Winter Watching

     It has been about 4 weeks since my last check-in and I’ve watched a few movies, finished up some TV shows and started others. Let’s get right to it, here are the movies I’ve been watching in the comfort of my own home over the past few weeks…

Batman: Hush- A decent DC animated movie. They made some big changes from what was portrayed in the original Hush run in the Batman comics though, and, in my opinion, not for the better.

Catherine Called Birdy- This is an odd little period comedy written and directed by “The Girls” creator Lena Dunham, starring Bella Ramsey. It’s not bad. It starts off strong, gets lost a bit in the middle but has a pretty satisfying ending.

No Time to Die- My second viewing now. There is some good stuff in there, especially the Cuba sequences, but overall it’s overly long and doesn’t have a strong enough villain.

Despicable Me 3- I’m a sucker for this series. This was my second time watching this one and I still enjoyed it.

Beat the Devil- See full review in Classics section.

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear- The first of, I believe, 3 TV movies followed by a series. My first time watching any of them. It starts off pretty boring, even Noah Wyle’s performance is terrible in the beginning, but when they introduce the “Library” things get better. Too bad the budget was so small. Better SPFX would have helped.

Killers of the Flower Moon- I loved it at first, then it’s supersized running time wore me down to the point that I didn’t really care what happened in the end.

Jesse Stone: Stone Cold- Working my way through this Tom Selleck series of TV movies. I enjoyed this one too.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture- Couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve watched this first Trek feature. This time around I watched the special edition director’s version, which is an improvement. I don’t think it’s as bad as some people, but it is slow.

A Fish Called Wanda- Revisited this one about 30 years after my last viewing. I recall liking it better, though it’s still not a bad movie. I think I originally related more to Michael Palin’s character, this time I felt more for John Cleese.

If You Were the Last- An uneven but enjoyable story of a couple of astronauts who were “lost in space” for several years before they were able to make the repairs to their ship and return home. It’s a romantic comedy starring Anthony Mackie and Zoe Chao, who help make it work.

Nyad- This movie about Diana Nyad’s swimming from Cuba to the U.S. at 60 is pretty good. Both Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, are nominated for Oscars are very good.

Jesse Stone: Sea Change- Another good entry in the series.

The Equalizer- My first time watching this Antoine Fuqua action flick starring Denzel Washington. I enjoyed it enough that I will seek out the 2 sequels now.

Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart- This TV movie from 1995 stars Mickey Rooney, Ben Johnson, Randy Travis, Nicholas Guest, and Larry Gatlin. With that cast I expected a lighthearted romp, what I got was a depressing and boring flick. Ernest Borgnine and Ned Beatty were in it too!

Casino Royale- This is the 1967 comedy. I remember watching it on TV as a kid and being angry that it was not what I knew to be a James Bond movie. It’s still terrible, but I did laugh a few times.

Memoirs of an Invisible Man- I’d seen this one on it’s original release in the early ‘90’s and recalled liking it. It really isn’t a bad film. Directed by the great John Carpenter, he and star Chevy Chase did not get along. Imagine how much better it could have been if they had.

The Cocoanuts- Rewatch of the Marx Brother’s first film. I wish a better print was out there, but it still works pretty well.

Broken Arrow- A pretty good James Stewart western hobbled by it’s lead Native American characters being played by white actors in make-up. The supporting cast are actual native actors and they are great.

The Bad New Bears Go to Japan- I don’t think it’s the worst film of 1977, but it isn’t great. I enjoyed it more than I expected too, having not seen it since I was 10 years old.

Alien Nation: Dark Horizon- Rewatch of the first of the Alien Nation TV movies. It’s pretty good, but the SPFX are not very good. Even for the early ‘90’s.

Broadcast News- Finally watched my Criterion copy of this classic. It’s still a great movie. Holly Hunter is amazing.

The Wrong Man- My first view of this Hitchcock drama starring Henry Fonda. You can really feel Hitchcock’s fear of the police coming off the screen in this one.

The Last Man on the Moon- 2014 documentary about astronaut Gene Cernan, who was the last man to walk on the moon. I liked it. It was bitter sweet because he has passed away since it was made.

The Greatest Night in Pop- Another doc, this one about the making of “We Are the World”. It’s really good and full of info that I just didn’t know. I highly recommend it.

The Little Hours- Another period comedy that I liked a little more. This is a raunchy 1600’s set comedy starring Allison Brie, Dave Franco, Aubrey Plaza, Kate Micucci, John C. Reilly, Molly Shannon, and Fred Armisen. I laughed.

The Last of the Mohicans- I hadn’t revisited this one in at least a couple decades. It’s a beautiful movie and just as you feel it’s getting too long, it ends.