I've mentioned it before, but also "Fastball" is a great documentary. DEFINITELY check that one out, too. It was the one that verified that Nolan has thrown the fastest pitch in history.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Facing Nolan (Netflix streaming) Documentary on Nolan Ryan's career.
Loved it. Great doc. GOAT. Period. You can't make this career up. He has blown away so many records, many will NEVER be broken, due to analytics. IIRC, it is Walter Johnson's record of 30 wins in a season was the untouchable, along with Cal Jr's Ironman streak. I think Walt's record COULD be broken nowadays. (Come in for an inning, get the win). Nolan's no-hitters? Strikeout record (Randy Johnson is 2nd, over 1000 K's behind)? Nope.
And sad, but interesting note: Nolan NEVER won a Cy Young. Ever.
Denny McLain won 31 in 1968, so evidently that record wasn't untouchable.
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
Facing Nolan (Netflix streaming) Documentary on Nolan Ryan's career.
Loved it. Great doc. GOAT. Period. You can't make this career up. He has blown away so many records, many will NEVER be broken, due to analytics. IIRC, it is Walter Johnson's record of 30 wins in a season was the untouchable, along with Cal Jr's Ironman streak. I think Walt's record COULD be broken nowadays. (Come in for an inning, get the win). Nolan's no-hitters? Strikeout record (Randy Johnson is 2nd, over 1000 K's behind)? Nope.
And sad, but interesting note: Nolan NEVER won a Cy Young. Ever.
Watched this on one of my flights and I agree it's well worth it. Very well done.
The F* It List (Netflix streaming): After a prank blows up on a high school senior's life, he shares a list of certain things he wishes he'd done differently.
I expected nothing out of this, and was pleasantly surprised it was a decent coming of age movie, nicely balanced between seriousness and comedy. Very predictable ending, for the most part, but it was the journey there that mattered, and made you wonder a little. It never was "could it happen" (it will), it was "how it happened." Give it a go, you might be as surprised as I was.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Elvis (Netflix disc) The life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
I hope one doesn't have ADD when watching this movie, first of all. It is scattershot all the way through. That being said, it's a nice story, legend versus fact, and oftentimes, one doesn't know which is which. Told from the point-of-view of Colonel Parker (Elvis' manager), lots of biased views. Savior or Devil? Troubled or earnest? Blinded or naïve? This can relate to any character here.
Good watch, but take it with a grain of salt.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Me Time (Netflix streaming): Follows a dad who finds time for himself for the first time in years while his wife and kids are away. He reconnects with a friend for a wild weekend.
Mark Wahlberg plays the comedic Mark Wahlberg, and Kevin Hart plays Kevin Hart. *shrug* I was looking for a silly, non-thinking comedy (that also had that for-sure life lesson built into it) and this is exactly what that was. No shame in that, definitely falls under the "Saturday Afternoon Time Killer" category. Good waste of 100 minutes, and that's not an insult.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Lou (Netflix streaming): A storm rages. A young girl is kidnapped. Her mother teams up with the mysterious woman next door to pursue the kidnapper, a journey that tests their limits and exposes shocking secrets from their pasts.
Basically a female version of Liam Neeson's "Taken," in a way. Decent movie, good action, I think they added one plot twist too many, and unfortunately that was the BIG plot twist of the movie. Still, I enjoyed it, the acting was done well.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Poison Rose (Netflix streaming): Inspired by classic film noir, Carson Phillips, an ex-football star turned PI, has a soft spot for a lady in distress.
Stars Travolta...good God, here we go, BUT also has Famke Janssen, Morgan Freeman, and Brendan Fraser. That should cancel out...
That being said, not a fan of the style, but this one hooked me for about 75% of the movie. The ending was laughable at times, just crappy B-Movie redonkulous. Thumbs down, simply due to the ending. The ending was THAT bad, compared to the rest of the movie. Top-notch otherwise, and that's a big statement from a non-film-noir fan. Watch at your own risk.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Okay I can’t figure out how to link a trailer but please PLEASE go to YouTube and check out Violent Night! WTF? It’s a rare trailer that can make me laugh out loud. Rube…this one’s for you. Merry Christmas
What have I got? I got no snacks and I got no respect.
Travis-age 6
Okay I can’t figure out how to link a trailer but please PLEASE go to YouTube and check out Violent Night! WTF? It’s a rare trailer that can make me laugh out loud. Rube…this one’s for you. Merry Christmas
Morbius (Netflix streaming): Biochemist Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he inadvertently infects himself with a form of vampirism instead.
This was ONE comic I actually got into back in the day, bought it from Issue #1 (and actually sold what I had last year to a comic book aficionado buddy of mine). This movie is a hot mess. I had not heard good things and had to see if what was said is true. It is. What really sets this movie apart from other complete trash is the overuse of extended CGI (and I am not talking stunts, or standard special effects). Hey, guys? Bullet-time was so 20 years ago, and I don't need to see (literal) trails of your actions like I'm tripping balls.
Don't even bother with this one.
I watched this one a bit ago as Morbius is involved in the Spiderverse that they've teased a bit in the various Spiderman movies over the last few years.
I liked the premise but the execution was pretty poor. I had heard the same negative reviews on it so my expectations were pretty low going into it. IDK if it's as bad as I'd heard (some of the story was fun and some of the special effects were pretty cool, plus I have a soft spot for MCU-adjacent movies) or not but I probably won't watch it again. At least I won't go out of my way to watch it.
The new trailer for Wakanda Forever released earlier this week.
I loved the first Black Panther movie. Chadwick Boseman was absolutely incredible in that role. I'm very interested to see where they go from here after his death. One of the earlier trailers seemed to hint that Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) was going to return but that has been unconfirmed. This new trailer looks great though.
No Man's Land (Netflix disc): When a vigilante border patrol turns fatal, a man flees on horseback to Mexico, seeking forgiveness from the victim's father.
Very good movie. Presented the theme without being preachy or judgmental. A lot of subtleties happening, too, with the different cultures, the life-path of the characters, etc. I'd say it's a solid watch.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Jexi (Netflix streaming): Phil makes top 10 pop lists at work. His only "friend" is cellphone Siri. His new phone includes AI helper Jexi, who improves/controls his social life.
Netflix advertised it as a comedy similar to "Bad Words" (which was hilarious, and a darn good comedy). To call "Jexi" sophomoric humor would be extremely generous. I actually think "Dude, Where's My Car" was funnier. I'll leave it at that.
Last Seen Alive (Netflix streaming): Will's soon-to-be ex-wife mysteriously vanishes at a gas station. He delves into the town's criminal underbelly while running from the authorities in a race against time to find her.
A one-man-army along with a detective who bends the rules a little, including letting the one-man-army get away with multiple crimes in the end. Oh, that should have been a spoiler, but if you've seen ANY one-man-army movie, you would know that would be the situation within about 20 minutes of the first moments of the movie. Honestly, the highlight of the movie was seeing Michael Irby playing a schlub (he plays Bishop in the tv series "The Mayans" and who's a total bad-ass).
[watched last night] Luckiest Girl Alive (Netflix streaming) A woman in New York, who seems to have things under control, is faced with a trauma that makes her life unravel.
Started off great, Mila Kunis does well with contrasting thoughts in her head, almost, and I dare say, an "American Psycho" type character. However, it devolved into a "#MeToo" Lifetime movie, and left me with a big, heavy, and sad "sigh...." The story was there, but they simply threw it into the cookie-cutter at the end.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I enjoyed Luckiest Girl Alive more than you did. I too thought the latter third got a bit too far away from what seemed like a character that was on the brink of snapping, but the "me too" side of it didn't bother me at all and in fact imho is a theme not depicted often enough.
I concur 100% with Last Seen Alive. That story has been done plenty of times already and with much better results such as Frantic and Breakdown among others.
I enjoyed Luckiest Girl Alive more than you did. I too thought the latter third got a bit too far away from what seemed like a character that was on the brink of snapping, but the "me too" side of it didn't bother me at all and in fact imho is a theme not depicted often enough.
I concur 100% with Last Seen Alive. That story has been done plenty of times already and with much better results such as Frantic and Breakdown among others.
I didn't mind the MeToo angle, I just thought it was over-simplified, maybe? All her issues were because of that, and that only. Not because of her self-image issues, or domineering mom, etc etc.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Laal Singh Chaddha on Netflix. Imagine if the creators of Scary Movie went to India to spoof Forrest Gump. Stars Aamir Khan who might be recognizable to anyone that watched 3 Idiots. Pretty dang funny. Perhaps not "run florist run" funny but funny enough.
Inheritance (Netflix streaming): The patriarch of a wealthy and powerful family suddenly passes away, leaving his daughter with a shocking secret inheritance that threatens to unravel and destroy the family.
Well, I expected some of what the secret was, but not delivered in THAT such a way. The meat of the movie is quite good, I do love me a moral dilemma. The ending was a little cliched, but at that point it didn't matter. I thought the rest of the movie made it worth it. I would recommend it.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Netflix disc): A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.
Part satire, part serious, based on war journalist Kim Barker's memoirs, and I found it to have excellent balance between the two extremes. Tina Fey is excellent in it, and Billy Bob Thornton (in his somewhat minor role) provides a nice anchor to Fey's character. You will laugh while watching this movie, and you will also be awed by how grim reality is, in situations like the movie shows. Highly recommend.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
End Of The Road (Netflix streaming) In this high-octane action thriller, a cross-country road trip becomes a highway to hell for Brenda and her family. Alone in the New Mexico desert, they have to fight for their lives when they become the targets of a mysterious killer.
I'd leave out "high-octane" in the description. It's a run of the mill action movie, with some comedy added. While in hindsight, the twist is cliched, it still is a nice twist in how it fleshes out. I'd rank it as a decent time-killer.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Blackout (Netlflix streaming) A man wakes in a hospital with no memory, and quickly finds himself on the run in a locked down hospital with the Cartel on his tail. He scrambles to find his true identity in the most vicious way.
Equally stupidly redonkulous and entertaining. It did get better as the movie went on, with the plot being the asset. Starts off way over the top with the action and suspense of belief, and mellows into a twisty "What is actually truth?" story. There are still some questions about one of the main characters, and I'm good with that, adds to the "What does the viewer believe?" 80 minutes, and that's about right for a movie like this.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
There was one huge plot hole imho in that movie and it had to do with
Spoiler
spoiler
there being confusion by the Feds (or was it the DEA? whatever) over whether or not the main character was one of the bodies found in the burned out house, even though he was chased down and shot at after leaving that location. And would the shooters really have left the scene without confirming he was dead? Oh well...
High Flying Bird (Netflix streaming): During a pro basketball lockout, a sports agent pitches a rookie basketball client on an intriguing and controversial business proposition.
Pretty good movie, didn't know what to expect, Steven Soderbergh directs, and Zazie Beetz (Joker, Deadpool 2) were the reasons I gave it a shot. The movie is sprinkled with snippets of real life NBAers talking about what the "rookie experience" is like (and KAT from the T-Wolves is one of the players). There's quite a bit of shuckin' and jivin' in the plot, the whole 3D Chess thing. I would definitely recommend, even if one isn't a basketball fan. The sport is just the arena. The game is the character's actions.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Peanut Butter Falcon (Netflix disc): Zak, a young man with Down syndrome, runs away from a residential nursing home to fulfill his dream of attending the pro wrestling school of his idol, The Salt Water Redneck. On the road, Zak meets Tyler, a small-time outlaw who becomes Zak's unlikely coach and ally. Together, they set out on a wild, life-changing journey and try to convince Eleanor, a kind nursing-home employee charged with bringing Zak back, to join them.
Great movie. Apparently based on Zack Gottsagen's (who plays the main character Zak) real-life interactions with other people in the world, although the story itself is obviously fiction. It really covers all the bases on that part, without being too sappy, corny, or obvious (in a movie like this, you always expect some bully to oversell the "hey, retard" angle). A couple of nice cameos towards the end, which I enjoyed.
Definitely recommend, and at 90 minutes or so, you know they are not filling the movie with fluff.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Bullet Train (Netflix disc) Five assassins aboard a swiftly-moving bullet train find out that their missions have something in common.
Over the top, completely redonkulous, action/humor-filled ball of fun. You can definitely see the influences of "Snatch," "Hitman's Bodyguard," and "Crank" along with a touch of classic Jackie Chan action sequences. Grab a beverage of choice, some snackies, and strap in for the show. This might end up on my buy list. Great cast, great movie.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
VERY funny. Laughed a lot. A total parody with lots of great cameos. I’ll need to watch it again to catch the ones I missed.
It appears I can get a free trial...worth it just for this movie. I really want to see it. Been a fan since I was about 5. No joke.
Such a great movie, I will also have to rewatch to catch everything. Didn’t realize Frank Zappa was in the pool scene as there’s so many in it. Now that I’ve read about it now I want to see it again too because basically everything in the movie is the opposite of his real life, like his parents are actually sweethearts who totally supported him.
Roku is free, just have to download the app. I could put it on my smart TV so super easy.
Wizard Of Oz on TBS right now, such a great movie, except for the damn flying monkeys sequence. Still creeps me the f out. 🙁
My junior year of HS, our choir staged a performance of TWoO. After hearing "Over the Rainbow" an interminable number of times during rehearsals, I don't care if I EVER see that movie again.
Tact is the ability to step on a man's toes without messing up the shine on his shoes - Harry S Truman
Wizard Of Oz on TBS right now, such a great movie, except for the damn flying monkeys sequence. Still creeps me the f out. 🙁
My junior year of HS, our choir staged a performance of TWoO. After hearing "Over the Rainbow" an interminable number of times during rehearsals, I don't care if I EVER see that movie again.
What about THIS version:
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Wizard Of Oz on TBS right now, such a great movie, except for the damn flying monkeys sequence. Still creeps me the f out. 🙁
My junior year of HS, our choir staged a performance of TWoO. After hearing "Over the Rainbow" an interminable number of times during rehearsals, I don't care if I EVER see that movie again.
I’ve got a touch of this too, having been in the pit for a lot of high school and college musicals. Wizard of Oz, Guys and Dolls, Annie, West Side Story, Godspell, and the worst of all, Grease. Ugh.
Still love Little Shop of Horrors, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma!, Hello Dolly, and the Music Man, though.
I saw that and wondering, "WTF are they gonna do with that? A bear ate a crap-ton of coke...and?" That's pretty much the story. How are you going to make 90-120 minutes of it?"
I should edit, FTR, I love me some bad movies, but this one...I dunno. Case in point:
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I Saw The Light (Netflix disc): The story of the country-western singer Hank Williams, who in his brief life created one of the greatest bodies of work in American music. The film chronicles his rise to fame and its tragic effect on his health and personal life.
The guy who played Hank was great in this, although the majority of the time it felt like a Lifetime movie. Skipped ahead quite a bit in the storyline, a few filler scenes where his hit songs were played...decent, but a not great movie.
Emily The Criminal (Netflix streaming): Down on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.
Theo Rossi (fan of his, he's best known in Sons Of Anarchy and Luke Cage series) was good. Aubrey Plaza is the other main character, not really a fan. She's one of the Queens Of RBF, though. I'll give her that. Her character does NOT make smart decisions in this movie, and it hurts the plot even while it advances it. So many times, "No, don't do that, that's stupid" and she does it. I'd say it's an okay B-movie. Not ripe for MSTK3000 Treatment, I'd say it's a "B+" category movie.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Good Nurse (Netflix streaming): An infamous caregiver is implicated in the deaths of hundreds of hospital patients.
Based on a true story, does have Jessica Chastain in it, but BLAND. The story is good, how could someone get away with that for so long, but the presentation is as dry and clear cut as can be. There's no suspense, no drama. The cops involved, "Yeah, it's this," and it was. Yawn.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
The Takeover (Netflix Streaming): Framed for murder after uncovering a privacy scandal, an ethical hacker must evade the police while trying to track down the criminals blackmailing her.
Standard action/computer hacker movie; you have your global conspiracy, your espionage of sorts, it was kind of "Enemy Of The State" vs "The Net." I suppose it's worth a watch, but don't expect much. It won't bore you, but it won't really disappoint, either.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
I Came By (Netflix streaming) Follows a young graffiti artist who discovers a shocking secret that would put him and the ones closest to him in danger.
Dollars to donuts you can guess the secret very soon into the movie, but it was a solid movie, definitely did not follow formula in some major aspects of the plot. Worth a watch.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
Watched Banshees Of Inniserin last night. If this doesn’t win a best picture Oscar they might as well quit giving it out. It’s exactly what they are looking for….thought provoking, tragic, funny, beautiful, unique. And Jenny is a next level scene stealer….she’s really a movie stealer.
Watched Banshees Of Inniserin last night. If this doesn’t win a best picture Oscar they might as well quit giving it out. It’s exactly what they are looking for….thought provoking, tragic, funny, beautiful, unique. And Jenny is a next level scene stealer….she’s really a movie stealer.
I so want to see that. It was put on my list as soon as I read about it.
When you tell somebody somethin', it depends on what part of the United States you're standin' in... as to just how dumb you are.
