Kong: Skull Island — find myself rewatching this every few years; I like that tonally, it’s a fun blend of horror + monster + dark comedy + Vietnam war flick; doesn’t take itself too seriously, solid soundtrack, and A-list cast (Samuel Jackson; Tom Hiddleston; Brie Larson; John Reilly; etc); although wtf is Jing Tian doing there (just like in Pacific Rim) — can only assume she wrote a fat 7-figure plus check to slide herself into that pointless role
House of the Dragon s2 — I have no emotional investment in any of the 87 storylines or characters; I probably feel more empathy for the dragons than any human; highlight for me was still Daemon’s kickass take names whore around arc in season 1
Michael Clayton — rewatched for maybe the 4th or 5th time; a favorite when I’m craving clever dialogue and legal drama and George Clooney’s particular kind of on-screen charisma; the movie still holds up well, although the flip phones (!) and pre-inflation prices (!) — imagine giving a partner-level at a world renowned law firm an $80K bonus for decades of service and an ironclad NDA… and corporate stereotypes have gotten a lot darker, a similar scandal would barely move the cultural needle today
Aliens v Predators (the original from 2004) — still my favorite despite its 39% on rotten; perhaps I have a small crush on Sanaa Lathan, but I also love the idea of Predators and humans teaming up to crush those giant-cockroach-spider freak Aliens… shivers. In an alternate universe I’d like to see a Werewolves versus Aliens mashup, the brutality and brawn and low IQ combat would be good fun.
Frontier — 1700s merchant outpost and frontier life TV show on Netflix (Netflix = TNT) starring Jason Momoa as a hunky revengeful half breed; cheesy daytime drama junk food, good background filler for sitting on the couch and doing work
Furiosa Mad Max Saga — I missed it in theaters because, I think, I was skeptical of Anya as young Charlize; but the movie was AMAZING, simply amazing; she’s a star through and through and more than holds her own against a very funny Hemsworth; imo, better than Fury Road in almost every respect (save the lack of Tom Hardy) — the acting, the story, the special and visual fx, the sheer insanity and chaos of the very lived in and believable Mad Max world; and what an epic full circle ending. hoping for a sequel
Snatch — re-watched it after chancing upon a YT highlights reel of Brad Pitt’s boxer Mickey character; he’s at his best in physically demanding + fighting roles (see Fight Club, Troy, World War Z); Guy Ritchie’s typical frenetic, smash cut, idiosyncratic, slang-laden, punchy music, insider-y vibes, it’s all there
Rings of Power S2 — spending too much time on X as I do, I was brainwashed into thinking Rings of Power is complete garbage; and I would give a very mediocre rating to season 1; but it was better than I expected (happiness = reality – expectations); the big budget helps because the cinematography, the wardrobe & set design, some of the special fx, really stand out, even if it’s a bit extra on DEI and family friendliness at the expense of authorial intent and source material; hard also to achieve the Peter Jackson gold standard
Here was my last tv and movies update from June