In Retrospect: Dune

It sure doesn't feel like 3 years since I've seen this film.

Don't really know why but it feels longer. Time moves at it's own pace and we see only a fragment of it. But the conclusion will soon be upon us and I knew I needed to get reacquainted. Failed miserably however in my statement to finish the book before part two comes out so that's my bad! I don't feel the opinion has changed much since first viewing, it's practically pornographic in it's design and scope like this is a costumer's/set designer/cinematographer's wet dream from start to end, and I was surprised how well the film's visual grandeur still leaped from my modestly sized televison set! I had a good handful of moments where I was struck by the visuals and just went, holy hell. Grand slam pick for a director on this movie, I mean there is a stark reason why Denis Villeneuve was the correct choice to direct Dune. I don't know if he's going to step in on Dune Messiah or Hrist even if that movie is going to get greenlit for production, so come what may I'm happy we have this movie. Though it's gonna be a looooong sit if they do a double bill or stitch both movies together into one full film, but for us people who are made of sterner stuff and can do extended cuts of Lord Of The Rings I think we can handle it. I paid a lot more attention to how the movie extends information to the audience, a tidbit I just learned about the 80s Dune film is that in theaters audiences had a legit cheat sheet of planets, terminology, and family names to help them out, and while this film doesn't exactly handhold you through in explanations it's easy enough to break it down to basic elements. Atreides good, Harkonnens bad, spice important, Empire is in control, bizzare magicks are at play. This is gonna sound very strange coming from me but I do not read fantasy or science fiction novels regularly, and what I mean by that is I do NOT tread the waters of any ol' fantasy book series or science fiction one off that isn't immediately recognizable. Your Lord Of The Rings, Ender's Game, Star Wars, Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, those are all recognizable franchises. I cannot imagine being in 1965 and reading Dune for the first time, cause there is a lot of imagination and a lot of unique elements that comprise that book which still take inspiration from real world things. It's one in a million to be sure and is always interesting to learn about, in fact I just also learned of a documentary special detailing the creation of Jodorowsky's version of Dune that nevet got off the ground in the 70s so I'm throwing that in as a bonus this week. The acting still stands on solid ground and I'm wondering what all we'll see in the next installment given I've seen only a highly condensed cliffnotes version in the Lynch film. Dune is a bit of an anomaly regardless of medium and I really wish I knew if Part Two is considered an event film, a must see piece of cinema with a lot of buzz and attention swirling around it, I just don't know but I certainly hope it is because the visionary expanse and really and truly this passion project for the director deserves it. I'm not running out my front door to be the first in line for tickets but I'm walking with some optimism in my step and a intrigue to see how it is all potrayed and played out to the end. I love the visuals from the grandest of skies to the smallest detail of a costume, I love the score, I think the acting is good and serviceable to the story, the plot is actually rather easy to follow as long as you don't get bogged down by the jargon, and I'm really really looking forward to the conclusion! I'll bump it up to an 8.5/10 because I do feel I got more out of it this time. I still really want to hear that guitar riff when Paul conquers the worm, and because I'm a contrarian and do whatever I want I'm buying that damn popcorn bucket (I just think it's neat and different, don't make it weird). And I will see you on Friday on the dunes of Arrakis.

Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse

Well....shit!!

I may have been late to the Miles Morales party but I knew I had to buckle in day one for this movie! I was waaaay off on runtime, I thought it would be maybe an hour and forty-five minute flick, but nope this sucker is close to two and a half hours long and happily I can report for a very good reason. The story goes kinda wild, not in an incoherent or difficult to keep up with state but it fills that runtime appropriately, and it does what any sequel worth it's salt does! Expand the story, expand the world, and keep rocking on with the story. Now I thought one particular element which may cause some not necessarily backlash but just a difference of opinion is the movie starts off ADD as shit, 20 things happen concurrently at the same time and it can be quite taxing to try and absorb everything but they hit the emergency brakes and take the crack away fairly quick so it can move at a semi-regular pace. The plot is far from regular mind you, dimension hopping is a much regular occurence and you'd think with the plethora of Spider-People jammed in, it would get too bogged down but our main cast hold their ground and the attention is fully on them start to finish. And shock of all shocks, voice acting was pretty ace on all fronts! We see changes in Miles and Gwen, they bring up aging and growing up, the uncertainty of their double lives and what they want to do with their lives, they give several moments not only to quiet contemplative scenes but a good fair few scenes of their respective parents and how they feel parenting. Christ I never thought I would have seen that in a superhero movie but it's handled extremely well. It all feels like a natural evolution from the first movie and man the fact it took half a decade to get a sequel to one of the biggest sleeper hits of the comic book movie genre kinda blows my damn socks off, name one fucking movie that came out 4 or 5 years max after the last one. In a world of sequential entries in a movie series this is practically unheard of aside from the James Bond series. And clearly they made the most out of those 5 years with this animation, it goes beyond showboating how fucking good it is, not to be lewd or rude or slightly crude but they were not shy and just pulled their dicks out to gloat and my oh my I cannot deny. DAT LOOK GUD! It's friggin' ludicrous how many styles, colors, animation techniques, editing techniques, and just pure, unfiltered, raw, hook that shit up to my veins visual storytelling is employed. Like Pixar I'm sorry, you got schooled, there be no Oscar for you next year, good luck son! And while no spoilers shall cross these lips, these bastards pull a flat out Empire Strikes Back on my ass and not only did it work but I didn't see it coming. These little shits right here were like, "Gotcha'! Pay up and come see our movie next year for the end!" and I'm over here like, "Let me just go find a cash machine.". I'll be there man. So what's the rating? Well...it's a lot to take in and frankly I'm still digesting and processing all which has been displayed to my eyeballs, so for all I know the score could increase over time but for now I give it 4 stars, 8.5/10! Potential Top 10 list material? It seems like it! And next week fighting robots. Please God, Satan, Buddha, Odin, Shiva, Gaia, Cthulu, Flying Spaghetti Monster, anybody, please let it be good!

Dune (2021)

I think it might have had the same impact on me as the Lynch version.

That's not even a slam against this movie, but I think it's because they're splitting it rightfully so into two movies, it feels hard to talk about it when you haven't truly seen the whole thing. I'm fairly certain when I did Deathly Hallows I treated it as one cohesive whole and not two seperate entities, so I feel this review is more a formality until I can experience the whole thing. It's real good though. This was a dream project for Denis to direct and you feel that passion and love in every frame, he wants to make this as good as possible while not holding the audiences hand very much like Blade Runner 2049, he just goes there consequences be damned. And I'm fairly certain I was the most informed person in that theater about the universe of Dune, so I probably got more out of it than most other people did. The story is just the same as the Lynch version with deviations throughout and all of it worked well. Once again I thought the cast was really damn good with obvious love going to Oscar and Jason, but I felt Timothee Chalamet was greatly cast for Paul. Oscar was awesome and handsome as ever, Jason got to kick ass and hold the honor of being Duncan Idaho (which is either the most silly or most amazing sci-fi name ever), Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya didn't do that much for me but still played it real well, even Josh Brolin was a strong presence for a relatively small role. I don't know why but as I was watching Stellan Skarsgard play the Baron all I could think of was, "You know who would fit this role? Marlon Brando later on in his career." Why? I...don't know. The visuals as expected were a feast to the eyes, I mean Denis just knows how to make sweet love to your eyeballs with his camera, the landscapes, color grading, movement, just overall excellent cinematography. Hell when you first see the great Shai-Halud rise from the sands, it genuinely made my jaw drop, like no horeshit Jack real talk here, it really got me despite seeing it in the trailer. It just goes to show what a sound system and giant screen can achieve, and you bet your ass I was sitting (like I always do) dead center of the screen as close as I can without having to break my neck. It wasn't this grand, magnificent, masterpiece of cinema but I very much hope it succeeds at the box office to warrant the second part. I very much liked it, and even if it is the only Dune book to be adapted I will be okay with that. 4 stars, solid 8/10, that's all folks! See you next week.

The Addams Family 2

Oh, we're here baby!!

This actually put me in a good mood for the season. Unfortunately no gloomy weather this time around, but I enjoyed the film. Again, not really that great a sequel but I knew for the most part what I was getting into so I could roll with it. Wednesday is full of woe leading the family to take a trip to bond closer together, which is almost derailed before they even get started due to the fact that speculation arises that Wednesday is not really an Addams but was swapped after birth. Couple of things about that. I very strongly voiced my approval and praise of Wednesday in the first film, so the fact we get a much more prominent focus on her is great. However. This plot point is beyond absurd and I do not like it. I could very easily be a complete ass and just say, well this movie only gives you nuggets of promise but swiftly delivers on nothing and amounts to the biggest piece of fluff in cinemas this year. But I did still have a bit of fun with it here and there. I took slight issue with how the Addams family was potrayed in the first film, but I liked it better here. Gomez wants to be a better father, Pugsley starts taking an interest in girls, Morticia is more calm headed and demure, we get more Cousin Itt which is always awesome and I am there for it, the movie even briefly turns into a journey with Lurch and Wednesday which I adored. Still could have lived without Lurch singing. You did it to me once shame on you, you did it to me twice and you're walking on thin ice. The animation I thought was very much improved though every other character besides the fam is still nightmare fuel beyond the capacity for human words. Just why? Their eyes....they're lifeless eyes, blank eyes, like a doll's eyes. When they're moving they don't seem to be living, until they talk and those blank eyes grow ever bigger. Oh then you hear that terrible high pitch screaming, the mind recoils in horror, in spite of all the eyes wide shut and hands covering them, they rip your psyche to pieces. Yet even in spite of that, the comedy though not as potent takes a lot of cues from the sight gags of Looney Tunes and are handled really well. It made me laugh quite a few times just from the visual situations, which I must commend. It's a mixed bag of things, and while I heavily applaud the very obvious murder, I can't entirely say it is well worth seeing in theaters. This seems like just the right kind of movie for Cartoon Network to show during October, it gives me slight Scary Godmother flashbacks. To just lay in bed in your room, hunker down for a few hours, watch some light spooky entertainment, and wrap up the evening however you please before the weekend starts. I'd give it about 2.5 stars though it had the capacity for 3 stars, 6.5/10, decent stuff and only the prologue for the most wonderful time of the year.

In Retrospect: The Rise Of Skywalker

I don't care. It's still a good movie. (PS. Full spoilers ahead.)

What do you want from me? Rise Of Skywalker is a mighty good Star Wars movie. In fact I enjoyed it much more this time around. The pacing wasn't as quick to me, I recognized parts I didn't the first time, and I got more emotional throughout the film. What's the issue here? What did this movie do to you? Cause from the reactions I've seen you could have sworn this film burned fan's homes to the ground, murdered their pets, and stole their spouse. It's laughable. Is it perfect? God no. No Star Wars movie is perfect and this is coming from the biggest nerd for this shit. The weird Goonies dagger was a bizzare but shameless mcguffin, Finn having the Force was hinted at well but I kinda needed a smidge more, yeah Hux goes out like a bitch but honestly he goes out in a much more stupid way in the original script, we needed so much more Ian McDiarmid like it wasn't even funny you teased him so you better give him a lot of screentime, but really the only real problems I have with this movie was the dagger. I enjoyed everything else and could understand everything else. The fight scenes are fun, dramatic, always visually interesting and never once got dull. The characters are so damn likable and I just want more of them after this. Seeing Finn be more comfortable in his military position and him finding he is not alone in this universe with the group of defected stormtroopers was super nice. I liked the bit of backstory Poe got and seeing him come to terms with being the leader of the Resistance was fulfilling after his arc in Last Jedi. C-3P0, Lando, and Chewie were great as always and I'm truly happy none of the heroes died off in this movie. I hear people bitch about that but would you have been really happy if Chewie died in that undignified way, would you be happy if C-3P0 forever lost his memory? No. And I can somewhat applaud the effort from the filmmakers to give that emotional push to the story. Seeing Leia again actually got me several times even with a non-emotionally charged scene, and the send off she gets and the impact her past and present actions do for the story I greatly enjoyed. Kylo's journey becomes complete from total badass Sith to redeemed hero and while my own dream ending would be to have the Empire win, the shift was believable the scene with Han I daresay is one of the best and most heartfelt moments in Star Wars history, and no I still haven't gotten over that he died but I understand why he had to. Palpatine is just as cunniving and powerful as ever with Ian McDiarmid doing such a fantastic job bridging the entire series together, Palpatine has always been the puppet master since before even Episode 1 so I dig that he created Snoke, formed the First Order, and returned in a clone body. I even can believe he had a son, you're telling me when he was appointed Supreme Chancellor he didn't have a little hey hey with someone and tried to cover it up? The timeline works so I must give credit where credit is due. Now we come to Rey, good lord almighty it's great to see her in this movie fully embracing the Jedi persona and having her own dilemmas and doubts be overcomed is great to see. And yes, I do stand by her last name choice. Sure I can completely and utterly respect her choice of being called a Skywalker cause well let's face it guys, the Skywalker family has really been her only family, Han was like her dad, Leia was not only her master but a loving mother figure, Luke was kind of a grumpy uncle but someone she could confide in and helped pull her through a dark time, it makes sense why she would honor them in that way. But I also would have liked to see her claim her rightful place as a Palpatine, yeah the Skywalker thing is a good big middle finger to your grandpappy Palpy, but I would have liked to see her prove that a last name means nothing, that you could be a Palpatine and still be a beacon of hope and goodness. I know a lot of people were upset that Rey was indeed not a nobody, but to be perfectly frank I would have enjoyed it either way, so what if she comes from an important family? So what if she doesn't? It's not about who you were but who you are as of right now. It's a strong good theme peppered throughout the film. I still get goosebumps seeing her yellow lightsaber, because if I was ever a Jedi (God help me if I do) my color would be yellow so to finally see it on the big screen is a big deal for me. I just absolutely loved this movie, and still stand by my ranking. I still fully concede this is for more hardcore Star Wars fans, I can see normal movie going people having several questions and concerns about the information given in the film which is fine, I totally get it. It's partly reason why I strangely love debating this movie with people, "Oh it's garbage, it's an embarassment" (yeah because clearly Star Wars has never screwed up in the past), because I like exchanging of ideas and lines of thought as long as it's in a respectable and civil way. I got some heat for my Clone Wars comments but I explained why I felt that way and even some people agreed with me likewise as I agreed with them on several points. I've heard people practically shriek this is the end of Star Wars, and I have never laughed so boisterously and hard in my entire life to such statements, if anything I'm more excited for Star Wars now than ever. Because, we're done with this story. They can go in any direction possible and not have to tie it back in with the original trilogy. Sky's the limit, I have hope we'll get grand stories, fun ideas, lovely characters, and pieces of media that will forge memories forever. Star Wars is not perfect, but it's uncanny ability to make people connect and identify with this batshit crazy universe is what has kept it going, and every avenue you take in terms of the different pieces of media leads to universes unto themselves. Yeah I feel like a jackass for not reading the books until I was in college, I still have plenty of video games I would love to play and experience, the upcoming shows keep my interest peaked and the old shows never fade. But at the end of the day, Star Wars is my one and only. It is unavoidable, it is my destiny.

PSS. I highly recommend the Cinema Wins video on this, it brings up brilliant points and might change your certain point of view.

BONUS In Retrospect: The Addams Family (2019)

I'm very happy to see this movie again.

I will fully admit if you did match the 90s films to this, it does genuinely work better in the live action films, but to be honest those films are so loved and adored it's kind of an impossible task to surpass them. But I'm just happy this film didn't and went for their own style and story while keeping all the standard Addams tropes we adore. Is it perfect? No. But to be perfectly honest, I never have expectations for any film. I simply can't afford it if I'm going to be an unbiased reviewer, so I always take a movie for what it is and go from there. For instance, the satirizing view on modern culture doesn't delve too deeply and is handled just okay. I do kinda wish we got a bit deeper into that, but do you really watch an Addams Family movie for satire? Of course not, you watch it to see these wonderful characters, and the cast does do them justice with Oscar Isaac and Chloe Grace Moretz being the standout performances. I did take slight issue with Morticia being a bit more apprehensive to new things and people in the neighborhood, because to be honest the whole appeal of this family is their unilateral acceptance of others, they never look down or judge people in any way, they just like them regardless of who they are despite them not agreeing on everything. It's a wonderful trait to posses in human beings, but then again I can understand why Morticia feels that way, her family has constantly been chased around by hateful people with torches so I fully understand why she would be cautious and a bit untrusting of people, though Gomez is still the exact same character we love fully ready and able to meet new people and be very neighborly. I love especially the fact we actually get to see Wednesday go to school, we hear of it in the 60s show but never really saw it and it is everything I wanted it to be, and while I greatly enjoy the cute little girl of the 60s show I'm happy they brought back the mannerisms and characterization of the 90s movies. This is my favorite kind of Wednesday. One strange thing I noticed is while the main characters utilize the original Charles Addams designs, the rest of the characters in the town kind of radically shift. Margeaux looks like a Mike Judd Beavis And Butthead character with her beady eyes, ridiculously huge hair, and slender figure, while other characters like her daughter look like they come from any 3D animated film, some look like humans from The Lorax, some look like Despicable Me, it's kind of a mish-mash of animation styles. Is it bad though? No, but it is something I noticed. The film is good, nothing spectacular but certainly nothing bad either. I still give it a solid 3.5 stars, 7.5/10, This is a fun movie for any fan of this series, and will probably be on a watchlist for many people during October. We still need more Lurch though, I appreciate the wonderful music interludes we have but I could have lived without the song. But a few missteps is hardly worth a bad score and I still genuinely love this movie.

Next time, we finally watch it, so stay tuned for that review.

The Rise Of Skywalker

There is so much I want to say but just can't say.

The bottom line is you should go see this movie. I didn't really know what to expect but I left that theater with a huge smile on my face and a lot of excitement. You think I'd be bummed out to see it end but I'm practically ecstatic! Screw the 53%, you have to make the decision for yourself. I've only gathered four reviews from YouTube reviewers that I watch and two were negative while two were positive, but in the end it is your own personal opinion that tips the scale. I really, really enjoyed this movie! If a movie can make my jaw drop more than a handful of times then clearly they did something right, and I was shocked quite a few times actually but not out of anger or disbelief. I was overjoyed with 99% of the story choices they made, the 1% I didn't like well...I bet you already know what it is. And every story and character decision they made worked very well, now I can see some people walking out of this movie howling betrayal and calling bullshit, but I have some sage advice that even rivals Master Yoda's. It's a movie chill out. You don't have to agree with everything they did and that's fine, but to possibly walk out of this movie feeling it was a waste of time and effort would be lying to yourself. There's lots of good things in this movie. The story is very much focused on Rey and Kylo, each building their own power and the power of their allies in a battle for the galaxy with twists and turns throughout. I love what they did with Rey and making her much more powerful after gathering the Jedi books and even is being taught by Leia. That's so cool! The first like five minutes of the movie, it could have been longer because I was so swept up in it, was just almost pornography to my eyes and ears with the screaming engines of TIE Fighters, the rising of Star Destroyers, and Kylo Ren being everything I wished him to be. You knew how to make me very happy Mr. Abrams and I have to say thank you for it. I'm actually really happy one of my ideas for Star Wars being handled by Disney was actually done, they take bits and pieces of previous expanded universe stories and just tweak them to fit the new storyline they made. I've been asking for that since 2016, and they have a goldmine to use! Even with horrible expanded universe stories there are still strong aspects you could take and utilize. So the story is great, the characters and their interactions are very strong now more than ever, the action actually has weight and tension because it's the last movie and if Monstervision has taught me anything, anybody can die at anytime. It was bittersweet seeing Carrie one last time and did get me emotional on numerous occasions, but the way they handled her was great and I'm just happy to have seen her one last time. It's such a shame we've lost so many beloved actors of this franchise but as long as we remember them they're never really gone. I really enjoyed the dive into both Jedi and Sith religions, and maybe it's just because I've been brushing up on the Book Of Sith but there was a lot to take in. I feel this movie is so much more for the hardcore Star Wars fan and maybe not so much regular audiences, because some crazy stuff goes down and to a fan I know this has been done before and I really enjoy seeing it on the big screen, but to your average moviegoer it might be a tough pill to swallow and they'll have questions and complaints. I get it, it's understandable. But the film explains many aspects and the answers you don't get can still be reached. It's just a matter of opening yourself to accept the answers and the truth of the matter. I wasn't disappointed at all and had a great time to the point where if I died tomorrow I'd be alright knowing I got to see the end of my favorite movies ever. But now the question remains, where does this rank? Now this will be just the Skywalker saga so no TV shows, no spinoff movies, just Episodes I-IX. Here we go.

9. Attack Of The Clones
8. The Phantom Menace
7. Return Of The Jedi
6. Revenge Of The Sith
5. The Last Jedi
4. The Force Awakens
3. The Rise Of Skywalker
2. A New Hope
1. The Empire Strikes Back

So let it be written. So let it be done. 4 stars, a solid 8.5/10 maybe even a 9/10, a must see before the end of the decade. This will be a day long remembered for those who remember, for those who will never forget, and for a whole new generation who will experience it for the very first time.

The Addams Family (2019)

It couldn't be a better day.

Bleak skies, cold rushing winds, a wonderfully creepy film, it's perfect. I loved this movie, they did dang near everything right with only one or two major grumbles, they treated the film with love and appreciation and for that it has my love and likewise approval. This is more of a love letter to the 60s series with dashes of the 90s movies and it balances very well. We follow our favorite macabre family once more as Gomez and Morticia find a perfectly haunted house and begin to raise their family, as they soon decide due to Wednesday's intrigue to venture down to the quaint and colorful town below to introduce themselves. But shock of all shocks they're not well liked and soon through a fear mongering retailer decide to oust the family from their town leading to a genuinely nice resolution. The first thing I have to say is, there is a bit of Hotel Transylvania in this, a group of people are chased into hiding in a large luxurious house before a young girl is interested in the outside world and forces both worlds to collide, and this really isn't a bad thing. Because it's a decent story and because they actually do something entirely of their own with it, it's not a ripoff of Hotel Transylvania but you do see some elements there. The animation style is excellent with the original designs by Charles Addams used for the characters and they all look great, with gorgeously gruesome backgrounds and great color choice. The cast was great I mean you have Oscar Isaac as Gomez which is already spot on, but Charlize Theron is wonderful as Morticia, Chloe Grace Moretz kinda stole the show as Wednesday which is funny because Wednesday in the show was just a cute girl and was nowhere near as morbidly hilarious as she's been in the past 25 years, Finn Wolfhard is really good as Pugsley, and even Nick Kroll was cast surprisingly effective as Uncle Fester, so cast is great without a doubt. I had a blast with the comedy also but I've always had an odd and dark sense of humor so of course I loved it and it made me laugh quite a lot and even when I wasn't laughing I had the biggest smile on my face and and a gross warm feeling in my chest cavity. Not many films can do that. The satire was also updated from the 90s movies going from a critique of shallow suburban life to shallow modern life with the town literally called Assimilation, where everyone is exactly the same, everyone is using their phones to know what the other neighbors are doing, and security cameras are everywhere. It's not trying to make a big statement but just poke fun at the tropes of today, and while some people would say it dates the film I don't think so. Originally Illumination was going to make an Addams Family movie but it got cancelled and I'm honestly thankful for that, I don't completely despise Illumination's movies but I'm just very happy it turned out the way it did. Now it does have some pop culture references but it's not horrendous, it's just cute gags and is not trying to be totally hip with the fellow kids, even with Snoop Dogg voicing Cousin Itt it still sounds like Cousin Itt (also known as the funniest thing in the world and I have no idea why)! They treated it with respect and not just some cash grab with a recognizable license, they wanted to make a fun and entertaining movie and that's exactly what they accomplished! It's great to see whether with friends, yourself, or just your family, it's just a nice well made animated movie. Maybe not a great movie, but I don't think it's trying to be a great movie and trust me when I say there has never been anything wrong with that. I give the movie 3.5 stars check it out! A lovely movie for the spooky season that might make you appreciate it even more.

Next week some cult favorites from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.

2nd Viewing: The Last Jedi

You know this movie really does get better on a second viewing. Cause the first time, you experience it, feel the emotions, and swept away with the story. On second viewing, you can think about it, because you know all the elements. If you were shifting on where this movie stands, I urge you to view it again. It is the only true way to fully realize it.

I liked The Last Jedi when I first saw it, had some issues and questions, but regardless left the theater happy to see a new Star Wars movie after The Force Awakens gave me hope. Several elements I had issues with, were lessened and resolved on a second viewing. I actually enjoyed the Porgs this time around and were not intrusive on moments, the comedy bits were not as many as I thought and sometimes even had purpose, new characters had their place and I enjoyed them. The only really bad things I could say about this movie is, Benicio del Toro was really wasted and didn't offer much, the Star Destroyer's could have easily overwhelmed eradicated the rebel scum instead of trailing behind, and the last scene sucks. I know the reason it is there. I know. But you can distinctively tell the movie was supposed to end with everyone talking on the Falcon, then they tagged this scene on. I absolutely hate that final scene. Everything else was fine! It was really good, effects were outstanding, story was sound, characters had motivation and development, hell even the whole Canto Bight segment did not feel that long. It was maybe 10 to 15 minutes of movie or at least that's how it felt. I'm gonna say this, and Star Wars fans are either going to hate me for this or get it but.....this felt akin to a Timothy Zahn Star Wars novel, especially in terms of Luke's character, storylines and elements from The Thrawn Trilogy were present here, and the multiple planets we visited. If you read his stuff, you will notice these things. Maybe that's just me, but I could sense it woven through the story. And before I go can I just ask, why does everyone hate Rose? Like....they say she is worse than Jar Jar. Hwhat?? No. You are on crack. No! Wrong! Completely, and utterly wrong. They gave her a bit of character, she wasn't annoying, I found her to be a likeable, kind, and very human woman, and by God she wears that First Order uniform to perfection. Just why this massive amounts of hate? You could get far...far worse in terms of characters, so take a step back, breathe, think. I never got too excited for any new Star Wars movie and I am a huge fan for now over 20 years, but I accepted it, I was excited but did not expect everything, I was just happy to see another new Star Wars movie. I never theorized or tried to piece together a puzzle that may well not be there, though fun you can never take it too seriously. People are trying to pretty much Death Star this movie from the Star Wars Universe, and make it not exist. This has only happened once, and it was the Star Wars Holiday Special and that actually deserved to be wiped out. This is better than that. I'm not saying I'm better than you or anything like that, I'm just stating my opinion. This is a really good Star Wars movie, I would place it in my top 5 easy. So I only ask if you just saw it once, see it again, then come here and tell me what you think. Time has passed, you've been able to think it over, accept some things, now you can progress forward. Do this, for me.

Suburbicon

This was a very different movie.

Now I'm gonna be honest, I liked the movie. I think George Clooney did a very good job directing and handling a Cohen brothers script, which basically concerns just your average suburban family being pushed too far and the ensuing chaos and death that follows. I gotta admit, that ending was great! I don't know, it was just such an odd little movie that had some genuine tension in some scenes, had a very good and very true social satirical viewpoint. All the actors did good work, with Matt Damon just being an average guy trying to cope with the terrible tragedy (get used to hearing that a lot in this movie) and how he tries to handle it all, Julianne Moore who has been cloned in this movie, yes you get not one but two Julianne Moores and once you try to get used to that...well let's move on. Next point, white people were assholes back then in 1959 or whenever this takes place, like Jesus do you people have anything better to do with your life than ostricize a black family? The most genuinely best and all around nice character, is a kid and he does great work for the dark and disturbing subject matter. The movie has a point but it sure does serve it in a very WTF way. And it finally happened, after 22 years, I have finally went to a movie theater and watched a movie alone. There was not a soul in there besides me. And I had a blast with it. I think that's why I enjoyed this movie, cause I could just say out loud "Dude....WTF?" when stuff started going to hell in a handbasket. Do I recommend the movie? Uh....yeah. Probably best just as a rental unless you have to see this movie soon. It certainly got reactions from me, so take from that what you will.

And yes, I did not forget about Murder On The Orient Express, we'll get to that next week. Best part is I have no idea how it ends so the mystery factor should be high for me! So I'm very excited to see that and can't wait to talk about it, so until then don't be a jerk to your neighbors but suspect all you like.