Movies in June

Movies at the Theater

• Rocketman (*) – For better or worse, “Rocketman” is going to be endlessly compared to “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Fortunately, the Elton John biopic is so much better. It actually takes some risks, has some style, and brings something to the table. Taron Egerton is fantastic in the lead role.
• The Dead Don’t Die (*) – What a weird, weird movie. I don’t think I was fully prepared for the weirdness of Jim Jarmusch. Adam Driver continues to be one of the best young actors. His comedic timing is flawless. Pairing him up with Bill Murray was a genius move.
• Late Night (*) – Less comedy than I expected…but overall better than I expected. It’s just an extremely well written and well acted movie. Mindy Kaling was able to take what could have easily been a generic story and made it feel very real and honest.
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters (*) – Easily one of the most bonkers movie I have ever seen, and I mean that in the best way possible. The plot is utterly ridiculous even compared to the previous MonsterVerse movies. The action is more destructive than anything I’ve ever seen. Godzilla is a badass, and I am pumped for “Godzilla vs. Kong” next year.
• Toy Story 4 (*) – The voice acting is superb as always. The animation is to the point where it’s basically indistinguishable from real life. Randy Newman delivers the goods yet again. The new additions (Forky, Gabby Gabby, and Duke Caboom) all feel authentic and true to the world. I have long felt that Toy Story 2 and 3 were too similar thematically, both to each other and (to a lesser extent) the original. It was so exciting to see them move forward past the fear of losing your kid (either through age or physical separation) and towards greater character development. With this new development in mind, the ending felt so much fresher. It doesn’t feel like an ending, but rather a fresh start.
• Yesterday (*) – The premise was probably my favorite part of the movie. Unfortunately, that premise doesn’t get taken very far. The film seemed content to be a basic romantic comedy instead of exploring the crazy potential of the world it had set up. Himesh Patel is brilliant in the lead role, and hit performance is the glue that holds the entire movie together.
• Aladdin (*) – For most of the run-time of “Aladdin” I just kept thinking about how much I’d rather be watching the original. I will admit, however, that Will Smith’s Genie was fantastic. I 100% did not expect that going in. He included enough of a Robin Williams homage while also bringing some of his own personality to the character.

(*) denotes any movie which I watched for the first time.

Movies at Home

• Always Be My Maybe (*) – As I seem to say for nearly every rom-com, it was pretty good. The plot was enjoyable and Ali Wong and Randall Park are both great, but the whole movie put together was just pretty good. However, it does include Keanu Reeves in one of my favorite moments in any movie this year, and perhaps the best cameo ever.
• Bad Times at the El Royale
• The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
• Godzilla (2014) (*) – I know there were many people who were upset at the slow burn pace and lack of Godzilla action, but I really enjoyed this movie. It did a wonderful job laying the groundwork for the shared universe to follow. Godzilla’s final kill literally had me jumping out of my seat.
• Logan Lucky
• Kong: Skull Island (*) – Definitely my least favorite of the three “MonsterVerse” movies to have been released so far. Apparently the final cut was over an hour shorter then the original…and it sure does show. So much felt rushed and jagged. The set-pieces are cool, but it definitely comes at the expense of everything else.
• Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (*) – I think I finally understand how to watch Studio Ghibli (Yes, I know this came out the year before Ghibli was founded) films. In the past it has taken me until the 2nd viewing to really let go and get what was happening. This was especially true with “My Neighbor Totoro”. But I finally was able to just enjoy and understand on my first viewing of “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind’, and I am so excited. It is of course beautiful and touching. However, this had so much more world building than most Ghibli films seem to have. It is still a personal story, but the stakes were much higher than I am used to.

(*) denotes any movie which I watched for the first time.

Movies Added to My Collection

•  The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

	First Time Movies	Total Movies
June Movies at the Theater	7	7
June Movies at Home	4	7
June MOVIE TOTALS	11	14
	First Time Movies	Total Movies
2019 Movies at the Theater	28	30
2019 Movies at Home	26	57
2019 MOVIE TOTALS	54	87

My Favorite Movies of 2019…So Far

Here we are, already in the 7th month of 2019. There have been several great films released this year, but I did not realize this until I started trying to narrow down my favorites how many “just OK” movies there have been so far this year. I originally wanted to do a list of 10, but after coming up with my top 8 there seemed to be a big drop in quality until my next favorite movies. So I decided to cap it right there, and make this short and sweet.

1: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World

“How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” is a perfect cap to what I think is the best animated trilogy of all time. The villain isn’t a strong as the first two, but at this point I think everyone was there for the the Hiccup/Toothless relationship. And boy, does it deliver. I’ve watched “The Hidden World”, I believe, four times now since it came out in February, and I have been reduced to tears every single time. The emotional punch is too much for me. I could go (and have gone) on and on about how incredible the “How to Train Your Dragon” franchise is. Just writing this little blurb made me tear up.

2: Apollo 11

“Apollo 11” in IMAX was stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it. The exclusive use of archival footage and audio completely transported me back in time. The way they presented events in real time was brilliant. At this point, I believe it deserves to win the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. That may change between now and the end of the year, but “Apollo 11” will stand as an incredible achievement either way. I know it is being re-released during the anniversary of the actual events in July and I’ll hopefully be able to see it again.

3; Avengers: Endgame

No words can fully do “Avengers: Endgame” justice. I had heard all the hype, and somehow it still was better than I ever imagined it could be. It is nearly perfect and worth all the hype and then some. Marvel managed to fulfill an astonishing number of plot threads and bring them to beautifully satisfying conclusions. I ended up seeing it twice in theaters, and it was just as jaw-dropping the second time around. That they pulled such an amazing feat off has me so excited for the next phase of the MCU.

4: Toy Story 4

The voice acting is superb as always. The animation is to the point where it’s basically indistinguishable from real life. Randy Newman delivers the goods yet again. The new additions (Forky, Gabby Gabby, and Duke Caboom) all feel authentic and true to the world. I have long felt that Toy Story 2 and 3 were too similar thematically, both to each other and (to a lesser extent) the original. It was so exciting to see them move forward past the fear of losing your kid (either through age or physical separation) and towards greater character development. With this new development in mind, the ending felt so much fresher. It doesn’t feel like an ending, but rather a fresh start.

5: Booksmart

So so so so good. I cannot recommend this movie enough. It is funny, relatable, and oh so moving. Olivia Wilde absolutely knocks it out of the park in her directorial debut. “Booksmart” really separates itself from the pack through it’s perfect direction and cinematography and it’s killer soundtrack. Beanie Feldstein, who bust onto the scene a couple years ago in “Lady Bird”, has shown she has what it take to be a star. Disappointingly, it was released around the same time as several other blockbusters and really got swallowed up by the competition. As a result, I think people are going to look back on “Booksmart” in a few years and wonder why it wasn’t a bigger hit.

6: If Beale Street Could Talk

Most people got this movie in 2018, but it was not released in Kansas City until January 4th of this year. After “Moonlight” took Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards, I was truly excited to see what Barry Jenkins would do next. And I’m here to tell you, he’s done it again. “If Beale Street Could Talk” feels almost like a piece of music. The way everything flows together is hypnotic. The score is enchanting. The acting is superb. This isn’t just a movie, it is a piece of art.

7: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum

The third entry in the John Wick franchise was probably my least favorite of the series…and I still loved it. It is by far the best pure actions movie of the year so far. Keanu is amazing as always. The world building is on another level. The action is some of the best ever to grace the big screen. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Baba Yaga.

8: Pokemon: Detective Pikachu

I liked it, but I didn’t love it. “Detective Pikachu” is charming and funny, and the world looks and feels 100% authentic. The plot left a bit to be desired, but there was much more good than bad. I debated how much I liked this movie to be worthy of making this list, but in the end the visuals took it over the top. The cinematography and production design is simply STUNNING and I really dug the film noir elements. I was absolutely hooked during the first hour, but the final act sort of lost me.

Honorable mentions…

• Always be my Maybe
• Captain Marvel
• Missing Link
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Movies in May

Movies at the Theater

• Detective Pikachu (*) – I liked it, but I didn’t love it. “Detective Pikachu” is charming and funny, and the world looks and feels 100% authentic. The plot left a bit to be desired, but there was much more good than bad. The cinematography and production design is simply STUNNING and I really dug the film noir elements. I was absolutely hooked during the first hour, but the final act sort of lost me.
• Avengers: Endgame
• John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (*) – The third entry in the John Wick franchise was probably my least favorite of the series…and I still loved it. Keanu is amazing as always. The world building is on another level. The action is some of the best ever to grace the big screen. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Baba Yaga.
• Long Shot (*) – It was fine. It was the finest movie I’ve seen this year. Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron were pretty funny and the plot was pretty good. That’s about it.
• Booksmart (*) – So so so so good. Olivia Wilde absolutely knocks it out of the park in her directorial debut. “Booksmart” really separates itself from the pack through it’s perfect direction and cinematography and it’s killer soundtrack. Beanie Feldstein, who bust onto the scene a couple years ago in “Lady Bird”, has shown she has what it take to be a star. I cannot recommend this movie enough.

(*) denotes any movie which I watched for the first time.

Movies at Home

• Rogue One
• John Wick
• John Wick: Chapter 2
• The LEGO Batman Movie
• First Reformed (*) – I…just…whoa. I expected good things going in, but I didn’t expect *that*. I sat through the entire credits dead silent trying to absorb what I had just watched. This is easily one of my all-time favorite Ethan Hawke performances.
• How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
• Lady Bird
• Can You Ever Forgive Me? (*) – It is sort of sad watching a movie in which Melissa McCarthy acts, because it reminds me how infrequently she actually acts. She, along with Richard E. Grant are brilliant, and the story made me want to know all about the real-life Lee Israel.
• The Florida Project (*) – How this movie went so under the radar in 2017 I will never know. Willem Dafoe did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, but “The Florida Project” deserved so much more than that. It is a beautifully bittersweet story about the innocence of childhood where each character feels incredibly (and heartbreakingly) authentic.

(*) denotes any movie which I watched for the first time.

Movies Added to My Collection

• How to Train Your Dragon : The Hidden World
• Arrival
• Brooklyn
• The Martian

• 

• 

	First Time Movies	Total Movies
May Movies at the Theater	4	5
May Movies at Home	3	9
MAY MOVIE TOTALS	7	14
	First Time Movies	Total Movies
2019 Movies at the Theater	21	23
2019 Movies at Home	22	50
2019 MOVIE TOTALS	43	73

2019 Summer Movie Season

With Memorial Day comes the unofficial start of summer, and the unofficial start of the summer movie season. I know we have already seen big releases like “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum”, “Pokemon Detective Pikachu”, and…of course…”Avengers: Endgame”, but I wanted to take a look at what’s ahead over the coming months. So without further adieu, here are 10 movies I am excited about coming out in the next couple months.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (May 31st)

I hate the word “epic”, but I can’t think of a better word to describe the trailers I have seen for “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”. Charles Dance, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, and Millie Bobby Brown facing off against Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah sounds incredible. Sign me up.

Rocketman (May 31st)

After the crazy success of “Bohemian Rhapsody” last year (both at the box office and during awards season), “Rocketman” seems poised to make several boatloads of money this year. Unfortunately, biopics of famous musicians aren’t really my cup of tea, but I like Elton John and Taron Egerton so I’ll probably end up seeing it. As long as it is edited better than “Bohemian Rhapsody” (watch at your own risk), I’ll be happy.

The Dead Don’t Die (June 14th)

The first trailer for “The Dead Don’t Die” came out on April Fools Day and I was afraid that it might be a prank. It looked too good to be true. Bill Murray and Adam Driver teaming up to fight zombies? No way that movie is real. But it is real, and it looks like a lot of fun.

Men in Black: International (June 14th)

Did you like the chemistry of Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in “Thor: Ragnarock”? Do you want even more of them on screen together? Well feast your eyes on “Men in Black: International”. This one goes solidly in the “please be good” category for me, especially after the disappointing “Men in Black II” and “Men in Black III”.

Toy Story 4 (June 21st)

Speaking of the “please be good” category…”Toy Story 4″. Disney/Pixar better be damn sure about what they’re doing. They resuscitated one of the best trilogies of all time, and if they turn in anything less than a stellar film I will be massively disappointed. “Toy Story 3” wrapped everything up so perfectly, I am just nervous to see where Woody and the gang go next.

Yesterday (June 28th)

I am VERY intrigued by this movie. The premise is fairly simple, what if you were the only person who remembered The Beatles? I’m really interested to see where they take that premise as there’s so many different possibilities. Also, as a human who likes The Beatles, it will be fun to hear a slightly different take on their music.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2nd)

I’ve already got my ticket booked for this one. Marvel can seemingly do no wrong, and I am pumped for the next phase of the MCU (even if it is technically still in the same phase as “Endgame” for some reason). I am interested to see what the world is like post “Endgame”, and I think seeing that world first through Peter Parker’s eyes is a brilliant idea. Just one solo movie in, and Tom Holland has cemented himself as “my Spider-Man”.

The Lion King (July 19th)

I am very conflicted about this. I LOVE “The Lion King”. The trailers all look stunning and the cast is incredible. The problem is that the original “The Lion King” is a nearly flawless film. I could easily (and part of me would rather) just watch the original at home. Against all odds, I am hoping that this breaks the streak of average live action Disney remakes.

Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood (July 26th)

This is definitely on the shortlist of films I am most excited about not just for the Summer, but for the rest of 2019. I have purposely tried to read as little as possible about the production to keep myself in the dark. I know it will have something to do with Sharon Tate and Hollywood, and that is honestly already enough for me.

Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (August 2nd)

I have a confession to make. I have only seen the very first “Fast & Furious” movie. I think I need to catch up before Hobbs and Shaw hits theaters because the trailers look insane. I honestly have no idea what’s going on and who most of the characters are but I am into it. I’m hoping to pull it off like I did last year before “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” hit theaters.

Scene Spotlight #6: “Oil Derrick Trouble”

What are you looking so miserable about? There’s a whole ocean of oil under our feet…no one can get at it except for me!

Daniel Plainview

“There Will Be Blood”, from writer and director Paul Thomas Anderson, is the story of ruthless oilman Daniel Plainview and his descent into madness. We follow Daniel from his silver mining days as a young man all the way to his elder years as a successful oil baron locked away in his empty mansion. The entire movie is a brilliant piece of cinema, but one scene always seems to grab my attention each time I watch it.

Everything is going smoothly in Little Boston. Daniel has acquired the land and the crew he needs, and the oil derrick is up and running. And, of course, this is exactly where it all goes horribly wrong. Natural gas causes an explosion, destroys the derrick, and deafens HW. This is hardly the first time we have seen Daniel having to deal with an accident, but this one somehow feels different from the rest. He has been injured and has seen men die on his watch. This time, though, it truly feels like a disaster.

Daniel works diligently. Everything is running according to plan.

In a similar way to how the sound of the train from my previous post about The Restaurant Scene, sound plays a huge role in this scene. The noise of oil derrick overpowers everything else when the explosion occurs. This is heightened when we get HW’s perspective, as everything cuts out and muffled. The contrast is so stark that it grabs your attention. The sound design and editing is thoroughly brilliant. The score adds to the jarring effect of the scene. The off-beat percussion that permeates the scene is entirely unnerving. It adds an even greater sense of urgency to an already desperate situation.

One of my favorite part of this scene, is that during a few shots, director Paul Thomas Anderson and cinematographer Robert Elswit used a specially modified camera from 1910 that gave the shots a “vintage look – desaturated, low-contrast, [with] vignetting and low-resolution” (American Society of Cinematographers). I specifically love this wide shot of the derrick on fire while Daniel and company look on. The vignetting around the edges gives the shot a warm feeling, almost as if the camera (and therefore, the viewer) can feel the heat from the fire. There is a reason “There Will Be Blood” won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2008.

Daniel and company look on in awe.

Finally, I think perhaps the most important part of this scene comes when Fletcher asks Daniel , “Is HW OK?”. We get a very telling answer from Daniel. He never even looks away from the fire while giving a simple and almost insincere “No he isn’t”. This is the first inkling of the tension between father and son that we will see throughout the rest of the movie. We know that Daniel is ruthless, and that (in his own words) he has “a competition” in him, but this is something different. From this point on, it is clear that Daniel will always choose himself over anyone and anything else…including his son.

Between the sound design, the beautiful cinematography, and the character insights, “Oil Derrick Trouble” is a masterpiece of a scene within a masterpiece of a film. You can watch the entire Oil Derrick Trouble scene below. As always, though, I highly recommend checking out the full movie. “There Will Be Blood” is brilliant, It is my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film and perhaps the finest performance of Daniel Day Lewis’ career.