July 28th, 2025

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: I had an opportunity on a Cheap Tuesday (discounted tickets at theatres every Tuesday) to go see Superman for which I had little interest, or something unknown and different. I am very glad that I did. One of the great things that movies can do for an audience is to transport them into a different space and time. In this instance it was 1980 in the African country of Rhodesia, later Zimbabwe. Based upon the memoir of Alexandra Fuller of her family’s time in Africa, it shows the impact of war and elections on this family of four on a farm in rural Rhodesia. It is written, directed and acted by veteran actress Embeth Davidtz, as she plays the mother. Nicola (Embeth) and Tim, have two girls, 8yo Bobo, played remarkably by newcomer Lexi Venter and then older sister, likely around 13yo. Bobo is the focus of the story as the precocious, naive and inquisitive Bobo with her family and the local people, including other whites and the African people. One of the Africans who assist with the family and interact with young Bobo is Sarah, played by Zikhona Bali.

The story is simple, showing the daily lives of the people and the girl. Bobo talks early on about African “terrorists” and her fear of them. The family sleeps with guns on their remote farm, and require an armed escort to go into town. Dad has a military job and heads out with other troops in a jeep. There is much tension with an upcoming election. The white population is looking for a victory by a more colonialist leader but the population is leaning towards Robert Mugabe. It is felt that the whites will be driven out with a Mugabe victory. The impact on the family is profound, as Mom is committed to her farm, her dogs and her horses in that order. Mom also has a drinking problem which is explored as well. The family has also previously suffered tragedy with a younger daughter who had passed away. All of these traumas have been experienced by young Bobo – who finds ways to ride dirt bikes, carry an air rifle, drink beer and smoke cigarettes.

I like the direction, as I feel that there are moments were the style of Terence Malick of Tree of Life is borrowed showing images of nature (streams, grass, plants, creatures) intertwined with the story of happenings with the family. I came in to this knowing nothing about this country, its politics and the battles within it. This isn’t ancient history, but at the same time I am reminded that from 1980 until now (45 years), is the same time difference between 1980 and 1935 (before WWII)!! Crazy how time flies! But we have a small glimpse into everyday life in a foreign continent in a country that does not make headlines every day. Sarah the African woman who helps with Bobo is excellent, as she is torn between her husband who feels she is too cozy with the young white girl and it gets noticed by others, but she is just looking to be kind. In tough times, actions however innocent can be interpreted in various ways. This movie shows great insight with quality performances by the Mom, Sarah and the young Bobo. If you can find this, it is worth checking out. Although this was released in 2024, and at TIFF, it is just getting released in Toronto now. Lastly I have to admit that the title likely isn’t helping it sell tickets.

Random Thought: Am I the Only One Who Feels that There is Too Much Pedro Pascal?

Bodkin: This seven-part series is another in a string of quality UK based thrillers and cop stories that have been released in the past few years. There are varying levels of success and quality in these, but overall, as a group they are very good. This series was just released on Netflix and is set in Ireland. For me, being a big fan of Ireland, and stories there, this was an easy sell. The premise is fairly simple with a US-based podcaster looking for a story to talk about as opposed to detectives or police officers. Played by Will Forte, as Gilbert, he had some modest success talking about his life imploding through his podcast, but now seeking a new story to speak about. He ventures off to Ireland, seeking a story to just speak about and decides on a town called Bodkin where there had been some drama with a disappearance of three people. Gilbert before entering Bodkin was joined by Emmy, his researcher (played by Robyn Cara) and an investigative journalist Dove Maloney (played by Siobhan Cullen), who isn’t pleased to be part of this crew as she had been placed on a paid leave from his job.

The town of Bodkin is filled with colourful characters and they are very wary about these three strangers poking around in business that they were trying hard to forget. The podcasters have the intention of just talking to people, with no expectation to be solving any mystery. Dove tells Gilbert emphatically that podcasters aren’t journalists, and she is the one who can focus on digging deeper in the town. Dove as all of the crew have their own issues, and Dove’s run especially deep. She is an orphan and had issues with nuns, convents and small towns. Gilbert has issues with his wife and that relationship. Finally Emmy is looking for more than just researching. They talk to people and investigate. The story proceeds and the team gets in deeper unravelling what turns out to be a real disappearance story with plenty of intrigue and side stories. Although pegged as a comedy-thriller, for me there wasn’t a great deal of comedy. It’s not as dark as a series like Department Q, but there is still some dark material with the past. Ultimately, this was a decent series and I enjoyed. The finale is a little over-the-top, certainly in the town, but it works. There is a suggestion that this is but one story for this group of podcasters and there could be more stories to come. We will see, but this one stands well on its own.

July 21, 2025

Thunderbolts: I had seen the previews and trailers for this latest Marvel release. Like most Marvel comics turned to live film I was wasn’t compelled to seek it out. I was given, however, the opportunity to see this, and so I did. I do like Florence Pugh generally as an actor. The recent work by Sebastian Stan has been good, in roles like The Apprentice as Donald Trump and also A Different Man also held some allure for me to see it.

I went in with low expectations, as I am not a Marvel superhero movie fan. I will say that it didn’t suck. I will further state that I am not an Avengers person, and so call this group of people the New Avengers doesn’t help in my understanding of them and why they are important. Julia Louis Dreyfus surprisingly plays an unlikeable character in this. She is Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (yes it’s a mouthful) and she is in government/intelligence/Director of the CIA and has been working on human subjects to make them super-human. She looks to bring together a new group of people to address a current issue.

The focus really of the movie is Florence Pugh who plays assassin/mercenary Yelena Belova. She is lost in her life, and sees no real purpose in it. She is engaged in tough assignments, and she ends up in an assignment that seems to be designed to have those involve converge and destroy one another. Instead, these disparate characters have decided to figure out what this all means. There among the group is a former disgraced Captain America, another Russian friend of Yelena (Red Guardian), Winter Soldier (Stans, also in government), Taskmaster, and Ghost.

The first half of this movie had my attention. The second half of the movie becomes murkier and loses me with the actions of one of the characters whose abilities seem to be quite hidden. I didn’t care enough about that character and his story to be focused on the solution of the others. I don’t really understand the All Powerful character as a plot device. Yes it provides something for the rest of the team to defeat, however it is just not believable. Of course this is a superhero movie and they are rarely “believable” but still. It is level of disbelief that gets challenged, and in this case shattered. For me, I cannot recommend but I remain the unlikeliest person to take advice on regarding Marvel movies. So please take with a grain of salt.

Incidentally, in case you feel that you have seen Bob before, well he is Bill Pullman’s son, but also played Bob in Top Gun Maverick as the rear navigator in that movie.

Princess Mononoke: One of the side benefits of creating a Top 25 list from last week, is that I get to revisit movies from the past. I was able to review not only Oscar nominations, but have a good look into Netflix and other streaming services. Although this animated film was released in 1997, I do remember that Roger Ebert gave it 4 out of four stars and a thumbs up. It was well earned and I would agree with the sentiment. This version is the Japanese version with subtitles. There is an American version with english speaking actors. I feel as though nothing is lost with the subtitles, and keeping this in its original form.

This film is set in medieval Japan but feels much much like a mythical land, where there are different creatures, and some different deities, notably one that transforms at night and lives in the forest. Some people are utilizing metals and creating early guns with iron pellets and gunpowder. Early on there is a nasty creature (seemingly covered in worm-like creatures) that is destroying the land. A young warrior named Ashitaka steps in to help and is injured by the creature before it is subdued. The injury seems to be spreading, like a steady virus. Meanwhile, there is another female warrior in charge of Iron Town and the forest. The iron ore to forge the weapons can only be mined by destroying the natural forest nearby. A conflict arises between those to advance their interests at the expense of the other. The forest people are lead by a pack of wolves, and the “daughter” of the leader is Princess Mononoke. The Princess meets the young Ashitaka and has an immediate dislike for him, as she has for all humans who she regards as destroyers of her world. Ashitaka wants to better understand both worlds as he learns the value of both worlds and hopes that there is an opportunity to harmony and working together in peace. The story unfolds.

I was thoroughly entertained by this, and was impressed by the animation. It isn’t Disney or Pixar animation but shows that other art forms can related stories effectively. It stands on its own, no need to apologize for being marketly different. The story isn’t simple, and that serves it well. There certainly is a fantasy element to it, and the speaking animals, but it flows well and there is real tension. The effectiveness of the story and animation led me to explore another series this week as below. This can be found on Netflix. Roger Ebert in his review called this a great film. He followed up to say that it was “one of the most visually inventive films I have ever seen”. High praise indeed.

Terminator Zero: Also on Netflix was this animated series from 2024. Based on the James Cameron world, and working in association with it, this series of eight episodes speaks to issues like Judgment Day, nuclear holocaust, rise of machines, artificial intelligence (AI) and family. Set in Japan there is a scientist who is working on an AI entity which he believes can work to eliminate the threat of the American Skynet (from the original movies). The characters here are well aware of the August 29th, 1997 when Skynet takes over all military responsibilities and becomes “self aware” and decides that ALL humans are a threat, and not just the enemies of the US. Nuclear weapons strikes are launched eliminating billions of lives.

It would be a gross over-simplification to state that there is a terminator in this series and he has been sent back through time to impact the future by destroying a human being. It is much deeper than that. At its core, there is discussion about human beings and the value that they provide to earth, the ability to impact the future by going back in time, choices made by children of a parent who work for unseen higher purposes, and AI. The family man, Dr Malcolm Lee, is creating a new AI as mentioned, which has self-named itself Kokoro. Dr Lee has three young children, who have a babysitter since their Mom passed away some years before. The future, like it is a character itself, has been able to send back a human being, named Eiko to combat against the terminator. There is a debate about whether the “new” AI, Kokoro is able to assist or not once it is online. We have seen similar stories like this, with Mission Impossible of a computer entity awaiting being connected to the internet in order to obtain “all knowledge of human beings”. I enjoyed this series as I think it explains well some of the challenges about time travel, as well as other issues like humans creating an AI entity, but then assuming that it will want to do the human’s bidding. That entity may question the value of the humans, and may decide independently how to address worldwide situations. What the human’s want may not be best. How does a human justify the continuing existence of the human species and why we should continue on. There is some good animation at work, along with a story which isn’t just a rehashing of the Termination storyline. If you like Terminator, this could be for you.

Department Q: This is a new series released on Netflix, with nine episodes. As seemingly only the UK can seem to do, they create compelling viewing with characters with depth. There is no lack of these types of series with Slow Horses, The Fall, Killing Eve, Broadchurch and many others. The primary star is Matthew Goode, with Edinburgh Scotland as the setting. Goode is a police detective who is part of a dramatic scene with his partner and is injured. Goode is known as difficult to work with, as he has an air of superiority. The dramatic event is a setback, and he becomes a bit of an outsider. His bosses, however, choose to bring him back and help to solve the mystery surrounding his event. He is relegated to the basement, and is joined by a few other misfits. The task of Goode and his team is to solve some cold cases. They select one of a missing lawyer, who is presumed dead from a case over four years ago. We are shown some of the background of the woman lawyer and her situation. The rest of the episodes address solving this case.

I like that these characters have depth, and they have flaws and issues to address in their personal lives as well as their professional lives. Some of the scenes here are disturbing, and it is a very dark situation for any human being to be experiencing. Goode certainly has anger issues, he has a difficult situation with his son and a roommate, in addition to strained relations with his boss and people in power. Yet he is very observant and can teach those around him a great deal in their efforts in crime solving. Akram Salim, an immigrant from Syria, who by happenstance joins up with Goode is a very interesting character. He adds valuable insight and some new methods in looking to uncover aspects of the crime. I liked this, and it was worth my time. There is a plot device that I have seen used in other movies, like Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, but it does ties itself well together.

July 14, 2025 Top 25 List 2000-2025

Top 25 Movies from 2000 – 2025: It seems that lists for the quarter century for movies have been published on many different outlets. And even though there are still five more months left in 2025, I have decided to provide my list. This is not a simple undertaking, and I will readily admit that I have likely missed many movies. My list is 25, and that’s only one movie per year. It’s funny that it didn’t work out this way since some years had none, while others had multiple films listed. My process was to look at some directors over the past twenty five years, along with some actors, the Oscar nominations and winners and compile a list. Then comedies and horror films were reviewed and I needed to do some searching since generally these movies are not Oscar nominated. I looked at my preliminary list, which was 66 films, which I needed to cull down to the final list. In looking at the list I wanted to then focus on those movies that were re-watchable and enjoyable for me. I am asked often to recommend a movie from time to time and these would be movies I would suggest. I suspect that many would disagree either with the movies on the list or their placement on the list. I welcome any discourse. I will provide some context for the first five and leave the rest, because this post doesn’t need to be many, many pages.

So here is the list:

Imitation Game (2014) – my top movie of the last 25 years. Chosen because it is a compelling story, well told and well acted. Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent as Alan Turning, the inventor of the modern day computer. This movie works on a number of levels, both as a compelling war story as a team tries to solve the Enigma encryption machine invented by the Nazis. Interlaced with this story is the role of women, and notably portrayed by Keira Knightley included in the team. There is internal conflict, and then the issue of military intelligence and how to deal with this type of sensitive information. All of it becomes one of the most memorable and watchable movies for me. This movie remains in my Best Picture for 2015 instead of Birdman, and this movie will be long remembered and re-watched than the Winner.
Gladiator (2000) – when first released, I saw this Ridley Scott film in the theatre. I was underwhelmed by the CGI used, and especially for the scenes of the Coliseum in Rome. It looked cartoonish. I wasn’t a fan of Jacquin Phoenix’s portrayal of an Emperor who seemed weak and whiny trying to eclipse his slain father. Russell Crowe won for his incredible portrayal of the Spaniard, and gladiator Maximus. This won Best Picture. It didn’t win for Best Director, nor for Best Original Score composed by the remarkable Hans Zimmer. For me, this movie grew on me over time, and the music especially became more near and dear. So this movie has risen steadily in my best list and twenty five years later is second. Ridley Scott remains one of my favourite directors, as you will see later in my list.
Arrival (2016): Denis Villeneuve made a big splash with this movie, which I saw in a theatre in California. My first viewing was derailed by the seeimgly lazy plot device of using time shifts. The alien crafts had made themselves known in various locations around the world. In the US Amy Adams is brought in as a translator to work on communicating with the alien ship hovering in the US. Beyond the science fiction, this story is deeper as a woman explores her relationship with her daughter and her husband. As a parent, over time and rewatching the power of the story became more apparent. I like this. I see more upon every viewing of this film and enjoy it more. Moonlight won Best Picture this year. Amy Adams wasn’t even nominated. Despite the snub, this movie remains one of my favourites.
Tree of Life (2011): This is one of the most divisive of films. For me, Terrence Malick’s emotional visually stunning film is a disjointed series of images that tells (generally) the story of a family in Texas in the 1950s. Why does this work for me? I think that this movie works because it seeps into the viewer’s psyche. With pictures and music, images piece together memories. Time passes, children grow, and we see this family move forward. But this plot takes a back seat to feelings. Experiencing the pictures. Many will disagree, and I am okay with that. Oscar nominated for Best Picture, Director and Cinematography. None of these won. This was a year for The Artist for Oscar, and I feel, yet again, that this was a miss.
The Dark Knight (2008): Christopher Nolan, I think, is one of the most impressive directors for this quarter century. His body of work is recognized a number of times in my list. I like that he works in IMAX and real film, as opposed to digitally. His films should be watched on the biggest screen the audience can find. Many would question having a superhero movie in my top 5. There are so many superhero movies ever since CGI has allowed more impressive story development. But seeing Christian Bale as Batman, and the unforgettable performance of Heath Ledger as The Joker, Nolan had elevated the superhero movie to be hard hitting social commentary. For me, this is the best superhero movie. The Dark Knight series of three films with Batman Begins, this and Dark Knight Rises were all excellent.

The rest of the Top 25.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
CODA (2021)
Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Hereditary (2018) – horror film
Interstellar (2014)
Selma (2014)
There Will Be Blood (2007) – Daniel Day-Lewis in an incredible role
Inception (2010)
Bridesmaids (2011) – comedy
Lord of the Rings (2001) – trilogy which began in 2001, and eventual Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
The Martian (2015)
Finding Nemo (2003)
1917 (2019)
Minority Report (2002) – Steven Spielberg film
Casino Royale (2006) – the reboot of a tired James Bond genre which reinvigorated the franchise with Daniel Craig as Bond.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005) – Ridley Scott once again in an underrated and underappreciated film
40 Year Old Virgin (2005) – comedy

Other notables: Boyhood (2014), Up (2009), Big Fish (2003), Before Sunset (2004), Oppenheimer (2023) and Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

So there it is. Let the debate begin. Feel free to comment. Any favourites missing? Why does my list not work? Each of these films are ones that I would recommend, and I have seen multiple times.

July 7, 2025

Shark Whisperer: this is a new documentary on Netflix and features an Australian woman named Ocean Ramsey who is looking to show a different way to view and study sharks. She is passionate about sharks from a very young age. This is her story.

Ocean had decided early on that she loved being in the water and she had spent some time in the ocean with some sharks (like nurse sharks) but she worked on holding her breath longer and spent more time with sharks. It was there that she spent more time with reef sharks and tiger sharks. Both are very prevalent in Hawaii and have been known to harm surfers and bathers. Ocean’s partner is her photographer. So he is in the water with her, filming her. Together she noted the behaviour of the tiger sharks as they interacted with her, and later how they interacted with each other. She places her hand on the snout of the shark as she swims with them and they approach her directly. Not everyone agrees with her methods and they believe that she should observe and not interact with the sharks. Later in the show we see that a dead sperm whale is offshore and she decides to see the sharks that she expects to gather. One of the sharks that unexpectedly turns up is a 25 foot great white shark. The pictures that she takes swimming with this massive shark are remarkable.
Part of me wonders if Ocean wasn’t blond and pretty whether this gets made. That may sound sexist but part of the debate about Ocean is her desire for publicity, her Instagram account and popularity. Not exactly what scientists generally do (although there is the notable exception of Jacques Cousteau in the 1970s). For those who are like me and enjoy sharks and wish we knew more about them I think Ocean has observed some unique tiger shark behaviour like mating behaviour that is adding to the general knowledge about these mysterious creatures. It’s worth a view.

How to Train Your Dragon (2025): I had watched the original animated film on a plane a little over a week ago. I wanted to know the story, as I had heard some good things about it and I knew that this “live” version was being released. Universal is taking a page out of Disney’s book by releasing the same story with live action as opposed to animated. Disney has had some wins with Jungle Book, and some misses with Snow White most recently. This live version is almost a shot for shot re-take of the animated film. From the opening sequence introducing the island where the Vikings live and fight the dragons who kill their livestock. The Vikings also curiously have Scottish accents. But never mind that. There are the elders, the classmates of young boy Hiccup (played by Mason Thames) and the townspeople.

I only noticed a couple of scenes that were different. One involved the young female Astrid near the end where she makes a very dangerous move that doesn’t add a lot to the story.

In the end a good story remains a good story. The CGI dragons are well done. The human actors do a decent job. Certainty the CGI for Toothless is very good and captures the character very well with eyes, facial expression and emotions.

I am not sure that I needed to see this twice (in effect) but I wasn’t disappointed. I did miss Jay Barushel who I felt was a perfect voice for the uncertain young man who was not a typical Viking who was ready to kill dragons but was more interested in learning more and finding different ways to interact with them. In the end there are some unexpected twists and many characters have an opportunity to grow. This would of course be a good film for children (I was in a packed theatre after school was out for the summer) but it is also good for adults who appreciate good visuals and a good story.

June 30, 2025

F1: The Movie: A talented aging type-A rebellious personality in his “late 50s” (although never specified) looks to rekindle the magic by teaching a young upstart in a male dominated field. Sound familiar? Last year it was Tom Cruise (age 63 on Thursday) in Top Gun: Maverick and this year it is Brad Pitt (age 61) in this new release with much fanfare. They are both directed by Joseph Kosinski. Oh and Jerry Bruckheimer is also involved in both. The formula works again. I should probably state that I am the likely audience dynamic. I am just a couple years younger than Pitt and Cruise. I would like to think that I can pilot a jet or drive a F1 race car better and faster than a twenty-something elite athlete but I just can’t. In this installment Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, a former F1 driver who has fallen from grace in his twenties, had failed relationships and has no money or prospects. What he does have is talent behind the wheel driving. Any wheel. He is approached by a former F1 racing buddy, played by Javier Bardem, who is a principal in a fledging and struggling F1 team and he is desperate halfway through a season for a new driver who can drive, but also serve as a mentor for his hot new young raw driver. An offer is made.

And then the story continues as the cocky upstart learns to deal with a new aging driving partner. Hayes also has to learn about his new team, designer, and other team members. The learning curve is steep as Hayes is flown in and then has to drive in the car which is struggling for handling and performance. Kerry Condon is the lead designer seeking more speed.

For me I find it interesting that popular movies involve a man past his best before date looking to show how impressive he can be today against much younger people. He will teach while also excelling. Whether it is in an F-18 fighter jet or a race car. Even though Lewis Hamilton is a producer of this movie, I can see why current drivers like him or World Champion Max Verstappen would have a difficult time swallowing the premise that an older former racer can defeat them in a car which hadn’t registered a single point in the standings halfway through the season, let alone won a race. Having said that, this is fun. I was entertained. Hans Zimmer adds in some music. There is real tension. Some of the shots taken inside the cars and on the track are outstanding. The audience gets a feel for the stresses of these drivers and the speed of the cars. As a summer blockbuster this one fits the bill. Pitt has plenty of charisma and there are some good jokes. There are also some quality emotional tie ins too. Overall this is worth the admission and a lot of fun. Go and check it out.

June 23, 2025

The Materialists: this is a new movie from writer and director Celine Song. Earlier she had brought forward the really good Past Lives which described a couple who over the years had their relationship change. She writes about real people, fully formed with flaws and backgrounds. The relationships are relatable for those in the audience with a few under their belts. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and the ever-present Pablo Pascal. For me, this was not the typical romantic-comedy. It was more real than that, exploring deeper and more serious issues.

The story revolves around Johnson who is a matchmaker in NYC. She is single, but active in finding her clients a romantic relationship. She has a pool of people to draw from. We are introduced to a few of her clients. We learn that she has a knack for this work, but nothing else that she had tried. She has life experience and brings it forward to her job and assessment of potential matches. For many of these she regards the match as a business deal and the “math has to add up”. She had her own personal long term relationship with Evans that didn’t work out and she believes that she needs to be with someone “rich”. At a wedding she accidentally meets up with Evans, a struggling wanna-be actor. At the same wedding, she is approached by Pedro Pascal, the brother of the groom who she regards and explains is a “unicorn”. Pascal is interested in her, although she tries to explain that the math doesn’t add up for them. He convinces her otherwise. Things happen. Of these things there are some real world challenges which makes Johnson to question what she is doing. Dating may just be dating but in this day and age it can have some real risks and not just to your heart or self-esteem. This isn’t the typical rom-com and I wasn’t sure just how dark it decided to go. Viewers will have to see for themselves. Matters of the heart are complex, and finding the right partner is not an easy journey. This movie ably addresses a few of the challenges while still providing some humour which can show how ridiculous it can all be as well. Worth the viewing.

How To Train Your Dragon(animated): the “live” version of this has been newly released into the theatres. I had not seen the original animated cartoon from 2010 and decided to watch over a recent flight this week. I was pleasantly surprised by this story however formulaic it can appear on the surface.

In the story, set on a mythical island with Vikings populating it (although strangely the Vikings sound more Scottish than Nordic but never mind) there is a long held problem with dragons of all shapes, sizes and abilities which steal from the Vikings. The Vikings then are forced to slay the dragons for self preservation. Those who slay best are valued the most by the people. Canadian Jay Barushel voices Hiccup who is the son of the fearless leader of the island. He slays dragons easily. Meanwhile, Hiccup not only doesn’t resemble his tribe physically, but he doesn’t have the killer instinct. As a teenager he is coming of age and teased by his fellow teens but also doesn’t have a terrific relationship with Dad. Hiccup is a reader and investigates his environment all the while working as an apprentice to the local blacksmith. Hiccup is good with this. He notices young women his age but knows that they have no time for him. The village gets attacked by dragons and Hiccup decides to try and use a new weapon against the attackers. He thinks he succeeds but is unsure. He needs to investigate. I won’t share further details except to say that the results are not as predicable as you might expect. Yes Hiccup gains the trust of his father and townspeople, but he also helps out a dragon (and thus the name of the movie). I will say that the dragon teaches Hiccup too. The dragon is named Toothless, and has his own journey. This is a “kids’ movie” that works on an adult level. It is a good story and the animation is well done. But more importantly the audience cares about awkward Hiccup and cheers for him and the dragon. In this story there is a great deal of growth all around and in ways that were not obvious. I will likely need to see the updated live version to see how it compares. This was worth my time.

June 16, 2025

Sleepless in Seattle: I was away this past week and didn’t watch many shows nor movies. However before leaving I had re-watched this 1993 film with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. First of all, it was good to see Meg Ryan again, as I had remembered her. She and Tom Hanks had good chemistry, and although she was never supermodel hot, she was always attractive and funny. She was cute.

The story I was amazed to find mirrored many aspects of a movie like Serendipity, with Kate Beckensale and John Cusack. An engaged person is not so sure that they are marrying “the One” but have just gone along with it at this point. They are introduced to a stranger and seek them out to an extent which appears a little extreme. In Sleepless it is over the radio with Annie (played by Meg Ryan) listening to a young boy Jonah (played by the delightful Ross Malinger) call a syndicated radio program making a pitch for his Dad (played by Hanks) to find a new wife, as his wife had died earlier from cancer. Jonah wants to find a new Mom.

Annie is a writer and she hears this story. She shares with friend, played by Rosie O’Donnell and her fiance (played by Bill Pullman). She decides she wants to write a story about this boy, as it has gotten some media attention since it first aired. Meanwhile, Hanks is not pleased that his son called a radio program, and gave their address on the show, in order to try and help him find a new relationship. His touching question to Jonah is “aren’t we doing okay?”. The mail starts to roll in, and Hanks and Jonah are reading responses to Jonah’s situation. Jonah likes a letter from Annie. Hanks decides he wants to avoid long distances (Annie is from Baltimore, while they live in Seattle). He meets another woman and they begin dating. Eventually Jonah takes things into his own hands as he wants to force his Dad to meet Annie at the Empire State Building in NYC on Valentine’s Day. This mirrors one of the original rom-com’s from 1957 An Affair to Remember, with Cary Grant, later re-done with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening in 1994 called Love Affair.

For me, one of the challenges in such movies is that the partners of the two romantic interests are simply not attractive in actions or in looks. Why is this the case? Why can’t those partners be just people that aren’t a fit for those others? Bill Pullman has eating and sleeping issues, and is generally too geeky for a woman like Meg Ryan. The audience isn’t surprised that she is seeking out someone who just sounds nice. I will admit that I think that Jonah and his sarcasm with Dad’s girlfriend, with the horrible laugh, is polite but just oozes with contempt. Should Dad be introducing this woman to Jonah so early in the relationship? One would suggest now in 2025 that the answer is likely no. However for the time, Dad may feel that his son is his only family, and that he wants to see if Jonah gets along with someone he is dating. These are not easy choices. But despite any challenges, this is still a delightful movie. Hanks and Ryan, despite very little time on screen together, have good chemistry and they are likeable actors. So this is a good rom-com and has likeable characters. It was worth the time to visit, for the first time or a repeat after a long while.

Alien Earth: Alison shared a trailor for a new series on FX in August. From what I can tell, it is based upon Alien, or the Alien world which has had numerous storylines. Alien was released in 1979. Ridley Scott was the director. There were eight more Alien-related movies to come with varying level of success. The latest one Alien Romulus was reviewed by me last year, and I was not a fan. I find that there hasn’t been enough new ideas in the alien world. Prometheus and Alien Covenant I liked more than Romulus. I am not really sure what to make of this attached but I will leave that for the viewer to decide.

June 9th, 2025

I watched two documentaries this past week from iconic Hollywood women. The first was Elizabeth Taylor, then the other was Faye Dunaway. Both were on Netflix. I also watched Nixon on Nixon which was a documentary and analysis of the Nixon Oval Office tapes that were not released until 2013. Nixon ensured that while he was alive that they were not released.

I have to say that I have watched some really good and interesting documentaries lately. These three are added to that list.

Elizabeth Taylor: Lost Tapes. New tapes have recently been found with interviews of Elizabeth Taylor. Some from 1964 and then others later. The documentary examines the life of the iconic actress who is probably most known for her eight marriages to seven different men.

But make no mistake that Taylor was Hollywood royalty. She was the first actress to receive $1m for a role (the over-budget Cleopatra with Richard Burton with whom she married twice). She was married three times in her early twenties. Only one of her marriages ended in a death. Ironically in the film she says that he (Director Mike Todd) was the love of her life. She later in life was an early champion for research into AIDS. Many of her early closest friends were gay including Roddy McDowell, Rock Hudson and Montgomery Clift. I enjoyed this glimpse back into her life. The fishbowl even then for the major film stars was intense.

Faye Dunaway:

Faye is currently still alive and 84 years old. She lives in New York. The film documents her life as she rose quickly to stardom with the major role in Bonnie and Clyde which propelled her career to new heights. Interestingly Warren Beatty wasn’t sure about her for that role but the director insisted on her. In 1967, it was her fifth role. Other amazing roles followed in Chinatown, Network, Thomas Crowne Affair with Steve McQueen and Mommie Dearest which had a lukewarm reception. She is still acting. She was married twice. Once to rocker Peter Wolf from J Geils Band.

I enjoyed this too. Faye had a reputation of being difficult to work with. Much of this probably comes from her perfectionism. She admits to being bi-polar. This could obviously cause some issues on the set. Together these two women have created some amazing and memorable roles. They have both been awarded Oscars. This is worth checking out.

Nixon on Nixon: Also on Netflix. Richard Nixon I would expect would think was the high water mark for Presidents who used the Office as their own personal means of addressing those who didn’t agree with him. Having been defeated by JFK early on, Nixon was very suspicious and vindictive at times.

This documentary uses excerpts from the tapes known only to a few close Nixon confidants and were subpoenaed during Watergate. Nixon refused but the Supreme Court disagreed.

I watched this because I wanted to be refreshed with some of the Nixon issues of the day. Note he was dealing with Vietnam, China and a press that was viewed as against him. In the tapes you hear the President speak freely and surprisingly about blacks, Jewish people, the press, and others. You can see why he wanted to suppress them. But all of this pales with the current administration. Nixon still believed in the rule of law, and when impeachment was being proposed he chose to resign. I wouldn’t say that current President Donald Trump is Nixon 2.0 but rather Nixon x10. This is a good insight into what transpired 50 years ago, and how things while they have changed, they can still have recurring themes. Well worth a watch.

Tim Weiner’s new book, *One Man Against The World*, explores some of the questions surrounding the presidency of Richard Nixon.

June 2, 2025

Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds: In my youth, after my first flight on an airplane I had always thought of being a pilot. When asked what alternative career I would have pursued other than law, I always respond that I would have wanted to be a pilot. That interest in airplanes also transferred into an affinity for making model airplanes, and also going to air shows (mostly to see the jets). Going to the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto Air Show each Labour Day weekend has been a ritual for decades. I am most impressed by the US air demonstration teams of the Navy (the Blue Angels) and the Air Force (the Thunderbirds). The Navy flies F-18s, and the Air Force the F-16. When I saw that Netflix was releasing a documentary on the Air Force Thunderbirds I was eager to seek it out.

What they have done is put together a story about the 2023 Thunderbird season, with the pilots, family and crew involved. Half of the team changes each year as the pilots are assigned for a two-year engagement. In 2023, they have a leader (call sign Astro) entering into his second season. One of the major milestones for the team collectively each year is to become certified from the top brass. It involves training for the coming show, and demonstrating that it can be performed safely for all members. The Thunderbirds put on approximately 60 shows a season. It is a grueling and intense time for all involved. Astro’s wife points out that when her husband approached her about doing this assignment (being the leader of the team) that historically there has been a 10% chance at dying while with the team. The last fatality was in 2018 when a pilot blacked out doing a high g-force manoever. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this, and not just for seeing the jets perform in their tight formations (when the wings can be within 18 inches of each other) but also the human stories. The certification process is difficult, and we see one of the pilots struggling with the final air burst demonstration. These are elite pilots, who have flown combat missions, and thousands of hours and are the best of the best. Yet air demonstration is not what they trained for at all. So there is a steep learning curve with plenty of pressure and knowing that your life, and those of your team are at stake. For me it gives me a much greater appreciation for the skill involved in this most difficult but glamourous job. The training, the stresses on the human body, the coordination of effort and the magnificence of the machines involved is astounding. Seek it out, as it is worth your time.

Andor Season 2: I have mentioned in previous posts that a friend had suggested that I check out Andor. And despite my last review stating that I wouldn’t rush out to see Rogue One again, I did anyway! I have the blu-ray dvd and just watched it after the conclusion of the first season. I will preface my remarks in that I have been utterly disappointed in the Star Wars offerings since Disney has taken over from George Lucas. From Solo, to Boba Fett, to Obi Wan and others nothing has come close to living up to the Star Wars creativity and wonder. This includes the sequels of the main story (episodes VII, VIII and IX) and The Mandalorian which started out decently and faded. I also noted that Andor is a significant investment in time. Both seasons are 12 episodes and those are close to an hour each, so you are in for 24 hours of viewing. This is the conclusion to the series. So I was more than a little skeptical about what lay ahead. What I can report is that Season 2 gets better and better, and from the episodes regarding Ghorman it becomes more compelling. The intrigue is on a number of levels. From the Imperial side, there is leadership (Ben Mendelsohn being at the top as Krennic), the middle management with Dedra Meero and Syril Karn and then the emerging Rebellion side which has the same power structure. Cassian Andor is a soldier among many with his love interest and friends.

It is all coming together really well. It is well written and well acted. There is weight to the situation and the intensity rises. Aspects of Rogue One, where were simply introduced without background make more sense, like the battle droids. But it has so many aspects that start to come together, and for me it likely will require another viewing to fully appreciate it. Not sure I am prepared to invest even more time, but like Alison was saying to me, she is taking a slow approach to this series and not binging it to more fully enjoy it and savour it. I am understanding that approach more. Sure, some episodes are stronger than others, but there are some really strong episodes. Who would have expected Senator Mon Mothma to be so important, from a minor character in A New Hope and later Return of the Jedi. She and Luthen Rael (played by Stellen Skarsgard) are laying the foundation for resistence to an oppressive Imperial regime. All of that ties well into the manifesto from the young rebel Karis Nemik (played by Alex Lawther) in the first season, in the mission on “Aldhani”. In summary, this for me is the best effort from Disney for Star Wars. They aren’t just putting out mindless content that leverages off the work of Lucas and known characters, but rather created a fulsome overview in the elements leading up to Rogue One and A New Hope. It is fair to say that Rogue One is viewed differently after seeing this series. Well done Disney, giving credit where credit is due.

Pee Wee As Himself: Periodically on X, formerly Twitter, there are random questions posed like “name a character played by a person that coudn’t be done by anyone else?”. For me other than Napoleon Dynamite actor Jon Heder, Paul Reubens comes to mind as the incomparable Pee Wee Herman. Reubens was a comedic actor, and he created this alter ego many years ago. The story of the creation, and the years leading up to that moment are outlined in this two-part documentary. Reubens died in July 2023, shortly after completing this documentary.

Reubens and his life had been tied to Pee Wee Herman for so long, and he (without telling the director and producers of the documentary) had been fighting illness, specifically acute myelogenous leukemia and metastatic lung cancer. He wanted to tell HIS story and to be seen, which I can respect. The first episode talks about his early days, and being at school. He had ultimately joined a group of comedic actors, who had performed improv and put on shows. I think the genesis of the idea about the man-child who is Pee Wee. Then once performed it took on a life of its own.

Reubens was gay, and his early days he was in a long term same-sex relationship that eventually ended. He decided to pour himself into his career. One thing about Reubens is that he wrote much of the material (along with SNL alumnus Phil Hartman) and had most of the decisions about casting and sets. He surrounded himself with quality people, although he was a perfectionist and a bit of a control freak. One can see that control even in speaking with the director on camera about the production of the documentary. Of course, episode two cannot avoid speaking about Reubens’ fall from grace when he was found and charged with public indecency at an adult movie theatre. Much of this was prompted by a prosecutor who was looking for re-election and wanted to make a public splash. Reubens suffered from this humiliation in addition to a charge later of having possession of child pornography which he vehemently denied and which the facts brought forward certainly seems to support.

I enjoyed this. I think it met Reubens’ goal of having the audience know his story. Pee Wee’s Playhouse was cutting edge, must-watch TV on Saturday mornings as a university student and ran from 1986 to 1990. It was funny. The first movie was excellent. Reubens latched on to not only an idea and concept, but to the entire world that his creation Pee Wee lived within. This iconic character will live as a remembrance of the genius that Paul Reubens and team brought to the world at that time. This is well worth watching.

Flow: This Latvian animated film has won both the Oscar and the Golden Globe for animated film. The first ever Oscar award for Latvia. Both awards were displayed in the Latvian National Museum of Art where 15,000 people came to see them over ten days. This movie is on Crave now. Sometimes art, creativity and visuals come together so well that the plot is not as important in the grand scheme of things. For me, this is such a film. There is no dialogue at all in this movie. Basically, there is an adult black cat in a wilderness that very quickly has to deal with a catastrophic environmental event. The cat’s world is flooding, and quickly. Other animals around the cat are scrambling just like the cat is, including a pack of dogs of various breeds that were initially chasing the cat. In very much a Life of Pi kind of way, a boat out of the blue arrives. It is a lifeline to survival, and different creatures need to be able to life in tight spaces together. Along with it comes other animals, some friend and others not. The animals need to respond to what has occurred. No explanation is given, no political statement is made, like global warming. Instead the viewer is able to make up its own mind. Because there is no dialogue, the creatures need to be able to communicate their feelings and emotions with non-verbal cues. The animators have done an excellent job with the cat mannerisms, but who would have expected the same with the meerkat or the cappyberra? It is all good.

I enjoyed this. I had questions. None of them were answered. So I get to fill in my own blanks. Be sure to watch until the very end. This kept my attention, and I am glad that I watched it. I think too from an awards standpoint, an independent film like this winning is a very good thing for the industry. It doesn’t always have to be a Disney/Pixar film that wins Best Animated film.

May 26, 2025

Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning: According to star Tom Cruise, who also produces this movie, this will be the last installment in this series. The series has a total of eight movies, including this one and dates back to 1996. Twenty-nine years with Ethan Hunt and his outrageous endings for movies. This last in the series does its best to bring all of the previous movies together, and works somewhat for me, but not entirely. There is a lot of exposition early on that does its level best to explain what is the global threat that seemingly only Ethan Hunt can address. In short, there is an online “entity” which is a self-replicating AI virus which has manged to infiltrate governments around the world and their respective nuclear arsenals. The job of Ethan Hunt and his team is to find the source code for this entity, and then utilize a self-made poison pill (made by Hunt’s friend Luther, played by Ving Rhames, who has put on considerable weight over the past 30 years.

Hunt is challenged to undertake a series of missions which increasingly are more and more risky and dangerous. For me, there were a number of eye-rolling moments, but most especially when dealing with the retrieval of the source code from an abandoned and damaged Russian submarine at the bottom of the ocean. How does one manage to do that exactly? Well, in short, you must get onto a US submarine near the location, and then find a way to get yourself onto that submarine and track down the elusive source code. Oh, by the way, you would be going down 300 feet, in jet black ocean that is extremely cold, and required to get back to the surface so quickly that you would suffer from the bends (nitrogen bubbles in the blood stream). Now I am no diver, but I don’t think that the explanation for it is very plausible. The source code, which exists in a computer program, naturally is in a self-contained plastic container which looks a lot like an eight-track tape, but with a convenient receptical area to allow for a supplemental thumb drive to be added. No explanation for this is ever given. No one ever said that it had to make sense! Overall, it doesn’t so if you are inclined like me to see some realism in this, then you will be sadly disappointed. It is entertainment and mind candy. Pure and simple. But is it effective?

In short, I think so. I was entertained. There were enough suspenseful moments that kept my attention, along with the risk to Hunt and his team. For those who saw Dead Reckoning Part One (where is Part Two?) you saw that a character like Ilsa Faust (played by Rebecca Ferguson) could be eliminated. I had actually wondered too whether this movie would give Ethan Hunt the James Bond treatment in No Time to Die. Do you need to see and know all the previous movies to follow this one? Certainly early on in the talking phase it likely may help. But truthfully I don’t think anyone spoke about “an entity” until most recently. The bad guys and quasi-good intentioned government types who THINK that they are good, like Eugene Kittridge (played by Canadian Henry Czerny) make appearances. Angela Bassett plays the US President, and we are all reminded how a level-headed, logical leader of the free world is no longer in place any more in reality. One cringes to think what the current sitting President would do in the same position as she in the movie. For the record, I don’t like the longer Cruise hair for this version of Ethan Hunt. He looks better in a more military haircut to me. To summarize, it is long. It doesn’t suck. It had some genuinely suspenseful moments, including the now almost required airplane sequence which Cruise seems to want, even though inexplicably one wonders why they choose to use open air biplanes. The answer is revealed through the stunt sequence. I especially liked flying an airplane with your foot! Again, it doesn’t need to make sense! For what it is, this is a movie to see in the theatre on the big screen like only Tom Cruise it seems is able to do these days.

The Lost City of Z: This Amazon original was released back in 2016, and I hadn’t heard of it until I saw it listed on Netflix. Part of me thought this was in some way a zombie movie, but that was Brad Pitt in World War Z, back in 2013. Ironically and interestingly I found out that Brad Pitt was originally slated to play the lead role of real-life British explorer Percy Fawcett in the early 1900s. Instead he had a conflict and the role is played by Charlie Hunnam (from The Gentlemen, Papillon etc). His loyal sidekick is Henry Costin played by Robert Pattinson, and his son Jack (older) was played by Tom Holland. Fawcett’s UK based wife is played by Sienna Miller. It is a good cast. The story based on real events, was that the governments in Brazil and Bolivia had a boundary dispute, and they asked an independent neutral third party (Britain) to intercede and map out the boundary between their two countries. Fawcett was requested to be the representative to do it. While doing this mapping, Fawcett comes across evidence of an ancient civilization in Bolivia that he felt was worth exploring further. It became a lifelong obsession for him.

Fawcett and his team make presentations to find investors, as opposed to educational institutions, in order to finance these trips to South America. Naturally along the way, there are unknown dangers like the local indiginous people and natural challenges like piranha and panthers. Yet, however much it sounds like an Indiana Jones adventure with a city of gold, it isn’t. The adventurous scenes and moments are few and far between. Rather it is a story of the quest, and cutting through the red tape, as well as a troublesome wanna-be adventurer and the relationship with Fawcett’s wife and kids. While Mission Impossible is one action sequence after another, this was one journey into the jungle followed by discussions with bureaucrats and a wife at home to decide whether to explore further. I won’t reveal the ending, but suffice it to say that it is historically accurate. For me, this was a story of a part of the world that I know very little about. I can only imagine how it would have appeared (Bolivia) in the early 1900s, and the means it took to get there in the first place. Fawcett was a man of vision and determination, including the necessary sacrifices to get to that position. This was interesting. I was introduced to a story and part of the world that was new. It’s not a spy or superhero movie. It was worth a viewing. Part of me thinks that if Pitt could have made it work that it would have had more box office success, but we will never know.