The other day I got out to see The Greatest Showman before it left theaters, which I’d been meaning to do for a little while. I’d known almost nothing about the film before, except that it was about P.T. Barnum and the founding of his circus. Then a month or so into its release I … Continue reading Thoughts on the Greatest Showman
Movies
Thoughts on ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’
Today my family and I finally got out to see Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, this season's sleeper hit. Having seen it, I absolutely can understand why it's found the success it has, because, yeah, it's really very good. The story has four teenagers - nerd, jock, popular girl, awkward girl - being sucked into a … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’
Godzilla: Monster Planet
Being the huge Godzilla fan that I am, I of course had to check out Netflix’s Godzilla: Monster Planet anime, supposedly the first in a trilogy. And…yeah, I didn’t care for it. The story is that humanity has been driven off the planet by Godzilla and the other monsters, but have failed to find a … Continue reading Godzilla: Monster Planet
Quick Thoughts on ‘The Big Lebowski’
Last night I finally saw the modern classic The Big Lebowski. It was not good. I admit, I laughed a good deal. And for about the first half I was enjoying it. Then I started to realize that the film wasn't going anywhere. Or, if it was, it wasn't anywhere good. I don't think I've seen such … Continue reading Quick Thoughts on ‘The Big Lebowski’
When Reviews Are Meaningless
A lot of times people (myself included) will say of some film that they're on the fence about seeing 'it depends on what the reviews say.' If the general consensus appears to be that it's worth seeing, then we'll go see it. If not, we won't. When it comes to something like Star Wars, though, the … Continue reading When Reviews Are Meaningless
The Star Wars Holiday Special
One of my personal holiday traditions is to open the season with a viewing of The Star Wars Holiday Special, courtesy of Rifftrax (I’m not insane enough to watch it ‘pure’. People have died that way). In case you haven’t heard of it, the year after the first Star Wars became a sleeper hit, someone … Continue reading The Star Wars Holiday Special
Making a Character Prodigiously Powerful Will Not Make Them Interesting
So, I was watching the trailer for 'The Last Jedi,' where Luke is telling Rey that he's only seen her kind of power once before, that she's amazingly in tune with the Force and so on and so forth and I thought "Man, I am tired of the heroes in these kinds of stories being … Continue reading Making a Character Prodigiously Powerful Will Not Make Them Interesting
Thoughts on ‘My Little Pony: the Movie’
Just got back from seeing My Little Pony: The Movie (yes, opening day. I am not ashamed). And some thoughts: -Overall, I'm giving it a 'good-not-great' rating: a solid 3-3.5/5. I enjoyed it, it's still the same great characters, voices, writers, and world that I've grown to love. The animation is really good, I laughed a … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘My Little Pony: the Movie’
The Land Before Time and the Proper Approach to Prejudice
Over the weekend I posted my first video review, of The Land Before Time. I discovered how time-consuming such things are to make, and so I wasn't able to address everything I wanted to. In particular, I glanced over the film's approach to prejudice, partly because it's actually kind of a minor theme compared to its … Continue reading The Land Before Time and the Proper Approach to Prejudice
RIP Haruo Nakajima
I've just learned that Haruo Nakajima, the stuntman and actor who originated the role of Godzilla himself, has passed away at the age of 88 of pneumonia. Now all the major players of that greatest of monster films are gone, with the sole exception of Akira Takarada. Mr. Nakajima was a stuntman and bit player … Continue reading RIP Haruo Nakajima
Serpent's Den 