There is a YouTube video interviewing Kevin Bacon about that.
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We re-watched Matrix Resurrection last night, and while I enjoyed it the first time around, on the second watch my opinion of the movie went up several notches. Arguably the best sequel to the original film, which still blows me away all these years later.
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Oops, I had quite some number of movies watched that I needed to report here. NZ to Gran Canaria and back allows for a lot of movies watched on the plane.
I did catch up with a few Marvel movies. So Thor 2 (yes, I was that far behind), which was a bit meh, Captain America Winter Soldier (ok, mainly due to Nick Fury, tbh) Ant-Man (this was a big surprise, I really enjoyed it) and Captain America Civil War (movies with Robert Downey Jr go up a notch, and this one definitely benefits from his presence).
I also watched a couple of recently released movies, like The Northman, which was really good, even though it wasnât what I expected. I never saw it coming that a powerful norse warrior would willingly make himself a slave for his revenge, and endure all that. which is fair enough from our perspective, but not so sure how likely would that be. Loved the visuals, though, I cannot wait to revision it on a larger screen. I had a go at Cruella, but tiredness got the best of me and I did not finish it. I will give it another go some other day.
On the way back, after watching the aforementioned Civil War, I watched Bullet Train. Boy, did I like it. I went in without any expectations, I thought it was going to be a heist movie ( a la Oceanâs Eleven) but in 5-10 minutes I could tell this was something different. Definitely the highlight of the trip. Loved it.
On the final long trip I was trying to sleep after a long stop in Seoul, so I watched Hunt for the Wilderpeople when some relentless shaky light turbulence (it felt like forever) woke me up. I had not seen it for quite a while, and it did make me chuckle again, out loud, several times (which is a weird feeling when you are listening through your earphones on a dark plane in the middle of the night)
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Finally watched the last season of the expanse. The season is short but what a show.
They nailed the landing. Rushed the story a bit but still managed to save some moments to give each of these extremely well developed characters time to act in a manner that is consistent with what we know about them.
Iâve been putting off watching this as Iâm now left with an expanse shaped hole. Would you good folk recommend picking up the books? If so would you go back to the start or continue the story with the books?
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Iâve only read the first book (the one that ends with the blob going to Venus instead of destroying the Earth). Itâs better than the show⌠but thatâs almost unfair because the show, as you know, is spectacular. So say less âbetterâ and more âextremely satisfying in a way that is different than the show, and yet somehow still as good.â
I havenât brought myself to watch the last season yet. I fear the Expanse-shaped hole you are currently experiencing. Perhaps when I have a day off after Christmas.
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Thanks. Iâm keen to know your thoughts on the final season when you do get around to it. Itâs not perfect but it stuck the landing imho.
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Watched Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery last night, and really enjoyed it. Very different than the first film, but no less entertaining and just as full of twists and turns.
Tonight, Bullet Train, which has its own assortment of twists and turns. A wonderful action-comedy-whodunit that is just a blast.
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Also watched Glass Onion. I am generally not at all a fan of murder mystery but these films have won me over, theyâre great. Hopefully there will be many more!
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Watched Knives Out with the folks last night. Good fun, though I think my mother was a bit disappointed to not be able to spend longer guessing whodunnit.
Hopefully going to watch Glass Onion in the next few days.
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The holiday brought me the Criterion collection of the Showa era Godzilla films.
I dove right in to Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla which I remembered as a favorite local video store rental from when I was a kid. Itâs still fun.
In particular Nanbara the interpol agent had always stuck with me as a character image. Doing some digging it clicked and made sense once I found out he apparently was analogous to Christopher Lee in playing Dracula in Japan:
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I had my yearly dose of Die Hard on Christmas Eve. Still the best Christmas movie out there.
Also, finished the last season of The Crown. Impressive cast on this season, definitely Dominic West and Elizabeth Debicki as Charles and Diana, but also Imelda Staunton and Jonathan Pryce as Queen and Prince Phillip.
Yesterday I had a day at home after a weekend full of games and socializing, so I spent it watching three back to back episodes of Critical Role (around the beginning of the Croma Conclave crisis)
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Tonight I continued with the criterion Showa collection back to 1954âs Godzilla.
I feel bad gushing any text about this movie but maybe Iâll say something somebody will like. Itâs pretty roundly accepted this is a great movie and I really like it. This is the second time Iâve sat down and watched the whole original thing and itâs still strong this second time some years later. I saw the Raymond Burr version once during high school and it didnât hit.
Three things hit me worth typing here I think from that viewing.
First, the scene in Serizawaâs lab with Eiko and Serizawa from where they go downstairs to when she puts on her apron in the background at home is just an amazing cosmic horror style scene whether in this movie or out.
Second, that led me to realize I really like the parts of these movies that are stories about people in a world with Godzilla as opposed to parts about Godzilla. Even when itâs bonkers. Like the folks on the train chatting about Godzilla is great. The parts with cosmic horror mad scientist or interpol alien hunter are fun too and it may be the 10 year old comic fan in me but those bonkers stories are kind of more fun with Godzilla in the background than just on their own.
Third, I caught myself at times watching this as a propaganda film from a world with Godzilla in it. Like an in-universe artifact from there. I think itâs all that time watching Victory at Sea with my dad maybe and the depth charge stock footage used here. This was particularly strong in the scenes with the jet fighters being cheered on by the crowd of survivors at the docks.
Again, I feel like Iâm preaching to the choir talking about this movie here but if you havenât seen it I think itâs worth a watch for sure.
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I have no recollection of which of the Godzilla films this was, as it was something I saw randomly on TV one night years ago; but my one permanent Godzilla recollection is bemusement at how dramatically the scale of Godzilla would change from scene to scene for no apparent reason. He might be crushing houses under foot in one scene, yet later be seen stomping around amongst houses, at only 2-3 times their height. There was seemingly no attempt at consistency at all between the different models.
I can appreciate that. I suspect itâs partly because we can buy into human characters more easily than we can buy into Godzilla â so when we see those human characters buying into Godzilla, then it makes it easier for us to do the same.
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I noticed similar things with Doctor Who - quite a few stories open with people doing normal people things, but in space or wherever, before the monster shows up, and I love that stuff.
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I noticed with watching Glass Onion and recently Enola Holmes (and Knives Out was the last movie I saw at the movies before the pandemic) that I seem to enjoy these modern detective stories quite a bit. Are there more of those? Any recommendations? (As in games I seem to enjoy the puzzly aspects, I am apparently a puzzle person through and through⌠)
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Iâve not seen a lot of them in film, though I have many, many recommendations of various sorts of mystery novel. 
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I still have a few episodes of the Crown. Apparently another season of Bad Batch is coming âsoonishâ and I for one canât wait to see more of Ahsoka (we just finished the second half of Tales of the Jedi last night). Apparently, Dr Who is coming to Disney as well⌠and I am considering a rewatch of Clone Wars or The Good Place. But sometimes I like to sprinkle a good movie or two between the shows⌠just because the ark ends up shorter and I donât have to carry the tension across multiple episodes
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My favourite of that kind is Luther, although finding episodes of it other than in the BBC iPlayer could be tricky. And I guess you have seen True Detective and The Wire in series format.
With regards to movies⌠most are really old, and I guess the new takes on Poirotâs Orient Express and Death on the Nile could be worth a watch if you have not seen previous versions alreadyâŚ?
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Weâve seen Luther and liked it quite a bit. I think it was on Prime for a while? Not sure. Nope I have not seen True Detective. I have heard about it. I think it seemed a bit too gritty and dark for me when I read about it. Iâll have to check it out anyway. I might have a wrong impression. I have not seen The Wire. I have only just figured out that this might be the kind of stuff I enjoy right now.
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We also watched Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Christmas Eve and enjoyed it as much as the first movie.
Bullet Train is also on our list!
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