Movies/Series I've Watched, Enjoyed and Appreciated Recently π₯π¬
► What movies have You enjoyed recently? ❔
March-April 2024
- ⭐ I've just rewatched the 2015 6-part TV Series "Wolf Hall". Based on the viewpoint of Thomas Cromwell's service to both Cardinal Wolsey and then England's King Henry VIII in the 16th century.
- I love Mark Rylance's understand acting, and the great arrogance of Damian Lewis' portrayal of a petty and bi-polar King Henry.
- I enjoy these historical-type dramas.
- Me: 4 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- ⭐ I rewatched the terrifyingly-excellent TV Mini Series "Chernobyl" (2019) again. "Terrifying" as whilst this is very accurate and graphic, in reality: IT WAS FAR WORSE!
- This is a must-see: great acting, storytelling, direction, cinematography etc etc.
- Me: 4-1/2 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- ⭐ Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) (Michelle Yeoh, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis) is a gorgeous absurdist surreal philosophical comedy-drama I just enjoyed. An Academy Award winner (deservedly)... beware of the Bagel [laffs]."Do yourself a favour" [grins]Me: 4-1/2 out of 5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- Girls' Last Tour (2017) (English dub) Anime directed by Takaharu Ozaki
- Read my Blogpost about it
- Rated: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+
- π₯ Constantine (2005) - Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz
- Wow, just wow. I'd heard a lot about it, and it was worth it. Not one of those goofy Superhero movies at all; great acting, atmosphere, characters, story; thought-provoking stuff, for sure.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ Contact (1997) - Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey
- Another flick I had in my DVD folders that I pulled out randomly, having not watched it as yet. Totally unexpected how good I found it.
- LOVED IT! Great story, acting, direction, atmosphere, characters.
- Science v Faith? Are they compatible?
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
- Road to Perdition (2002) - Tom Hanks, Paul Newman
- Fascinating graphic crime movie about fatherhood, and the consequences of crime. Great acting, great atmospheres and cinematography. Although I rarely watch things like this, I enjoyed it.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Beetlejuice (1988) - Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton
- Classic fun silly dark comedy horror, perfect Tim Burton flick. I'd watched it years ago, and it'd been on my 're-watch list' for ages... so I did, and muchly enjoyed.
- The Dinner Scene is worth the price of admission alone.
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+
- The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985) - Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels
- A fascinating (altho deliberately hammily-acted) film about the fantasy of the cinema, the allure of the fictions it portrays and about distinguishing real dreams from false dreams.
- It didn't quite 'do it' for me, but I wholly appreciate what Woody was trying to do.
- Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+
January-February 2024
I bought myself a glorious-sounding and ultra-comfortable set of headphones just to listen to my DVD's, for both sitting up in bed or on my TV. Why haven't I done this years ago? D'oh!
- The Good Place (Series; 53 Episodes) (2016-2020) – Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Jameela Jamil, Manny Jacinto, Ted Danson, D'Arcy Carden
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- I’ve been re-watching a few episodes a day over this month, even though I watched it a few years ago – I love it, despite its flaws. I adore its originality, writing, acting, setting, and tone, and their exploration and creative use of ethics and philosophy. And great characters... and some very fun very silly moments!
- I mean, dayum… how can I become so emotionally attached to fictional characters, that I always cry at the end? To me, that is the mark of good writing.
- 28 Days Later (2002) - Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris
- An updated attempt at a "Day of the Triffids" apocalyptic zombie horror thing; not my cup of tea (I've never been into horror/zombie etc flicks; just thought I'd give this one a go all the same), but there some beautiful poetic shots of water falling and a deceased London.
- Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+
- The Zone of Interest (2023) - Christian Friedel, Sandra HΓΌller
- An icy-cold dispassionate domestic look at life outside of Auschwitz; somehow it displays the entire "Banality of Evil" around this atrocious time in history. Brilliantly done, but still very unsettling; definitely not for everyone.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ Soul (2020) - Pixar π₯
- I enjoyed rewatching this GREAT classic Pixar story about passion; great characters, animation, awesome jazz; highly recommend this one.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Encanto (2021) - Disney (Prod.)
- Cute fun soppy animated Disney fare, with a lot of songs
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ The Lobster (2015) - Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz π₯
- I rewatched this after seeing it for the first time a few years ago... still a remarkable experience.
- Note: it's definitely not a film for everyone, but it's so bizarre (in a good way[?]) that I love it.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- "The Lobster" is an offbeat absurdist surreal deadpan dark comedy drama film that explores human behavior and relationships, touching on topics like social pressure and conformity, made with a dynamic artistic quality.
- Basic Premise: It is set in a dystopian near-future society where being single is prohibited... a world in which love is mandatory, and people who don’t find a match are turned into animals.
- The film's satirical style presents a world that seems absurd and irrational, while also making it believable for the audience.
- A really great way to explain this wonderful albeit bizarre film: https://gamerant.com/the-lobster-ending-explained/
- π₯ Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018) - John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Disney (Prod.) π₯
- I rewatched some great fun enjoyable Disney animated entertainment, with enough emotional highs, lows and Disney references to be swallowed by a whale... [lol]
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ The Prestige (2006) - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale π₯
- Great acting and atmosphere; magic, magicians, rivalry, mystery
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
- Napoleon (2023) - Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby
- Spectacular historical sweeping epic, but didn't quite 'do it' for me... too much swept over I think.
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
October-November 2023
- π₯ Oppenheimer (2023) - Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt π₯
- Awesome exploration of a very human unique individual
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- Biosphere (2022) - Sterling K. Brown, Mark Duplass
- sci-fi comedy, that started well, but went somewhere I was NOT expecting, and I didn't finish watching it.
- Isle of Dogs (2018) - Wes Anderson (Dir.)
- Enjoyable animated adventure
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
August 2023
- Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) - Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
- Good old-fashioned suspend-belief Indiana Jones rollicking adventure fun.
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Primer (2004) - Shane Carruth, David Sullivan
- Fascinating concept of the problems associated with time travel
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010) - Werner Herzog (Director)
- Absolutely amazing exploration of recently-discovered prehistoric Cave Art; some of them resemble (to me) Picasso!
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Rango (2011) - Johnny Depp
- Great fun animation; a fun rewatch laying in bed
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 2023
- Meeting The Beatles in India (2020) - Paul Saltzman
- Interesting personal documentary when four individuals were trying to find some personal answers.
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Made In Abyss (2023) - Chapters 61-65
- WOW! Just wow!
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- Updated Manga (to Chapter 65)
- Animated Magna with Music
May 2023
- Stranger Than Fiction (2006) - Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Queen Latifah, Emma Thompson
- Wonderfully-restrained performance from Ferrel, and Emma Thompsons' performance is STUNNING in this comedy/drama 'fiction?'
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The World's End (2013) - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
- fun silliness
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- Sisu (2023) - Jorma Tommila, Aksel Hennie
- WW2 action lust over gold with a definite Tarantino gore ethos (NB. I'm not normally interested in this kind of stuff, but this is brilliantly directed, acted, and atmospheric, albeit a bit of a silly plot, but that's OK!)
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Simon Pegg, Kate Ashfield
- Zombie comedy - didn't meet my expectations tbh
- Me: 2/5 ⭐⭐
- Paul (2011) - Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
- Fun silly alien 'road movie' comedy
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- Renfield (2023) - Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage
- Fun silly Dracula nonsense, with a Tarantino splatter aesthetic...
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Absolutely Anything (2015) - Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale
- Fun silliness with a Python connection
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016) - Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone
- Just some light silly fluff to blow away some impending blues
- Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐ +
- The Beatles; Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (2016) - Ron Howard (Dir.)
- I needed a Beatles hit to drive away some impending blues - did the trick!
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
January-April 2023
- Mummies (2023) - Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson
- Cute animated light entertainment
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- I started watching "Idiocracy" (2006), but turned it off after c.30 minutes. Absolute rubbish. The concept is HIGHLY contemporarily relevant, tho...
- The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019) - Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Zack Gottsagen
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ The French Dispatch (2021) - Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton π₯
- Brilliantly funny yet so quirky - love it! If you enjoyed "The Grand Budapest Hotel", you'll appreciate this, I assure you.
- Me: 4.5/5: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- The Summit of the Gods (2021) - Patrick Imbert (Prod.)
- Great animation; together with "Fall" (below), this does nothing to dispel my fear of heights [laffs].
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022) - Ewan McGregor, David Bradley
- Great animation, exploring a different version of what we grew up with
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐ +
- Treasure Planet (2002) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, Emma Thompson (Disney)
- Classic Disney hand-drawn animation
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Big Eyes (2014) - Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Tim Burton (Dir.)
- Who owns what? Possibly miscast imho...
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- Fall (2022) - Grace Caroline Currey, Virginia Gardner
- I don't like heights as it is! Good 'climbing' suspense
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ Close (2022) - Eden Dambrine, Gustav de Waele π₯
- Wow... just wow!! Powerfully emotive, then there's the 'cinema'...
- Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My Blogpost π₯
- π₯ Babylon (2022) - Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva π₯
- A spectacular movie about making movies in the 1920's
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ +
- π₯ All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - Felix Kammerer
- Great acting and cinematography; a tough but rewarding watch π₯
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
- 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My Blogpost π₯
- π₯ The U.S. and The Holocaust (2022) π₯
- Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My Blogpost π₯
- π₯ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) π₯
- The 'Big Bad Wolf' is scarily awesome!
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Marianne and Leonard - Words of Love (2019) - Nick Broomfield (Dir).
- The Greeks island of Hyrda connection for me (George Johnson and Charmian Clift - my favourite authors)
- Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐ +
- Mister Roberts (1955) - Henry Fonda, James Cagney
- Fun silliness classic old-skool with a twist...
- Me: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐
- 'Round Midnight (1986) - Dexter Gordon
- Jazz legends
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sept-December 2022
- π₯ The Beatles: Get Back (2021) π₯
- Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My Blogpost π₯
- C'mon C'mon (2021)
- Do yourself a favour... enjoy this.
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Elvis (2022) - Austin Butler
- You have to feel pity for the guy!
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022)
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+
- π₯ Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun (2022) π₯
- I don't watch anime... but this is A-maze-ing! π₯
- Me: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My Blogpost π₯
- Man on the Moon (1999)
- Jim Carrey plays a great original quirky entertainer
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Power of the Dog (2021) - Benedict Cumberbatch
- Slow burn revenge with awesome acting
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- π₯ The Prestige (2006) - Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale π₯
- Magic, magicians, rivalry, mystery
- Me: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐+
- Russian Doll (2019-22)
- I loved the concepts in this Series
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- The Sea Beast (2022) - Chris Williams (Dir.)
- Nice animated fantasy adventure
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Turning Red (2022)
- fun silly enjoyable animation adventure
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+
- WandaVision (2022)
- I'm not into any of those superhero movies at all. This Series has a great concept that starts well and then ends disappointingly silly
- Me: 3.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐+
- Wednesday (2022)
- Me: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Zelig (1983)
- I hadn't seen this mildly amusing Woody Allen b/w pic before now
- Me: 2.5/5 ⭐⭐+
π₯ Movies I've YET to watch, enjoy and appreciate (out of the recent batch of movies I have sourced and are ready-to-go):
- About Time (2013)
- Affliction (1997)
- Aftersun (2022)
- Ammonite (2020)
- The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
- Belfast (2022)
- Carnage (2011)
- CODA (2021)
- Don Juan DeMarco (1994)
- Don't Look Up (2021)
- The Fabelmans (2022)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988) (NB. I know what this is about; I will have to be in an emotionally-strong place to experience this masterpiece).
- Grey Gardens (1975)
- Her (2013)
- In Bruges (2008)
- Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
- Juniper (2021)
- King Richard (2022)
- The Last Duel (2021)
- Living (2022)
- The Lost Daughter (2021)
- Luca (2021)
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
- Marty (1955)
- The Menu (2022)
- The Nightingale (2018)
- Nobody (2021)
- Nope (2022)
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) (nb. I'm not into Westerns, but after "The Good The Bad and the Ugly" [a true classic!], this is something to anticipate).
- Onward (2020)
- The Pale Blue Eye (2023)
- Proxima (2019)
- The Remains of the Day (1993)
- Song of the Sea (2014)
- Sound of Metal (2019)
- The Stranger (2022)
- TΓ‘r (2022)
- Team America: World Police (2004)
- Triangle of Sadness (2022)
- The Whale (2023)
- Women Talking (2022)
- 28 Days Later (2002)
► Also: Mal's Movie Collection (1,000+ titles) π₯
► Also: Mal's 5 out of 5 Movies π₯
Also: Recent Movies
Peas be with ewe
Mal
Mal
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