Anthropoid

Sad this really happened

Crimson Peak (2015)

Wonderful film, and the kind of movie watching experience that keeps me sinking most of my disposable income into this hobby.
The lead, mostly non verbal, performance by the young boy was quite remarkable. His shakiness with some line readings came across less as amateurish and more as an entirely natural nervous inarticulateness for a kid his age interacting with adults.
Great supporting effort by Mickey Rooney too- free of any cutesy BS. Just a refreshingly solid piece of character acting.

First time seeing the film. It's probable that if Criterion had not released it, I would have continued to avoid it, despite having known for years how highly regarded it was with many people.



I've been a huge fan of the character going back to her first comic book series in the early seventies I used to buy off the spinner racks before I could read.
Leading up to the show, I was not impressed by the initial publicity shots. Benoist's look didn't appeal to me at all, and the Devil Wears Prada dynamic along with the SJW impulse to transform Jimmy Olsen into a studly black guy, along with a multiplicity of other decisions snuffed my enthusiasm before it ever aired. Seeing snippets of the pilot didn't help either.
Eventually I came around and was able to catch the Flash Team up when it aired. That sold me. I was a convert- or at least I was more inclined to give it a chance as seeing Benoist in the role completely changed my perception of her. She was utterly charming in a way I never expected.
Watching the show now from Ep 1, I have to keep reminding myself that a guy that will soon qualify for AARP spam mail is not the target viewer here. In that context I can enjoy it. Though many elements are frequently trite, it still manages to channel a surprising amount of early Bronze age DC feel.
Doesn't look like something to binge watch- but it should make a nice frequent aperitif as I try to clear out a huge backlog of more pretentious and high flautin' material.

Nine Lives

Spikedragon this movie is for you

Die Hard

Finally got to watch Thale this evening. I'd been curious about this movie for quite awhile but just recently acquired it. I enjoyed it...

over the last few days...

Eps 2-4 from

Late to the party, as usual.
Wow.
Just ...Wow!

the second ep from

Not as amazing as Daredevil of course, but I've been surprised at just well executed this is starting off.
Production values, especially given the period setting, are excellent for a network series that wasn't ever going to be a top twenty show. Works for me as the live action equivalent to a series of inventory back-ups in a more popular characters comic book.
Wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I have so far.

Ep 5 and 6 from

One of the few things that makes me honestly and frequently laugh out loud. Brilliant stuff that going to make me want to revisit Breaking Bad, start to finish, a lot sooner than I ever expected.


Almost feel guilty enjoying this as entertainment in a cushy chair with a nice HT set-up. Beautifully produced with excellent use of the 2.35 AR. Hell of a film- and one that I appreciate more with each viewing.

Drive Angry (3D)...what a silly, fun movie. Looks great in 3D.

and if you have a really good surround sound system - the sound mix is wild.

Blue Ruin (2013)

Secret Life of Pets...great. Very simple story, reminiscent of every animated movie ever, especially the Toy Story's, but this had its own vibe. Very nice story close. Looked really good in 3D. A lot of nice effects. Enjoyable all around.

Had to see this again in honor of the 75th anniversary. Very good movie in spite of the dated effects. When you saw the stuntman running from the burning wreckage of the exploding plane, he really was running from the plane, not a green screen.

Just one of the moving speeches at the remembrance. There are a bunch on YT. Including a moment of silence. I didn't post that one. That's pretty easy to imagine in your own mind.

Gravity (3D)...just stunning, even on the small screen. I can't imagine how anyone can watch this in 2D. It's not made for that.

Captain Fantastic

Viggo should get a Oscar nomination. A pretty good movie.

Our Kind of Traitor

Lights Out

So scary

Home Alone

First time watching in HD. I wished I lived in Chicago during Christmas time and December.

Horsehead (2014)

over the last few days...



Wasn't expecting this! All the other Hammer Frankensteins I've seen have been among the weakest films from the studio (for my taste). This was one of the best- with great plotting and a truly shocking bad guy turn from Cushing. Apart from a plot hole that may be tiny or large (will have to watch it again), a very satisfying classic horror romp.



Winding down with only four or so eps to go. With all the other serial shows on the shelf to rotate amongst, this is the first time I've actually been able to not binge watch a season. Gonna try to take the rest one per week to close out the year.



Watching the pilot, and 3/4 of the way through I thought to myself "great. More ersatz Scorcese from another young acolyte who doesn't have his own voice yet." Then I had a huge laugh when it was over and the credits came up and lo and behold, it was Scorsese himself. Needless to say, I'm not that impressed so far. Killer premise/setting for a series, but the characters are mostly all unlikable.
The really big surprise for me may be just how anachronistic the design and fashion can be despite having a heavyweight production team that lived through the era. A lot of this looks much more like late 70's which may be on purpose as the only time the truly fugly and authentic early 70's styles show up is on the background and comic relief characters. I have a lot of fond kid memories of the time period, but the visual aesthetic was mostly dire. Far more so than what's on display here.

last 5 eps from


Was every bit as witty and entertaining as the best of Breaking Bad.
Mike's story was the perfect elaboration for that character, and the arc for Jimmy(Saul) across the season, to get him to more closely resemble his BB incarnation, was *ideal*.
One big thing about this show/Bd that added immensely to my enjoyment was the incredible sound mix. Far more impressive than Vinyl's (which I'd rate as meh in this area) and even Game of Thrones, the mix- foley effects, music cues, ambient sound, is just insanely alive. The only other show I'm watching right now that comes close to providing such an enveloping soundscape is The Flash, and I would still give the slight edge to this- a drama/comedy no less.

First two eps from

I'm sure the popular consensus was that it wasn't as good as the first season, but so far it isn't skipping a beat for me. I was expecting a more wholesale change caused by the singularity, but I like the way they are easing into expanding the universe- with Garrick. And absolutely loved the homage to the classic cover.

Trick or Treats (1982)

Solomon Kane...what a weird, little, mythological, cool, slickly done movie.

Ahhh yes the Criterion treatment of Carroll Ballard's masterpiece. The film is a moving piece of art. I love turning people on to this film who thought it was for children—what a childish notion! Right up there among my favorite films of all time. You know, after viewing Twilight Time's "The Blue Lagoon," I was reminded of that films beauty and innocence. A lovely film.

Mission Impossible - First time watch and I enjoyed it.

Florence Foster Jenkins

How did Simon Helberg get a role opposite Meryl Streep?

A-Team (EE)...still a lot of fun.

Huge favorite that hits all it's marks- funny, spooky, romantic, tear jerking.
Easily IMO one of the best films of all time.



A couple eps into the season I had the feeling that plot was happening for no real reason than "stuff happens" and eventually it would be over.
The last three eps wiped those concerns away as events happened with force and purpose and epic resolutions. After the last ep I went thru the Ep specific threads in the TV section and wasn't surprised to see most people felt the way I did after it was over. An overall great season and one of, if not the best so far, season endings. Great to see pieces moving into place for an endgame. If they had to take an longer hiatus, at least they paused on a very high note.