Tag Archives: movies

2019 in Film (Part II)

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I’m ready for my closeup

So in Part One, I listed everything I caught in the theater last year. And now I’m sure that you’re all eager to know which movies I enjoyed the most…and the least. Once more, I feel that I should remind everyone that I didn’t catch everything I wanted to see (go back to part one for that list), so some may not be on here that would have otherwise.

For my top pics, I will provide a quick comment on each movie, but for the bottom four (no, not five, I actually only have four movies I really disliked this year. I’m shocked as well), I’m just going to list them, again, in release order.

My Top 10 Movies of 2019

Bumblebee: I did not expect to enjoy this flick, I quit watching all the Transformer movies after Bay’s first one. But this flick had heart, a great cast, and I could go for an entire movie of the Cybertron section.

Captain Marvel: Loved this movie. Brie kicked ass, loved seeing a young Nick Fury. Seeing a woman realize her power, then her taking out the Kree ship, followed by the fist-into-palm threat, was just amazing. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.” YES.

Shazam!: Not only was this a moving story, with great laughs and surprising poignancy, it’s nice to see the DC movies getting their crap together. Even if I’m not a fan of what they did to Sivana, this movie still makes the list.

Avengers: Endgame: The capstone to 10 years of a wild movie experiment, creating true serialized storytelling/building a universe in a way that had never really been done before. And they stuck the landing.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters: Best Godzilla movie since Destroy All Monsters. Great Kaiju action, passable human drama, and LOTS OF GODZILLA. If you didn’t see this on the big screen, you missed out.

Spider-Man: Far From Home: Tom Holland continues to be a great Peter Parker and Spider-Man. They nailed Mysterio. We gained Night Monkey. A great capstone to Phase Three of the MCU. Plus: JK is back!

Ready or Not: Biggest surprise of the year, and most fun movie of the year. A delightful black comedy, a cross between Clue and You’re Next, two of my favorite films. More people should have gone out to see this. If you haven’t, fix that!

Doctor Sleep: Atmospheric. Scary. Thoughtful. Solid performances. Fantastic villain. And they managed to thread the needle of honoring both versions of The Shining, the Kubrick movie, and King’s novel. I’m still shocked that this movie didn’t do better.

Knives Out: Just a pure joy. A great cast that is obviously having a ball making the movie, and the plot is a nice, twisty ride. It’s as good as you’ve heard, check it out.

Jojo Rabbit: To be honest, I was apprehensive about this one. The trailers made me think it was going to be too silly/goofy, which is how I felt about Thor: Ragnarok (don’t @ me). Instead, it’s smart, thoughtful, funny, and powerfully moving in places. It’s a near perfect film.

JoJo Rabbit is, hands down, my top movie of 2019.

Yes, really.

Honorable Mentions: Alita: Battle Angel, Happy Death Day 2U, Us, John Wick 3, Crawl

Bottom Four: Hellboy, Dark Phoenix, The Dead Don’t Die, Rambo: Last Blood

Special Call Out: Cats. Oh my god, Cats. This movie is not the worst. It’s not the best. It’s an experience. And I recommend that everyone check it out for themselves. It’s indescribably wild. I still have bits of “Magical Mr. Mistoffelees” rattling around in my head weeks later. I may go see it a second time.

It’s bonkers. It’s gloriously weird. It’s … Cats.

And it got me writing again, so it’s got that going for it.

You’re not prepared. Go anyway.

2019 in Film (Part 1)

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The best thing about popcorn is the way it screams when you eat it…

So, all in all, 2019 was a pretty good year for movies.

A few surprises (though fewer than expected).

A few disappointments (though fewer than expected).

A few long-term friends coming to conclusions, (some more permanent than others).

(I think I’ll stop with the parenthesizes now…)

This was also my first full year with the AMC A-List program, which lets you watch up to three movies a week, be it in Dolby, 3-D, IMAX, or what have you, all for about twenty bucks a month. So as long as I saw at least two movies each month, it paid for itself.

My best months were June and December, which tied with six movies, meaning I paid about $3.50 a movie, which ain’t bad.

(I could go on about the program, and it’s perks, but they’re not paying me to do so, and that’s kind of another post. I may do one with all the movies I’ve seen so far with A-List, but I may not. The first one I did was Venom. And I said I was gonna stop with these things…)

Because of the A-List, I did see more movies than I probably would have without it.

Maybe.

To be honest, I most likely didn’t see that many more than if I didn’t have A-List, as I love going to the movies.

I did, however, do more repeat viewings than I usually do, because hey, a pretty much free movie is a pretty much free movie.

So, without further adieu, here’s everything that I caught in the theater last year, with the date, because why not? I also note the three movies that I saw outside of A-List, just for clarification.

Jan.
Bumblebee (11th)
Glass (17th)

Feb.
Alita: Battle Angel (13th)
Happy Death Day 2U (26th)

Mar.
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2nd)
Captain Marvel (7th)
Captain Marvel (11th)
Us (23rd)

Apr.
Shazam! (4th)
Pet Sematary (10th)
Hellboy (14th)
Avengers: Endgame (25th)

May
Avengers: Endgame (2nd)
Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (12th)
John Wick 3 (17th)
Brightburn (27th)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (30th)

Jun.
Ma (non A-List) (1st)
Dark Phoenix (12th)
Avengers: Endgame (15th)
Shaft (22nd)
The Dead Don’t Die (23rd)
Toy Story 4 (25th)
Anna (30th)

Jul.
Avengers: Endgame (1st)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2nd)
Crawl (22nd)

Aug.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (12th)
The Kitchen (17th)
Ready or Not (22nd)
Hobbs & Shaw (25th)

Sep.
It: Chapter 2 (10th)
Rambo: Last Blood (23rd)

Oct.
Joker (3rd)
The Addams Family (10th)
Zombieland 2: Double-Tap (18th)

Nov.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (1st)
Doctor Sleep (7th)
Terminator: Dark Fate (non A-List) (11th)
The Good Liar (17th)
Charlie’s Angels (23rd)

Dec.
Knives Out (3rd)
Frozen II (9th)
21 Bridges (11th)
Jojo Rabbit (12th)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Non A-List) (19th)
Cats (23rd)
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (24th)

Yeah, there are a few gaps, for various reasons, though a few are still playing in the theater at the time of this writing, and I’ll try and catch them there. In no particular order, the ones I missed that I still want to see are:

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Rocketman. Uncut Gems. Jumanji II. Midsommar. Fighting With My Family. The Lighthouse.

Now, which movies make my top 10 list? Which are my bottom five? For that, you’ll have to come back next time.

The Other Worlds Austin 2017 preview Day 4

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Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Returning for a fourth exciting year, Other Worlds Austin, one of the premier SciFi Film Festivals in the US, features some of the best and unheralded genre films. Beginning on Thursday December 7 at Flix Brewhouse, the four day event includes 16 full length films, a slew of shorts, and a screenwriting workshop. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’ll be at there.

Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2017.

 

Sunday, December 10

12:00PM COCOLORS (TEXAS PREMIERE)

Toshihisa Yokoshima | Japan | 45min

Writer: Toshihisa Yokoshima
Cast: Yuuki Takada, Sawako Hata, Mutsuki Iwanaka, Masaki Terasoma,Yoshiko Kamei,Yayoi Nakazawa

There is a world in which an endless rain of dark ash fills the sky, and covers the earth. Bundled up in their protective suits and hidden away behind their masks, humanity has fled deep within the underground. This is the story of the children growing up in this fearful world, and two boys who join a recovery team that ventures out to the outside world.

(Animated, Japanese with English subtitles)

The Other Worlds Austin 2017 preview Days 1 and 2

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Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Returning for a fourth exciting year, Other Worlds Austin, one of the premier SciFi Film Festivals in the US, features some of the best and unheralded genre films. Beginning on Thursday December 7 at Flix Brewhouse, the four day event includes 16 full length films, a slew of shorts, and a screenwriting workshop. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’ll be at there.

Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2017

 

Thursday December 7

7:42PM EVENT HORIZON (20TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING) LAUNCH FILM

Paul W.S. Anderson | USA | 96min | 1997

Writer: Philip Eisner
Cast: Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen Quinlan, Jason Isaacs

A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned…with someone or something new onboard. Twenty years ago, Paramount took us to the darkest edges of space, terrifying audiences with what has become a cult classic.  Screenwriter Philip Eisner joins us to celebrate one of the most unforgiving examples of mankind tampering with what they should not.  If 1997 was a sort of watershed year for the 2nd wave of SciFi — with THE FIFTH ELEMENT as a new take on the galaxy-building of STAR WARS, CONTACT clearly a new CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND — nothing captures the horrifyingly cold neutrality and danger of space first glanced at in ALIEN like EVENT HORIZON.

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The Other Worlds Austin 2016 preview Day 4

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Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.

Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.

 

Sunday, December 4

 

12:20 PM SCIFI SHORTS 2 – TOMORROW’S HEARTS BROKEN TODAY

Stripes (Texas Premiere)
Tibo Pinsard | France | 4 min
Writer: Tibo Pinsard

Another first date gets hijacked by two people unable to get past their own masks.

Memoir (Texas Premiere)
Alexander Jeffery | USA | 17 min
Writer: Paul Petersen

Dr. Theodore Maine is on the cusp of losing his job at Janus Labs where he is developing research for Alzheimer’s treatment, until a mysterious child arrives to change his future forever.

RAE (Texas Premiere)
Aaron Rovner | USA | 13 min
Writer: Aaron Rovner

When an office robot gives a co-worker a friendly gift, the fragile balance between the employees in the office is pushed to a tipping point.

Una Mujer Sin Precio 1961 [A Priceless Woman]
(Texas Premiere)

Juan F. Moctezuma II | Mexico | 15 min
Writer:  Juan F. Moctezuma II

When a perfectionist scientist loses his wife to a car accident, he builds a robotic version to replace her, in this newly restored classic from the missing genre trailblazer, presented by documentarian Alaric Rocha.

 The Lost City Of Tomorrow  

Auden Bui | Canada | 16 min
Writer: Auden Bui

Sent to shut down a floating film archive orbiting high above Earth, a bureaucrat meets an android caretaker whose love of film makes him almost more human than his counterpart.

Beautiful Dreamer
David Gaddie | USA | 26 min
Writers: David Gaddie, Steven Kelleher, & Ken Liu

Facing a terminal disease, a mother uses space travel and relativity to stretch her last two years over the lifetime of her baby daughter, building a relationship despite the longing and estrangement that mark seeing each other only once every seven years.

 

12:45 PM STILLE RESERVEN [HIDDEN RESERVES]

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Valentin Hitz | Austria | 96 min

Writer: Valentin Hitz
Cast:  Clemens Schick, Lena Lauzemis, Daniel Olbrychski, & Marion Mitterhammer

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With powerful companies running the Vienna of the not too distant future, only the privileged elite can afford death insurance. The rest suffer their corpses to be used long after their passing in life-support farms, until their debts are paid. When Insurance agent Vincent Baumann goes undercover to ‘sell’ activist Lisa Sokulowa on his services, he discovers a brewing revolution that may be worth cashing in his own policy.

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The Other Worlds Austin 2016 preview Day 3

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Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.

Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.

Saturday, December 3

11:30 AM UNDER WORLDS SHORTS

Blight (US Premiere)
Briane Deane | Ireland | 15 min
Writer: Matthew Roche

A young priest travels to an isolated island community to face a dark supernatural force that has consumed a young woman.

Girl #2 (Texas Premiere)

David Jeffery | USA | 9 min
Writer: Kari Wahlgren

Even with a deranged killer running rampant inside the house, the girls still vie for leadership in the sorority.

Photo 2 IM_02_1920x1080.jpg

Quenottes [Pearlies] (Texas Premiere)
Pascal Thiebaux, Gil Pinheiro | France/Luxembourg | 13 min
Writer: Pascal Thiebaux

In many cultures, the tooth fairy that brings you a coin in exchange for the tooth under your pillow is a benevolent little mouse.  But what if the teeth he collects are dental trophies, to be guarded at all costs?

Whit Spurgeon | USA | 4 min
Writer: Stephen Newman

In the middle of the night, things should be quiet. Sometimes things go thump.

Photo 8 NASTY_-_still_08.jpg

Nasty
Prano Bailey-Bond | UK | 15 min
Writer: Anthony Fletcher

Exploring the mysterious disappearance of his father, twelve-year old Doug is drawn into the lurid world of VHS horror ‘nasties,’ in Margaret Thatcher era UK.

Ángel Ripalda | Spain | 12 min
Writer: Santiago Manuel Taboada

Troubled at school, ten-year-old David complains he is not the one to be blamed for his mischief.  His father hires a specialist to discover the truth.

John the Carpenter
Matt Braunsdorf  | USA | 19 min
Writer: Matt Braunsdorf

After a car accident throws his sister Anna into conflict with a terrifying monster, John constructs a trap to revenge his sister’s sacrifice.

Allhallowtide (Texas Premiere)
Tia Salisbury  | UK | 9 min
Writers: Tia Salisbury

Dan has no time for housemate Molly today, which is just one more annoyance added to her being mute and dead for 180 years.

 

11:45 AM BATTLEDREAM CHRONICLE

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Alain Bidard | Martinique | 108 min
Writer: Alain Bidard
Cast: Jacques Olivier Ensfelder, Yna Boulangé, & Steffy Glissant

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After the empire of Mortemonde reduces the populations of almost all the nations of the Earth to slavery, they force each slave to collect 1000XP every month in Battledream, a video game where they can die for real. Only the successful are granted the right to live until the next month. But Syanna, a young slave from Martinique, the last free nation on the planet, refuses to keep living under these condition.

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The Other Worlds Austin 2016 preview Days 1 and 2

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Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Design by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

After two successful years, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns this Thursday, December 1st, in new digs (Flix Brewhouse) and with an additional day. The now four day event has grown to include 18 full length films, a slew of of shorts, and an appearance by B-movie legend Sybil Danning, the late Dan O’Bannon’s wife Diane O’Bannon, and others. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the event.

Here’s what to expect at Other Worlds Austin 2016.

 

Thursday, December 1

 

7:42 PM RETRO GALA: BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS
DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE AWARDEE: SYBIL DANNING

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Jimmy T. Murakami | USA | 105 min

Writers: John Sayles
Cast: Richard Thomas, Robert Vaughn, John Saxon, George Peppard & Sybil Danning

Sybil Danning

Sybil Danning

A young farmer (Richard Thomas) sets out to recruit mercenaries to defend his peaceful planet, which is under threat of invasion by the evil tyrant Sador (John Saxon) and his armada of aggressors. Among the mercenaries are a Space Cowboy (George Peppard), a spacegoing truck driver from Earth (Morgan Woodward); Gelt, a wealthy but experienced assassin looking for a place to hide (Robert Vaughn); and Saint-Exmin, a Valkyrie warrior looking to prove herself in battle (Sybil Danning). The film was legendarily pitched as ‘Magnificent Seven in Space.’ Produced by Roger Corman in the wake of the Star Wars cash-grab phenomena, the film also features one of the first scores from James Horner, and the below the line talents of Gale Ann Hurd and James Cameron.

(Sybil Danning will be in attendance)

 

Friday, December 2

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The Other Worlds Austin 2015 preview Day 3

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Designed by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Designed by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

After last years successful first offering, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns thisThursday, December 3 at the Galaxy Highland Theater. The three day event has grown to include 13 full length films, a secret Star Wars-related screening, and a variety of shorts. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the festival.

Over the next three days, I will preview the 13 features.

House of Time

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Jonathan Helpert | France | 86 min

Writer: Jean Helpert
Cast: Maxime Dambrin, Laura Boujenah, Benjamin Wangermee, Julia Piaton, David Atrakchi

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Robert d’Eglantine has uncovered secret Nazi scientific research on time travel. He tells his guests he has taken them seventy years back in time, to 1944, during the French Occupation and only few weeks before the landing in Normandy. Although the house and everything inside seem the same, the appearance of a woman in the French Resistance, on the run from her Nazi captors, make them question if Robert may just be telling the truth. Or is the woman just an actress? Or was she an actress before the occupation and now a revolutionary?

(Saturday, 5)

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The Other Worlds Austin 2015 preview Day 2

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Designed by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

Designed by tattoo and graphics artist David Poe

After last years successful first offering, the Other Worlds Austin scifi film festival returns thisThursday, December 3 at the Galaxy Highland Theater. The three day event has grown to include 13 full length films, a secret Star Wars-related screening, and a variety of shorts. Not terribly surprising to anyone who regularly follows my writings, I’m covering the festival.

Over the next three days, I will preview the 13 features.

 

Projet-M

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Eric Piccoli | Canada | 98 min

Writers: Julien Deschamps Jolin, Eric Piccoli, Mario J. Ramos
Cast: Jean-Nicolas Verreault, Julie Perreault, Julien Deschamps Jolin, Nadia Essadiqi, Pierre Verville

download

Orbiting the Earth aboard a space station for 1,000 days to prepare for a mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa, four astronauts face unforeseen crises when a war breaks out on Earth below. Arguing whether to break off their mission, or what to do about the loss of communication from headquarters, or what to do about the other satellites orbiting the Earth, the team and themselves more alone than they could have prepared for.

(Friday, 10:15)

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Fantastic Fest 2015 Preview Day One

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It’s that time again for my sojourn to Fantastic Fest, the annual Alamo Drafthouse week long love letter to horror, fantasy, sci-fi, action and just plain fantastic movies from all around the world. This year’s festival runs from Sept 24-October 1, here in Austin at the South Lamar location.

As in year’s past, I begin my coverage with a multi-part/day preview.

 

Fantastic Fest Preview Day One

 

The Lobster

David has recently become single. The rules of The City dictate that he must be taken to The Hotel, where he will have 45 days to find a matching mate. If he does, he can go back to his life. If he fails, he’ll be transformed into an animal of his choice and sent into The Woods. However, there’s a splinter group of renegade Loners living within The Woods who oppose this system violently. With a ticking 45 day clock, David will struggle to survive and maybe just maybe find his true love.

Yorgos Lanthimos continues the singular vision he presented in his previous films DOGTOOTH, ATTENBERG and ALPS with a dystopian science fiction tale that’s as funny as it is twisted, dark and insightful. A brilliantly deadpan exercise, THE LOBSTER is surreal wonder at its best.

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