June 29, 2026

Dust Bunny: This 2025 film familiar stars Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver, along with a precocious 10yo girl Sophie Sloan. Putting this up front that this is a fantastical weird tale with the focal point being the little girl named Aurora. She begins in her bed screaming afraid of what seems to be an animated dust bunny in the literal shape of a little bunny hopping on her floor. Her parents come to her door and tell her that there is nothing to worry about and to go to sleep. Aurora sleeps on the fire escape. She shortly notices a neighbour walking outside on the street. It is Mikkelsen, who plays Resident 5B, no name, and he is dressed quite strangely. She carefully follows him to see what he does. He does some amazing things to attack and also protect himself from what she sees. Afterwards she gets back to her house. In her sleep she is awakened by terrible noises. She covers her head with a blanket while they continue. In the morning, her house is empty. No parents. The creature she feared is under the floorboards.

The house looks like it is from the world of Edward Scissorhands. Bright colours. Aurora has a strange way of riding what looks like a ceramic hippo and she moves around her apartment punting it like a gondola in Venice. She believes that her parents were murdered and she wants to hire an assassin to get rid of the murderer. To do this, she attends church and steals from the donation plate. She writes a short letter to her neighbour seeking to engage his services with enclosed money. She goes to speak to him directly. Mikkelsen tries to be very logical with the little girl. The whole scenario to him seems ridiculous, the rantings of a little girl. There must be explanations to the parents’ disappearance. He doesn’t agree to assist Aurora, but he goes to speak with Sigourney Weaver, who seems to be like the John Wick character Winston Scott played by Ian McShane. Weaver is a person who seems to run and organization that protects its own and hires assassins to deal with problems. They talk. Things happen and they become more and more bizarre as it continues.

This is quite dark. We learn more about Aurora and her past. Aurora had wished for her parents to go away. They did. There are some new revelations. Bad people come. There is an elaborate shootout. This for me is a preposterous story but fun. It is well acted. The little girl is snarky and convincing. The last act is quite incredible in the same degree as it is outlandish. This isn’t for everyone, as many people will have their Bullshit Meter go beserk, and that would be a fair reaction to the situation. But I was glad that I watched this, because from the title and the opening sequence, I thought that this was going to be ridiculous. It delivered on the ridiculousness, but at the same time that it was a novel concept. So it was fun to see.

One Life: I remember seeing a story about an elderly British man who was on a British TV show where he was surrounded by people who knew him but he did not about them. His name is Nicholas (Nick) Winton, and is played by Anthony Hopkins. He lives with his wife and he is a pack rat with old documents. This is a movie based upon a true story. In a flashback, we go back in time to 1938 in Prague to where a young Nick Winton is among people in a changing Czechloslovakia environment; the Nazis are in power and have made noises about crossing the border. The local Jewish residents in Prague are afraid and living in squalor. Nick realizes that he needs to do something, anything to help these people. He speaks to his mother, played by Helena Bonham-Carter in looking to find foster homes for these children in Britain, and he needs her help with the government immigration authorities.

The challenges that they face are daunting. But Nick is determined. In much the same way as Oskar Schindler, Nick needs papers, people in Britain to host these children and willing parents where he is to succeed. We all may live in uncertain times, but these people 90 years ago lived in a time of life and death with millions of people who will be murdered in a few short years. They didn’t know this at the time, but there were ominous signs. Signs that Nick decided to act upon because he feels that he can assist. A rabbi that he speaks to warns him “don’t start what you can’t finish”. Nick needs VISAs and money.

Fast forward in time and all the people assisting with the mass evacuation were about to have their life change with their last train on September 1 1939. The Nazis stopped the boarding of the train by the children on that date. Winton was already back in the UK helping on that side. As Nick aged, he did not know what happened with the children that he and his fellow good samaritan’s assisted. He did speak as an older man with Robert Maxwell’s French wife about his story and she was fascinated by it. She told him that she would speak to her husband about it. Now Robert Maxwell’s name has a lot more negative stories attached to it including business and pension fraud with employees and his daughter Ghislaine who is tied up with Jeffrey Epstein. Back then he was a powerful media mogul including television and the newspapers. He was involved in producing the TV show That’s Life. The story went in print first and then they brought a woman who was one of the children to sit beside Nick. They had an emotional first meeting when he realized who she was and who she represented. The show that aired was so popular and brought so many viewers to watch that other children that Nick saved came forward. They decided to have a second program and surprised Nick more than he could have expected. I will leave the surprise for viewers to find out for themselves.

We learn that over 15,000 Czech children were sent to the concentration camps. Less than 200 survived. Nick and his team managed to save 669 children. Most of their parents were sent to Auschwitz and other camps and were not heard from again. From modest beginnings, Nick who is just one person, managed to have an incredible impact on so many lives. He didn’t do this for glory, prestige, fame or to be on TV but because he saw children in pain and was compelled to help. This is a feel good story reflecting turbulent times and is a reminder that people can be good, and good people can do remarkable things. This was worth watching.

June 22, 2026

Jerry & Marge Go Large: This is a new release from Netflix, but was released in 2022 on Paramount+. Jerry Selbee (played by Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad)) is a serious, fact based, math focused man getting ready for retirement from his company of over 30 years in Michigan. His wife, Marge played by Annette Bening, awaits this next stage of life. The family celebrates Jerry’s retirement with buying him a small engine motorboat for him to enjoy fishing, which they think he wants to do. He doesn’t. Jerry himself is struggling. His job gave him purpose, and a place to go along with mental challenges. While at a local diner, Jerry is reading the back of a lottery ticket with its Odds and Terms and Conditions. He quickly maps out on a napkin a peculiarity. As he has calculated, the game can be guaranteed to be a winner. It just requires a sizeable investment. He and Marge live on modest means, and he is reluctant to share his plan with her.

Things proceed and Jerry and Marge think of this as a retirement activity/project that they can do together. Jerry has larger plans his discovery with respect to his struggling Michigan town that has been strained to even find funds to repair a concert venue for a popular music festival. He is determined even after the State of Michigan discontinues use of the lottery he identified and only Massachusetts was continuing with it. Bring on a road trip! Of course there are obstacles put in their way to continue the plan. It should be noted that are doing nothing illegal; they comply fully with the rules. They just purchase a great number of tickets from terminals, which takes time. The principal obstacle is a cocky Harvard student with dubious scruples as he endeavors to do the same thing.

Did this suck? No, it was innocent fun with predictable results. Bryan Cranston has certainly carved out a niche for himself with clever, aging and skilled person with limited means. The movie only at the end discloses the value of money won the the group/town in Michigan. It is a surprising number. In many it is odd that the people of Massachusetts were involved in resurrecting a small town in Michigan. Even when the lottery commission was engaged they had no issue what was happening, as it was within the rules, and these winning tickets had raised the profile of the lottery and it was played a lot more. A win-win scenario. This is a feel good story, but basic with people who are easily identified as good and villains. I do have some minor quibbles about a movie showing retirees who struggle without work. As a relatively new retiree, I simply don’t get it. The other quibble is with the tangental story about Jerry not being very interested sexually with Marge. I will say quite simply that this is not the case with all people (men) of retirement age. Enough said on that topic. Your life won’t be changed by this movie. But on a rainy, miserable night at the cottage it could be a distraction on Netflix.

An Officer and A Gentleman: Directed by Taylor Hackford, this film was released in 1982. It is now available on Netflix. It is a favourite of mine. Zack Mayo, played by Richard Gere, is a young man without direction in his life. Through a flashback we see that his Mom died when he was in his early teens. He is placed with her birth father, who is a seaman in the US Navy stationed in the Phillipines. Father, played by Robert Loggia, self-admits he doesn’t want the job of full-time parent. Zack very young is put on his own devices, with no parental supervision and left to the streets. It shapes him and pushes him to think that there has to be more than this life. He decides to enlist in the Navy and seek to become a naval aviator. What follows is Zack’s quest to complete the thirteen-week Navy Aviation Officer Candidate School. Within his other wannabe aviators includes some interesting people like young woman Casey Seegar (played by Lisa Eilbacher) and Oklahoman Sid Worley (played by David Keith). Their drill instructor, whose primary role is to weed out the unsatisfactory candidates is the excellent Master Sargeant Foley, played by Best Supporting Oscar winner Lou Gossett Jr. One of the things that can trip up the Officer Candidates, as explained by the good Master Sargeant is local women, who are setting their sights on being with a naval aviator, who will ultimately become a successful and well paid commercial airline pilot.

Enter Paula, played by Debra Winger and her co-worker and friend Lynette played by Lisa Blount. These two meet Zack and Sid at a base dance and hit it off. The rest of the story shows over the time within the course how candidates can be tripped up and thrown out. It is intense with tests of intelligence, strength, physical fitness, leadership and character. Lou Gossett shines throughout as the tough taskmaster who is quick to point out the flaws in his group of recruits. Zack and he go toe to toe throughout with vulnerabilities shown on both sides. I also think that this film works so well because Winger and Gere have such good chemistry. Zack is a street smart loner who learned long ago to stay away from emotional attachment. Paula falls hard for Zack which is obvious as she looks at him. We learn about her history and how her family has been directly impacted by the Navy program there in Washington State. She and Zack talk well, frankly and honestly. They build their connection, with Zack doing his best to push her away, while she is coached along to stick with her stated goal to enjoy the time that she and Zack can spend together. As is discussed, 13 weeks is not a lot of time to have someone fall in love with you. However, equally important is how the program requires support from many sides for each of the candidates. Everyone grows here, learns something about themselves and is able to act on it. Both Winger went on to do many other popular projects. I remember hearing that Richard Gere said that he had two movies that he made “for the money” and this was one of them along with Pretty Woman. He should think about doing more movies for money. I am also reading that Paramount Pictures is looking to re-make this movie with Miles Teller starring as Zack Mayo. I don’t think that they will be able to match the many aspects of this film that worked. Most importantly I don’t see Teller having similar chemistry with a female co-star. Time will tell but I would remain skeptical. Apparently on set there was tension between Gere and Winger. Winger called Gere “a brick wall”. It didn’t show on screen. John Travolta turned down the lead role in this movie. This is well worth your time, and would show a glimpse into the training that pilots have to undertake before become Maverick in Top Gun!

June 15th, 2026

In anticipation of seeing the latest Steven Spielberg film, Disclosure Day, I wanted to look back into a couple Spielberg films, but also some other alien-related films where there is a warmer tone to it. We have seen many alien invader movies where it is all terrifying often creating a dystopian world. As such, I am turning back the clock 40 plus years (scarily enough) with ET The Extra Terrestrial (1982) and also Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and then John Carpenter’s Starman (1984).

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial: This movie was yet another phenomenal summer blockbuster from Steven Speilberg who became the master of the genre. I likely don’t have to detail out the plot itself, as this story shows a suburban family with a newly separated Mom (Dee Wallace) with her three young children Michael (Robert MacNaughton), Elliott (Henry Thomas) and Gertie (Drew Barrymore) finding an alien left behind from an exploring ship when Peter Coyote and his investigators scare them away quickly. The story unfolds with the alien, E.T., befriending 10yo Elliott and connecting with him emotionally living and learning about everyday human life. E.T. wants to return to his planet and join his fellow aliens, who seem to be most interested in plants and trees and the natural world. Humans are terrifying.

This movie still works so well. It is emotionally engaging telling a story of everyday life turned upside down by the infusion of this strange alien, who learns quickly drinking in all the human trappings (newspapers, TV, games, and people). He eats plenty of Reese’s pieces (an amazing marketing coup for Reese who took the place offered and turned down by M&M). E.T. is voiced by Debra Winger, and he physically has kind eyes (Spielberg has stated they were modeled on Albert Einstein) and he is funny and cute waddling around, playing with youngster Gertie while drinking beer and using his skills to make a communication device. There is drama about the faceless human adults seeking out the alien, all the while E.T. and Elliott have school life, Halloween, trips to the woods and venturing around a new housing development. E.T. learns from us, makes tools from our ordinary items, and wants to escape the government workers trying to examine him, prod him, and make him a specimen out of a space man. Peter Coyote has a scene with Elliott where he says that he has waited his entire life for E.T. to arrive on Earth. But he was glad that E.T. ran into Elliott. There is genuine real emotion between E.T. and Elliott and you can feel the love in the family unit (like Mom reading Peter Pan to Gertie on the bed). Elliott experiences and feels as a 10yo boy, and we feel it along with him. There is a deep emotional moment too at the end. Spielberg showed that not all aliens are scary; sometimes it is the humans who are far more scary. Further he showed that humans and aliens can work together with each other and learn. Sometimes it takes an alien to shine a light on the lessons we as humans can learn in dealing with one another. If you have never seen this, see it. I saw it on Crave most recently but in the theatre before. I cannot speak about E.T. and ignore the excellent John Williams score which adds so much to what happens on screen.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Released shortly after Star Wars in 1977, Spielberg followed up his friend George Lucas’ effort with this summer blockbuster in 1979. I have done a previous review of seeing it on the 40th anniversary in 2017. See my Labour Day posting. I won’t detail more about the plot but this is always a movie worth re-visiting. This pre-dated E.T. so some of the themes are similar. There is a family breakdown with Roy (played by Richard Dreyfuss) and Ronnie (played by Teri Garr) with their young kids. Roy works for the elctrical authority and one night has a bizarre experience in his truck. He believes he saw an alien. He wants to know more. The story unfolds at a micro level with Roy’s family but also a macro level with US federal authorities looking to investigate a series of strange events throughout the globe including ships and airplanes long since lost from many years before. The two stories combine in Wyoming at the Devil’s Tower.

Once again Speilberg reveals that aliens do not always have to mean humans any harm. I will choose to ignore the Tom Cruise film War of the Worlds which has the opposite premise, but I can assure you I am aware that it is out there. In this movie the aliens despite initially being quite scary, especially with the very young little boy Barry being abducted from his mother, are found to be curious and musical at the same time. They have a mission themselves and look to communicate with us. They are various shapes and sizes living in a massive ship which seems to be just visting for a time. The focus is more about the aliens calling to specific humans, while the US government looks to take control of the situation and block out anyone who isn’t affiliated with the military. French expert Claude Lacombe played by Francois Truffat points out to the military brass that the perceived intruders were contacted on a psychic level to be there by the aliens. They were invited! Despite the military’s best efforts, Roy ultimately sees what his purpose in all of the was. Another terrific Spielberg film which is must viewing.

Starman: This 1984 film stars Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges. Allen has never looked so radiant as the grieving Jenny Hayden from Wisconsin who has recently lost her carpenter husband Scott in a workplace accident. One night after crying herself to sleep watching old videos of Scott, there is a meteor that strikes in a nearby wood. An entity emerges from the meteor and flies over to Jenny’s lakeside house where it finds a photo album with a tuft of Scott’s hair. Jenny awakens from her sleep to noise in her living room where she finds what appears to be Scott. She is confused by all of this, all the while the alien being posing as Scott learns about his new environment. In basic structure, the story of Starman and E.T. are similar. Starman wants to return to his planet. He needs to be in Arizona in three days time or he will die. His only assistance are some small grey golfball sized orbs that he carries with him that can perform supernatural tasks. Jenny is taken against her will in her orange Mustang for a memorable road trip. Geeky Charles Martin Smith is from SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) is part of the government trying to track down whatever was in that hollow asteroid, later learned to be a ship. We learn from Smith that in the original Voyager space satellite that there was, among other things, a gold record with greetings from Earth and some basic understanding of humans, our technology and our language. The alien was invited to come and we aren’t being very hospitable hosts.

For me, Jeff Bridges steals the show with an outstanding performance incorporating physical motion, movement and then words as the alien becomes accustomed to the human body that it is inhabiting. He is conversant in other languages, and watches every move that Jenny makes on their journey. He is learning about humans, which he regards as a primitive species. But we also have our positive aspects, like eating and connection. The alien means Jenny no harm, and as she learns this she also becomes more engaged with trying to help him. Emotionally she is compromised as the alien looks and can act like her dead husband. Escape turns to assistance as she is invested into this journey. There are some genuinely funny moments with the alien learning human speech and gestures. He doesn’t pick up on sarcasm very well. He is much more literal. In the end there is yet another emotional scene which works completely. The audience cares about these two people, and we care that the alien is able to complete his mission. Both he and Jenny have grown and learned from one another. The alien, like E.T. is not scary and is not out to hurt us. In fact the cooperation shown between those involved shows that being kind, thoughtful and committed to a task can accomplish great things. Bridges was nominated for his role, but sadly was also in the year that Amadeus was released and both F Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce were also nominated. Had this been another year, I think Bridges wins the award. Once more, we learn that aliens don’t always come to Earth to harm us. Starman is also on Crave. Absolutely this is a movie that I would encourage people to see.

June 8th, 2026

The Boroughs: This 8-part series has been released on Netflix. It is from the Duff Brothers who have previously brought us the ever popular Stranger Things. Rather than being set in 1980s small town with high school students, this tale is set in New Mexico at a retirement community with 70-something actors who are living within it. Starring Alfred Molina (73), Geena Davis (70), Bill Pullman (72) and Alfre Woodard (73) as the older residents it is a creepy story and mystery that these aging stars look to figure out. Episode 1 has Molina, playing Sam Cooper a retired aeronautical engineer being driven to the Boroughs community by his daughter (played by Jenna Malone) and her husband and children. He can’t drive. We learn that his wife selected this community, but before they moved in she passed away from a stroke. It haunts Sam throughout.

I admit that I like this more than I thought that I would. It helped that Alison texted that she was on the last episode and she had enjoyed it. It’s not to say that I don’t have a mind of my own about what I watch, but it is a good endorsement from her. I am a little uncomfortable watching actors who I have known many years playing people in a retirement community when they aren’t that much older than me. Let’s put it this way, they are closer to me in age than I am to 40yo! That is a scary prospect. Still I don’t need to see a 70yo looking to have sex on camera, just sayin’. There is plenty of nostalgia here, with references to Geena Davis in her Thelma and Louise or some references to Coccoon where the aliens provide a life burst for the elderly citizens. What does work is how the characters have more full stories, and have interactions with others that we learn over time. The older people use their life skills to assist in sorting through this colllective problem, whether it be engineering, medical or others. Sure the Head of Security is appropriately creepy as there have to be villains and they’re really not to difficult to spot. I don’t want to give much more away because there are some surprises along the way and it adds to the enjoyment. Things develop and create more intrigue as we learn more about the situation in this community. There is more to all of this than simply a “monster in the walls” as was brought forward early on. Throughout I was wondering what is the motivation of those involved and what is the bigger story. This kept me entertained, and although I could have done without the final stages of it as it was just a little too clean from my standpoint. The truth is that none of us get out of this life alive. Some are just lucky enough to be given longer times than others. Despite love and other motivations, there becomes a time when taking advantage of others (in particular without their knowledge and consent) is something that just doesn’t work well.

Pressure: This true story film starring Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Damian Lewis and Kerry Condon addresses the crucial few days before the Normandy D-Day invasion, operation Overlord and the task of the leaders to agree upon a day. Andrew Scott plays UK/Scotsman James Stagg who is the Allied Forces Chief Meteorologist. He is newly appointed at the recommendation of Winston Churchill and leaves his very pregnant wife behind to work at Southwick House. There he finds the reliable US weatherman friend of Commander Eisenhower Irving Krick played by Chris Messina. Fraser plays Eisenhower. Damian Lewis plays zealous British General Montgomery and Kerry Condon plays Eisenhower’s wartime secretary. Plans have been worked on for months, along with deceptive activities to keep the Nazis guessing about the location for any land invasion into Europe. Thousands of soldiers are ready, planes set for support and an armada of ships ready to invade. The moon phase and the tides have all been taken into account. The last real question left is the unpredictable weather. Northern Europe in June can be very unpredictable with ever changing weather. Eisenhower just wants an answer on whether to go or not. His generals all have their own talking points for recipes for success (waves on sea and clouds above). The story begins with a near impossible request to forecast out 2-3 days in advance. What doesn’t help for Stagg, is his American counterpart Krick who relies on historical weather charts to predict future weather (like June 5th 1925). The tension builds.

History quickly tells you what happened back in 1944. The drama shows the stresses exacted on the participants where thousands of lives are at stake, not including the success of the war effort. A failure can mean many more long months of looking to re-invade the continent. The Germans failure of defeating Britain in the Battle of Britain, and their struggles against the Russians meant that the war was not trending in their direction at this point anyway. But this was a crucial operation.

I enjoyed this movie. I liked seeing the thinking process for James Stagg as he needed to provided a data driven prediction to allow the generals to make their decisions to proceed along with reasoning for his forecast which he sees as being unpopular in this audience. The secondary date for optimal moon and tide presence was June 18th, and this was universally unacceptable for the secrecy of the location. It also would not do for the thousands of troops standing at the ready. I do think that the casting of Brendan Fraser as Eisenhower and Damian Lewis as Montgomery were mistakes. Yes, they have some star power but neither looks much like the men they are playing.

Physically Eisenhower was not a heavyset man, unlike Fraser as he was filmed for this. For Eisenhower too I also don’t believe that the address to the troops made June 6th by radio was him yelling into a microphone. Rather I would suspect that there would be a quiet confidence that he would portray to his men as they undertake a perilous mission. Montgomery as played by Lewis physically bigger (Lewis much larger) but he comes across as fixated on his troops being capable of anything, even without naval and air support. He rants about there being one and only date and nothing else is acceptable. In truth, as is pointed out, if the wave swell is too high, there won’t be any troops to be landing on the beaches to fight. Further, a low ceiling/clouds would take away the necessary air support to assist in the landings along with paratroopers working from behind. Montgomery was a smart general and would know all of this.

Andrew Scott is always excellent in his roles, and he shows well as a serious professional realizing the gravity of what he is doing. All of this despite personal circumstances that would distract even the most focused person. There is a scene at the church before the invasion that shows his struggles with the weight of the advice he has provided. I do think that a general should likely focus more on the associated risks, and in human terms how many of his troops he could stand to lose given options of his choices. Kondon plays an important role as a go-between for the Commander and these men who have a tremendous impact on his decision. Kondon notes how an earlier shown practice of the invasion went so horribly wrong (Exercise Tiger) and the impact it had on Eisenhower. She and Eisenhower are close and he relies on her for insight into those under his command.

This is a topic that I am most passionate about, and I have visited the Normany beaches twice. If you have the chance, go visit as it is a stunning place which emanates historic importance.

June 1st, 2026

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues: This is the 2025 sequel to the original This Is Spinal Tap from 1984. It stars once again Christopher Guest (Nigel), Michael McKean (David) and Harry Shearer (Derek) getting back together after fifteen years of being apart. Nigel and David had a falling out and then they went their separate ways, in different parts of the world. Rob Reiner re-creates his director role as Marty Dibergi, and he has tracked down the members of the band and some of the other side characters (like Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer) providing some updates to their very different lives. It is good to see Rob Reiner once again as this was the last film he worked on. There are several cameos one of which is really clever and enjoyable. The original manager has passed away and his daughter is played by Kerry Godliman who I recognize from Ricky Gervais’ After Life where she played his departed and beloved wife Lisa. Inserted is a new business manager who is meant to create tension, which is done successfully.

Forty one years have passed and these actors and performers have all aged, and this is precisely the point. As part of the preparation for the “final show” there are discussions about promotions and other ways to create revenue. It takes the updated reality of music with online, the internet, social media in producing and selling music. Much of it deals with death and the finality of it all for these aging rockers. It is once again is campy fun.

Rather than letting this older group of men rehearse and prepare for their final gig, there is a tension amongst the band members that they can’t address because there are ridiculous side distractions. They play some of the old tunes, which were originally created by the members. Things do eventually come to a head between David and Nigel and the audience better understands the tension between them. The concert carries on. They perform more of the previous songs. In short, this was a return visit to some characters that were funny and quirky. It didn’t suck. The finale was a surprise, and ended up bringing the earlier discussions full circle. There were some genuine laughs for me, moreso than the original to be frank.

Marty: Life Is Short: Netflix has this new documentary directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Martin Short of course is the SCTV and Saturday Night Live personality who has been a TV personality, in movies and everywhere else a comedian can go. Lately he has been seen in Only Murders in the Building. He also happens to be dating Meryl Streep apparently! But I digress. The who’s who of SCTV personalities are interviewed for this (Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Catherine O’Hara, Dave Thomas). It also includes other well known actors like Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Steven Speilberg and others.

Did I learn anything new about Martin Short? I didn’t know about his wife, Nancy Dolman. I also hadn’t known that she had passed away in 2010 of ovarian cancer. Tragic. Two people who had a tremendous marriage and connection. She was a singer and an actress. They had met while he was involved in Godspell, when he was dating Gilda Radner who Nancy was an understudy. We learn more about the early days. The cast members basically dated one another and became family, on and off the stage. I didn’t know that he and Nancy couldn’t have children. They adopted. He was the youngest of five in his family. His eldest brother died when Marty was 12yo in an accident. Another brother, Michael, was an Emmy-winning writer. He lost his Mother at 18yo and his Dad at age 20yo. He has had a cottage in Snug Harbor in the Kawartha’s and he regards it as his little slice of heaven. Nancy bought it without him ever looking at it. It would seem like a fun time to go to the Martin Short Christmas Party.

I had forgotten how many truly awful movies that Martin Short had been in from Three Amigos, to Cross My Heart, Innerspace, and Captain Ron. He was not a leading man. His best parts were those in a supporting role like in Father of the Bride with his good friend Steve Martin. He plays the eccentric, and hard to understand wedding planner. He excels at creating new characters, especially in TV settings and improv. He can find the right words, with the right mannerisms for a unique take on a character. That is his gift, and he has shown it time and again.

I very much enjoyed the Jiminy Glick section. It’s very funny. The emotion comes from the section about Nancy amd her loss. He obviously loves the work and loves to laugh. Was this entertaining? Yes, I enjoyed this. This is worth the time.

Arrival (Revisited): I decided to revisit the most excellent Denis Villeneuve film starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner. Remarkably it has been out ten years already! I have watched this more than half a dozen times and each time I take something new from it. This time, I was profoundly impacted by the effective use of the dream sequences that were able to show how Louise (Adams) is unknowingly learning the heptapod language. The brilliance is how the use of the child, the most important aspect of a woman’s life, would be able to teach her about the gift being provided. I hadn’t seen the connection as much until watching it this most recent time. Before it was disjoined, and I thought of them as foreshadowing or other moments in time, but now I see them as dreams, and how they are shaping Louise.

There is a point where Ian (played by Renner) asked Louise, “are you dreaming in their language?” after discussing the concept that people who learn another language can have their brain re-wired. This is a very important discussion in the movie and reveals a great deal. Louise manages to identify what the gift is from the heptapods which they explain will be used to help them in the distant future 3000 years from then. Time is not linear for these beings. It is a powerful story, and also was my first introduction to the music On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter. This music also leveled me in my viewing of Hamnet this past Oscar season. It is probably one of the saddest, let me correct that, emotional pieces of music I have heard in a long time. It evokes the films that have used it so well.

May 25th, 2026

This Is Spinal Tap: Funnily enough I had never seen this 1983 movie in its entirety. Directed by Rob Reiner (who was good to see once again now that he is tragically gone) this rock band mockumentary stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer and a slew of various drummers who join the group after the previous drummer tragically passes away. That is one of the ongoing inside jokes. It is written by the director and the three principal actors along with the songs. It is all very tongue in cheek in a Beatles-like story fashion with concert footage along with backstage interviews. Reiner asks many of the questions to the band members, either individually or as a group. Other scenes just have a camera showing interactions. In the story we are told that the band was established a number of years before and then has been steadily fading. They are heading more and more into obscurity all the while dealing with less attractive gigs.

I principally wanted to see this because the sequel was released last year and I wanted to see where they would take it. It’s all very nostalgic. The actors all deliver their performances with dead pan seriousness. For me Christopher Guest playing the dim witted but talent guitar player who has issues with the direction of the band says plenty with his eyes and reactions than any lines delivered. The music is funny, with songs like Stonehenge being particularly funny with Anjelica Huston delivering a prop that wasn’t exactly what was expected. There are well known gags with the dial on the amps that go to “11” and Reiner dead pans whether they could just leave it at “10”. This is very similar to other projects by these actors like Best in Show where they poke fun at a topic that is treated more seriously. Both do so successfully, but this isn’t a movie for everyone. The dead pan style can be off putting for some. Much like Monty Python isn’t for everyone. But this was clever for me, and I think that the original songs prepared along with the Beatles themed confrontations with band members and managers make it a lark. I will look forward to seeing the sequel.

Black Mirror: I watched the episode entitled Joan Is Awful which has Selma Hayak in it along with Annie Murphy (Canadian from Schitt’s Creek) and Michael Cera. It is Season 6, episode 1. For this series I am catching episodes after reading the synopsis to see if it looks intriguing. I have written about other episodes before. Some are fairly short at about 40 mins while others can be 1.5 hours. For me I like those that have a technology bent to them and some more than others provide this feel of “this isn’t really that far away”. It explores some timely issues surrounding the use of technology. This episode I feel did quite a nice job of addressing the issues at hand. It begins showing the life of Joan, being played by Annie Murphy. She has a distinct hair colour, and is a middle manager for a company. In the episode she is shown releasing one of the employees showing little empathy for a dismissal that she likely had very little influence on. In addition she has a male partner and other issues happening in her life.

Joan’s partner mentioned that there is a new series on which is very popular starring Selma Hayak. It is on a Netflix-like streaming service, right down to the same music and introduction. Joan quickly realizes to her horror that the day that she just completed was being shown in this episode on her screen. The world is seeing her actions acted out, almost verbatim . She is being played by Selma Hayak. Same hair colour, same job, same music that she listened to in the car. It’s all a little creepy and disconcerting to her. Her partner sees some of the other things that she was doing in her day. Actions have consequences. Further the impact on her otherwise ordinary life is significant as all these strangers around her recognize her, and she is given side eye glances as they judge her. In horror, Joan seeks out legal advice, and is told in no uncertain terms that the employment contract that she signed had clauses that had her waive the rights to her image and her moral rights. In short, she had given up all that made her herself at least from the filming perspective. Things happen and become more intense as Joan decides to try and get the attention of Selma Hayak, and she certainly does. The following exchanges with lawyers once again are very eye opening. Note that during the Writer’s Strike for Hollywood, one of the key issues was the use of AI and whether AI can be used to write scripts with less work and pay for the writers. Actors also beagan to realize that computer generated images of their personna can act in roles. Note how actors who have passed away, in movies like Star Wars are still able to deliver lines and interact with living actors. Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing are notable. Back to Joan’s world, Michael Cera enters the conversation as a developer within the computer system as the plot unfolds and the situation turns even more complicated. It makes for a good episode, and the lawyer in me considers the myriad of issues at work. Time and again episodes in this seven season series impress me. I will add this one to the list. Check it out.

May 18th, 2026

The Drama: This movie from 2026 stars Zendaya (who is practically everywhere) and Robert Pattinson, playing the young couple Emma and Charlie. This is a romantic-comedy kind of, but I think that it digs deeper to ask some more philosophical questions. Boy what an introduction! How far can this possibly go? Imagine a couple in their late 20s in a big city. They have a Meet Cute at a coffee shop with he stumbling over his introducing himself to her. It seems that she can’t hear out of one ear. Emma has the habit of reading while also simultaneously listening to music. Go figure. Through collages of images we see that these two have become a committed couple. Then they are engaged. While the couple is visiting with their two best friends, also married, there is a game played of confessing to the “worst thing” that you have ever done. Each of the members of the couple confesses to actions for which they weren’t proud, and then Emma goes last. What she confesses, which at first Charlie takes as a joke is quite serious.

The fundamental question raised, and the deeper review, is what could someone say as their Worst Thing that would make you change your mind completely about them? The follow on observation of course is how much can anybody really know about another person, including the person that they are about to marry? For me, I think that the wife of the Best Man, Emma’s Maid of Honour was breaching the safe space underpinning for a major confession by immediately attacking Emma. Was her confession really that bad? The viewer has to be the judge. But the answer and the subsequent discussion distracts Charlie substantially. He has follow on questions for Emma. As the pieces come together he has moments of true reflection on his fiance and whether he should be proceeding with any nuptuals. To answer the question for me, I think that a confession of something terrible would have to be more immediate in timing to have more swaying power in my attitudes. But this is a very personal choice. Given the background of the Maid of Honour it seems reasonable for her to react as she does. Things progress and ultimately rumours about Emma’s background swirl all around her special day. It becomes the focal point for a series of events that turn their world upside down, and ultimately back to the way that they started.

In the end, the concept is a decent one, but the execution was a bit muddled. There were a couple of scenes that were quite intense, with hints from those who knew Emma’s secret and those who don’t. Charlie himself has been torn, and he finds new and challenging ways to address his concern. You can imagine that Emma doesn’t want to delve continuously into her behaviour. So although this didn’t suck, and I think that Zendaya and Pattinson have some decent chemistry together, he is more than a little bit whiny and overly emotional at times. I was glad that I didn’t pay money to see this but rather saw it streamed.

Paddington in Peru: I have to admit that I vaguely remember seeing the original Paddington from 2014. I chose to watch this sequel since I was in Peru in February and I wanted to see how they treated the country. I was hoping that this will be more of a travel log. I am surprised at the acting talent involved in this. It includes Olivia Colman, Antonio Banderas, Hayley Atwell, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters and Hugh Bonneville. Paddington is voiced by Ben Whishaw of James Bond Q fame.

In this story, Paddington’s Aunt who lives in Peru has gone missing from her Retired Bear Community with nuns. The Brown family decides to go to Peru only to be told that the Aunt has gone missing. There is a story about a bear being required to assist in the search for a hidden treaure.

Antonio Banderas owns a boat with his daughter, and he offers with hidden motivations to assist the family in finding the Aunt. Banderas has his own agenda as his is apparently inflicted by an obsession for the treasure. I will note that Banderas is from Spain and not from Peru. There isn’t exactly a lot of people from Peru involved in it. Peru certainly looks beautiful and it is. The Andes are incredible and shown as the band of tourists end up at Machu Picchu which is hardly a surprise as it is the most well known place to most about Peru. In the end, there was a mystery that required Paddington’s help. This mystery also then ties into the original Paddington story. I would have liked to see more of the Peruvian landscape. But the finale is satisfying in terms of making the story more complete. I admit too that I don’t know what the Paddington books did in terms of his finishing story, if they actually addressed it. Yes this was silly, and the story made up to get to the conclusion that they wanted. Clearly they worked backwards. It wasn’t wasted time. Mr Brown must be very well paid in order to live in that palace of a home in London! A nice cameo at the very end.

May 11th, 2026

Wuthering Heights: I read the Emily Bronte book back in high school in an Advanced English course. I had a vague recollection of it, but from the 1980s I remember more vividly the Kate Bush song, Wuthering Heights. This was released February 13th, looking to presumably find Valentine’s Day viewers, but it is already streaming on Crave. It did not do a very well at the box office. This movie stars Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff. I will note that the young Heathcliff is played by Owen Cooper from Adolescence fame where he was excellent as the troubled boy. Because of my fuzzy recollection of the book, the plot here is set in the late 1770s or early 1800s in Northern England on the moors of Yorkshire. There are two estates, the Earnshaw farmhouse and the Linton family home at Thrushcross Grange. Mr Earnshaw, the head of the household brings Heathcliff in as a boy to be raised on the estate. He already has a young daughter, Catherine and there is a maid about the same age, named Nelly (played by Hong Chau as an adult). Father is increasingly unpredictable and angry, but wishes for his daughter, as the times would dictate, to be with a partner who is at her station. Young Catherine is a spoiled, entitled, arrogant, nasty young thing. Heathcliff is a brooding, angry young man who becomes fixated on her. Although many will be thinking that this an epic love story, you soon observe that this isn’t the case.

This is a very dark story. Young Heathcliff is rebuffed by Catherine and the father-figure in his life. He leaves seeking to find his fortune and earning the love of the woman for whom he obsesses. There are plenty of stories like this. With his departure, Catherine chooses to marry in her class with Edgar Linton and puts on a brave face. Heathcliff returns as a successful man, and turns the world upside down.

A number of things were surprising to me about this version of the story. First at the beginning was a public hanging before the community where we see that (apparently) men when they are hanged (or hanging) have erections. Odd. The scene shows a community that is sexually repressed but also depraved. The execution scene then has various people being turned on by the spectacle. Later, I hadn’t expected all the cruelty from the characters. Catherine is an unpleasant human with no real redeeming qualities. Love is an acquisition for her which she can take as she pleases, and those who don’t do her bidding are quickly stripped bare. The love, as shown, is obsessive and unhealthy and when it turns Heathcliff most especially becomes a unfeeling beast, looking to humiliate others to impress the target of his affections. Nelly observes all of this and tries to counteract the actions of those principally involved. She isn’t successful. I have often said that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather indifference. Hate is a very powerful emotion and it is still directed at a particular person. Shared actions like vindictiveness, pettiness, cruelty, manipulation are used frequently to predictable consequences. In the book, Heathcliff was a dark skinned gypsy. Jacob Elordi is clearly not that. He is an in-demand actor who showed well in Frankenstein. Margot Robbie for me doesn’t have the range needed for the role, and her tears often seem to be artificial. As an audience member, I don’t cheer for Catherine to be successful, rather I can feel that she gets what she deserves. Heathcliff too being so over-the-top unhinged doesn’t gain any points either. There are numerous sexual images, and none of them are particularily seductive. Eggs are utilized in an odd way. There is a repeated trait of licking that is also uncomfortable. So in the end I will echo the reviews that were negative for this film. I didn’t like it. This isn’t the 1939 cast with Laurence Olivier as Heathcliff and Merle Oberon as Catherine. I don’t think that the more modern spin on this has added anything to the story.

Apex: This has been recently released on Netflix. It stars Charlize Theron as Sasha an adventure, adrenaline junkie who after a nasty experience climbing a rock face looks to explore a more remote area of Australia. As she enters the Australian Park, she is cautioned by the local ranger who notices that she is solo that he doesn’t recommend it in this area. He has a number of Missing Persons pictures on the wall. Sasha later stops at a gas station and supply centre where she runs into some locals, and also Taron Egerton. The locals do their best redneck creepy asshole impressions with her making her visibly uncomfortable. Men can be such assholes. Onward she goes. Her exploration is white water rafting by kayak by herself. She has a fun day on the rapids and sets up camp, being sure to put her food stuffs up a tree and securing other valuables. She wakes up to find that her stuff is missing. She heads out on a paddle for some assistance and runs back into Taron Egerton, who has a thick Aussie accent and is overly helpful, along with being somewhat socially awkward. The story continues with a deadly cat and mouse chase through the woods and mountains.

This is a movie that reminds me very much of Deliverance from the early 1970s. Further it has much the same look and feel as Meryl Streep’s The River Wild with Kevin Bacon as the creepy guy threatening Streep’s vacation. Edgerton reminds me of James McAvoy in Split. Odd and erratic behaviour. Edgerton challenges Sasha with a quote “you like danger”. He quickly and unnecessarily tells Sasha that he was her intruder, but he is making this a game. I will note that if someone fires a crossbow arrow at you, that you’ll never hear the arrow and you won’t be able to duck the arrow before it impacts you. Of course if the shooter is a lousy shot then you are spared. Another tip: if you are looking to dodge a crazy buck naked dude, and you have already successfully hidden yourself from him, I would suggest staying hidden and waiting until nightfall and then get away under darkness. Just an idea.

This didn’t suck. There were plenty of tense moments, and you can see that both Theron and Egerton have done plenty of preparation in climbing and extreme sorts to train for their roles. Of course I know that there are stunt doubles and CGI involved, but it was pretty well done in continuity. I have to admit that I am an active guy who likes new experiences and doing different things. I can say emphatically that the kinds of experiences that Sasha is seeking in this movie as a solo traveller are not interesting to me in the least. Give me well worn hikes on mountain trails in Patagonia or Switzerland and I am right there. Heck I will even jump out of the perfectly good airplane as a piece of cargo strapped to an experienced jumper. What I do not need are activities that risk life and limb, notably life. In Ecuador I was hiking the Mirador a la Laguna Quilotoa on the outer rim above the lake, and there were places near the edge on the crater with gravel footing that I wasn’t prepared to go alone. No free soloing for me. So this movie kept my attention. It has its moments. I think that there were enough creepy characters where you weren’t sure who the bad guys really were which added to the tension. I still don’t need to do this, or climb Everest or bungee jump ever, so it confirms that too.

May 4th, 2026

28 Years Later: This is the third in the series that I have stumbled upon and from a positive word of mouth. 28 Days Later was 2002. 28 Weeks Later was released in 2007. This series is from writer Alex Garland and directed by Danny Boyle. Alex Garland has been involved in some very interesting projects, like Annihilation, Civil War and Ex Machina. All of these are memorable for me, because they are good stories with good writing and interesting premises. This sequel was released in 2025. Each of the 28 films has an impressive cast. This is no exception with Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and Ralph Fiennes (English Patient, Conclave) as the best known cast members. The premise continues with England having been quarantied because of a simian-based blood virus that gives people quickly a rage. They become the Infected. Much like the HBO series The Last of Us, this is a series of movies about a dystopian situation and observing how the humans react. The stories each work because rather than a constant barrage of zombie attacks and associated dismemberment, it is a story focused on the humans who are left behind. How are they to one another, how do they survive and how are they looking to move forward. 28 years later, the UK island has been fully quarantined, with naval patrols to ensure that anyone who sets foot on UK soil will not leave. They are truly on their own. The viewers come upon an isolated human community which like St Michel in France, has a single elevated road which is submerged each high tide with a deadly current to exposed in a low tide. Within the community is family where Mom (Comer) is bed-ridden and ill, and her husband (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) have a young son, 12yo (played by Alfie Williams) who is about to undergo a right of passage by going to the mainland and then making his first kill of an Infected. The community looks to this as progress towards contributing more fully to everyone.

While on the hunt, Dad and son meet up with some slow and fat Infected who forrage on their hands and needs in the forest eating worms and generally looking disgusting. They move further inland and run across what they regard as “Fast Ones” versus the “Slow Ones” who they killed earlier. The two use a bow an quiver of arrows to slay the Infected. The Fast Ones make their lives a challenge. As they look to go back across the waterway, they are pursued by a very large, powerful Mega-Infected. This is unlike any Infected that this series has shown before. There is a celebration that takes space with Spike’s return to the community. He sees something that changes his outlook. He hears about the perpetrator of a fire that he saw in the distance while on the mainland, and is told that it is a Dr Kelson, whose Dad later confirms is regarded as a lunatic fringe element who has lost his mind. Young Spike takes it upon himself to seek out this doctor and save his ailing Mom. They venture off together onto the mainland. They cross into the mainland and have some adventures where they meet up with a Swedish military soldier who had been shipwrecked onto the mainland with some fellow seamen. They meet up with the Doctor (Fiennes). More things happen.

I like this sequel. This works because it focuses on the people and what is happening to them. We care about young Spike, and how he is looking to take on more to help his immediate family. There is an emotional weight as the story moves forward in ways that are not always anticipated. We explore the idea that “life is life” and that it is precious and should be protected. We learn much more about living and dying than was expected. We further learn that this story doesn’t have to resort to cliches and caricatures but provides deeper, more complete characters who do things with reason. We further explore the idea of evolution, as the Infected seem to be evolving rather than just being a mob that will eat anything until the food source is depleted and they die off. We see that this just isn’t the case anymore. This elevates the genre and the series. Of course there are gory, graphic images with the attacks of the Infected, and this is not for the squeamish. One more time, despite the quality of the story, this isn’t for my Mom. I turn my head from time to time as I don’t always think that the graphic parts are necessary. But they form part of it, so it is tolerated as I can look away. I note that in 2026, there was another installment of this series just released. I haven’t seen it yet. But so far the quality and story telling are still first rate for this genre.

Wicked: For Good: This is the second part to the well received original movie Wicked, released back in 2024. Little time was wasted in bringing in this sequel of course. It stars Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande in the primary roles of green witch Elphaba and white witch Glinda. Jeff Goldblum plays the Wizard and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh a school master who identifies those who have some magic potential. This is a pre-cursor to the landing of Dorothy in her house from the Wizard of Oz. I have seen the stage performance of this play numerous times both on Broadway and also in Toronto. It is a joyous and fun show. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing it with my then 16yo daughter in NYC. Fabulous. A story of two strong female characters. When I first saw it, I was anxious to see the book written by Gregory Maguire in 1995. It was a dark story and I never in fact finished it. When I heard about the movie(s) being made I was disappointed that they were elongating the story, adding songs that weren’t there originally and basically trying to make more money out of the movie-going public.

But here we are with the sequel and it begins with Elphaba being promoted as the Wicked Witch in Oz. She is, in fact, looking to expose the Wizard for all his lies and deceit with the people, importantly not revealing what is happening with the talking animals among the people. But much is added here, with Jeff Goldblum working in tandem with Michelle Yeoh to secure their power. This flies in the face of the original Oz who was an absent-minded, awkward charlatan from Kansas who is a poor magician as part of a mobile circus. Instead of being falsely put up by the people as a man of tremendous wisdom in the original, this Goldblum character is more conniving and deceitful. Perhaps this is more a reflection of the times. I would also add in the story with Elphaba’s sister, Nessa, and her being in the wheelchair, this was the case from the play. In fact, her portrayal is by actress Marissa Bode, who is in a wheelchair in real life. Nessa is attracted to Boq, a munchkin who had eyes for Glinda, and which makes Nessa very bitter and controlling of Boq’s situation. I further note that the choice on how to introduce the main characters that asisst with Dorothy on her journey are also very different from the original. I cannot agree with the choices made. It all adds up to extra scenes which either contradict what we know about the original Oz, or don’t add value to the play. I believed that the play was the appropriate amount of time, in the same way I feel that The Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings world was also a self-contained smaller story that didn’t require multiple films. I will say that I like the song For Good because it shows that these two strong women, with different strengths were able to become the best of friends despite their circumstance. It is the emotional crux of the second film. Despite the flaws of the film, I still enjoyed this song. Although Glinda was played by the Wizard and Yeoh, and she seemed to go along with the plan against Elphaba for a time, it seems that she recognizes in time what can really matter. The first Wicked was nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress (Erivo). It won two awards for Costumes and Production Design. This movie justifiably received no Oscar consideration. It still looks terrific, with the costumes, make up and production quality. But sadly the story as constructed doesn’t hold up to how good that it looks. So many people love The Wizard of Oz, and this mellowed out version of the Maguire book is a Broadway hit musical in every sense of the word. I wished that the choice was made to keep the movie as a single release. It would be stronger throughout and not lose momentum with times where it lags. I cannot recommend this. If you really want to enjoy the story as a musical, go see the stage performance in Broadway or at a local theatre if it plays there.

April 27th, 2026

Kiss of the Spiderwoman 2025: This is a movie version of a Broadway musical, that I have to admit that I was not aware of. The musical was released on Broadway in May 1993, and it won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. I had originally thought that this film was a remake of the 1985 movie which starred William Hurt, Sonia Braga and Raul Julia. Hurt won the Best Actor Oscar (as well as BAFTA and Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival) playing the gay Molina. In this musical, actor Tonatiuh plays him. An actor I am not familiar with. Set in Argentina with a ruthless political regime silencing their political foes and inprisoning others regarded as undesireable, the focus is a prison cell. Molina is imprisoned with a political prisoner Valentin Paz, played by Andor‘s Diego Luna. They start out with diametrically opposed attitudes and views of their situation and the circumstances around their imprisonment. One of the ways for these two to break the ice and pass time together is to discuss a film that Molina loves to daydream about.

Molina is transported in his dreams into the film with Jennifer Lopez playing Ingrid (as well as the Spider Woman) who has her own story to pursue with Tonatiuh playing a love interest as well as Luna. They are vying for her affections. The singing begins within this story on film.

For me, not being familiar with the original music worked against me. I still had visions of the William Hurt film, and it didn’t seem to mesh. I didn’t see how singing worked and was appropriate for a movie with such a dire setting. One wouldn’t expect a musical number with black ties and tails and fancy dress in viewing Papillon, Shawshank Redemption or Midnight Express. Integrating the two prisoners into the musical numbers and scenes with Lopez character builds on the story within the cell. We see the two prisoners connecting, all the while we know that Molina has been blackmailed into assisting the warden in extracting information from Luna. The warden tortures Luna and denies him food and sleep. Molina cares for Luna and nurses him back to health. The story continues. I will say that this is not a typical musical. Yes there are musical numbers, but there is nothing that stood out to me, or that had me humming as it finished. That is the test for me for a quality musical. The film also doesn’t make me want to see the play. Ultimately there is a similar arch for the characters as in the Hurt film, where they learn to appreciate that their lives can be so much more. They grow and develop. In time in Argentina the repressive regime was overthrown and the prisoners were released. Certainly there is a message there about political turmoil and repressing ideas and opposition. In the end, I cannot recommend it as the tone for a prison movie is just off.

The Mission: I decided to revisit this 1986 movie with Jeremy Irons and Robert DeNiro after my travels in South America. An observation for me as I moved about the continent was that we here in North America know so very little about these countries. Yes, we may know about Narcos and Pablo Escobar along with the well known Colombian coffee harvester Juan Valdez, but beyond that we really don’t know about Ecuador or Chile, Peru or Argentina (save for their new leader). That is too bad. This is a massive continent with so many memorable sights and beautiful scenery.

The movie is set in the mid-1700s, where the Jesuit order is looking to spread the gospel of Christ into the indigenous peoples. Jeremy Irons plays Gabriel who decides with a small group of fellow priests to enter into an area of Argentina near Iguazu Falls. The prior priest had been tied to a cross and sent down the river over the falls by the King of those people. Gabriel’s introduction to the indigenous people is through his playing of his oboe. He is young, idealistic, committed and a firm believer in his faith in God. Gabriel came to these people with the idea that God loves them, and he can bring them a better life away from the jungle. I will note that this film from 1986 throughout used the term “indians” to refer to the “indigenous” peoples, of which there are many, which one seeing this may cause a pause. But I digress.

Roderigo Mendoza, played by Robert DeNiro, is a slave trader who is a violent man, quick to anger and sees the worst of humanity, to which he contributes without hesitation. His life changes, however, with an unspeakable act which brings him to seek forgiveness and repentence. Roderigo is brought before Gabriel, and Gabriel expects him to provide absolute obeyance to Gabriel’s word if he was to take him in as a new priest. Roderigo accepts. Roderigo is brought to Gabriel’s mission at the top of the waterfall where he sees the people first hand who he was enslaving. The indigenous people provide him with forgiveness, welcoming him into their community. The mission itself is a haven for the indigenous people (the Guarani) who can avoid enslavement from the territory owned by the Portugese, who run competing businesses, harvesting bananas and other produce.

In the larger political picture, the Jesuits are governed in Spain, and there is an ongoing dispute over territory with Portugal. A treaty is signed between the countries (the Treaty of Madrid) where control is relinquished from Spain (which does not permit slavery) to Portugal who does permit it. The Guarani are surprised by this turn by God and the church and refuse to be permitted to be enslaved by the Portugese. The presiding priest in Spain, even after seeing the magnificent work with these missions, makes a decision to comply with the Act without further consultation with the King of Portugal. The incredible aspect of this is that these foreign religious powers are deciding the fate of people who have lived on this land for centuries. They have no say. The King of the Guarani who welcomed in Gabriel refuses to submit without a fight. Roderigo, despite his pledge to be a man of peace decides that he can assist these people better with his former skills.

The story is a good one and well told. Irons and DeNiro both are very good, and you can see the bond that these two men form over time. Sadly one can see that politics and religion do not mix very well. Man’s interpretation of “God’s will” can be influenced by human pursuits which may fly in the face of love and peace. An idealistic priest like Gabriel can see his faith questioned, with him being forced in obeying the church to walk away from his true beliefs. Gabriel cannot bless Roderigo who chooses to fight and shed the blood of the Portugese with guns, looking to slaughter his community. Throughout the movie, which is beautifully shot, there is the incredible score from Ennio Morricone. His music provides a perfect backdrop with the religious overtones along with the emotion in decisions made on screen. When I originally saw this movie in the theatre as a kid, I liked the soundtrack so much that I bought the cassette. There aren’t that many movies that I have done that. To this day, I find this soundtrack incredibly moving and songs that I still have downloaded on my iPhone. This is a movie that I saw on Plex, a streaming service and I was glad to see it once again. In South America I heard about the Spanish conquering the Inca and taking over places around Cusco. The Spanish destroyed the sacred places for the Inca and put up churches. One society has to impose its will on others. It is a story retold countless times through history. It doesn’t mean that there is less sympathy for those who just want to live their lives, and never wanted to be a part of the politics of the day.