, a three-nippled Christopher Lee, a movie named </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Octopussy</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, etc.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"I thought Christmas only comes once a year." Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the only fucking reason she was named Christmas.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span>Eric Harrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07325031498485192373noreply@blogger.com0