4/7/24-12/28/24

Watched on: Amazon Prime (paid)

IMDB synopsis: "A fading celebrity takes a black-market drug: a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself." 

This Demi Moore horror/satire received a ton of hype (among other things, it received the longest standing ovation at this year's Cannes Film Festival) so I splurged the $6 to watch it on demand.Overall, it was kind of a mixed bag.  The positives: A creative concept, strong acting by Moore and newcomer Margaret Qualley (Qualley, in particular, was perfectly-cast), artsy set design (it felt like a mishmash of the 80's and the future, which I liked), and perhaps best of all, a bonkers final act that showcased the superiority of practical effects horror.

The downsides: The rivalry between Moore and Qualley didn't make a ton of sense; it was a legitimate plot hole they never tried to explain.  The runtime was way too long (142 minutes, come on).  They could have easily shaved 30-40 minutes because the middle act felt bloated and repetitive.  And then it felt a little braindead - I mean they have this creative concept, but once you know the concept everything feels predictable; there wasn't a lot of nourishment in the middle hour or so (minus a lot of close-ups of Qualley's body and the pretty set design).  

Bottom line: Given my expectations, I expected at least a tiny bit more. Still, I didn't feel like I wasted my time.  I liked it more than I didn't like it.  If it stirs a comeback for body horror and practical effects, I'll be more than pleased to bump up my rating. 

Rating: 6.2 / 10

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/29/24

Rate: 4/5

Watched @ Tubi

IMDB: The Unknown (1927)

"You are wise, Nanon. Always fear them....always hate them." "Hands! Men's hands! How I hate them!" 

Another great movie that had qoutes that I just loved. Joan Crawford (who I confused briefly for Joan Rivers until I did some Googling, because I thought 'damn this woman is OLD'!) was fantastic in this. She does not hold back on the fact that men are always just being handsy and always touching women without consent.

Now what i loved about this movie is that Alonzo, armless man, is not armless! He is a hardened criminal posing as armless man and he is really good with his feet! Which I find so fun, like how long did he become an armless man to get good with his feet? Was he always good with his feet?

What was odd about the movie is that at one point JC's characters dad is murdered and we clearly can see the murderers face and she can see the face and yet..."who done it?!" "The man with 2 thumbs on one hand!". Who by the way is some hardened criminal, but because the movie was a lost film for some time, it is missing like 14 minutes worth of background information on Alonzo.

This is a great silent film and a career defining movie for Joan Crawford (her words not mine!) It packs a bunch of everything in just 50 minutes.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/27/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ Santa Cruz Cinema

IMDB: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024)

“Double your villains, double your fun!”

First of all....Shadow never said his catch phrase "I'm the coolest!" which nearly knocked it down a star. What Shadow did do though is have a GUN and do the AKIRA slide! That shit was wild and I loved it. Brought me back to the Shadow video game.

Now what was really insane about this movie was Jim Carrey. That man was double billed and she showed the world that he can do whatever he wants to do at any time. And also showed the world that you can fuck anyone you want. I need Dr. Eggman and Agent Stone to get together officially.

This movie was literally just Sonic Adventure 2 in it's purest form, but I won't lie I could have given 2 shits about Maria, it felt a bit forced and overall lacked the emotion from the video game. I won't lie though, I did go "Maria!" to my friend the second they started running.

Anyhow, I had a great time with this movie and I LOST MY SHIT when Amy Fucking Rose appeared at the first end credit. Since the theater was pretty chill, my friend group started cheering and clapping and it didn't take long for others to join in. We got Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, just waiting for Big the Cat and Froggy to appear.

Can't wait for Sonic 4 and have more Shadow kicking ass and becoming besties with the main crew.

ps I would have been fine in Tom exploded when he was punched in the chest. Dare I say maybe I would have cheered.

4/7/24-12/26/14

Watched on: Amazon Prime (paid)

IMDB synopsis: "A boy and his stepmother fear for their safety after an eerie creature resembling the boy's recently deceased father visits them."

This film was highly-ranked on a r/horror thread about the best horror films of 2024 although its IMDB score is pretty mediocre (5.6). Desperate for fresh horror content, and mildly amused by its title, I decided to give it a try.

Well...it's not bad for a low-budget, 92-minute horror flick. I feel like these themes have been explored before ("grief horror" is how I've heard it described - basically a young kid who loses a parent and becomes the pawn of a monster). Still, there's some nice stuff here - the setting is beautiful, the young kid is a good actor, and the themes about grief are relatable. Even the plot was smarter than you'd expect (there's been some deep discussions about it on Reddit). And yet, at the end of the day, what we're left with is a film that, despite those positives, is just a bunch of jump scares stitched together, a creature that's not terribly creepy, and a plot that has some holes in it (regardless of which interpretation you choose).

Ultimately, I'm a bit conflicted about it. It does deserve a bigger audience among horror buffs. But calling it one of the best horror flicks of 2024 is a stretch (it's actually been a strong year for horror, led by Longlegs, Terrifier 3, and Smile 2). Tentatively recommended for horror buffs.

Rating: 5.7 / 0

4/7/24-12/25/24

Watched on: HBO Max

IMDB synopsis: "In small-town Alaska, a news reporter recruits his Greenpeace-volunteer ex-girlfriend on a campaign to save a family of gray whales trapped by rapidly-forming ice in the Arctic Circle."

Younger folks would never believe this, but back in 1988 the real-life drama surrounding 3 whales trapped in the Arctic ice was a huge deal (I was a kid at the time and I still remember it almost four decades later). "Big Miracle," starring Drew Barrymore, is a completely-forgotten movie-version of this story, although I can't vouch for how accurate it is.

I really liked it. It's hard to make a compelling, 2-hour movie about 3 whales trapped in ice, but director Ken Kwapis does his best and delivers. It's a genuinely interesting story if you love animals. It's inspiring to see how a whole Alaskan community worked together to free this family of whales. And how the whole world eventually came together to help (with Presidents Reagan and Gorbachev cooperating to deliver the decisive equipment). If you need a movie to give you some faith in humanity, even if it's just a little faith, this is a beautiful film. You might not cry, but your heart might beat a little happier.

A hidden gem for animal-lovers and those whose 80's nostalgia itch needs to be scratched. Recommended.

Rating: 6.9 / 10

4/7-24-12/25/24

Watched on: Amazon Prime

IMDB synopsis: "A student at Oxford University finds himself drawn into the world of a charming and aristocratic classmate, who invites him to his eccentric family's sprawling estate for a summer never to be forgotten."

Ugh. I heard this Emerald Fennell creation was weird and wild. And I like weird, wild movies.

Unfortunately, this movie was just boring and stupid. The ensemble cast, led by Barry Keoghan, was pretty dull. And the plot was just slow and unrealistic, in terms of what Keoghan's character is able to accomplish and how the other characters respond to his motivations. In that sense, it's very contrived. Humor is completely lacking, although I think "Saltburn" fancies itself as a parody of the British elite. There's a few weird scenes but only one I would consider truly wild (it's a memorable scene, to its credit). The locations, Oxford and then a British castle, are pretty. But ultimately, it's a waste of time and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Rating: 3.9 / 10

4/7/24-12/24/24

Watched on: Netflix

IMDB summary: "A secretary on the run for embezzlement takes refuge at a secluded California motel owned by a repressed man and his overbearing mother."

Alfredo Hitchcock's "Psycho" is one of the most famous movies of all-time. Even the average contemporary teenager knows the name, the score, and the famous shower scene. And most probably know the twist too. I knew all that going in, so I felt uncertain if I could rate the movie properly, not to mention the movie is 64 years old. I'm a big horror buff but I'm not usually a fan of old movies. So would it hold up for me after all this time?

So I'm going to be blunt: If you're familiar with the Psycho plot (like I was), this movie does not hold up well in terms of pure entertainment. It's a very standard black and white oldie in that sense; it feels low-budget, the pacing is on the slow side, the acting is inconsistent. I wouldn't call it boring, per se, but most of the second half felt like a slog (minus the last 10 minutes).

And yet...putting on my movie-buff hat on: it's a groundbreaking film, arguably one of the most influential films of all-time. The first real slasher (the shower scene being extremely bold for its time) and the twist (it probably seems overdone today, but that's because it invented a twist like that so it deserves credit for that). I'll also give a special shout-out to Anthony Perkins, who wasn't amazing per se but played the role pretty convincingly; the movie doesn't work if you don't believe Perkins'...psychology. And I did.

So what we're left with is a weird review: I think "Pyscho" deserves (most) of the acclaim it's received by movie buffs. It's a strong film, maybe even a great film. The passage of time makes it hard to rate it properly. And yet, precisely because it feels like an old film, I couldn't recommend it to anyone, minus pure movie buffs.

Rating: 7.3/ 10

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/25/24

Rate: 2/5

Watched @ YouTube Upload with original commericals from Fox Tuesday Movie night 1997 viewing.

IMDB: Quicksilver Highway (1997)

“Those are million dollar hands”

So the biggest reason I wanted to watch this movie is because when I was a kid I remembered a scene of chattering teeth attacking people in a car accident. Everytime I googled it, this movie popped up so I finally decided to watch it.

Now I can't really explain this movie, it's a whole bunch of short stories turned into a short stories movie. It has Christopher Lloyd in it and he played an amazing circus goth. I want to be his character when I grow up. The scene I was thinking of was at the very end, so I had to slog through some bad acting and some bad concepts. A dude with killer hands, a just married couple stranded on the side of the road, that type of jazz.

The scene I was thinking of...probably was what I had seen as a child, but it didn't feel like the correct amount of teeth. I remember them being like small chattering teeth that attacked the man that was upside down and not another person. I might still be hunting for that scene.

Overall, I think I enjoyed seeing the commericals more then the movie itself. I would 100% have this playing in the background as it is perfect hang out vibes.

On a whole other tangent, maybe someone could help me in finding a movie I also watched as a kid that I only remember one scene from. I won't go into details, but if anyone is interested in sleuthing I would appreciate the help!

Netflix on Christmas, challenge started 04/28.

Netflix said this movie was leaving soon, and I should have let it go. I’ll give this 1.5 stars of 4 as it wasn’t good but it wasn’t as bad as all the Netflix Christmas movies I’ve been watching.

Jack Nicholson plays a police officer who retires at the same moment a young girl is raped and killed. Although retired he makes a vow to the girls mother to find the killer. The police bring in a suspect of limited intelligence who is forced to confess but quickly kills himself. Jacks not convinced and in retirement works the case by buying a gas station in an area he suspects the iller is based. Then he slowly goes off the deep end. Will Jack be proven correct?

This is one of those films that it would have helped if the viewer cared about Jack or anyone else. But sadly I had no vested interest in anyone and the film just dragged on for two hours. I can’t recommend this film and will feel no sadness when it leaves Netflix.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/24/24

Rate: 3/5

Watched @ Disney+

IMDB: The Naughty Nine (2023)

“Was there a sale on tiny blocks or something?”

Okay you know what....this was a fun movie. I mean it is a kids movie through and through, I can't roast it for that. Oddly enough this is the second movie that the lead actor is lusting over a video game. He did in this movie and then again in "8-Bit Christmas". Kids yearn for the video games.

I can't believe another year is close to being over and yet another 100 movies challenge is going to be completed. Anyhow Happy Holidays yall!

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/24/24

Rate: 3/5

Watched @ Amazon Prime

IMDB: Red One (2024)

“Then why can’t  you find your dad?” 

I have a couple of beefs with this movie. The biggest beef being why did Jack O'Malley need to have a kid? I know the whole thing is being a kid etc, but the whole "I'm a shitty dad and blah blah blah" just was not needed. I did not care about the son, I did not care about the relationship that was 'saved'. I did love seeing Mary Ellis outside of IASIP.

Now outside of that...I needed more J.K. Simmons and also Krampus was kind of a baddie.

Also also happy they didn't make Lucy Liu a bad guy. I love that she stayed her true character and she was all about helping people.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/22/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Hundreds of Beavers (2022)

"Huh, huh?"

All over the fucking place, I called out like 3 different things that were going to happen, which means this is a movie that was made for me! It brough the old school style of acting with looney tunes and the art style of Angela Anaconda*.*

I am still unsure if I fully understand this movie, but to be honest, I don't think I need to understand everything about this movie. Mike Cheslik (idk why I want to call him Chris for whatever reason) had $$ and a dream and he made it happen!

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 12/23/24

Review: Cuckoo is a horror movie about a girl moving into a resort in Germany with her dad and stepmom after her mom passed away. Weird things begin happening when she starts working there. I liked this movie although the big reveal was a little strange. 4/5

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 12/22/24

Review: Eight Crazy Nights is an animated movie starring Adam Sandler as Davey Stone. The town has had enough of Davey's antics and decide to put him in jail for 10 years. The volunteer kid's basketball ref, Whitey, convinces to let him take Davey under his wing to avoid the jail time. This movie was definitely something. I really like Adam Sandler's movies, but I think this one was a little too unhinged for me. 2/5

Watched 12/23 Netflix, challenge started 4/28.

This is a Netflix production Christmas movie.

This is the exact same movie as Meet the Parents, but rather than Gaylord Focker it’s an Indian dude, rather than back east it takes place in Norway, and the Robert DeNiro character is dead. It’s remarkable how alike the two movies are.

As mentioned in the prior paragraph this is Meet the Parents redone. What’s missing is the humor, there’s nothing really funny in this one. That and the fact that it just seems so contrived, Meet the Parents had some finesse, this is using a sledge hammer to hit a nail and then missing. The only redeeming feature of this movie is its 90 minute running time. A horrible movie that no one should ever watch 0 stars out of 4 stars. However, I do recommend Meet the Parents 3.5 Stars out of 4.

4/7/24-12/20/24 

Watched on: HBO Max

IMDB synopsis: "Struggling with his dual identity, failed comedian Arthur Fleck meets the love of his life, Harley Quinn, while incarcerated at Arkham State Hospital."

I absolutely adored the first "Joker" (in fact, I called it "film of the decade") but even before the dreadful reviews started coming out for the sequel, I had a bad feeling about it: I didn't like the Lady Gaga addition, I didn't like the fact they were making it a musical, and I didn't like the trailer.  Even with all those question marks, I couldn't imagine the public backlash when the sequel finally did come out (everyone hated it, and it seemed like fans of the original "Joker" hated it the most). So what did I think?

Let's get a few things out of the way: More than anything else, this film just felt pointless - it felt like Joker writer/director Todd Phillips had no idea what to do with a sequel.  And...since he felt genuinely perturbed that the biggest fans of his 2019 film came from the right-wing of the political spectrum, he felt some sort of half-formed urge to negate his protagonist.  So we never really get the Joker that was coming to life in the second half of his 2019 film; we get a lot of medicated Arthur Fleck (who's really a void, personality-wise) and maybe 30 minutes of what's supposed to be the "real Joker" doing a Southern accent in courtroom scenes (seriously). We are teased throughout the first half that maybe the "real Joker" will come to life in the second half (kind of like in the 2019 film) but it's eventually done half-heartedly and unsuccessfully.  

So...you would think with that scorching criticism I would hate it, right?  Not really.  Was it disappointing, given the source material?  You bet.   Very disappointing.  But I still found it watchable.  I liked being back in the "Joker universe" Phillips created.  Joaquin Phoenix was...good.  Not as mesmerizing as he was in the 2019 film, but still compelling.  I didn't mind Laga Gaga's character, which surprised me. And I actually didn't mind the ending, which is probably the most controversial part of the film (although I felt it was unearned, if Phillips was going for a specific message which I won't spoil).

This movie was very disappointing, but given the source material and Phoenix, I'm reluctant to call it bad. Phillips clearly needed help coming up with an idea for a sequel (and he definitely needed some more appreciation for Joker's fans) but what we're left with is a watchable film in spite of itself.     

Rating: 5.5 / 10

u/thaworldhaswarpedme, call your office. 

Let's jump right to it (tell me what I got right and what I got wrong!)...

1. Longlegs (Rating: 7.2)

2. Gladiator 2 (7.2)

3. Society of the Snow (7.1)

4. Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (7.1)

5. Terrifier 3 (7.0)

6. Bettlejuice Beetlejuice (6.9) 

7. Alien Romulus (6.9)

8. Deadpool and Wolverine (6.7)

9. Smile 2 (6.7)

10. Red One (6.6)

Note: List does not include documentaries.

Watched 12/22; Netflix; challenge started 4/28.

This film is done by Simon Pegg and Seth Rogan and all the other actors that show up in their movies. The two cops from Hot Fuzz play nerds who go to the San Diego Comicon and then go looking around the west to all the different UFO sites. It doesn’t go as planned but they do find Paul, an alien. Mayhem ensues.

I loved Hot Fuzz and I love a bunch of the Seth Rogan movies. Sadly this was a failure. The key thing with comedy is it’s got to be funny and this isn’t. Although the run time is a bit over 90 minutes it feels much longer. Nothing about this film worked, and I feel bad that I watched it. 0 stars of 8 stars. No one watch this.

Netflix watched on 12/22 after starting the challenge on 4/28.

For me, it was difficult to understand the plot. A hotman kills some industrialist and moves out into the wilderness. The estranged daughter of the industrialist, who was trained in the art of killing somehow crashes a snow mobile near the cabin the hitman lives, he rescues her, and she’s fucked up, and fixes her up and she tries to kill him but she’s on the same contract as her father. It’s a mess.

An absolutely horrible mess of a film. The plot makes zero sense and it’s just stupid. I will give this 1/2 star out of 10 stars. The only redeeming feature of this film is that it takes place in the state of Washington but it was filmed in Europe. So it’s fun to pick out all the European stuff they pretend is America. Like they go to a cemetery and to make sure you know it’s America there is a US flag. None of the actors are American, even the sheriff, but they try to speak like an American but it just doesn’t work. This film is a complete waste of time and no one should watch it other than a homesick Ukrainian.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/17/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ AMC

IMDB: Flow (2024)

"Meow?"

😀 🥹 🤬🤬🤬🤬 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 🫣🫣🫣🫣🫣

☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️☹️

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

(AND thats all I got to say about that!)

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/15/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ AMC Anniversary Run

IMDB: Interstellar (2014)

"Why are you whispering? They can not hear us"

Holy shit.....holy shit this movie was insane! Now I did not fully understand at the start that they literally could only grow just corn, but man I love corn, but that would be horrible to only have corn for everything. What I did not expect was to go on a mind bending just fuck fest of the eyes. I know that's intense, but that is what it felt like.

Now what I really loved about this movie was that the pacing didn't feel too slow or too fast at any given point. It felt that we were moving the speed that we needed too to get to the next part of the movie. I didn't feel rushed to process information and I didn't feel as if the movie hit any parts that were just slow.

Additionally, I have some questions. How do the containers that make them sleep work? Why are they in water? What was the object that was flying out of the sky in the start of the movie? It was some type of technology, but what was it excatly and how does it help them? How did Brand already get the colony started with all that stuff if it is just her doing it?

I know that Cooper goes back to space to find Brand, but when it ends she has all this stuff already set up. How is she doing that without any other help? Lots of questions, very little answers, but damnit if I didn't love this movie.

Also also, Christopher Nolan is actually insane. He gave the world what a black hole looked like before NASA! Like at this point why are we not just sending him to space? Let Christopher Nolan do all the science work. I want this movie imprinted in my mind forever.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/14/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ YouTube Upload

IMDB: A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

"Oh ya.....the Lizard"

Fozzie Bear needs to leave his mother alone. Let her go to Malibu and enjoy that sun! I love that nothing is stopping Miss Piggy from not only shopping, but making a grand entrance to the party. It's wild, Swedish Chef is struggling to cook and it can be enjoyed by literally anyone in the family.

Bonus : A Garfield Christmas Special : 23 minutes 5/5 YouTube Upload 

"If I'm not back in an hour send a banana cream pie after me." 

This was a cute 20 minute christmas episode. Highly recommend for any family gathering.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/14/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ PBS YouTube

IMDB: Arthur's Perfect Christmas (2000)

"Peel bananas" 

The Francine and Muffy beef kept this movie going. I loved how Francine kept strong on her boundaries and didn't let Muffy push her around. Also even though it's considered a Christmas movie, this has more holiday representation then I have seen in any holiday movie.

Also Binky just slowly learning how to cook and writing down what is the correct way to do cooking was hilarious.

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/14/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)

"more then a nose, there's a whole baby attached to it!" & "I just don't like gummy faces!" & "I'm telling you why!" & "I can't even do card tricks" & "I'm not such a loser after all" 

This movie was so good that I couldn't stick with just one single qoute. I just love Bass and Rankin Jr., they are just out here living the best life.

Half way through the movie, the female lead just goes on this weird trippy, psychedelic dance montage that felt like it lasted forever. I literally forgot the plot of the movie when that happened as I was so entrance with the visuals. Great music, great message (showing that change is as simple as stepping in front of yourself) and tbh just a fun over all christmas movie.

4/7/24-12/18/24 

Watched on: HBO Max

IMDB synopsis: "When an 8-year-old girl disappears on Caddo Lake, a series of past deaths and disappearances begin to link together, altering a broken family's history."

I like missing-person mysteries so I decided to give this unheralded new release, starring Dylan O'Brien, a try.

Overall, it was fine.  I saw someone complain online that it was too similar to a popular show on Netflix (I won't say which one) and I do see the similarities. I didn't mind too much, however, because I like the genre. I was paying close attention to everything that was happening, looking for clues, and any movie these days that prevents me from scrolling on my phone deserves some credit.  And the pacing is pretty good overall. The setting is very pretty too, the wetlands of Texas I guess.

In terms of criticisms: Once you figure out what's going on (which shouldn't be any later than halfway through the film), things are pretty predictable. And we never get a "why" for this whole...situation.  They don't even try to come up with a "why."  And in that sense, it feels a little half-baked, in terms of the script.  We needed a bit more brainpower there.

But overall,  I think it's a fine movie.  Not great, not bad.  Very average, but I don't mean that as a criticism necessarily.  Those who like mysteries might want to give it a try.  

Rating: 6.0 / 10

Netflix watched on December 17 started challenge on April 28.

George Clooney and Julia Robert’s star in this romcom. They are divorced and their daughter is graduating from university which brings them together for the ceremony. The daughter then flys off to Bali with a friend and ends up falling in love with a very nice local boy. They decide to get married which brings George and Julia back together on Bali how they scheme to break up the happy couple. Will there be one wedding or two? Thus the movie.

The problem with this film is they make George and Julia unlikable. That doesn’t work in a film like this. The other issue is that as a comedy it’s not funny. Sure there are a few laughs but not enough and as a romcom the ending is predetermined. The film was short, so credit for that. In conclusion, 1 star out of 4 and if you want to see Bali in a movie watch Eat, Pray, Love as it shows it off much better, and for a silly movie is much better than this.

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 12/17/24

Review: Four Good Days is about a woman (Molly) who is a drug addict gets the opportunity to get a shot that will stop her for getting high. She has to be sober for four days before she can take it, so her mother takes her in to help. It was a bittersweet film. I enjoyed it a lot. I liked the focus on the relationships between the characters and how Molly's addiction affects the loved ones around her. (4/5)

Once more I watched a bunch of movies in one day when I was recovering from a sinus infection. Readers, you will find see the rabbit hole that I fell into about half way through.

#281: Werner Herzog "Lessons of Darkness" 1992

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 4/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Lessons of Darkness (1992)

“The war only lasted a few hours, afterwards everything was different.”

I want Werner Herzog to narrate my life. Following the disaster of the real life Kuwaiti Oil Fields catching on fire, Werner Herzog takes watchers on a journey. What that journey is, I think depends on the person watching. For myself it felt like an out of this world documentary, less on the events that happened, but more on how it was filmed and shot. At some points it didn't even feel as if we were still on earth.

#282: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr. "Jack Frost" 1979

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Jack Frost (1979)

"Who can afford horses? Who has money these days?"

First of all, Bass and Rankin just really killing it. I only knew about "The Hobbit" that is probably my all time fav movie. To this movie though, do you guys know how many Jack Frost movies are around? The answer, way to fucking many. This short was a delight, Jack Frost is kind of a menace, but a sweet heart through and through.

#283: Jeff McGrath & Scott Heming & Cathy Malkasian "Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas" 2009

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 5/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas (2009)

“Monkey 1, genius nothing”

Okay, hear me out, I love Curious George. I loved this movie. It's plain, simple and has a great message. What can George get The Man In The Yellow Hat and vice versa. It also does a weird retelling of "Scrooge" halfway through, but it's a Christmas story, so expect to get Scrooged at any point in time.

#284: Jeremy Cohen & O.H. Krill "Alien Chronicles: Antartic Worlds Below" 2023

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 4/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Alien Chronicles: Antartic Worlds Below (2023)

“He was found dead in a mysteriously in a New York Warehouse”

This is where things start to fall apart on the 9th of December. I found one alien movie and it really just spirated about this. Now Alien Chronicles, oh boy this movie was a delight. It had some of the BEST illustrations of aliens ever. Adn so far each and every alien has been a white, blonde haired being. Now what really got me was the ending "all of this is speculation", like own that shit! If you are going to make an hour long conspiracy video, fucking go all out. Make it real. Also the narrator had a very soothing voice.

#285: Lucy Ciara McCutcheon "Alien Contact: Triangle Phenomenon" 2023

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 2/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Alien Contact: Triangle Phenomenon (2023)

“Space is however very active”

First and foremost, I am an Alien stan, I love them, I want to see them and tbh if I ever get abducted, I hope they take whatever organs they need and then ditch me in some 7-11 parking lot. Also I want some FAT aliens, I am sick and tired of skinny ass aliens. Let me see some Fat fucking Aliens. Anyway this movie was bad, what I remember from it is that they spend the majority of the time going "See that mountain? Looks like a triangle....could be aliens."

#286: Jennifer Stein "Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton" 2015

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 4/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: Travis: The True Story of Travis Walton (2015)

“What the hell happened to this man?”

I watched Fire in the Sky earlier this year and finally got around to watching the documentary about Travis Walton himself. Now this is a true to science Sci-Fi original tv movie documentary. At one point they had the "Fact or Faked" crew just answering questions and fucking around in the woods. What was interesting and I wonder if they did more research is the trees that grew faster and stronger in the area that Travis was abducted and no where else. That piece of information was fun to learn and seeing the actual people that were apart of the alien mystery.

#287: Ron Meyer "The Mysteries of Bradshaw Ranch"

Start date: 1/2/24

Movie watched: 12/9/24

Rate: 1/5

Watched @ YouTube Free Movies

IMDB: The Mysteries of Bradshaw Ranch (2024)

“His name is Hoodoo Tall, we shall call him H.T. for short"

Dog SHIT! This movie fucking BLOWED! I remember 2 things from this movie....Hoodoo Tall and at one point they spent like....20 minutes following some critter that they got on film wandering around. And guess what Hoodoo Tall was the best part of this movie. I thought it was going to be like Skinwalker Ranch, but they spent the majority if not the whole movie in one like fucked up barn just going "DID YOU SEE THAT?!" and then it just ended.

Anyway thats the deep dive, christmas movies that turned into just watching nothing but Alien movies. Thankfully this should be the last of the really long ones and I have 4 more to go and I am all caught up!

4/7/24-12/15/24

Watched on: Amazon Prime

IMDB synopsis: "After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas."

I wasn't super-pumped about seeing this Christmas kids movie that was considered a box-office disappointment, but my wife talked me into it.

I was pleasantly surprised - the premise is brilliant, in a sense: Over the years, Hollywood has given us tons of CGI-fueled action flicks for multiple franchises, but they've never tackled Christmas/Santa Claus.  Until now.  Just in time for the holidays, they've gifted us a $350-million Christmas action flick that, while predictable, is pretty entertaining overall.

There's plenty of action to keep you engaged (although I wouldn't say there were any "wow" moments).  And the chemistry between lead actors Dwayne Johnson and Chris Evans is legitimately strong, giving us a lot of cute moments and small laughs (Evans, in particular, is vital to making this film work).  J.K. Simmons is fine as Santa but probably underutilized.  What I like about this movie more than anything is that it's a perfect family film for the holidays; I could see 8-year old boys and girls really getting into it (hey, there's a talking polar bear, among many other things!). Adults like myself aren't the target audience, so maybe that's why the reviews have been lukewarm at best.  I could see this film becoming a late-blooming Christmas classic going forward.  Definitely recommended for folks with kids.  Most adults with a child's heart will like it too. 

Will it be on my Top 10 list for 2024 releases?  Stay tuned.  

Rating: 6.6 / 10

Date Started: 5/27/24

Date Watched: 12/15/24

Review: An elementary school teacher and a retired hockey player get paired up for a holiday themed race across America. I knew this movie was not going to be that great based on the premise, and I was not proven wrong. It was overly cheesy but what else can you expect from your typical Hallmark Christmas movie? 2/5