All Quiet On the western Front
The Outfit
The Feibelmans
The Banshees of Inishere.
Blonde.
Decision to Leave
This Much I Know to be True.
Moonage Daydream
The Northman.
Bullet Train.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Steve, you saw more movies than I did. Diane is still reluctant to go to the AMC and Regal theaters. When we do go, we’re likely to be the only ones wearing N95 masks.
I go to matinees. Usually less than ten people in the theater.
Jerry House
Tastes differ, Geroge.
I have little respect for Cruise as an actor and e3ven less for him as a human being and a deep thinker. With his MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE series, he lost me in the first film through his total disrespect for the franchise; I mean, making Jim Phelps the big bad? — to me, that was akin to making Hopalong Cassidy a pederast. I’ve watched all the I:M series because Cruise famously does his own stunts and I keep hoping he’ll mess up. I thopught the original TOP GUN was overblown and a waste of time. IO have no intentions of watching the sequel.
The Dostor Strange movie was merely a confusing mess of CGI effects and did not hold my interest. Many of the later Marvel movies nhave suffered the same fate.
MRS. HARRIS? I like Paul Galligo’s work and will probably catch this one sometime. But really, shouldn’t the title be MRS. ‘Arris?
May the 2023 theatres be much safer for you, Diane, and your N95s. I hope you catch a lot of great films next year.
Jerry, actually Tom Cruise broke his hand during a stunt in the last MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movie. Supposedly the Cruise IMPOSSIBLE MISSION franchise will wrap-up with Two IM movies (hey, it worked for HARRY POTTER!). I think 2022 was a poor year for movies.
Jerry, the books were called MRS. ‘ARRIS in the US and MRS HARRIS in the UK. The US movies with Angela Lansbury and this new British one followed suit. (We watched this new one and quite enjoyed it.)
HI-LIFE
REPEAT PERFORMANCE
UNCLE SILAS
RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE
THE MIKADO
LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN
THE BAND WAGON
WAGONMASTER
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
and let me throw in mention of DOWNTON ABBEY and TRAPPED, two multi-part series my wife introduced me to. Plaudits also for THE CROWN, which managed to make an interesting story about a woman who, by her own admission, does nothing.
I have Maverick on my dvr, but haven’t watched it yet. I only saw one movie in the theater and that was the last jurassic park one. I enjoyed it. I did catch the movie with romance writer Sandra Bullock getting lost in the jungle, with Daniel Radcliffe as the villain, brad pitt in a small role, and IIRC, Channing tatum as the male lead. Really enjoyed it. I can get the new George Clooney/julia roberts on Peacock and will watch it soon.
I haven’t seen any of them – or most of this year’s movies, other than THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN – but there are a few on my list. TOP GUN is NOT one of them. I thought the original was very overrated (in fact, I hated it), and I feel about Cruise much like Jerry does, though I did enjoy EDGE OF TOMORROW. That’s the one he should have done a sequel to.
EDGE OF TOMORROW, in which he plays a weasel who is forced into a knd of weaselly heroism, was the perfect role for Cruise. Emily Blunt helped A Lot to make it work, even making up for some of the goofier military life “comedy” at times.
Jerry-The decision to make Phelps the bad guy was director Brian DePalma’s idea. Not Cruise’s. I don’t really care if they make changes from the tv show. It was okay for it’s time but looks pretty bad half a century later.
George-the Clooney/ Roberts film is just awful.
Forgot DePalma was the first film’s director. He’s been, throughout his career, a fount of bad ideas and choices. The M:I films are as goofy as some episodes of th series were, but some of the cast makes them tolerable. Otherwise, they are ARCHER episodes with less (and worse) intentional humor.
As I noted on Patti’s post, I’ve sen relatively few new films aimed at cinemas or even settling for smaller screens, as most of my viewing has been episodic or anthology tv meant for tv (including streaming series, and comedy concerts on Zoom and the like). And I’m having difficulty naming the few I have seen, the new ones, anyway. (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE started a bit too cute, enough so that even Michelle Yeoh [a 6 August baby two years older than I) couldn’t make up for that, and I had to go do some task or another after the first half hour, and haven’t gotten back to it; with the amiable BANDIT I got about as far before falling asleep last night, then awakening and writing and editing some posts). Did finally see THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES (c ’69, released ’70) the other day, an attempt to follow up on IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT with William Wyler directing and Stirling Silliphant adapting another novel about the distortions racism and classism put on everyday life, but while Anthony Zerbe was convincing as a mostly self-rightesous thug who is suffering from what little conscience he has, it didn’t work. They must’ve left nearly all of Barbara Hershey’s performance in the editing bay.
Damn, jumping from one kind of computer to another sure does screw up one’s touch-typing, or at least mine (size of keyboard, sensitivity to keys, etc.). Another round of Can an Amateur Fix a Miele Dishwasher was engaged in, with all the requisite running up and down stairs to flip the circuit breaker. If Alice is stuck with th disposal of my books, magazines, dvds and sound recordings, it might just be from Miele-induced heart attack.
Top Gun and Mrs. Harris were certainly two of our favorites this year, glad to see them on your list too. Really enjoyed Glass Onion (which I did not see in the theater), and enjoyed getting out to a local theater in December to see showings of Elf and White Christmas. See How They Run was another movie we caught in theaters that we both really enjoyed. Shared that one with friends last weekend and it was great on a second viewing.
Carl, Diane and I went to very few movies in theaters. And when we did, we were usually the only ones wearing N95 masks. We have NOT gotten Covid-19 (knock on wood!) but most of our friends have.
We both got COVID in July last year, timed perfectly with our air conditioner’s compressor deciding to die, and upper 90’s temperatures every day. It was a miserable 10 days or so. Thankfully the air situation was near the end and we went and stayed in hotels for a few nights until the part came in. Mary lost her taste briefly, I just had wicked congestion/sinus garbage and a come-and-go fever. It was easy for us to trace where it came from. A worker at my daughter’s office passed it on to her, and unfortunately we had been with her just before she knew that and started getting symptoms. Everyone Tori had seen that weekend in our family got it.
We didn’t see many movies either, though we were in full theaters when we saw Top Gun.
It was such a deja vu situation with Top Gun Maverick. I was a teenager in 1986 (17) when Top Gun came out. I lived in a town of about 20k in Nebraska, but we were the largest town for many many small farming towns around us, so we had a relatively big mall and 7 movie screens between two different theaters, plus a drive in. When Top Gun came out it stayed for many months. I think I saw it six times, each time with someone who hadn’t seen it. So it was so fun to watch TG Maverick, which to my mind is a much superior film, stay around for months in 2022.
Carl, I agree with you that TOP GUN: MAVERICK is superior to the original TOP GUN movie. Compared to rest of the movies I saw in 2022, it was far and away my favorite.
Top Gun was better than I expected.
All Quiet On the western Front
The Outfit
The Feibelmans
The Banshees of Inishere.
Blonde.
Decision to Leave
This Much I Know to be True.
Moonage Daydream
The Northman.
Bullet Train.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
Steve, you saw more movies than I did. Diane is still reluctant to go to the AMC and Regal theaters. When we do go, we’re likely to be the only ones wearing N95 masks.
I go to matinees. Usually less than ten people in the theater.
Tastes differ, Geroge.
I have little respect for Cruise as an actor and e3ven less for him as a human being and a deep thinker. With his MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE series, he lost me in the first film through his total disrespect for the franchise; I mean, making Jim Phelps the big bad? — to me, that was akin to making Hopalong Cassidy a pederast. I’ve watched all the I:M series because Cruise famously does his own stunts and I keep hoping he’ll mess up. I thopught the original TOP GUN was overblown and a waste of time. IO have no intentions of watching the sequel.
The Dostor Strange movie was merely a confusing mess of CGI effects and did not hold my interest. Many of the later Marvel movies nhave suffered the same fate.
MRS. HARRIS? I like Paul Galligo’s work and will probably catch this one sometime. But really, shouldn’t the title be MRS. ‘Arris?
May the 2023 theatres be much safer for you, Diane, and your N95s. I hope you catch a lot of great films next year.
Jerry, actually Tom Cruise broke his hand during a stunt in the last MISSION IMPOSSIBLE movie. Supposedly the Cruise IMPOSSIBLE MISSION franchise will wrap-up with Two IM movies (hey, it worked for HARRY POTTER!). I think 2022 was a poor year for movies.
Jerry, the books were called MRS. ‘ARRIS in the US and MRS HARRIS in the UK. The US movies with Angela Lansbury and this new British one followed suit. (We watched this new one and quite enjoyed it.)
HI-LIFE
REPEAT PERFORMANCE
UNCLE SILAS
RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE
THE MIKADO
LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN
THE BAND WAGON
WAGONMASTER
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
and let me throw in mention of DOWNTON ABBEY and TRAPPED, two multi-part series my wife introduced me to. Plaudits also for THE CROWN, which managed to make an interesting story about a woman who, by her own admission, does nothing.
Dan, I like your choices…and your reviews!
PS: My keyboard works but sometimes my fingers don’t. Apologies.
Jerry, the new keyboard is a vast improvement over what you were dealing with!
Been meaning to watch Mrs Harris.
Patti, just keep the bar low and you’ll enjoy it.
Just wondering–are you only counting movies seen in theaters? If so, you’re missing a lot.
Michael, my list mostly reflects traditional in-theater movies. I could add titles from the streaming services but many people don’t have them.
I have Maverick on my dvr, but haven’t watched it yet. I only saw one movie in the theater and that was the last jurassic park one. I enjoyed it. I did catch the movie with romance writer Sandra Bullock getting lost in the jungle, with Daniel Radcliffe as the villain, brad pitt in a small role, and IIRC, Channing tatum as the male lead. Really enjoyed it. I can get the new George Clooney/julia roberts on Peacock and will watch it soon.
Maggie, Katie and Diane saw that Clooney/Roberts rom-com and loved it.
I haven’t seen any of them – or most of this year’s movies, other than THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN – but there are a few on my list. TOP GUN is NOT one of them. I thought the original was very overrated (in fact, I hated it), and I feel about Cruise much like Jerry does, though I did enjoy EDGE OF TOMORROW. That’s the one he should have done a sequel to.
Jeff, I agree on EDGE OF TOMORROW. It was a favorite of Bill Crider, too.
EDGE OF TOMORROW, in which he plays a weasel who is forced into a knd of weaselly heroism, was the perfect role for Cruise. Emily Blunt helped A Lot to make it work, even making up for some of the goofier military life “comedy” at times.
Todd, I’ll watch anything Emily Blunt is in!
We didn’t see many movies this year but it’s still more than last year:
The Lost City
Downton Abbey
Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
Jurassic Park: Dominion
I have Moonage Daydream to enjoy New Year’s Eve instead of the traditional Auntie Mame (with Rosalind Russell). Maybe I’ll watch them both.
Beth, Diane and I liked the DOWNTOWN ABBEY movie…but didn’t love it.
Into the flaming pit of Hell with The Smirking Dwarf and his movies!!!
Bob, don’t hold back on your opinions!
I softened it for your family friendly blog!
Bob, I appreciate your tact!
Jerry-The decision to make Phelps the bad guy was director Brian DePalma’s idea. Not Cruise’s. I don’t really care if they make changes from the tv show. It was okay for it’s time but looks pretty bad half a century later.
George-the Clooney/ Roberts film is just awful.
Forgot DePalma was the first film’s director. He’s been, throughout his career, a fount of bad ideas and choices. The M:I films are as goofy as some episodes of th series were, but some of the cast makes them tolerable. Otherwise, they are ARCHER episodes with less (and worse) intentional humor.
Todd, I was a fan of the TV version of MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. The movie versions simply amped up the Special Effects to the edge of incredulity.
As I noted on Patti’s post, I’ve sen relatively few new films aimed at cinemas or even settling for smaller screens, as most of my viewing has been episodic or anthology tv meant for tv (including streaming series, and comedy concerts on Zoom and the like). And I’m having difficulty naming the few I have seen, the new ones, anyway. (EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE started a bit too cute, enough so that even Michelle Yeoh [a 6 August baby two years older than I) couldn’t make up for that, and I had to go do some task or another after the first half hour, and haven’t gotten back to it; with the amiable BANDIT I got about as far before falling asleep last night, then awakening and writing and editing some posts). Did finally see THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES (c ’69, released ’70) the other day, an attempt to follow up on IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT with William Wyler directing and Stirling Silliphant adapting another novel about the distortions racism and classism put on everyday life, but while Anthony Zerbe was convincing as a mostly self-rightesous thug who is suffering from what little conscience he has, it didn’t work. They must’ve left nearly all of Barbara Hershey’s performance in the editing bay.
Damn, jumping from one kind of computer to another sure does screw up one’s touch-typing, or at least mine (size of keyboard, sensitivity to keys, etc.). Another round of Can an Amateur Fix a Miele Dishwasher was engaged in, with all the requisite running up and down stairs to flip the circuit breaker. If Alice is stuck with th disposal of my books, magazines, dvds and sound recordings, it might just be from Miele-induced heart attack.
Todd, if you think you have keyboard problems, you should talk to Jerry House about his!
Todd, Diane is reluctant to go to movies where we’re the only ones wearing N95 masks. I’m hoping things improve in 2023…but Diane is dubious.
Top Gun and Mrs. Harris were certainly two of our favorites this year, glad to see them on your list too. Really enjoyed Glass Onion (which I did not see in the theater), and enjoyed getting out to a local theater in December to see showings of Elf and White Christmas. See How They Run was another movie we caught in theaters that we both really enjoyed. Shared that one with friends last weekend and it was great on a second viewing.
Carl, Diane and I went to very few movies in theaters. And when we did, we were usually the only ones wearing N95 masks. We have NOT gotten Covid-19 (knock on wood!) but most of our friends have.
We both got COVID in July last year, timed perfectly with our air conditioner’s compressor deciding to die, and upper 90’s temperatures every day. It was a miserable 10 days or so. Thankfully the air situation was near the end and we went and stayed in hotels for a few nights until the part came in. Mary lost her taste briefly, I just had wicked congestion/sinus garbage and a come-and-go fever. It was easy for us to trace where it came from. A worker at my daughter’s office passed it on to her, and unfortunately we had been with her just before she knew that and started getting symptoms. Everyone Tori had seen that weekend in our family got it.
We didn’t see many movies either, though we were in full theaters when we saw Top Gun.
Carl, TOP GUN filled theaters last Summer for weeks. It’s my favorite movie of 2022!
It was such a deja vu situation with Top Gun Maverick. I was a teenager in 1986 (17) when Top Gun came out. I lived in a town of about 20k in Nebraska, but we were the largest town for many many small farming towns around us, so we had a relatively big mall and 7 movie screens between two different theaters, plus a drive in. When Top Gun came out it stayed for many months. I think I saw it six times, each time with someone who hadn’t seen it. So it was so fun to watch TG Maverick, which to my mind is a much superior film, stay around for months in 2022.
Carl, I agree with you that TOP GUN: MAVERICK is superior to the original TOP GUN movie. Compared to rest of the movies I saw in 2022, it was far and away my favorite.