Tough list!
Movies from 2018:
Black Panther Just mind-blowingly good, from start to finish. I love how the movie managed to be feminist despite centering on the struggles of two young men.
A Wrinkle in Time Gorgeous visuals, a great story. I love how it's a very child-friendly movie but still a great adventure.
Ocean's Eight Not quite enough sense of tension, as the women are so competent that I just assumed it would all work out. I do love the twists in the 3rd act.
Operation Finale A thrilling story that neatly subverts Ben Kingsley's incredible charm.
Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse I cannot even describe how much this movie charmed me, from start to finish.
Crazy Rich Asians
Honorable mentions:
Aquaman
Incredibles 2
Mission Impossible: Fallout
First Man
Bumblebee
Mortal Engines
Artemis Hotel
Annihilation
Movies from earlier, that I first watched in 2018:
Moon
Midnight in Paris
Charlie Wilson's War
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
La La Land
Wind River
Edited to add: In terms of Hugo nominations, I have a few more movies I want to watch, but right it's looking like this:
Black Panther
Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse
A Wrinkle in Time
Aquaman
Annihilation or Incredibles 2
(I really got a kick out of Artemis Hotel, but I suspect it would be a wasted vote)
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label movie. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2018
Monday, July 16, 2018
41st day of Summer Vacation: the movies you watch on airplanes
On the way over: Charlie Wilson's War (coincidentally, I was also in the middle of reading the book) a lot of fun and very good performances by Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
On the way back: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Holy shit this was good and I completely see why it got all that love at the Oscars last year. Later, I read that Frances McDormand is actually 60 in real life, and had suggested playing Amanda's grandmother rather than mother, but they felt that it needed to be a mother-daughter relationship and just had her play a woman in her 40's. Given that the character, Mildred, has led a tough life, I thought that the aging worked fine.
The Post: also very good. Holy shit, Meryl Streep is just in a league of her own. Also, very interesting story and description of the time (1970).
Justice League: possibly the worst movie I've seen this year. No, seriously. Makes "The Covenant" look like high art; at least it had a coherent plot and a comprehensible villain.
On the way back: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Holy shit this was good and I completely see why it got all that love at the Oscars last year. Later, I read that Frances McDormand is actually 60 in real life, and had suggested playing Amanda's grandmother rather than mother, but they felt that it needed to be a mother-daughter relationship and just had her play a woman in her 40's. Given that the character, Mildred, has led a tough life, I thought that the aging worked fine.
The Post: also very good. Holy shit, Meryl Streep is just in a league of her own. Also, very interesting story and description of the time (1970).
Justice League: possibly the worst movie I've seen this year. No, seriously. Makes "The Covenant" look like high art; at least it had a coherent plot and a comprehensible villain.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
21st day of Summer Vacation: in which we travel to Italy
We are in Italy!
We flew Hartord to Philadelphia, then to Heathrow London, then to Milano Linate.
I HATE Heathrow while it's under construction. We spent almost an hour total on busses, just trying to get from one terminal to another. The whole place felt like a nightmare, involving long lines for the bathrooms, no obvious place to buy breakfast, and no public water fountains. I'm pretty sure that the tap water is potable but I wasn't going to take chances... the last straw was when they forced us to check the violin, which may have permanently damaged it. (UPDATE: hooray for carbon fiber violins! It survived.)
On a lighter note, I read two entire novels (Proxima by Stephen Baxter and White Nights by Ann Cleeves) and watched Charlie Wilson's War, which I enjoyed mightily.
We then drove to Stresa, Italy. It's a vacation town on the shores of Lago Maggiore. The drive down is terrifyingly steep, but the views are amazing.
And that's it for today! Tomorrow, I think we're going to visit one of the islands.
We flew Hartord to Philadelphia, then to Heathrow London, then to Milano Linate.
I HATE Heathrow while it's under construction. We spent almost an hour total on busses, just trying to get from one terminal to another. The whole place felt like a nightmare, involving long lines for the bathrooms, no obvious place to buy breakfast, and no public water fountains. I'm pretty sure that the tap water is potable but I wasn't going to take chances... the last straw was when they forced us to check the violin, which may have permanently damaged it. (UPDATE: hooray for carbon fiber violins! It survived.)
On a lighter note, I read two entire novels (Proxima by Stephen Baxter and White Nights by Ann Cleeves) and watched Charlie Wilson's War, which I enjoyed mightily.
We then drove to Stresa, Italy. It's a vacation town on the shores of Lago Maggiore. The drive down is terrifyingly steep, but the views are amazing.
And that's it for today! Tomorrow, I think we're going to visit one of the islands.
Friday, June 22, 2018
17th day of Summer Vacation: in which we make questionable decisions on Netflix
Still feeling under the weather. Broiling hot day outside. Other than giving the dog the walks he requests, it's been a good day for exploring the movie offerings on Netflix.
Mistakes were made.
The Covenant (2006) is a poorly reviewed movie that I ended up watching because it features early Sebastian Stan and Taylor Kitsch. The special effects are terrible. So is most of the acting. Also, the plot.
Moon (2009) is a low-budget, well-reviewed science fiction movie about a guy working alone on the far side of the moon. Stars Sam Rockwell, who does a remarkably good Everyman. I guessed at least one of the plot twists early on, but it's still a fantastic movie for the money.
Midnight in Paris (2012) is a well-reviewed film THAT WAS DIRECTED BY WOODY ALLEN, I am so sorry, my liberal credentials are all shot to hell for at least this one evening. I literally did not remember. I was in the mood for something light and lovely and, while Owen Wilson doesn't really tick that box for me, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard certainly do. The soundtrack is bonkers-ass good.
I have a long list of movies I'd like to check out on Netflix this summer, so expect at least a couple of follow-up posts.
Mistakes were made.
The Covenant (2006) is a poorly reviewed movie that I ended up watching because it features early Sebastian Stan and Taylor Kitsch. The special effects are terrible. So is most of the acting. Also, the plot.
Moon (2009) is a low-budget, well-reviewed science fiction movie about a guy working alone on the far side of the moon. Stars Sam Rockwell, who does a remarkably good Everyman. I guessed at least one of the plot twists early on, but it's still a fantastic movie for the money.
Midnight in Paris (2012) is a well-reviewed film THAT WAS DIRECTED BY WOODY ALLEN, I am so sorry, my liberal credentials are all shot to hell for at least this one evening. I literally did not remember. I was in the mood for something light and lovely and, while Owen Wilson doesn't really tick that box for me, Rachel McAdams and Marion Cotillard certainly do. The soundtrack is bonkers-ass good.
I have a long list of movies I'd like to check out on Netflix this summer, so expect at least a couple of follow-up posts.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Preview to viewing for the Hugo Awards (movies and TV shows)
The category "Best Dramatic Presentation (Longform)" is the only one where I've usually seen all the finalists before the final ballot comes out. I don't watch that much TV these days, and what I do watch is usually just police procedurals. I keep meaning to watch The Expanse or The Magicians... I saw Person of Interest about two years too late and really enjoyed it, so maybe there's hope for me?
The movies I would nominate right now are as follows:
Logan
Wonder Woman
The Last Jedi
Coco
Blade Runner 2049
Movies I've seen that would technically qualify, but aren't in my top 5:
Beauty and the Beast
Power Rangers
Guardians of the Galaxy 2
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
The Dark Tower
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Movies I should probably see before nominating:
Get Out
Justice League
Alien: Covenant
Marjorie Prime
Ghost in the Shell
Okja
Bright
Flatliners
Any other movies from 2017 that I should try to see in the next month?
The movies I would nominate right now are as follows:
Logan
Wonder Woman
The Last Jedi
Coco
Blade Runner 2049
Movies I've seen that would technically qualify, but aren't in my top 5:
Beauty and the Beast
Power Rangers
Guardians of the Galaxy 2
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
The Dark Tower
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Movies I should probably see before nominating:
Get Out
Justice League
Alien: Covenant
Marjorie Prime
Ghost in the Shell
Okja
Bright
Flatliners
Any other movies from 2017 that I should try to see in the next month?
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Favorite Movies from 2017
Hidden Figures: started 2017 off right, by watching this with a few friends. I absolutely adored it and nominated it for a Hugo.
Logan: really good, really sad, loved the character of Laura.
Wonder Woman: loved the first 2/3 of this. Last 1/3 devolved into a more typical action movie, but was still good.
The Big Sick: absolutely wonderful, heart-breaking movie about inter-racial love and traumatic illness
The Last Jedi: I have mixed feelings about Admiral Holdo and the entire subplot of Canto Bight, but Carrie Fisher rocks, Kelly Marie Tran rocks, Oscar Isaac (amusingly) has chemistry with everyone he meets, and the porgs are adorable.
Deadpool (late to the party, I know): finally watched this and loved it, as expected.
Murder on the Orient Express: nothing very new in this new version of the classic, but the acting is great and the cinematography is gorgeous.
Blade Runner 2049: I never quite bought the hype about the first one, with its many different versions, so I went into this with realistic expectations. Sadly for me, I spotted one of the the major plot twists far too early. But I did like most of the plot and the scenery was gorgeous and yes, I'd totally watch it again.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: I really like Cara Delevigne and she made the movie sparkle in her (unfairly limited) role as Laureline. The sets were gorgeous and the first major scene of the agents in action was truly mind-blowing. After that, the movie devolved into "meh" territory, including the insta-romance and the half-baked conspiracy plot. But I'd still watch it again...
Coco: look, I'll be honest... despite loving the music, I'm that one person who made major issues with this movie. Of course, seeing a Mexican family centered in a major motion picture is a huge step forward for Disney. But I kept thinking about how the kid was pretty clearly being physically abused, and how terrified he was of his older relatives, and how his wishes were completely ignored by them. It's not a pretty picture, when viewed through that lens. Also, the religious view of the movie is that you can't ever get away from your family, even in death... which means that if your family include your abuser(s), you can never get away from them. Grim stuff in what's supposed to be an uplifting children's movie. But I'll watch it again just for the music.
Logan: really good, really sad, loved the character of Laura.
Wonder Woman: loved the first 2/3 of this. Last 1/3 devolved into a more typical action movie, but was still good.
The Big Sick: absolutely wonderful, heart-breaking movie about inter-racial love and traumatic illness
The Last Jedi: I have mixed feelings about Admiral Holdo and the entire subplot of Canto Bight, but Carrie Fisher rocks, Kelly Marie Tran rocks, Oscar Isaac (amusingly) has chemistry with everyone he meets, and the porgs are adorable.
Deadpool (late to the party, I know): finally watched this and loved it, as expected.
Murder on the Orient Express: nothing very new in this new version of the classic, but the acting is great and the cinematography is gorgeous.
Blade Runner 2049: I never quite bought the hype about the first one, with its many different versions, so I went into this with realistic expectations. Sadly for me, I spotted one of the the major plot twists far too early. But I did like most of the plot and the scenery was gorgeous and yes, I'd totally watch it again.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets: I really like Cara Delevigne and she made the movie sparkle in her (unfairly limited) role as Laureline. The sets were gorgeous and the first major scene of the agents in action was truly mind-blowing. After that, the movie devolved into "meh" territory, including the insta-romance and the half-baked conspiracy plot. But I'd still watch it again...
Coco: look, I'll be honest... despite loving the music, I'm that one person who made major issues with this movie. Of course, seeing a Mexican family centered in a major motion picture is a huge step forward for Disney. But I kept thinking about how the kid was pretty clearly being physically abused, and how terrified he was of his older relatives, and how his wishes were completely ignored by them. It's not a pretty picture, when viewed through that lens. Also, the religious view of the movie is that you can't ever get away from your family, even in death... which means that if your family include your abuser(s), you can never get away from them. Grim stuff in what's supposed to be an uplifting children's movie. But I'll watch it again just for the music.
Thursday, June 8, 2017
In which I run a lot of errands
It's always weird, the first two weeks after the school year ends. I always end up running a TON of errands, like all the things that I meant to do in April and May but somehow never quite got to. Thus, I have seen the optometrist and the dentist and will be visiting the podiatrist and the allergist next.
I've gone shopping at a Russian import store I'd heard about (Victory International Market, don't let the sketchy exterior put you off because the food inside is quite delicious and reasonably priced.) Finally went to the nearest L. L. Bean store and got a lovely utility skirt and two gorgeous flannel shirts. Bought food-safe mineral oil to bring all the wooden bowls and cutting boards back up to snuff. Bought stamps, deposited checks, mailed packages, ordered thank-you gifts, and began the long and thankless job of cleaning up my office.
In the next few days, I have to register for the July version of NaNoWriMo, write thank-you notes, do a lot more laundry, and begin seriously cleaning the house (once I finish with my office!)
So that's about it. Nothing really fun to report yet.
Edited to add: Oh, wait. Wonder Woman. That was fun. And so was King Arthur, although they should have just called it something else and stopped pretending it was related to the Arthurian legend at all. Just make it another fantasy about a sword and a couple of mages, already.
I've gone shopping at a Russian import store I'd heard about (Victory International Market, don't let the sketchy exterior put you off because the food inside is quite delicious and reasonably priced.) Finally went to the nearest L. L. Bean store and got a lovely utility skirt and two gorgeous flannel shirts. Bought food-safe mineral oil to bring all the wooden bowls and cutting boards back up to snuff. Bought stamps, deposited checks, mailed packages, ordered thank-you gifts, and began the long and thankless job of cleaning up my office.
In the next few days, I have to register for the July version of NaNoWriMo, write thank-you notes, do a lot more laundry, and begin seriously cleaning the house (once I finish with my office!)
So that's about it. Nothing really fun to report yet.
Edited to add: Oh, wait. Wonder Woman. That was fun. And so was King Arthur, although they should have just called it something else and stopped pretending it was related to the Arthurian legend at all. Just make it another fantasy about a sword and a couple of mages, already.
Monday, June 5, 2017
Studio Ghibli, on the big screen
So that's another school year in the books (although I'm still writing comments and ordering things for next year) and, as usual, I was terrible about blogging. Part of it is that I haven't been knitting. Part of it is ongoing concerns about the privacy of the people whom I teach. Part of is is that my New Year's resolution turned out to be, "Less time with screens; more time with people" and I've been doing a bang-on job of living up to it.
However, today's exciting news is that Studio Ghibli, makers of such classes as Spirited Away and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, will be the subject of a Fathom Events series, in which six classic movies are once-again shown on the big screen.
Details here.
However, today's exciting news is that Studio Ghibli, makers of such classes as Spirited Away and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, will be the subject of a Fathom Events series, in which six classic movies are once-again shown on the big screen.
Details here.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Day 2: wrapping up 2016, MOVIES
I saw 50 movies last year, which was far above my original goal of 26, but just under my stretch-goal of 52. I enjoyed quite a lot of them, so this post may run a little long...
My favorite movie, hands down, was Arrival.
After that, in no particular order... (out of the new arrivals in 2016 or very late 2015)
Rogue One
Moana
Zootopia
Finding Dory
Captain America: Civil War
Kubo and the Two Strings
Florence Foster Jenkins
Money Monster
Hail, Caesar!
Whisky Tango Foxtrot
Star Trek: Beyond
Ghost Busters
Snowden
Watching things from previous years, I also really enjoyed
Ex Machina
Zoolander
Magic in the Moonlight
Spy
My favorite movie, hands down, was Arrival.
After that, in no particular order... (out of the new arrivals in 2016 or very late 2015)
Rogue One
Moana
Zootopia
Finding Dory
Captain America: Civil War
Kubo and the Two Strings
Florence Foster Jenkins
Money Monster
Hail, Caesar!
Whisky Tango Foxtrot
Star Trek: Beyond
Ghost Busters
Snowden
Watching things from previous years, I also really enjoyed
Ex Machina
Zoolander
Magic in the Moonlight
Spy
Friday, February 5, 2016
Movies I loved in 2015
So I meant to do this post right after the New Year began, but life intruded (oh, life!) and then I got sick, and this post is always a flaming ratfart anyway because my opinions change almost daily.
I watched 33 movies (and Max Max: Fury Road twice) in 2016, which is slightly better than the "two per month" for which I aim. Favorites, in no particular order except possibly chronological by viewing because that's the way my notes are organized:
The Wind Rises
Chappie
Divergent
The Woman in Gold
Mad Max: Fury Road
Inside Out
Mr. Holmes
The Martian
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(This worked out to ten movies with only minimal editing on my part. I had a quick debate about whether Big Hero 6 made the cut, and decided that it didn't.)
I was making a conscious effort to watch "good" movies this year, instead of just my usual entertaining escapism. This means that I'm going to be slightly more in touch when the Oscars are awarded, and also that I'm starting to lose my taste for truly inane action films. Furious 7, to name one, seemed to have more obvious plot holes than usual. Avengers: Age of Ultron, to name another.
So overall, it was a good year for movie viewing. I'd hoped to see Carol and Trumbo while they were still in theaters, but didn't find them near me.
I watched 33 movies (and Max Max: Fury Road twice) in 2016, which is slightly better than the "two per month" for which I aim. Favorites, in no particular order except possibly chronological by viewing because that's the way my notes are organized:
The Wind Rises
Chappie
Divergent
The Woman in Gold
Mad Max: Fury Road
Inside Out
Mr. Holmes
The Martian
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
(This worked out to ten movies with only minimal editing on my part. I had a quick debate about whether Big Hero 6 made the cut, and decided that it didn't.)
I was making a conscious effort to watch "good" movies this year, instead of just my usual entertaining escapism. This means that I'm going to be slightly more in touch when the Oscars are awarded, and also that I'm starting to lose my taste for truly inane action films. Furious 7, to name one, seemed to have more obvious plot holes than usual. Avengers: Age of Ultron, to name another.
So overall, it was a good year for movie viewing. I'd hoped to see Carol and Trumbo while they were still in theaters, but didn't find them near me.
Saturday, January 2, 2016
Favorite movies of 2015
I watched 35 movies in 2015. Not all of them came out during 2015, of course (Cinderella, Expendables, Big Hero 6, etc.) and I also watched Mad Max: Fury Road twice. Here are my favorite movies from the past year:
1) Mad Max: Fury Road
2) Inside Out
3) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4) Spotlight
5) The Martian
6) Crimson Peak
7) Mr. Holmes
8) The Woman in Gold
9) The Wind Rises
10) Big Hero 6
1) Mad Max: Fury Road
2) Inside Out
3) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
4) Spotlight
5) The Martian
6) Crimson Peak
7) Mr. Holmes
8) The Woman in Gold
9) The Wind Rises
10) Big Hero 6
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Hanna
Went to see Hanna last night. Music was awesome. Cinematography was very cool. Plot was weird.
(posting at 6am because I've been UP ALL NIGHT. Well, up since 3am. Bleah.)
(posting at 6am because I've been UP ALL NIGHT. Well, up since 3am. Bleah.)
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