The World According to Cosmos

Tag: movies

  • Cosmos’s K Drama Picks for 2025

    Cosmos’s K Drama Picks for 2025

    Cosmos’s K Drama Picks for 2025

    2025 K Drama Updates

    2024 K Drama Updates

    More K Drama Updates

    Cosmos K Drama List

    tCosmos K Drama Lis

    tOur Blues K Drama Review

    Cosmos’s Favorite K Drama

    Favorite K Drama

    2025 K Drama Updates

    Over the last few years, as some of you know, I finally became a K-Drama fan. Part of the reason is that my Korean is now good enough to follow the dialogue, although I still need subtitles mostly, and I have been staying in Korea for half the year for the last few years. And K Dramas are quite good from both a writing and acting perspective–some of the best dramas being produced in the world right now. That was not always the case. K-dramas were not that good until the early 90s when they started taking off.

    One of the best things they did was sign an agreement with Netflix and later Disney to provide K Dramas to both streaming services, and in return, allowing them access to the Korean public. Unfortunately, many of K Dramas shown on Netflix in Korea do not have subtitles, but those shown on foreign feeds all have subtitles; those that are joint productions with Netflix all have subtitles. Given how accurate AI is becoming, it should be pretty cheap to produce subtitles for all the K Dramas shown on TV and on Netflix.  I wish someone would do that.

    Here are some of my favorite k K-dramas.

    K dramas come in two forms–movies and series. The series is reminiscent of Mexican telenovelas – usually 16 episodes, occasionally 20, and occasionally fewer. A few have two seasons. Most run for about a month. Many are available now on Netflix, Disney, and Hulu with English subtitles. A few were quite controversial.

    K Romcoms among the best in the world

    For those new to the genre,   I would pick a rom-com as the Koreans are masters of the rom-com genre. Most are slow-burning romcoms with the romance gradually building; often, it is the hate-to-love story line. Often featuring people of different social classes falling in love and somehow making it work.  I have included at the end a separate list of romcoms with the ones I’ve seen bolded and an * marking my favorite K romcoms.

    Dark Comedies and Dramas 

    Some of the dramas are biting black comedies, like Parasite.

    I would recommend 12 12 and Last Man Standing as the top political thrillers, many because they take place in 1979-1981 when I was in the Peace Corps in my first exposure to Korean culture.

    Quite a few K dramas are about what I call “Rich people behaving badly”, and the revenge of the lower classes. “  Mine “ is a good example.  A few have LGBTQ characters  “Mine” “Itaewon”, and “Love in the Big City”  come to mind.   And a lot are about revenge – see the “Glory”.  There are a number of Sci-fi and epic fantasies such as Arkndal Chronicles as well to choose from.

    And of course, there is Squid Game. I would skip the international version which was a big flop,  season two just finished and the series concluding season is coming up later this year.

    “Parasite” of course won the 2020 Oscar. And “Minuri” won best-supporting actress 2023.

    My top recommendations include

    Master List

    Bold I have seen

    📺 Part One: K-Dramas A–M (Alphabetized by English Title)

    English Title Korean Title (Romanized) Notes
    12.12: The Day 12.12: 더 데이 (Deo Dei) Political drama
    20th Century Girl 20세기 소녀 (20segi Sonyeo) Coming-of-age
    A Tale Of Two Sisters 장화, 홍련 (Janghwa, Hongryeon) Horror
    A Typical Family 평범한 가족 (Pyeongbeomhan Gajok) Superpowers
    Again My Life 어게인 마이 라이프 (Eogein Mai Laipeu) Rom-com
    Alchemy Of Souls 환혼 (Hwanhon) Epic fantasy
    Alive 살아있다 (#Saraitda) Horror
    All Of Us Are Dead 지금 우리 학교는 Zombie drama
    All The Love You Wish For 모든 사랑을 원해 (Modeun Sarangeul Wonhae) Rom-com
    Arkndal Chronicles 아스달 연대기 (Aseudal Yeondaegi) Fantasy
    Autumn In My Heart 가을동화 Rom-com
    Awaken 낮과 밤 Thriller
    Bad and Crazy 배드 앤 크레이지 Action
    Badlands Hunters 황야의 사냥꾼 (Hwangyaui Sanyangkkun) Post-apocalyptic
    Beef — Revenge drama
    Because This Is My First Life 이번 생은 처음이라 (Ibeon Saengeun Cheoeumira) Rom-com
    Believer 독전 (Dokjeon) Crime drama
    Bequeathed 선산 (Seonsan) Thriller
    Beyond Evil 괴물 (Goemul) Thriller
    Beyond the Bar 비욘드 더 바 2021–2022
    Big Mouth 빅마우스 (Bikmauseu) Thriller
    Black Knight 택배기사 (Taekbaegisa) Sci-fi
    Boys Over Flowers 꽃보다 남자 (Kkotboda Namja) Rom-com
    Broadcast Diva 무인도의 디바 (Muin-Do-Ui Diva) Rom-com
    Business Proposal 사내 맞선 (Sanae Matseon) Rom-com
    Bulgasal: Immortal Souls 불가살 (Bulgasal) Horror
    Can This Love Be Translated? 이 사랑 통역 되나요? Rom-com
    Cash Hero 캐쉬 히어로 (Kaeswi Hieoro) Superhero
    Castaway Diva 무인도의 디바 (Muin-Do-Ui Diva) Rom-com
    Check-In Hanyang 체크인 한양 (Chekeuin Hanyang) Political rom-com
    Chief Of Staff 보좌관 (Bojagwan) Political
    Coffee Prince 커피프린스 1호점 (Keopipeurinseu 1 Hojom) Rom-com
    Colony — Yeon Sang-ho project
    Comedy Royal 로얄로더 (Loyal Lodeo) Comedy
    Crazy Love 크레이지 러브 (Keureiji Reobeu) Rom-com
    Crash Course In Romance 일타 스캔들 (Ilta Seukaendeul) Rom-com
    Crash Landing On You 사랑의 불시착 (Sarangui Bulsichak) Rom-com
    Culinary Class War 요리 클래스 전쟁 (Yori Keullaseu Jeonjaeng) Food competition
    Dali And The Cocky Prince 달리와 감자탕 (Dalliwa Gamjatang) Rom-com
    Designated Survivor: 60 Days 60일, 지정생존자 (60il, Jijeongsaengjonja) Political
    Destined With You 이 연애는 불가항력 (I Yeonaeneun Bulgahangryeok) Rom-com
    Doctor Cha 닥터 차정숙 (Dakteo Cha Jeongsuk) Hospital drama
    Doctor John 의사요한 (Uisayohan) Rom-com
    Doctor Prisoner 닥터 프리즈너 (Dakteo Peurijeuneo) Thriller
    Doctor Romantic 낭만닥터 김사부 (Nangman Dakteo Kim Sabu) Hospital drama
    Doctor Slump 닥터 슬럼프 (Dakteo Seulleompeu) Rom-com
    Don’t Buy The Seller 타겟 (Taget) Thriller
    D.P. (Deserter Pursuit)

    애마 (Aema).

    		 디피 (Dipi) Military
    Eve 이브 (Ibeu) Thriller
    Extracurricular 인간수업 (Ingansueop) Crime drama
    Faith 신의 Historical
    Fated To Love You 운명처럼 널 사랑해 (Unmyeongcheoreom Neol Saranghae) Rom-com
    Fight For My Way 쌈, 마이웨이 (Ssam, Maiwei) Rom-com
    Fiery Priest 열혈사제 (Yeolhyeolsaje) Crime
    Genie, Make A Wish 다 이루어질지니 Fantasy
    Glitch 글리치 (Geullichi) Sci-fi
    Go Back Couple 고백부부 Rom-com
    Good Bye Mr. Black 굿바이 미스터 블랙 Political
    Good and the Bastard 좋거나 나쁜 동재 (Jotgeona Nappeun Dongjae) Thriller
    Graceful Family 우아한 가 (Ua Han Ga) Drama
    Gu Family Book 구가의 서 (Guga-Ui Seo) Historical
    Gunche 군체 Zombie
    Gyesang Creature (Part 1) 계상 크리처 (파트 1) Monster drama
    Gyesang Creature (Part 2) 계상 크리처 (파트 2) Monster drama
    Gyesirok 계시록 Revelations
    Happiness 해피니스 Rom-com
    Healer 힐러 (Hilleo) Action
    Hellbound (Part 1) 지옥 (Jiok) Horror
    Hellbound (Part 2) 지옥 (Jiok) Horror

    Additional list Period piece about medical doctors

     

    🎬 Similar K-Dramas with Korean Titles

    English Title Korean Title Genre/Theme
    Live Up to Your Name 명불허전 Joseon doctor time-travels to Seoul
    Dr. Romantic 낭만닥터 김사부 Medical drama with mentorship
    Hospital Playlist 슬기로운 의사생활 Slice-of-life medical friendship
    Ghost Doctor 고스트 닥터 Supernatural medical drama
    Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung 신입사관 구해령 Joseon-era feminist historian
    Kingdom 킹덤 Joseon zombie thriller
    Royal Secret Agent 암행어사 Joseon undercover investigations
    Outlander (Western) 아웃랜더 Time-traveling nurse in Scotland
    Penny Dreadful (Western) 페니 드레드풀 Gothic horror with psychological depth
    Our Flag Means Death (Western) 아워 플래그 민즈 데스 Quirky period comedy

    🎬

    🧠 Modern K-Dramas About Mental Health & Healing

    English Title Korean Title Mental Health Theme(s)
    It’s Okay to Not Be Okay 사이코지만 괜찮아 Autism, PTSD, personality disorders
    It’s Okay, That’s Love 괜찮아, 사랑이야 Schizophrenia, anxiety, depression
    Kill Me, Heal Me 킬미, 힐미 Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
    Good Doctor 굿 닥터 Autism, savant syndrome
    Extraordinary Attorney Woo 이상한 변호사 우영우 Autism spectrum disorder
    Flower of Evil 악의 꽃 Antisocial personality disorder
    Dr. Frost 닥터 프로스트 Psychological profiling, mental illness cases
    Soul Mechanic 영혼수선공 Psychiatric therapy, emotional healing
    Fix You 영혼수선공 Psychiatrist helping patients heal
    Be Melodramatic 멜로가 체질 PTSD, grief, emotional trauma
    Chocolate 초콜릿 PTSD, emotional repression
    Come and Hug Me 이리와 안아줘 Panic disorder, trauma
    Rain or Shine 그냥 사랑하는 사이 Grief, survivor’s guilt
    Mental Coach Jegal 멘탈코치 제갈길 Sports psychology, trauma recovery
    My Liberation Notes 나의 해방일지 Existential depression, emotional burnout
    Her Private Life 그녀의 사생활 PTSD, emotional repression
    Find Me in Your Memory 그 남자의 기억법 Hyperthymesia, PTSD
    Awaken 낮과 밤 Psychological thriller, trauma

     

    Alphabetized K-Movie List

    English Title Korean Title (Romanized) Notes
    After My Death 죄 많은 소녀 (Joe Maneun Sonyeo) Drama
    Along With The Gods 신과함께 (Singwa Hamkke) Fantasy drama
    Confidential Assignment 공조 (Gongjo) Political thriller
    Confidential Assignment 2: International 공조2: 인터내셔날 (Gongjo 2: Inteonaesyeonal) Crime thriller
    Decision to Leave 헤어질 결심 (Heeojil Gyeolsim) Thriller
    Forgotten 기억의 밤 (Gieokui Bam) Mystery thriller
    Hostage 인질 (Injil) Crime thriller
    My Place 나의집 (Naui Jip) Rom-com
    Mercy For None 광장 (Gwangjang) Q2 2025 release
    On The Line 보이스 (Boiseu) Thriller
    Ordinary People 보통사람 (Botongsaram) Drama
    Parallel Life 평행 이론 (Pyeonghaeng Ireon) Sci-fi
    Project Silence 프로젝트 사일런스 (Peurojekteu Sailleonseu) Political horror
    Queen of Mystery 추리의 여왕 (Churuiui Yeowang) Crime-solving duo
    Sandglass 모래시계 (Moraesigye) Rom-com
    Single In Seoul 싱글 인 서울 (Singgeul In Seoul) Rom-com
    Somebody 썸바디 (Sseombadi) Crime
    Space Sweepers 승리호 (Seungniho) Sci-fi
    The Big Swindle 범죄의 재구성 (Beomjoeui Jaeguseong) Crime
    The Bros 부라더 (Beuradeo) Comedy
    The Devil’s Plan 데블스 플랜 (Debeulseu Peullaen) Reality TV
    The Dude In Me 내안의 그놈 (Naeane Geunom) Comedy
    The Good, the Bad, the Weird 좋은 놈, 나쁜 놈, 이상한 놈 (Joeun Nom, Nappeun Nom, Isanghan Nom) Western-style action
    The Negotiator 협상 (Hyeopsang) Thriller (Thailand/Korea)
    The Swindlers 꾼 (Kkun) Crime
    The Spy Gone North 공작 (Gongjak) Political thriller
    The Worst Of Evil 최악의 악 (Choeagui Ak) Crime drama
     

     

    the Price of Confession  Hangul: 자백의 대가 Romanized: Jabaeg-ui Daega

    Secret Life of Mr.  Kim·  The Secret Life of Mr. Kim → 김씨의 은밀한 사생활

    • Typhoon Family → 태풍 가족

    90s K Dramas Worth Rewatching Today
         

    Absolutely, Jake. You’re diving into a rich, provocative slice of Korean cinematic history reframed through a modern lens. The drama you’re referring to is titled Aema (애마) in Korean, and it premiered on Netflix on August 22, 2025. It’s a six-episode historical comedy-drama that dramatizes the making of the 1982 erotic film Madame Aema, which became a cultural lightning rod in South Korea.

    🎬 Overall Synopsis

    Set in the vibrant, male-dominated world of 1980s Chungmuro—the heart of Korea’s film industry—Aema follows two women caught in the storm of ambition, exploitation, and rebellion. Jung Hee-ran, a seasoned actress with a fiery temper, is initially cast in the lead role of Madame Aema but is sidelined when she refuses to bare her body on screen. Her replacement, Shin Joo-ae, a nightclub dancer with dreams of stardom, steps into the role, sparking tension and unexpected solidarity. As the film’s production unfolds, the drama exposes the underbelly of the industry: coercive contracts, sexual exploitation, and the struggle for artistic integrity.

    📺 Episode Guide

    While full episode breakdowns are still emerging, here’s a thematic arc across the six episodes:

    🎭 Cast & Characters

    Main Cast:

    • Lee Hanee as Jung Hee-ran – A top actress resisting objectification
    • Bang Hyo-rin as Shin Joo-ae – A bold newcomer with raw talent
    • Jin Seon-kyu as Gu Jung-ho – Ruthless CEO of Shinsung Films
    • Cho Hyun-chul as Kwak In-woo – Idealistic rookie director

    Supporting Cast Highlights:

    • Jang Nam-su as Park Yeong-bae – Hee-ran’s loyal manager
    • Lee Hong-nae as Yang Seok-won – Investigative reporter
    • Lee So-e as Hwang Mi-na – Jung-ho’s tragic girlfriend
    • Park Hae-joon as Lee Jae-geon – Tabloid journalist
    • Kim Jong-soo as Kwon Do-il – Director who gives Hee-ran a platform

    🗣️ Notable Quotes

    Here are a few standout lines that capture the emotional and thematic core:

    • “You think I’m difficult? I think I’m finally awake.” — Jung Hee-ran
    • “I didn’t come here to be touched. I came here to be seen.” — Shin Joo-ae
    • “Aema isn’t just a film. It’s a mirror. And you’re all afraid of what you’ll see.” — Kwak In-woo

    📣 Reputation & Cultural Impact

    Aema is both a tribute and a critique. It revisits the scandalous legacy of the original Madame Aema—the longest-running erotic film series in Korean history—and reframes it through a feminist, revisionist lens. The original film was born from the 1980s “3S Policy” (Screen, Sex, Sports), a government strategy to distract from political unrest. The Netflix drama doesn’t shy away from this context, portraying the era’s contradictions: censorship loosening just enough to allow erotic cinema, while actresses were commodified and silenced.

    Critics have praised Aema for its bold storytelling and layered performances, especially Lee Hanee’s portrayal of Hee-ran. It’s been described as “a reckoning with Korea’s cinematic past” and “a drama that dares to name the cost of survival.”

    Would you like help shaping your review’s tone—archival, mythic, personal, or critical? I can help you weave in historical footnotes, character arcs, or even a blues riff if you want to echo your Cosmos Foundation style.

     

    The 50 Best K-Dramas to Add to Your Watchlist

     

    If you’re a television fan who hasn’t yet dived into the world of Korean dramas, you’re missing out on some of the best shows ever made. Long gone are the days when hallyu fans had to trade DVDs or LiveJournal links with (potentially inaccurate) English subtitles. Now streamers like Netflix, Viki, Hulu, and Prime Video have put the breadth of Korean shows and movies at our fingertips, and franchises like Squid Game and Kpop Demon Hunters have become truly inescapable.

    Ad

    Full Mouth Restoration In Just 24HRS

    Nuvia

    watch it on netflix

    Romance Korean Dramas

    These romantic K-dramas are for the fans of intense, sweeping romances that can span from heart-fluttering to heart-wrenching in one episode. (Think Bridgerton, but even more swoon-worthy.) If you want to spend 16-20 hours invested in a serious slow burn, look here.

    ‘Business Proposal’ (2022)

    ((Image credit: SBS))

    This 2022 rom-com drama has become the year’s biggest hit so far thanks to its hilarious romances (and a super-popular kissing clip). Shin Ha-ri (I.O.I. and The Uncanny Counter‘s Kim Se-jeong) is a food researcher at a company that just welcomed a new president, Kang Tae-moo (KPop Demon Hunters‘s Ahn Hyo-seop). When her wealthy BFF (played by Seol In-ah) asks her to go on a blind date for her and ruin it, the date turns out to be Tae-moo. The morning after the disastrous date, Ha-ri receives a call—Tae-moo wants to marry her!?! Their hilarious courtship, as well as the second lead romance, will definitely steal your heart.

    watch it on netflix

    ‘Coffee Prince’ (2007)

    ((Image credit: MBC))

    This classic K-drama follows Choi Han-gyul (Squid Game‘s Gong Yoo), the irresponsible heir to a conglomerate with a popular chain of coffee shops. One day he meets Ko Eun-chan (Yoon Eun-hye), a tomboy who’s often mistaken for a man and has been the breadwinner of her family since she was 16. Not knowing Eun-chan is a girl, Han-gyul hires her to be his gay lover to get out of the blind dates his grandmother sets up. Han-gyul also takes over a derelict coffee shop, renamed Coffee Prince, to prove to his grandmother and ex-girlfriend that he is capable. As he’s only hiring good-looking male employees, Eun-chan decides to keep up her gender charade to get a job at his cafe.

    watch it on viki

    ‘Crash Landing on You’ (2019–2020)

    ((Image credit: tvN))

    A South Korean heiress, Yoon Se-ri, gets caught in a storm while paragliding and finds herself blown off course into North Korea. Se-ri then runs into Ri Jeong-hyeok, Captain of the North Korean Special Forces and a member of the North Korean elite family. Captain Ri eventually hatches a plan to get Se-ri back to South Korea with the help of his squad, but not before they all tackle the obstacles that come their way—and then some. This drama mixes romance with comedy and ultimately tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers. It’s currently the 2nd highest rated tvN drama and the fifth-highest Korean drama in cable television history. (Also, stars Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin have since gotten married and welcomed a baby!)

    watch it on netflix

    ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ (2021)

    ((Image credit: tvN))

    This country-boy meets city-girl romance starts when Seoul dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-ah) loses her shoe during a visit to the seaside village of Gonjin. It’s found by Hong Doo-shik (Kim Seon-ho), a jack-of-all-trades who does odd jobs around town. Hye-jin ends up moving to Gonjin, where Doo-shik helps her adapt to the new environment, and the couple slowly (and sweetly) grows feelings for each other.

    watch it on netflix

    ‘Love in the Big City’ (2024)

    ((Image credit: TVING))

    BL (a.k.a. “Boys Love”) dramas have grown in popularity over the years, and this groundbreaking novel adaptation is a great intro to the genre. Based on Sang Young Park’s novel of the same name (and not to be confused with the 2024 film starring Kim Go-eun and Noh Sang-hyun), the eight-episode K-drama follows Go Young (Nam Yoon-su), a gay Korean man living with his straight best friend Mi Ae (Lee Soo-kyung), as he searches for love in the face of parental and societal expectations.

    watch it on viki

    ‘Lovely Runner’ (2024)

    ((Image credit: Courtesy of Viki))

    Lovely Runner is a popular romance-fantasy drama mixes time travel with every K-pop fangirl’s wildest dreams. In 2023, Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon), is a 34-year-old who uses a wheelchair and a dedicated fan of K-pop superstar Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok), who gave her the strength to live on during the most difficult time of her life. When Sun-jae unexpectedly dies, seemingly by suicide, a devastated Sol has Sun-jae’s old digital watch. As she presses one of its buttons, Sol’s transported 15 years back to 2008, when she was a 19-year-old student at a high school near Sun-jae’s. Sol becomes determined to stop Sun-jae’s future death by any means necessary, which is just the start of the pair’s twist-filled, fated romance.

    watch it on viki

    ‘Our Beloved Summer’ (2021–2022)

    ((Image credit: Studio N/SBS))

    Ten years have passed since high schoolers Choi Ung (Parasite‘s Choi Woo-sik) and Kook Yeon-su (Kim Da-mi) starred in a documentary together. Though they started out hating each other, the pair later began dating and stayed together for five years. Now, five years after the rough breakup, the two adults find each other back in their lives at the same time the documentary goes viral, with fans clamoring for an update. Will Ung and Da-mi fall in love again while filming the sequel? Check out this enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers(?) drama to find out.

    watch it on netflix

    ‘Secret Garden’ (2004)

    ((Image credit: SBS))

    This classic romance, for fans of shows like Boys Over Flowers and The Heirs, is a body-swapping melodrama that includes so many rom-com tropes. Kim Joo-won (Crash Landing on You‘s Hyun Bin), the spoiled CEO of a department store, meets Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won), a stuntwoman who was orphaned as a teenager, via a case of mistaken identity. Joo-won is attracted to Ra-im despite himself, and uses their one connection—she’s a fangirl of his cousin, Hallyu star Oska—to stick around her. During a fateful night when they’re alone together, the pair are gifted mysterious homemade wine and wake up to find that they’ve switched bodies. Yes, this is all ridiculous, and yes, it ends up in a nostalgic love story by the end.

    20 Best Medical K-Dramas, Ranked

     

    I have not seen these yet they are on my list to see soon

     

    Here’s a detailed list of the K-Dramas you mentioned, including their original Korean titles (Hangul and Romanized) and air dates:

    1. Reply 1988

    • Korean Title: 응답하라 1988
    • Romanized: Eungdabhara 1988
    • Air Dates: November 6, 2015 – January 16, 2016
    • Network: tvN
      [asianwiki.com]

    2. Reborn Rich

    • Korean Title: 재벌집 막내아들
    • Romanized: Jaebeoljip Maknaeadeul
    • Air Dates: November 18, 2022 – December 25, 2022
    • Network: JTBC
      [en.wikipedia.org]

    3. Twenty-Five Twenty-One

    • Korean Title: 스물다섯 스물하나
    • Romanized: Seumuldaseot Seumulhana
    • Air Dates: February 12, 2022 – April 3, 2022
    • Network: tvN
      [en.wikipedia.org]

    4. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

    • Korean Title: 사이코지만 괜찮아
    • Romanized: Saikojiman Gwaenchana
    • Air Dates: June 20, 2020 – August 9, 2020
    • Network: tvN
      [en.wikipedia.org]

    5. Start-Up

    • Korean Title: 스타트업
    • Romanized: Seutateueop
    • Air Dates: October 17, 2020 – December 6, 2020
    • Network: tvN
      [en.wikipedia.org]

    6. Hospital Playlist

    • Korean Title: 슬기로운 의사생활
    • Romanized: Seulgirowoon Uisasaenghwal
    • Air Dates:
      • Season 1: March 12 – May 28, 2020
      • Season 2: June 17 – September 16, 2021
    • Network: tvN
      [en.wikipedia.org]

    7. Empire of Gold

    • Korean Title: 황금의 제국
    • Romanized: Hwanggeumui Jeguk
    • Air Dates: July 1 – September 17, 2013
    • Network: SBS
      [en.wikipedia.org]

     

    20 Greatest K-Drama Couples, Ranked

     

    Recent dramas

     

    1. Typhoon Family K Drama 태풍상사
      Revised Romanization: Taepungsangsa
      Literal Translation: Typhoon Trading Company
    1. My lovely lIar Hangul: 소용없어 거짓말, Romanized: Soyongeobseo Geojitmal,lteral Meaning: Useless Lies [asianwiki.com]
    1. Korean Title:Good News about Japanese Hijcking in 1970
      Hangul: 굿뉴스
      Romanization: Gut Nuiuseu
    2. Official English Title: The Dream Life of Mr. Kim
      Korean Title:
      Hangul: 서울 자가에 대기업 다니는 김 부장 이야기
      Romanization: Seoul Jagae Daegieop Danineun Kim Bujang Iyagi
      Literal meaning: The Story of Manager Kim Who Works at a Large Corporation in Seoul

     

    10 Best K-Dramas From The 1990s

    The Korean title for “As You Stood By” is:

    당신이 죽였다
    (Romanization: Dangsini Jugyeotda)

     

    10 Greatest K-Drama Male Leads, Ranked

    Similar K-Dramas

    If you loved Dynamite Kiss, try these:

    • Business Proposal (사내 맞선) – Workplace romance with fake identity trope.
    • My Secret Romance (애타는 로맨스) – Impulsive kiss leading to office romance.
    • What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (김비서가 왜 그럴까) – Power dynamics and slow-burn tension.
    • Nice to Not Meet You (만나서 반갑지 않아요) – 2025 rom-com with professional clashes.

    The Good Bad Mother (나쁜 엄마) – Family themes and emotional depth.

    10 K-Dramas That Deserve to Be Called Masterpieces

     

    6 K-Drama Male Leads Who Need To Make A Comeback

    10 Underrated K-Dramas That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

    From Parasite to Park Chan-wook—Could ‘No Other Choice’ Be Korea’s Next Oscar Miracle?

    Co-Pilot

     

    I hear there is buzz about another potential Korean Oscar contender, the K movie, No Other Choice.  Could you provide the Korean Title, in both Hangul and Romanized, the release date in Korea, the award nominations, and the cast? Quotes and literary reputation? And movies by the director? And similar K dramas/movies, particularly the current K Dream, Mr. Kim’s Secret Dreams, which this movie reminds me of. Oh, and the date of the next Oscar, including the release date of the nominations and the host for the upcoming Oscars? And also discuss the book Ax – it is based on including the author’s bio, list of his or her other works, and the literary reputation of the book. Break this down into the movie, other related K dramas, and movies, the Oscar Race for 2026 including the date and host; and information on the book it is based on.   This is not for publicaiton yet

     

    Section 1: The Movie–No Other Choice

    • Korean Title: 어쩔 수가 없다 (Romanized: Eojjeolsugaeopda)
    • Director: Park Chan-wook
    • Release Dates:

    – South Korea: September 24, 2025

    – North America: December 25, 2025 (limited), January 2026 (wide)

    • Awards & Nominations:

    – Korea’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards

    – Multiple Blue Dragon Film Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Music, Costume Design

    • Cast:

    – Lee Byung-hun, Son Ye-jin, Park Hee-soon, Lee Sung-min, Yum Hye-ran, Cha Seung-won, Yoo Yeon-seok

    • Quotes & Literary Reputation:

    Critics praise its dark humor and social commentary. Park Chan-wook calls it ‘a heartbreaking story about a middle-aged man who lost his job and becomes a serial killer in the process of trying to feed his family.’

    Director’s Selected Filmography:

    Film Year
    Oldboy 2003
    The Handmaiden 2016
    Decision to Leave 2022
    No Other Choice 2025

     

     

    Section 2: Related K-Drama & Movies

    • Mr. Kim’s Secret Dreams (김씨의 비밀 꿈, Romanized: Kimssiui Bimil Kkum)
    • Our Beloved Summer (그 해 우리는, Romanized: Geu Hae Urineun)
    • Her Private Life (그녀의 사생활, Romanized: Geunyeoui Sasaenghwal)
    • Fight for My Way (쌈 마이웨이, Romanized: Ssam Maiwei)
    • Romance Is a Bonus Book (로맨스는 별책부록, Romanized: Romaenseuneun Byeolchaekburok)

     

     

    Section 4: The Book – The Ax

    • Author: Donald E. Westlake (1933–2008)
    • Bio: Acclaimed American crime novelist, known for witty, darkly comic thrillers. Multiple Edgar Awards and Grand Master Award.
    • Other Works:10 essential K-dramas for beginners

    – The Hunter (as Richard Stark)

    – The Hot Rock

    – Bad News

    – Dancing Aztecs

    • Literary Reputation:

    Published in 1997; praised for chilling satire on corporate downsizing and moral decay. Considered one of Westlake’s most incisive social commentaries.

    • Previous Adaptations:

    – French film Le Couperet (2005) by Costa-Gavras

     

    As the 98th Academy Awards draw closer next March, Korean audiences are closely watching the International Feature Film race, where Park Chan Wooks No Other Choice is considered a major contender. The film, produced by Moho Film, has been selected as Korea’s official submission and is currently competing for a nomination.

    No Other Choice will premiere for North American audiences on December 25, opening in select theaters across the United States and Canada before expanding in January. The film follows the desperate struggle of a jobless family man trying to regain employment and stars Lee Byung Hun, Son Ye Jin, Park Hee Soon, Lee Sung Min, and Yum Hye Ran. This marks Park Chan Wooks first feature in three years since No Other Choice in 2022 and is adapted from the American novel Ax.

    The post From Parasite to Park Chan-wook—Could ‘No Other Choice’ Be Korea’s Next Oscar Miracle? appeared first on ZAPZEE.

    10 essential K-dramas for beginners

    The 15 Best K-Dramas Ever, Ranked

    8 best sci-fi K-dramas of 2025, ranked

    12 iconic K-drama female leads who raised the bar for everyone

    17 Romantic K-Dramas That Defined the Genre

    7 Korean shows on Netflix that are simply too good to skip | Watch

    4 of the best free streaming apps for watching K-dramas

    38 Best K-Dramas of All Time

    10 K-Dramas That Defined the 2000s, Ranked

    15 Beloved 90s K Dramas Worth Rewatching Today

    Life K Drama audio Clip

    Subtack

    Medium

    Wattpad

     

  • Review of Superman Movies

    Review of Superman Movies

    Review of Superman Movies

    🗂️ Superman Across Media: Movies, TV Shows, and Comics

    new Superman breaking records

    superman
    superman

    Audio CLip

    Movies 2025 Updates

    Cosmos Movies TV Programs 2024 List

    https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/?author=1

    Review of Superman Movies

    Review of Superman Movies

    🗂️ Superman Across Media: Movies, TV Shows, and Comics

    new Superman breaking records

    superman
    superman

    Audio CLip

    Movies 2025 Updates

    Cosmos Movies TV Programs 2024 List

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3zo

    I’ve been a big Superman fan since childhood. I’ve seen all the Superman movies and TV shows, and read the comics as a kid. I’m looking forward to seeing the latest Superman film today, and I’ll update this with my reflections afterward. But first, I wanted to share my thoughts on the latest right-wing freak-out: the horror of Superman being portrayed as “woke,” and—brace yourself—an illegal immigrant!

    Critics are melting down over a fictional alien from another planet who, by definition, would’ve entered Earth illegally. After all, there were no U.S. embassies on Krypton to process his visa—and even if there had been, what immigrant category could possibly fit? There’s no superhero visa (although there is a supermodel category—thanks, Melania Trump). The closest might be the “extraordinary ability” visa, which, to be fair, Superman would certainly qualify for.

    📽️ Live-Action Films (Selected Highlights):

    Bold indicates I have seen it

    • Superman (1978) – Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman
    • Superman II (1980) – Reeve, Kidder, Terence Stamp
    • Superman III (1983), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
    • Superman Returns (2006) – Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey
    • Man of Steel (2013) – Henry Cavill, Amy Adams
    • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017)
    • Superman (2025) – David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult

    📺 TV Shows:

    • Adventures of Superman (1952–1958) – George Reeves
    • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997) – Dean Cain
    • Smallville (2001–2011) – Tom Welling
    • Supergirl (2015–2021) – Melissa Benoist
    • Superman & Lois (2021–2024) – Tyler Hoechlin
    • My Adventures with Superman (2023–present) – Jack Quaid (voice)

    📚 Comics:

    • First appearance: Action Comics #1 (1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
    • Notable arcs: All-Star Superman, Superman: Red Son, Superman: Birthright, The Death of Superman, Superman: Year One

    🗣️ Iconic Quotes from Superman Lore

    • “It’s not an S. On my world, it means hope.” – Man of Steel
    • “I’m here to fight for truth and justice.” – Superman (1978)
    • “You will give the people an ideal to strive towards.” – Jor-El, Man of Steel
    • “They can be a great people, Kal-El. They only lack the light to show the way.” – Jor-El, Superman (1978)
    • “I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard…” – Justice League Unlimited

    More quotes and analysis:

    📚 Literary Reputation

    Superman is widely regarded as the archetype of the American superhero—an immigrant, a moral compass, and a symbol of hope. Created by Jewish immigrants during the rise of fascism in Europe, his story has always carried political undertones. Scholars and critics have long interpreted Superman as a metaphor for assimilation, resistance, and idealism.

    🔥 2025 Controversy: “Superwoke” Superman?

    The latest Superman film directed by James Gunn has sparked backlash from right-wing commentators who accuse it of being “too woke.” Key points of contention:

    • Gunn described Superman as “an immigrant,” which critics like Fox News and Ben Shapiro interpreted as political messaging.
    • The film features Superman intervening in a fictional war between Boravia and Jarhanpur, which some viewers saw as a metaphor for Israel and Gaza.
    • Fox News labeled the film “Superwoke,” with Kellyanne Conway saying audiences don’t want to be “lectured.”
    • Gunn and cast members defended the film’s themes of kindness, morality, and inclusion.

    Coverage and Analysis:

    superman

    July 20, 2025, 9:25 pm 0 boosts 0 favorites

    I’ve been a big Superman fan since childhood. I’ve seen all the Superman movies and TV shows, and read the comics as a kid. I’m looking forward to seeing the latest Superman film today, and I’ll update this with my reflections afterward. But first, I wanted to share my thoughts on the latest right-wing freak-out: the horror of Superman being portrayed as “woke,” and—brace yourself—an illegal immigrant!

    Critics are melting down over a fictional alien from another planet who, by definition, would’ve entered Earth illegally. After all, there were no U.S. embassies on Krypton to process his visa—and even if there had been, what immigrant category could possibly fit? There’s no superhero visa (although there is a supermodel category—thanks, Melania Trump). The closest might be the “extraordinary ability” visa, which, to be fair, Superman would certainly qualify for.

    📽️ Live-Action Films (Selected Highlights):

    Bold indicates I have seen it

    • Superman (1978) – Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman
    • Superman II (1980) – Reeve, Kidder, Terence Stamp
    • Superman III (1983), Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987)
    • Superman Returns (2006) – Brandon Routh, Kevin Spacey
    • Man of Steel (2013) – Henry Cavill, Amy Adams
    • Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017)
    • Superman (2025) – David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, Nicholas Hoult

    📺 TV Shows:

    • Adventures of Superman (1952–1958) – George Reeves
    • Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993–1997) – Dean Cain
    • Smallville (2001–2011) – Tom Welling
    • Supergirl (2015–2021) – Melissa Benoist
    • Superman & Lois (2021–2024) – Tyler Hoechlin
    • My Adventures with Superman (2023–present) – Jack Quaid (voice)

    📚 Comics:

    • First appearance: Action Comics #1 (1938) by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
    • Notable arcs: All-Star Superman, Superman: Red Son, Superman: Birthright, The Death of Superman, Superman: Year One

    🗣️ Iconic Quotes from Superman Lore

    • “It’s not an S. On my world, it means hope.” – Man of Steel
    • “I’m here to fight for truth and justice.” – Superman (1978)
    • “You will give the people an ideal to strive towards.” – Jor-El, Man of Steel
    • “They can be a great people, Kal-El. They only lack the light to show the way.” – Jor-El, Superman (1978)
    • “I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard…” – Justice League Unlimited

    More quotes and analysis:

    📚 Literary Reputation

    Superman is widely regarded as the archetype of the American superhero—an immigrant, a moral compass, and a symbol of hope. Created by Jewish immigrants during the rise of fascism in Europe, his story has always carried political undertones. Scholars and critics have long interpreted Superman as a metaphor for assimilation, resistance, and idealism.

    🔥 2025 Controversy: “Superwoke” Superman?

    The latest Superman film directed by James Gunn has sparked backlash from right-wing commentators who accuse it of being “too woke.” Key points of contention:

    • Gunn described Superman as “an immigrant,” which critics like Fox News and Ben Shapiro interpreted as political messaging.
    • The film features Superman intervening in a fictional war between Boravia and Jarhanpur, which some viewers saw as a metaphor for Israel and Gaza.
    • Fox News labeled the film “Superwoke,” with Kellyanne Conway saying audiences don’t want to be “lectured.”
    • Gunn and cast members defended the film’s themes of kindness, morality, and inclusion.

    Coverage and Analysis:

  • More Movie Madness

    More Movie Madness

    More Movie Madness

    Movie Watching Goals 2025

     

    This is my movie madness   list for 2025 and contains a lists of everything I have seen and lots of us lists of recommended movies.  I have seen many of them but not all.

    i plan on updating this every month or so I get daily updates.

     

    Enjoy

     

    Oscars 2025: Predicting The Nominees & Winners Of All 23 Categories

    Movies 2025 Including Oscar Reflections

    osmos Movies TV Programs 2024 Lis

    tMaster Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    movies master list

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    2024 K Drama Updates

    Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    250+ Movies/TV Series/Plays/Big News coverage, YouTube documentaries, etc. by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie every so often

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie every so often

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, rom-com, etc.

    Make a list of Oscar movies and watch several

    Resume going to the theater

    Two to three live theater performances

    List major news coverage and events

    List YouTube documentaries

    List Great Courses – do one course per month on average

    When traveling to the US, watch ten movies each trip, including one Bollywood, one Spanish, three to four blockbusters, one classic, one comedy

    News

     

     

     

     

    1. 1 NYE coverage
    2. 2 Coverage of Yoon arrest drama
    3. Coverage of Johnson’s election for Speaker
    4. 4 Coverage of NYE terror bombings
    5. 5 Coverage of Trump’s inauguration
    6. Coverage of Korean Air Crash
    7. Coverage of Trump’s first 100 days
    8. CNN/BBC news forecasts for the year
    9. NN coverage of Trump’s Indictment
    10. CNN coverage of Carter Funeral
    11. CNN coverage of President Trump’s first 100 days
    12. CNN coverage of LA fires
    13. President Biden’s Farewell Adress
    14. Senate confirmation hearings
    15. CNN coverage of Trump’s inaugural address
    16. News coverage of President Yoon’s trial
    17. Continuing coverage of Korean Impeachment trials
    18. Coverage on the DOGE commission and government cutbacks
    19. Jimmy Kimble
    20. Stephen Colbert
    21. The Daily Show
    22. Rachael Maddow Show coverage of ongoing protests
    23. The Last Word Show coverage of ongoing protests
    24. The Break Show coverage of ongoing protests
    25. The Inside show coverage of on-going protests
    26. Politics Nation coverage of ongoing protests
    27. CNN and MSNBC coverage of Signal Gate
    28. Democracy Now on Elon Musk’s Apartheid Roots
    29. Coverage of Yoon’s removal from office
    30. Coverage of Trump’s Liberation Day
    31. TV Coverage of Korean Election
    32. Continued coverage of US trade war and possible recession

     

    Great Courses -Other online courses

     

    1. Great Courses and other online courses
    2. Great Course French Revolution
    3. French Revolution se
    4. Mod Pod Mod Pod plus September – November

     

    God Pod

     

    1. GOD Pod Yes, You Are In Hell
    2. God pod “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God
    3. God Pod ‘ Eggs and up 37 percent and it is only day two of Trump 2.0
    4. GOD Podcast Pete H Must Resign

     

     

    1. Y Files/Other You Tube Documentaries
    2. Y Files Martian Mysteries
    3. Why Files on the End-of-the-World
    4. You Tube video magnetic pole shifting
    5. You Tube video magnetic pole shifting
    6. You Tube video – ancient map of America found
    7. How to survive an Alien Invasion
    8. What if Octopuses are aliens

     

    City Nerd documentaries

     

    1. City Nerd
    2. You Tube city Nerd on Houston
    3. You Tube City Nerd on high-speed trains coming to America?

     

    Sports

     

    1. Superbowl
    2. World Series

     

    January

     

    1. Marry You? K Rom-com
    2. Arthdal Chronicles (K pre-historical fantasy drama) Season One
    3. Arthdal Chronicles (K pre-historical fantasy drama) Season Two See review
    4. Check in Hangyang (K rom com)
    5. Farscape selected episodes seen half earlier on Amazon – hard to navigate the episode list though watching on Kanopy to finish episodes not seen
    6. Father Brown – will watch more episodes 122 total – too many to watch see review
    7. Allenoid Part One K Sci-Fi Drama
    8. Allenoid Part Two K Sci-Fi Drama
    9. Dog Days K Drama
    10. Back in Action CIA thriller
    11. I Feel Pretty US comedy
    12. Missing Harbin Corbin mini-series
    13. Run On

     

    February

     

    1. February
    2. Triangle of Sadness German Satire
    3. Oscars
    4. Hitman K Drama
    5. God Pod ‘ Eggs and up 37 percent and it is only day two of Trump 2.0’
    6. Amazon Bullseye K comedy drama
    7. Scam K Drama
    8. Simple History Secret History of North Korea
    9. Kill Room crime satire – did not finish
    10. Doubt K Drama Series
    11. The Boys K Drama /
    12. When the Phone Rang
    13. Bogota Lost City K Drama
    14. Silent Project K Drama
    15. Fiery Priest K drama seriesLa dolce villa romcom set in Italy B+
    16. Apple Cider Vinegar – a true story about Belle Gibson case that rocked the international wellness movement in 2017 based on a true story in Australia
    17. Dr Yohan K Medical Drama
    18. Policeman’s Lineage K police drama
    19. Trunk K drama did not finish
    20. Love in the Big City featuring a woman and her gay best friend K drama – the decent movie actually

     

    March

     

    1. Highway Men – about the taking down of Bonnie and Clyde based on the true story.
    2. Maestro
    3. Farscape Season 1, 2 and 3
    4. State of the Union
    5. Great Course History of the Roman Empire
    6. Electric State
    7. Alien Rising
    8. The last airbender
    9. Assimilation
    10. Shirley Temple Returns to Oz
    11. MY Octous Teacher
    12. Madness thriller series

     

     

    April

     

    1. Farside Saeason two 2
    2. Farside Season 3
    3. Farside Season 4
    4. When Life Gives You Tangerines (Korean Title: 폭싹 속았수다

    Romanized: Pokssak Sokatsuda K Drama series

    1. Karma: 악연
    2. You Tube Where to Find Wolves in the US
    3. You Tube What exinct animals may still be around?
    4. Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning 2023 Sequel note seen yet

    107.            NASA Spots Strange Object Circling the Sun

    1. UFO Report Polish TV series
    2. Black Mirror New Seasons Uncommon People Episode
    3. Black Mirror New Seasons Hotel Reverie

     

    May

     

    1. VIP K Drama

     

    One art show

    One concert

    One movie

     

    ON plane – write on line journal on phone

    Pick four to six movies

    Two Oscar picks

     

    ‘The Brutalist’

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    One more thriller

    One more comedy

    One Spanish or Bollywood

     

    June

    One movie in theather

    One or two Wolf trap

    One or two movies in theather

    One life theather event

    One other concert

    Two or three trips to Smithsonian including African American and American Indian museum if they remain open while we are there

    Trip to Philadeplia NYC Boston?

    July

    Two movies in theather

    Two OSF

    On Oregon Cabaret

    One Criteron broadway

    Two concert at Britt Festival

    One to two movies on the plane

    Buy day pass

     

    August

     

    Trip to Bay area

     

    Asian Art Museum

    Berkeley art Musuem

    De Young Musuem

    Oakland musuem

    SF Moma

     

    September

     

    ON plane – write on line journal on phone

    Pick four to six movies

    Two Oscar picks

    ‘The Brutalist’

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    One more thriller

    One more comedy

    One Spanish or Bollywood

     

    October

    November

    One to two movies on the plane

    Buy day pass

     

    December

    Oscar List

    Oscar nominations 2025: The full list of movies, actors and directors

    Find all the nominations below:

    Best Picture

    Bolded watched

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    I’m Still Here

    Nickel Boys

    The Substance

    Wicked

     

    ‘The Brutalist’

    Best Director

    Sean Baker – Anora

    Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

    James Mangold – A Complete Unknown

    Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

    Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

    Best Actress in a Leading Role

    Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

    Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

    Mikey Madison – Anora

    Demi Moore – The Substance

    Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

    Best Actor in a Leading Role

    Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

    Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

    Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

    Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

    Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

    Best Actress in a Supporting Role

    Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown

    Ariana Grande – Wicked

    Felicity Jones – The Brutalist

    Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

    Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

    Best Actor in a Supporting Role

    Yura Borisov – Anora

    Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

    Edward Norton – A Complete Uknown

    Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

    Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

    Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    A Real Pain

    September 5

    The Substance

    Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Nickel Boys

    Sing Sing

    Best International Feature Film

    I’m Still Here

    The Girl with the Needle

    Emilia Pérez

    The Seed of the Sacred Fig

    Flow

    Best Animated Feature Film

    Flow

    Inside Out 2

    Memoir of a Snail

    Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

    The Wild Robot

    Best Documentary Feature

    Black Box Diaries

    No Other Land

    Porcelain War

    Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

    Sugarcane

    Best Film Editing

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    Best Cinematography

    The Brutalist

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    Maria

    Nosferatu

    ’Nosferatu’ received three Oscar nominations in the technical categories (© 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

     

    Best Music (Original Score)

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    The Wild Robot

    Best Music (Original Song)

    “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez

    “The Journey” – The Six Triple Eight

    “Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

    “Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez

    “Never Too Late” – Elton John: Never Too Late

    Best Sound

    A Complete Unknown

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    The Wild Robot

    Best Visual Effects

    Alien: Romulus

    Better Man

    Dune: Part 2

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

    Wicked

    Best Production Design

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    Nosferatu

    Wicked

    ‘Conclave’ has received eight Oscar nominations (Philippe Antonello/Focus Features)

    Best Costume Design

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Gladiator II

    Nosferatu

    Wicked

    Best Makeup and Hairstyling

    A Different Man

    Emilia Pérez

    Nosferatu

    The Substance

    Wicked

    Best Animated Short Film

    Beautiful Men

    In the Shadow of the Cypress

    Magic Candies

    Wander to Wonder

    Yuck!

    Best Live Action Short Film

    A Lien

    Anuja

    I’m Not a Robot

    The Last Ranger

    The Man Who Would Not Remain Silent

    Documentary Short Film

    Death by Numbers

    I Am Ready, Warden

    Incident

    Instruments of a Beating Heart

    The Only Girl in the Orchestra

     

     

    The Oscars at Our House 2025

    Has Hollywood lost its way?

    Roy Dufrain Jr
     
    		 

    Note:  Roy is my college housemate.  He has been writing an annual list of his Oscar recommendations for over 20 years. I respect his writing and his recommendations.  This is the third year I have reposted it.

    You can find his work on substack.

    the 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    More Roy Dufrain Writing

    Roy Dufrain Updates

    guest post by Roy Dufraine

    Once again, Mrs D and I have endeavored to see as many Best Picture nominees as possible, given availability and other constraints. We’ve been doing this now for over 20 years. When we started there were still only five nominees. Since 2009, it’s been ten, and this year we saw eight, and I’ll say again, the Academy never should’ve increased the limit. Not just because it’s hard for fans to see them all, but because some of these movies are simply not worthy of the honor. Especially this year!

    Still, it’s Oscar time and it’s a tradition here! Pick your favorites, put on your tuxedoes and sparkly gowns (or in our case, your comfiest PJs), kick back with some soda and butter-soaked popcorn, wow or hiss the latest red carpet fashions, jeer or cheer the awkward, fawning interviews, predict the winners, pat yourself on the back when you’re right and blame woke Hollywood when you’re wrong!

    Anyway, for what it’s worth, here’s what I thought…

    ROY DUFRAIN JR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    Upgrade to paid

    Anora – A tale of stupid people doing terrible things stupidly. A whole lot of yelling and screwing failed to make this movie interesting. The nearly feral, selfish youth, the servile, bickering and bumbling Armenians, the contemptible ultra-rich Russians, the ‘dancer’ who accepts payment for sex but insists she’s not a hooker. The constant f-bombs. It all seemed over the top—grasping for gritty realism but approaching absurdity. So what.

    The Brutalist – A worthy subject, an intriguing and complicated lead character masterfully brought to life by a supremely talented star, an epic arc of struggle and redemption, a span of decades and locations wonderfully rendered visually and in historical references. And yet, I fell asleep. Had to finish the movie the next day. It’s brutally long and slow. Three and a half hours! Couldn’t trim even a half hour out of that? Come on.

    A Complete Unknown – Mrs D and I agreed this was easily and by far the best picture of the nominees we saw. I’m not sure it will stand the test of time as a ‘great’ movie, but it was full of great acting. Timothée Chalamet should win best actor for his amazing and mesmerizing recreation of Dylan’s musical performance and presence. Co-stars Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton should win their categories for the same reasons. The evocation of the time period through set design and other techniques was immersive and entertaining. Of the best-pic noms we’ve seen, this is the only one I’m sure I will watch again.

    Conclave – I really liked this movie at first. It seemed like a taut, understated political intrigue, with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a hidden world—the election of a new pope. But I felt let down by the wild twist at the end. Not being a fan of the Catholic Church, I kind of enjoyed the irony of it, but I found the details strained credibility as presented. By chance I had just read an article about the many possible combinations of chromosomes that occur naturally in humans. So I didn’t doubt that, but it seemed so unlikely the person in question would have ever risen to a high position in the Catholic Church, or that any real circumstance could have resulted in the ending of this film. I just didn’t buy it.

    Dune Part Two – I read the book so many years ago that I remembered nothing of it. We saw Part One last year and were a bit lost throughout. So, we watched a couple YouTube summary videos, but then we still watched Part One before pushing play on Part Two. We both thought the investment of time paid off. It helped us sink into the films, with their long list of characters and multiple story threads. I’d rank this as the second best of the nominees. Stunning visuals and the kind of classic, epic storytelling that reminds me of Tolkien or Star Wars.

    Emilia Pérez – Lots of negative talk about the star of this one—whatever. I’d like to see it, but I don’t have Netflix right now and my wallet is already suffering from subscription fatigue.

    I’m Still Here – The trailer for this one looks really interesting, but the film has not been released for streaming as of this date.

    Nickel Boys – I’m not sure if the sheer volume of artsy techniques and effects (or affects?) were always in service of the storytelling in this film. It felt overwrought. All the weird shot angles, the square formatting, the ringing headache soundtrack, the time jumping and the gimmicky point of view thing, especially those back of head shots—I found it interesting but distracting, and wondered if anyone in Hollywood can just tell a story anymore.

    The Substance – I’m honestly not sure if it’s a comedy gone wrong or a drama gone wrong, but boy did it suck! If it had a point it was made in the first ten minutes and then beat to death for two more hours, and in the most gruesome fashion imaginable. Jesus, how is this nominated for anything?! How did it even get made?! It’s a perfect example of why many people say Hollywood has lost the ability to make great movies.

    Wicked – Loved the book! Never saw the play. The movie did not capture the wonder and delight I remember feeling at the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of the book. The set design and effects were impressive, the vocal talent at times astounding. But I couldn’t help feeling like I was watching a bad episode of Glee with all the cliché mean girl vs. Cinderella stuff. Also, a musical ought to leave you humming or singing a chorus or two on your way out the door. Think: If I Were a Rich Man, Papa Can You Hear Me, I Feel Pretty, Don’t Rain on My Parade, on and on. Wicked is more like sung dialogue but not one catchy, hummable tune. Meh.

    Honorable Shoutout

    A Real Pain – Should have been nominated. Thoughtful and thought provoking, just funny enough to lighten the weight of the relationships on view, among the characters themselves but also between the characters and the history they are interfacing with. And extremely well played by both Jesse Eisenberg and Macaulay Culkin, making these characters feel real and their oddball behavior believable.

    Something to Think About

    After the news of the great Gene Hackman’s death, Roy Sr, Mrs D and I all watched Unforgiven the other night, and enjoyed it immensely even though we’ve all seen it more than twice. Everything a Best Picture winner ought to be and then some. Not one of the 2024 movies even comes close.

    ROY DUFRAIN JR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

     

     

    2024

     

     

    The List

     

    Numerical List

     

    1.    Confession  K Drama A-

    2.    Love In The Villa A

    3.    Love At First Sight A

    4.    Collectors K Drama B

    5.    The Spy Gone North B K Drama

    6.    Goodbye Mr. Black K Drama Did Not Finish

    7.    My Demon Love K Drama  Did Not Finish

    8.    My Annoying Brother K Drama B

    9.    Me And Me K Drama B

    10. Bodies British Sci-Fi B

    11. October Faction Vampire series

    12. Katyal Sci-Fi series

    13. Glass Onion Knives Out B

    14. Obliteration  US Series C Did Not Finish

    15. Squid Game Season International Did Not Finish

    16. Squid Game Season Two Korean Series Finished

    17. Fair Play   B-1 Is A Bit Too Violent And Dark

    18. In The Cold Netflix Series B

    19. Leave The World Behind Lots Of Stars But A Meh

    20. Gyesang Creature K Drama Part One

    21. Gyesang Creature K Drama Part Two B

    22. Manifest Season Four -Finished Series

    23. Stray UK Drama B

    24. Wednesday B

    25. Pretty Woman Classic Richard Gere/Julia Roberts A

    26. Somebody K Drama B

    27. Superbowl

    28. The Devil Plan Was Too Complicated To Follow K Drama

    29. Night Agent  A

    30. VIP K Drama B

    31. Destined With You K Drama

    32. My Annoying Brother K Drama  B

    33. Spy Gone North Did Not Finish K Drama

    34. Catering Christmas Gala B

    35. Watcher B

    36. Millionaire First Love K Drama A

    37. Lift Heist Movie American Meh

    38. Hyenna K Legal Drama A

    39. Badlands Hunters  K Drama  Post-Apocalypse Drama A

    40. Captivating The King K Historical Drama A

    41. Doctor Slump K Drama  B

    42. The Trip Norwegian Dark Drama B

    43. Taken K Drama Movie B

    44. The Swindler K Drama Movie A

    45. Everything Happens Everywhere At Once Hoopla A  Best Picture 2023

    46. A Transformers  Compang TV B

    47. Golden Holliday K Movie Compang TV B

    48. Peacekeeper  B

    49. Knock On The Cabin  B

    50. Oppenheimer – Documentary – Not The Movie

    51. Don’t Buy The Seller K Drama  B

    52. Tourist Love Affair Cute But Predictable Filmed In Vietnam B

    53. The Dude In Me K Drama Is Cute  A

    54. Black Phone B

    55. Rebel Moon US Film Part One

    56. Rebel Moon US Film Part Two

    57. Silent Sea K Sci-Fi Series

    58. The Order  US Werewolf/Vampire Occult Thriller Series

    59. Warrior Nuns

    60. Single In Seoul K Movie B

    61. Secret Obsession American Movie B

    62. Age Of Adeline A

    63. In From The Cold C

    64. Trip B

    65. Try To Kill Me I Dare You Polish Movie B

    66. Lee Kiwon K Movie About NK Refugees In Belgium

    67. Chronicle Sci-Fi Meh  C

    68. Young Police K Drama B

    69. Sweat And Sour K Drama B

    70. Happiness For Beginners US Drama B

    71. Catering Christmas US Drama B

    72. The Gentlemen British TV Crime Series

    73. Killer Paradox K Crime Drama

    74. Queen Of Tears K Rom-Com Tbc

    75. Keeping Up With The Jones American Spy Comedy B

    76. Little Woman    British Is Based On The Classic Novel I Just Finished Reading

    77. Damsel  American

    78. Secret Obsession US Film

    79. In The Shadow Of The Moon

    80. Tourist Guide To Love B+

    81. Art Of Love – Did Not Finish

    82. Three-Body Problem A Chinese Sci-Fi

    83. Paradise K Drama

    84. Awake US

    85. You Netflix Series B

    86. Night Teeth US

    87. Physical Season One K Reality TV Show

    88. Physical Second Season K Reality TV Show

    89. Parasite The Grey Korean Version Of Body Snatchers

    90. The Signal German Sci-Fi B

    91. Dark German Sci-Fi A

    92. Chicken Nugget Silly K Drama Did Not Finish

    93. Oppenheimer A Oscar Winner 2024

    94. Lady Chatterley’s Lover TBC

    95. Ripley  A

    96. Last Days Of Earth K SF Drama – Did Not Finish

    97. No Hard Feelings US Romcom B

    98. Brazen B

    99. Brigands K Drama  C Did Not Finish

    100.               Lost Phone K Crime Thriller Repeated B

    101.               Downsizing B+

    102.               The Day I Died Undisclosed Case K Drama  B

    103.               Unfrosted K Drama Bit Disappointing

    104.               Frankly Speaking K Drama  B

    105.               A Werewolf Boy K Drama Remake Of A French Movie  B

    106.               A Typical Family K Drama About A Scheming Family  B

    107.               Tidal Wave – Did Not Finish

    108.               12 12 – Day B D Drama About Chun Dohan’s Rise To Power – Which I Lived Through In 1979.

    109.               Mother Of The Bride B

    110.               Bring Me Home K Drama About Child Abuse B

    111.               Tutor K Drama B

    112.               Big Fat Greek Wedding Part 1 Seen Years Ago

    113.               Big Fat Greek Wedding Part  Part 2 Seen Years Ago

    114.               Big Fat Greek Wedding, Part 3

    115.               In The Depth Of The Ocean  US Drama

    116.               Mr. Zoo K Drama  B

    117.               88 Minutes US Drama

    118.               Artificial City B

    119.               Keys To The Heart K Drama A

    120.               Hit And Run Squad K Drama

    121.               Love Struck In The City K Drama Did Not Finish

    122.               Don’t Steel The Foggy Mountain Treasure B-1

    123.               Sweet And Sour K Drama  B

    124.               Hustle US Drama

    125.               Daily Dose Of Sunshine K Drama Series

     

    On Plane To US

     

    126.               Aquarman And The Lost Kingdom

    127.               King Kong V Godzilla

    128.               The Killing Of Flower Moon

    129.               Barbie

     

     

    Oregon

     

    130.               Atlas

     

    131.               Atypical Family Swedish Drama

    132.               War Of The Worlds Extinction Fubar

    133.               Adams Family Re-Run On Pluto TV

    134.               Beverley Hillbillies Re-Run On Pluto TV

    135.               Military Prosecutor Doberman K Drama Featuring A Really Bad Ass Female Lead

    136.               Fall Out Amazon

    137.               Andromeda Free TV

    138.               Hierarchy  K Drama  Rich Teenagers Plotting

    139.               Hit Man

    140.               Flower Of Evil K Drama

    141.               Reflection Of You K Drama

    142.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) Real Life

    143.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) Autofa

    144.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) This Is Human

    145.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode)

    146.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Crazy Diamond

    147.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams  The Hood Maker

    148.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams  Father Thing

    149.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams The Impossible Planet

    150.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams The Commuter

    151.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Kills All Others

    152.               Miss Night And Day K Drama Comedy

    153.               Republican Convention

    154.               Biden-Trump Debate

    155.               Far Scape  US Sci-Fi Classic Amazon

    156.                Universe Spider Woman Drama B

    157.               Love Next Door K Drama

    158.               Romance In The House  K Drama

    159.               DNC

    160.               Union  American Spy Movie – Not Bad

    161.               All Good Things Based On True Crime Stories Not Bad

    162.               Frogs K Murder Mystery Series

    163.               Dune Earlier Version

    164.               Coming Blackout Right-Wing Paranoia Docudrama Commercial Youtube

    165.               The Deliverance – Too Scary

    166.               Discovery Of Witches

    167.               Wolverine And Dead Pool Medford Cinemax

    168.               Jane Eyre OSF

    169.               The Silurian Hypothesis Youtube Documentary

    170.               Harris Trump Debate

    171.               Perfect Couple US Murder Mystery Series

    172.               Green Tea Extra YouTube Documentary

    173.               Why Is Marijuana Illegal YouTube Documentary

    174.               Discovery Of Witches Vampire Witches US Series

    175.               Spaccell British Black Sci-Fi Series

    176.               25 23 K Drama Did Not Finish

    177.               Influencer Challenge K Reality TV

    178.               Culinary Class War K Reality TV

    179.               Spencer Confidential US Crime Comedy

    180.               The Signal K Crime Series

    181.               What Are Some Surprises Being Found On Jupiter YouTube Short

    182.               Bad Boys Ride For Life Or Die

    183.               Kamala Harris On Steven Colbert

    184.               Tim Walz On Steven Colbert

    185.               Tim Walz On Jimmy Kimble

    186.               Virtuous Business K Drama

    187.               Outer Banks Season 3

    188.               Backstreet Rookie  K Drama Series

    189.               Run-On  K Drama Series

    190.               Letter From God God Pod -We Want The Black President

    191.               Where NASA Believes Extraterrestrial Life Is Found In The Outer Solar System

    192.               Family Pack YouTube Movie

    193.               The Host YouTube Movie

    194.               War Of The World BBC Series New To Me

    195.               Don’t Move

    196.               World Series 2024

    197.               Beverly Hills Cops Alert

    198.               Logan Lucky

    199.               Look Both Ways

    200.               Tarot

    201.               Spaccell Uk Sci-Fi Series

    202.               The Whirlwind K Drama

    203.               Killing Eve

    204.               Spenser

    205.               365 Days

    206.               Time Cut  Sci-fi

    207.               The Gray Man James Bond Wanna Be Movie

    208.               The Influencers K Reality

    209.               Pixels

    210.               Election Coverage

    211.               Ten Trendy US Cities -Citynerd Youtube

    212.               Find Me Falling US Romcom Set In Cyprus

    213.               The Frog  K Drama

    214.               Vagabond K Drama

    215.               The Little Things

    216.               American Assasin

    217.               Frankly Speaking K Drama

    218.               Letter From God What Happened?

    219.               Mechanic

    220.               Misfits

    221.               Wicked In Medford Theater

    222.               Why Files Adam And Eve Story Youtube Documentary

    223.               Just Go For It Did Not Finish

    224.               Mr. Plankton K Drama

    225.               Dangerous Lies Did Not Finish

    226.               Wild Wild West  Documentary About The Ranesh Case

    227.               White Sky Forgettable Zombie Movie  Tubi

    228.               Last Seen Alive Thriller  2024 Thriller

    229.               Predestination Time Travel Thriller

    230.               Arkansas Noir Thriller

    231.               Top Ten Countries Americans Are Not Welcomed

    232.                Great Courses History Of Roman Empire – Goal One Course Per Month

    233.               A Simple Favor Is A Good Thriller

    234.               When The Phone Rings K Drama

    235.               Your Lucky Day Is An Intense Crime Drama

    236.               Father Figures Good Comedy

    237.               Afraid Chilling Movie About The Future Of AI

     

    Father Brown – see separate listing for synopsis and my commentary

     

    238.               Father Brown BBC Series The Hammer Of God

    239.                Father Brown BBC Series  The Ghost In The Machine

    240.               Father Brown BBC Series   The Madness Of All

    241.               Father Brown The Pride Of The Pryde

    242.               Father Brown The Shadow Of The Scaffold

     

    On Plane

    243.                   Blink Twice B

    244.                   Dune B

    245.                   Ghostbusters B

    246.                   Beetlejuice B

    247.                   Fly Me To Moon B

    248.                   The Strangers C

     

    Back In Korea

     

    249.               Run On K Drama Series

    250.               Captivating King K Drama Series

    251.               Chief Of Staff K Drama Series

    252.               The Visitor Hoopla

    253.               What If Return Of The Ice Age You Tube Short Documentary

    254.               Tenet SCIFi Netflix B

    255.               Fall Guy Netflix B

    256.               Trunk K Drama  Series

    257.               Reptile US Crime Drama

    258.               Beef Asian Immigrants In LA

    259.               Silente Sea K Sci-Fi Series

    260.               The Last Lovecraft Relic Of Cthulu Hoopla

    261.               The History Of The Roman Empire Great Course Course

    262.               Carry On US Movie

    263.               It’s What Inside Did Not Finish

    264.               Bringing Back Extinct Animals Short YouTube Documentary

    265.               Slyth Thai Sci-Fi Did Not Finish It  – I Understood Some Of The Dialogue But Not Much C

    266.               Count Down To Jerusalem Movie  C

    267.               Pilot K Comedy  B Movie

    268.               Check-In Hanyang K Drama

    269.               The Hunt Did Not Finish US Drama

    270.               Trouble Swedish Drama  C

    271.               Robert Reich’s Ten Economic Myths Debunked

    272.               Squid Game 2  B

    273.               Squid Game International Game  C

    274.               NYE coverage

    275.               Yoon Impeachment news coverage

    276.               NYE terror attack coverage

    277.               CNN Best and Worst of the Year

    278.               BBC end of the Year Coverage

     

     

     

     

     

    Oscar Winners

     

    Bold –  Seen

     

    Last Year Everything All At Once

     

     

    BEST PICTURE

    American Fiction
    Anatomy Of A Fall
    Barbie
    The Holdovers
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Past Lives
    Poor Things
    The Zone Of Interest

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest
    Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Martin Scorsese, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Justine Triet, Anatomy Of A Fall

    BEST ACTRESS

    Annette Bening, Nyad
    Lily Gladstone, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Sandra Hüller, Anatomy Of A Fall
    Carey Mulligan, Maestro
    Emma Stone, Poor Things

    BEST ACTOR

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Colman Domingo, Rustin
    Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
    Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
    Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

     

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

     

    Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
    America Ferrera, Barbie
    Jodie Foster, Nyad
    Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
    Robert De Niro, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
    Ryan Gosling, Barbie
    Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Justine Triet And Arthur Harari, Anatomy Of A Fall
    David Hemingson, The Holdovers
    Bradley Cooper And Josh Singer, Maestro
    Samy Burch, May December
    Celine Song, Past Lives

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
    Greta Gerwig And Noah Baumbach, Barbie
    Tony McNamara, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest

    BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

    Io Capitano, Italy
    Perfect Days, Japan
    Society Of The Snow, Spain  On Netflix See
    The Teacher’s Lounge, Germany
    The Zone Of Interest, United Kingdom

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    The Boy And The Heron
    Elemental
    Nimona
    Robot Dreams
    Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    Bobi Wine: The People’s President
    The Eternal Memory
    Four Daughters
    To Kill A Tiger
    20 Days In Mariupol

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    El Conde
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST EDITING

    Anatomy Of A Fall
    The Holdovers
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Barbie
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Napoleon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

    Golda
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things
    Society Of The Snow

    BEST SOUND

    The Creator
    Maestro
    Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One
    Oppenheimer
    The Zone Of Interest

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    The Creator
    Godzilla Minus One
    Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
    Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One
    Napoleon

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Barbie
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Napoleon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST ORIGINAL SONG

    “What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish And Finneas, Barbie
    “I’m Just Ken,” Mark Ronson And Andrew Wyatt, Barbie
    “The Fire Inside,” Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot
    “It Never Went Away,” Jon Batiste, American Symphony
    “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People),” Osage Tribal Singers, Killers Of The Flower Moon

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

    American Fiction
    Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

    The After
    Invincible
    Knight Of Fortune
    Red, White, And Blue
    The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar

    BEST ANIMATED SHORT

    Letter To A Pig
    Ninety-Five Senses
    Our Uniform
    Pachyderm
    War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko

    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

    The ABCs Of Book Banning
    The Barber Of Little Rock
    Island In Between
    The Last Repair Shop
    Nai Nai & Wai Po

     

    More Roy Dufrain Writing

    Roy Dufrain Updates

    guest post by Roy Dufraine

    The 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    THE OSCARS AT OUR HOUSE.

    For more than twenty years now, Mrs D and I have made it an annual quest to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars telecast. This year we saw 9.5 of the 10 movies nominated.

     

    It started in 2000, when there were only five nominees (instead of up to 10 like now) and we usually had to see them in a theater, because they weren’t available to rent on VHS yet. (Yes, I said VHS).

    And we’ve done it every year since, except for 2019 which was interrupted by Mrs D’s infamous extended hospital stay. We have even ventured to other cities to see movies that weren’t playing at the one theater in our little town. I remember seeing Chocolat in Ukiah and more recently The Revenant in Rohnert Park. But now we can usually stream everything, and this year the whole project ran us around a hundred bucks in streaming rentals and purchases on top of our existing subscriptions to Amazon, etc.

     

    Several years ago I started writing about our tradition on Facebook. Now the writeup itself has become part of the deal. As I’ve said before, I’m no film student, nor expert critic. Just a regular dude who loves movies.

    Snap reviews and top picks below.

     

    American Fiction –

     

    Bold, wryly funny, contrarian, with the ring of truth. Brilliantly calls out the publishing industry, where retread tropes seem to trump story, art and insight, particularly when it comes to depictions of Black characters and writers. And I feel like there’s an even larger truth here about the way culture is degraded in general through over-commercialization.

     

    Anatomy of a Fall –

     

    A French film that moves carefully, piece by piece, and manages to be slow and taut at the same time. I found the characters to be inscrutable. I feel like I need to watch again just to see if maybe this time I would fully understand these people. It left me with a suspicion that perhaps all the story’s secrets have still not been revealed, that the resolution we see on the screen is still not the truth of these characters. And, in this case, that ambiguity is a good thing.

     

    Barbie —

     

    Cleverly funny in spots, but also unsubtly preachy in spots, an issue I’ve had with director Greta Gerwig before. But Margot Robbie was perfect and the movie is visually stunning in all its pinkish glory and devoted detail. Still, I think this movie appears in the Best Picture category more on the strength of its perceived politics than its success as an artistic endeavor.

     

    The Holdovers —

     

    A darkly funny, entertaining, and deeply reflective odd couple sort of story that’s enjoyable to watch. Maybe a little out of its league in the Best Picture category, but elevated to a higher status by Paul Giamatti’s performance, which is irresistibly engaging as always. Well worth a second watch.

    Killers of the Flower Moon — Having read the book, I felt the impact of the true part of this story was diminished by the fictionalized part of the movie. Reading the book I was deeply struck by the callous indifference shown toward the humanity of the Osage Indians. It resonated like an echo of Shindler’s List, underlining the incredible and frightening capacity of humans to rationalize literally any behavior in their fear or greed. But the movie revolves around Ernest Burkhardt (Leonardo DiCaprio) and depicts a somewhat tried and true arc of romantic tragedy, a weak-minded man caught up in the schemes of others, pulled along by greed and the need for approval, until he is in the process of killing the only real love he’s ever known. As is often the case, the truth was more complex. And more disturbing.

     

    Maestro –

     

    I usually make a conscious effort to limit my preconceptions of these movies. I don’t read reviews or watch trailers. But it’s hard to avoid a relentless ad campaign like the one mounted for Maestro. I’d seen the rousing TV spots touting the performances and the early awards. But I found the movie depressing, its characterization of Bernstein disappointing and unlikeable. But yes, Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan

    were both outstanding.

     

    Comment:  on my list to watch as I am a big Bernstein fan – one of the best classical composers of the 20th century in my opinion.

     

    Oppenheimer –

     

    Not what I would call a pleasant watch, at times slow and ponderous, even confusing with some of the time jumps. But the acting was so engrossing, immersive, mesmerizing even. Cillian Murphy in the title role was riveting. Robert Downey Jr simply disappeared into the role of Lewis Strauss. Emily Blunt was also captivating as Kitty Oppenheimer. The effects director Christopher Nolan used to heighten the sense of Oppenheimer’s interiority were brilliant and effective.

     

    For example when Oppenheimer steps on a charred corpse that only exists in his tortured, guilty mind. But the lasting impact of this film is the way it echoes in the mind afterward—how sad and terrible and absurd it is that we reckless humans have attained the power to destroy the world. It will probably win Best Picture. And it probably should.

     

    Comment: Also on my must see list

     

    Past Lives –

     

    Eventually, someone had to do a movie like this — an old romance is rekindled through the internet and complications ensue. In this particular case the past romance is an adolescent crush, cut short by one family’s immigration, and later complicated not just by the years, but also by geographic and cultural distance. This one stayed with me, kept me thinking for days afterward about its larger implications regarding fate, destiny, acceptance, grief and closure. Well worth more than one watch.

     

    Poor Things –

     

    Half of this movie was twice as much as I needed. We actually turned it off, extremely rare for us during Oscar season. What we saw played like a terrible excuse for some creepy, gratuitous soft porn. All the weirdness of the sets, costumes, cinematography and makeup felt like a desperate attempt at artistic status. If someone out there actually saw some redeeming value in this thing, feel free to explain in the comments section what I am missing.

     

    The Zone of Interest –

     

    This one’s all in German, with subtitles. But the dialog is sparse and the film’s biggest strength is in the fascinating dichotomy presented in its basic premise. It gives us a window into the surprisingly mundane personal lives of a “normal” family literally in the shadow of Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The sense of cognitive dissonance is alarming.

     

    Honorable Mention

     

    – I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to mention one film that was not even nominated for Best Picture but, in my opinion, should have been. Nyad has wonderful, engaging performances by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, and it’s a suspenseful, satisfying, story of friendship, determination, human spirit, and triumph over the longest odds.

     

    Finally, here are my choices for the top awards.

     

    Don’t worry, the Academy almost always disagrees.

     

    Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Winner

    Actor in a Supporting Role: Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer Winner

    Actress in a Leading Role: Annette Bening, Nyad

    Actress in a Supporting Role: Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer

    Best Picture: Oppenheimer Winner

    Soon it’s time to pop the popcorn, get cozy on the couch, badmouth the fashion and root for your favorites.

    Happy Oscars folks.

     

    here’s the winners

    The 96th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 10, 2024, celebrated outstanding movies released in 2023. Here are some of the notable winners:

    1. Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
    2. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy for his role in “Oppenheimer”
    3. Best Actress: Emma Stone for her performance in “Poor Things”
    4. Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer”
    5. Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers”
    6. Best Director: Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”
    7. Best Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”
    8. Best Original Screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall”
    9. Best Animated Feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
    10. Best Documentary Feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
    11. Best International Feature Film: “The Zone of Interest”
    12. Best Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”
    13. Best Costume Design: “Poor Things”
    14. Best Film Editing: “Oppenheimer”
    15. Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Poor Things”
    16. Best Original Score: “Oppenheimer”
    17. Best Original Song: “Barbie”
    18. Best Production Design: “Poor Things”
    19. Best Sound: “The Zone of Interest”
    20. Best Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
    21. Best Documentary (Short Subject): “The Last Repair Shop”
    22. Best Animated Short Film: “War Is Over!”
    23. Best Live Action Short Film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” 12

     

    2023

     

    The List

     

    Numerical List

     

    279.               Confession  K Drama A-

    280.               Love In The Villa A

    281.               Love At First Sight A

    282.               Collectors K Drama B

    283.               The Spy Gone North B K Drama

    284.               Goodbye Mr. Black K Drama Did Not Finish

    285.               My Demon Love K Drama  Did Not Finish

    286.               My Annoying Brother K Drama B

    287.               Me And Me K Drama B

    288.               Bodies British Sci-Fi B

    289.               October Faction Vampire series

    290.               Katyal Sci-Fi series

    291.               Glass Onion Knives Out B

    292.               Obliteration  US Series C Did Not Finish

    293.               Squid Game Season International Did Not Finish

    294.               Squid Game Season Two Korean Series Finished

    295.               Fair Play   B-1 Is A Bit Too Violent And Dark

    296.               In The Cold Netflix Series B

    297.               Leave The World Behind Lots Of Stars But A Meh

    298.               Gyesang Creature K Drama Part One

    299.               Gyesang Creature K Drama Part Two B

    300.               Manifest Season Four -Finished Series

    301.               Stray UK Drama B

    302.               Wednesday B

    303.               Pretty Woman Classic Richard Gere/Julia Roberts A

    304.               Somebody K Drama B

    305.               Superbowl

    306.               The Devil Plan Was Too Complicated To Follow K Drama

    307.               Night Agent  A

    308.               VIP K Drama B

    309.               Destined With You K Drama

    310.               My Annoying Brother K Drama  B

    311.               Spy Gone North Did Not Finish K Drama

    312.               Catering Christmas Gala B

    313.               Watcher B

    314.               Millionaire First Love K Drama A

    315.               Lift Heist Movie American Meh

    316.               Hyenna K Legal Drama A

    317.               Badlands Hunters  K Drama  Post-Apocalypse Drama A

    318.               Captivating The King K Historical Drama A

    319.               Doctor Slump K Drama  B

    320.               The Trip Norwegian Dark Drama B

    321.               Taken K Drama Movie B

    322.               The Swindler K Drama Movie A

    323.               Everything Happens Everywhere At Once Hoopla A  Best Picture 2023

    324.               A Transformers  Compang TV B

    325.               Golden Holliday K Movie Compang TV B

    326.               Peacekeeper  B

    327.               Knock On The Cabin  B

    328.               Oppenheimer – Documentary – Not The Movie

    329.               Don’t Buy The Seller K Drama  B

    330.               Tourist Love Affair Cute But Predictable Filmed In Vietnam B

    331.               The Dude In Me K Drama Is Cute  A

    332.               Black Phone B

    333.               Rebel Moon US Film Part One

    334.               Rebel Moon US Film Part Two

    335.               Silent Sea K Sci-Fi Series

    336.               The Order  US Werewolf/Vampire Occult Thriller Series

    337.               Warrior Nuns

    338.               Single In Seoul K Movie B

    339.               Secret Obsession American Movie B

    340.               Age Of Adeline A

    341.               In From The Cold C

    342.               Trip B

    343.               Try To Kill Me I Dare You Polish Movie B

    344.               Lee Kiwon K Movie About NK Refugees In Belgium

    345.               Chronicle Sci-Fi Meh  C

    346.               Young Police K Drama B

    347.               Sweat And Sour K Drama B

    348.               Happiness For Beginners US Drama B

    349.               Catering Christmas US Drama B

    350.               The Gentlemen British TV Crime Series

    351.               Killer Paradox K Crime Drama

    352.               Queen Of Tears K Rom-Com Tbc

    353.               Keeping Up With The Jones American Spy Comedy B

    354.               Little Woman    British Is Based On The Classic Novel I Just Finished Reading

    355.               Damsel  American

    356.               Secret Obsession US Film

    357.               In The Shadow Of The Moon

    358.               Tourist Guide To Love B+

    359.               Art Of Love – Did Not Finish

    360.               Three-Body Problem A Chinese Sci-Fi

    361.               Paradise K Drama

    362.               Awake US

    363.               You Netflix Series B

    364.               Night Teeth US

    365.               Physical Season One K Reality TV Show

    366.               Physical Second Season K Reality TV Show

    367.               Parasite The Grey Korean Version Of Body Snatchers

    368.               The Signal German Sci-Fi B

    369.               Dark German Sci-Fi A

    370.               Chicken Nugget Silly K Drama Did Not Finish

    371.               Oppenheimer A Oscar Winner 2024

    372.               Lady Chatterley’s Lover TBC

    373.               Ripley  A

    374.               Last Days Of Earth K SF Drama – Did Not Finish

    375.               No Hard Feelings US Romcom B

    376.               Brazen B

    377.               Brigands K Drama  C Did Not Finish

    378.               Lost Phone K Crime Thriller Repeated B

    379.               Downsizing B+

    380.               The Day I Died Undisclosed Case K Drama  B

    381.               Unfrosted K Drama Bit Disappointing

    382.               Frankly Speaking K Drama  B

    383.               A Werewolf Boy K Drama Remake Of A French Movie  B

    384.               A Typical Family K Drama About A Scheming Family  B

    385.               Tidal Wave – Did Not Finish

    386.               12 12 – Day B D Drama About Chun Dohan’s Rise To Power – Which I Lived Through In 1979.

    387.               Mother Of The Bride B

    388.               Bring Me Home K Drama About Child Abuse B

    389.               Tutor K Drama B

    390.               Big Fat Greek Wedding Part 1 Seen Years Ago

    391.               Big Fat Greek Wedding Part  Part 2 Seen Years Ago

    392.               Big Fat Greek Wedding, Part 3

    393.               In The Depth Of The Ocean  US Drama

    394.               Mr. Zoo K Drama  B

    395.               88 Minutes US Drama

    396.               Artificial City B

    397.               Keys To The Heart K Drama A

    398.               Hit And Run Squad K Drama

    399.               Love Struck In The City K Drama Did Not Finish

    400.               Don’t Steel The Foggy Mountain Treasure B-1

    401.               Sweet And Sour K Drama  B

    402.               Hustle US Drama

    403.               Daily Dose Of Sunshine K Drama Series

     

    On Plane To US

     

    404.               Aquarman And The Lost Kingdom

    405.               King Kong V Godzilla

    406.               The Killing Of Flower Moon

    407.               Barbie

     

     

    Oregon

     

    408.               Atlas

     

    409.               Atypical Family Swedish Drama

    410.               War Of The Worlds Extinction Fubar

    411.               Adams Family Re-Run On Pluto TV

    412.               Beverley Hillbillies Re-Run On Pluto TV

    413.               Military Prosecutor Doberman K Drama Featuring A Really Bad Ass Female Lead

    414.               Fall Out Amazon

    415.               Andromeda Free TV

    416.               Hierarchy  K Drama  Rich Teenagers Plotting

    417.               Hit Man

    418.               Flower Of Evil K Drama

    419.               Reflection Of You K Drama

    420.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) Real Life

    421.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) Autofa

    422.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode) This Is Human

    423.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Real Life (Amazon List Each Episode)

    424.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Crazy Diamond

    425.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams  The Hood Maker

    426.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams  Father Thing

    427.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams The Impossible Planet

    428.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams The Commuter

    429.               Philip K Dick Electric Dreams Kills All Others

    430.               Miss Night And Day K Drama Comedy

    431.               Republican Convention

    432.               Biden-Trump Debate

    433.               Far Scape  US Sci-Fi Classic Amazon

    434.                Universe Spider Woman Drama B

    435.               Love Next Door K Drama

    436.               Romance In The House  K Drama

    437.               DNC

    438.               Union  American Spy Movie – Not Bad

    439.               All Good Things Based On True Crime Stories Not Bad

    440.               Frogs K Murder Mystery Series

    441.               Dune Earlier Version

    442.               Coming Blackout Right-Wing Paranoia Docudrama Commercial Youtube

    443.               The Deliverance – Too Scary

    444.               Discovery Of Witches

    445.               Wolverine And Dead Pool Medford Cinemax

    446.               Jane Eyre OSF

    447.               The Silurian Hypothesis Youtube Documentary

    448.               Harris Trump Debate

    449.               Perfect Couple US Murder Mystery Series

    450.               Green Tea Extra YouTube Documentary

    451.               Why Is Marijuana Illegal YouTube Documentary

    452.               Discovery Of Witches Vampire Witches US Series

    453.               Spaccell British Black Sci-Fi Series

    454.               25 23 K Drama Did Not Finish

    455.               Influencer Challenge K Reality TV

    456.               Culinary Class War K Reality TV

    457.               Spencer Confidential US Crime Comedy

    458.               The Signal K Crime Series

    459.               What Are Some Surprises Being Found On Jupiter YouTube Short

    460.               Bad Boys Ride For Life Or Die

    461.               Kamala Harris On Steven Colbert

    462.               Tim Walz On Steven Colbert

    463.               Tim Walz On Jimmy Kimble

    464.               Virtuous Business K Drama

    465.               Outer Banks Season 3

    466.               Backstreet Rookie  K Drama Series

    467.               Run-On  K Drama Series

    468.               Letter From God God Pod -We Want The Black President

    469.               Where NASA Believes Extraterrestrial Life Is Found In The Outer Solar System

    470.               Family Pack YouTube Movie

    471.               The Host YouTube Movie

    472.               War Of The World BBC Series New To Me

    473.               Don’t Move

    474.               World Series 2024

    475.               Beverly Hills Cops Alert

    476.               Logan Lucky

    477.               Look Both Ways

    478.               Tarot

    479.               Spaccell Uk Sci-Fi Series

    480.               The Whirlwind K Drama

    481.               Killing Eve

    482.               Spenser

    483.               365 Days

    484.               Time Cut  Sci-fi

    485.               The Gray Man James Bond Wanna Be Movie

    486.               The Influencers K Reality

    487.               Pixels

    488.               Election Coverage

    489.               Ten Trendy US Cities -Citynerd Youtube

    490.               Find Me Falling US Romcom Set In Cyprus

    491.               The Frog  K Drama

    492.               Vagabond K Drama

    493.               The Little Things

    494.               American Assasin

    495.               Frankly Speaking K Drama

    496.               Letter From God What Happened?

    497.               Mechanic

    498.               Misfits

    499.               Wicked In Medford Theater

    500.               Why Files Adam And Eve Story Youtube Documentary

    501.               Just Go For It Did Not Finish

    502.               Mr. Plankton K Drama

    503.               Dangerous Lies Did Not Finish

    504.               Wild Wild West  Documentary About The Ranesh Case

    505.               White Sky Forgettable Zombie Movie  Tubi

    506.               Last Seen Alive Thriller  2024 Thriller

    507.               Predestination Time Travel Thriller

    508.               Arkansas Noir Thriller

    509.               Top Ten Countries Americans Are Not Welcomed

    510.                Great Courses History Of Roman Empire – Goal One Course Per Month

    511.               A Simple Favor Is A Good Thriller

    512.               When The Phone Rings K Drama

    513.               Your Lucky Day Is An Intense Crime Drama

    514.               Father Figures Good Comedy

    515.               Afraid Chilling Movie About The Future Of AI

     

    Father Brown – see separate listing for synopsis and my commentary

     

    516.               Father Brown BBC Series The Hammer Of God

    517.                Father Brown BBC Series  The Ghost In The Machine

    518.               Father Brown BBC Series   The Madness Of All

    519.               Father Brown The Pride Of The Pryde

    520.               Father Brown The Shadow Of The Scaffold

     

    On Plane

    521.                   Blink Twice B

    522.                   Dune B

    523.                   Ghostbusters B

    524.                   Beetlejuice B

    525.                   Fly Me To Moon B

    526.                   The Strangers C

     

    Back In Korea

     

    527.               Run On K Drama Series

    528.               Captivating King K Drama Series

    529.               Chief Of Staff K Drama Series

    530.

    531.

    532.

    533.

    534.

    535.

    536.

    537.

    538.

    539.

    540.               The Visitor Hoopla

    541.               What If Return Of The Ice Age You Tube Short Documentary

    542.               Tenet SCIFi Netflix B

    543.               Fall Guy Netflix B

    544.               Trunk K Drama  Series

    545.               Reptile US Crime Drama

    546.               Beef Asian Immigrants In LA

    547.               Silente Sea K Sci-Fi Series

    548.               The Last Lovecraft Relic Of Cthulu Hoopla

    549.               The History Of The Roman Empire Great Course Course

    550.               Carry On US Movie

    551.               It’s What Inside Did Not Finish

    552.               Bringing Back Extinct Animals Short YouTube Documentary

    553.               Slyth Thai Sci-Fi Did Not Finish It  – I Understood Some Of The Dialogue But Not Much C

    554.               Count Down To Jerusalem Movie  C

    555.               Pilot K Comedy  B Movie

    556.               Check-In Hanyang K Drama

    557.               The Hunt Did Not Finish US Drama

    558.               Trouble Swedish Drama  C

    559.               Robert Reich’s Ten Economic Myths Debunked

    560.               Squid Game 2  B

    561.               Squid Game International Game  C

    562.               NYE coverage

    563.               Yoon Impeachment news coverage

    564.               NYE terror attack coverage

    565.               CNN Best and Worst of the Year

    566.               BBC end of the Year Coverage

     

     

     

    Oscar Winners

     

    Bold –  Seen

     

    Last Year Everything All At Once

     

     

    BEST PICTURE

    American Fiction
    Anatomy Of A Fall
    Barbie
    The Holdovers
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Past Lives
    Poor Things
    The Zone Of Interest

    BEST DIRECTOR

    Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest
    Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Martin Scorsese, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Justine Triet, Anatomy Of A Fall

    BEST ACTRESS

    Annette Bening, Nyad
    Lily Gladstone, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Sandra Hüller, Anatomy Of A Fall
    Carey Mulligan, Maestro
    Emma Stone, Poor Things

    BEST ACTOR

    Bradley Cooper, Maestro
    Colman Domingo, Rustin
    Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers
    Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer
    Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction

     

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

     

    Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
    America Ferrera, Barbie
    Jodie Foster, Nyad
    Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers

    BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

    Sterling K. Brown, American Fiction
    Robert De Niro, Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer
    Ryan Gosling, Barbie
    Mark Ruffalo, Poor Things

    BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

    Justine Triet And Arthur Harari, Anatomy Of A Fall
    David Hemingson, The Holdovers
    Bradley Cooper And Josh Singer, Maestro
    Samy Burch, May December
    Celine Song, Past Lives

    BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    Cord Jefferson, American Fiction
    Greta Gerwig And Noah Baumbach, Barbie
    Tony McNamara, Poor Things
    Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer
    Jonathan Glazer, The Zone Of Interest

    BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

    Io Capitano, Italy
    Perfect Days, Japan
    Society Of The Snow, Spain  On Netflix See
    The Teacher’s Lounge, Germany
    The Zone Of Interest, United Kingdom

    BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

    The Boy And The Heron
    Elemental
    Nimona
    Robot Dreams
    Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

    BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    Bobi Wine: The People’s President
    The Eternal Memory
    Four Daughters
    To Kill A Tiger
    20 Days In Mariupol

    BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

    El Conde
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST EDITING

    Anatomy Of A Fall
    The Holdovers
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN

    Barbie
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Napoleon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST HAIR AND MAKEUP

    Golda
    Maestro
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things
    Society Of The Snow

    BEST SOUND

    The Creator
    Maestro
    Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One
    Oppenheimer
    The Zone Of Interest

    BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

    The Creator
    Godzilla Minus One
    Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
    Mission: Impossible—Dead Reckoning Part One
    Napoleon

    BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Barbie
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Napoleon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST ORIGINAL SONG

    “What Was I Made For?”, Billie Eilish And Finneas, Barbie
    “I’m Just Ken,” Mark Ronson And Andrew Wyatt, Barbie
    “The Fire Inside,” Diane Warren, Flamin’ Hot
    “It Never Went Away,” Jon Batiste, American Symphony
    “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People),” Osage Tribal Singers, Killers Of The Flower Moon

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

    American Fiction
    Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny
    Killers Of The Flower Moon
    Oppenheimer
    Poor Things

    BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT

    The After
    Invincible
    Knight Of Fortune
    Red, White, And Blue
    The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar

    BEST ANIMATED SHORT

    Letter To A Pig
    Ninety-Five Senses
    Our Uniform
    Pachyderm
    War Is Over! Inspired By The Music Of John & Yoko

    BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

    The ABCs Of Book Banning
    The Barber Of Little Rock
    Island In Between
    The Last Repair Shop
    Nai Nai & Wai Po

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

     

     

     2022

     

     

    January

    Emily In Paris Netflix B

    Super Eight Stephen Spielberg B

    Black Money K Drama B

    Extreme Job  K Drama B

    Freaks Netflix C

    Dune World (Not The Dune) C

    Assimilation – Invasion Of Body Snatchers Remake Hoopla C

    Power Play (Hoopla) C

    Constantine Netflix  C

    Ozark Season 4 B

    Cowboy Bebop SF Netflix K Star But Not K Drama  A

    Freaks

     

    February

     

    We Are All Going To Die K Zombie Drama A

    Babysitter Killer Queen C

    Haebing 2017 The Thaw K Drama  B

    Area 51 Hoopla  C

    Nine Teeth Vampire Movie  C

    Chosen  B Netflix Danish SF

    Dark  B  Netflix German SF

    The Power Of The Dog C Oscar Nominee

     

    See Review

     

    Bright  With Will Smith B SF

    Kin B Netflix

     

     

    March

     

    88 Minutes B

    Shadow And Bone  B+

    Locke And Key Season 2 B

    The Adam Project B

    Dark Crab – Sweedish Movie B

    Once Upon A Time In Hollywood B

    Alice In Borderland

    Warrior Nun

    Tulip Fever

    Army Of The Dead B

    Army Of Thieves   C

    Glitch Australian Series

     

     

     

     

    April

     

    Dark German SF  B

    Our Blues  K Drama A

    Juvenile Justice K Drama B

    Knight Day C

    Rebecca  B

    Phantom Thread C

    Behind Her Eyes B

    Jumangi B

    The Dark Tower B

    I Frankenstein B

    Tau B

    Silent Sea  K Drama B

    Night Flyer B

    El Camino Sequel To Breaking Bad B

    Rainy Day In New York -Woody Allen B

    My Liberation Notes

    Our Blues

    My Love From The Stars

    Move To Heaven

    Honest Candidate

    May

     

    ARC B

    LA LA Land B Meh

    Ozark Season 4 B

    Yaksha K Movie  B

    Blue  Bayou  Korean American Movie B

    Let Me Go Western Is Set In Montana Kevin Costner B

    Uncanny Counter K Drama  B

    Cyber Hell B

    Intruder K Drama B

    Stranger Things Season Four B

    Welcome To Wedding Hell K Drama B

    The Hitman’s Body Gaurd’s Wife Part One C

    Oceans Eight B

    Interceptor A-

    Better Call Saul Season 5

    Better Call Saul Season 6

    Spiderhead C

    The Wrath Of Man C Did Not Finish C

    The Man From Toronto C

    Time Machine 2022 Re-Make B

     

     

     

    July

     

    Heist Korean Version B

    RRR Bollywood Netflix Original A

    Will You Be There?  K Drama C Did Not Finish

    Extraordinary Attorney Yoo  A-1

    Minmiding Café C Did Not Finish

    American Made  B +

    Tarzan B-

    Remarriage And Desire K Drama B Another Drama About Rich People Behaving Badly.

    The King Of Stonks Austrian Satire B Worth Finishing

     

    Unfamiliar Family K Drama  A

     

    August 1, 2022

     

    My Liberation Notes  K Drama  A

    Carter  K Drama Movie C

    Designated Survivor K Drama A

    Locke And Key Season Three  B

    Model Family K Drama  B

    Now You See Me

    The Body Guard’s Wife

    Red Notice

    How It Ends

     

    September

     

    Better Call Saul Season Six  B

    Manifest Netflix Special  B

    Good Guys C

    Blood Red Sky D

    Little Woman K Drama B

    Chief Of Staff K Drama B

    Narco Saints K Drama B

     

     

    October

     

    Interception

    Extraction

    Focus

    Project Power

    Love And Monsters

    Executive Decisions

    Gray-Man

    Adam Project

    Re-Start

    Jumangi

    Fifth Wave

    Justice League

    On Your Wedding Day

    6 Underground

    Stranger 1

    Stranger 2

    Reflection Of You

    Made For Each Other

    Honest Candidate

    Man From Toronto

    The Protégé

    Signal K Drama

    What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?  K Drama

     

    November

    Manifest Four Seasons B+ Like Dark

    End-Of-The Road  B

    When The Camellia Blooms B

    Love Struck In The City B

    Glitch Korean Sci-Fi  B

    Zone 414 Did Not Finish C

    Office Invasion  – South African SF Satire  C

    Kate Did Not Finish Too Violently Like In Kill Bill  D

    Midnight Sky  SF C  Too Meandering  C

    1899 Did Not Finish Too Meandering B

    See You Yesterday Spike Lee SF B

    Someone B+  Some Strong Sexual Scenes –

     

    December

     

    Tidelands

    Jurassic World Domination

    Wednesday -Adams Family

    Your Psychological Thriller Series

    Pentagast Mike Meyers  b

    Dark Island German Film B

    Welcome to Murderville  B

    Imperfects B

    Trolly K Drama

    The lies within k drama

     

     

    Other

     

    Sports

     

    Winter Olympics

    Superbowl

    World Cup finals

     

     

     

    2021

     

     

     

    January

     

    1.    Bloodshot

    2.    Ozark

    3.    Bloodlines

    4.    Discovery

    5.    Humans Are Useless Hoopla

    6.    Wu Assassins

    7.    6 Underground

    8.    Warrior Nuns

    9.    Alice In Borderland

    10. I Am Not Okay With This

    11. Constantine

    12. The Beach

    13. Holliday

    14. Rebecca

    15. About Time

    16. Spy Games

    17. We Could Be Heroes

    18. Vastness Of The Night Amazon

     

    February

    19.   Hanna

    20. The Expanse

    21. Sneaky Pete -Amazon

    22. How It Ends

    23. The I Land

    24. Wonder Woman

    25. Get Out

    26. Space Sweepers K SF Drama

    27. I Care A Lot  2020 TV

    28. Messiah

     

    March

     

    29. Itaewon Class K Drama

    30. Sense 8

    31. Salvation

    32. The Order

    33. Lock N Key

    34. Ballad Of Buster Scruggs

    35. Titans

    April

     

    36. O/A

    37. Abyss

    38. Outer Banks

    39. White Lines

    40. Umbrella Acadamy

    41. The Last Man Standing K Drama

     

     

    May

     

    42. Suicide Squad

    43. The Honest Candidate K Drama

    44. Behind Her Eyes

    45. Sisyphus K Drama

    46. Venzano K Drama

    47. Strangers K Drama  Season One

    48. Strangers K Drama   Season Two

    49. Strangers K Drama   Season Three

    50. The Woman In The Mirror

    51. Gemini Man

    52. Legends

    53. Bridgeton Netflix Top-Ranked Series

     

    June

     

    54. Wanted With Angelina Jolie 2005?

    55. War Dogs

    56. The Holliday

    57. The Woman In The Mirror

    58. How It Ends

    59. Love And Monsters

    60. Knives Out

     

    July

     

    61. Old Guard

    62. Love, Death, And Robots

    63. Borek Movie

    64. Sweet Tooth

    65. Mine K Drama

    66. Glitch

    67. Parasite  K Drama

     

    August

    68.  Sin City

    69. The Talented Mr. Ripply

    70. The Negotiator K Movie

    71. No Exit K Movie

    72. Crash Landing On You K Drama

     

    September

     

    73. Jackel 1997 US Movie

    74. Night In Paradise K Movie

    75. DP   K Drama

    76. Con  K Drama Movie

    October

    77. When The Camelia Blooms K Drama

    78. Squid Games K Drama Number 1 On Netflix

    79. The Devil’s Advocate

    80. Move To Heaven K Drama

    81. The Money Heist Spanish Series

    On Plane

    82. Minuri

    83. Cool Hand Luke

    84. Citizen Kane

    85. Jungle Cruise

    86. Free Guy

    87. Black Widow

    88. King Kong V Godzilla

    89. Crazy Rich Asians

     

    Return To Korea

    90. Bliss Amazon

    91. Tomorrow’s Wars Amazon

    92. Reflections On You (K Drama, Netflix)

    93. Red Notice (Netflix)

    94. Hell Bound K Drama

    95. Crisis In Six Scenes Amazon

    96. The Wheel Of Time Amazon Season One

    97.  Another Life Season Three

    98.  Lost In Space Season Three

    99. Hostage K Drama Movie

    100.       Army Of Thieves

    101.      Army Of Death

    102.      The Big Splash

    103.      The Dark Tower

    104.      Balgasal K SF

    105.      The Wanted

    106.       Mogadishu K Drama

    107.       Don’t Look Up Netflix Special

    108.       Focus

    109.      Lucy

    110.      Jupiter Ascending

    111.      Space Between Us

    112.      ARQ

    113.      Rainy Day In NYC Woody Allen Film

    114.      In Time

    115.      Silent Sea

    116.       San Andreas

    117.      Don’t Look Up

    118.      Mad For Each Other

     

    Movie Watched 2020

     

     

    List

    1.    Better Call Saul Finished Series 2022

    2.    Nigh Flyer

    3.    The Rim Of The World

    4.    Joker

    5.    Venom

    6.    Lost In Space

    7.    Jurassic World

    8.    100

    9.    Birdbox

    10. I Am Number Four (Film)

    11. Umbrella Acadamy

    12. Locke And Key

    13. Sense 8

    14. Away

    15. Titan

    16. The Mist

    17. The Order

    18. October Faction

    19.  The Man In The High Castle

    20. The Expanse

    21. Legends Of Tomorrow

    22. The Messiah

    23.  The OA

    24. Lucy

    25. Timeless

    26. Travelers

    27. Alice Through The Looking Glass

    28. Annihilation

    29. The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe

    30. Prince Caspian

    31. The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

    32. How It Ends

    33. Itaewon Class

    34. Zoo

    35. Extinction

    36. 6 Underground

    37. Ballade Of Buster Scruggs

    38. How It Ends

    39. Tau

    40.  Series Of Unfortunate Events

    41. The Darkest Dawn

    42. The IO

    43. Ozark

    44. Avengers Day Of Ultron

    45. Prometheus

    46. Another Life

    47. Land Of The Lost

    48.  Mr. Kim’s Convenience Store

    49. The Cloverfield Paradox

    50. The A-Team

    51. Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales

    52.  Salvation

    53. Iron Man 2

    54. Total Recall

    55.  The Machine (Hoopla)

    56.  Absolutely Anything (Hoopla)

    57. The Adventurer Curse Of The Midas Touch (Hoopla)

    58. The Endless (Hoopla)

    59. Color Out Of Time (Hoopla)

    60. The Librarian Curse Of The Judas Chalice (Hoopla)

    61. The Librarian King Soloman’s Mine (Hoopla)

    62. The Librarian Quest For The Spear (Hoopla)

    63.  Dinosaur Island (Hoopla)

    64. Land That Time Forgot (Hoopla)

    65. Dark Prophecy (Hoopla)

    66. The Villainess (Hoopla)

    67. Bad Boys For Life

    68. Outer Banks

    69. Suicide Squad

    70.  Abyss

    71. Series Of Unfortunate Events

    72.   Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children

    73.  Superman Vrs Batman Star Of Justice

    74. Last Man Standing K Political Drama

    75. Honest Candidate K Drama

    76. Irishman

    77. Project Power

    78. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

    79. Kim Ji Young K Drama

    80. The Sting

    81. Focus

    82.  Fantasy Island

    83.  Warrior Nun –Did Not Finish

    84.  Good Omens  Amazon

    85. Sneaky Pete Amazon

    86. Blood Shot Netflix

    87.  Jupiter Ascendant Netflix

    88. White Lines

    89. Bloodlines

    90. Wu Assasins

    91. Inside Bill’s Brain

    92. War Dogs

    93. Alice In The Borderlands

    94. The I- Land

    95.  Black Mirror

    96. The Last Three Days

    97.

     

     

    2019

     

    List

     

    Partial List  Saw At Least 90 Total

     

    1.    A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)

    2.    Aquaman  (Theater) B

    3.     49 Days Korean Movie B

    4.    Doomsday Device  YS B

    5.    Winter Kills YS C -Disappointing Despite Great Cast

    6.     Heist 2001 Version YS  B

    7.     Curse Of The Golden Flower YS

    8.    HG Wells Men In The Moon YS A-1

    9.    The Rift YS

    10. Narnia Voyage Of The Dawn Treader YS B

    11. Operation Chromite YS  B

    12. The Assassin YS C Did Not Finish

    13. Justice League B

    14. The Ghost And The Darkness  B

    15. The A-Team B

    16. Jack Reacher, Never Go Back B

    17. Night Flyer Series B

    18. Cold Pursuit

    19. Chunhyang (2000 Film) YS

    20.  The Assassin 2015 Korean Movie

    21. Eraser (Film)

    22. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011 Film)

    23.  Operation Chromite (Film)

    24. The Rite (2011 Film) YS

    25. The First Men In The Moon YS

    26.                        Curse Of The Golden Flower YS

    27. Alien Code YS

    28. Point B YS

    29. Shada (Doctor Who) YS

    30. Glass (2019 Film)

    31. Memories Of The Alhambra K Drama

    32. The Man In The High Castle 4 Seasons Amazon

    33. The Expanse Four Seasons Amazon

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2018

     

     

     

    List

     

    The partial List Saw About 85 Movies

     

     

    1.    Once Upon A Time ABC Mini-Series  A

    2.    Taken Earth C

    3.    Alice Through The Looking Glass B

    4.    The Vault  C Too Scary A Movie

    5.    GORA Turkish SF Comedy C

    6.    Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales  B

    7.    Cowboys Vs Dinosaurs B

    8.    Enterprise Complete Season

    9.    Frequency Series

    10. Coverdale Paradox

    11. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (On a Plane)

    12. Kong Island Of Skulls (On Plane)

    13. Geostorm (On Plane)

    14. Lost And Found YS

    15. Berlin Syndrome YS

    16. Burn Country YS

    17. Beatriz At Dinner YS

    18. Breaking The Bank YS

    19. The Expanse  Netflix Original

    20. Discovery  Netflix

    21. Drone Wars  YS

    22. Prometheus Trap YS

    23. Blackway YS

    24. The Mermaid YS

    25. The Great Wall YS

     

    2017

     

     

     

    1.    Leap Year  TV  B

    2.    Congressman  YS  B

    3.    Crimson Force  YS  B

     

    4.    Three Classic SF Japanese Movies From The ’50s

     

    5.    The H Man  YS  B

    6.    Battle In Outer Space YS  B

    7.    Mothra  YS  B

     

    8.    11 22 63  IS  A

    9.    Blunt Talk  YS  B Did Not Finish

    10. Alien Arsenal  YS  B

     

    11. Seven Westerns

     

    12. A Night In Old Mexico  B

    13. Ambush At Dark Canyon   B

    14. Fighting With Anger  B

    15. Baytown Outlaws B

    16. Hick C-1

    17. Heathens And Thieves  A-

     

     

    18. Implanted  B-

    19. When The Sky Falls  C-

    20. Wild Bill Hickok Swift Justice  B

    21. Traded  B

    22. Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency -Mini-Series  A

    23. Mystery Science Theater  Cave Dwellers C

    24. Meet The Guilby B

    25. The President A

    26. Stand Up Guy  B

    27. Snow Piercer B Korean Producer   B

    28. Painkillers  C

    29. Dirty Lies

    30. Quarantine LA  C

    31. Breaking The Bank  B

     

    32. On The Plane

    33. Dr. Strange  B

    34. Jack Reacher Never Go Back  B

    35. Keeping Up With The Jones  B

    36. Hell Or High Water B

    37. The Accountant B

     

    Oregon

     

    38. The Ghost In The Shell  Ashland Theater

    39. The Circle  Theater Medford

    40. George Feydeua A Flea In Her Ear –  ASH Drama

     

    41. The Black Hole  MPL

    42. Final Days Of Planet Earth MPL

    43. The Last Sentinel MPL

    44. Supernova MPL B

    45. East Of Eden MPL A

    46. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof MPL  A

    47. A Street Car Named Desire MPL A

    48. Rebel Without A Cause MPL  A

    49. Enterprise First Year MPL   B

    50. How To Mary A Millionaire MPL

    51. How To Be A Latin Lover  Theater  A

    52. Wonder Women    Theater A-

    53. The Three Musketeers  MPL C

    54. Time Changer MPL  D

    55. Star Trek Enterprise Season Two B

    56. Solaris  B-

    57. The Sea Of Trees  A-

    58. Quantum Leap Season One A-1

    59. Star Gate Atlantis Rising  B-

    60. Total Recall B

    61. Tammy   B-

    62. A Tale Of Two Cities BBC B

    63. Vanishing Point A-

    64. Spider-Man Homecoming  In Theater B

    65. War Of Planet Of The Apes  In Theater B+

    66. Rogue One   Netflix  B

    67. The Dark Tower Theater B

    68. Eye Of The Needle  MPL A

    69. Congo MPL B

    70. Exile Mplb

    71. Allegiant  MPL B

    72. The Man  MPL B

    73. Virus MPL B

    74. Frankenstein MPL A

    75. Treasure Island MPL B

    76. Jericho TV Series B

    77. Man In The High Castle  TV Series A

    78. One Under The Sun  Amazon B

    79. Independent’s Day  Amazon –One Of The Worst Movie Ever Made F

    80. The Last Lovecraft – Relic Of Cthulu C

    81. Mysterious Island  B

    82. Zoo Series On Netflix Seasons One To Three

    83. Stranger Things Season Two B+  Season One Was Better

    84. Suburbicon   Theater  B-1

    85. Thor Ragnarok Theater B

    86. Monsters Netflix  C

    87. Travelers Netflix  B

    88. Julius Caesar OSF  B

    89. Hannah And The Dreaded Gazebo OSF B

    90.  Blade Runner 2049 B

    91. Once Upon A Time ABC Series B

    92. The Night Of The Hunter  MPL  A

    93. The Maltese Falcon  MPL A  A

    94. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  MPL  B+

    95. Mission Impossible Rogue Nation  MPL B

    96. Beasts Of The Southern Wilds  MPL

    97. Satan Met A Lady   MPL B

    98. The Villainous Korean Movie 2017 Hoopla

    99. Guardians Of The Galaxy Part Two

    100.               Star Wars The Last Jedi

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    2016

     

    Complete list of movies in 2016 my list is Missing

    Bolded I saw

     

     

     

    2016 Movies – List of Movies Released in 2016

     

    https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a47757/best-movies-to-watch-2016/

     

    https://www.movieinsider.com/movies/2016

     

    Nice guys

    Arrival

    Hell or High Water

    Dead Pool

    Revenant in theater

    The fifth wave on the plane

    Synchroneity

    London Has Fallen  on plane

    Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on plane

    Ten Cloverfield Lane

     

    Julius Caeser OSF

    A Wrinkle in Time OSF

     

     

     

    2015

     

    The List

     

    Movies/TV Series   Netflix Unless Otherwise Mentioned

     

    1.    All About The Benjamin’s TNT B

    2.    Rush Hour Three  TNT  B

    3.    The Interview  Google On-Line C

    4.    Paradise 2013  C

    5.    The Signal 2014 B

    6.    Duplicity Julia Roberts Clive Owens B

    7.    Are You Here B

    8.     Maleficent   B

    9.    Guardians Of The Galaxy  B

    10. Begin Again 2014 B

    11.  The Giver 2014 A

    12. Sea Biscuit A

    13. November Man B

    14.  A Most Wanted Man C

    15. Labor Day B

    16.  Life Of Crime B

    17. Kundo Korean Movie B

    18.  And So It Goes 2014 Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton B

    19. Marley And Me  B

    20. Jobs B

    21.  The Family C

    22.  Stuck In Love B

    23.  Mud B

    24.  X Men Days Of Future Past C

    25.  The Identical B

    26. Jurassic City C

    27.  Railway Man B

    28. Peabody And Sherman B

    29.  Lunch Box Bollywood Movie 2013 B

    30. Y Tu Su Mama, También Award Winning Mexican Movie 2014 B

    31.  Australia B

    32.  Mrs. Henderson Presents B

    33.  John Wick  B

    34. Silver Lining Playback  A

    35.  The Good Night  B

    36. View From The Top B

    37.  Contagion C

    38.  Pineapple Express C

    39.  Country Strong B

    40.  The Hobbit –Battle Of The Five Armies B

    41.  Dinosaur Experiment C

    42.  Broke Back Mountain  Library  A

    43.  An Affair To Remember  Library  A

    44.  Two Days In Paris Library  A

    45.  Ride With The Devil Library  A

    46.  Carmen Opera Library  A

    47. Catch 22 Library B

    48. Game Of Thrones Season One  Library B

    49. Game Of Thrones Season Two Library  B

    50. Barefoot In The Park Library  A

    51. No Reservations Library C

    52.  Fast And Furious Library C

    53. Charlie’s Angels 2000 Library B

    54. Charlie’s Angels 2003 Version  Saw Earlier Noted Here B

    55.  Endless Love B

    56. Hot Pursuit On Plane C

    57.  Day Of Adeline On Plane  A

    58.  Avengers Day Of Ultron On Plane C

    59.  Tomorrowland  On Plane B

    60.  Far From The Madding Crowd On Plane A

    61.  Aloha On Plane

    62.  Mad Max Fury Road On a Plane

    63.  San Andreas On Plane

    64. Classified File Korean Movie On Plane

    65.  Casanova  From Library

    66.  Company You Keep From Library

    67. Contraband From Library

    68.  Bleak House Mini-Series  From Library

    69. La Boehme Opera From Library

    70. Eat Drink Man Women From Library

    71. Runner, Runner From Library

    72. Sense And Sensibility From Library

    73.  American Snipper HBO

    74.  Wild HBO

    75.  Maze Runner HBO

    76.  Dumb And Dummer To  HBO

    77.  Havoc HBO

    78.  5 Flights Up  HBO

    79.  Kill The Messenger  HBO

    80.  My Blueberry Nights  Library

    81.  Last Chance, Harvey, Library

    82.  Serial Mom HBO

    83.  The Producers 2005 Version

    84.   Broken Flowers  Hood

    85.   Rumor Has It that HBO

    86.   Run All Night HBO

    87.   Fistful Of Dollars HBO

    88.   A Few More Dollars  HBO

    89.   The Good, The Bad, And Ugly HBO

    90.   Fifty Shades Of Grey  HBO

    91.   Hang Em High HBO

    92.   The Drop  HBO

    93.   The Leisure Class HBO

    94.   The Kingsmen Secret Service HBO

    95.   Birdman HBO

    96.   The Wiz NBC Special

    97.  Spectre At Kingstown

    98. Magnolia HBO

    99.  The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion  HBO

    100.                The Rock HBO

    101.                Child Hood’s End Syfy Channel Special

    102.               Insurgent HBO

     

     

     

     

    2014

     

    Movies/TV Series

     

     

    1.      Jack Reacher 2012 Net Flix

    2.      Thieves (Korean Movie Next Flix)

    3.      Side Effects – Next Flix

    4.     The Informant – Next Flix

    5.      The Assassination Of Jessie James By The Coward Robert Ford 2008 Next Flic

    6.       Olympus Has Fallen 2013 Next Flix

    7.       Coriolanus 2011 Next Flix

    8.       300  Net Flix

    9.      Appolo 18  Net Flic

    10.    Shape Of Things To Come On Plane

    11.    Battle Star Galactica Razor On Plane

    12.   The Master On Plane

    13.   Ides Of March On Plane

    14.   Oblivion  Net Flix

    15.   Midnight In Paris Woody Allen  Saw Earlier On Plane  Net Flic

    16.   Non-Stop In Regal  –  A Bit Disappointing

    17.  Then She Found Me Directed By Helen Hunt 2007 Net Flic

    18.  Zelig 1996 Woody Allen Nex Fix

    19.  Husband And Wives = Woody Allen Movie Netflix

    20.   The Confederate States Of America 2004 Mockumentary

    21.  Out Of Sight George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez Based On Elmore Leonard Novel – Bit Disappointing  On Plane

    22. Hobbit Desolation Of Smug  On Plane

    23.  Ender’s Game On Plane  On Plane

    24. The Internship  On Plane

    25. Closed Circuit  On Plane

    26. Secret Life Of Walter Mitty  Download

    27. RoboCop  Download

    28. The A-Team On Plane

    29.  The Europa Report On Plane

    30.   Blue Jasmine On Plane

    31.   World’s End On Plane

    32.    The Hangover On Plane

    33.    Edge Of Tomorrow  In Movie Theather

    34.    True Crime 1998 Clint Eastwood  (TV)

    35.     Bullet To The Head  (TV)

    36.     Get The Gringo (TV)

    37.     Pacific Rim (TV)

    38.  Starsky And Hutch (TV)

    39.  Space Jam (TV)

    40. World War Z Nextflex

    41.  Wolf Of Wall Street Nextflex

    42.  Gravity Nextflex

    43.  12 Years A Slave Nextflex

    44.   Fracture Nextflex

    45.   Good Night And Good Luck Nextflex

    46.  The Perfect Storm Nextflex

    47.   The Book Thief Nextflex

    48.   Best Offer Nextflex

    49.   Muncih 2005 Spellberg Nextflex

    50.  A Winter’s Tale  Nextflex

    51.  Trascendence Nextflex

    52.  The Other Women Nextflex

    53.  Layer Cake Nextflex

    54.  Heat  Robert Dinoro, Al Pacino Nextflex

    55.  Last Vegas Dinoro Freeman Kline Pacino Nextflex

    56.  The Grand Budapest Hotel Netflix

    57.  Best Laid Plans 1999 Version  Nextflex

    58.  Firewall Nextflex

    59.  Saving Mr. Banks  Nextflex

    60. A Wrinkle In Time Nextflex

    61.  Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close – Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock About 9-11 And One Family’s Reaction Nextflex

    62.  Mandella’s Long Walk To Freedom Nextflex

    63.  Enough Said Nextflex

    64. All You Need Is Love Nextflex

    65.  Divergent Nextflex

    66. Noah Nextflex

    67.  You will Meet A Tall Dark Handsome Stranger – Woody Allen Movie 2010 Nextflex

    68. X Men Wolverine Origins Nextflex

    69.  Captain America Winter Soldier  Nextflex

    70.  X Men 2 United  Nextflex

    71.  Sex Tape In Hotel

    72.  Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes  On Plane

    73.  Godzilla 2014 Version On Plane

    74.   Don Juan  Netflix

    75.  Frozen Nextflex

    76.  Gone  Girl 2014 In Regal Springfield

    77.  Better Living Through Chemistry 2013 Movie Netflix

    78.  Elysium 2013 Nextflix

    79.  A Million Ways To Die In The West  Nextflex

    80.  Interstellar 2014 In Regal Springfield

    81.  Burning Palms – Worst Movie Of The Year For Me

    82.  Million Dollar Arm

    83.  Lost In America 1985 Recommended By Matt Jacobson

    84. Manhattan Murder Mystery 1995 Woody Allen

    85. State Of Play  Next Flic

    86. Babel  Next Flic

    87.  Peter Pan Live  NBC

    88.  Snowpiercer Korean Directed Film

    89.  Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit

    90. Superbad

    91. It’s A Wonderful Life

    92. This Means War

    93.  Memories Of Murder Korean Film

    94.  The Good, The Bad, And The Weird Korean Film

    95.  Bad Santa

    96.  Typhoon Korean Movie 2005

    97.  In The Cut 2003 Australian Movie Set In NYC

     

    TV Series And Movies

     

    1.      Breaking Bad Television Binge Watching All Episodes

    2.      House Of Cards

    3.     Tin Man

    4.     Falling Skies

     

     

    2013

     

    The List

     

    1.    Crazy, Stupid Love, Netflix January 1, 2013

    2.    The  Descendents  Netflix January 4, 2013

    3.    The Hobbit (In Theater)  January 5, 2013

    4.     The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  Netflix

    5.    Abritrage Richard Gere

    6.    Get Him To The Greek  TV

    7.     Snatch  Netflix

    8.    The One  Netflix

    9.     One For The Money (Netflix)

    10.  Star Trek The Undiscovered Country TV

    11.  The Help Netflix

    12.  Hope Spring Netflix

    13. Paul Netflix

    14.  Stolen Netflix – Did Not Finish Nominate For Worst Film Of The Year

    15.  The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe ABC  Family

    16. Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2011 ABC  Family

    17.  Mission Impossible 1V Ghost Protocol

    18.  Here Comes Mr. Jordan 1941 TCM

    19.  A Star Is Born 1945 TCM

    20.  Mission Impossible 111

    21. Decisions

    22.  Life Of Pi Next Flic

    23. In Land Of Blood And Honey Next Flic

    24. Lockout Next Flic

    25. 21 Jump Street Next Flic

    26.  Sherlock Holmes’s Games Of Shadows  Plane

    27. Wrath Of The Titans  Plane

    28. Horrible Bosses  Plane

    29.  Safe House Plane

    30. Hunter  Plane

    31.  Take This Waltz  Next Flix

    32.  Marley TV

    33.  Coriolanus (Theather RHS)

    34. Wallenstein (Theather RHS)

    35.  Great Gatsby (Regal Kingstown)

    36.  Groom Lake (Hulu)

    37.  Motorcycle Diaries 2004  Next Flic

    38.  Looper Next Flic

    39.  Superman Man Of Steel In Regal Theather

    40. Bourne Legacy (Netflix)

    41.  Earthlings 2012 Hulu

    42.  Gangster Squad  (Nextflix)

    43.  Red (Part)

    44.  Zookeeper (Part)

    45.  Witches Of Oz (Netflix)

    46.  Interstate 60  Hulu

    47. White House Down In Theather

    48.  Sex And Lucia Next Flic

    49.  Ted Next Flic

    50. Star Ship Troopers – Invasion Next Flic

    51.  Ana Karina 2012  Net Flix – Production Did Not Work For Me – Too Cute And Avant Garde – Like Watching A Film Of A Play Adaption.  Did Not Work As A Play Or As A Movie – A Big Disappointment

    52.  Time Bandits 1981 Hulu

    53.  RIPD  In Theather

    54.  Atonement (Netflix)

    55.  Tristone And Isolde (2006) Netflix

    56.  Dune 1984 Nextflex

    57.  Meet The Millers Theather

    58.   Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World  Next Flic

    59.  Iron Man 3  On Plane

    60.  Trance  On Plane

    61. Prisoners  In Theather

    62.  The Butler  In Theather

    63.  Outsourced  Netflix

    64.   Cloud Atlas Netflix

    65.   Flight 2012 Next Flic

    66.   The Campaign 2012 Next Flic

    67.   Asian Invasion (Porn Movie For Strip Poker Game)

    68.  Details  Nextflix

    69.  The Blind Side  Netflix

    70.  Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides Netflix

    71.  Robin Hood 2010  Netflix

    72.  The Counselor 2013 In Theather

    73.  The Host  Netflix

    74.  After The Sunset 2008 Netflix

    75.  Grown Ups TNT On Cruise

    76.  The Proposal TNT On Cruise

    77.  Red 2 TNT On Cruise

    78.  Maiden Heist Next Flix

    79.  Despicable Me – Disney Channel

    80.  Hunger Games Catching Fire In Theather

    81.  The Place Beyond The Pines Next Flic

    82.  Watch Man 2009  Next Flix

    83.  Snow White And The Huntsman Nextflix

    84.   Parker Netflix Streaming

    85.   American Hustle

    86.    A Christmas Story

    87.    Ice Quake 2013 Syfy

    88.    On The Road

     

    2012

     

    The List

     

    1.    Dragnet  (Next Flex)  Jan 1

    2.    Bird On A Wire (Next Flex) Jan1

    3.    Laura Croft Tomb Raider (Hollywood Chanel)

    4.    Kuffs  MGM Chanel

    5.    Journey To The Lost World  MGM Chanel

    6.    Yellow Handkerchief Netflix

    7.    Shanghai Knights Hollywood Chanel

    8.    MMB 2 Hollywood Chanel

    9.    What Women Want Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt 2000 Hollywood Chanel

    10.  The Door In The Floor Jeff Bridges, Kim Bassinger, Mimi Rogers 2000 Next Flix Check References To Book

    11.  America’s Sweethearts 2001 Julia Roberts, Kusshak, Catherine Zetta Jones Nextflix

    12.   Marathon Man

    13.  Catwoman

    14.   The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes 2011  On Plane

    15.   Cowboys And Aliens 2010  On Plane

    16.   The Island 2005  On Plane

    17.   The Day The Earth Stood Still 1951 On Plane

    18.   Hot Tube Time Machine  Net Flix

    19.  The Big Lebrowski  Net Flix

    20.   Leopolis   Seoul Netflix

    21.   King Of The Lost World

    22.   Money Ball (Training Day)

    23.   Serenity Next Flex 2005

    24.  Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One (On Plane)

    25.   Dirty Rotten Scoundrels  On The Plane

    26.   Bender’s Big Score  (Netflix)

    27.   Serenity (Nextflix)

    28.   The Punisher (TV)

    29.  Love’s Kitchen (Netflix)

    30.  Transformers 11 2009  – Disappointing But Will Watch Transformers 111 To Finish The Series Off.

    31.  The Double 2011 Richard Gere

    32. Contagion   Did Not Finish Warsaw

    33. Sherlock Holmes 2  Did Not Finish Warsaw

    34. Win Win  Warsaw Good Fli

    35.  The Invasion 2005 Innovative Shooting Technique

    36.  Tower Heist Nex

    37.  The Tree Of Life Nex  – Disappointing

    38.  The Hangover Part Two NEX

    39.   Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2011 Version)

    40.   The King’s Speech  NEX

    41.   Midnight In Paris Woody Allen Movie 2011

    42.   John Carter Hotel Room

    43.     This Means War  On Plane

    44.   J Egard With Leonardo Di Caprio Directed By Clift Eastwood – Big Disappointment.  Just Too Long, Too Much Talking. From NEX

    45.  Dr Strangelove From Mik B

    46.  The Armour Of God 1987 Jackie Chan, Lola Forner Spanish Actress Hulu

    47.  The Sands Of Oblivion 2007  Hulu

    48. The Monitors (Next Flex)

    49.  MIB3 On Plane

    50.  Prometheus – Last Half Worth Seeing Again On Plane

    51. Battleship On Plane

    52.  Players Bollywood Remake Of The Italian Job –Worth Seeing

    53.  Cross Worlds  Next Flex

    54.  Phil The Alien  Next Flex

    55.  Invasion Of The Pod People   Hulu

    56.    Alien Armageddon  Hulu

    57.    Red State  Netflix

    58.  God Bless America Netflix

    59.  The Man Who Fell To Earth  Netflix

    60.  Very Bad Things  Next Flix

    61.  Ready Or Not – Hulu

    62.  The Last Lovecraft: Relic Of Cthulu 2009 Netflix

    63.  Amazing Spiderman 2012 Plane

    64.  To Rome With Love 2010 Plane Woody Allen

    65.  Dawalt’s Guard (First Arabic Movie) Plane

    66.  Search For Justice 2012 Nicolas Cage  Plane

    67.  Mirror Mirror With Julia Roberts – On Plane In February

    68.  The Gauntlet With Clint Eastwood 1977

    69.   The Hunger Games blockbuster

    70.  The Debt

    71.  The Maltese Falcon  TCM

    72.   My Week With Marilynn  Block Buster

    73.   Bernie  Blockbuster

    74.     Savages  Blockbuster

    75.  Wanderlust Blockbuster

    76.   Skyfall  Theather

    77.   Office Space

    78.   Dumb And Dumber   TV

    79.   Accepted  TV

    80.   The Iron Lady Blockbuster

    81.    The Watch  Blockbuster

    82.    Larry Crowne  Blockbuster

    83.    Hot Rock 1972 Robert Redford  HDNET

    84.   Killing Them Softly (Movie Theather)

     

    2011

     

    1.  How Do You Know 2010

    2.  Nothing But The Truth 2008 Saw Earlier Not Bad 1-15

    3.  Salt 2010 With Angelina Jolie

    4. The Other Side Of The Bed Spanish 2002

    5. A Perfect Getaway 2009

    6. Fool’s Gold

    7. Invictus 2009 Morgan Freeman, Matt Damian

    8.  Like Water For Chocolate

    9.  The Flower Of My Secret La Flora De Mi Secreto Spanish Movie 1995

    10. 88 Minutes 2007 Al Pacino

    11. Mr. Deeds 2002

    12.  The King And I Korean Series

    13.  Sex And The City 11

    14,  Hell Boy Part 11

    15.  Love Happens

    16. Drive Angry 2011 Nicolas Cage  Add To Worst Movie List

    17  Girl With The Dragon Tatoo 2009

    18.  The Spanish Prisoner 1997  David Mamet Director Steve Martin

    19.  Illegally Yours 1988 Robert Lowe

    20.  Machette 2010  Half Spanish Dialogue Robert Dinero, Jessica Alba

    21.  The Prince Of Persia 2010

    22   No False Move 1992 Bill Ray Thorton

    23 Life In North Korea Documentary From National Geographic

    24. Green Zone

    25. Morning Glory

    26 Killers

    27.  Eat Pray Love

    28   The Town

    29.  Kate And Leopold

    29.   The Legend Of Bagger Vance

    30   Emma

    31  Les Miserables 1998 Version

    32  Unstoppable 2010

    34. Due Date 2010

     

    2010

     

     

    1.    Fragments 2009

    2.    Where The Day Takes You 1992

    3.    The Illusionist 2003

    4.    PS, I Love You 2007

    5.    The Burning Plain 2008

    6.    The Other Man 2008

    7.     Mama Mia 2008

    8.    Dim Sum Funeral 2008

    9.    Inglorious Bastards 2009

    10.  Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? 2003 Second Time Around

    11.  Time Traveler’s Wife 2009

    12.  Amelia 2009

    13.  Lies And Illusions 2009  Add To Worst List

    14.  Serious Moonlight 2009

    15.  “The Chaser” Korean Film

    16.  Precious 2009  Academy Award For Best Actress

    17.  Every Body’s Alright

    18.  Space Balls

    19. Three Stooges Selected Episodes

    20.  Ghosts Of Girl Friends Past 2009 Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner

    21.  Up In The Air 2009 George Clooney

    22. The Men Who Stare At Goats 2009 George Clooney

    23. Have You Heard About The Morgans? Hugh Grant, Sara Jessica Parker 2009

    24.  Sherlock Holmes 2009  Robert Downey, Jude Law, And Rachael Mc Donald

    25   “Crazy Heart” 2010  Best Picture Award 2010 Jeff Bridges, Robert Duval, Maggie Gyenehall

    26   “Five Minutes Of Heaven” Liam Nelson 2010.

    27   Avatar 2009 Best Picture

    28  Romeo Must Die Jet Li 2000

    29  Flawless 2008 Demi Moore Michael Kane

    30  Extraordinary Measures 2010 Harrison Ford

    31   Alice In Wonderland 2010

    32   The Road 2009

    33  It’s Complicated

    34  Beyond A Reasonable Doubt

    35  The Invention Of Lying

    36  Edge Of Darkness

    37  The Spy Next Door

    38   Young Victorian

    39  Old Dogs (On Plane)

    40  Leap Year  (On Plane)

    41  Couples Retreat (Travis) 2009

    42  Knight And Day 2010 (Medford)

    43  Inception 2010 (Medford)

    44   The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2010 (Medford)

    45  Clash Of The Titans (On Plane) 2010

    46  Remember Me (On Plane) -2010

    47  Bounty Hunter (On Plane -2010

    48  Date Night (On Plane ) 2010

    49   2 Fast 2 Furious 2003 Eva Mendes Stars (Saw On TV)

    50   Water           World – Keven Kostner Saw

    51   Legends Of The Fall

    52   Iron Man 2 (On Plane)

    53   How To Tame Your Dragon (On Plane)

    54   The Informant (HBO Home)

    55   Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (Parts)

    56  Batteries Not Included 1987 Second Time Around  (HBO)

    57  Family Man (HBO)

    58   Wall Street

    59   Helen  – Short List For Worst Movie I Saw – Just Did Not Work For Me.

    60  The Warlords

    61   A Plague Of Zombies

    62   Robin Hood

    63  The Unthinkable

    64  The Book Of Eli

    65  The Count Of Monte Cristo

    66   The Messenger (Angela Saw)

    67   Red (In The Theather)

    68  The Count Of Mont Cristo Angela Saw I Saw Parts

    69  3:10 To Yuma (Saw A Few Years Ago, Saw Again)

    70   Law Abiding Citizen 2009

    71   Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring Korean Film 2005

    72   Aliens In The Addict 2009 TV

    73   Loch Ness 1996 Ted Dancer HBO

    74  Fair Game 2010 In Theater

    75   The Pianists 2002 Angela Saw, I Saw A Few Years Ago

    76   The Simpsons Movie First Half was Seen Earlier

    77   Star Wars 6 First Half Hour

    78  Wizard Of OZ Half

    79  The King And I Korean History Drama

    80   The Darjeeling Limited 2007 Owen Wilson Wes Anderson Directed

    81   The Piano  1995   Angela Saw, I Heard Parts Of It

    82   Gia 1994  Very Sexual And Lots Of Lesbian Scenes Which Turned Me On.

    83   Oregon (SFY)

    84   Leiberstruam 1999 Kim Novack, Bill Pullman  HBO

    85  The Jones 2009 Demi Moore, David Duchovny Amber Heard, And Ben Hollingsworth Directed By Derrick Borte – Disappointed, Did Not Work For Me

    86  The Hours 2002 Nicole Kidman, Julain Moore, And Meryle Shreep Re Life Of Virginia Woolf And Her Impact On The Life Of Two Women

    87  Bobby 2006 Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, William Macy, Martin Sheet, Linsday Lohan, And Cristian Slater  Written Nd Directed By Emilio Estevez

    88   True Grit 2010 – Overly Hyped In My Opinion

    89   Vivdirana Spanish Film 1961 Classic

    90   Volver  2005 Spanish Film

    91   How Much Do You Love Me 2005 French

    92.  Ninja Assassins 2009  Staring Rain  On TV

    93  Horsefeathers  Marx Brothers On TV

     

     

    2009

     

    1.    Underwear” Starting Val Kilmer, Graham Greene,

    2.    Constant Gardener With Rachael Weiz –

    3.    Rumor Has It – Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner

    4.    Queen

    5.    Hancock With Will Smith

    6.    Dave – With Eddie Murphy – SF Comedy

    7.    Joe Kid – With Clint Eastwood – Saw Opening

    8.    Iron Man – Not Bad.  Another Marvel Movie.

    9.    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”

    10. Gone, Baby, Gone”

    11. Fracture

    12. Burn After Reading”

    13. 21 Grams”

    14. The Changing With Angelia Jolie, Directed By Clint

    15. Kiss The Dust”

    16. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People

    17. Electric Mist With Tomy Lee Jones

    18. Good German

    19. Siberian Express

    20. Body Of Lies

    21. Slum Dog Millionaire

    22. Lucky Slevin

    23. Australia

    24. What Just Happened

    25. City Of Ember

    26. Proof Of Life

    27. Bottle Shock

    28. Runaway Jury

    29. Master Spy

    30. Marie Antoinette

    31. Interstate

    32. He’s Just Not That Into You

    33. Madagascar 11

    34. Collateral With Jamie Fox And Tom Cruise

    35. My Super Ex Girl Friend

    36. State Of Play – In Medford Movie Theather

    37. Bolt-On The Plane

    38. Yes Man, In a Hotel Room In DC

    39. Avengers

    40. Spy Games

    41. All The Way

    42. The Day The Earth Stood Still

    43. Seven Pounds

    44. Nothing But The Truth

    45. The Reader – Oscar Winner For Best Actress 2008 Kate Winslet

    46. Crossing Over

    47. Kill Shot With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane

    48. Vanished With Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock

    49. Valkyrie

    50. Star Trek – Prequel Movie (From Street Vendor)

    51. 52  The Clearing With Robert Redford – 2004

    52. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button  With Brad Pitt Best Actor Award 2009

    53. Knowing With Nicolas Cage 2009

    54. The Code

    55. Counterfeit

    56. Alexander 2004 Oliver Stone Producer

    57. Out For Justice  1991

    58. Echelon Conspiracy 2009

    59. The Good Thief 2001 With Nick Nolte

    60. Meteor = NBC Mini-Series

    61. Wild Hogs 2007 Tim Allen, Travolta, Macy, Lawrence

    62. 28 Days Later

    63. Wild Things 2

    64. Mystic River Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Sean Pean

    65. Criminal 2004

    66. Essential Lover

    67. Two Lovers

    68. Angels And Demons 2008 Started by Tom Hanks, Directed By Ron Howard

    69. The Informers

    70.  Duplicity

    71.   Surveillance Produced By Jennifer Lynch Starting Pullman And Ormand

    72.  Trust The Man 2008

    73.  The Mutant Chronicles 2008

    74.  Heaven  1995?

    75.  Wolverine With Hugh Jackman 2009

    76.  Dark Streets With Bijou Philips

    77.  Doubt With Meryle Strep 2008

    78. Coco Chanel Shirley Mc Cline  2008

    79.  Ramen Girl

    80.  The Yatzuka (1974 W George Mitchum)

    81.  The Fountain  2006 W Rachel Weiss (Hot)

    82.  Easy Virtue  2009 (On Plane)

    83.  Act Of Imagination – Eddie Murphy And Serena Williams’s Daughter

    84.  I Hate Valentine’s Day  2009  (On Plane)

    85.  The Proposal 2009 With Sandra Bullock

    86.  Into The Storm (Bio Of Winston Churchill (On Plane)

    87. MILF Hunters 5 Porno Movie Seen In Hotel

    88. Mr. Brooks

    89.  Taken

    90. The Big Bounce

    91. The Heartbreak Kid (Second Time Around)

    92.  Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 With John Travolta, Denzel Washington

    93.  Cherrie 2008 With Michelle Pfiefer

    94.  Accidental Husband 2008 With Uma Thuber

    95.  Management With Jennifer Aniston, Steve Chain, And Woody Harrelson, 2008

    96.  My Life In Ruins, 2008 With Nia Valdolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding And Richard Dreyfus)

    97. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2005

    98. Spanglish 2005 With Adam Sandler

    99.  A Married Life 2008

    100.            Open Road 2009

    101.           Vanity Fair 2004  Recee Weatherspoon As Bucky Sharp

    102.           Beyond Borders 2008 Anglie Jolie, And Clive Owen

    103.           I’ll Sleep When I Am Dead 2003with Clive Owen

    104.           The King Of California 2007 With Michael Douglas

    105.           Target 1985 With Gene Hackman And Matt Dillion

    106.           The Life Of David Gale With Kevin Spacy, And Kate Winslet

    107.           Bruno

    108.           Lucky You With Drew Barrymore

    109.           The Last Word

    110.           2012 With John Cusack

    111.           Bad Lieutenant With Nicolas Cage

    112.           The Tournament 2009 Kelly Hu

    113.           Public Enemies 2009 Johny Deep

    114.           Julia And Julia 2009 Meryle Sherpa

    115.            Cold Mountain 2003 Jude Law, Nicole Kidman

    116.           Out Of Time 2003 Denzel Washington, Eva Mendez (Hot)

    117.            Night At The Museum 11 Battle For Smithsonian

    118.           Sleuth 2009 Version

    119.           Land Of The Lost 2009

    120.           The Brother’s Bloom 2008

    121.           Letter From Iwa Jima 2007 Clint Eastwood Directed

    122.           White Chicks

    123.           Star Treck Generations

    124.           Jackie Collins’s Hollywood Wife 2003

    125.           Charlie Wilson’s War  -2008 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts

    126.           The Whole Nine Yards 2000 Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peete (Hot)

    127.           The Illusionist


     

     

    2009

     

    1.    Underwear” Starting Val Kilmer, Graham Greene,

    2.    Constant Gardener With Rachael Weiz –

    3.    Rumor Has It – Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner

    4.    Queen

    5.    Hancock With Will Smith

    6.    Dave – With Eddie Murphy – SF Comedy

    7.    Joe Kid – With Clint Eastwood – Saw Opening

    8.    Iron Man – Not Bad.  Another Marvel Movie.

    9.    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”

    10. Gone, Baby, Gone”

    11. Fracture

    12. Burn After Reading”

    13. 21 Grams”

    14. The Changing With Angelia Jolie, Directed By Clint

    15. Kiss The Dust”

    16. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People

    17. Electric Mist With Tommy Lee Jones

    18. Good German

    19. Siberian Express

    20. Body Of Lies

    21. Slum Dog Millionaire

    22. Lucky Slevin

    23. Australia

    24. What Just Happened

    25. City Of Ember

    26. Proof Of Life

    27. Bottle Shock

    28. Runaway Jury

    29. Master Spy

    30. Marie Antoinette

    31. Interstate

    32. He’s Just Not That Into You

    33. Madagascar 11

    34. Collateral With Jamie Fox And Tom Cruise

    35. My Super Ex Girl Friend

    36. State Of Play – In Medford Movie Theather

    37. Bolt-On The Plane

    38. Yes Man, In a Hotel Room In DC

    39. Avengers

    40. Spy Games

    41. All The Way

    42. The Day The Earth Stood Still

    43. Seven Pounds

    44. Nothing But The Truth

    45. The Reader – Oscar Winner For Best Actress 2008 Kate Winslet

    46. Crossing Over

    47. Kill Shot With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane

    48. Vanished With Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock

    49. Valkyrie

    50. Star Trek – Prequel Movie (From Street Vendor)

    51. 52  The Clearing With Robert Redford – 2004

    52. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button  With Brad Pitt Best Actor Award 2009

    53. Knowing With Nicolas Cage 2009

    54. The Code

    55. Counterfeit

    56. Alexander 2004 Oliver Stone Producer

    57. Out For Justice  1991

    58. Echelon Conspiracy 2009

    59. The Good Thief 2001 With Nick Nolte

    60. Meteor = NBC Mini-Series

    61. Wild Hogs 2007 Tim Allen, Travolta, Macy, Lawrence

    62. 28 Days Later

    63. Wild Things 2

    64. Mystic River Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Sean Pean

    65. Criminal 2004

    66. Essential Lover

    67. Two Lovers

    68. Angels And Demons 2008 Started by Tom Hanks, Directed By Ron Howard

    69. The Informers

    70.  Duplicity

    71.   Surveillance Produced By Jennifer Lynch Starting Pullman And Ormand

    72.  Trust The Man 2008

    73.  The Mutant Chronicles 2008

    74.  Heaven  1995?

    75.  Wolverine With Hugh Jackman 2009

    76.  Dark Streets With Bijou Philips

    77.  Doubt With Meryle Strep 2008

    78. Coco Chanel Shirley Mc Cline  2008

    79.  Ramen Girl

    80.  The Yatzuka (1974 W George Mitchum)

    81.  The Fountain  2006 W Rachel Weiss (Hot)

    82.  Easy Virtue  2009 (On Plane)

    83.  Act Of Imagination – Eddie Murphy And Serena Williams’s Daughter

    84.  I Hate Valentine’s Day  2009  (On Plane)

    85.  The Proposal 2009 With Sandra Bullock

    86.  Into The Storm (Bio Of Winston Churchill (On Plane)

    87. MILF Hunters 5 Porno Movie Seen In Hotel

    88. Mr. Brooks

    89.  Taken

    90. The Big Bounce

    91. The Heartbreak Kid (Second Time Around)

    92.  Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 With John Travolta, Denzel Washington

    93.  Cherrie 2008 With Michelle Pfiefer

    94.  Accidental Husband 2008 With Uma Thuber

    95.  Management With Jennifer Aniston, Steve Chain, And Woody Harrelson, 2008

    96.  My Life In Ruins, 2008 With Nia Valdolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding And Richard Dreyfus)

    97. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2005

    98. Spanglish 2005 With Adam Sandler

    99.  A Married Life 2008

    100.            Open Road 2009

    101.           Vanity Fair 2004  Recee Weatherspoon As Bucky Sharp

    102.           Beyond Borders 2008 Anglie Jolie, And Clive Owen

    103.           I’ll Sleep When I Am Dead 2003with Clive Owen

    104.           The King Of California 2007 With Michael Douglas

    105.           Target 1985 With Gene Hackman And Matt Dillion

    106.           The Life Of David Gale With Kevin Spacy, And Kate Winslet

    107.           Bruno

    108.           Lucky You With Drew Barrymore

    109.           The Last Word

    110.           2012 With John Cusack

    111.           Bad Lieutenant With Nicolas Cage

    112.           The Tournament 2009 Kelly Hu

    113.           Public Enemies 2009 Johny Deep

    114.           Julia And Julia 2009 Meryle Sherpa

    115.            Cold Mountain 2003 Jude Law, Nicole Kidman

    116.           Out Of Time 2003 Denzel Washington, Eva Mendez (Hot)

    117.            Night At The Museum 11 Battle For Smithsonian

    118.           Sleuth 2009 Version

    119.           Land Of The Lost 2009

    120.           The Brother’s Bloom 2008

    121.           Letter From Iwa Jima 2007 Clint Eastwood Directed

    122.           White Chicks

    123.           Star Treck Generations

    124.           Jackie Collins’s Hollywood Wife 2003

    125.           Charlie Wilson’s War  -2008 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts

    126.           The Whole Nine Yards 2000 Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peete (Hot)

    127.           The Illusionist

    2008

     

    1.    After The Sunset With Pierce Bronson, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle

    2.    American Gangster With Denzel Washington And Russell Crowe

    3.    Out Of Reach With Steven Seagal

    4.    Amos And Andy With Nicolas Cage And Samuel Jackson

    5.    The Merchant Of Venice With AL Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins

    6.    Harrison’s Flowers With Adrian Macdowell, Elias Koteas, Brendan Gleeson, Adrian Brody, And David Stratham

     

    7.    Cruise December 15 -21

     

    8.    Sylvia –  Movie About The Poet Sylvia Plath And Ted Hughes

    9.    What Happened In Vegas – With Cameron Diaz

    10. Rendition With Meryle Strep – About The Issue Of Renditions, Well Done

    11. Adaptation  – Nicolas Cage Re Life Of Two Twin Brothers Screen Writers And The Process Of Writing A Screen Play

    12. Bangkok Dangerous Nicolas Cage

    13. Elizabeth

    14. The Weather Man Nicolas Cage

    15. Get Smart

     

    16. Possession  NF

    17. Next With Nicolas Cage NF

    18. Knocked Up  NF

    19. Untouchables AMC

    20. Fargo  AMC

    21. Mummy Returns

     

    2007 To 2010 Barbados

     

    Saw A Lot Of Movies On Video And Netflix Via Mail

     

    From 2003 To 2007  DC Saw An Average of 100 Per Year

     

    2000 To 2003  Saw An Average Of 100 Per Year Mostly Videos But Did See In Movie Theaters Twice A Month And Saw Several Bollywood Movies

     

     

    2000   Saw The Three Stooges Marathon To Start The Year

     

    1996 -1997  Saw Less Than 50 Due To Being In Hospital Half The Year

     

     

    The 90s  Saw About 100 Per Year Blockbuster Was Popular

     

    1994  during six months of Thai training saw four movies per week

     

    1991 during training saw four movies per week

     

    The ’80s Saw A Lot Via Video About 100 Per Year

     

    The ’70s Saw On TV And In Movie Theaters

     

    Watched a lot of Creature Features movies on TV in the early ’70s every Friday night they had a double feature.    Went on average once a week to the movies with friends, mostly Robert Sicular from 1970 to 1974.

     

    My favorite animation series included American Dad, Dilbert,  Family Guy, Futurama, Bullwinkle, and Looney Tunes.

     

    Favorite TV series over the years include Arrested Development,  Batman, Superman,  Everyone Loves Raymond, Two and a Half Men, Married with Children, Malcolm in the Middle, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and as a child, Beverly Hillbies, Dobbie Gils, Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres, Outer limits, Twilight zone, and X Files.

     

    Saw all Planet of the Apes movies and all James Bond movies

     

     

     

     

     
    ·       Best Movie lists

    Oscars 2025: Predicting The Nominees & Winners Of All 23 Categories

    The 25 Top Movies of 2024

    My MOST ANTICIPATED Movies 2025 (Part 1) | Watch

    The 12 Best Korean Movies On Netflix

    10 Essential K-Dramas That Defined the 2000s, Ranked

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel On Netflix Improves On First Film In Every Way

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    Essential Psychological Thrillers: 25 Mind-Bending Films

    Feel-Good Favorites: 20 Films to Lift Your Spirits

    15 Best K-Dramas Like The Glory

    Top movies of 2024 | Watch

    30 Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2025

    10 Most Anticipated Action Films to Watch Out For in 2025

    10 Best Cult Classic Romance Movies, Ranked

    The Greatest Monster Movies Of All Time

    Hate romantic comedies? 32 movies to change your mind

    The best college movie ever made isn’t ‘Animal House,’ according to fans. See the top 50.

    The Best Movies of All Time

    10 Nerve-Wracking Thrillers That Are Flawless From Beginning to End

    10 Best K-Comedy Shows Perfect From Start to Finish

    Esquire’s 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    10 Best Arthouse Psychological Horror Movies, Ranked

    10 Actors and Actresses Whose K-Dramas Never Miss, Ranked

    10 Best ’80s Fantasy Movies

    Thrilling TV Series You Can’t Miss: 20 Must-See Shows

    10 Mind-Bending Psychological Thrillers on Netflix Everyone Should Watch

    Horror Laughs: 25 Movies So Bad, They’re Hilarious

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies of All Time, Ranked

    57 Best Alien Movies Of All Time Ranked

    10 Contenders for the Best Movie Ever Made

    How many of the 50 best movies from the ’60s have you seen?

    9 Hilarious Adventure Movies You Can’t Miss In 2025

    How many of the 100 best movies in Hollywood history have you seen?

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    The 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    Lee Min-ho’s 10 Best K-Dramas, Ranked

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmyCgHKCH8&t=78s&ab_channel=DougHarris

     

    Video: All American – The Walter Gordon Story | Watch ViewFinder Online | PBS Video

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

    10 Box Office Disasters That Are Actually Cinematic Masterpieces

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    15 Fantasy Books as Good as Lord of the Rings – The Quick Report

    		      
     

     

    Can You Recognize These 30 Movies By a Single Quote?

    The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made

    Mind-Bending Films: Top 25 Psychological Rollercoasters

    The 13 Best Movie Franchises to Marathon Watch

    The Best Action Movies Of All Time

    20 movies that became cult classics despite flopping at the box office

    22 of the most anticipated movie releases in 2025

    The most unforgettable opening lines in cinema historhy

    Horror Movies That Basically Have The Same Plot

    The movies everyone should watch at least once before they die, critics say

    The 20 best feelgood films of all time, ranked

    10 Best Movies To Watch if You Like Stephen King

    A Trump movie that Trump hates is going to get a lot more attention, courtesy of the Oscars

    15 Longest Theatrical Runs in Movie History

    10 Psychological Thrillers That Will Keep You Up At Night

    The Best Romantic Movies of All Time

    The 20 Best Films From The 90s

    All of these movies are from 1994, making it arguably the best year in cinema history.

    Tearjerkers: 25 Heart-Wrenching Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry

    How to Watch All the 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films

    20 Foreign language films that were nominated for Oscar

    How many of the 50 best Netflix original series ever made have you watched?                              10 Highly Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies Coming in 2025

    Ranking The Best 10 Movies About Space and Astronauts, Interstellar is Only 3rd

    10 Must-Watch Movies That Feel Like Poetry

    The greatest long movies to watch if you’re stuck inside

    The Best Movies Of The 2000s

    The Oscars 2025 Best Picture Tier Rankings: Breaking Down All 10 Nominees Into 5 Categories

    25 Hollywood Box Office Failures That Were Actually Master-Pieces You Must Watch

    Memorable films from the ‘90s

    The Best Movies Based on True Stories

    Three to see: The greatest film trilogies in cinema history

    Movies That Will Make You Want to Travel

    20 horror movies you probably shouldn’t watch alone

    17 Of The Most Upsetting Movies Of All Time

    10 Best Thriller Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

    10 Most Iconic Betrayals in Movie History, Ranked

    19 Highest grossing horror movies of all time, ranked

    20 incredible long movies everybody should watch at least once

    10 Movies Where the Final Shot Changes Everything

    50 of the best movie cameos in Hollywood history

     

    Humans vs Superhumans | When Monsters Were Real and We Almost Went Extinct | Watch

    Critically Hated Movies That Are Actually Awesome

    10 Breathtaking Movies Where the Landscape Steals the Show

    30 of the best screenplays of the century (so far)

    Tearjerkers: 25 Movies That Will Make You Cry Every Time

    The 100 best films ever made, according to critics

     

    The 10 Most Perfectly Acted Movies of the 20th Century, Ranked

    2000s Movie Masterpieces: 25 Films You Absolutely Must Watch

    10 Worst Movies That Tried to Be ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Ranked

    20 Movies so emotional that they make men cry

    10 Best Movie Endings of All Time

    15 Most Depressing Movies That Will Leave You Devastated

    10 Classic Movies That Have Aged the Best, Ranked

    –10 Movies That Should Have Won Best Picture–

    15 Classic Movies That Would Be Impossible to Make Today

    20 Action movies that live up to the saying “old is gold”

    20 Horror movies adapted from real incidents

    10 Best Classic Westerns to Stream on Tubi

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-underrated-war-movies-that-are-almost-perfect/ar-AA1xEU7W?oAcid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=d0ecf75f3ac6417f83d07543f0055478&ei=132

    The most thought-provoking movies ever made

    10 Best Movies Set In Hawaii, Ranked

    20 Psychological Thrillers That Messed with Our Minds

    Mind-Bending Movies: 20 Films That Will Shift Your Perspective

    10 Underrated Thriller Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

    Here are the 11 new movie reboots coming to theaters in 2025

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    Owen Wilson’s Best Movie Roles Prove He Has Serious Range

    The 15 Best Historical Epic Movies Ranked

    10 Delightful Movies to Brighten Your Day When Life is Hard

    The Least Scientifically-Accurate Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made, According To Neil deGrasse Tyson | Watch

    2000s Cinema’s Most Iconic Films: 25 Movies That Altered the Industry

    10 Best Movie Sequels With Great Acting, Ranked

    These ’90s Horror Movies Will Make You Scream ‘Clarice!’ In Your Sleep

    Netflix previews their biggest 2025 movies — what I’m most looking forward to

    10 Unforgettable Psychological Horror Movies to Keep You on Edge

     

    9 Movies Based On Classic Books That Are Stuck In Development Hell (Or Canceled)

    Intriguing movie adaptations of classic novels, such as Paradise Lost or Phantom of the Opera, are sadly stuck in development or have been canceled.

    20 Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

    Top 30 Best Movies From Every Continent | Watch

    The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All Time

    The Best Religious Horror Movies Of All-Time, Ranked

    Top 5 Thrilling Psychological Movies on Netflix That Will Keep You on Edge | Watch

    5 best new movies to stream this weekend (Feb. 1-2) on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and more

    15 Best Agatha Christie Books Every Mystery Lover Must Read

    15 Movies That Showed Hell in Its Most Terrifying Depictions

    Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books Of The Year—And All Time | Watch

    10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of

    15 Best Psychological Thrillers Like Shutter Island, Ranked

    10 Best Fantasy Martial Arts Movies From The 1980s

    5 Best Horror Movie Villains From The Past Decade

    11 Best New Shows on Netflix: February 2025’s Top Upcoming Series to Watch

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    A Guide to Netflix’s Biggest TV, True Crime and Movie Releases in 2025

    Top Terrifying Horror Films That Linger in Your Thoughts Long After Watching | Watch

     

    Netflix’s most anticipated shows of 2025 revealed from Bridgerton to Stranger Things finale

    50 Terrifying Masterpieces Every Horror Buff Should See

    15 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 25 Years

    Must-Watch Horror: 25 Chilling Movies to Stream on Prime Video

    The 60 Best Horror Movies of All Time

    The 30 Best 2000s Horror Movies Ranked

    12 New Must-Read Sci-Fi Novels to Escape Reality

    13 Must-Watch Netflix Mystery Movies to Unleash Your Inner Sherlock Holmes | Watch

    The Most Exciting New Cyberpunk Show Could Move Beyond The Books

    10 best crime TV shows of all time, ranked

    What we know about the upcoming ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ movie, after the last three sequels made over $1 billion each

    30 TV Shows Returning in 2025 That We Cannot Wait For

     

    10 Best Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror Movies

    10 Great Horror Movies With Major Cliffhanger Endings

    10 Must-See Horror Movies with the Most Intense Final Acts

    Netflix’s latest sci-fi thriller series is perfect for Black Mirror fans

    Top 30 Best Horror Movies of the Century (So Far)

    “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God

    Netflix top 10 shows — here’s the 3 worth watching right now

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Can’t Miss

    10 Great Classic Horror Films That Aren’t Frankenstein or Dracula

    25 Must-Watch Netflix Shows to Start Tonight

    20 Black-led horror movies and TV shows

    15 Best Horror Movies Coming in 2025

    11 Real-Life Hauntings That Inspired Famous Horror Movies

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    The 25 Scariest Movies Hitting Screens in 2025

    The best TV episode of all time, according to viewers—and see if your favorite made the top 100

    Top Horror TV Shows: 25 Spine-Tingling Series You Have to Watch

    The 16 Best Zombie Series That Shaped Horror Television

    The Best Femme Fatales From Film and Television

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    ‘Addictive’ Netflix thriller is the perfect ‘political action fantasy’ and it’s streaming now

    15 Best Horror Shows of The Last Decade

    A Sons of Anarchy Theory Turns Netflix’s Upcoming Western Into a Secret SAMCRO Prequel

    ‘Beyond Disgusting’: Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Mocking Federal Aid Recipients As ‘Parasite Class’ While His Companies Rake In $18 Billion from U.S. Taxpayers

    10 Best Spy Shows of All Time, Ranked

    15 Must-Watch Period Dramas on Netflix That You Should At Least Once

    These 10 K-Dramas Are So Perfect, Everyone Should Watch Them

    10 Mystery K-Dramas That Will Keep You Engaged Until The End

    10 Most Underrated ‘90s Sci-Fi TV Shows

    Mickey 17 is an absurdist, anti-capitalist, Trump-mocking masterpiece

    Can’t Decide What to Watch? Here Are the Best Netflix Shows That Will Keep You Hooked This Winter (Part 14) | Watch

    The 15 Most Tearjerking Movie Endings in Film History

    The greatest movie quotes from the past 100 years, according to the American Film Institute

    I Wish I Could Forget These K-Dramas, So I Could Watch Them Over For The First Time

    ‘One of the greatest sci-fi films ever’ is now available to watch on Netflix

    10 Best Movies You Should Watch Only One Time

    15 Movie Endings That Crushed Souls Everywhere

    15 Complicated Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    The 25 Movies Famous for Their Impossible-to-Predict Plot Twists

    25 Horror Movies That Push the Limits of Fear

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

     

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

    10 K-Drama Rom-Coms That Are Perfect For A Bad Day

     

    10 Worst Science Fiction Movies, According to Roger Ebert

    25 Period Dramas Recommended by Historians for Their Accuracy

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    The 14 Scariest Moments In Non-Horror Movies

    Obscure ’90s Sci-Fi Gems You Need To Watch

    20 Most Heartbreaking Moments in TV History | Watch

    25 Films That Master the Art of the Plot Twist

    How many of the worst blockbuster movies of all time have you seen?

    20 famous movies that have unforgettable twist endings

    10 Western Movies That Are Deliriously Entertaining, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops That Are Actually Brilliant Films

    24 TV Shows from the 80s That Were Huge, But You Probably Forgot

    How Many of These 25 Films Perfectly Adapted from Books Have You Watched?

    Amazon Prime finally drops ‘creepy’ TV show with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

     

    Once Is Enough: 25 Devastating Movie Classics That Are Hard to Revisit

    10 Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies For Those Who Feel Like They’ve Seen All The Decent Ones

    Netflix’s new crime thriller is the best show I’ve watched in years — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

    15 Best Vampire Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

     

    10 Best Obscure Horror Movies From the 2010s

    Action Movie Sequels You Had No Idea Existed

    10 TV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe Now

    14 Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    10 Creepy Horror Movies That Don’t Rely On Gore Or Jump Scares

    8 Best Stephen King Movies on Prime

    Top dystopian movie drops on Netflix with Harrison Ford in leading role

    7 Feminist Horror Films You May Not Know

    10 Great Movies Without an Actual Protagonist

    10 Great Sci-Fi Movie Twists We’ll Remember Forever

    18 Thriller Movies With Perfect Endings

    Movie Night in a Flash: 25 Must-Watch Films Under 90 Minutes

    Mind-Bending Thrillers: 25 Psychological Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss

    10 Emotional Movies You’ll Never Fully Recover From

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    5 Historical Films That Got the Costumes RIGHT. 🔥 | Watch

    How Many of These 25 Book-to-Movie Gems Have You Watched?

     

     

    15 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner

    Netflix’s Compelling New Legal Drama Scores Rare 100 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score

    Ash Review: A Genuinely Haunting Sci-Fi Thriller That Filled Me With Chilling Dread But Left Me Wanting More

    Movies So Bad, They’re Actually Good

    A cult 1990s sci-fi film is getting rebooted with key differences

    Sci-Fi Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

    Moviegoers addicted to ‘Novocaine,’ extracts $3.9M on opening day

    Top 20 Most Unwatchable Movies | Watch

    5 Great Horror Movies That Are Currently Haunting Netflix (Part 2) | Watch

    There Are Only Nine PERFECT Horror Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes | Watch

    5 Disney Sequels That Were As Good As the Original & 5 That Missed the Mark | Watch

    5 Years Ago, Alex Garland Made An Ambitious Sci-Fi Mystery That Was Ahead Of Its Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theatersTime

    12 Underrated Movies That Had Iconic Plot Twists

    10 Post-Apocalyptic Masterpieces Sci-Fi Fans Have Probably Never Seen

    Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theaters

    3 Underrated Movies on Netflix to Stream This Weekend (March 14-16)

     

    The best time travel movie ever isn’t ‘Back to the Future,’ according to data. Find out the top 25.

    The 35 Best Western Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    This 14-Year-Old Cyberpunk Thriller Is Much Better than Its 36% Rotten Score Suggests

    10 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 50 Years, Ranked

    Post-Apocalyptic Movies That Predicted The Future

    People Simply Hated These 20 Movie Plot Twists

    10 Movies That Were Surprisingly Perfect From Start to Finish

    10 Action Movies With Massive Plot Twists You Never Saw Coming

    The 25 most overrated films ever made, according to critics

    Comedies With Surprisingly Sad Endings

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Absolutely Flawless Except For A Single Scene

    The Electric State: Millie Bobby Brown’s Netflix sci-fi romp should be seen on a house-sized screen

    15 ’80s Thrillers You Definitely Need To See

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Crackling Thriller Stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as Married Spies with Nuclear Trust Issues

    10 Heroic Sacrifices In Comic Book Movies & TV Shows That Didn’t Need To Happen

    Underrated sci-fi movies

    What to Watch in 2025: Netflix’s Most Anticipated Releases

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies with Great Premises

    The 15 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies, Ranked

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/near-perfect-sci-fi-movies-you-Amight-have-missed/vi-BB1mki4b?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=72bcaa4a401c47e182cb9e180b696033&ei=47

    Top 20 Must-Watch Netflix Original Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series | Watch

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Shockingly Ahead of Their Time

    10 Best Shows Like ‘Stargate SG-1′ To Watch If You Love the Series

    Netflix’s New Sci-Fi Series ‘The Eternaut’ Will Hit the Streamer Next Month

    10 Older Sci-Fi TV Shows That Are Still Extremely Entertaining

    19 Horror movies that are not horror movies

    The worst Western movies ever released, based on data

    Miscleaneous Lists update daily

    January  

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

    https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/?author=1

    the 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    May be an image of 1 person

    More Roy Dufrain Writing

    Roy Dufrain Updates

    guest post by Roy Dufraine

    Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    The 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    THE OSCARS AT OUR HOUSE.

    For more than twenty years now, Mrs D and I have made it an annual quest to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars telecast. This year we saw 9.5 of the 10 movies nominated.
    It started in 2000, when there were only five nominees (instead of up to 10 like now) and we usually had to see them in a theater, because they weren’t available to rent on VHS yet. (Yes, I said VHS).
    And we’ve done it every year since, except for 2019 which was interrupted by Mrs D’s infamous extended hospital stay. We have even ventured to other cities to see movies that weren’t playing at the one theater in our little town. I remember seeing Chocolat in Ukiah and more recently The Revenant in Rohnert Park. But now we can usually stream everything, and this year the whole project ran us around a hundred bucks in streaming rentals and purchases on top of our existing subscriptions to Amazon, etc.
    Several years ago I started writing about our tradition on Facebook. Now the writeup itself has become part of the deal. As I’ve said before, I’m no film student, nor expert critic. Just a regular dude who loves movies.
    Snap reviews and top picks below.

    American Fiction –

    Bold, wryly funny, contrarian, with the ring of truth. Brilliantly calls out the publishing industry, where retread tropes seem to trump story, art and insight, particularly when it comes to depictions of Black characters and writers. And I feel like there’s an even larger truth here about the way culture is degraded in general through over-commercialization.

    Anatomy of a Fall –

    A French film that moves carefully, piece by piece, and manages to be slow and taut at the same time. I found the characters to be inscrutable. I feel like I need to watch again just to see if maybe this time I would fully understand these people. It left me with a suspicion that perhaps all the story’s secrets have still not been revealed, that the resolution we see on the screen is still not the truth of these characters. And, in this case, that ambiguity is a good thing.

    Barbie —

    Cleverly funny in spots, but also unsubtly preachy in spots, an issue I’ve had with director Greta Gerwig before. But Margot Robbie was perfect and the movie is visually stunning in all its pinkish glory and devoted detail. Still, I think this movie appears in the Best Picture category more on the strength of its perceived politics than its success as an artistic endeavor.

    The Holdovers —

    A darkly funny, entertaining, and deeply reflective odd couple sort of story that’s enjoyable to watch. Maybe a little out of its league in the Best Picture category, but elevated to a higher status by Paul Giamatti’s performance, which is irresistibly engaging as always. Well worth a second watch.
    Killers of the Flower Moon — Having read the book, I felt the impact of the true part of this story was diminished by the fictionalized part of the movie. Reading the book I was deeply struck by the callous indifference shown toward the humanity of the Osage Indians. It resonated like an echo of Shindler’s List, underlining the incredible and frightening capacity of humans to rationalize literally any behavior in their fear or greed. But the movie revolves around Ernest Burkhardt (Leonardo DiCaprio) and depicts a somewhat tried and true arc of romantic tragedy, a weak-minded man caught up in the schemes of others, pulled along by greed and the need for approval, until he is in the process of killing the only real love he’s ever known. As is often the case, the truth was more complex. And more disturbing.

    Maestro –

    I usually make a conscious effort to limit my preconceptions of these movies. I don’t read reviews or watch trailers. But it’s hard to avoid a relentless ad campaign like the one mounted for Maestro. I’d seen the rousing TV spots touting the performances and the early awards. But I found the movie depressing, its characterization of Bernstein disappointing and unlikeable. But yes, Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan
    were both outstanding.
    Comment:  on my list to watch as I am a big Bernstein fan – one of the best classical composers of the 20th century in my opinion.

    Oppenheimer –

    Not what I would call a pleasant watch, at times slow and ponderous, even confusing with some of the time jumps. But the acting was so engrossing, immersive, mesmerizing even. Cillian Murphy in the title role was riveting. Robert Downey Jr simply disappeared into the role of Lewis Strauss. Emily Blunt was also captivating as Kitty Oppenheimer. The effects director Christopher Nolan used to heighten the sense of Oppenheimer’s interiority were brilliant and effective.
    For example when Oppenheimer steps on a charred corpse that only exists in his tortured, guilty mind. But the lasting impact of this film is the way it echoes in the mind afterward—how sad and terrible and absurd it is that we reckless humans have attained the power to destroy the world. It will probably win Best Picture. And it probably should.
    Comment: Also on my must see list

    Past Lives –

    Eventually, someone had to do a movie like this — an old romance is rekindled through the internet and complications ensue. In this particular case the past romance is an adolescent crush, cut short by one family’s immigration, and later complicated not just by the years, but also by geographic and cultural distance. This one stayed with me, kept me thinking for days afterward about its larger implications regarding fate, destiny, acceptance, grief and closure. Well worth more than one watch.

    Poor Things –

    Half of this movie was twice as much as I needed. We actually turned it off, extremely rare for us during Oscar season. What we saw played like a terrible excuse for some creepy, gratuitous soft porn. All the weirdness of the sets, costumes, cinematography and makeup felt like a desperate attempt at artistic status. If someone out there actually saw some redeeming value in this thing, feel free to explain in the comments section what I am missing.

    The Zone of Interest –

    This one’s all in German, with subtitles. But the dialog is sparse and the film’s biggest strength is in the fascinating dichotomy presented in its basic premise. It gives us a window into the surprisingly mundane personal lives of a “normal” family literally in the shadow of Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The sense of cognitive dissonance is alarming.

    Honorable Mention

    – I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to mention one film that was not even nominated for Best Picture but, in my opinion, should have been. Nyad has wonderful, engaging performances by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, and it’s a suspenseful, satisfying, story of friendship, determination, human spirit, and triumph over the longest odds.

    Finally, here are my choices for the top awards.

    Don’t worry, the Academy almost always disagrees.
    Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Winner
    Actor in a Supporting Role: Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer Winner
    Actress in a Leading Role: Annette Bening, Nyad
    Actress in a Supporting Role: Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Best Picture: Oppenheimer Winner 
    Soon it’s time to pop the popcorn, get cozy on the couch, badmouth the fashion and root for your favorites.
    Happy Oscars folks.

    here’s the winners 

    The 96th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 10, 2024, celebrated outstanding movies released in 2023. Here are some of the notable winners:

    1. Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
    2. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy for his role in “Oppenheimer”
    3. Best Actress: Emma Stone for her performance in “Poor Things”
    4. Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer”
    5. Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers”
    6. Best Director: Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”
    7. Best Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”
    8. Best Original Screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall”
    9. Best Animated Feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
    10. Best Documentary Feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
    11. Best International Feature Film: “The Zone of Interest”
    12. Best Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”
    13. Best Costume Design: “Poor Things”
    14. Best Film Editing: “Oppenheimer”
    15. Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Poor Things”
    16. Best Original Score: “Oppenheimer”
    17. Best Original Song: “Barbie”
    18. Best Production Design: “Poor Things”
    19. Best Sound: “The Zone of Interest”
    20. Best Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
    21. Best Documentary (Short Subject): “The Last Repair Shop”
    22. Best Animated Short Film: “War Is Over!”
    23. Best Live Action Short Film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” 12

     

     

    All reactions:

    1515

    March 14, 2024, 9:28 am 0 boosts 0 favorites

    The 25 Top Movies of 2024

    My MOST ANTICIPATED Movies 2025 (Part 1) | Watch

    The 12 Best Korean Movies On Netflix

    10 Essential K-Dramas That Defined the 2000s, Ranked

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel On Netflix Improves On First Film In Every Way

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    Essential Psychological Thrillers: 25 Mind-Bending Films

    Feel-Good Favorites: 20 Films to Lift Your Spirits

    15 Best K-Dramas Like The Glory

    Top movies of 2024 | Watch

    30 Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2025

    10 Most Anticipated Action Films to Watch Out For in 2025

    10 Best Cult Classic Romance Movies, Ranked

    The Greatest Monster Movies Of All Time

    Hate romantic comedies? 32 movies to change your mind

    The best college movie ever made isn’t ‘Animal House,’ according to fans. See the top 50.

    The Best Movies of All Time

    10 Nerve-Wracking Thrillers That Are Flawless From Beginning to End

    10 Best K-Comedy Shows Perfect From Start to Finish

    Esquire’s 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    10 Best Arthouse Psychological Horror Movies, Ranked

    10 Actors and Actresses Whose K-Dramas Never Miss, Ranked

    10 Best ’80s Fantasy Movies

    Thrilling TV Series You Can’t Miss: 20 Must-See Shows

    10 Mind-Bending Psychological Thrillers on Netflix Everyone Should Watch

    Horror Laughs: 25 Movies So Bad, They’re Hilarious

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies of All Time, Ranked

    57 Best Alien Movies Of All Time Ranked

    10 Contenders for the Best Movie Ever Made

    How many of the 50 best movies from the ’60s have you seen?

    9 Hilarious Adventure Movies You Can’t Miss In 2025

    How many of the 100 best movies in Hollywood history have you seen?

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    The 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    Lee Min-ho’s 10 Best K-Dramas, Ranked

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmyCgHKCH8&t=78s&ab_channel=DougHarris

     

    Video: All American – The Walter Gordon Story | Watch ViewFinder Online | PBS Video

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

    10 Box Office Disasters That Are Actually Cinematic Masterpieces

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    15 Fantasy Books as Good as Lord of the Rings – The Quick Report

    		      
     

     

    Can You Recognize These 30 Movies By a Single Quote?

    The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made

    Mind-Bending Films: Top 25 Psychological Rollercoasters

    The 13 Best Movie Franchises to Marathon Watch

    The Best Action Movies Of All Time

    20 movies that became cult classics despite flopping at the box office

    22 of the most anticipated movie releases in 2025

    The most unforgettable opening lines in cinema historhy

    Horror Movies That Basically Have The Same Plot

    The movies everyone should watch at least once before they die, critics say

    The 20 best feelgood films of all time, ranked

    10 Best Movies To Watch if You Like Stephen King

    A Trump movie that Trump hates is going to get a lot more attention, courtesy of the Oscars

    15 Longest Theatrical Runs in Movie History

    10 Psychological Thrillers That Will Keep You Up At Night

    The Best Romantic Movies of All Time

    The 20 Best Films From The 90s

    All of these movies are from 1994, making it arguably the best year in cinema history.

    Tearjerkers: 25 Heart-Wrenching Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry

    How to Watch All the 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films

    20 Foreign language films that were nominated for Oscar

    How many of the 50 best Netflix original series ever made have you watched?                              10 Highly Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies Coming in 2025

    Ranking The Best 10 Movies About Space and Astronauts, Interstellar is Only 3rd

    10 Must-Watch Movies That Feel Like Poetry

    The greatest long movies to watch if you’re stuck inside

    The Best Movies Of The 2000s

    The Oscars 2025 Best Picture Tier Rankings: Breaking Down All 10 Nominees Into 5 Categories

    25 Hollywood Box Office Failures That Were Actually Master-Pieces You Must Watch

    Memorable films from the ‘90s

    The Best Movies Based on True Stories

    Three to see: The greatest film trilogies in cinema history

    Movies That Will Make You Want to Travel

    20 horror movies you probably shouldn’t watch alone

    17 Of The Most Upsetting Movies Of All Time

    10 Best Thriller Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

    10 Most Iconic Betrayals in Movie History, Ranked

    19 Highest grossing horror movies of all time, ranked

    20 incredible long movies everybody should watch at least once

    10 Movies Where the Final Shot Changes Everything

    50 of the best movie cameos in Hollywood history

     

    Humans vs Superhumans | When Monsters Were Real and We Almost Went Extinct | Watch

    Critically Hated Movies That Are Actually Awesome

    10 Breathtaking Movies Where the Landscape Steals the Show

    30 of the best screenplays of the century (so far)

    Tearjerkers: 25 Movies That Will Make You Cry Every Time

    The 100 best films ever made, according to critics

     

    The 10 Most Perfectly Acted Movies of the 20th Century, Ranked

    2000s Movie Masterpieces: 25 Films You Absolutely Must Watch

    10 Worst Movies That Tried to Be ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Ranked

    20 Movies so emotional that they make men cry

    10 Best Movie Endings of All Time

    15 Most Depressing Movies That Will Leave You Devastated

    10 Classic Movies That Have Aged the Best, Ranked

    –10 Movies That Should Have Won Best Picture–

    15 Classic Movies That Would Be Impossible to Make Today

    20 Action movies that live up to the saying “old is gold”

    20 Horror movies adapted from real incidents

    10 Best Classic Westerns to Stream on Tubi

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-underrated-war-movies-that-are-almost-perfect/ar-AA1xEU7W?oAcid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=d0ecf75f3ac6417f83d07543f0055478&ei=132

    The most thought-provoking movies ever made

    10 Best Movies Set In Hawaii, Ranked

    20 Psychological Thrillers That Messed with Our Minds

    Mind-Bending Movies: 20 Films That Will Shift Your Perspective

    10 Underrated Thriller Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

    Here are the 11 new movie reboots coming to theaters in 2025

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    Owen Wilson’s Best Movie Roles Prove He Has Serious Range

    The 15 Best Historical Epic Movies Ranked

    10 Delightful Movies to Brighten Your Day When Life is Hard

    The Least Scientifically-Accurate Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made, According To Neil deGrasse Tyson | Watch

    2000s Cinema’s Most Iconic Films: 25 Movies That Altered the Industry

    10 Best Movie Sequels With Great Acting, Ranked

    These ’90s Horror Movies Will Make You Scream ‘Clarice!’ In Your Sleep

    Netflix previews their biggest 2025 movies — what I’m most looking forward to

    10 Unforgettable Psychological Horror Movies to Keep You on Edge

     

    February

     

    9 Movies Based On Classic Books That Are Stuck In Development Hell (Or Canceled)

    Intriguing movie adaptations of classic novels, such as Paradise Lost or Phantom of the Opera, are sadly stuck in development or have been canceled.

    20 Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

    Top 30 Best Movies From Every Continent | Watch

    The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All Time

    The Best Religious Horror Movies Of All-Time, Ranked

    Top 5 Thrilling Psychological Movies on Netflix That Will Keep You on Edge | Watch

    5 best new movies to stream this weekend (Feb. 1-2) on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and more

    15 Best Agatha Christie Books Every Mystery Lover Must Read

    15 Movies That Showed Hell in Its Most Terrifying Depictions

    Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books Of The Year—And All Time | Watch

    10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of

    15 Best Psychological Thrillers Like Shutter Island, Ranked

    10 Best Fantasy Martial Arts Movies From The 1980s

    5 Best Horror Movie Villains From The Past Decade

    11 Best New Shows on Netflix: February 2025’s Top Upcoming Series to Watch

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    A Guide to Netflix’s Biggest TV, True Crime and Movie Releases in 2025

    Top Terrifying Horror Films That Linger in Your Thoughts Long After Watching | Watch

     

    Netflix’s most anticipated shows of 2025 revealed from Bridgerton to Stranger Things finale

    50 Terrifying Masterpieces Every Horror Buff Should See

    15 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 25 Years

    Must-Watch Horror: 25 Chilling Movies to Stream on Prime Video

    The 60 Best Horror Movies of All Time

    The 30 Best 2000s Horror Movies Ranked

    12 New Must-Read Sci-Fi Novels to Escape Reality

    13 Must-Watch Netflix Mystery Movies to Unleash Your Inner Sherlock Holmes | Watch

    The Most Exciting New Cyberpunk Show Could Move Beyond The Books

    10 best crime TV shows of all time, ranked

    What we know about the upcoming ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ movie, after the last three sequels made over $1 billion each

    30 TV Shows Returning in 2025 That We Cannot Wait For

     

    10 Best Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror Movies

    10 Great Horror Movies With Major Cliffhanger Endings

    10 Must-See Horror Movies with the Most Intense Final Acts

    Netflix’s latest sci-fi thriller series is perfect for Black Mirror fans

    Top 30 Best Horror Movies of the Century (So Far)

    “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God

    Netflix top 10 shows — here’s the 3 worth watching right now

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Can’t Miss

    10 Great Classic Horror Films That Aren’t Frankenstein or Dracula

    25 Must-Watch Netflix Shows to Start Tonight

    20 Black-led horror movies and TV shows

    15 Best Horror Movies Coming in 2025

    11 Real-Life Hauntings That Inspired Famous Horror Movies

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    The 25 Scariest Movies Hitting Screens in 2025

    The best TV episode of all time, according to viewers—and see if your favorite made the top 100

    Top Horror TV Shows: 25 Spine-Tingling Series You Have to Watch

    The 16 Best Zombie Series That Shaped Horror Television

    The Best Femme Fatales From Film and Television

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    ‘Addictive’ Netflix thriller is the perfect ‘political action fantasy’ and it’s streaming now

    15 Best Horror Shows of The Last Decade

    A Sons of Anarchy Theory Turns Netflix’s Upcoming Western Into a Secret SAMCRO Prequel

    ‘Beyond Disgusting’: Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Mocking Federal Aid Recipients As ‘Parasite Class’ While His Companies Rake In $18 Billion from U.S. Taxpayers

    10 Best Spy Shows of All Time, Ranked

    15 Must-Watch Period Dramas on Netflix That You Should At Least Once

    These 10 K-Dramas Are So Perfect, Everyone Should Watch Them

    March

     

    10 Mystery K-Dramas That Will Keep You Engaged Until The End

    10 Most Underrated ‘90s Sci-Fi TV Shows

    Mickey 17 is an absurdist, anti-capitalist, Trump-mocking masterpiece

    Can’t Decide What to Watch? Here Are the Best Netflix Shows That Will Keep You Hooked This Winter (Part 14) | Watch

    The 15 Most Tearjerking Movie Endings in Film History

    The greatest movie quotes from the past 100 years, according to the American Film Institute

    I Wish I Could Forget These K-Dramas, So I Could Watch Them Over For The First Time

    ‘One of the greatest sci-fi films ever’ is now available to watch on Netflix

    10 Best Movies You Should Watch Only One Time

    15 Movie Endings That Crushed Souls Everywhere

    15 Complicated Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    The 25 Movies Famous for Their Impossible-to-Predict Plot Twists

    25 Horror Movies That Push the Limits of Fear

     

     

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

    10 K-Drama Rom-Coms That Are Perfect For A Bad Day

     

    10 Worst Science Fiction Movies, According to Roger Ebert

    25 Period Dramas Recommended by Historians for Their Accuracy

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    The 14 Scariest Moments In Non-Horror Movies

    Obscure ’90s Sci-Fi Gems You Need To Watch

    20 Most Heartbreaking Moments in TV History | Watch

    25 Films That Master the Art of the Plot Twist

    How many of the worst blockbuster movies of all time have you seen?

    20 famous movies that have unforgettable twist endings

    10 Western Movies That Are Deliriously Entertaining, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops That Are Actually Brilliant Films

    24 TV Shows from the 80s That Were Huge, But You Probably Forgot

    How Many of These 25 Films Perfectly Adapted from Books Have You Watched?

    Amazon Prime finally drops ‘creepy’ TV show with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

     

    Once Is Enough: 25 Devastating Movie Classics That Are Hard to Revisit

    10 Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies For Those Who Feel Like They’ve Seen All The Decent Ones

    Netflix’s new crime thriller is the best show I’ve watched in years — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

    15 Best Vampire Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

     

    10 Best Obscure Horror Movies From the 2010s

    Action Movie Sequels You Had No Idea Existed

    10 TV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe Now

    14 Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    10 Creepy Horror Movies That Don’t Rely On Gore Or Jump Scares

    8 Best Stephen King Movies on Prime

    Top dystopian movie drops on Netflix with Harrison Ford in leading role

    7 Feminist Horror Films You May Not Know

    10 Great Movies Without an Actual Protagonist

    10 Great Sci-Fi Movie Twists We’ll Remember Forever

    18 Thriller Movies With Perfect Endings

    Movie Night in a Flash: 25 Must-Watch Films Under 90 Minutes

    Mind-Bending Thrillers: 25 Psychological Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss

    10 Emotional Movies You’ll Never Fully Recover From

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    5 Historical Films That Got the Costumes RIGHT. 🔥 | Watch

    How Many of These 25 Book-to-Movie Gems Have You Watched?

     

    3-15

     

     

    15 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner

    Netflix’s Compelling New Legal Drama Scores Rare 100 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score

    Ash Review: A Genuinely Haunting Sci-Fi Thriller That Filled Me With Chilling Dread But Left Me Wanting More

    Movies So Bad, They’re Actually Good

    A cult 1990s sci-fi film is getting rebooted with key differences

    Sci-Fi Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

    Moviegoers addicted to ‘Novocaine,’ extracts $3.9M on opening day

    Top 20 Most Unwatchable Movies | Watch

    5 Great Horror Movies That Are Currently Haunting Netflix (Part 2) | Watch

    There Are Only Nine PERFECT Horror Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes | Watch

    5 Disney Sequels That Were As Good As the Original & 5 That Missed the Mark | Watch

    5 Years Ago, Alex Garland Made An Ambitious Sci-Fi Mystery That Was Ahead Of Its Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theatersTime

    12 Underrated Movies That Had Iconic Plot Twists

    10 Post-Apocalyptic Masterpieces Sci-Fi Fans Have Probably Never Seen

    Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theaters

    3 Underrated Movies on Netflix to Stream This Weekend (March 14-16)

     

    The best time travel movie ever isn’t ‘Back to the Future,’ according to data. Find out the top 25.

    The 35 Best Western Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    This 14-Year-Old Cyberpunk Thriller Is Much Better than Its 36% Rotten Score Suggests

    10 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 50 Years, Ranked

    Post-Apocalyptic Movies That Predicted The Future

    People Simply Hated These 20 Movie Plot Twists

    10 Movies That Were Surprisingly Perfect From Start to Finish

    10 Action Movies With Massive Plot Twists You Never Saw Coming

    The 25 most overrated films ever made, according to critics

    Comedies With Surprisingly Sad Endings

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Absolutely Flawless Except For A Single Scene

    The Electric State: Millie Bobby Brown’s Netflix sci-fi romp should be seen on a house-sized screen

    15 ’80s Thrillers You Definitely Need To See

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Crackling Thriller Stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as Married Spies with Nuclear Trust Issues

    10 Heroic Sacrifices In Comic Book Movies & TV Shows That Didn’t Need To Happen

    Underrated sci-fi movies

    What to Watch in 2025: Netflix’s Most Anticipated Releases

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies with Great Premises

    The 15 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies, Ranked

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/near-perfect-sci-fi-movies-you-Amight-have-missed/vi-BB1mki4b?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=72bcaa4a401c47e182cb9e180b696033&ei=47

    Top 20 Must-Watch Netflix Original Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series | Watch

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Shockingly Ahead of Their Time

    10 Best Shows Like ‘Stargate SG-1′ To Watch If You Love the Series

    Netflix’s New Sci-Fi Series ‘The Eternaut’ Will Hit the Streamer Next Month

    10 Older Sci-Fi TV Shows That Are Still Extremely Entertaining

    19 Horror movies that are not horror movies

    The worst Western movies ever released, based on data

     

     

    10 Sci-Fi TV Shows That Deserve a Remake

    10 Most Shocking Thriller Movie Endings, Ranked

    Sci-Fi Oddities: 25 Strangest Movies in Sci-Fi History

    The Complete Ranking of Every Zac Efron Movie

    10 TV Shows From the 2010s With No Bad Episodes

    10 Mediocre 2000s Movies That Are Still Super Rewatchable

    10 Worst Sci-Fi Movie Endings, Ranked

     

    The 100 sci-fi movies everybody should see at least once, according to critics

     

    Bold Seen it

     

    1. Logan (2017)
    2. High Life (2019)

    97  Village of the Damned (1960

    1. Westworld (1973)
    2. Évolution (2015)
    3. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982

    95 Mad Max Thunderdome

    1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

    94  Clockwork Orange (1971)

    1. WarGames (1983)
    2. Sleeper (1973)
    3. 2046 (2005) Hong Kong Film
    4. Spontaneous (2020)
    5. I’m Your Man (2021) Sci-Fi Rom-com

    88 Ex Machina (2015)

    1. The War of the Worlds (1953) and re-makes
    2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)and the rest of the franchise
    3. Godzilla (2004) and the rest of the franchise Japanese
    4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and the rest of the franchise

    #79. Planet of the Apes (1968)

    1. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) whole franchise 9 movies

     

    1. Iron Man (2008) and sequels
    2. Jodorowsky’s Dune (2014)
    3. Annihilation (2018)
    4. The Fly (1986)
    5. Time Bandits (1981) Cult classic comedy by Month Python crew
    6. Under the Skin (2014)
    7. Minority Report (2002)
    8. The Endless (2018)
    9. The Survivalist (2017)
    10. Ad Astra (2019)
    11. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
    12. Melancholia (2011)
    13. The Martian (2015)
    14. Labyrinth of Cinema (2021) Japanese
    15. Paprika (2007) Hong Kong
    16. District 9 (2009) re-make coming soon

    62 The World’s End (2013) part of Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy.

    1. Battle Royale (2012) Japanese
    2. Upstream Color (2013)
    3. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and original in 1959
    4. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
    5. Arrival (2016)
    6. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) remake
    7. Bacurau (2020)
    8. Isle of Dogs (2018)
    9. Marjorie Prime (2017)
    10. A Quiet Place (2018) part one
    11. A Quiet Place (2018) part two
    12. Star Trek (2009) whole franchise 6 movies
    13. The Lobster (201
    14. Face/Off (1997)
    15. Repo Man (1984) re-make of mid 70’s cult classic94.
    16. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) whole franchise 7 movies

    #32. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

    1. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
    2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
    3. Superman (1978)
    4. Superman II (1981) whole franchise 4 movies

    45   Superman 1 whole franchise 4 movies

    45 Superman 111  whole franchise 4 movies

    1. Spider-Man 2 (2004) whole franchise 4 movies
    2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
    3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
    4. Soul (2020)
    5. Avatar (2009) and remake 2024
    6. Snowpiercer (2014) and K Drama series by Parasite Director K Sci-fi
    7. The Terminator (1984) and whole franchise’s five movies
    8. The Vast of Night (2020)
    9. Looper (2012)

    In My Room (2019)

    1. Aliens (1986)
    2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    3. Blade Runner (1982) and 2014 remake
    4. Children of Men (2006)
    5. Brazil (1985)
    6. Holy Motors (2012
    7. The Iron Giant (1999)
    8. The Host (2007) K Sci-Fi by Parasite director

    #26. Atlantis (2021)

    1. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1985) Anime
    2. Divine Love (2020) Brazilian
    3. Back to the Future (1985) 1, 2 and 3 in the Franchise
    4. The Invisible Man (1933)
    5. Black Panther (2018)
    6. Donnie Darko (2004)
    7. Alien (1979)
    8. Hard to Be a God (2015)
    9. King Kong (1933) and remakes
    10. 13. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
    11. Solaris (1972) Russian
    12. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
    13. Her (2013)
    14. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    15. Frankenstein (1931) and remakes
    16. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
    17. Werckmeister Harmonies (20015.
    18. Threads (1984)

    5  Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)and remakes

    1. WALL-E (2008)
    2. Gravity (2013)
    3. Metropolis (1927)

     

    The 21st Century’s 100 greatest films

    The Greatest Hard Sci-Fi Movies Ever, Ranked | Watch

    5 Movies That Nailed the Book to Film Adaptation & 5 That Flubbed It | Watch

    5 Movies That Nailed the Book to Film Adaptation & 5 That Flubbed It | Watch

    Martial Arts Movies That Simply Don’t Get Enough Respect | Watch

    The Best Alien Movies Of All Time | Watch

     

    Top 20 Sci-Fi Films Fans Say Define the Genre

     

    Her (2013)

    MAD Max Fury Road

     

    Moon

    War of the Worlds

    Sunshine

    Ex-machina

    The thing

    The Martian

    Arrival

    Gravity

    Clockwork Orange

    Children of Men

    Interstellar

    ET

    Matrix

    Allien

    2001

    Star Wars Empire Strikes Back

    Blade Runner 2047

     

    10 Trippiest Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 25 Years

     

    20 movies that did the work to be scientifically accurate

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Totally Forgot About

    7 Sci-Fi Movies & TV Shows That Take Place On The Moon

    10 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies With Great Acting, Ranked

    How many of the best sci-fi movies from the last 100 years have you seen?

    The greatest ever sci-fi movies

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/19-movies-that-were-the-blueprints-of-the-sci-fi-genre/ss-AA1ywpCx?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=4d39ca762a7b46f085bec21a506bb1b2&ei=17

    10 Sci-Fi Movies From The ’80s That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

    10 Most Underrated Adventure Movies of All Time | Watch

    Top 10 Movies That Only Make Sense The Second Time | Watch

    Top 10 Most Popular Fantasy Movies of All Time | Watch

    The 14 Hardest To Follow Movies Of All Time

    10 Shows That Are In Netflix’s Hall of Fame | Watch

    How many of the 50 best space movies ever made have you seen?

    Sci-Fi Movies Of The ’70s To Add To Your Must-Watch List | Watch

    5 Sci-Fi Movie Endings So Confusing, Even the Director’s Notes Won’t Help | Watch

    The Best Movies Based On True Stories You’ve Never Seen

    I Dare You To Leave The Edge Of Your Seat During These 10 Unique Thrillers From The 2010s

    The Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in March 2025

    ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Trailer: ‘USS Callister’ Sequel Blasts Off as Netflix Sets April Release for New Episodes With Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti and More

     

    10 Worst Sci-Fi Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops From the 2000s That Became Cult Classics

    The 100 greatest movies under 100 minutes to watch on a weeknight

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies That Keep You Guessing

     

    20 sci-fi movie sequels that do justice to their original films

    5 Most Compelling Netflix Shows You Need to Add to Your 2025 Watchlist | Watch

     

    The 15 Best Action-Thriller Movies of All Time

    25 Sitcoms Lost to Time: Discover TV’s Hidden Comedy Gems

    New and Upcoming Movies 2025

    20 Sci-Fi Movies That Pushed Boundaries—For Better or Worse

    The best long movies to watch when you are stuck inside

    18 rom-coms to watch if you’re feeling nostalgic for the 2000s, ranked from worst to best

    The 8 Best Sci-Fi Miniseries Streaming Right Now

    The best Civil War movie ever made, based on data—and see the rest of the top 50

    10 Awesome Sci-Fi Movies That Never Got A Sequel | Watch

    The 50 best Netflix original series of all time, according to audiences

    The greatest thrillers ever made, according to critics

    10 Movie Sequels That Are Awful From Start to Finish

    10 Most Boring Blockbusters of the Last 5 Years, Ranked

    10 Essential Sci-Fi Movies of the ’90s, Ranked

    Ahead of its time: The best films set in the far-off future

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Even Scientists Love・

    10 Thriller Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces

    25 sci-fi movies that deserve a renaissance

    I Didn’t “Get” These 10 Movies When They Released, But Now I Absolutely Love Them

    There Are Spine-Chilling Movies, But These 10 Films Made Me Uneasy The Whole Way Through

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh Crafts an Intricate, Sexy, and Fun Spy Thriller

    Movies heading to theaters in 2025 | Watch

    Deleted Sci-Fi Scenes That Went Too Far

    Sci-Fi Oddities: 25 Weirdest Movies in Science Fiction History

    The 32 greatest sci-fi horror movies

    The Best Thrillers of the Past 10 Years | Watch

    10 Greatest Opening Scenes In Sci-fi Movie History | Watch

    Top 20 Alien Franchise Movie Moments | Watch

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-dark-stories-behind-the-making-of-beloved-movies/vi-AA1zUdi6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=fbc6e34dd15048ad8cc0b4bfd244b809&ei=90

    10 Best Oscar Winners on Netflix That Will Make You a Bonafide Cinephile | Watch

    Best Heist Movies of the 2010s | Watch

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies That Are Perfectly Directed, Ranked

    10 Action Movie Scenes That Gave Us Goosebumps

    The 15 Best Movie Endings Of All Time, Ranked

    25 Greatest Paul Newman Movies Ranked Worst To Best

    The greatest ever monster movies

    13 Vastly Underrated Sci-Fi Movies That Deserve Your Attention

    The Only 5 Horror Movies On The IMDB Top 250 List

    The 106 Best Horror Movies Everv

    20 underappreciated rom-coms that are worth discovering

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-movies-that-started-whole-new-genres/ar-AA1yO9n4?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=946e6e9631e2402aa4ff01651d529f47&ei=91

    10 Best Sci-fi Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked

    19 romantic movies that have aged like fine wine

    10 Most Depressing Zombie Movies, Ranked

    10 Must-Watch ’90s Horror Movies, Ranked

    Sci-Fi Movies That Have Aged Terribly

    There Are 16 Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Movies According To Metacritic

    10 Thought-Provoking Science Fiction Movies for Fans of Interstellar

    10 Sci-Fi Movies Approved by Real Scientist

    10 Most Essential Movies of 2014, Ranked

    63 Years Later, This John Ford Epic Western Is Still 1 of the Most Underrated Civil War Movies Ever Made

    10 Most Essential Movies of 1998, Ranked

    I’d Love To See A Sequel To These 10 Standalone Horror Movies

    6 modern Agatha Christie adaptations definitely worth watching

    22 Epic Long Movies So Good, You’ll Wish They Were Even Longer

    China Box Office: ‘Ne Zha 2′ Stays on Top as ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ Opens in Second

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Have to Watch

    25 Movies That Perfected the Art of the Plot Twist

    Top 10 Smartest Movie Escapes | Watch

    5 Legendary Movies You Should Watch Before You Die | Watch

    25 Films from the 2000s That Flipped the Script on Filmmaking

    5 Movies That Should Never Have a Sequel | Watch

    10 Movies Where Everyone Loses In The End

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    30 Movies That Critics Loved But The Audience Hated

    11 Box Office Disasters That Deserve to Be Rediscovered

    Spy Thriller Greats: 25 Best Espionage Films in History

    The best spy movie of all time is not James Bond, based on data. See the top 58.

    23 Legendary Westerns That Shaped the History of Cinema

    10 Literally Perfect Movies That Were Almost Crushed

    10 War Movies That Are Perfectly Written

    18 amazing movies that deserve a sequel

    High-Octane Action Thrills: 20 Films to Watch

    The 25 Greatest Improvised Scenes in Film History

    90s Action Movies You Must See: 25 Films That Defined the Era

     

    50 iconic rom-coms everyone should see at least once

     

    Bolded I have seen

     

    Notting Hill (1999)

    Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

    When Harry Met Sally (1989)

    Say Anything (1989)

    About a Boy (2002)

    A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

    The Naked Gun (1988)

    Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

    Clueless (1995)

    Grease (1978)

    There’s Something About Mary (1998

    The Holiday (2006)

    City Lights (1931)

    It Happened One Night (1934)

    Jules and Jim (1962)

    Roman Holiday (1953)

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

    Jerry Maguire (1996)

    The Wedding Singer (1998)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

    Love at First Sight 2024

    Enchanted (2007)

    Amelie (2001)©The Criterion Collection

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)©

    The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

    Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

    Punch Drunk Love (2002)

    Manhattan (1979)

    Some Like it Hot (1959)©United Artists

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    Wall-E (2008)

    Ponyo (2008)

    Amarcord (1973)

    You’ve Got Mail (1998)

    Harold and Maude (1971)

    Annie Hall (1977)

    Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

    The Notebook (2004)

    The Fall Guy (2024)

    Love Story (1970)

    The Parent Trap (1998)

    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1988)

    Rushmore (1988)

    Dirty Dancing (1987)

    Step Brothers (2008)

    Sense and Sensibility (1995)

    Before Sunrise (1995)

    After Sunrise sequel

    Titanic (1997)

    The Princess Bride (1987)

    How many of the greatest comedy movies of all time have you seen?

    7 top new movies to stream this week on Netflix, Prime Video, Max and more (March 18-24)

    The best Netflix movies in March 2025 | Tom’s Guide

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies for Beginners, Ranked

     

    3-19

     

    20 movies critics hated that eventually became cult classics

    TV Flops From The 2000s That Are Actually Worth Watching

    20 Best Classic Romance Movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age

    20 Best Classic Romance Movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age

     

    ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ (1946)

    ‘His Girl Friday’ (1940)

    ‘Leave Her to Heaven’ (1945)

    ‘An Affair to Remember’ (1957)

    ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961)

    ‘Out of the Past’ (1947)

    ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)

    ‘City Lights’ (1931)

    ‘Brief Encounter’ (1945)

    ‘The Apartment’ (1960)

    ‘Bringing Up Baby’ (1938)

    ‘Sabrina’ (1954)

    ‘Notorious’ (1946)

    ‘Gone with the Wind’ (1939)

    ‘The Philadelphia Story’ (1940)

    ‘Roman Holiday’ (1953)

    ‘To Have and Have Not’ (1944)

    ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934)

    ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952)

    ‘Casablanca’ (1942)

     

    10 Mesmerizing Sci-Fi Movies for Fans of “Dune: Part Two”

    These Sci-Fi Films Set The Standard For Every Movie That Followed | Watch

    10 Best Obscure Sci-Fi Movies From the 2000s

    10 Modern Movies That Revolutionized Filmmaking Today

    The Best Thrillers of the Past 10 Years | Watch

    In the Mood for Love? Watch These Romantic Classics on Netflix That Will Give You Butterflies | Watch

    The 20 best sci-fi movies and TV shows based on books

    10 Essential Action Thrillers, Ranked

    From Page to Screen: 25 Book-to-Movie Adaptations That Nailed It

    25 sci-fi movies that deserve a renaissance

    From January to December: 25 Netflix Titles Set to Rule 2025

    10 Most Essential Movies of 2008, Ranked

    32 underrated sci-fi movies

    22 of the most anticipated movie releases in 2025

    Top 20 Most Copied Movies | Watch

    10 Best Serial Killer Movies, Ranked

    Prime Video Historical Series With 89% RT Audience Score Gets Season 2 Renewal

    Stop What You’re Doing — One of the Best Modern War Movies Ever Just Hit Paramount+

    Dark City Is Still 1 of the Best (& Most Underrated) Sci-Fi Movies Ever 25 Years Later

    25 Real-Life Events Hollywood Turned into Unforgettable Movies

    Timeless Rom-Coms: 20 Best Films That Have Stood the Test of Time

    Tom Cruise’s $604 Million Sci-Fi Thriller Lands a New Streaming Home in April

    Top 30 Best Movies of the Century (So Far) | Watch

    10 Instant Classic Movies of the Last 5 Years Worth Watching | Watch

    10 Most Underrated Adventure Movies of All Time | Watch

    20 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time | Watch

    110 Best Action Movies Of All Time Ranked | Watch

    10 Films That Wanted To Be Star Trek | Watch

    Best New TV Series You Must See in April 2025

    Top 10 Buddy Cop Movies of All Time | Watch

    The most memorable British romantic comedies

    10 Disliked Action Movies That Are Actually Not That Bad

    Unforgettable Movie Endings: 25 Films That Make You Think

    90s Sci-Fi Movies With Awful Reviews That Are Actually Worth Watching

    I Didn’t “Get” These 10 Movies When They Released, But Now I Absolutely Love Them

    Top 20 Underrated Movies of the 1990s | Watch

    The Only Near Perfect Thriller Movies According To Metacritic | Watch

    10 Realistic Horror Movies That Could Happen in Real Life | Watch

    6 Best Fantasy Romance Movies for a Magical Love Story | Watch

    The Best Netflix Movies You Haven’t Seen (Yet!) | Watch

    10 Incredible Films That Bombed At The Box Office | Watch

    10 Best Detective Movies from the 2010s, Ranked | Watch

    Top 10 Movie Endings That Wrapped up Everything PERFECTLY | Watch

    10 Horror Movies That Suck So Bad You Can’t Believe They Got Made | Watch

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-best-gangster-movies-of-the-2000s-ranked/vi-AA1oKwPQ?ocid=Amsedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=ef3aac0d9e7047248e2905e9d615ff55&ei=139

    TV’s Most Accurate Sci-Fi Series Is An Underrated Gem With Six Seasons

    8 Huge Box Office Disappointments in Hollywood History

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

    25 True Stories Hollywood Turned Into Movie Masterpieces

    How many of the best thrillers in film history have you watched?

    #100. ‘The Wicker Man’ (1973)

    #99. ‘The Insider’ (1999)

    #98. ‘Traffic’ (2000

    #97. ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ (2009

    #96. ‘Baby Driver’ (2017)

    #95. ‘Get Out’ (2017)

    #94. ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992

    #93. ‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995)

    #92. ‘Inception’ (2010)

    #91. ‘The Fool’ (2014)

    #90. ‘Foreign Correspondent’ (1940)

    #89. ‘The Asphalt Jungle’ (1950)

    #88. ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976)

    #87. ‘Memories of Murder’ (2003) K Drama

    #86. ‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’ (2018)

    #85. ‘Mystic River’ (2003)

    #84. ‘Children of Men’

    #83. ‘Argo’ (2012)

    #82. ‘Kill Bill: Vol. 2’ (2004)

    #81. ‘The Fallen Idol’ (1948)

    #80. ‘Odd Man Out’ (1947)

    #79. ‘Scarface’ (1932) and remake

    #78. ‘Deep Red’ (1975)

    #77. ‘Dirty Harry’ (1971) and sequels

    #76. ‘Goldfinger’ (1964) and entire Bond Franchise

    #75. ‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)

    #74. ‘Amores perros’ (2000

    #73. ‘Halloween’ (1978) and sequels

    #72. ‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001)

    Twin Peaks

    #71. ‘Memento’ (2000)

    #70. ‘The Passenger’ (1975)

    #69. ‘Out of the Past’ (1947)

    #68. ‘Burning’ (2018) K Drama List

    #67. ‘The Big Sleep’ (1946)

    #66. ‘The Conversation’ (1974)

    #65. ‘The Handmaiden’ (2016) K Drama List

    #64. ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)

    #63. ‘The Fugitive’ (1993)

    #62. ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ (2007)

     

    #61. ‘Blade Runner’ (1982) and remakes

    #60. ‘Frenzy’ (1972)

    #59. ‘After Hours’ (1985)

    #58. ‘United 93’ (2006)

    #57 ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ (1975)

    #56. ‘Fargo’ (1996)

    #55. ‘Repulsion’ (1965)

    #54. ‘Don’t Look Now’ (1973)

    #53. ‘The Wages of Fear’ (1953)

    #52. ‘Persona’ (1966)

    #51. ‘Night of the Living Dead’ (1968) and sequels classic zombie films

    #50. ‘Strangers on a Train’ (1951)

    #49. ‘Rebecca’ (1940) and remake

    #48. ‘Room’ (2015

    #47. ‘Z’ (1969)

    #46. ‘To Have and Have Not’ (1944)

    #45. ‘Mean Streets’ (1973)

    #44. ‘The Great Escape’ (1963

    #42. ‘Aliens’ (1986)

    #41. ‘Donnie Darko’ (2001)

    #40. ‘The 39 Steps’ (1935)

     

    #39. ‘Frankenstein’ (1931) and remakes

    #38. ‘High Noon’ (1952)

    #37. ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012)

    #36. ‘Le Cercle Rouge’ (1970)

     

    #35. ‘The Hurt Locker’ (2008)

    #34. ‘The Departed’ (2006)

    #33. ‘The Killing’ (1956)

    #32. ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ (2012)

    #31. ‘The French Connection’ (1971)

     

    #30. ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ (2015)

    #29. ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

    #28. ‘It’s Such a Beautiful Day’ (2012)

    #27. ‘Shadow of a Doubt’ (1943)

    #26. ‘Shoplifters’ (2018)

    #25. ‘On the Waterfront’ (1954)

    #24. ‘L.A. Confidential’ (1997)

    #23. ‘Dunkirk’ (2017)

    #22. ‘Elevator to the Gallows’ (1958)

     

    #21. ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962) and remake original is better

    #20. ‘The Lives of Others’ (2006)

    #19. ‘Gravity’ (2013)

    #18. ‘High and Low’ (1963 Japanese

     

    #17. ‘Chinatown’ (1974)

    #16. ‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)

    #15. ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008) and rest of Batman franchise

    #14. ‘Yojimbo’ (1961) Japanese Gangster Film

    #13. ‘The Lady Vanishes’ (1938)

    #12. ‘Battleship Potemkin’ (1925) Russian Silent Age classic

    #11. ‘Rififi’ (1955)

    #10. ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)

    #9. ‘The Third Man’ (1949)

    Maltese Falcon

    #8. ‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955)

    #7. ‘Notorious’ (1946

    #6. ‘Touch of Evil’ (1958)

    #5. ‘North by Northwest’ (1959)

    #4. ‘Parasite’ (2019) K Drama Best Picture Oscar Winner

    #3. ‘Psycho’ (1960) and remake

    #2. ‘Vertigo’ (1958)

    #1. ‘Rear Window’ (1954)

     

    Best Comedy Movies of All Time | Stacker

    Alfred Hitchcock’s Top 3 Movies of All Time | Watch

    5 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows of the Past 10 Years | Watch

     

    The 10 Best U.S. Adaptations of International TV Shows

    10 Movie Endings That Just Don’t Hold Up

    10 Action Movies With Massive Plot Twists You Never Saw Coming

    There Are Spine-Chilling Movies, But These 10 Films Made Me Uneasy The Whole Way Through

    10 Dumbest Action Movies of All Time, Ranked

    New British blockbuster branded ‘one of the greatest of all time’

    12 completed movies which were never released – and the reasons why

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-most-underrated-90s-movies-ranked/vi-BB1qQRdx?ocid=msedgntp&pc

    10 Most Underrated ’90s Movies, Ranked | Watch

    1. Night Shyamalan’s Best Movie Twists, Ranked

    Disappointing Movie Sequels: 24 Films That Fell Short of Expectations

    Netflix’s New Comedic Crime Caper Is the Perfect Weekend Binge

    10 Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies For Those Who Feel Like They’ve Seen All The Decent Ones

    New British blockbuster branded ‘one of the greatest of all time’

    How many of these 25 notoriously terrible movies have you watched?

     

    10 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 50 Years, Ranked

     

    ‘The Descent’ (2005)

    ‘Halloween’ (1978)

    ‘Pulse’ (2001)

    Alien’ (1979)

    ‘Insidious’ (2010)

    ‘The Thing’ (1982)

    ‘Jaws’ (1975)

    ‘Poltergeist’ (1982)

    ‘The Conjuring’ (2013)

    ‘Sinister’ (2012)

     

    10 Scariest Arthouse Horror Movies, Ranked

    The 25 worst movies of all time that were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars

    10’Berberian Sound Studio’ (2012)

    9’Under the Skin’ (2013)

    8’Antichrist’ (2009)

    7’Titane’ (2021)

    6’Saint Maud’ (2019)

    5’Mad God’ (2021)

    3’Beau Is Afraid’ (2023)

    2’Jacob’s Ladder’ (1990)

    1’Possession’ (1981)

    10 Horror Movies That Are Good, Not Great
    The 10 Scariest Elevated Horror Movies, Ranked
    After Winnie the Pooh and Popeye, This Is the Beloved Children’s Character That Needs the Horror Treatment Next
    The 10 Best Horror Movies of All Time, According to Roger Ebert
    10 Movies To Watch if You Love ‘Rick and Morty’
    The 10 Most Lynchian Movies Not Directed by David Lynch
    You Might Think Darren Aronofsky Is a Weird Choice to Reboot Stephen King’s ‘Cujo’ — But I Know Why He’s Perfect
    A ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ Reboot Is in the Works, and Glen Powell May Be Chasing It

     

    ‘Harley Quinn’s Future Gets an Update as Its Season 6 Renewal Hangs in the Balance
    The 17 Greatest Sci-Fi TV Shows of All Time, Ranked

    10 Flawless Movie Plot Twists That Changed the Entire Film

    Robert Pattinson’s huge blockbuster set to lose $75,000,000 in box office slaughter

    10 Underappreciated Romance Movies to Fall In Love With | Watch

    15 Underrated Thrillers You Really Need To See

    25 disturbing films that really mess with your mind

    Mind-Bending Thrillers: 25 Psychological Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss

     

    10 Most Powerful Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

    ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

    ‘All That Jazz’ (1979)

    ‘Do the Right Thing’ (1989)

    ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ (1975)

    ‘Scenes from a Marriage’ (1974)

    ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)

    ‘Ikiru’ (1952)

    ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ (1994)

    ’12 Angry Men’ (1957)

     

    10 Well-Written Horror Movies That Should Be Shown In Film Writing Classes

     

    The Changeling (1980)

    Let The Right One In (2008)

    The Wailing (2016) K Horror

    Misery (1990)

    The Witch (2016)

    Get Out (2017)

    Scream (1996)

    Hereditary (2018)

    Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

    The Thing (1982)

    63 Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry Every Time

     

    10 Most Intense Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

    ‘Boiling Point’ (2021)

    ‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)

    ‘Come and See’ (1985)

    ‘Gravity’ (2013)

    ‘Angst’ (1983)

    ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009)

    ‘The Wages of Fear’ (1953)

    ‘Whiplash’ (2014)

    ‘Uncut Gems’ (2019)

     

     

    10 Best Obscure Horror Movies From the 2010s

    20 horror movies you probably shouldn’t watch alone

    10 Monster Movie Flops That Deserved To Be Hits

     

    10 Action Movies We Watch On Repeat & Never Get Tired Of Them

     

     

    Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) and others in the franchise

    Directed by George P. CosmatosKill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Part Two?

    Directed by Quentin Tarantin

    John Wick (2014)  and sequels?Directed by Chad Stahelski

    Heat (1995)Directed by Michael Mann

    Aliens (1986) and rest of franchise Directed by James Cameron

    The Matrix (1999) and rest of franchise Directed by the WachowskisRaiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) and rest of franchise Directed by Steven Spielberg

    Speed (1994) Directed by Jan de Bont

    Die Hard (1988) and rest of Franchise Directed by John McTiernan

    Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) and rest of franchise Directed by James Cameron

     

    Saw all of them

     

    Top 10 Movie Flops From The 80s That Are LOVED Now | Watch

     

    10 Most Unpredictable Thriller Movies, Ranked

     

    10 Most Unpredictable Thriller Movies, Ranked

     

    ‘Gone Girl’ (2014) Directed by David Fincher

    ‘Predestination’ (2014) Directed by Peter and Michael Spierig

    ‘The Usual Suspects’ (1995) Directed by Bryan Singer

    ‘Memento’ (2000) Directed by Christopher Nolan

    ‘Oldboy’ (2003) K Drama appears on many thriller lists must watch it soon

    Se7en’ (1995) Directed by David Fincher

    ‘Shutter Island’ (2010) Directed by Martin Scorsese

    Parasite’ (2019) Directed by Bong Joon Ho K Drama that appears on lots of lists

    ‘American Psycho’ (2000) Directed by Mary Harron

    ‘Psycho’ (1960) and remake /Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

     

    I saw most of these

     

    18 Thriller Movies With Perfect Endings

     

     

    Se7en

    Blue Velvet’ (1986) Directed by David Lynch

    Civil War’ (2024) Directed by Alex Garland

    North by Northwest’ (1959) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

    ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) Directed by Jonathan Demme

    ‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955) Directed by Charles Laughton

    Vertigo’ (1958) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

    ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976) Directed by Martin Scorsese

    Blow Out’ (1981) Directed by Brian De Palma

    Heat’ (1995) Directed by Michael Mann

    The Usual Suspects’ (1995) Directed by Bryan Singer

    ‘Oldboy’ (2003) Directed by Park Chan-wook K Drama  appears on many lists

    ‘Brick’ (2005) Directed by Rian Johnson’Sicario’ (2015)Directed by Denis Villeneuve

    ‘You Were Never Really Here’ (2018) Directed by Lynne Ramsay’

    Uncut Gems’ (2019) Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie

     

    I saw about half

     

     

    6 Best Harrison Ford Movies | Watch

     

    Matt Damon’s 16 Best Movies, Ranked

     

    10 Realistic Horror Movies That Could Happen in Real Life | Watch

     

    10 Most Suspenseful Movies Ever, Ranked

     

    .

    Memento (2000) Directed by Christopher Nolan

    Oldboy (2003) Directed by Park Chan-wook  K Drama

    Blow Out (1981)

    Jaws (1975) Directed by Steven Spielberg

    Blue Velvet (1986) Directed by David Lynch

    Parasite (2019) Directed by Bong Joon-ho K Drama

    Taxi Driver (1976) Directed by Martin Scorsese

    The French Connection (1971) Directed by William Friedkin

    Se7en (1995)Directed by David Finche

    Rear Window (1954) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

     

    Interesting two K dramas but only one Hitchchock film on this list?

    10 Horror Movies That Rely More On Great Visuals Than Scares

     

    10 Horror Movies That Rely More On Great Visuals Than Scares

    Let the Right One In (2008) Directed by Tomas Alfredson

    Cat People (1942) Directed by Jacques Tourneur

    The Neon Demon (2016) Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

    The Shining (1980) Directed by Stanley Kubrick

    The Others (2001) Directed by Alejandro Amenábar

    House of Usher (1960)Directed by Roger Corman

    X (2022) Directed by Ti West

    Suspiria (2018) Directed by Luca GuadagninoNosferatu the Vampyre (1979) Directed by Werner Herzog

    .Midsommar (2019) Directed by Ari Aster

     

    Note:  I only saw two of these movies

     

     

    The best of Netflix’s original films

    22 Great Movies That Tackle Mental Illness

    Top 10 Movies That Turned an Unknown Actor Into a Global Megastar | Watch

    10 Fear Factory Films That Left Us Shaken as Kids and Still Terrify Us as Adults | Watch

    10 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies With Great Acting, Ranked

    10 Most Entertaining Spy Movies, Ranked

    I’m Still Disappointed That We Never Got These 10 Sci-Fi Sequels

    15 Fan Loved Movies That Made Critics Eat Their Words

    The most snubbed TV shows in Emmy Awards history

    10 Movies That Are Hard to Enjoy for Off-Screen Reasons

    Top 10 Movies That Don’t Deserve the Hate | Watch

    Top 10 Movies That Started an Entire Genre | Watch

    Top 10 Movies That Started an Entire Genre | Watch

    The Most Expensive Sci-Fi Flops In History | Watch

    110 Best Action Movies Of All Time Ranked | Watch

    10 Dumbest Movie Endings, Ranked

    The 30 best thrillers of all time

    Sci-Fi Shows That Were Canceled For The Strangest Reasons

    Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies That Pushed the Limits of Imagination and Innovation | Watch

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

     

    35 Creepy Actors Who Might Actually Be Psychopaths

    Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies That Pushed the Limits of Imagination and Innovation | Watch

     

    The #1 new TV show of each year since 1950, based on data

     

    My birth year TV Series

     

    1955: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955–1962)©Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

    – IMDb rating: 8.5
    – IMDb user votes: 14,171
    – Stars: Alfred Hitchcock, Harry Tyler, John Williams, Patricia Hitchcock

    Alfred Hitchcock is widely considered one of the greatest directors of all time—so it’s little wonder that the series was immensely popular. Each week, the episodes—some of which Hitchcock directed himself—told a different story, from dramas to thrillers to mysteries. It starred famous actors from both the big and small screen, including Robert Redford, Jessica Tandy, and Bette Davis.

     

    My wife’s Birth year TV series ( would like to see what it would be in Korea)

     

    1959: The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)©CBS Television Network

    – IMDb rating: 9
    – IMDb user votes: 67,242
    – Stars: Rod Serling, Robert McCord, Jay Overholts, Vaughn Taylor

    The memorable and somewhat chilling voice of Rod Serling was always the introduction to these unusual and often frightening sci-fi tales, which took regular people on extraordinary journeys. While the series itself only ran from 1959 to 1964, it spawned a franchise of movies as well as two revivals: one in the 1980s and a new one, hosted by Jordan Peele, that aired on CBS All Access.

     

    My high school graduation year

     

    1974: Nova (1974–present)©WGBH

    – IMDb rating: 8.7
    – IMDb user votes: 2,194
    – Stars: Jay O. Sanders, Craig Sechler, Lance Lewman, Will Lyman

    First airing in 1974, the long-running PBS documentary series focuses on science, nature, and history. The award-winning show has covered topics such as volcanic eruptions, global warming, the Great Pyramids, space exploration, and evolution.

     

    My college graduation year

     

    1979: SportsCenter (1979–present)©ESPN

    – IMDb rating: 8.2
    – IMDb user votes: 2,191
    – Stars: Neil Everett, Jalen Rose, Jenn Brown, Antonietta Collins

    Premiering on ESPN in 1979, “SportsCenter” quickly became one of the most-watched sports series on television. The show features highlights from various sporting events, as well as commentary, interviews, and game previews.

    My Marriage year TV series

     

    1982: Police Squad! (1982)©Paramount Television

    – IMDb rating: 8.4
    – IMDb user votes: 15,148
    – Stars: Leslie Nielsen, Alan North, Rex Hamilton, Ed Williams

    The comedic genius of Leslie Nielsen shines in this short-lived but hilarious spoof on police shows. The series played off of serious police dramas, poking fun via slapstick, gags, and silly commentary. While the show made it through only six episodes before being canceled, it did go on to become the premise of “The Naked Gun” film franchise in the late ’80s and early ’90s.

     

    My graduate school TV series

     

    1988: Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988–1999)©Best Brains

    – IMDb rating: 8.5
    – IMDb user votes: 22,577
    – Stars: Joel Hodgson, Michael J. Nelson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy

    In what could easily be considered one of the most unusual show premises of all time, an innocent janitor is taken hostage by two crazed scientists and forced to watch sci-fi movies. The janitor builds himself some robot companions to keep him company, and the group interjects their own funny commentary and opinions into the movies they watch. The show originally was on from 1988 to 1996, and creator Joel Hodgson ran a successful crowdfunding campaign to renew the series at Netflix in 2017.

    The Year I Joined the FS

     

    1991: The Adventures of Tintin (1991–1992)©Ellipse Animation

    – IMDb rating: 8.3
    – IMDb user votes: 16,227
    – Stars: Colin O’Meara, Thierry Wermuth, Christian Pellissier, Henri Labussière

    Based on a series of books by Belgian cartoonist Georges Prosper Remi, “The Adventures of Tintin” ran for three seasons on HBO. Telling the story of a young reporter and his best friend and furry sidekick, Snowy, the animated series takes the two on heroic exploits and adventures. The books were not as popular in the U.S. as they were in Europe, but the television show was nominated for several awards. It inspired a 3D computer-animated movie of the same name in 2011.

    My Year in the Hospital TV Show

     

    1996: Dragon Ball Z (1996–2003)©Toei Animation

    – IMDb rating: 8.7
    – IMDb user votes: 64,241
    – Stars: Doc Harris, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil, Sean Schemmel

    Getting its start as a popular Japanese anime series, “Dragon Ball Z” premiered in the U.S. in 1996, and continued on Cartoon Network from 1998 to 2003. With some help from his friends, young hero Goku fights to defend the earth from a variety of creatures and villains. In addition to the animated series, the “Dragon Ball” franchise included movies, video games, and two sequel television shows.

     

    My Retirement year TV show

     

    2016: Stranger Things (2016–present)©Netflix

    – IMDb rating: 8.8
    – IMDb user votes: 743,325
    – Stars: Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Winona Ryder, David Harbour

    Another successful Netflix original, “Stranger Things” is the creation of the Duffer Brothers, who also wrote the Warner Bros. horror film “Hidden.” Part sci-fi, part horror, the story starts with the disappearance of a young boy and the eerie events that follow. Premiering in 2016, the series will wrap up its run in 2025.

    10 Essential Spy Comedies, Ranked

     

    10 Essential Spy Comedies, Ranked

    .

    ‘Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery’ (1997) and sequels Directed by Jay Roach

    “The Informant!’ (2009) Directed by Steven Soderbergh

    “The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe’ (1972) Directed by Yves Robert

    “Spy’ (2015) Directed by Paul Feig

    “Red’ (2010) Directed by Robert Schwentke

    ‘Confessions of a Dangerous Mind’ (2002) Directed by George Clooney

    ‘Charade’ (1963) Directed by Stanley Donen

    ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ (2015) Directed by Guy Ritchie

    ”

    Burn After Reading’ (2008)Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen’Kingsman:

    The Secret Service’ (2014) Directed by Matthew Vaughn

     

    I saw most of these

     

     

    Once Is Enough: 25 Devastating Movie Classics That Are Hard to Revisit

     

    The 15 Best Supernatural Thrillers, Ranked

    10 Actors Who Rejected Career-Changing Roles and Regretted It

     

    5 Worst Movies of 2025 so Far — Here’s Why These Totally Disappointed Us

     

    10 Best Epic Comedies, Ranked

    Can’t Decide What to Watch? Here Are the Best Netflix Shows That Will Keep You Hooked This Spring (Part 4) | Watch

    1. Night Shyamalan’s Best Movie Twists, Ranked

    10 Most Unique Thrillers of the 2010s

    Top Sci-Fi Movies to Watch This Year

    The Top 10 Movies of All Time According to AI

     

    Top 30 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Century (So Far) (WatchMojo)

     

    1. The Godfather
    2. Citizen Kane
    3. Schindler’s List
    4. Pulp Fiction
    5. The Shawshank Redemption
    6. Star Wars
    7. Gone with the Wind
    8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
    9. The Dark Knight
    10. Casablanca

     

    Good choices I have seen this all.

     

    18 Movie Twists Everyone Saw Coming

    10 Most Mind-Blowing Movies of the 21st Century, Ranked

     

     

    Everything Everywhere All At Once’ (2022) Directed by Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert

    ‘Dune: Part One’ (2021) Directed by Denis Villeneuve

    ‘Mulholland Drive’ (2001) Directed by David Lynch

    ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ (2022) Directed by James Cameron

    ‘The Fountain’ (2006) Directed by Darren Aronofsky

    ‘Children of Men’ (2006) Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

    ‘Avengers: Endgame’ (2019) Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo

    ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ (2003) Directed by Peter Jackson

    ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004) Directed by Michel Gondry

    ‘The Prestige’ (2006) Directed by Christopher Nolan

    Inception Directed by Chrisopher Noland

    Tenet, Directed by Chrisopher Noland

     

    Send most of these

     

    How many of the best zombie movies of all time have you watched?

    How many of these 50 movies did you see when they came out 50 years ago?

     

     

    Substack

     

    Medium

    Wattpad

     

     

     

     

    March 25  post in May

     

    The 26 scariest films that aren’t horror movies, ranked

     

    2025 TV Premiere Dates

    25 Films from the 2000s That Took Risks and Transformed Filmmaking

     

    10 Best Revenge Horror Movies Ever Made

    .

    Nocebo (2022) Directed by Lorcan FinneganI Spit On Your Grave (1978) Directed by Meir Zarchi

    Mandy (2018) Directed by Panos Cosmatos

    Ready Or Not (2019) Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

    The Last House On The Left (1972) Directed by Wes Craven

    Revenge (2017) Directed by Coralie Fargeat

    La Llorona (2019) Directed by Jayro Bustamante

    Let The Right One In (2008) Directed by Tomas Alfredson

    Carrie (1976) Directed by Brian De Palma

    I Saw The Devil (2010) Directed by Kim Jee-woon K Drama

     

    I have not seen any of these.

     

    10 Sci-Fi Movies With Incredible Ensemble Casts

    Top 10 BEST Marvel Legends EVER! | Watch

    10 Comedy Movies With Surprisingly Dark Endings

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-movies-that-are-still-worth-watching-after-you-A-their-big-twist/ar-AA1Awguc?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=c15a5347d7d646c7fe121f3613fdc49f&ei=105

    Gerard Butler’s Action-Packed 2025 Heist Movie Is Dominating Netflix Den of Thieves

    10 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The 1970s

    There Are Weird Sci-Fi Movies, But These 10 Went Just A Little Too Far

    The 20 best sci-fi TV series

    You can now have secret chats with Google’s Gemini in incognito mode

    45 Years Later, A Forgotten Cult Classic Is Still One of the Scariest Movies Ever Made

    Watch the Top 5 Performing Films on Netflix Now Before They Blow Up (Part 2) | Watch

     

     

     

    The TV show that’s won the most Emmys in TV history—plus, see the rest of the top 25

     

    The 100 international movies everyone should watch at least once in their life

     

    Japanese:

    #1. Seven Samurai (1954) 七人の侍 (Shichinin no Samurai)

    #2. Spirited Away (2001) 千と千尋の神隠し (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi

    ) #3. Tokyo Story (1953) 東京物語 (Tōkyō Monogatari)

    #9. Rashomon (1950) 羅生門 (Rashōmon)

    #13. Sansho the Bailiff (1954) 山椒大夫 (Sanshō Dayū)

    #14. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) 火垂るの墓 (Hotaru no Haka)

    #15. Ran (1985) 乱 (Ran)

    #29. Yojimbo (1961) 用心棒 (Yōjinbō) #30.

    Ikiru (1952) 生きる (Ikiru)

    #33. Late Spring (1949) 晩春 (Banshun)

    #34. Early Summer (1951) 麦秋 (Bakushū)

    #37. High and Low (1963) 天国と地獄 (Tengoku to Jigoku)

    #48. Red Beard (1965) 赤ひげ (Akahige

    ) #49. Samurai Rebellion (1967) 上意討ち 拝領妻始末 (Jōiuchi: Hairyō Tsuma Shimatsu) #52. Shoplifters (2018) 万引き家族 (Manbiki Kazoku)

    #55. Harakiri (1962) 切腹 (Seppuku)

    #59. An Autumn Afternoon (1962) 秋刀魚の味 (Sanma no Aji) #62. The Hidden Fortress (1958) 隠し砦の三悪人 (Kakushi Toride no San Akunin)

    #64. I Was Born, But… (1932) 大人の見る絵本 生れてはみたけれど (Otona no Miru Ehon Umarete wa Mita Keredo)

    #68. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) かぐや姫の物語 (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari)

    #81. Nobody Knows (2004) 誰も知らない (Dare mo Shiranai) #82. Still Walking (2008) 歩いても 歩いても (Aruitemo Aruitemo)

    #83. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) となりのトトロ (Tonari no Totoro) #88. Drive My Car (2021) ドライブ・マイ・カー (Doraibu Mai Kā)

    #95. After Life (1998) ワンダフルライフ (Wandafuru Raifu) #98. Maborosi (1995) 幻の光 (Maboroshi no Hikari)

     

    French:

     

     

    #12. Army of Shadows (1969) L’Armée des Ombres

    #17. Children of Paradise (1945) Les Enfants du Paradi

    s #20. The Rules of the Game (1939) La Règle du Jeu

    #23. Playtime (1967) Playtime

    #28. Au hasard Balthazar (1966) Au Hasard Balthazar

    #35. Pépé le Moko (1937) Pépé le Moko

    #38. Jules and Jim (1962) Jules et Jim

    #43. The Artist (2011) L’Artiste

    #51. Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974) Céline et Julie vont en bateau

    #57. Beauty and the Beast (1946) La Belle et la Bête

    #69. Band of Outsiders (1964) Bande à part

    #71. L’Argent (1983) L’Argent

    #72. The Wild Child (1970) L’Enfant Sauvage

    #77. The Triplets of Belleville (2003) Les Triplettes de Belleville

    #84. Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013) La Vie d’Adèle

    #89. The Class (2008) Entre les Murs #93.

    Petite Maman (2021) Petite Maman

    #97. A Summer’s Tale (1996) Conte d’été

     

     

    Certainly! Here’s the rest of the list broken down by nationality with just the English titles while keeping the original numbering and bolding intact:

    French: #12. Army of Shadows (1969)

    #17. Children of Paradise (1945)

    #20. The Rules of the Game (1939)

    #23. Playtime (1967)

    #28. Au hasard Balthazar (1966)

    #35. Pépé le Moko (1937)

    #38. Jules and Jim (1962)

    #43. The Artist (2011)

    #51. Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974)

    #57. Beauty and the Beast (1946)

    #69. Band of Outsiders (1964)

    #71. L’Argent (1983)

    #72. The Wild Child (1970)

    #77. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

    #84. Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)

    #89. The Class (2008)

    #93. Petite Maman (2021)

    #97. A Summer’s Tale (1996)

    #24. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) French

     

    Italian: #16. The Conformist (1970)

     

    #21. The Battle of Algiers (1966)

    #31. La Dolce Vita (1960)

    #39. Umberto D. (1952)

    #40. The Best of Youth (2003)

    #45. 8½ (1963)

    #50. Journey to Italy (1954)

    #70. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)

     

    German: #5. Metropolis (1927)

     

    #43. The Lives of Others (2006)

    #60. Das Boot (1981)

    #92. The Blue Angel (1930)

     

     

    Swedish: #7. Fanny and Alexander (1982)

    #65. The Seventh Seal (1957)

    #66. Wild Strawberries (1957)

    #85. Persona (1966)

     

    Hong Kong: #74. In the Mood for Love (2000)

    #90. Days of Being Wild (1990)

     

    Mexican:

     

    #8. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

     

     

    Russian: #26. Battleship Potemkin (1925)

    #46. Solaris (1972)

    #78. Leviathan (2015)

     

    Other Nationalities:

     

    #36. Amour (2012) Austrian/French/German

     

    #42. A Brighter Summer Day (1991) Taiwanese

     

    #63. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) Belgium

     

    #75. A Prophet (2009) French/Italian

     

    #25. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) Romanian

     

    #41. Close-Up (1990) Iranian

    #18. A Separation (2011) Iranian

     

    #54. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) India

     

    4 Parasite South Korean

     

     

     

    25 Horror Movie Endings That Leave a Lasting Sense of Dread

    I Realized The 2000s Was A Strange Time When I Watched These 10 Weird Comedy Movies

    20 incredible long movies everybody should see at least once

    10 Recent Movies With Surprising Plot Twists

    Espionage Thrillers You Should Put On Your Must-Watch List

    10 Deep Sci-Fi Movies That Had Me Feeling All Of The Emotions

    Top 10 Exact Moments TV Shows Became Iconic | Watch

    One and done: 20 awesome movies we never want to watch again

    Ranking the 10 Best James Bond Movies | Watch

    The alternate endings to 50 iconic movies that would’ve changed everything

    30 Most Underrated Sci-Fi Shows You Haven’t Seen (Yet)

    15 Fun ’80s Sci-Fi Movies That Make No Sense

    These 5 horror movies on Tubi are total hidden gems

    TV fans urged to binge ‘best sci-fi show ever’ on Amazon Prime

    Is India’s First AI Movie the Future of Cinema? | Watch

    10 Underappreciated Sci-Fi Movies To Watch if You’ve Seen Everything Else

    10 Dumbest Movies of All Time, Ranked

    5 Great Movies That Actually Portray Space Accurately

    25 Must-Watch Netflix Shows to Start Tonight

    8 Huge Box Office Disappointments in Hollywood History

    Top 20 Times TV Shows Predicted the Future | Watch

    Rules Filmmakers Have To Follow When Making A Scary Movie

    10 Great Movies Where Action Heroes Play Villains

    10 Classic Sci-Fi Novels That Need To Be Adapted Into Movies

    25 Addictive Shows from 2024 That Are Impossible to Stop Rewatching

     

    20 critically-panned movies that were box office hits

    10 Most Famous Alternate Endings in Movie History | Watch

    10 TV Shows That Can Be Called Masterpieces

    5 Most Compelling Netflix Shows You Need to Add to Your 2025 Watchlist (Part 2) | Watch

    The greatest episodes of ‘The Simpsons’ of all time, according to fans—and no, #1 is not a Treehouse of Horror episode

    14 Classic Sci-Fi Movies from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s That Shaped the Genre

    Here are the top 5 most-anticipated movies of 2025 | Watch

     

    I Love Inception And Interstellar, But Christopher Nolan’s First Sci-Movie Might Be Even Better Than His Blockbusters

    10 pairs of strikingly similar films that came out the same year

    I Had High Hopes For These 10 Sci-Fi Movies, But Each One Left Me Disappointed

    Netflix Releases New Teaser for ‘The Eternaut’: A Chilling Alien Invasion in an Icy Apocalypse

    I Can’t Believe No One Ever Brings Up These 10 Must-Watch Horror Movies

    The 50 longest-running shows in TV history

    This Time-Traveling Sci-Fi TV Show From the 2010s Is So Underrated, It’s Begging for a Rewatch

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies of All Time, According to Roger Ebert

    They Were Cheesy As Hell, But These 1980s Horror Movies Were Surprisingly Well-Written Too

     

    Thought Horror Was Dead? 25 Modern Films to Keep the Lights On

    The 50 longest-running shows in TV history

    Top 10 Broadway Writers Who Starred in Their Own Musicals | Watch

    15 Horror Movies Smarter Than You Realized

    20 film endings that leave the viewers in shambles

    25 Horror Movie Endings That Are Impossible to Shake Off

    12 Sci-Fi Shows That Fans Of The Expanse Should Watch Next

    Most Binge-Worthy Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time

    10 Horror Movies From The 1990s That Unintentionally Became Hilarious Cult Classics

    10 Best Swashbuckler Movies of All Time, Ranked

    20+ Film Theories That May Blow Your Mind

     

    10 Great Films That Are Turning 50 in 2025

     

    This Time-Traveling Sci-Fi TV Show From the 2010s Is So Underrated, It’s Begging for a Rewatch

    10 Horror Movies That Are Better Than They Get Credit For14 Underrated ’80s Movies That You Need To See6 new horror movies now available to watch at home

    25 Movies That Turned Out to Be Strangely Prophetic

    Top 10 TV Flops from the 90s That Are Actually Worth Watching | Watch

    25 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time

    Sci-Fi Essentials: 20 Must-See Movies Streaming on Netflix Right Now

    10 Underappreciated Sci-Fi Movies To Watch if You’ve Seen Everything Else

     

    April 11, 2025

     

    These 10 Hilarious Comedies From The 1990s Never Got Enough Love

    7 Great Horror Movies From the Last 3 Years You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

    14 Underrated ’80s Movies That You Need To See

    10 Essential Horror Movies of the 1990s, Ranked

    10 Horror Movies That Are Considered MasterpiecesHollywood Stars with Combat Skills: 25 Icons Trained in Martial Arts

    All Horror Fans Should Watch the 15 Movies That Truly Stand the Test of Time

    5 Horror Movie Sequels That Were Canceled Because The First One Flopped

    25 Movies That Turned Out to Be Strangely Prophetic

    Best Horror Movies on Netflix That Deserve to Be on Your Watch List

    25 of the best movies of all time that were TV shows first

    10 Giant Monster Movies That Are Better Than They Get Credit For

    10 Huge Box Office Hits Most People Forget About

    25 Directors Who Revolutionized Horror with Iconic Films Every Fan Knows

    The best movie from the ’90s isn’t ‘Shawshank Redemption’ or ‘Titanic,’ according to data. Find out the top 100.

     

    April 2

     

    10 Horror Movies With Incredible Ensemble Casts

    10 Most Visually Stunning Sci-Fi Shows, Ranked

    43 Creepiest Locations Around The World To Be Actually Used In Film

    The 15 Greatest TV Episodes Ever, According to Critics

    25 of the most notoriously terrible movies that people secretly love

    10 Most Underrated ’90s Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

    10 Great Horror TV Shows That Prove Big Scares Aren’t Just on the Big Screen | Watch

    10 Forgotten Movies With Seriously Impressive Casts

    25 Must-Watch Prime Video Shows to Start Tonight

    Top 10 Iconic Movies About Nuclear Bombs | Watch

    15 Best Sci-Fi Movies Like ‘Blade Runner’ That Predicted the Future

    Psychological Thrillers: 25 Films That Are Psychological Rollercoasters

    10 Great Horror Movies From First-Time Directors

    25 TV Flops That Networks Thought Would Be the Next Big Thing

    The 25 Most Intense Horror Films of All Time, Tested by Heart Rate Studies

    The 10 Best Disaster Movies of All Time | Watch

     

    April 3

     

    The 5 Best Sci-Fi Movies Where Nobody Dies

    10 of the Weirdest Movies You’ll Ever See in Your Life

    The 25 Worst Science Fiction Movies of All Time

    Greatest Hard Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

    Star Trek’s First Proposed Spin-Off Could Have Changed The Franchise’s Trajectory

    20 movies that left audiences completely baffled

    These 11 Movies Are As Unrealistic As You Can Get, But We Love Them Anyway

    10 Best Classic Movies You Haven’t Seen

    The 25 Greatest Mafia Flicks and Shows Every Fan Needs to See

    10 Best Screwball Comedy Movies of All-Time, Ranked

    ’70s TV Flops That Are Actually Worth Watching

     

    April 4

     

    25 High-Octane Movies That Never Lose Momentum

    20 great but forgotten movies from the ’90s

    25 Horror Movie Endings That Never Let Go

    20 2024 Movies and Shows That Had Big Hype But Fell Flat

    90s Sci-Fi TV Shows With Awful Reviews That Are Actually Worth Watching

    45 Movies That Are So Awful, They’ve Become Cult Classics

    Top 10 Movies Taking Place in 1 Day | Watch

    List Movie Stars Whose First Films Were Bombs

    11 Flopped Movies That Deserve a Hollywood Redemption

    10 Sci-Fi Hidden Gems: Must-See Movies for Every Sci-Fi Enthusiast

    The 25 Most Unexpected Oscar Wins of All Time

    The 25 Most Unsettling Horror Movie Endings That Still Give Chills

    The 20 funniest films that are not comedies

    50 of the most memorable TV lines ever written

    Horror’s Not Over! 25 Modern Films That Will Keep the Lights On

    Some Movies Have Great Villains, But These Are The 10 Greatest Cowards In Film

    20 iconic horror movies you can watch year-round

    24 TV Shows You Wish Had More Time to Shine

     

    April 5

     

    8 Huge Box Office Disappointments in Hollywood History

    11 Movies Everyone Forgot About That Are Actually Fantastic

    10 Religious Horror Movies That Will Test Your Faith

    I Really Wish I Could Experience These 10 Sci-Fi Movies For The First Time Again

    Top 15 Best Horror Movies of the 1980s

    These 10 Underrated ’90s TV Shows Have Become Cult Classics Today

    20 Classic Movies from the ’90s That Deserve More Love

    10 Best Performances in Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

    20 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Ahead of Their Time

    The 25 greatest films ever made inspired by major historical events, according to fans

    25 Cinematic Milestones from the 2000s That Still Echo Today

    19 greatest performances in all of cinema

     

    April 6

     

    The Best Horror Movie From Every Year of the 1960s

    10 Comedy Movies With Surprisingly Dark Endings

    10 Silly & Lesser-Known Action Movies From The 1990s That Are A Blast To Go Back & Watch

    The greatest ‘Star Trek’ episode ever made, according to fans—and see if your favorite made the top 25

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/channel/topic/Crime/tp-Y_6f320357-0418-4bb0-a654-f5ba77f31552

     

    April 7

     

    The 15 Best Universal Monster Movies, Ranked

    10 Forgotten Movie Classics That Deserve a Second Chance 🎬

    10 Mindless Action Movies of the 21st Century That Are Still a Riot

    10 Best Movies You’ve Probably Never Seen, Ranked

    10 Scariest Standalone Supernatural Horror Movies, Ranked

    Top 40 Movies You Didn’t Know Were Based on Books (Part 1)

    The 10 Worst TV Finales OF ALL TIME

    25 Terrifying Movies That Haunted ‘80s and ‘90s Kids Forever

    Top 30 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time | Watch

    10 Must-Watch Horror Films Featuring Fierce Female Leads | Watch

     

    April 8

     

    Nicolas Cage’s 10 Best Performances | Watch

    5 Stunning Films That Every Movie Nerd Rates 10/10 | Watch

    Near-Perfect Horror Movies You Might Have Missed

    15 1980s B-Movies That Have Been Forgotten

    The 25 Best Movies With Horrible Reviews

    10 Low Budget Horror Movies That Deserve Remakes

    10 Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Movies That Will Hook You in the First 5 Minutes

     

    April 9

     

    Greatest Trilogies of All Time, Ranked | Watch

    100 movies that became TV shows—some for better, some for worse

    How many of the worst movies from the 2010s have you seen?

    The 60 Best Films of the 20th Century

    The best thrillers in film history starring women

    We Somehow Forgot About These 10 Great Horror TV Shows From The 2000s

    Masterpieces of Modern Cinema: 20 Classics Set to Endure

    10 Best Sci-Fi Comedy Movies of All Time, Ranked

    You Know You Love Them: 45 Guilty Pleasure Films Worth the Shame

    10 Best Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The 1970s

    High-Octane Thrills: 20 Action-Packed Films to Watch

    Most Binge-Worthy Sci-Fi Shows Of All Time

    10 Best Claustrophobic Sci-Fi Movies

    20 Most Abrupt Movie Endings That Aren’t Cliffhangers

    The Best Horror Movies of Every Year of the 1980s

    9 Sci-Fi Classics That Changed Movies Forever

    15 Funniest Comedy Movies of the Last 25 Years

    This Beloved Sci-Fi Series Offered a Truly Unique Take on Human-Alien Relations

    20 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Famous Sci-Fi Movies

    10 Horror Movies That Haunt You Long After They’re Over

    A24’s 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

     

    April 10

     

    10 Best Comedy Movies That Are Funny From Start to Finish

    25 Cancelled TV Shows That Are Still Cult Favorites

    15 Awful Movie Endings That Ruined A Perfect Experience for Us

    10 Sci-Fi Hidden Gems: Must-See Movies for Every Sci-Fi Enthusiast

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 30 Years, Ranked

    Top 20 Movies You’ll Never Watch

    20 Classic Movies from the ’90s That Deserve More Love

    I Really Wish I Could Experience These 10 Sci-Fi Movies For The First Time Again

    35 Years Ago, The Most Absurd Sci-Fi Horror Movie of The ’90s Invented A New Genre

    20 stupid movies that are actually genius

    15 Movies That Changed The Course of Cinema

    10 Hidden Classic Movies That Could’ve Been Blockbusters Today

    20 great but forgotten movies from the ’90s

    10 Must-Watch Movies from 1999, Ranked

    ‘Office Space’ (1999)

    Directed by Mike Judge

    Office Spacewas the first live-action film by Beavis and Buttheadcreator Mike Judge. It’s a sharply written comedy that still accurately captures the American work life in an office setting perfectly over 25 years later. Judge’s biting satire of the day-to-day drudgery of mindless office drones pre-empted TV series like Judge’s own Silicon Valleyand the highly acclaimed Severance. The film wasn’t a box office hit but found its audience on cable and the home video market, leading it to become a beloved cult classic.

    Related video: 5 Legendary Movies You Should Watch Before You Die (Netflix Junkie)

    Loaded: 7.40%

     

    Expanded from Judge’s earlier animated shorts titled Milton, and inspired by the director’s own work in an office, the movie stars Ron Livingston as Peter, a programmer at a software company who feels aimless and unfulfilled. That all changes when he goes to a hypnotherapist who unintentionally leaves Peter in a perpetual state of relaxation. He stops caring about work and does what he wants, which ironically only leads him to a promotion. Office Space is pointedly funny in its critiques and is filled with memorably quotable characters, played to perfection by its cast, including Gary Cole as the mundanely villainous boss Lumbergh, and Stephen Root as the timid, red stapler-loving Milton.

    ‘Galaxy Quest’ (1999)

    Directed by Dean Parisot

    Essential 90s sci-fi movie Galaxy Quest was inspired by the dedicated fandom of Star Trek, and tapped into the culture of conventions, online discourse and IP reboots years before those were part of the normal ecosystem of Hollywood and were still considered niche. Dean Parisot’s wickedly funny and wonderfully entertaining film is a perfectly cast adventure that is both retro and prescient at the same time.

    Fincher’s film is filled with radical disdain for the prevailing popular culture of the time, but it also shows an alternative that is not a healthy substitute. Controversial upon its release and continually misinterpreted by film bros, Fight Club may be a product of its time but seems only more relevant in an era of rising incel subculture. The film is remembered for its trio of performances by Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as for Fincher’s strong visuals and the mid-film twist that turns the story on its head. It’s a must-watch movie that should inspire plenty of debate.

    ‘The Iron Giant’ (1999)

    Directed by Brad Bird

    Beautifully animated and heartwarming, Brad Bird’s animated adaptation of The Iron Giant brought the filmmaker boldly into the world of feature films. Despite being overlooked at the box office (a common theme among the films of 1999), The Iron Giant has only gained more appreciation as time has gone on, and has been rediscovered, as Bird became a household name thanks to animated hits like Ratatouille and The Incredibles.

    Set in an idealized small town in the 1950s, young latchkey child Hogarth Hughes discovers the titular character having crash-landed near his home. The arrival of the massive alien robot inspires both Hogarth to come out of his shell as well as a suspicious government agent to investigate. With it’s mix of 2D and 3D animation, and terrific voice cast, The Iron Giant is as charming as animated films get.

    ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ (1999)

    Directed by Stanley Kubrick

    The final film from master filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, Eyes Wide Shut is an erotic thriller that was unjustly dismissed by audiences, as evidenced by its terrible Cinemascore grade, and some critics reacted coldly to it as well, comparing it unfavorably to Kubrick’s other masterworks. Time has shown that it’s another complex mystery from one of cinema’s most uncompromising auteurs.

    Shot over a period of fifteen months on meticulously crafted sound stages in England (despite being set in New York City), the film follows the nightmarish journey of a doctor, played by Tom Cruise, who spirals into an exploration of eroticism after discovering his wife has harbored fantasies of being unfaithful. It’s an eerie examination of sexuality that like all of Kubrick’s work has a lot to digest and interpret through its layered visuals.

    ‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999)

    Directed by M. Night Shymalan

    Coming at the end of a decade that had plenty of definitive horror movies but that is also often viewed as being slimmer in its selection, M. Night Shymalan’s The Sixth Sensewas a splash of cold water to the faces of audiences who felt burnt out on the glut of the slick but vapid slashers that came in the wake of the success of Scream.

    Bruce Willis stars as a child psychologist who takes on a new patient, Haley Joel Osment in an Oscar-nominated role, who has the unique problem of being able to talk to the dead. The Sixth Sense is a beautifully crafted horror film that relies on atmosphere and the well-honed performances of its cast to provide the scares. The script slowly unfurls it’s mysteries and Shymalan’s shocking twist ending actually feels integral to the plot, unlike those in his later films that feel unnecessary or like a crutch for lazy writing.

    ‘The Matrix’ (1999)

    Directed by The Wachowskis

    Coming off their debut film, the erotic thriller film Bound, the Wachowski’s pushed the queer content into subtext but kept the neo-noir vibes for the cyberpunk action masterpiece The Matrix. The movie became an instant influence on the action and sci-fi genres, with its innovative bullet-time effects quickly infiltrating dozens of other action movies and becoming satirized in comedies.

    Keanu Reeves plays Neo, a hacker who discovers that the world he inhabits is all a simulation, and that the real world is an apocalyptic wasteland where the remains of humanity fight against their oppressive machine overlords. The plot pulls from dozens of different sources, including anime and the works of writer William Gibson, and synthesizes it all into a slick, action-packed package that makes some of the entry-level philosophy course dialogue easy to digest. Essential and influential, The Matrix is much more than its imitators or empty sequels, and was one of the most significant films released in 1999.

    ‘Magnolia’ (1999)

    Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

    Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling character drama Magnoliawas his divisive follow-up to the acclaimed Boogie Nights. It follows one of the best movie casts of the 90s, as they search for connection and feeling in a world ruled by cruel fate. Anderson conducts his cast like an orchestra, each singular story fitting into the larger symphony of chaos that culminates in a biblical climax.

    The cast is absolutely without fault, but special notice was given to Tom Cruise at the time for his performance as Frank Mackey, a misogynistic motivational speaker who uses his profession to cover up his own insecurities and past. It’s a role that weaponizes Cruise’s natural charisma for a toxic but vulnerable character. If Cruise hadn’t subsequently been swallowed whole by Scientology, it’s quite possible the intervening years between his amazing work in 1999 and his later full dedication to the Mission: Impossiblefranchise could’ve been filled with some very daring and interesting performances.

    ‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999)

    Directed by Spike Jonze

    From his influential music videos and short films, to his four feature-length classics, Spike Jonze has been one of the most unique directorial talents to grace the silver over the last few decades. He announced his entry into the mainstream with the fiercely original Being John Malkovich. Working off Charlie Kaufman’s surreal screenplay, Jonze crafted a dark comedy that has few true parallels.

    John Cusack plays a puppeteer who gets a job on the seventh and a half floor of an office building where he discovers a doorway that leads into the mind of actor John Malkovich. From there the film goes into even more unexpected directions as more and more people enter Malkovich’s mind, until the actor himself is made aware of the portal’s existence. The cast is terrific, with Cameron Diaz and Catherine Keener in pivotal supporting roles, and Malkovich himself playing off his idiosyncratic reputation. In a year that was filled with sterling original films, Being John Malkovich is the most singular.

    ‘All About My Mother’ (1999)

    Directed by Pedro Almodóvar

    Pedro Almodóvar is a filmmaker who has consistently put out great work for over four decades that has certainly garnered awards attention and critical acclaim but remains frustratingly overlooked by American audiences. The Spanish filmmaker is known for his melodramas with bold visual styles that frequently feature LGBTQ+ and feminist themes, both of which are on full display in the film frequently cited as his best, All About My Mother.

    After the death of her teenage son Esteban, Manuela (Cecilia Roth) travels to Barcelona to reconnect with the teen’s other parent, the transgender Lola (Toni Cantó). In Barcelona, she makes other connections, including Rosa (Penélope Cruz) a nun who is HIV positive and pregnant. It’s Almodóvar’s love letter to women, all women, and he tells his story with compassion and sincerity, all the while calling to mind the classic Hollywood melodramas of filmmakers like Douglas Sirkwith his intense visual palette. All About My Mother is a film the likes of which is hardly seen in Hollywood, and should be watched for its empathetic storytelling of women whose lives are often reduced or overlooked in mainstream cinema.

    10 Horror Movie Parodies You’ve Never Seen | Watch

    10 Best Horror Movies That Reinvent Classic Monsters

    15 One-a-Kind Movies That Might Never Get Replicated in Hollywood

     

    April 11, 2025

     

    10 Worst Action Movies of All Time, According to Roger Ebert

     

    April 12, 2025

     

    5 newer horror movies that deserve sequels

    Sci-Fi Movies And Shows That Are Actually Uplifting

    10 Box Office Bombs From the 2010s That Became Cult Classics

    20 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies You Need To Watch

    3 Underrated Netflix Movies to Watch This Weekend (April 11-13)

    23 Movies Everyone Thought Would Be Huge That Majorly Flopped

    10 Campy Sci-Fi Movies Worth Watching, Ranked

    10 Underrated Comedy Movies From The 1990s

    25 Horror Films That Gave Birth to Hollywood’s Most Famous Actors

    The most underrated movies of all time

    10 Best Revenge Movies of All Time, Ranked

    10 Very Old Movies That New Fans Of Cinema Need To Watch

    10 Essential Sci-Fi Movies Everyone Should See At Least Once

    The 50 most widely watched but universally hated movies of all time

     

    April 13, 2025

     

    After A Great Opening Scene, These 10 Movies Quickly Went Downhill

    Top Hulu Comedies: 25 Must-Watch Shows That’ll Keep You Laughing

    10 Most Visually Stunning Movies of All Time, Ranked

    20 Longest-Running TV Shows of All Time

    There are currently 5 new scary movies playing in theaters

    15 Best Movies Without An Oscar

    15 Best Cheesy ’80s Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked

    10 Horror Movie Flops That Should’ve Been Successes

    So Bad, They’re Great: 45 Guilty Pleasure Films You Can’t Help But Love

    The 50 Greatest Science Fiction Movies of All Time

    Awesome 70s/80s/90s Movies That Became Awful TV Shows | Watch

    10 Movie Remakes That Actually Justified Their Existence

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/25-true-story-movies-that-are-pure-cinematic-A/ss-AA1AMeTk?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=2b7666d0f48a4faea84284f7615ff05a&ei=82

    Box Office Bombs From The 2010s That Are Actually Worth Watching

    These Are the 15 Best Movies to Watch With Friends

    The Top 25 Best Horror Movies Of All Time

    The best sci-fi TV shows of the 1950s

    Little-Known Details From ’80s Sci-Fi Films

    10 Worst Movies You’ve Never Heard of, Ranked

     

    10 Great Sci-Fi Movies Overshadowed By Their Sequels

    I Adore These 10 Action Comedies & I’m Convinced They Don’t Get Enough Love

    The 26 funniest space movies of all time

    25 Great Movies Begging for a Sequel

    10 Criminally Underrated Monster Movies That Still Hold Up

     

    April 14, 2025

     

     

    Sci-Fi Movies That Became Unwatchable With Age

    NEXT: The Worst Movies of All Time, Ranked

    10 Best ’90s Comedy Movies Ranked | Watch

    10 Most Out Of Place Scenes In Sci-Fi Movie History | Watch

    20 Obscure Sci-Fi Films from the 70s and 80s That Time Forgot

    25 great but underrated action movies worth rediscovering

    A Throwback For Millennials: Top 10 Movies of 2007

    2000s Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching | Watch

    The Smartest Decisions in Horror Movies

    11 Best Old Sci-Fi Movies to Watch Today

    The best sci-fi TV shows of the 1960s

    10 Sci-Fi TV Shows That Have An Excellent Mystery Element

     

    April 15, 2025

     

     

    10 Sci-Fi TV Seasons That Are 10/10, Even Though Their Shows Aren’t

    12 Best TV Shows Like The Last Of Us

    10 Horror Movies That Are Bangers From Start to Finish

    The Worst Movies of All Time

    10 Best Comedy Movies With Great Acting, Ranked

    10 Movies From The 1950s That Are Considered Masterpieces

    The 15 Best ’90s Comedies Ranked

    45 Comedy Masterpieces That Continue to Deliver Endless Laughs

    10 Classic Fantasy Movies Every Lover Of The Genre Needs To Watch

    10 Best College Rom-Com Movies Ever Made

    10 Most Rewatchable Sci-Fi Movies

     

    • Some sci-fi classics like Star Wars and Jurassic Park are always worth rewatching. Mad Max: Fury Road is a thrilling endless car chase.
    • Everything Everywhere All at Once mixes kung fu with a heartwarming family story for an entertaining sci-fi flick.
    • Galaxy Quest hilariously parodies Star Trek while paying homage to the beloved franchise that inspired it.

    A lot of the lofty sci-fi movie classics aren’t very rewatchable, but some of the genre’s greatest entries – like Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park – hold up to countless repeat viewings. 2001: A Space Odyssey is a breathtaking piece of cinema pondering the biggest questions about humanity’s existence, and Blade Runner is a powerful futuristic noir about what constitutes a person. But they both move at such a slow pace, and deal with such heavy philosophical subject matter, that no one is champing at the bit to rewatch them on movie night.

    With the first sequel, Aliens, James Cameron went the other way and delivered one of the most explosive, action-packed movies ever made. The first half of Aliens gets Ellen Ripley down to the surface of a xenomorph-infested human colony with a band of space marines. The second half is an all-out action extravaganza pitting the marines against dozens of bloodthirsty aliens.

    Everything Everywhere All At Once

    Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn Wang in a kung-fu stance in Everything Everywhere All at Once© Provided by ScreenRant

    The kind of movies that usually sweep the Academy Awards are slow, quiet, somber, and not particularly interested in being entertaining. But Everything Everywhere All at Once – which won seven Oscars, including Best Picture – is anything but. It is a touching, character-focused drama about a mother struggling to connect with her disillusioned daughter, but that beautiful mother-daughter story is wrapped up in an action-packed interdimensional epic in which the entire multiverse is at stake.

    Joaquin Phoenix Is a Gun-Defending Sheriff of a Murderous Town in ‘Eddington’ Trailer

    Story by Althea Legaspi

    ensions are high between officials and townspeople in Eddington, New Mexico on June 2, 2020 in the teaser trailer for the black comedy western, Eddington. The Ari Aster-written and directed film, which will make its world premiere at Cannes Film Festival next month, arrives in theaters on July 18.

    In the teaser clip, a person scrolls through their social media feed on a cell phone as a series of talking heads give snippets of their viewpoints, which appear to be focused on the pandemic and conspiracy theories. In Eddington, the weather is sweltering – in the upper 90s and into the 100s – per the person’s cell phone, as a voice discusses a lab in Wuhan, China. “If you value your life, you should think twice because the people in Eddington like guns, Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix) warns in one clip.

    After Cross issues his alert, a video clip of his wife appears on the cell screen. “And I am speaking now to deny my husband’s announcement yesterday,” says Louise Cross (Emma Stone). “Which was false.”

    Sherriff Cross’ adversary Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) also shows up on the screen with a video of his own. “I’m ready to continue leading our town, and fighting the pandemic and the racial and economic … ” he says before he’s cut off by the next clip, where Cross appears in a CNN post. “‘Law and Order Sheriff Assaults Protester in Town Rocked by Murders” reads the chyron over its video featuring a screaming Cross and protesting townspeople in masks as they face off.

    The film also stars Luke Grimes, Austin Butler, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward, Clifton Collins Jr., William Belleau, Cameron Mann, Matt Gomez Hidaka, and Amélie Hoeferle.

     

     

    Mad Max: Fury Road

    Tom Hardy as Max Rockatansky stands in front of his car in the opening of Mad Max: Fury Road.© Provided by ScreenRant

    George Miller had already made three rollicking, action-packed Mad Max movies before he returned to the wasteland and blew the original trilogy out of the water with Mad Max: Fury Road. Fury Road has a mercifully simplistic plot: badass Furiosa liberates the wives of post-apocalyptic tyrant Immortan Joe and goes on the lam with Joe’s forces hot on their tail. Max, now played by Tom Hardy, gets unwittingly swept along for the ride.

    Aliens

    Carrie Hen’s Newt stands with Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley in Aliens© Provided by ScreenRant

    Ridley Scott’s original Alien movie is both one of the greatest science fiction movies and one of the greatest horror movies ever made, but it’s a slow burn. Scott takes his time to introduce the crew of the Nostromo and the threat of the xenomorph before the chestburster kicks off the haunted-house-in-space action. This makes for a powerful cinematic experience on the first viewing, but it also means that it takes a while to get going on a rewatch.

    Everything Everywhere All at Once is an appropriate title for a movie that manages to be a fast-paced action movie, a visually stunning sci-fi movie, a zany slapstick comedy, and a sobering family drama all rolled into one. The Wang family’s story would be just as moving without all the hybrid-genre mayhem. But all the parallel universes and martial arts choreography make it an endlessly rewatchable movie.

    Galaxy Quest

    The cast of Galaxy Quest on an alien planet© Provided by ScreenRant

    Galaxy Quest is such a spot-on parody of the Star Trek franchise that it’s often ranked as a better Star Trek movie than most of the official Star Trek movies. It has an ingeniously meta premise: the washed-up cast of an old sci-fi show is recruited for a real-life intergalactic battle by real-life aliens who mistook episodes of their series for historical records. Director Dean Parisot gets every possible laugh out of that brilliant premise.

    With the satire of Galaxy Quest, Parisot managed to have the best of both worlds. He ruthlessly spoofs Star Trek and its fans, but it’s ultimately an affectionate love letter to Gene Roddenberry’s legacy and the power of the fandom he inspired. Like all the best comedies, Galaxy Quest is so funny and so quotable and so hilariously acted that it’s infinitely rewatchable.

    Predator

    Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch in Predator aiming a machine gun while standing in front of jungle foliage© Provided by ScreenRant

    Predator has absolutely no reason to be as great as it is. The story grew out of a Hollywood inside joke that Rocky Balboa would run out of opponents on Earth and have to fight an alien. Its entire premise revolves around oiled-up, muscle-bound men going into the jungle and firing machine guns at an invisible alien. At the very best, Predator should be an affable B-movie. But somehow, John McTiernan turned it into a bona fide masterpiece.

    By pitting Arnold Schwarzenegger against a deadly alien creature, McTiernan told the ultimate man-conquers-beast story. Predator deals with themes of masculinity, militarism, and just how outmatched humanity might be when alien life finally arrives. But it’s also a big, loud, bombastic ‘80s action movie with a burst of gunfire or a giant explosion every couple of minutes.

    WALL-E

    WALL-E looking up at the stars© Provided by ScreenRant

    Much like Stanley Kubrick, when Pixar takes a stab at a genre, they end up making one of the all-time greats. The Incredibles is one of the best superhero movies, Up is one of the best adventure movies, and WALL-E is one of the best science fiction movies. With its dazzling futuristic imagery, deeply cinematic visual storytelling, and the heartwarming romance between WALL-E and fellow robot-with-a-heart-of-gold EVE, WALL-E holds up to endless rewatches.

    The only thing that makes WALL-E wobble slightly on a rewatch is that its depiction of an uninhabitable, trash-filled Earth gets more and more depressingly accurate with every viewing. WALL-E was way ahead of its time in criticizing humanity’s callous treatment of the environment. Fortunately, the love story is beautiful enough to distract from the mirror being held up to climate change.

    The Matrix

    Carrie Anne Moss as Trinity and Keanu Reeves as Neo looking at each other in The Matrix© Provided by ScreenRant

    The Wachowskis made audiences across the world question their reality with their sci-fi action masterpiece The Matrix. The movie suggests that reality is just a computer program being run by the robotic overlords using human beings as batteries. There’s a lot of exposition to get out of the way in the first act of The Matrix – who Morpheus is, how the Matrix works, what the machines are doing in the real world, etc. – but once it gets all that stuff out of the way, it’s a non-stop thrill-ride.

    The Matrix is full of beautifully directed action sequences like the lobby shootout, the helicopter crash, and the final foot chase. The story in between the action scenes is masterfully crafted, too. From his humble beginnings as Thomas Anderson to his triumphant climactic transformation into “The One,” Neo’s journey lands on every viewing.

    Star Wars

    Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.© Provided by ScreenRant

    George Lucas changed the face of the film industry forever with his game-changing space opera Star Wars. Ever since Star Wars had audiences lining up around the block to watch it a 10th time, Hollywood studios have been acquiring nerdy I.P. and following Joseph Campbell’s “hero’s journey” religiously in an attempt to replicate that success. Lucas transported audiences to a galaxy far, far away and pulled off the cinematic magic trick of pure escapism.

    Although it was burdened with introducing its audience to a whole new fictional universe, Star Wars moves at an agreeably zippy pace. It opens with a massive space battle and remains that exciting for the rest of its runtime. From the Millennium Falcon shootout to the explosion of the Death Star, Star Wars is full of set-pieces that never get old.

    Jurassic Park

    A T. Rex bursting through the gates and onto the road in Jurassic Park© Provided by ScreenRant

    Steven Spielberg combined the monster-movie thrills of Jaws with the thought-provoking sci-fi themes of Close Encounters for his big-screen adaptation of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park deals with the same complex themes as Frankenstein – the hubris of man, the dangers of playing God, the uncontrollability of nature – but with a theme park full of live dinosaurs. Spielberg and his team used groundbreaking visual effects to bring dinosaurs back to life.

    Jurassic Park is full of great action sequences with razor-sharp tension and timeless effects. From the T. rex’s escape to the raptors’ attack in the kitchen, Jurassic Park is jam-packed with set-pieces that never fail to thrill the audience, no matter how many times they’ve seen the movie. Even the exposition in Jurassic Park is rewatchable, thanks to a little animated character named Mr. DNA.

    Back To The Future

    Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Emmett© Provided by ScreenRant

    Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale’s Back to the Future script should be studied in every screenwriting class, because it’s airtight. Not only does it tell an engaging story about a time-traveling teenager trying to get his parents together to ensure his own existence; it’s a masterclass in the plant-and-payoff technique. Every single scene progresses the plot; every single line in the first act sets something up that comes back later.

    The pacing doesn’t dip for a second, all the gags in Zemeckis and Gale’s script get a laugh every time, and the catharsis of Marty McFly finally getting back to 1985 after all the hurdles he’s had to overcome always lands. Plus, Michael J. Fox’s endearing on-screen chemistry with Christopher Lloyd as Marty and Doc Brown is endlessly watchable. Back to the Future is basically a perfect movie.

    Best Sci-Fi Series of All Time, Ranked

    The 20 Best Horror Movies on Max

    10 Sci-Fi Movies From the ’80s That Will Never Get Old

    10 Worst Action Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

    The Origins of 11 Famous Star Trek Lines

    Film – Bing Images

    25 Modern Horror Movies That Redefined the Genre

    Best Horror Movies With Evil Children

    14 Forgotten ’80s Movies That Deserve a Modern Reboot

    10 Bizarre ’80s Movies That Have Been Forgotten But Deserve a Comeback

    10 Movies From The ’90s That Were A Little Too Weird for The Time

    10 Best Feel-Good Movies Of The 1980s

    10 Most Epic Moments In Sci-Fi Movies

    10 Best Movie Endings That Are Both Tragic and Uplifting

     

    April 16

     

    Horror Movies With Terrible Rotten Tomatoes Scores That Are Actually Worth Watching

    Star Trek’s Gene Roddenberry Created Two Forgotten Sci-Fi Shows Years After His Death

    10 Sci-Fi Movies With Perfect Opening Scenes

    How many of the worst blockbusters from Hollywood history have you seen?

    10 Intense Movies Where A Character’s Obsession Leads To Their Destruction

    10 Most Out Of Place Scenes In Sci-Fi Movie History | Watch

    Top 30 Movie Versions of Real Life Gangsters | Watch

    The 69 Best Action Movies Of All Time | Watch

    These 25 horror films were based on true stories

    Beyond Netflix: Affordable (and Free) Streaming Alternatives You Need to Know | Watch

    10 Best Horror Fantasy Movies, RankedIf You Loved Prometheus, You’ll Enjoy These 10 Great Sci-Fi Prequels25 Fresh Sci-Fi Movies Destined To Become Cult Classics

    Horror Movie Endings: 25 Final Moments That Keep You Up at Night

    10 Action Movies With Surprisingly Deep Stories

    25 Horror Movie Cameos So Iconic, They Stole the Show

    If You Loved Prometheus, You’ll Enjoy These 10 Great Sci-Fi Prequels

    10 Beautiful Movies With Layered Narratives That Tell A Great Story

    Best sci-fi comedies of all time

     

    Evolution

    Out of this world laughs and galactic giggles ahead in this list of the best sci-fi comedies of all time.

    One of the most mesmerizing things about the science fiction genre is the sheer scope of ideas that can be dreamt up, and this aspect lends itself perfectly to comedy; with something so out-of-this-world, there’s a real opportunity to make people laugh. There are crazy and bewildering plots spanning generations, from the twisted future of Idiocracy to the bulging-brained alien invasion of Mars Attacks! To put it simply, there’s a lot of fun to be had in crafting the strangely surreal, the complete unknown, and even just simply turning fear into nervous laughter.

    By sifting through the sci-fi comedy offerings on the best streaming services, we’ve whittled our list down to the 10 best sci-fi comedies of all time. Comedic timing, acting prowess, and excellent scripts all play a huge part in the reason these movies are as funny as they are – even if you don’t expect them to be. So, pick your next watch across Paramount Plus, Disney, Netflix, and Amazon Prime from the list below and prepare to be suitably amused.

    10. Evolution

    ((Image credit: Columbia Pictures))

    • Release date: June 8, 2001
    • Cast: David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Orlando Jones
    • Director: Ivan Reitman
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 44% critics, 48% audience

    It felt like that in the early 00s any video I borrowed from Blockbusters advertised this sci-fi comedy. When I realized it was from the director of Ghostbusters (also on our list), I had to rent it and I’m glad I did. In Evolution, a meteor hits Earth and with it an organism that evolves so rapidly no one has any real clue on how to stop it. The team for the job? A trainee firefighter, a government scientist, and two college professors made up of sci-fi icon David Duchovny, Julianne Moore, Orlando Jones, and Seann William Scott.

    While the government tries to block the team out, the alien ecosystem begins to thrive on Earth and that’s when the real trouble starts. Even with Earth’s impending doom, there’s still plenty of time for comedy. It’s not groundbreaking sci-fi, but it’ll certainly bring laughs to your night-in.

    9. Mars Attacks!

    ((Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures))

    • Release date: December 13, 1996
    • Cast: Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Annette Bening, Pierce Brosnan
    • Director: Tim Burton
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 55% critics, 53% audience

    Much like Tim Burton’s haunting characters from his usual gothic horrors, like Beetlejuice and The Corpse Bride, you’ll never forget the Martians of his sci-fi dark comedy, Mars Attacks! It’s a wonderful spoof of the cheesy alien invasion movies of the ’50s, full of surreal humor and black comedy.

    Burton’s foray into science fiction depicts an alien arrival on Earth that starts out peacefully, but quickly transcends into absolute chaos – making it both a little bit scary and a whole lot of funny. Particularly the government’s blundering attempts to deal with these new visitors.

    Mars Attacks! has a rather impressive cast behind it, with Jack Nicholson as the President, Glenn Close, Jack Black, Danny DeVito, Pierce Brosnan, Annette Bening, Sarah Jessica Parker, and so many more stellar actors. While it didn’t quite impress with its box office debut, it’s certainly made up for it in cult status.

    8. Spaceballs

    • Release date: June 24, 1987
    • Cast: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, and more
    • Director: Mel Brooks
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 52% critics, 83% audience

    Mel Brooks is one hell of a filmmaker and the master of spoofs. When it comes to comedy, his unique style traverses genres from the Western of Blazing Saddles to the adventures of Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Spaceballs, his move into science fiction, had the same cult impact.

    Brooks’ Spaceballs is primarily a Star Wars parody with Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his alien sidekick, Barf (John Candy), rescuing Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) from the Spaceballs – all while evading capture from the dastardly Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis).

    It sounds absolutely bonkers and that’s because it is. It is jam-packed with quirky jokes, gags, wisecracks, and slapstick comedy – while some might not be to your taste, others will have you in stitches. Plus, Spaceballs utilizes the humor of breaking the fourth wall, which sets it apart from the rest of the genre ten-fold. While the movie came out in 1987, according to Variety, there may be a Spaceballs 2 is in the works with Mel Brooks producing almost 30 years later.

    7. Galaxy Quest

    credit: DreamWorks Pictures))

    • Release date: December 25, 1999
    • Cast: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman
    • Director: Dean Parisot
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 90% critics, 79% audience

    Back in the 90s, Galaxy Quest was first perceived as a silly comedy movie that affectionately parodied the likes of Star Trek and other galactic spaceship crews. However, it has since proved itself to be far smarter than that and has been acknowledged as such.

    The movie sees a new spaceship crew assembled, but this time they’re actors from the TV show Galaxy Quest that get thrown into a real-life space adventure. During a fan convention, Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), lead actor of the show, is approached by a group of aliens called Thermians that want his help.

    Unfortunately, the aliens believe that the TV show is actually real life. So, when they recruit Jason and his crew for help, no-one’s quite sure what they’re getting themselves into. It’s a parody, yes, but it’s also a homage to all the amazing sci-fi shows and movies that are still thriving today. It’s satire at its finest and it does so whilst lovingly dressed up in sci-fi and comedy.

    6. Men in Black and sequels

    ((Image credit: Columbia Pictures))

    • Release date: July 2, 1997
    • Cast: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Fiorentino
    • Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 91% critics, 80% audience

    With four films now in the Men in Black franchise, the first will always be the best of the best of the best, sir! There’s a lot of great things to say about Men in Black, but the greatest gift from this movie is the comedy pairing of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as Agent J and Agent K, respectively. They make this look good.

    Jay and Kay are agents of a secret government organization tasked with protecting Earth and keeping an eye on all its alien residents. While Kay is a respected long-serving member, Jay is a headstrong rookie with a lot of sass – but they balance each other out with Kay sharing wisdom and Jay showing him how to have a good time.

    The scope of extra-terrestrials is also fantastic. We won’t say too much about them here, as discovering them all is part of this movie’s charm. While some can be rather adorable, others can be unnervingly terrifying, but have no fear as Will Smith will always lighten the mood.

    5. Idiocracy

    ((Image credit: Twentieth Century Fox))

    • Release date: September 1, 2006
    • Cast: Luke Wilson, Maya Rudolph, Dax Shepard, Terry Crews, and more
    • Director: Mike Judge
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 71% critics, 61% audience

    Joe Bauers (Luke Wilson) is a remarkably average human. Yet, he is the one chosen to be put into hibernation and brought back to life in the future. Sort of like Fry in Futurama (one of the best sci-fi TV shows of all time), but on purpose. However, when Joe ‘arrives’ in the future, he’s somehow the smartest person alive.

    Now, imagine a world where the average intelligence has depleted exponentially, because that’s the world Joe now lives in, and there’s a whole lot of weird things going on. In Idiocracy, you can pause on pretty much any scene in this movie and think to yourself, what on Earth is going on? And because of this, it’s a really great comedy about how strange the world and life could really be.

    Only one of these I have not seen yet

     

    Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure/Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey -sequel

     

    (Image credit: De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG))

    • Release date: February 17, 1989
    • Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, and more
    • Director: Stephen Herek
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 83% critics, 75% audience

    If you’ve ever once looked into sci-fi comedy, you’ll no doubt have come across Bill and Ted. Or, if you’re just into movies in any shape or form, you’ll have heard of this iconic duo made up of traditionally more straight-faced Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Their friendship hangs in the balance as a failing history grade could see the pair torn apart. But, there’s one way to save it and that’s by travelling back in time to learn about history in the most excellent of ways.

    Carrying out research for their school report, they travel by a phone booth time machine that takes them back to historical moments, meeting several history VIPs along the way. Obviously, turning up in a phone booth causes its own hilarity, but the goofy pairing with an incredibly quotable script make this a fun and lighthearted movie for all to enjoy.

    3. Repo Man

     

    ((Image credit: Edge City Productions))

    • Release date: March 2, 1984
    • Cast: Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, and more
    • Director: Alex Cox
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 98% critics, 78% audience

    To get out of trouble, punky Otto (Emilio Estevez) is recruited by a car repo agency that tasks him with hunting down a Chevrolet Malibu for an eye-watering $20,000 bounty. High reward means high risk though and inside the trunk of this runaway Chevy is something out-of-this-world. Hunting down this car is no simple task and whatever extraterrestrial entity is hiding in the trunk makes sure of that.

    It seems some of the best sci-fi comedies are just bonkers and Repo Man is certainly one of those titles. You can’t quite believe what you’re watching and with the threat of an alien invasion at stake, its peculiar plot will amuse and pull you in. It’s a cult classic because it doesn’t really fit into any of the usual movie ticking boxes, yet still highly entertaining.

    One of my all time favorites! Emilo Estevez’s first movie

    2. Back to the Future and sequels

     

    ((Image credit: Universal Pictures))

    • Release date: July 3, 1985
    • Cast: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
    • Director: Robert Zemeckis
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 93% critics, 95% audience

    Back to the Future is one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, and it’s also one of the funniest. Bringing together young Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) with eccentric scientist Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), the pair embark on a time-travelling adventure that seamlessly integrates the sci-fi genre with comedy.

    Marty is accidentally sent 30 years back in time in a souped-up DeLorean. His presence in the past ends up risking his entire existence as he splits up his future parents and must fix the mistake. And, amid all this, Marty and Doc Brown must protect each other from their past and future fates.

    It’s witty and wild, parodying sci-fi and futuristic concepts – some of which have actually become a reality since then, such as video calls and wearable tech like smart glasses (the fashion… not so much).

    1. Ghostbusters and Two sequels

     

    ((Image credit: Columbia Pictures))

    • Release date: June 8, 1984
    • Cast: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis
    • Director: Ivan Reitman
    • Rotten Tomatoes score: 95% critics, 88% audience

    If you’re after the best sci-fi comedy, who you gonna call?

    Simply one of the most iconic sci-fi comedies of all time, Ghostbusters paved the way for so many titles on our list that it’d be hard not to give it top spot. I mean, it quite literally spawned Evolution from director Ivan Reitman.

    Kicked out of university jobs, three parapsychologists choose instead to set up their own unique ghost removal service in New York. Ghostbusters, assemble! The fantastic cast and witty script makes this movie an absolute joy to watch.

    It’s a wonderful blend of supernatural, sci-fi, comedy, horror, and action that has spawned a whole iconic franchise: we’re talking more movies, comics, video games, TV shows, etc. While some of the movies that followed are funny in their own right, you just can’t beat the original.

     

    The best movie endings that truly deliver

    The Most Rewatchable Comedy Movies Ever

     

    April 17, 2025

     

    10 Comedy Movies That Are Funny From Start to Finish

    13 Great Movies You Didn’t Realize Almost Went Straight To Video

    10 Most Boring Movies of All Time, Ranked

    These 10 Sci-Fi Movies Weren’t Nearly As Bad As Reviews Said

    The 12 Best Movies of 2025 So Far (And 60 More We Can’t Wait For)

    Here Are 25 Splendid Movies You Can Watch for Free on YouTube

     

     

    April 18, 2025

     

    15 Underrated Action Classics You’ll Wish You Watched Sooner

    10 Most Unique Star Trek Episodes | Watch

    Netflix viewers rush to binge ‘chilling’ Swedish crime drama climbing up charts

    10 Marvel Heroes With the Worst Superpowers (Who Aren’t X-Men)

    Movies to Watch if You Like Sci-Fi

    21 Not-Talked-About Movies That Basically Scarred An Entire Generation

    The best romance movie of all time, according to data—and see the rest of the top 100

    25 Movies Deserving Sequels

    Is ‘Sinners’ a Western, Crime Thriller, Southern Gothic, or Monster Movie? Yes

    10 Best Horror Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

     

    10 Best Horror Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

     

    An iconic horror film requires many key elements, ranging from a strong atmosphere to terrifying scares, but few features are as crucial as great acting. Whether portraying a vulnerable victim, a resilient hero or a menacing villain, actors must devote themselves wholeheartedly to horror performances due to the intensity and wide range of emotions required by the genre. In fact, largely as the result of excellent acting, many horror characters – such as Jack Torrance or Norman Bates – have established themselves as some of the most enduring popular characters in film history.

    With such a rich canon of performances to choose from, selecting the 10 greatest is a daunting feat. Considering the iconic legacies of the characters, their vital roles within their films, and the technical feats accomplished by the actors, these are our picks for the 10 best performances in horror films.

    Linda Blair in ‘The Exorcist’ (1973)

    Directed by William Friedkin

    The Exorcist is a 1973 supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and adapted by William Peter Blatty from his own 1971 novel. The film centers on the demonic possession of a young girl, Regan (Linda Blair), as she is transformed into a chaotic, profane and violent monster by the demon inside of her. In order to attempt to save her soul, Catholic priests Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Father Karras (Jason Miller) perform an exorcism once it is clear that no other option will work.

    Related video: 10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of (CBR)

     

    Despite being only 12 years old at the time of filming, Linda Blair gives a powerhouse performance as Regan, completely embodying both her innocent initial personality and the vulgar demon that possesses her. Aided by the vocal work of Mercedes McCambridge, Linda Blair tackles physically and emotionally demanding scenes that would have been challenging for actors decades her senior, consistently holding her own against her far more experienced castmates. The Exorcist is widely considered one of the scariest films of all time, and Linda Blair’s performance is one of the greatest reasons why.

    The Exorcist

    Release Date  December 26, 1973

    Director  William Friedkin

    Cast  Lee J. Cobb, Max Von Sydow, Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn

    Rating  R

    Runtime  122 minutes

    Main Genre   Horror

    Genres  Supernatural, Horror

    Writers  William Peter Blatty

    Production Company  Hoya Productions

    Rent on Amazon

    Kathy Bates in ‘Misery’ (1990)

    Directed by Rob Reiner

    Based on Stephen King‘s 1987 novel, Misery is a 1990 psychological horror-thriller directed by Rob Reiner. The film follows a popular fiction writer, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who suffers a life-threatening car crash and is found by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a dedicated fan. As a nurse by profession, Annie helps Paul with his injuries but is horrified to discover that he has killed off her favorite character and decides to imprison him in her house until he has written a novel resurrecting the character.

    Kathy Bates’ performance received widespread acclaim and earned her a Best Actress Academy Award, in the only Oscar win ever received for a Stephen King adaptation. Bringing to life the villainous Annie Wilkes, Bates’ performance is highly erratic, swinging wildly from appearing to be simply a lonely and quirky woman to behaving in a violent and aggressive manner towards her captive. Portraying one of King’s greatest literary characters, Kathy Bates deserves all the attention she received for her performance in Misery.

    Misery

    Release Date  November 30, 1990

    Director  Rob Reiner

    Cast  Richard Farnsworth, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Frances Sternhagen, James Caan

    Rating  R

    Runtime  107 minutes

    Main Genre  Horror

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Horror

    Writers  William Goldman, Stephen King

    Budget  $20 million

    Studio(s)  Columbia Pictures

    Distributor(s)  Columbia Pictures

    Rent on Amazon

    Tony Todd in ‘Candyman’ (1992)

    Directed by Bernard Rose

    Candyman is a 1992 supernatural horror film written and directed by Bernard Rose and based on a short story by prolific novelist Clive Barker. The film explores the concept of urban legends by following a grad student, Helen (Virginia Madsen), who begins investigating the story of a vengeful spirit known as the Candyman (Tony Todd). After being summoned by Helen, Candyman begins to take the lives of innocent residents of a low-income neighborhood that he terrorizes.

    Candyman is unique for a supernatural slasher due to its methodical pace, mature storytelling and the subversively sympathetic nature of its antagonist. Tony Todd brings an incredible gravitas to the role, with his velvet-smooth voice and calm physicality bringing a hypnotic quality to the character, and his dedication to the film being perfectly showcased by his willingness to work with hundreds of live bees during production. Frightening and strangely alluring, the late, great Tony Todd’s performance as the titular Candyman is nothing less than career-defining.

    Candyman

    Release Date  October 16, 1992

    Director  Bernard Rose

    Cast  Marianna Elliott, DeJuan Guy, Kasi Lemmons, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd, Vanessa Williams, Virginia Madsen, Ted Raimi

    Rating  R

    Runtime  100 Minutes

    Main Genre  Horror

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Horror

    Writers  Bernard Rose

    Character(s)  Billy, Candyman, Clara, Jake, Bernadette Walsh, Anne-Marie McCoy, Trevor Lyle, Helen Lyle

    Rent on Apple TV

    Boris Karloff in ‘Frankenstein’ (1931)

    Directed by James Whale

    Based on Mary Shelley‘s 1818 classic horror novel, Frankenstein is a 1931 sci-fi horror film directed by James Whale. The film centers on the creation of a monster (Boris Karloff) constructed from stolen body-parts, who is reanimated by a scientist (Colin Clive) who seeks to play God. Mistreated by those around him, the monster escapes from captivity and finds himself the target of furious and violent townspeople.

    Enhanced with one of horror cinema’s most iconic examples of costuming and special effects makeup, Boris Karloff’s performance as Frankenstein’s Monster is a landmark achievement of the early horror genre. Karloff portrays the monster with a pitch-perfect balance of childlike innocence and threatening physicality, with his clumsy movements making his inhumanity incredibly believable. Rightfully still celebrated almost a century later, Boris Karloff’s performance in Frankenstein is perfect.

    Frankenstein

    Release Date  November 21, 1931

    Director  James Whale

    Cast  Lionel Belmore, Frederick Kerr, John Boles, Mae Clarke, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Colin Clive, Boris Karloff

    Rating  Passed

    Runtime  70 Minutes

    Main Genre  Sci-Fi

    Genres  Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror

    Writers  Francis Edward Faragoh, Peggy Webling, Garrett Fort, Richard Schayer, John L. Balderston, Mary Shelley

    Rent on Apple TV

    Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’ (1980)

    Directed by Stanley Kubrick

    Based on Stephen King‘s 1977 novel, The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. The film centers on Jack (Jack Nicholson), a writer with a history of alcoholism and a troubled relationship with his family, who takes a caretaking job at the remote Overlook Hotel during the winter. Upon arrival, however, Jack’s wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) realize that the hotel may be haunted, as they are plagued by unexplained events and Jack’s behavior becomes increasingly concerning.

    From his earliest scenes in the film, Jack Nicholson makes it clear through his performance that something is deeply wrong with Jack under the surface of his identity as an ambitious family man, seeming as if he may snap at any moment. Nicholson’s dynamic with Shelley Duvall is highly compelling, with her pure terror being contrasted excellently with his mania and aggression, making audiences truly come to fear his character at the film’s harrowing climax. Tragic, scary and at times darkly comedic, Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining is a masterclass in portraying a disturbed individual.

    The Shining

    Release Date  May 23, 1980

    Director  Stanley Kubrick

    Cast  Philip Stone, Barry Nelson, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd, Shelley Duvall, Jack Nicholson

    Rating  R

    Runtime  146 minutes

    Main Genre   Horror

    Genres  Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Psychological

    Writers  Diane Johnson, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King

    Studio  Warner Bros.

    Tagline  All work and no play make Jack a dull boy…

    Rent on Apple TV

    Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

    Directed by Jonathan Demme

    The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 psychological horror film directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris‘ 1988 novel. The film centers on young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she is assigned a key role in the investigation of serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In order to track the killer down, Clarice develops a rapport with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), an incarcerated cannibal and murderer who is also a highly intelligent psychiatrist.

    Winning an Oscar for Best Actress, Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Clarice received immediate acclaim due to her embodiment of Clarice’s likability, intelligence and emotional complexity. The film’s most compelling element is the dynamic between Clarice and Hannibal, with the two consistently attempting to get the upper hand in their interactions and thed chemistry between Foster and Hopkins makes their scenes electrifying. Clarice is one of horror cinema’s most iconic protagonists and one of the best characters in the Hannibal Lecter cinematic universe, with Jodie Foster’s performance greatly enhancing the role.

    The Silence of the Lambs

    Release Date  February 14, 1991

    Director  Jonathan Demme

    Cast  Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Scott Glenn, Anthony Hopkins, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Ted Levine, Jodie Foster

    Rating  R

    Runtime  118 Minutes

    Main Genre  Thriller

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Crime

    Writers  Ted Tally, Thomas Harris

    Character(s)  Ardelia Mapp, Senator Ruth Martin, Catherine Martin, Dr. Frederick Chilton, Jame Gumb, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Sterling, Jack Crawford

    Mia Farrow in ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

    Directed by Roman Polanski

    Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 supernatural body horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski and based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin. The film centers on a young married woman, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), whose relationships with everyone around her are thrown into question when she begins suffering a seemingly demonic pregnancy after being assaulted. Becoming increasingly ill and losing a shocking amount of weight, Rosemary begins to suspect that her neighbors are participants in an occult conspiracy surrounding her pregnancy.

    Considered a masterpiece of subtle body horror, the film displays Rosemary undergoing a shocking physical transformation from a healthy young woman to someone frail, gaunt and highly physically vulnerable. Mia Farrow’s performance perfectly conveys the way that Rosemary’s bodily autonomy is being stripped from her, portraying the character as good-hearted and pure but also increasingly physically unwell and dangerously naive. One of the most acclaimed performances in genre history, Mia Farrow’s performance as the titular Rosemary is authentic, frightening and enduringly impressive.

    Rosemary’s Baby

    Release Date  June 12, 1968

    Director  Roman Polanski

    Cast  Ralph Bellamy, Sidney Blackmer, John Cassavetes, Maurice Evans, Ruth Gordon, Mia Farrow

    Rating  R

    Runtime  137 minutes

    Main Genre  Drama

    Genres  Supernatural, Horror, Psychological

    Writers  Ira Levin, Roman Polanski

    Tagline  Pray for Rosemary’s Baby

    Production Company  William Castle Productions

    Rent on Amazon

    10 Best Horror Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

    An iconic horror film requires many key elements, ranging from a strong atmosphere to terrifying scares, but few features are as crucial as great acting. Whether portraying a vulnerable victim, a resilient hero or a menacing villain, actors must devote themselves wholeheartedly to horror performances due to the intensity and wide range of emotions required by the genre. In fact, largely as the result of excellent acting, many horror characters – such as Jack Torrance or Norman Bates – have established themselves as some of the most enduring popular characters in film history.

    With such a rich canon of performances to choose from, selecting the 10 greatest is a daunting feat. Considering the iconic legacies of the characters, their vital roles within their films, and the technical feats accomplished by the actors, these are our picks for the 10 best performances in horror films.

    Linda Blair in ‘The Exorcist’ (1973)

    Directed by William Friedkin

    The Exorcist is a 1973 supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and adapted by William Peter Blatty from his own 1971 novel. The film centers on the demonic possession of a young girl, Regan (Linda Blair), as she is transformed into a chaotic, profane and violent monster by the demon inside of her. In order to attempt to save her soul, Catholic priests Father Merrin (Max von Sydow) and Father Karras (Jason Miller) perform an exorcism once it is clear that no other option will work.

    Related video: 10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of (CBR)

    Play Video

    CBR

    10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of

    Unmute

    0

    View on Watch

    Despite being only 12 years old at the time of filming, Linda Blair gives a powerhouse performance as Regan, completely embodying both her innocent initial personality and the vulgar demon that possesses her. Aided by the vocal work of Mercedes McCambridge, Linda Blair tackles physically and emotionally demanding scenes that would have been challenging for actors decades her senior, consistently holding her own against her far more experienced castmates. The Exorcist is widely considered one of the scariest films of all time, and Linda Blair’s performance is one of the greatest reasons why.

    The Exorcist

    Release Date  December 26, 1973

    Director  William Friedkin

    Cast  Lee J. Cobb, Max Von Sydow, Linda Blair, Ellen Burstyn

    Rating  R

    Runtime  122 minutes

    Main Genre   Horror

    Genres  Supernatural, Horror

    Writers  William Peter Blatty

    Production Company  Hoya Productions

    Rent on Amazon

    Kathy Bates in ‘Misery’ (1990)

    Directed by Rob Reiner

    Based on Stephen King‘s 1987 novel, Misery is a 1990 psychological horror-thriller directed by Rob Reiner. The film follows a popular fiction writer, Paul Sheldon (James Caan), who suffers a life-threatening car crash and is found by Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a dedicated fan. As a nurse by profession, Annie helps Paul with his injuries but is horrified to discover that he has killed off her favorite character and decides to imprison him in her house until he has written a novel resurrecting the character.

    Kathy Bates’ performance received widespread acclaim and earned her a Best Actress Academy Award, in the only Oscar win ever received for a Stephen King adaptation. Bringing to life the villainous Annie Wilkes, Bates’ performance is highly erratic, swinging wildly from appearing to be simply a lonely and quirky woman to behaving in a violent and aggressive manner towards her captive. Portraying one of King’s greatest literary characters, Kathy Bates deserves all the attention she received for her performance in Misery.

    Misery

    Release Date  November 30, 1990

    Director  Rob Reiner

    Cast  Richard Farnsworth, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Frances Sternhagen, James Caan

    Rating  R

    Runtime  107 minutes

    Main Genre  Horror

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Horror

    Writers  William Goldman, Stephen King

    Budget  $20 million

    Studio(s)  Columbia Pictures

    Distributor(s)  Columbia Pictures

    Rent on Amazon

    Tony Todd in ‘Candyman’ (1992)

    Directed by Bernard Rose

    Candyman is a 1992 supernatural horror film written and directed by Bernard Rose and based on a short story by prolific novelist Clive Barker. The film explores the concept of urban legends by following a grad student, Helen (Virginia Madsen), who begins investigating the story of a vengeful spirit known as the Candyman (Tony Todd). After being summoned by Helen, Candyman begins to take the lives of innocent residents of a low-income neighborhood that he terrorizes.

    Candyman is unique for a supernatural slasher due to its methodical pace, mature storytelling and the subversively sympathetic nature of its antagonist. Tony Todd brings an incredible gravitas to the role, with his velvet-smooth voice and calm physicality bringing a hypnotic quality to the character, and his dedication to the film being perfectly showcased by his willingness to work with hundreds of live bees during production. Frightening and strangely alluring, the late, great Tony Todd’s performance as the titular Candyman is nothing less than career-defining.

    Candyman

    Release Date  October 16, 1992

    Director  Bernard Rose

    Cast  Marianna Elliott, DeJuan Guy, Kasi Lemmons, Xander Berkeley, Tony Todd, Vanessa Williams, Virginia Madsen, Ted Raimi

    Rating  R

    Runtime  100 Minutes

    Main Genre  Horror

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Horror

    Writers  Bernard Rose

    Character(s)  Billy, Candyman, Clara, Jake, Bernadette Walsh, Anne-Marie McCoy, Trevor Lyle, Helen Lyle

    Rent on Apple TV

    Boris Karloff in ‘Frankenstein’ (1931)

    Directed by James Whale

    Based on Mary Shelley‘s 1818 classic horror novel, Frankenstein is a 1931 sci-fi horror film directed by James Whale. The film centers on the creation of a monster (Boris Karloff) constructed from stolen body-parts, who is reanimated by a scientist (Colin Clive) who seeks to play God. Mistreated by those around him, the monster escapes from captivity and finds himself the target of furious and violent townspeople.

    Enhanced with one of horror cinema’s most iconic examples of costuming and special effects makeup, Boris Karloff’s performance as Frankenstein’s Monster is a landmark achievement of the early horror genre. Karloff portrays the monster with a pitch-perfect balance of childlike innocence and threatening physicality, with his clumsy movements making his inhumanity incredibly believable. Rightfully still celebrated almost a century later, Boris Karloff’s performance in Frankenstein is perfect.

    Frankenstein

    Release Date  November 21, 1931

    Director  James Whale

    Cast  Lionel Belmore, Frederick Kerr, John Boles, Mae Clarke, Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan, Colin Clive, Boris Karloff

    Rating  Passed

    Runtime  70 Minutes

    Main Genre  Sci-Fi

    Genres  Sci-Fi, Drama, Horror

    Writers  Francis Edward Faragoh, Peggy Webling, Garrett Fort, Richard Schayer, John L. Balderston, Mary Shelley

    Rent on Apple TV

    Jack Nicholson in ‘The Shining’ (1980)

    Directed by Stanley Kubrick

    Based on Stephen King‘s 1977 novel, The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick. The film centers on Jack (Jack Nicholson), a writer with a history of alcoholism and a troubled relationship with his family, who takes a caretaking job at the remote Overlook Hotel during the winter. Upon arrival, however, Jack’s wife Wendy (Shelley Duvall) and their young son Danny (Danny Lloyd) realize that the hotel may be haunted, as they are plagued by unexplained events and Jack’s behavior becomes increasingly concerning.

    From his earliest scenes in the film, Jack Nicholson makes it clear through his performance that something is deeply wrong with Jack under the surface of his identity as an ambitious family man, seeming as if he may snap at any moment. Nicholson’s dynamic with Shelley Duvall is highly compelling, with her pure terror being contrasted excellently with his mania and aggression, making audiences truly come to fear his character at the film’s harrowing climax. Tragic, scary and at times darkly comedic, Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining is a masterclass in portraying a disturbed individual.

    The Shining

    Release Date  May 23, 1980

    Director  Stanley Kubrick

    Cast  Philip Stone, Barry Nelson, Scatman Crothers, Danny Lloyd, Shelley Duvall, Jack Nicholson

    Rating  R

    Runtime  146 minutes

    Main Genre   Horror

    Genres  Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Psychological

    Writers  Diane Johnson, Stanley Kubrick, Stephen King

    Studio  Warner Bros.

    Tagline  All work and no play make Jack a dull boy…

    Rent on Apple TV

    Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991)

    Directed by Jonathan Demme

    The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 psychological horror film directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris‘ 1988 novel. The film centers on young FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she is assigned a key role in the investigation of serial killer Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine). In order to track the killer down, Clarice develops a rapport with Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), an incarcerated cannibal and murderer who is also a highly intelligent psychiatrist.

    Winning an Oscar for Best Actress, Jodie Foster’s portrayal of Clarice received immediate acclaim due to her embodiment of Clarice’s likability, intelligence and emotional complexity. The film’s most compelling element is the dynamic between Clarice and Hannibal, with the two consistently attempting to get the upper hand in their interactions and thed chemistry between Foster and Hopkins makes their scenes electrifying. Clarice is one of horror cinema’s most iconic protagonists and one of the best characters in the Hannibal Lecter cinematic universe, with Jodie Foster’s performance greatly enhancing the role.

    The Silence of the Lambs

    Release Date  February 14, 1991

    Director  Jonathan Demme

    Cast  Diane Baker, Kasi Lemmons, Scott Glenn, Anthony Hopkins, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith, Ted Levine, Jodie Foster

    Rating  R

    Runtime  118 Minutes

    Main Genre  Thriller

    Genres  Drama, Thriller, Crime

    Writers  Ted Tally, Thomas Harris

    Character(s)  Ardelia Mapp, Senator Ruth Martin, Catherine Martin, Dr. Frederick Chilton, Jame Gumb, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Sterling, Jack Crawford

    Mia Farrow in ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ (1968)

    Directed by Roman Polanski

    Rosemary’s Baby is a 1968 supernatural body horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski and based on the 1967 novel by Ira Levin. The film centers on a young married woman, Rosemary (Mia Farrow), whose relationships with everyone around her are thrown into question when she begins suffering a seemingly demonic pregnancy after being assaulted. Becoming increasingly ill and losing a shocking amount of weight, Rosemary begins to suspect that her neighbors are participants in an occult conspiracy surrounding her pregnancy.

    Considered a masterpiece of subtle body horror, the film displays Rosemary undergoing a shocking physical transformation from a healthy young woman to someone frail, gaunt and highly physically vulnerable. Mia Farrow’s performance perfectly conveys the way that Rosemary’s bodily autonomy is being stripped from her, portraying the character as good-hearted and pure but also increasingly physically unwell and dangerously naive. One of the most acclaimed performances in genre history, Mia Farrow’s performance as the titular Rosemary is authentic, frightening and enduringly impressive.

    Rosemary’s Baby

    Release Date  June 12, 1968

    Director  Roman Polanski

    Cast  Ralph Bellamy, Sidney Blackmer, John Cassavetes, Maurice Evans, Ruth Gordon, Mia Farrow

    Rating  R

    Runtime  137 minutes

    Main Genre  Drama

    Genres  Supernatural, Horror, Psychological

    Writers  Ira Levin, Roman Polanski

    Tagline  Pray for Rosemary’s Baby

    Production Company  William Castle Productions

    Rent on Amazon

    Kōji Yakusho in ‘Cure’ (1997)

    Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Cure is a 1997 Japanese supernatural psychological horror film written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The film centers on a mysterious string of murders with seemingly no connection except from a link to Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), an amnesiac hypnotist. The lead detective on the case, Kenichi Takabe (Kōji Yakusho), finds himself being increasingly drawn into Mamiya’s web due to the stresses and traumas of his own personal life, placing the lives of those around him in harm’s way.

    Kōji Yakusho and director Kiyoshi Kurosawa have collaborated on numerous film projects, but Cure has proven to be their most renowned due to its terrifying atmosphere and compelling premise. Yakusho shines in the lead role, portraying a delicately balanced mix of professionalism and dangerously obsessive tendencies to the character that establishes Takabe as a fascinating and potentially unreliable protagonist. Delivering scenes of devastating emotional trauma, chilling horror and dedicated detective work, Kōji Yakusho’s performance in Cure is horror perfection.

    Cure

    Release Date  December 27, 1997

    Director  Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Cast  Ren Ôsugi, Misayo Haruki, Anna Nakagawa, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Yoriko Dôguchi, Masato Hagiwara, Denden, Kôji Yakusho

    Rating  Not Rated

    Runtime  111 Minutes

    Main Genre  Horror

    Genres  Mystery, Crime, Horror

    Writers  Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    Rent on Amazon

    Toni Collette in ‘Hereditary’ (2018)

    Directed by Ari Aster

    Hereditary is a 2018 supernatural horror film written and directed by Ari Aster in his feature film debut. The film centers on a family in the midst of severe grief, initially grieving the death of their maternal grandmother, before being struck by additional tragedy and afflicted by evil supernatural forces. Annie (Toni Collette), the mother of the family, is an artist with a traumatic past who tries her best to support her children Peter (Alex Wolff) and Charlie (Milly Shapiro) but is pushed to a breaking point due to the horrific circumstances.

    Notoriously one of the bleakest horror films ever made, Hereditary is beloved by critics and audience members due to its strong scares and its raw and powerful representations of generational trauma and mental illness. Receiving particular attention, Toni Collette’s performance as Annie is unflinchingly intense, perfectly embodying her character’s complexity and fragile mental state in the wake of her grief. In one unforgettable scene, Collette expels some of the most haunting and tortured screams in cinematic history, and her performance is consistently remarkable throughout.

    April 19, 2025

    10 Marvel Movie Endings That Were Basically Perfect

    10 of The Greatest Dragon Movies

    The Best Western for People Who Hate Westerns | Watch

    Forgotten Movies That Made History

    10 Extremely Inaccurate Sci-Fi Movies That Are Still Tons Of Fun

    10 Best Long-Takes in Action Movies, Ranked

    Some Sitcoms Age Well (But Some Don’t)

    Star Wars Confirms 6 Long-Awaited Movies In Development

    10 Peaceful Movies For When You Need To Decompress

    Laughs Guaranteed: 45 Comedies Everyone Should Watch at Least Once

    The 15 Best Movies Like Denis Villeneuve’s Dune

    15 Modern Action Movies That Are Actually Not That Bad

    10 MCU Movies No One Expected To Be So Good

    9 Electrifying Action Movies That Define American Cinema

    20 Comedy Movies That Would Make Perfect Sequels

    30 Star Trek Episodes That Defined Sci-Fi History—Did Your Favorite Make the List?

    The 10 Best Action Movies of the Last 10 Years

    Forgotten Shows From The Golden Age Of Television

    10 Star Trek Predictions That Came True In The Real World

    10 Movie Endings That Left More Questions Than Answers

    Cliché or Classic? 25 Movie Tropes Hollywood Refuses to Retire

    10 Best Non-American Zombie Movies Of All Time

    Of all the different niches of horror movies, the zombie flick is one of the most enduring, with each generation of filmmakers bringing their unique perspective to the narrative. In recent years, we’ve seen exciting changes within the zombie genre, as many of the tropes and rules of these stories established by classics like Night of the Living Dead have been subverted and altered to suit the contemporary era. While there are many great zombie movies produced by Hollywood, there are legions of innovative titles that have come from countries besides the U.S.

    Plenty of unconventional zombie movies break away from the genre, and these great international projects showcase that writers and directors everywhere are interested in seeing how far they can push the concept of the zombie. From bloody, gory films that make you want to turn away from the screen to satirical narratives that play with your expectations, these movies have it all. Lately, many of the best zombie films have been grappling with zombies as a metaphor for worldwide disease and catastrophe, often being combined with the post-apocalyptic genre.

    Cargo (2017)

    Directed by Ben Howling & Yolanda Ramke

    Martin Freeman’s underrated realistic zombie movieCargo has long been overlooked within the genre. However, watching the Australian film today demonstrates why it’s such an emotionally gripping horror movie. Zombism is referred to as a virus within the world of Cargo, but the effects of infection work the same way, and it’s clear that anyone who gets bitten isn’t long for this world. The ticking clock of Andy’s (Freeman) infection is the background of Cargoas he attempts to get his infant daughter to safety.

    Incorporating many of the best elements of the post-apocalyptic genre, Cargo also grapples with the legacy of Australia’s treatment of Indigenous Australians. Andy encounters the young girl Thoomi (Simone Landers), who helps Andy find a safe place for his daughter to be raised after he’s gone. Freeman is doubtlessly at his best in Cargo, and the complex project is a tender portrait of love and sacrifice against insurmountable odds. The setting of rural Australia also provides a unique atmosphere, as so many zombie films focus on urban environments.

    Dead Snow (2009)

    Directed by Tommy Wirkola

    Oftentimes, in zombie movies, when a person is infected, it’s a tragic loss, and the characters’ connections make the outbreak even more terrifying. This isn’t the case in Dead Snow, a Norwegian film that doesn’t just have zombies; it has Nazi zombies. If the undead weren’t horrifying and evil enough, Dead Snow adds these extra elements. This ensures that the audience is appropriately prepared to cheer when the zombies are blown up and scream when they’re getting closer.

    In many ways, Dead Snow unfolds in the classic manner of most horror narratives, beginning with a group of students traveling to a remote cabin in the Norwegian woods. One by one, Dead Snow sees the characters encounter the zombies and go to extreme lengths to escape them or fall victim to them. It’s clear from the first moments of Dead Snow that the filmmakers were having a lot of fun with the genre and wanted to play up the grotesque and campy parts of zombie films that make the genre so memorable.

    #Alive (2020)

    Directed by Il Cho

    Infusing technology and social media into contemporary movies can be difficult, as innovation is moving so fast that these elements can become dated at the drop of a hat. However, #Alive does a great job of being relevant and timeless at the same time, as it follows the protagonist, Joon-woo, who struggles to find other survivors while facing zombies and other humans alike. Social media plays a role in #Alive, but it doesn’t overshadow the action and character development.

    Yoo Ah-in anchors the film as Oh Joon-woo, the video game streamer who attempts to survive the zombie apocalypse while being locked inside his apartment.

    Yoo Ah-in anchors the film as Oh Joon-woo, the video game streamer who attempts to survive the zombie apocalypse while being locked inside his apartment. Park Shin-hye plays Kim Yoo-bin, one of Joon-woo’s neighbors. She and Joon-woo eventually connect and work together to make it out alive. Their relationship provides enough bright spots and breaks in the tension of #Alive that you can stomach the more grotesque moments of the South Korean film.

    One Cut Of The Dead (2017)

    Directed by Shinichirou Ueda

    In conversation with not only the zombie genre but filmmaking itself, One Cut of the Dead pokes fun at the lengths directors and artists will go for fame and success. The meta-project soon becomes a film within a film, showcasing the events of a fictional zombie movie, then the background of the film getting made, and the actual production of the project. Despite its microscopic budget, made for around $27,000, One Cut of the Dead catapulted to fame, earning millions of dollars and making an international splash (via The Hollywood Reporter).

    When watching One Cut of the Dead today, it’s easy to see how and why the movie became such a phenomenon. Perhaps the most innovative movie of 2017, One Cut of the Dead, is hilarious and self-aware without being too tongue-in-cheek or alienating. Made with unknown actors and playing with form and niche material that most mainstream projects would shy away from, One Cut of the Dead is a fantastic movie that should be remembered among the best of the genre.

    The Night Eats The World (2018)

    Directed by Dominique Rocher

    Set in Paris, The Night Eats the World isn’t full of loud, slow-moving zombies that are easy to outrun and a little less formidable than other movie monsters. Instead, the film includes fast, deadly, and virtually silent beasts that Sam (Anders Danielsen Lie) struggles to see coming, even from the apartment he’s hiding in. As the pain of isolation and survival sets in, it gets harder and harder for Sam to stay sane and fight off the zombies.

    As much a test of endurance for the audience as it is for Sam, The Night Eats the World is a grueling addition to the zombie genre that doesn’t rely on gore to make an impact.

    The Night Eats the World is a reminder of how difficult, or nearly impossible it is, for people to survive alone and that survival alone isn’t all there is. As much a test of endurance for the audience as it is for Sam, The Night Eats the World is a grueling addition to the zombie genre that doesn’t rely on gore to make an impact. Another recent French zombie film, the MadS movie, brought something unique to the genre, showcasing how France is pushing the zombie story forward.

    [REC] (2007)

    Directed by Paco Plaza & Jaume Balagueró

    One of the best found footage horror movies,[REC] is the first in several sequels, but the iconic original film is still the best. [REC] is a Spanish movie that follows Ángela (Manuela Velasco), a reporter who gets trapped inside an apartment building with the building’s residents as they slowly become infected. Throughout the night, Ángela’s camera operator, Pablo (Pablo Rosso), captures the increasingly gory and disturbing events as Ángela attempts to escape and uncover what’s happening to them.

    [REC] makes good use of the found footage genre, incorporating fun jump scares, Easter eggs, and an ominous ending to keep you hooked until the film’s final moments. Though it isn’t flashy or over-the-top, [REC] proves that a project doesn’t need a large budget or mountains of gore to make an impression. In fact, one of [REC]‘s strengths is the fact that it leaves so much up to the viewer’s imagination.

    28 Days Later (2002)

    Directed by Danny Boyle

    As time has passed, 28 Days Later has only become more iconic within the zombie genre. Boasting a star-studded cast that includes Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, and Brendan Gleeson,28 Days Later helped to revolutionize the zombie genre and increase contemporary interest in these stories. Today, many new zombie movies have their monsters fast-moving and extraordinarily powerful, but 28 Days Later was one of the first projects that stepped away from the slow zombie trope.

    It’s hard to say where the modern zombie movie would be without 28 Days Later, as it introduced so many important story choices and stylistic elements that have impacted horror as a whole, not just zombie films.

    The long-awaited sequel 28 Years Later is coming soon, and though the next installment of the franchise has a lot of pressure riding on it, there’s reason to be hopeful. It’s hard to say where the modern zombie movie would be without 28 Days Later, as it introduced so many important story choices and stylistic elements that have impacted horror as a whole, not just zombie films. Fortunately, we don’t have to imagine, as revisiting 28 Days Later only reaffirms its potency.

    Versus (2000)

    Directed by Ryuhei Kitamura

    This Japanese zombie movie is as dedicated to bringing its grotesque zombies to life as it incorporates well-choreographed action sequences. Versus uses elements of the martial arts and samurai genres to uplift the central narrative, leaning into the idea that zombies are part of intricate myths and folklore rather than a lab-created accident. Set in a forest of resurrection, an escaped prisoner and a young girl fight their way out while being pursued by dangerous men.

    However, in the forest, these men won’t die and just keep chasing them. Tak Sakaguchi plays the central prisoner, with Chieko Misaka co-starring as the girl, and the pair of them make compelling action heroes. As Versus progresses, more mystical elements and historical connections are revealed, making the story more intricate and exciting with every passing moment. Versus expertly blends genres, showcasing that the zombie movie is capable of being so much more than people realize.

    Shaun Of The Dead (2004)

    Directed by Edgar Wright

    Simon Pegg and Nick Frost quickly became one of the most iconic horror duos in recent memory thanks to their hilarious and bloody work in Shaun of the Dead. While there are plenty of horror-comedy movies out there that reimagine the genre, Shaun of the Dead immediately sets itself apart because of the unique style of filmmaking. Directed by Edgar Wright, a creative known for his distinctive editing and fast-paced comedy, Shaun of the Dead juxtaposes the urgency of Wright’s direction with the zombies’ glacial pace.

    Though Shaun of the Dead was made on a small budget, it went on to receive universal acclaim and box office success.

    The Night of the Living Dead movies are iconic pieces of film history, so it’s unsurprising that Shaun of the Dead lovingly pokes fun at the tropes these projects created. It can be difficult to balance the violence and inherent tragedy of the zombie genre with lighthearted humor, but Shaun of the Dead easily achieves this. Though Shaun of the Dead was made on a small budget, it went on to receive universal acclaim and box office success.

    Train To Busan (2016)

    Directed by Yeon Sang-ho

    Yeon Sang-ho’s most iconic movie, Train to Busan, is one of the most famous contemporary zombie films, regardless of country. Action-packed and brimming with blood, gore, and surprising emotional poignancy, Train to Busan might bring a tear to your eye before the story’s over, as its central character develops as a father and a person in the wake of the shocking outbreak. Gong Yoo brings this character, Seok-woo, to life with the gravitas of an action hero, balanced with sensitivity.

    Train to Busan exemplifies what we love about modern horror, as it’s in conversation with the best of the genre but is also unafraid to carve its own path. Additionally, Train to Busan is as much about class and impending natural disasters as it is a delivery system for the zombie gore we know and love. While Train to Busan doesn’t reinvent the zombie movie, it does pave the way for the next era of great brain-eating filmmaking and encourages it to include some smart commentary.

     

    Don’t waste your time: 20 movies that are too boring to finish

    15 Funniest Movies of 2024, Ranked

     

    April 21, 2025

    The science-fiction movies everybody should see at least once, according to critics

    How many of the best sci-fi films from the last 100 years have you seen?

    April 22, 2025

     

    9 Sci-Fi Movies To Satisfy Your Sense Of Adventure & Discovery

    10 Most Disturbing Sci-Fi Horror Movies, Ranked

    These 8 Sci-Fi Movies Are Based On Books, & Didn’t Do Them Justice

     

    April 23, 2025

     

    Beyond ‘A Quiet Place’ The Top 5 Movies That Perfect the Post Apocalyptic Genre | Watch

    10 Most Forgettable Marvel Movies Of All Time

     

    April 24, 2025

     

    10 Best Swashbuckler Movies of All Time, Ranked

    The best sci-fi movies of all time

    The greatest ’90s sci-fi movies

    20 Best Star Trek Moments Of The Last 20 Years

    10 Best Stop-Motion Horror Movies, Ranked

    10 Best Drama Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked

    They Saw It Coming: 25 Movies That Predicted the Future

     

    April 25, 2025

     

    The 10 Best Horror Movies of the Last 10 Years

    The Best Dark Romance Movies, Ranked

     

    April 26, 2025

    They’re Connected To Major Franchises, But These 10 Movies & TV Shows Still Deserve More Love

    Emma Mackey To Play White Witch In Greta Gerwig’s Netflix Narnia Movie

    10 Drama Movies That Explore the Nuances of Love

     

    April 27, 2025

     

    12 Sci-Fi Movies That Show You Something New With Each Rewatch

    10 Essential Supernatural Thriller Movies, Ranked

    Judge blocked ‘off-the-rails’ Trump with order that won’t be easy to reverse: legal expert

    10 Essential Coming-of-Age Movies, Ranked

    10 Best Supernatural Romance Movies, Ranked

    Best 80s Sci-Fi Movies

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies of All Time, Ranked

    The 25 Best Modern Action Movies

    Sorry Enterprise & First Contact, But Star Trek’s First Vulcan On Earth Actually Happened In The Original Series

    10 Sci-Fi Shows That Are Just As Good as ‘The Twilight Zone’

    The Star Trek: TNG Movie Timeline Explained

    ‘Alien’ Movies, Ranked from Worst to Best

    The 10 Best Drama Movies of the Last 30 Years, Ranked

    Everything we know about Star Trek 4 With Chris Pine | Watch

     

    April 28, 2025

     

    10 Best Horror Movies That Are Emotionally Devastating

    9 Comforting Sci-Fi Movies That Don’t Make My Brain Work Too Hard

    Everything we know about Star Trek Section 31 | Watch

    15 Spoof Movies That Took Mockery to Masterpiece Levels

     

    April 29

     

    April 30, 2025

     

    10 Nearly Perfect Sci-Fi Movies Held Back by 1 Scene

    11 Classic Sci-Fi Shows That Deserve a Second Look (They’re Way Better Than You Remember)

    30 slang words you may not realize came from TV and movies

    Every Season Of Star Trek: The Next Generation, Ranked

    Every Star Trek Movie Ranked Worst To Best

     

    May 2

    The 10 Worst Sci-Fi Movies That Should Never Have Been Made

    15 Sci-Fi Movies That Hook You In The First 10 Minutes

    15 Best Movies for Couples

    I just streamed Netflix’s new post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller show — and I’m already hooked

     

    May 3

    21 War Films That Rewrote How We See History

    7 Movies Like ‘Sinners’ If You’re In The Mood For More Epic, Genre-Bending Thrillers About Fighting Evil To The Death

    10 Best Epic Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    25 Unscripted Movie Moments That Shaped Cinema History

    10 Old-School Sci-Fi TV Shows That Are Still Awesome Today

     

    https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/?author=1

    Review of EE Cummings the Enormous Room

     

    Review of EE Cummings the Enormous Room

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3mo

     

    E E CUmmings
    EE Cummings

    Reading the Classics Updated
    Reading the Classics Updated Lists
    Reading the Classics
    Review of the Awakening

    Review of Willa Cather’s “My Antonio”
    Review of the Tenant at Wildfelll Hall
    Review of Samuel Butler’s the Way of All Flesh

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List
    classics

    I recently read EE Cummings’s anti-war novel the “Enormous Room” as part of my reading the classics efforts.  EE Cummings is best known for his wonderful and quirky poems but he wrote many other works during his prolific literary career in the the early to mid-20th century.

    This book was written based on his experience as a prisoner in a French prison during World War 1.  He had gone to France to serve as an ambulance driver and got into trouble with the French authorities because of anti-war comments made by his fellow American friend.  He served three months in a detention camp filled with mostly foreigners who had been accused of espionage, hampering the war effort, or associating with people so accused.  He was never formally charged and after three months was released.

    Co-Piot provided some more background information:

    “E.E. Cummings’ The Enormous Room is indeed rooted in his real-life experiences during World War I. Here’s what I found:

    Cummings’ Role in the War and Imprisonment: During World War I, Cummings volunteered as an ambulance driver for the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps in France. However, his service was cut short when he and his friend William Slater Brown were arrested by French authorities. They  were suspected of espionage due to Brown’s anti-war sentiments expressed in letters. Cummings, who stood by his friend, was detained at the La Ferté-Macé internment camp for over three months.  This harrowing experience became the foundation for The Enormous Room, where he vividly recounts his
    time in captivity and critiques bureaucracy and Authoritarianism”

    I found his critique of authoritarianism,  bureaucracy,  the French prison system, and anti-war sentiments to be still quite relevant over one hundred years later. His novel is filled with details about the many different prisoners from all over the world he met and became friends with during his stay in the French detention center.  The novel also filled my literary references as EE Cummings studied classics at Harvard before volunteering to go to France to help in the war effort as an ambulance driver.  He quotes Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Bunyan’s The Pilgrims Progress throughout the novel, particularly calling some of his fellow prisoners “delectable mountains” referencing their defiance of the petty and absurd rules of the prison.

    In reading the classics, one thing that can be offputting to modern English readers is the liberal use of untranslated foreign language phrases. The Enormous Room is set in a French prison in World War 1. The writer uses a lot of untranslated French phrases throughout. Most modern literature provides English translations in parentheses of foreign phrases.  Older literature usually does not not put translations of foreign text assuming perhaps that their readers would understand the foreign phrases or skip over them.

    Fortunately we now have Kindle and Kindle does offer translations on the fly which is a very useful feature as well as dictionary definitions.

    Of course, the other problem that I have addressed elsewhere is the causal racism, sexism etc in much older literature which can be off-putting to modern readers.  The solution is to simply note it, and read on taking into account the novel or story was written in the context of its time when racism and sexism were just not concerns for most writers or readers.

    In this novel, he befriends three African prisoners and discusses how one of the prisoners had been imprisoned due to the racist attitude of the police against Africans residing in France.

    The prison had a women’s section and a male section, and fraternization was prohibited but still occurred.  Many of the women prisoners had been imprisoned for suspected prostitution and carried out that trade in prison.  Several of the male prisoners had been imprisoned for being pimps, and some for smuggling and other crimes.

    The conditions in the prison were quite stark and brutal. All the prisoners slept in one large “enormous room” that contained around 100 prisoners at a time.  they were allowed out once a day to go for a walk in the yard and were assigned chores His duty was as a water carrier taking water from a communal well and taking it to the kitchen where they prepared soup for the prisoners. Prisoners were fed twice a day soup and bread for the most part, and horrid coffee in the morning.   He did get one cup of real coffee per day from the cook grateful for his assistance in hauling water and helping in the Kitchen from time to time.  Prisoners were able to afford wine cigarettes and chocolate from the Canteen.

    Most prisoners lost a lot of weight, and many became sick from scurvy and STDs picked up from visiting the women prisoners or contracted before their arrival.  A few had TB and other serious illnesses.  The doctor was a bit of a quack and did not have adequate supplies.

    Most prisoners stayed for three to four months before the Commission in charge decided to either send them to a real prison after a trial or release them.  EE Cummins was released and with the help of the US Embassy, allowed to leave France without any charges ever being filed against him.

    Quotes from The Enormous Room

    > “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

    “I imagine that yes is the only living thing.”

    > “Humanity I love you because when you’re hard up you pawn your intelligence
    to buy a drink.”

    E.E. Cummings: A Brief Biography

    Full Name: Edward Estlin Cummings

    Born: October 14, 1894, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Died: September 3, 1962, in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

    Education: Cummings graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in  Classics in 1915 and an M.A. in 1916.

    Career Highlights:

    Early Life:

    Cummings was born into a well-educated, upper-class family in Cambridge, Massachusetts1. His father was a professor at Harvard University and later became a minister

    World War I:

    During the war, Cummings served as an ambulance driver in France. He was briefly imprisoned in a French detention camp, an experience that inspired his novel “The Enormous Room.”

    Literary Career:

    Cummings published his first collection of poetry, “Tulips and
    Chimneys”, in 1923. He is known for his unconventional use of punctuation,
    syntax, and capitalization, which became hallmarks of his poetic style

    Notable Works: Cummings wrote approximately 2,900 poems, several novels, and plays. Some of his most famous works include Tulips and Chimneys, The
    Enormous Room, EIMI, and the play HIM1.

    Here are some of E.E. Cummings’ notable works:

    Poetry Collections:

    Tulips and Chimneys (1923)
    ViVa (1931)
    No Thanks (1935)
    1 x 1 (1944)
    XAIPE: Seventy-One Poems (1950)
    95 Poems (1958)

    Novels:

    The Enormous Room (1922)
    EIMI (1933)

    Plays:

    Him (1927)
    Santa Claus: A Morality (1946)

    For more information see the following:

    1. E. Cummings – Wikipedia

    ‘A TWILIGHT SMELLING OF VERGIL’: E. E. CUMMINGS, CLASSICS, AND THE GREAT WAR on JSTOR

    1. E. Cummings: Biography, Most Famous Poems & Facts

    Delectable Mountains | The Pilgrim’s Progress Wiki | Fandom

    E E CUmmings

    March 12, 2025, 6:55 am 0 boosts 0 favorites

  • Best Rom-Coms of All Time

    Best Rom-Coms of All Time

    breakfast at tiffany's
    breakfast at tiffany’sMovies 2025 Updates

    Best Rom-Coms of All Time

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3o6

    I am  a big fan of the rom-com genre as is my wife. K-Drama rom-coms are among the best made as they have perfected the art of the poignant glance, and the slow-burn romance sub-genre.   Bollywood also does rom-coms right as does Hollywood, of course.  I often thought that my true love story would make a great rom-com so I have included that at the end. Our “meet cute” story is frankly something out of a fairy tale romance.

    Here’s my list from various sources of the best rom-coms of all time. I bolded the ones I have seen.  I will update this and my movie list and K drama list from time to time. Stay tuned. And let me know which one of these recommendations you liked the most.

    Movies 2025 Updates

    Movies 2025 Including Oscar Reflections

    2025 K Drama Updates

    50 iconic rom-coms everyone should see at least once

    Notting Hill (1999)

    Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

    When Harry Met Sally (1989)

    Say Anything (1989)

    About a Boy (2002)

    A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

    The Naked Gun (1988)

    Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

    Clueless (1995)

    Grease (1978)

    There’s Something About Mary (1998

    The Holiday (2006)

    City Lights (1931)

    It Happened One Night (1934)

    Jules and Jim (1962)

    Roman Holiday (1953)

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

    Jerry Maguire (1996)

    The Wedding Singer (1998)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

    Love at First Sight 2024

    Enchanted (2007)

    Amelie (2001)©The Criterion Collection

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)©

    The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

    Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

    Punch Drunk Love (2002)

    Manhattan (1979)

    Some Like it Hot (1959)©United Artists

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    Wall-E (2008)

    Ponyo (2008)

    Amarcord (1973)

    You’ve Got Mail (1998)

    Harold and Maude (1971)

    Annie Hall (1977)

    Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

    The Notebook (2004)

    The Fall Guy (2024)

    Love Story (1970)

    The Parent Trap (1998)

    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1988)

    Rushmore (1988)

    Dirty Dancing (1987)

    Step Brothers (2008)

    Sense and Sensibility (1995)

    Before Sunrise (1995)

    After Sunrise sequel

    Titanic (1997)

    The Princess Bride (1987)

    Hate romantic comedies? 32 movies to change your mind

    32. Just Friends (2005)

    31. Gorgeous (1999)

    30. Young Adult (2011)

    29. Twisters (2024)

    28. I Love You, Man (2009)

    27. The Break Up (2006)

    26. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

    25. Don Jon (2013)

    24. Defending Your Life (1991)

    23. Tammy and the T-Rex (1994)

    22. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

    21. Spontaneous (2020)

    20. City Lights (1931)

    19. Knight and Day (2010)

    18. The Apartment (1960)

    17. High Fidelity (2000)

    16. The Lobster (2015)

    15. The Wedding Singer (1998)

    14. Your Name (2016)

    13. Adventureland (2009)

    12. Notting Hill (1999)

    11. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

    10. Hit Man (2023)

    9. Cashback (2006)

    8. Always Be My Maybe (2019)

    7. Dinner in America (2020)

    6. I’m a Cyborg, But That’s OK (2006)

    5. What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

    4. Crazy, Stupid, Love (2010)

    3. They Came Together (2014)

    2. Palm Springs (2020)

    1. Warm Bodies (2013)

    Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

    The 20 best feel good films of all time, ranked

    Tearjerkers: 25 Heart-Wrenching Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry

    The 15 Most Tearjerking Movie Endings in Film History

    10 Emotional Movies You’ll Never Fully Recover From

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    K Rom-Com List

     

    The master List of K Rom-Com

     *my favorites

     K-Dramas (Series)

    Again My Life Korean: 어게인 마이 라이프 (Eogein Mai Laipeu) rom-com

    Wonhae) rom-com

    Age of Youth (2016-2017) Korean Title: 청춘시대 (Cheongchunsidae)

    • Autumn In My Heart (가을동화) rom-com
    • At Eighteen (2019) Korean Title: 열여덟의 순간 (Yeolyeodeolbui Sun-gan)
    • Because This Is My First Life Korean: 이번 생은 처음이라 (Ibeon Saengeun Cheoeumira)

    Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자, Kkotboda Namja) Rom-com

    Business Proposal Korean: 사내 맞선 (Sanae Matseon)

    ***Castaway Diva rom-com about a woman who lived on a deserted island for ten years and when she was rescued became a diva at age 30 rom-com  무인도의 디바 (Muin-Do-Ui Diva)

      Crazy Love (크레이지 러브) Broadcast Dates: March 7, 2022 – April 26, 2022.

    ***Check-In Hanyang Korean: 체크인 한양 (Chekeuin Hanyang) political intrigue rom-com set in the mid-Joeson period based loosely on a true story

    • Cheer Up! (2015) Korean Title: 발칙하게 고고 (Balchikhage Gogo)
    • Coffee Prince Korean: 커피프린스 1호점 (Keopipeurinseu 1 Hojom)

    **Crash Course In Romance Korean: 일타 스캔들 (Ilta Seukaendeul) about a famous teacher finding love

    ***Crash Landing On You Korean: 사랑의 불시착 (Sarangui Bulsichak) about a love affair between a North Korean officer and a South Korean heiress who crash lands in N Korea after a para-gliding accident near the border

    Crazy Love Korean: 크레이지 러브 (Keureiji Reobeu)

    Dali And The Cocky Prince  Korean: 달리와 감자탕 (Dalliwa Gamjatang) rom-com

    Descendants Of The Sun Korean: 태양의 후예 (Taeyangui Huye) rom-com

    • Dear. M (2022) Korean Title: 디어엠 (D-M)
    • Destined With You  이 연애는 불가항력 (I Yeonaeneun Bulgahangryeok) rom-com

    *Doctor Cha Korean: 닥터 차정숙 (Dakteo Cha Jeongsuk) hospital drama about a middle age woman who returns to finish her residency ten years later rom-com featuring a real jerk of a husband  leading to a divorce of course

    Doctor John   의사요한 (Uisayohan) hospital rom-com a bit disappointing acting was so-so

    ***Doctor Romantic  낭만닥터 김사부 (Nangman Dakteo Kim Sabu) one of the better hospital rom-coms, and dramas featuring a doctor who has to decide why he is a doctor in the first place overcoming his desires to become a famous doctor, deals with ethical dilemmas in the medical field

    **Doctor Slump  닥터 슬럼프 (Dakteo Seulleompeu) rom-com about a doctor who suffers a mental breakdown and struggles to return, also a slow burn hate turning to love drama

    *Eve Korean: 이브 (Ibeu) interesting tango plot

    Fated To Love You 운명처럼 널 사랑해 (Unmyeongcheoreom Neol Saranghae) rom-com

    Fight For My Way Korean: 쌈, 마이웨이 (Ssam, Maiwei) rom-com

    Full House Korean: 풀하우스 (Pulhauseu)

    Go Back Couple (고백부부) rom-com

    Goong Princess

    Korean Title: 궁 (Goong)

    Happiness (해피니스) rom-com

    Healer  힐러 (Hilleo)

      Her Private Life (그녀의 사생활) – A talented curator leads a double life as an idol fan and falls for her new boss.  rom-com.

    Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha 갯마을 차차차 (Gaetmaeul Chachacha) rom-com on my list to see

      I Am Not a Robot (로봇이 아니야) – A man who is allergic to humans falls in love with a woman pretending to be a robot. SciiFi rom-com

      It’s Okay, That’s Love (괜찮아, 사랑이야) rom-com

    ***Itaewon Class Korean: 이태원 클라쓰 (Itaewon Keullasseu) revenge rom-com set in Itaewon Koren’s infamous foreign ghetto, features a trans character and a half Korean character

    I’m Sorry, I Love You (미안하다 사랑한다) Broadcast: November 8, 2004 – December 28, 20042.

    Live Up To Your Name 명불허전 (Myeongbulheojeon) rom-com about a 18th century doctor who finds himself in modern Seoul

    Love To Hate You  연애대전 (Yeon-Aedaejeon) rom-com

    Mad About You Korean: 미쳐서 너 (Micheoseo Neo) rom-com

    ***Mine 마인 (Main) rom-com, revenge, rich people behaving badly features a lesbian lead actress

    Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 – 보보경심 려 (Dal-Ui Yeonin – Bobogyeongsim Ryeo) rom-com

    One Spring Night (봄밤) rom-com

    ***·  My Love From The Star (별에서 온 그대, Byeoreseo On Geudae) rom-com with an alien

     Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (Kim Ki-duk, 2003)

    When The Camellia Blooms:  동백꽃 필 무렵 (Dongbaekkot Pil Muryeop)  rom-com

    **Reflections On You: 너를 닮은 사람 (Neoreul Dalmeun Saram) rom-com

    *Ray Of Sunshine: 정신병동에도 아침이 와요 (Jeongsinbyeongdongedo Achimi Wayo) about a medical doctor suffering from mental illness

    My Demon: Korean: 마이 데몬 (Mai Demon)

    Moon Embracing the Sun  Korean Title: 해를 품은 달 (Haereul Pumeun Dal) Release Date: January 4, 2012

    My Girl Korean Title: 마이걸 (Maigeol) Release Date: December 14, 2005

    My Lovely Samsoon Korean Title: 내 이름은 김삼순 (Nae Ireumeun Kim Samsoon) Release Date: June 1, 2005

    Pasta Korean Title: 파스타 (Paseuta) Release Date: January 4, 2010

    Personal Taste Korean Title: 개인의 취향 (Gaeinui Chwihyang) Release Date: March 31, 2010

    See You In My 19th Life:  이번 생도 잘 부탁해 (Ibeon Saengdo Jal Butakhae) rom-com

      Stairway to Heaven (천국의 계단) rom-com

    True Beauty Korean Title: 여신강림 (Yeosingangrim) rom-com Release Date: December 9, 2020

      The Moon Embracing the Sun (해를 품은 달) rom-com

    • Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) Korean Title: 스물다섯 스물하나 (Seumuldaseot Seumulhana)
    •   While You Were Sleeping (당신이 잠든 사이에) – A fantasy romance about a woman who can see the future through her dreams and a prosecutor who tries to prevent disasters. Rom-copm

      W (더블유) rom-com

      Save Me (구해줘)

      Tempted (위대한 유혹자)

    The Light in Your Eyes 눈이 부시게 February 11, 2019

    he Swoon  더 스운 (Deo Seun)

    Trunk  트렁크 (Teureongkeu) Drama

    Winter Sonata (겨울연가) Broadcast: January 14, 2002 – March 19, 20021.   One Of The First Global K Drama Hits

    Can This Love Be Translated? (이 사랑 통역 되나요?) – Q4 202526

      When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) – March 7, 20258

    Recommended from various lists

    10 Most Romantic K-Dramas With a Happy Ending, Ranked

    ‘Shooting Stars’ (2022)

    ‘King the Land’ (2023)

    ‘Love to Hate You’ (2023)

    ‘Because This is My First Life’ (2017)

    ‘Our Beloved Summer’ (2021)

    ‘Fight For My Way’ (2017)

    ‘Touch Your Heart’ (2019)

    ‘Romance Is a Bonus Book’ (2019)

    ‘Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’ (2021)

    Mad For Each Other’ (2021)

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Our Beloved Summer

    Be Melodramatic

    Move To Heaven

    Yumi’s Cells

    Mr. Queen

    What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

    Because This Is My First Life

    Sungkyunkwan Scandal

    Reply 1988

    Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo

    Crash Landing On You

    Extraordinary Attorney Woo

    Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

    Hospital Playlist

    It’s Okay To Not Be Okay

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    Feel-Good Favorites: 20 Films to Lift Your Spirits

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    • Age of Youth (2016-2017) Korean Title: 청춘시대 (Cheongchunsidae)
    • At Eighteen (2019) Korean Title: 열여덟의 순간 (Yeolyeodeolbui Sun-gan)
    • Autumn in My Heart (2000) Korean Title: 가을동화 (Gaeuldonghwa)
    • Cheer Up! (2015) Korean Title: 발칙하게 고고 (Balchikhage Gogo)
    • Dear. M (2022) Korean Title: 디어엠 (D-M)
    • Doona! (2023) Korean Title: 이두나! (I Doona!)
    • My First First Love (2019) Korean Title: 첫사랑은 처음이라서 (Cheotsarangeun Cheoeumiraseo)
    • Reply 1988 (2015-2016) Korean Title: 응답하라 1988 (Eungdabhara 1988)
    • Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) Korean Title: 스물다섯 스물하나 (Seumuldaseot Seumulhana)
    • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016-2017) Korean Title: 역도요정 김복주 (Yeokdoyojeong Kim Bokjoo)

     10 K-Drama Rom-Coms That Are Perfect For A Bad Day

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    10 Actors and Actresses Whose K-Dramas Never Miss, Ranked

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    The 15 Best K-Dramas Of All Time, Ranked

    The 18 Best K-Dramas of All Time, Ranked

    10 K-Dramas That Are Perfect From Start to Finish
    The 18 Best K-Dramas of All Time, Ranked

    Best Romance K-Dramas

    Korean Rom-Com ‘My Dearest Nemesis’ Named Leading Korean Drama On Three Asian Content Streamers

    The 10 Saddest K-Dramas Ever

    20 Classic K-Dramas That Introduced the World to Hallyu: First-Time Favorites That Still Shine

    Best Indian Bollywood Rom-Com

     

    English Title Native Title (Script) Romanized Title Release Date Leading Stars
     

    Jab We Met

    		 जब वी मेट Jab We Met 2007 Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor
    Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani ये जवानी है दीवानी Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani 2013 Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone
    Band Baaja Baaraat बैंड बाजा बारात Band Baaja Baaraat 2010 Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma
    Dil Chahta Hai दिल चाहता है Dil Chahta Hai 2001 Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna
    Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani अजब प्रेम की ग़ज़ब कहानी Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani 2009 Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif
    Bunty Aur Babli बंटी और बबली Bunty Aur Babli 2005 Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukerji
    Cocktail कॉकटेल Cocktail 2012 Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone
    Dostana दोस्ताना Dostana 2008 Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham
    Hum Tum हम तुम Hum Tum 2004 Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji
    Ishq Vishk इश्क़ विश्क Ishq Vishk 2003 Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao
    Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na जाने तू… या जाने ना Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na 2008 Imran Khan, Genelia D’Souza
    Kal Ho Naa Ho कल हो ना हो Kal Ho Naa Ho 2003 Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta
    Kuch Kuch Hota Hai कुछ कुछ होता है Kuch Kuch Hota Hai 1998 Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol, Rani Mukerji

    Love Aaj Kal

    		 लव आज कल Love Aaj Kal 2009 Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone

    Best Euro Rom-Com

    1. Amélie(French: Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain) – 2001
    2. Notting Hill(English: Notting Hill) – 1999
    3. Love Actually(English: Love Actually) – 2003
    4. The Spanish Apartment(French: L’Auberge Espagnole) – 2002
    5. A Good Year(English: A Good Year) – 2006
    6. Midnight in Paris(English: Midnight in Paris) – 2011
    7. French Kiss(English: French Kiss) – 1995
    8. Under the Tuscan Sun(English: Under the Tuscan Sun) – 2003
    9. Leap Year(English: Leap Year) – 2010
    10. Bridget Jones’s Diary(English: Bridget Jones’s Diary) – 2001

    Other Asian Rom-com 

    1. Crazy Little Thing Called Love(สิ่งเล็กเล็กที่เรียกว่า…รัก) – Thai – 2010
    2. My Sassy Girl(엽기적인 그녀) – Korean (but it’s a movie, not a drama) – 2001
    3. Our Times(我的少女時代) – Mandarin (Taiwan) – 2015
    4. Love You You(夏日乐悠悠) – Mandarin (China) – 2011
    5. Suddenly Seventeen(28岁未成年) – Mandarin (China) – 2016
    6. You Are the Apple of My Eye(那些年，我們一起追的女孩) – Mandarin (Taiwan) – 2011
    7. Love in Tokyo(イタズラなKiss～Love in Tokyo) – Japanese – 2013
    8. Crying Out Love in the Center of the World(世界の中心で、愛をさけぶ) – Japanese – 2004
    9. Secret(不能說的秘密) – Mandarin (Taiwan) – 2007
    10. 200 Pounds Beauty(미녀는 괴로워) – Korean – 2006
    11. A Millionaire’s First Love(백만장자의 첫사랑) – Korean – 2006
    12. Spellbound(오싹한 연애) – Korean – 2011
    13. First Love(สิ่งเล็กเล็กที่เรียกว่า…รัก) – Thai – 2010
    14. Love in a Puff(志明與春嬌) – Cantonese (Hong Kong) – 2010
    15. Ima, Ai ni Yukimasu(いま、会いにゆきます) – Japanese – 2004
    16. The Wedding Banquet(囍宴) – Mandarin (Taiwan) – 1993Medium

    A Few More

    Love at First SIght 2025 Set in London

    La Dolce VIlla  Set in Italy

    FInd Me Falling  set in Cyrpus

    Tourist Guide to Love Set in Vietnam

    Additional lists

    20 Best Classic Romance Movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age

    Bold I have seen

    ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ (1946)

    ‘His Girl Friday’ (1940)

    ‘Leave Her to Heaven’ (1945)

    ‘An Affair to Remember’ (1957)

    ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ (1961)

    ‘Out of the Past’ (1947)

    ‘Double Indemnity’ (1944)

    ‘City Lights’ (1931)

    ‘Brief Encounter’ (1945)

    ‘The Apartment’ (1960)

    ‘Bringing Up Baby’ (1938)

    ‘Sabrina’ (1954)

    ‘Notorious’ (1946)

    ‘Gone with the Wind’ (1939)

    ‘The Philadelphia Story’ (1940)

    ‘Roman Holiday’ (1953)

    ‘To Have and Have Not’ (1944)

    ‘It Happened One Night’ (1934)

    ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ (1952)

    ‘Casablanca’ (1942)

    In the Mood for Love? Watch These Romantic Classics on Netflix That Will Give You Butterflies | Watch

    Medium

    Medium

    Substack

    Substack

    WattPad

    WATTPAD

    The End

  • Movies 2025 Updates

    Movies 2025 Updates

    Movies 2025 Updates

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3m9

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3nC

    Cosmos Movies TV Programs 2024 Lis

    tMaster Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    movies master list

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    2024 K Drama Updates

    Movie Watching Goals 2025

    https://theworldaccordingtocosmos.com/?author=1

    Review of EE Cummings the Enormous Room

     

    Review of EE Cummings the Enormous Room

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3mo

     

    E E CUmmings
    EE Cummings

    Reading the Classics Updated
    Reading the Classics Updated Lists
    Reading the Classics
    Review of the Awakening

    Review of Willa Cather’s “My Antonio”
    Review of the Tenant at Wildfelll Hall
    Review of Samuel Butler’s the Way of All Flesh

    1001 Books to Read Before You Die List
    classics

    I recently read EE Cummings’s anti-war novel the “Enormous Room” as part of my reading the classics efforts.  EE Cummings is best known for his wonderful and quirky poems but he wrote many other works during his prolific literary career in the the early to mid-20th century.

    This book was written based on his experience as a prisoner in a French prison during World War 1.  He had gone to France to serve as an ambulance driver and got into trouble with the French authorities because of anti-war comments made by his fellow American friend.  He served three months in a detention camp filled with mostly foreigners who had been accused of espionage, hampering the war effort, or associating with people so accused.  He was never formally charged and after three months was released.

    Co-Piot provided some more background information:

    “E.E. Cummings’ The Enormous Room is indeed rooted in his real-life experiences during World War I. Here’s what I found:

    Cummings’ Role in the War and Imprisonment: During World War I, Cummings volunteered as an ambulance driver for the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps in France. However, his service was cut short when he and his friend William Slater Brown were arrested by French authorities. They  were suspected of espionage due to Brown’s anti-war sentiments expressed in letters. Cummings, who stood by his friend, was detained at the La Ferté-Macé internment camp for over three months.  This harrowing experience became the foundation for The Enormous Room, where he vividly recounts his
    time in captivity and critiques bureaucracy and Authoritarianism”

    I found his critique of authoritarianism,  bureaucracy,  the French prison system, and anti-war sentiments to be still quite relevant over one hundred years later. His novel is filled with details about the many different prisoners from all over the world he met and became friends with during his stay in the French detention center.  The novel also filled my literary references as EE Cummings studied classics at Harvard before volunteering to go to France to help in the war effort as an ambulance driver.  He quotes Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Bunyan’s The Pilgrims Progress throughout the novel, particularly calling some of his fellow prisoners “delectable mountains” referencing their defiance of the petty and absurd rules of the prison.

    In reading the classics, one thing that can be offputting to modern English readers is the liberal use of untranslated foreign language phrases. The Enormous Room is set in a French prison in World War 1. The writer uses a lot of untranslated French phrases throughout. Most modern literature provides English translations in parentheses of foreign phrases.  Older literature usually does not not put translations of foreign text assuming perhaps that their readers would understand the foreign phrases or skip over them.

    Fortunately we now have Kindle and Kindle does offer translations on the fly which is a very useful feature as well as dictionary definitions.

    Of course, the other problem that I have addressed elsewhere is the causal racism, sexism etc in much older literature which can be off-putting to modern readers.  The solution is to simply note it, and read on taking into account the novel or story was written in the context of its time when racism and sexism were just not concerns for most writers or readers.

    In this novel, he befriends three African prisoners and discusses how one of the prisoners had been imprisoned due to the racist attitude of the police against Africans residing in France.

    The prison had a women’s section and a male section, and fraternization was prohibited but still occurred.  Many of the women prisoners had been imprisoned for suspected prostitution and carried out that trade in prison.  Several of the male prisoners had been imprisoned for being pimps, and some for smuggling and other crimes.

    The conditions in the prison were quite stark and brutal. All the prisoners slept in one large “enormous room” that contained around 100 prisoners at a time.  they were allowed out once a day to go for a walk in the yard and were assigned chores His duty was as a water carrier taking water from a communal well and taking it to the kitchen where they prepared soup for the prisoners. Prisoners were fed twice a day soup and bread for the most part, and horrid coffee in the morning.   He did get one cup of real coffee per day from the cook grateful for his assistance in hauling water and helping in the Kitchen from time to time.  Prisoners were able to afford wine cigarettes and chocolate from the Canteen.

    Most prisoners lost a lot of weight, and many became sick from scurvy and STDs picked up from visiting the women prisoners or contracted before their arrival.  A few had TB and other serious illnesses.  The doctor was a bit of a quack and did not have adequate supplies.

    Most prisoners stayed for three to four months before the Commission in charge decided to either send them to a real prison after a trial or release them.  EE Cummins was released and with the help of the US Embassy, allowed to leave France without any charges ever being filed against him.

    Quotes from The Enormous Room

    > “To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”

    “I imagine that yes is the only living thing.”

    > “Humanity I love you because when you’re hard up you pawn your intelligence
    to buy a drink.”

    E.E. Cummings: A Brief Biography

    Full Name: Edward Estlin Cummings

    Born: October 14, 1894, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

    Died: September 3, 1962, in North Conway, New Hampshire, USA

    Education: Cummings graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in  Classics in 1915 and an M.A. in 1916.

    Career Highlights:

    Early Life:

    Cummings was born into a well-educated, upper-class family in Cambridge, Massachusetts1. His father was a professor at Harvard University and later became a minister

    World War I:

    During the war, Cummings served as an ambulance driver in France. He was briefly imprisoned in a French detention camp, an experience that inspired his novel “The Enormous Room.”

    Literary Career:

    Cummings published his first collection of poetry, “Tulips and
    Chimneys”, in 1923. He is known for his unconventional use of punctuation,
    syntax, and capitalization, which became hallmarks of his poetic style

    Notable Works: Cummings wrote approximately 2,900 poems, several novels, and plays. Some of his most famous works include Tulips and Chimneys, The
    Enormous Room, EIMI, and the play HIM1.

    Here are some of E.E. Cummings’ notable works:

    Poetry Collections:

    Tulips and Chimneys (1923)
    ViVa (1931)
    No Thanks (1935)
    1 x 1 (1944)
    XAIPE: Seventy-One Poems (1950)
    95 Poems (1958)

    Novels:

    The Enormous Room (1922)
    EIMI (1933)

    Plays:

    Him (1927)
    Santa Claus: A Morality (1946)

    For more information see the following:

    1. E. Cummings – Wikipedia

    ‘A TWILIGHT SMELLING OF VERGIL’: E. E. CUMMINGS, CLASSICS, AND THE GREAT WAR on JSTOR

    1. E. Cummings: Biography, Most Famous Poems & Facts

    Delectable Mountains | The Pilgrim’s Progress Wiki | Fandom

    E E CUmmings

    March 12, 2025, 6:55 am 0 boosts 0 favorites

    The following are various lists of recommended movies.  I have seen many of them but not all.

    I plan on updating this every month  as I get daily updates.

    Enjoy

    Oscars 2025: Predicting The Nominees & Winners Of All 23 Categories

    The 25 Top Movies of 2024

    My MOST ANTICIPATED Movies 2025 (Part 1) | Watch

    The 12 Best Korean Movies On Netflix

    10 Essential K-Dramas That Defined the 2000s, Ranked

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel On Netflix Improves On First Film In Every Way

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    Essential Psychological Thrillers: 25 Mind-Bending Films

    Feel-Good Favorites: 20 Films to Lift Your Spirits

    15 Best K-Dramas Like The Glory

    Top movies of 2024 | Watch

    30 Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2025

    10 Most Anticipated Action Films to Watch Out For in 2025

    10 Best Cult Classic Romance Movies, Ranked

    The Greatest Monster Movies Of All Time

    Hate romantic comedies? 32 movies to change your mind

    The best college movie ever made isn’t ‘Animal House,’ according to fans. See the top 50.

    The Best Movies of All Time

    10 Nerve-Wracking Thrillers That Are Flawless From Beginning to End

    10 Best K-Comedy Shows Perfect From Start to Finish

    Esquire’s 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    10 Best Arthouse Psychological Horror Movies, Ranked

    10 Actors and Actresses Whose K-Dramas Never Miss, Ranked

    10 Best ’80s Fantasy Movies

    Thrilling TV Series You Can’t Miss: 20 Must-See Shows

    10 Mind-Bending Psychological Thrillers on Netflix Everyone Should Watch

    Horror Laughs: 25 Movies So Bad, They’re Hilarious

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies of All Time, Ranked

    57 Best Alien Movies Of All Time Ranked

    10 Contenders for the Best Movie Ever Made

    How many of the 50 best movies from the ’60s have you seen?

    9 Hilarious Adventure Movies You Can’t Miss In 2025

    How many of the 100 best movies in Hollywood history have you seen?

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    The 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    Lee Min-ho’s 10 Best K-Dramas, Ranked

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmyCgHKCH8&t=78s&ab_channel=DougHarris

     

    Video: All American – The Walter Gordon Story | Watch ViewFinder Online | PBS Video

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

    10 Box Office Disasters That Are Actually Cinematic Masterpieces

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    15 Fantasy Books as Good as Lord of the Rings – The Quick Report
     

     

    Can You Recognize These 30 Movies By a Single Quote?

    The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made

    Mind-Bending Films: Top 25 Psychological Rollercoasters

    The 13 Best Movie Franchises to Marathon Watch

    The Best Action Movies Of All Time

    20 movies that became cult classics despite flopping at the box office

    22 of the most anticipated movie releases in 2025

    The most unforgettable opening lines in cinema historhy

    Horror Movies That Basically Have The Same Plot

    The movies everyone should watch at least once before they die, critics say

    The 20 best feelgood films of all time, ranked

    10 Best Movies To Watch if You Like Stephen King

    A Trump movie that Trump hates is going to get a lot more attention, courtesy of the Oscars

    15 Longest Theatrical Runs in Movie History

    10 Psychological Thrillers That Will Keep You Up At Night

    The Best Romantic Movies of All Time

    The 20 Best Films From The 90s

    All of these movies are from 1994, making it arguably the best year in cinema history.

    Tearjerkers: 25 Heart-Wrenching Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry

    How to Watch All the 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films

    20 Foreign language films that were nominated for Oscar

    How many of the 50 best Netflix original series ever made have you watched?                              10 Highly Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies Coming in 2025

    Ranking The Best 10 Movies About Space and Astronauts, Interstellar is Only 3rd

    10 Must-Watch Movies That Feel Like Poetry

    The greatest long movies to watch if you’re stuck inside

    The Best Movies Of The 2000s

    The Oscars 2025 Best Picture Tier Rankings: Breaking Down All 10 Nominees Into 5 Categories

    25 Hollywood Box Office Failures That Were Actually Master-Pieces You Must Watch

    Memorable films from the ‘90s

    The Best Movies Based on True Stories

    Three to see: The greatest film trilogies in cinema history

    Movies That Will Make You Want to Travel

    20 horror movies you probably shouldn’t watch alone

    17 Of The Most Upsetting Movies Of All Time

    10 Best Thriller Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

    10 Most Iconic Betrayals in Movie History, Ranked

    19 Highest grossing horror movies of all time, ranked

    20 incredible long movies everybody should watch at least once

    10 Movies Where the Final Shot Changes Everything

    50 of the best movie cameos in Hollywood history

     

    Humans vs Superhumans | When Monsters Were Real and We Almost Went Extinct | Watch

    Critically Hated Movies That Are Actually Awesome

    10 Breathtaking Movies Where the Landscape Steals the Show

    30 of the best screenplays of the century (so far)

    Tearjerkers: 25 Movies That Will Make You Cry Every Time

    The 100 best films ever made, according to critics

     

    The 10 Most Perfectly Acted Movies of the 20th Century, Ranked

    2000s Movie Masterpieces: 25 Films You Absolutely Must Watch

    10 Worst Movies That Tried to Be ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Ranked

    20 Movies so emotional that they make men cry

    10 Best Movie Endings of All Time

    15 Most Depressing Movies That Will Leave You Devastated

    10 Classic Movies That Have Aged the Best, Ranked

    –10 Movies That Should Have Won Best Picture–

    15 Classic Movies That Would Be Impossible to Make Today

    20 Action movies that live up to the saying “old is gold”

    20 Horror movies adapted from real incidents

    10 Best Classic Westerns to Stream on Tubi

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-underrated-war-movies-that-are-almost-perfect/ar-AA1xEU7W?oAcid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=d0ecf75f3ac6417f83d07543f0055478&ei=132

    The most thought-provoking movies ever made

    10 Best Movies Set In Hawaii, Ranked

    20 Psychological Thrillers That Messed with Our Minds

    Mind-Bending Movies: 20 Films That Will Shift Your Perspective

    10 Underrated Thriller Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

    Here are the 11 new movie reboots coming to theaters in 2025

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    Owen Wilson’s Best Movie Roles Prove He Has Serious Range

    The 15 Best Historical Epic Movies Ranked

    10 Delightful Movies to Brighten Your Day When Life is Hard

    The Least Scientifically-Accurate Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made, According To Neil deGrasse Tyson | Watch

    2000s Cinema’s Most Iconic Films: 25 Movies That Altered the Industry

    10 Best Movie Sequels With Great Acting, Ranked

    These ’90s Horror Movies Will Make You Scream ‘Clarice!’ In Your Sleep

    Netflix previews their biggest 2025 movies — what I’m most looking forward to

    10 Unforgettable Psychological Horror Movies to Keep You on Edge

     

    9 Movies Based On Classic Books That Are Stuck In Development Hell (Or Canceled)

    Intriguing movie adaptations of classic novels, such as Paradise Lost or Phantom of the Opera, are sadly stuck in development or have been canceled.

    20 Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

    Top 30 Best Movies From Every Continent | Watch

    The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All Time

    The Best Religious Horror Movies Of All-Time, Ranked

    Top 5 Thrilling Psychological Movies on Netflix That Will Keep You on Edge | Watch

    5 best new movies to stream this weekend (Feb. 1-2) on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and more

    15 Best Agatha Christie Books Every Mystery Lover Must Read

    15 Movies That Showed Hell in Its Most Terrifying Depictions

    Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books Of The Year—And All Time | Watch

    10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of

    15 Best Psychological Thrillers Like Shutter Island, Ranked

    10 Best Fantasy Martial Arts Movies From The 1980s

    5 Best Horror Movie Villains From The Past Decade

    11 Best New Shows on Netflix: February 2025’s Top Upcoming Series to Watch

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    A Guide to Netflix’s Biggest TV, True Crime and Movie Releases in 2025

    Top Terrifying Horror Films That Linger in Your Thoughts Long After Watching | Watch

     

    Netflix’s most anticipated shows of 2025 revealed from Bridgerton to Stranger Things finale

    50 Terrifying Masterpieces Every Horror Buff Should See

    15 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 25 Years

    Must-Watch Horror: 25 Chilling Movies to Stream on Prime Video

    The 60 Best Horror Movies of All Time

    The 30 Best 2000s Horror Movies Ranked

    12 New Must-Read Sci-Fi Novels to Escape Reality

    13 Must-Watch Netflix Mystery Movies to Unleash Your Inner Sherlock Holmes | Watch

    The Most Exciting New Cyberpunk Show Could Move Beyond The Books

    10 best crime TV shows of all time, ranked

    What we know about the upcoming ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ movie, after the last three sequels made over $1 billion each

    30 TV Shows Returning in 2025 That We Cannot Wait For

     

    10 Best Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror Movies

    10 Great Horror Movies With Major Cliffhanger Endings

    10 Must-See Horror Movies with the Most Intense Final Acts

    Netflix’s latest sci-fi thriller series is perfect for Black Mirror fans

    Top 30 Best Horror Movies of the Century (So Far)

    “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God

    Netflix top 10 shows — here’s the 3 worth watching right now

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Can’t Miss

    10 Great Classic Horror Films That Aren’t Frankenstein or Dracula

    25 Must-Watch Netflix Shows to Start Tonight

    20 Black-led horror movies and TV shows

    15 Best Horror Movies Coming in 2025

    11 Real-Life Hauntings That Inspired Famous Horror Movies

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    The 25 Scariest Movies Hitting Screens in 2025

    The best TV episode of all time, according to viewers—and see if your favorite made the top 100

    Top Horror TV Shows: 25 Spine-Tingling Series You Have to Watch

    The 16 Best Zombie Series That Shaped Horror Television

    The Best Femme Fatales From Film and Television

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    ‘Addictive’ Netflix thriller is the perfect ‘political action fantasy’ and it’s streaming now

    15 Best Horror Shows of The Last Decade

    A Sons of Anarchy Theory Turns Netflix’s Upcoming Western Into a Secret SAMCRO Prequel

    ‘Beyond Disgusting’: Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Mocking Federal Aid Recipients As ‘Parasite Class’ While His Companies Rake In $18 Billion from U.S. Taxpayers

    10 Best Spy Shows of All Time, Ranked

    15 Must-Watch Period Dramas on Netflix That You Should At Least Once

    These 10 K-Dramas Are So Perfect, Everyone Should Watch Them

    10 Mystery K-Dramas That Will Keep You Engaged Until The End

    10 Most Underrated ‘90s Sci-Fi TV Shows

    Mickey 17 is an absurdist, anti-capitalist, Trump-mocking masterpiece

    Can’t Decide What to Watch? Here Are the Best Netflix Shows That Will Keep You Hooked This Winter (Part 14) | Watch

    The 15 Most Tearjerking Movie Endings in Film History

    The greatest movie quotes from the past 100 years, according to the American Film Institute

    I Wish I Could Forget These K-Dramas, So I Could Watch Them Over For The First Time

    ‘One of the greatest sci-fi films ever’ is now available to watch on Netflix

    10 Best Movies You Should Watch Only One Time

    15 Movie Endings That Crushed Souls Everywhere

    15 Complicated Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    The 25 Movies Famous for Their Impossible-to-Predict Plot Twists

    25 Horror Movies That Push the Limits of Fear

     

     

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

    10 K-Drama Rom-Coms That Are Perfect For A Bad Day

     

    10 Worst Science Fiction Movies, According to Roger Ebert

    25 Period Dramas Recommended by Historians for Their Accuracy

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    The 14 Scariest Moments In Non-Horror Movies

    Obscure ’90s Sci-Fi Gems You Need To Watch

    20 Most Heartbreaking Moments in TV History | Watch

    25 Films That Master the Art of the Plot Twist

    How many of the worst blockbuster movies of all time have you seen?

    20 famous movies that have unforgettable twist endings

    10 Western Movies That Are Deliriously Entertaining, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops That Are Actually Brilliant Films

    24 TV Shows from the 80s That Were Huge, But You Probably Forgot

    How Many of These 25 Films Perfectly Adapted from Books Have You Watched?

    Amazon Prime finally drops ‘creepy’ TV show with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

     

    Once Is Enough: 25 Devastating Movie Classics That Are Hard to Revisit

    10 Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies For Those Who Feel Like They’ve Seen All The Decent Ones

    Netflix’s new crime thriller is the best show I’ve watched in years — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

    15 Best Vampire Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

     

    10 Best Obscure Horror Movies From the 2010s

    Action Movie Sequels You Had No Idea Existed

    10 TV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe Now

    14 Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    10 Creepy Horror Movies That Don’t Rely On Gore Or Jump Scares

    8 Best Stephen King Movies on Prime

    Top dystopian movie drops on Netflix with Harrison Ford in leading role

    7 Feminist Horror Films You May Not Know

    10 Great Movies Without an Actual Protagonist

    10 Great Sci-Fi Movie Twists We’ll Remember Forever

    18 Thriller Movies With Perfect Endings

    Movie Night in a Flash: 25 Must-Watch Films Under 90 Minutes

    Mind-Bending Thrillers: 25 Psychological Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss

    10 Emotional Movies You’ll Never Fully Recover From

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    5 Historical Films That Got the Costumes RIGHT. 🔥 | Watch

    How Many of These 25 Book-to-Movie Gems Have You Watched?

     

    3-15

     

     

    15 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner

    Netflix’s Compelling New Legal Drama Scores Rare 100 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score

    Ash Review: A Genuinely Haunting Sci-Fi Thriller That Filled Me With Chilling Dread But Left Me Wanting More

    Movies So Bad, They’re Actually Good

    A cult 1990s sci-fi film is getting rebooted with key differences

    Sci-Fi Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

    Moviegoers addicted to ‘Novocaine,’ extracts $3.9M on opening day

    Top 20 Most Unwatchable Movies | Watch

    5 Great Horror Movies That Are Currently Haunting Netflix (Part 2) | Watch

    There Are Only Nine PERFECT Horror Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes | Watch

    5 Disney Sequels That Were As Good As the Original & 5 That Missed the Mark | Watch

    5 Years Ago, Alex Garland Made An Ambitious Sci-Fi Mystery That Was Ahead Of Its Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theatersTime

    12 Underrated Movies That Had Iconic Plot Twists

    10 Post-Apocalyptic Masterpieces Sci-Fi Fans Have Probably Never Seen

    Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theaters

    3 Underrated Movies on Netflix to Stream This Weekend (March 14-16)

     

    The best time travel movie ever isn’t ‘Back to the Future,’ according to data. Find out the top 25.

    The 35 Best Western Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    This 14-Year-Old Cyberpunk Thriller Is Much Better than Its 36% Rotten Score Suggests

    10 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 50 Years, Ranked

    Post-Apocalyptic Movies That Predicted The Future

    People Simply Hated These 20 Movie Plot Twists

    10 Movies That Were Surprisingly Perfect From Start to Finish

    10 Action Movies With Massive Plot Twists You Never Saw Coming

    The 25 most overrated films ever made, according to critics

    Comedies With Surprisingly Sad Endings

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Absolutely Flawless Except For A Single Scene

    The Electric State: Millie Bobby Brown’s Netflix sci-fi romp should be seen on a house-sized screen

    15 ’80s Thrillers You Definitely Need To See

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Crackling Thriller Stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as Married Spies with Nuclear Trust Issues

    10 Heroic Sacrifices In Comic Book Movies & TV Shows That Didn’t Need To Happen

    Underrated sci-fi movies

    What to Watch in 2025: Netflix’s Most Anticipated Releases

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies with Great Premises

    The 15 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies, Ranked

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/near-perfect-sci-fi-movies-you-Amight-have-missed/vi-BB1mki4b?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=72bcaa4a401c47e182cb9e180b696033&ei=47

    Top 20 Must-Watch Netflix Original Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series | Watch

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Shockingly Ahead of Their Time

    10 Best Shows Like ‘Stargate SG-1′ To Watch If You Love the Series

    Netflix’s New Sci-Fi Series ‘The Eternaut’ Will Hit the Streamer Next Month

    10 Older Sci-Fi TV Shows That Are Still Extremely Entertaining

    19 Horror movies that are not horror movies

    The worst Western movies ever released, based on data

     

     

    10 Sci-Fi TV Shows That Deserve a Remake

    10 Most Shocking Thriller Movie Endings, Ranked

    Sci-Fi Oddities: 25 Strangest Movies in Sci-Fi History

    The Complete Ranking of Every Zac Efron Movie

    10 TV Shows From the 2010s With No Bad Episodes

    10 Mediocre 2000s Movies That Are Still Super Rewatchable

    10 Worst Sci-Fi Movie Endings, Ranked

     

    The 100 sci-fi movies everybody should see at least once, according to critics

     

    Bold Seen it

     

    1. Logan (2017)
    2. High Life (2019)

    97  Village of the Damned (1960

    1. Westworld (1973)
    2. Évolution (2015)
    3. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982

    95 Mad Max Thunderdome

    1. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

    94  Clockwork Orange (1971)

    1. WarGames (1983)
    2. Sleeper (1973)
    3. 2046 (2005) Hong Kong Film
    4. Spontaneous (2020)
    5. I’m Your Man (2021) Sci-Fi Rom-com

    88 Ex Machina (2015)

    1. The War of the Worlds (1953) and re-makes
    2. Avengers: Endgame (2019)and the rest of the franchise
    3. Godzilla (2004) and the rest of the franchise Japanese
    4. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) and the rest of the franchise

    #79. Planet of the Apes (1968)

    1. War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) whole franchise 9 movies

     

    1. Iron Man (2008) and sequels
    2. Jodorowsky’s Dune (2014)
    3. Annihilation (2018)
    4. The Fly (1986)
    5. Time Bandits (1981) Cult classic comedy by Month Python crew
    6. Under the Skin (2014)
    7. Minority Report (2002)
    8. The Endless (2018)
    9. The Survivalist (2017)
    10. Ad Astra (2019)
    11. The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021)
    12. Melancholia (2011)
    13. The Martian (2015)
    14. Labyrinth of Cinema (2021) Japanese
    15. Paprika (2007) Hong Kong
    16. District 9 (2009) re-make coming soon

    62 The World’s End (2013) part of Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy.

    1. Battle Royale (2012) Japanese
    2. Upstream Color (2013)
    3. Little Shop of Horrors (1986) and original in 1959
    4. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
    5. Arrival (2016)
    6. Blade Runner 2049 (2017) remake
    7. Bacurau (2020)
    8. Isle of Dogs (2018)
    9. Marjorie Prime (2017)
    10. A Quiet Place (2018) part one
    11. A Quiet Place (2018) part two
    12. Star Trek (2009) whole franchise 6 movies
    13. The Lobster (201
    14. Face/Off (1997)
    15. Repo Man (1984) re-make of mid 70’s cult classic94.
    16. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) whole franchise 7 movies

    #32. Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)

    1. Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015)
    2. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)
    3. Superman (1978)
    4. Superman II (1981) whole franchise 4 movies

    45   Superman 1 whole franchise 4 movies

    45 Superman 111  whole franchise 4 movies

    1. Spider-Man 2 (2004) whole franchise 4 movies
    2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
    3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
    4. Soul (2020)
    5. Avatar (2009) and remake 2024
    6. Snowpiercer (2014) and K Drama series by Parasite Director K Sci-fi
    7. The Terminator (1984) and whole franchise’s five movies
    8. The Vast of Night (2020)
    9. Looper (2012)

    In My Room (2019)

    1. Aliens (1986)
    2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    3. Blade Runner (1982) and 2014 remake
    4. Children of Men (2006)
    5. Brazil (1985)
    6. Holy Motors (2012
    7. The Iron Giant (1999)
    8. The Host (2007) K Sci-Fi by Parasite director

    #26. Atlantis (2021)

    1. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1985) Anime
    2. Divine Love (2020) Brazilian
    3. Back to the Future (1985) 1, 2 and 3 in the Franchise
    4. The Invisible Man (1933)
    5. Black Panther (2018)
    6. Donnie Darko (2004)
    7. Alien (1979)
    8. Hard to Be a God (2015)
    9. King Kong (1933) and remakes
    10. 13. It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012)
    11. Solaris (1972) Russian
    12. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
    13. Her (2013)
    14. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    15. Frankenstein (1931) and remakes
    16. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
    17. Werckmeister Harmonies (20015.
    18. Threads (1984)

    5  Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)and remakes

    1. WALL-E (2008)
    2. Gravity (2013)
    3. Metropolis (1927)

     

    The 21st Century’s 100 greatest films

    The Greatest Hard Sci-Fi Movies Ever, Ranked | Watch

    5 Movies That Nailed the Book to Film Adaptation & 5 That Flubbed It | Watch

    5 Movies That Nailed the Book to Film Adaptation & 5 That Flubbed It | Watch

    Martial Arts Movies That Simply Don’t Get Enough Respect | Watch

    The Best Alien Movies Of All Time | Watch

     

    Top 20 Sci-Fi Films Fans Say Define the Genre

     

    Her (2013)

    MAD Max Fury Road

     

    Moon

    War of the Worlds

    Sunshine

    Ex-machina

    The thing

    The Martian

    Arrival

    Gravity

    Clockwork Orange

    Children of Men

    Interstellar

    ET

    Matrix

    Allien

    2001

    Star Wars Empire Strikes Back

    Blade Runner 2047

     

    10 Trippiest Sci-Fi Movies of the Last 25 Years

     

    20 movies that did the work to be scientifically accurate

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies You Totally Forgot About

    7 Sci-Fi Movies & TV Shows That Take Place On The Moon

    10 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies With Great Acting, Ranked

    How many of the best sci-fi movies from the last 100 years have you seen?

    The greatest ever sci-fi movies

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/19-movies-that-were-the-blueprints-of-the-sci-fi-genre/ss-AA1ywpCx?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=4d39ca762a7b46f085bec21a506bb1b2&ei=17

    10 Sci-Fi Movies From The ’80s That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

    10 Most Underrated Adventure Movies of All Time | Watch

    Top 10 Movies That Only Make Sense The Second Time | Watch

    Top 10 Most Popular Fantasy Movies of All Time | Watch

    The 14 Hardest To Follow Movies Of All Time

    10 Shows That Are In Netflix’s Hall of Fame | Watch

    How many of the 50 best space movies ever made have you seen?

    Sci-Fi Movies Of The ’70s To Add To Your Must-Watch List | Watch

    5 Sci-Fi Movie Endings So Confusing, Even the Director’s Notes Won’t Help | Watch

    The Best Movies Based On True Stories You’ve Never Seen

    I Dare You To Leave The Edge Of Your Seat During These 10 Unique Thrillers From The 2010s

    The Best Movies New to Every Major Streaming Platform in March 2025

    ‘Black Mirror’ Season 7 Trailer: ‘USS Callister’ Sequel Blasts Off as Netflix Sets April Release for New Episodes With Issa Rae, Paul Giamatti and More

     

    10 Worst Sci-Fi Movies of the 2000s, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops From the 2000s That Became Cult Classics

    The 100 greatest movies under 100 minutes to watch on a weeknight

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies That Keep You Guessing

     

    20 sci-fi movie sequels that do justice to their original films

    5 Most Compelling Netflix Shows You Need to Add to Your 2025 Watchlist | Watch

     

    The 15 Best Action-Thriller Movies of All Time

    25 Sitcoms Lost to Time: Discover TV’s Hidden Comedy Gems

    New and Upcoming Movies 2025

    20 Sci-Fi Movies That Pushed Boundaries—For Better or Worse

    The best long movies to watch when you are stuck inside

    18 rom-coms to watch if you’re feeling nostalgic for the 2000s, ranked from worst to best

    The 8 Best Sci-Fi Miniseries Streaming Right Now

    The best Civil War movie ever made, based on data—and see the rest of the top 50

    10 Awesome Sci-Fi Movies That Never Got A Sequel | Watch

    The 50 best Netflix original series of all time, according to audiences

    The greatest thrillers ever made, according to critics

    10 Movie Sequels That Are Awful From Start to Finish

    10 Most Boring Blockbusters of the Last 5 Years, Ranked

    10 Essential Sci-Fi Movies of the ’90s, Ranked

    Ahead of its time: The best films set in the far-off future

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Even Scientists Love・

    10 Thriller Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces

    25 sci-fi movies that deserve a renaissance

    I Didn’t “Get” These 10 Movies When They Released, But Now I Absolutely Love Them

    There Are Spine-Chilling Movies, But These 10 Films Made Me Uneasy The Whole Way Through

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh Crafts an Intricate, Sexy, and Fun Spy Thriller

    Movies heading to theaters in 2025 | Watch

    Deleted Sci-Fi Scenes That Went Too Far

    Sci-Fi Oddities: 25 Weirdest Movies in Science Fiction History

    The 32 greatest sci-fi horror movies

    The Best Thrillers of the Past 10 Years | Watch

    10 Greatest Opening Scenes In Sci-fi Movie History | Watch

    Top 20 Alien Franchise Movie Moments | Watch

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-dark-stories-behind-the-making-of-beloved-movies/vi-AA1zUdi6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=fbc6e34dd15048ad8cc0b4bfd244b809&ei=90

    10 Best Oscar Winners on Netflix That Will Make You a Bonafide Cinephile | Watch

    Best Heist Movies of the 2010s | Watch

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies That Are Perfectly Directed, Ranked

    10 Action Movie Scenes That Gave Us Goosebumps

    The 15 Best Movie Endings Of All Time, Ranked

    25 Greatest Paul Newman Movies Ranked Worst To Best

    The greatest ever monster movies

    13 Vastly Underrated Sci-Fi Movies That Deserve Your Attention

    The Only 5 Horror Movies On The IMDB Top 250 List

    The 106 Best Horror Movies Everv

    20 underappreciated rom-coms that are worth discovering

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-movies-that-started-whole-new-genres/ar-AA1yO9n4?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=946e6e9631e2402aa4ff01651d529f47&ei=91

    10 Best Sci-fi Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked

    19 romantic movies that have aged like fine wine

    10 Most Depressing Zombie Movies, Ranked

    10 Must-Watch ’90s Horror Movies, Ranked

    Sci-Fi Movies That Have Aged Terribly

    There Are 16 Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Movies According To Metacritic

    10 Thought-Provoking Science Fiction Movies for Fans of Interstellar

    10 Most Essential Movies of 2014, Ranked

    10 Obscure Fantasy Movies Hardly Anyone Remembers

    Top 10 Most Historically Inaccurate Movie Scenes | Watch

    The 104 Best Sci-Fi Movies Ever  Lots of Duplicate Entries

    Prophetic Cinema: 25 Films That Foretold Real-Life Events

    The 13 Best Modern Spy Thriller Films

    10 Sci-Fi Movies to Watch if You Loved Dune

    6 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Stunningly Ahead of Their Time | Watch

    10 Best Action Movies of the Last 20 Years, Ranked

    Film’s Epic Journeys: 20 Legendary Adventures Beyond Star Wars

    The 43 best series on Netflix

    The 15 Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time, Ranked

    The 30 best thrillers of all time

    20 films that tried predicting the future (and how well they did)

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Even Scientists Love・

    10 Thriller Movies That Can Be Called Masterpieces

    25 sci-fi movies that deserve a renaissance

    I Didn’t “Get” These 10 Movies When They Released, But Now I Absolutely Love Them

    There Are Spine-Chilling Movies, But These 10 Films Made Me Uneasy The Whole Way Through

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh Crafts an Intricate, Sexy, and Fun Spy Thriller

    Movies heading to theaters in 2025 | Watch

    Deleted Sci-Fi Scenes That Went Too Far

    Sci-Fi Oddities: 25 Weirdest Movies in Science Fiction History

    The 32 greatest sci-fi horror movies

    The Best Thrillers of the Past 10 Years | Watch

    10 Greatest Opening Scenes In Sci-fi Movie History | Watch

    Top 20 Alien Franchise Movie Moments | Watch

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-dark-stories-behind-the-making-of-beloved-movies/vi-AA1zUdi6?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=fbc6e34dd15048ad8cc0b4bfd244b809&ei=90

    10 Best Oscar Winners on Netflix That Will Make You a Bonafide Cinephile | Watch

    Best Heist Movies of the 2010s | Watch

    10 Best Sci-Fi Movies That Are Perfectly Directed, Ranked

    10 Action Movie Scenes That Gave Us Goosebumps

    The 15 Best Movie Endings Of All Time, Ranked

    25 Greatest Paul Newman Movies Ranked Worst To Best

    The greatest ever monster movies

    13 Vastly Underrated Sci-Fi Movies That Deserve Your Attention

    The Only 5 Horror Movies On The IMDB Top 250 List

    The 106 Best Horror Movies Everv

    20 underappreciated rom-coms that are worth discovering

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-movies-that-started-whole-new-genres/ar-AA1yO9n4?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=946e6e9631e2402aa4ff01651d529f47&ei=91

    10 Best Sci-fi Movies of the Last 25 Years, Ranked

    19 romantic movies that have aged like fine wine

    10 Most Depressing Zombie Movies, Ranked

    10 Must-Watch ’90s Horror Movies, Ranked

    Sci-Fi Movies That Have Aged Terribly

    There Are 16 Near-Perfect Sci-Fi Movies According To Metacritic

    10 Thought-Provoking Science Fiction Movies for Fans of Interstellar

     

    3-18 updates post monthly

     

     

     

     

    10 Sci-Fi Movies Approved by Real Scientist

    10 Most Essential Movies of 2014, Ranked

    63 Years Later, This John Ford Epic Western Is Still 1 of the Most Underrated Civil War Movies Ever Made

    10 Most Essential Movies of 1998, Ranked

    I’d Love To See A Sequel To These 10 Standalone Horror Movies

    6 modern Agatha Christie adaptations definitely worth watching

    22 Epic Long Movies So Good, You’ll Wish They Were Even Longer

    China Box Office: ‘Ne Zha 2′ Stays on Top as ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′ Opens in Second

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Have to Watch

    25 Movies That Perfected the Art of the Plot Twist

    Top 10 Smartest Movie Escapes | Watch

    5 Legendary Movies You Should Watch Before You Die | Watch

    25 Films from the 2000s That Flipped the Script on Filmmaking

    5 Movies That Should Never Have a Sequel | Watch

    10 Movies Where Everyone Loses In The End

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    30 Movies That Critics Loved But The Audience Hated

    11 Box Office Disasters That Deserve to Be Rediscovered

    Spy Thriller Greats: 25 Best Espionage Films in History

    The best spy movie of all time is not James Bond, based on data. See the top 58.

    23 Legendary Westerns That Shaped the History of Cinema

    10 Literally Perfect Movies That Were Almost Crushed

    10 War Movies That Are Perfectly Written

    18 amazing movies that deserve a sequel

    High-Octane Action Thrills: 20 Films to Watch

    The 25 Greatest Improvised Scenes in Film History

    90s Action Movies You Must See: 25 Films That Defined the Era

     

    50 iconic rom-coms everyone should see at least once

     

    Bolded I have seen

     

    Notting Hill (1999)

    Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

    When Harry Met Sally (1989)

    Say Anything (1989)

    About a Boy (2002)

    A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

    The Naked Gun (1988)

    Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)

    Clueless (1995)

    Grease (1978)

    There’s Something About Mary (1998

    The Holiday (2006)

    City Lights (1931)

    It Happened One Night (1934)

    Jules and Jim (1962)

    Roman Holiday (1953)

    Bringing Up Baby (1938)

    Jerry Maguire (1996)

    The Wedding Singer (1998)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    The Big Sick (2017)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2

    My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

    Love at First Sight 2024

    Enchanted (2007)

    Amelie (2001)©The Criterion Collection

    Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)©

    The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)

    Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

    Punch Drunk Love (2002)

    Manhattan (1979)

    Some Like it Hot (1959)©United Artists

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

    Wall-E (2008)

    Ponyo (2008)

    Amarcord (1973)

    You’ve Got Mail (1998)

    Harold and Maude (1971)

    Annie Hall (1977)

    Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

    The Notebook (2004)

    The Fall Guy (2024)

    Love Story (1970)

    The Parent Trap (1998)

    Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1988)

    Rushmore (1988)

    Dirty Dancing (1987)

    Step Brothers (2008)

    Sense and Sensibility (1995)

    Before Sunrise (1995)

    After Sunrise sequel

    Titanic (1997)

    The Princess Bride (1987)

    Substack

    Medium

    Wattpad

     

  • Movies 2025 Including Oscar Reflections

    Movies 2025 Including Oscar Reflections

    Movies 2025 Including Oscar Reflections

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-3m9

    Cosmos Movies TV Programs 2024 Lis

    tMaster Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    movies master list

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    2024 K Drama Updates

    250+ Movies/TV Series/Plays/Big News coverage, YouTube documentaries, etc. by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie every so often

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie every so often

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, rom-com, etc.

    Make a list of Oscar movies and watch several

    Resume going to the theater

    Two to three live theater performances

    List major news coverage and events

    List YouTube documentaries

    List Great Courses – do one course per month on average

    When traveling to the US, watch ten movies each trip, including one Bollywood, one Spanish, three to four blockbusters, one classic, one comedy

    Numerical List

    January

    1. NYE coverage
    2. Coverage of Yoon arrest drama
    3. Coverage of Johnson’s election for Speaker
    4. Coverage of NYE terror bombings
    5. Coverage of Trump’s inauguration
    6. Coverage of Korean Air Crash
    7. Coverage of Trump’s first 100 days
    8. CNN/BBC news forecasts for the year
    9. CNN coverage of Trump’s Indictment
    10. CNN coverage of Carter Funeral
    11. CNN coverage of President Trump’s first 100 days
    12. CNN coverage of LA fires
    13. President Biden’s Farewell Adress
    14. Senate confirmation hearings
    15. CNN coverage of Trump’s inaugural address
    16. Marry You? K Rom-com
    17. Arthdal Chronicles (K pre-historical fantasy drama) Season One
    18. Arthdal Chronicles (K pre-historical fantasy drama) Season Two See review
    19. Check in Hangyang (K rom com)
    20. Farscape selected episodes seen half earlier on Amazon – hard to navigate the episode list though watching on Kanopy to finish episodes not seen
    21. Father Brown – will watch more episodes 122 total – too many to watch see review
    22. Allenoid Part One K Sci-Fi Drama
    23. Allenoid Part Two K Sci-Fi Drama
    24. Dog Days K Drama
    25. Back in Action CIA thriller
    26. I Feel Pretty US comedy
    27. Missing Harbin Corbin mini-series
    28. Run On

    February

    1. Triangle of Sadness German Satire
    2. Oscars
    3. Hitman K Drama
    4. God Pod ‘ Eggs and up 37 percent and it is only day two of Trump 2.0’
    5. Amazon Bullseye K comedy drama
    6. Scam K Drama
    7. Simple History Secret History of North Korea
    8. Kill Room crime satire – did not finish
    9. Doubt K Drama Series
    10. Superbowl
    11. God Pod Yes, You Are In Hell
    12. The Boys K Drama /
    13. When the Phone Rang
    14. Bogota Lost City K Drama
    15. Silent Project K Drama
    16. News coverage of President Yoon’s trial
    17. You Tube video magnetic pole shifting
    18. You Tube city Nerd on Houston
    19. You Tube City Nerd on high-speed trains coming to America?
    20.  Fiery Priest K drama series
    21. God pod “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God
    22. You Tube video – ancient map of America found
    23. Coverage on the DOGE commission and government cutbacks
    24. La dolce villa romcom set in Italy B+
    25. Apple Cider Vinegar – a true story about Belle Gibson case that rocked the international wellness movement in 2017 based on a true story in Australia
    26. Dr Yohan K Medical Drama
    27. Policeman’s Lineage K police drama
    28. Trunk K drama did not finish
    29. Love in the Big City featuring a woman and her gay best friend K drama – the decent movie actually

    March

    1. Highway Men – about the taking down of Bonnie and Clyde based on the true story.
    2. Maestro
    3. Farscape Season 1, 2 and 3
    4. State of the Union
    5. Continuing coverage of Korean Impeachment trials
    6. Why Files on the End-of-the-World
    7. Great Course History of the Roman Empire

    Oscar List

    Oscar nominations 2025: The full list of movies, actors and directors

    Find all the nominations below:

    Best Picture

    Bolded watched

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    I’m Still Here

    Nickel Boys

    The Substance

    Wicked

     

    ‘The Brutalist’

    Best Director

    Sean Baker – Anora

    Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

    James Mangold – A Complete Unknown

    Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

    Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

    Best Actress in a Leading Role

    Cynthia Erivo – Wicked

    Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez

    Mikey Madison – Anora

    Demi Moore – The Substance

    Fernanda Torres – I’m Still Here

    Best Actor in a Leading Role

    Adrien Brody – The Brutalist

    Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown

    Colman Domingo – Sing Sing

    Ralph Fiennes – Conclave

    Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice

    Best Actress in a Supporting Role

    Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown

    Ariana Grande – Wicked

    Felicity Jones – The Brutalist

    Isabella Rossellini – Conclave

    Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez

    Best Actor in a Supporting Role

    Yura Borisov – Anora

    Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain

    Edward Norton – A Complete Uknown

    Guy Pearce – The Brutalist

    Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice

    Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    A Real Pain

    September 5

    The Substance

    Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Nickel Boys

    Sing Sing

    Best International Feature Film

    I’m Still Here

    The Girl with the Needle

    Emilia Pérez

    The Seed of the Sacred Fig

    Flow

    Best Animated Feature Film

    Flow

    Inside Out 2

    Memoir of a Snail

    Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

    The Wild Robot

    Best Documentary Feature

    Black Box Diaries

    No Other Land

    Porcelain War

    Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

    Sugarcane

    Best Film Editing

    Anora

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    Best Cinematography

    The Brutalist

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    Maria

    Nosferatu

    ’Nosferatu’ received three Oscar nominations in the technical categories (© 2023 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

     

    Best Music (Original Score)

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    The Wild Robot

    Best Music (Original Song)

    “El Mal” – Emilia Pérez

    “The Journey” – The Six Triple Eight

    “Like a Bird” – Sing Sing

    “Mi Camino” – Emilia Pérez

    “Never Too Late” – Elton John: Never Too Late

    Best Sound

    A Complete Unknown

    Dune: Part 2

    Emilia Pérez

    Wicked

    The Wild Robot

    Best Visual Effects

    Alien: Romulus

    Better Man

    Dune: Part 2

    Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

    Wicked

    Best Production Design

    The Brutalist

    Conclave

    Dune: Part 2

    Nosferatu

    Wicked

    ‘Conclave’ has received eight Oscar nominations (Philippe Antonello/Focus Features)

    Best Costume Design

    A Complete Unknown

    Conclave

    Gladiator II

    Nosferatu

    Wicked

    Best Makeup and Hairstyling

    A Different Man

    Emilia Pérez

    Nosferatu

    The Substance

    Wicked

    Best Animated Short Film

    Beautiful Men

    In the Shadow of the Cypress

    Magic Candies

    Wander to Wonder

    Yuck!

    Best Live Action Short Film

    A Lien

    Anuja

    I’m Not a Robot

    The Last Ranger

    The Man Who Would Not Remain Silent

    Documentary Short Film

    Death by Numbers

    I Am Ready, Warden

    Incident

    Instruments of a Beating Heart

    The Only Girl in the Orchestra

     

    The Oscars at Our House 2025

    Has Hollywood lost its way?

    Roy Dufrain Jr

    Note:  Roy is my college housemate.  He has been writing an annual list of his Oscar recommendations for over 20 years. I respect his writing and his recommendations.  This is the third year I have reposted it.

    You can find his work on substack.

    the 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    More Roy Dufrain Writing

    Roy Dufrain Updates

    guest post by Roy Dufraine

    Once again, Mrs D and I have endeavored to see as many Best Picture nominees as possible, given availability and other constraints. We’ve been doing this now for over 20 years. When we started there were still only five nominees. Since 2009, it’s been ten, and this year we saw eight, and I’ll say again, the Academy never should’ve increased the limit. Not just because it’s hard for fans to see them all, but because some of these movies are simply not worthy of the honor. Especially this year!

    Still, it’s Oscar time and it’s a tradition here! Pick your favorites, put on your tuxedoes and sparkly gowns (or in our case, your comfiest PJs), kick back with some soda and butter-soaked popcorn, wow or hiss the latest red carpet fashions, jeer or cheer the awkward, fawning interviews, predict the winners, pat yourself on the back when you’re right and blame woke Hollywood when you’re wrong!

    Anyway, for what it’s worth, here’s what I thought…

    ROY DUFRAIN JR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    Upgrade to paid

    Anora – A tale of stupid people doing terrible things stupidly. A whole lot of yelling and screwing failed to make this movie interesting. The nearly feral, selfish youth, the servile, bickering and bumbling Armenians, the contemptible ultra-rich Russians, the ‘dancer’ who accepts payment for sex but insists she’s not a hooker. The constant f-bombs. It all seemed over the top—grasping for gritty realism but approaching absurdity. So what.

    The Brutalist – A worthy subject, an intriguing and complicated lead character masterfully brought to life by a supremely talented star, an epic arc of struggle and redemption, a span of decades and locations wonderfully rendered visually and in historical references. And yet, I fell asleep. Had to finish the movie the next day. It’s brutally long and slow. Three and a half hours! Couldn’t trim even a half hour out of that? Come on.

    A Complete Unknown – Mrs D and I agreed this was easily and by far the best picture of the nominees we saw. I’m not sure it will stand the test of time as a ‘great’ movie, but it was full of great acting. Timothée Chalamet should win best actor for his amazing and mesmerizing recreation of Dylan’s musical performance and presence. Co-stars Monica Barbaro and Edward Norton should win their categories for the same reasons. The evocation of the time period through set design and other techniques was immersive and entertaining. Of the best-pic noms we’ve seen, this is the only one I’m sure I will watch again.

    Conclave – I really liked this movie at first. It seemed like a taut, understated political intrigue, with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of a hidden world—the election of a new pope. But I felt let down by the wild twist at the end. Not being a fan of the Catholic Church, I kind of enjoyed the irony of it, but I found the details strained credibility as presented. By chance I had just read an article about the many possible combinations of chromosomes that occur naturally in humans. So I didn’t doubt that, but it seemed so unlikely the person in question would have ever risen to a high position in the Catholic Church, or that any real circumstance could have resulted in the ending of this film. I just didn’t buy it.

    Dune Part Two – I read the book so many years ago that I remembered nothing of it. We saw Part One last year and were a bit lost throughout. So, we watched a couple YouTube summary videos, but then we still watched Part One before pushing play on Part Two. We both thought the investment of time paid off. It helped us sink into the films, with their long list of characters and multiple story threads. I’d rank this as the second best of the nominees. Stunning visuals and the kind of classic, epic storytelling that reminds me of Tolkien or Star Wars.

    Emilia Pérez – Lots of negative talk about the star of this one—whatever. I’d like to see it, but I don’t have Netflix right now and my wallet is already suffering from subscription fatigue.

    I’m Still Here – The trailer for this one looks really interesting, but the film has not been released for streaming as of this date.

    Nickel Boys – I’m not sure if the sheer volume of artsy techniques and effects (or affects?) were always in service of the storytelling in this film. It felt overwrought. All the weird shot angles, the square formatting, the ringing headache soundtrack, the time jumping and the gimmicky point of view thing, especially those back of head shots—I found it interesting but distracting, and wondered if anyone in Hollywood can just tell a story anymore.

    The Substance – I’m honestly not sure if it’s a comedy gone wrong or a drama gone wrong, but boy did it suck! If it had a point it was made in the first ten minutes and then beat to death for two more hours, and in the most gruesome fashion imaginable. Jesus, how is this nominated for anything?! How did it even get made?! It’s a perfect example of why many people say Hollywood has lost the ability to make great movies.

    Wicked – Loved the book! Never saw the play. The movie did not capture the wonder and delight I remember feeling at the ingenuity and thoughtfulness of the book. The set design and effects were impressive, the vocal talent at times astounding. But I couldn’t help feeling like I was watching a bad episode of Glee with all the cliché mean girl vs. Cinderella stuff. Also, a musical ought to leave you humming or singing a chorus or two on your way out the door. Think: If I Were a Rich Man, Papa Can You Hear Me, I Feel Pretty, Don’t Rain on My Parade, on and on. Wicked is more like sung dialogue but not one catchy, hummable tune. Meh.

    Honorable Shoutout

    A Real Pain – Should have been nominated. Thoughtful and thought provoking, just funny enough to lighten the weight of the relationships on view, among the characters themselves but also between the characters and the history they are interfacing with. And extremely well played by both Jesse Eisenberg and Macaulay Culkin, making these characters feel real and their oddball behavior believable.

    Something to Think About

    After the news of the great Gene Hackman’s death, Roy Sr, Mrs D and I all watched Unforgiven the other night, and enjoyed it immensely even though we’ve all seen it more than twice. Everything a Best Picture winner ought to be and then some. Not one of the 2024 movies even comes close.

    ROY DUFRAIN JR is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    Upgrade to paid

    ·       Best Movie lists

    Oscars 2025: Predicting The Nominees & Winners Of All 23 Categories

    The 25 Top Movies of 2024

    My MOST ANTICIPATED Movies 2025 (Part 1) | Watch

    The 12 Best Korean Movies On Netflix

    10 Essential K-Dramas That Defined the 2000s, Ranked

    15 Best Feel-Good K-Dramas, Ranked

    Big-Budget Sci-Fi Sequel On Netflix Improves On First Film In Every Way

    Top 20 Greatest Korean Drama Couples | Watch

    Essential Psychological Thrillers: 25 Mind-Bending Films

    Feel-Good Favorites: 20 Films to Lift Your Spirits

    15 Best K-Dramas Like The Glory

    Top movies of 2024 | Watch

    30 Most Anticipated Movies Coming in 2025

    10 Most Anticipated Action Films to Watch Out For in 2025

    10 Best Cult Classic Romance Movies, Ranked

    The Greatest Monster Movies Of All Time

    Hate romantic comedies? 32 movies to change your mind

    The best college movie ever made isn’t ‘Animal House,’ according to fans. See the top 50.

    The Best Movies of All Time

    10 Nerve-Wracking Thrillers That Are Flawless From Beginning to End

    10 Best K-Comedy Shows Perfect From Start to Finish

    Esquire’s 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    10 Best Arthouse Psychological Horror Movies, Ranked

    10 Actors and Actresses Whose K-Dramas Never Miss, Ranked

    10 Best ’80s Fantasy Movies

    Thrilling TV Series You Can’t Miss: 20 Must-See Shows

    10 Mind-Bending Psychological Thrillers on Netflix Everyone Should Watch

    Horror Laughs: 25 Movies So Bad, They’re Hilarious

    10 Best Sci-Fi Mystery Movies of All Time, Ranked

    57 Best Alien Movies Of All Time Ranked

    10 Contenders for the Best Movie Ever Made

    How many of the 50 best movies from the ’60s have you seen?

    9 Hilarious Adventure Movies You Can’t Miss In 2025

    How many of the 100 best movies in Hollywood history have you seen?

    10 Best Coming-Of-Age K-Dramas

    The 50 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2025

    Lee Min-ho’s 10 Best K-Dramas, Ranked

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTmyCgHKCH8&t=78s&ab_channel=DougHarris

     

    Video: All American – The Walter Gordon Story | Watch ViewFinder Online | PBS Video

    10 Underrated War Movies That Are Almost Perfect

    10 Box Office Disasters That Are Actually Cinematic Masterpieces

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    Here are 10 Must-Watch Netflix Movies That Came Out In 2024

     

    The Top 10 Best Films Of 2024

    25 Teen Movie Classics That Are Even More Fun with Each Rewatch

     

    15 Fantasy Books as Good as Lord of the Rings – The Quick Report
     

     

    Can You Recognize These 30 Movies By a Single Quote?

    The Scariest Horror Movies Ever Made

    Mind-Bending Films: Top 25 Psychological Rollercoasters

    The 13 Best Movie Franchises to Marathon Watch

    The Best Action Movies Of All Time

    20 movies that became cult classics despite flopping at the box office

    22 of the most anticipated movie releases in 2025

    The most unforgettable opening lines in cinema historhy

    Horror Movies That Basically Have The Same Plot

    The movies everyone should watch at least once before they die, critics say

    The 20 best feelgood films of all time, ranked

    10 Best Movies To Watch if You Like Stephen King

    A Trump movie that Trump hates is going to get a lot more attention, courtesy of the Oscars

    15 Longest Theatrical Runs in Movie History

    10 Psychological Thrillers That Will Keep You Up At Night

    The Best Romantic Movies of All Time

    The 20 Best Films From The 90s

    All of these movies are from 1994, making it arguably the best year in cinema history.

    Tearjerkers: 25 Heart-Wrenching Movies Guaranteed to Make You Cry

    How to Watch All the 2025 Oscar Nominated Short Films

    20 Foreign language films that were nominated for Oscar

    How many of the 50 best Netflix original series ever made have you watched?                              10 Highly Anticipated Sci-Fi Movies Coming in 2025

    Ranking The Best 10 Movies About Space and Astronauts, Interstellar is Only 3rd

    10 Must-Watch Movies That Feel Like Poetry

    The greatest long movies to watch if you’re stuck inside

    The Best Movies Of The 2000s

    The Oscars 2025 Best Picture Tier Rankings: Breaking Down All 10 Nominees Into 5 Categories

    25 Hollywood Box Office Failures That Were Actually Master-Pieces You Must Watch

    Memorable films from the ‘90s

    The Best Movies Based on True Stories

    Three to see: The greatest film trilogies in cinema history

    Movies That Will Make You Want to Travel

    20 horror movies you probably shouldn’t watch alone

    17 Of The Most Upsetting Movies Of All Time

    10 Best Thriller Movie Performances of All Time, Ranked

    10 Most Iconic Betrayals in Movie History, Ranked

    19 Highest grossing horror movies of all time, ranked

    20 incredible long movies everybody should watch at least once

    10 Movies Where the Final Shot Changes Everything

    50 of the best movie cameos in Hollywood history

     

    Humans vs Superhumans | When Monsters Were Real and We Almost Went Extinct | Watch

    Critically Hated Movies That Are Actually Awesome

    10 Breathtaking Movies Where the Landscape Steals the Show

    30 of the best screenplays of the century (so far)

    Tearjerkers: 25 Movies That Will Make You Cry Every Time

    The 100 best films ever made, according to critics

     

    The 10 Most Perfectly Acted Movies of the 20th Century, Ranked

    2000s Movie Masterpieces: 25 Films You Absolutely Must Watch

    10 Worst Movies That Tried to Be ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Ranked

    20 Movies so emotional that they make men cry

    10 Best Movie Endings of All Time

    15 Most Depressing Movies That Will Leave You Devastated

    10 Classic Movies That Have Aged the Best, Ranked

    –10 Movies That Should Have Won Best Picture–

    15 Classic Movies That Would Be Impossible to Make Today

    20 Action movies that live up to the saying “old is gold”

    20 Horror movies adapted from real incidents

    10 Best Classic Westerns to Stream on Tubi

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/10-underrated-war-movies-that-are-almost-perfect/ar-AA1xEU7W?oAcid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=d0ecf75f3ac6417f83d07543f0055478&ei=132

    The most thought-provoking movies ever made

    10 Best Movies Set In Hawaii, Ranked

    20 Psychological Thrillers That Messed with Our Minds

    Mind-Bending Movies: 20 Films That Will Shift Your Perspective

    10 Underrated Thriller Movies That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

    Here are the 11 new movie reboots coming to theaters in 2025

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    Owen Wilson’s Best Movie Roles Prove He Has Serious Range

    The 15 Best Historical Epic Movies Ranked

    10 Delightful Movies to Brighten Your Day When Life is Hard

    The Least Scientifically-Accurate Sci-Fi Movie Ever Made, According To Neil deGrasse Tyson | Watch

    2000s Cinema’s Most Iconic Films: 25 Movies That Altered the Industry

    10 Best Movie Sequels With Great Acting, Ranked

    These ’90s Horror Movies Will Make You Scream ‘Clarice!’ In Your Sleep

    Netflix previews their biggest 2025 movies — what I’m most looking forward to

    10 Unforgettable Psychological Horror Movies to Keep You on Edge

     

    9 Movies Based On Classic Books That Are Stuck In Development Hell (Or Canceled)

    Intriguing movie adaptations of classic novels, such as Paradise Lost or Phantom of the Opera, are sadly stuck in development or have been canceled.

    20 Horror Movies That Gave Us Nightmares

    Top 30 Best Movies From Every Continent | Watch

    The Scariest Paranormal Movies of All Time

    The Best Religious Horror Movies Of All-Time, Ranked

    Top 5 Thrilling Psychological Movies on Netflix That Will Keep You on Edge | Watch

    5 best new movies to stream this weekend (Feb. 1-2) on Netflix, Max, Prime Video and more

    15 Best Agatha Christie Books Every Mystery Lover Must Read

    15 Movies That Showed Hell in Its Most Terrifying Depictions

    Newsweek Staffers’ Favorite Books Of The Year—And All Time | Watch

    10 Best Horror Movies You’ve Never Heard Of

    15 Best Psychological Thrillers Like Shutter Island, Ranked

    10 Best Fantasy Martial Arts Movies From The 1980s

    5 Best Horror Movie Villains From The Past Decade

    11 Best New Shows on Netflix: February 2025’s Top Upcoming Series to Watch

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    A Guide to Netflix’s Biggest TV, True Crime and Movie Releases in 2025

    Top Terrifying Horror Films That Linger in Your Thoughts Long After Watching | Watch

     

    Netflix’s most anticipated shows of 2025 revealed from Bridgerton to Stranger Things finale

    50 Terrifying Masterpieces Every Horror Buff Should See

    15 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 25 Years

    Must-Watch Horror: 25 Chilling Movies to Stream on Prime Video

    The 60 Best Horror Movies of All Time

    The 30 Best 2000s Horror Movies Ranked

    12 New Must-Read Sci-Fi Novels to Escape Reality

    13 Must-Watch Netflix Mystery Movies to Unleash Your Inner Sherlock Holmes | Watch

    The Most Exciting New Cyberpunk Show Could Move Beyond The Books

    10 best crime TV shows of all time, ranked

    What we know about the upcoming ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ movie, after the last three sequels made over $1 billion each

    30 TV Shows Returning in 2025 That We Cannot Wait For

     

    10 Best Lovecraftian Eldritch Horror Movies

    10 Great Horror Movies With Major Cliffhanger Endings

    10 Must-See Horror Movies with the Most Intense Final Acts

    Netflix’s latest sci-fi thriller series is perfect for Black Mirror fans

    Top 30 Best Horror Movies of the Century (So Far)

    “Elon Musk Is A Nazi Nepo Baby” – by Jesus Christ and God

    Netflix top 10 shows — here’s the 3 worth watching right now

    Top Netflix Crime Dramas: 20 Thrilling Series You Can’t Miss

    10 Great Classic Horror Films That Aren’t Frankenstein or Dracula

    25 Must-Watch Netflix Shows to Start Tonight

    20 Black-led horror movies and TV shows

    15 Best Horror Movies Coming in 2025

    11 Real-Life Hauntings That Inspired Famous Horror Movies

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    The 25 Scariest Movies Hitting Screens in 2025

    The best TV episode of all time, according to viewers—and see if your favorite made the top 100

    Top Horror TV Shows: 25 Spine-Tingling Series You Have to Watch

    The 16 Best Zombie Series That Shaped Horror Television

    The Best Femme Fatales From Film and Television

    10 Best Campy Horror Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    ‘Addictive’ Netflix thriller is the perfect ‘political action fantasy’ and it’s streaming now

    15 Best Horror Shows of The Last Decade

    A Sons of Anarchy Theory Turns Netflix’s Upcoming Western Into a Secret SAMCRO Prequel

    ‘Beyond Disgusting’: Elon Musk Faces Backlash After Mocking Federal Aid Recipients As ‘Parasite Class’ While His Companies Rake In $18 Billion from U.S. Taxpayers

    10 Best Spy Shows of All Time, Ranked

    15 Must-Watch Period Dramas on Netflix That You Should At Least Once

    These 10 K-Dramas Are So Perfect, Everyone Should Watch Them

    10 Mystery K-Dramas That Will Keep You Engaged Until The End

    10 Most Underrated ‘90s Sci-Fi TV Shows

    Mickey 17 is an absurdist, anti-capitalist, Trump-mocking masterpiece

    Can’t Decide What to Watch? Here Are the Best Netflix Shows That Will Keep You Hooked This Winter (Part 14) | Watch

    The 15 Most Tearjerking Movie Endings in Film History

    The greatest movie quotes from the past 100 years, according to the American Film Institute

    I Wish I Could Forget These K-Dramas, So I Could Watch Them Over For The First Time

    ‘One of the greatest sci-fi films ever’ is now available to watch on Netflix

    10 Best Movies You Should Watch Only One Time

    15 Movie Endings That Crushed Souls Everywhere

    15 Complicated Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    The 25 Movies Famous for Their Impossible-to-Predict Plot Twists

    25 Horror Movies That Push the Limits of Fear

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

     

    Top 10 Movie Drama Moments That Chilled Us to the Bone | Watch

    10 K-Drama Rom-Coms That Are Perfect For A Bad Day

     

    10 Worst Science Fiction Movies, According to Roger Ebert

    25 Period Dramas Recommended by Historians for Their Accuracy

    Post-Apocalyptic Films & Shows You Haven’t Heard Of

    The 14 Scariest Moments In Non-Horror Movies

    Obscure ’90s Sci-Fi Gems You Need To Watch

    20 Most Heartbreaking Moments in TV History | Watch

    25 Films That Master the Art of the Plot Twist

    How many of the worst blockbuster movies of all time have you seen?

    20 famous movies that have unforgettable twist endings

    10 Western Movies That Are Deliriously Entertaining, Ranked

    10 Box Office Flops That Are Actually Brilliant Films

    24 TV Shows from the 80s That Were Huge, But You Probably Forgot

    How Many of These 25 Films Perfectly Adapted from Books Have You Watched?

    Amazon Prime finally drops ‘creepy’ TV show with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

     

    Once Is Enough: 25 Devastating Movie Classics That Are Hard to Revisit

    10 Lesser-Known Sci-Fi Movies For Those Who Feel Like They’ve Seen All The Decent Ones

    Netflix’s new crime thriller is the best show I’ve watched in years — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

    15 Best Vampire Movies of All Time, Ranked

     

     

    10 Best Obscure Horror Movies From the 2010s

    Action Movie Sequels You Had No Idea Existed

    10 TV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe Now

    14 Sci-Fi Movies That Went Too Far

    10 Creepy Horror Movies That Don’t Rely On Gore Or Jump Scares

    8 Best Stephen King Movies on Prime

    Top dystopian movie drops on Netflix with Harrison Ford in leading role

    7 Feminist Horror Films You May Not Know

    10 Great Movies Without an Actual Protagonist

    10 Great Sci-Fi Movie Twists We’ll Remember Forever

    18 Thriller Movies With Perfect Endings

    Movie Night in a Flash: 25 Must-Watch Films Under 90 Minutes

    Mind-Bending Thrillers: 25 Psychological Masterpieces You Shouldn’t Miss

    10 Emotional Movies You’ll Never Fully Recover From

    25 movies that leave viewers completely devastated

    5 Historical Films That Got the Costumes RIGHT. 🔥 | Watch

    How Many of These 25 Book-to-Movie Gems Have You Watched?

     

     

    15 Horror Movies More Deserving of the Best Picture Oscar Than the Winner

    Netflix’s Compelling New Legal Drama Scores Rare 100 Percent Rotten Tomatoes Score

    Ash Review: A Genuinely Haunting Sci-Fi Thriller That Filled Me With Chilling Dread But Left Me Wanting More

    Movies So Bad, They’re Actually Good

    A cult 1990s sci-fi film is getting rebooted with key differences

    Sci-Fi Box Office Bombs That Are Actually Worth Watching

    Moviegoers addicted to ‘Novocaine,’ extracts $3.9M on opening day

    Top 20 Most Unwatchable Movies | Watch

    5 Great Horror Movies That Are Currently Haunting Netflix (Part 2) | Watch

    There Are Only Nine PERFECT Horror Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes | Watch

    5 Disney Sequels That Were As Good As the Original & 5 That Missed the Mark | Watch

    5 Years Ago, Alex Garland Made An Ambitious Sci-Fi Mystery That Was Ahead Of Its Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theatersTime

    12 Underrated Movies That Had Iconic Plot Twists

    10 Post-Apocalyptic Masterpieces Sci-Fi Fans Have Probably Never Seen

    Netflix adds terrifying movie helmed by Black Mirror director that had limited time in theaters

    3 Underrated Movies on Netflix to Stream This Weekend (March 14-16)

     

    The best time travel movie ever isn’t ‘Back to the Future,’ according to data. Find out the top 25.

    The 35 Best Western Movies Of All Time, Ranked

    This 14-Year-Old Cyberpunk Thriller Is Much Better than Its 36% Rotten Score Suggests

    10 Scariest Horror Movies of the Last 50 Years, Ranked

    Post-Apocalyptic Movies That Predicted The Future

    People Simply Hated These 20 Movie Plot Twists

    10 Movies That Were Surprisingly Perfect From Start to Finish

    10 Action Movies With Massive Plot Twists You Never Saw Coming

    The 25 most overrated films ever made, according to critics

    Comedies With Surprisingly Sad Endings

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Absolutely Flawless Except For A Single Scene

    The Electric State: Millie Bobby Brown’s Netflix sci-fi romp should be seen on a house-sized screen

    15 ’80s Thrillers You Definitely Need To See

    ‘Black Bag’ Review: Steven Soderbergh’s Crackling Thriller Stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as Married Spies with Nuclear Trust Issues

    10 Heroic Sacrifices In Comic Book Movies & TV Shows That Didn’t Need To Happen

    Underrated sci-fi movies

    What to Watch in 2025: Netflix’s Most Anticipated Releases

    10 Worst Fantasy Movies with Great Premises

    The 15 Best Sword And Sorcery Movies, Ranked

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/near-perfect-sci-fi-movies-you-Amight-have-missed/vi-BB1mki4b?ocid=msedgntp&pc=LGTS&cvid=72bcaa4a401c47e182cb9e180b696033&ei=47

    Top 20 Must-Watch Netflix Original Sci-Fi and Fantasy Series | Watch

    25 Awesome Movies Where The Hero Dies | Watch

    10 Sci-Fi Movies That Were Shockingly Ahead of Their Time

    10 Best Shows Like ‘Stargate SG-1′ To Watch If You Love the Series

    Netflix’s New Sci-Fi Series ‘The Eternaut’ Will Hit the Streamer Next Month

    10 Older Sci-Fi TV Shows That Are Still Extremely Entertaining

    19 Horror movies that are not horror movies

    The worst Western movies ever released, based on data

    Substack

    Medium

    Wattpad

     

     

     

  • Cosmos K Drama List

    Cosmos K Drama List

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2OC

     

    Cosmos K Drama List

    Themes

    Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    Our Blues K Drama Review

    Favorite K Drama

    Cosmos’s Fav k Drama

    Cosmos’s Favorite K Drama

    Since 2015, when I moved to Korea I have become a big fan of K Drama.  They are perhaps the best in the world at romantic comedies. (“Crash Course in Romance” and “Crash Landing on You” a good examples).  They also excel in movies about “Rich People Behaving Badly ”( Mine is the best one)  and dark social commentary like “Parasite” (Oscar Best Picture), revenge dramas (Glory is the best example), and epic historical dramas set in Korea and China. (“Mr. Sunshine” is a good example)  Another staple is high school coming-of-age films. (Millionaires First Love is a good one) .They also do political intrigue films pretty well ) Last Man Standing is good, and” Designated Survivor”), and decent SCIFi too.  (“Silent Sea”, and Space Sweapers” are good). The crime and political dramas are quite intense and a bit too violent in my opinion although they are not “slasher” films per se. And of course, the Squid Game was a worldwide phenomenon.

    Up until the early 80’s K dramas were not that good, Japanese (J Drama) were better. But since then K Dramas have taken over. For some reason, K dramas are more approachable to outsiders than J Dramas or C Dramas. An interesting factoid is that the writers are almost all women.  and about 60 percent of the viewers are women, Korean men, in general, prefer sports or news programs.

    More LGBTQ Characters

    In recent years, many dramas have started featuring LGBTQ characters and non-Korean characters (called multi-cultural in Korean). The LGBTQ characters tend to be either female or transgendered, not too many male male gay characters. Itaewon Class had a good Trans character – a male transitioning to female, and “Mine” had both a lesbian couple and a bisexual male lead. This reflects the fact that LGTBQ status is still not as tolerated in Korea as it is in the US and Europe.  Five years ago there were no LGBTQ characters, now there are quite a few.  In Korea there are now gay nightclubs in Itaewon’s “homo hill” and the Hongdae student district, and there is an annual gay pride day which while not officially legal, is not illegal as it was a few years ago. Many K novels and stories also have LGBTQ characters these days.

    Gay marriage is still not legal, but gay sex is no longer illegal or grounds for a divorce as adultery is also no longer illegal or grounds for a divorce.  Younger Koreans are much more tolerant than older Koreans.  The Christian Churches tend to be conservative and heavily influenced by American evangelical churches and are mostly anti-LGBTQ.  About ten percent of adults have engaged in gay or lesbian relationships and perhaps 5 percent of the population are LGBTQ, with 2 percent transgendered.  Transgendered people have to go to Thailand for surgery as the surgeries are illegal in Korea and Korean health insurance does not cover such treatments.

    Rom-Com Slow Burn Dramas

    The rom-com tends to be slow-burning dramas with few explicit sex scenes, almost all of them male -female although there are a few lesbian-themed ones now and then. Many of them follow the meme hate turning to love, although love at first sight K dramas are common, and many feature doomed romances between characters of different social classes.

    Korean Badass Female Leads

    Final point, I have always considered Korean women to be the most beautiful and sexiest women on the planet and I love watching them in K Dramas, particularly I like watching real “badass” lead characters, and I married my Korean dream girl  See Dreamgirl re-published   for details.

    “Mr. Sunshine,” and “Gyesang Creatures”  have such lead characters.

    I have finally gotten enough Korean to mostly follow the dialogue without subtitles, but most of the K Dramas on Amazon, Disney, and Netflix have subtitles.  I hope by the end of the year to be able to watch a K drama without subtitles. Nice language learning goal to have.

    Here then is my list of K Dramas I have seen over the years.

    First my top  20 list

    Gyesang Creature K Drama  Korean female badass character, monster movie, historical drama set at end of Colonial era

    Captivating The King K Historical Drama A

    Doctor Slump K Drama  B  good rom-com also deals with mental illness issues, political intrigue

    Glory K drama A revenge drama

    Crash Course in Romance K drama A- great rom-com

    Chief of Staff K drama political drama

    Shin Divorce Attorney K Drama  -A great legal drama and political intrigque

    The Eternal King K drama historical drama. alt history Sci-fi rom-com

    Live Up to Your Name K drama A historical drama, sci-fi, rom-com  slow burn romance

    Castaway Diva b slow burn rom-com

    My Love From The Stars sci-fi rom-com

    Itaewon Class K Drama  Trans character lead

    The Last Man Standing K Drama political intrigue regarding the assasination of President Park based on true story

    Venzano K Drama  corporate intrigue, crime drama and slow burn romance

    Mine K Drama great example of rich people behaving badly, LGBTQ characters

    Strong Girl Namjoon sequel  see post review female badass leads

    strong girl Bong soon original A  see post review female badass leads

    Parasite  K Drama Oscar Best picture – dark black comedy

    When The Camelia Blooms K Drama great K rom-com

    Squid Games K Drama Number 1 On Netflix game show but much more than that

    Bing AI’s list of top K Dramas

    If you’re looking for the best K-dramas to binge-watch, you’re in for a treat! Korean dramas (K-dramas) have taken the world by storm, offering a delightful mix of interesting storylines, intense plot twists, and addictive viewing experiences. Here are some top K-dramas across different genres:

    1. Action/Thriller Korean Dramas:
    1. Romance Korean Dramas(Fan Favorites):
    1. Other Notable K-Dramas:
      • Strong Woman Do Bong Soon: A mix of romance, comedy, and action, featuring a super-strong female lead.
      • While You Were Sleeping: A supernatural romance with intriguing dream-related twists.
      • Descendants of the Sun: A love story set against the backdrop of military service.
      • My Love From The Star: A unique romance involving an alien and a famous actress.
      • Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo: A heartwarming sports-themed drama 2.

    Remember, K-dramas can evoke a wide range of emotions—from sappy to heartbreaking to downright surprising. So grab your popcorn, find a cozy spot, and immerse yourself in the captivating world of Korean dramas! 🎬🍿

    2024

    Confession  K Drama A-

    Collectors K Drama B

    The Spy Gone North B K Drama

    Goodbye Mr. Black K Drama Did Not Finish

    My Demon Love K Drama  Did Not Finish

    My Annoying Brother B

    Me And Me K Drama B

    Squid Game Season Two Did Not Finish – No longer K drama in my opinion

    Gyesang Creature K Drama  Korean female badass character

    Somebody B

    The Devil Plan Was Too Complicated To Follow

    VIP K Drama B

    Destined With You K Drama

    Millionaire First Love K Drama A  good intro to coming of age high school dramas

    Hyena K Legal Drama A  good political corporate intrigue film

    Badlands Hunters  K Post-Apocalypse Drama A good Sci-Fi

    Captivating The King K Historical Drama A  Good historical drama

    Doctor Slump K Drama  B

    Taken K Drama Movie B

    The Swindler K Drama Movie A

    Don’t Buy The Seller K Drama  B

    The Dude In Me K Drama Is Cute  A

    Single In Seoul K Movie B

    Lee Kiwon K Movie About NK Refugees In Belgium

    Young Police K Drama B

    Sweat And Sour B

    Killer Paradox K Crime Drama

    Queen Of Tears K Rom-Com

    2023

    Moving to Heaven started in 2022.

    Lies Within started in the 2022 BK drama.

    Trolly started 2022 B K drama a-

    Glory K drama is A  good revenge flick

    Confidential Assignment K drama b

    On the line k drama b

    Weight Ton K drama b

    Parallel SF K drama  SF drama

    Crash Course in Romance K drama A- great rom-com

    One Spring Night K drama

    The Bros K drama

    Like for Likes K drama b.

    Ordinary People K drama b

    Veteran K crime comedy b K drama

    Tiger in Winter K drama with a magical realism twist K drama

    After My Death, another Korean teenage crime drama k drama

    Confidential Assignment Two K drama

    Nothing Serious K rom-com

    Uncanny counter K drama

    What’s wrong with Secretary Kim K’s drama.

    Chief of Staff K drama  good political thriller

    Mad for each other K drama

    Along with the god’s K’s drama

    Time to hunt K drama.

    Escape from Mogadishu political drama based on true story features North and South Koreans overseas forced to work together to ensure mutual survivor

    The decision to leave K drama.

    Adenoid K drama Sci-Fi

    Hunt K drama

    Confession K drama

    My unfamiliar family K drama

    Physical Another Squid Game K drama

    Unblock Cyber crime K drama.

    One Spring Night K drama rom-com

    Holy Betrayal Documentary on Religious cults in Korea

    Me me

    Shin Divorce Attorney K Drama  -A good legal thriller

    The Eternal King K drama alt history sci-fi, rom-com

    Live Up to Your Name K drama A sci-fi time travel rom-com

    Kill Bosun K drama

    Switch k drama

    Beef  K Drama set in LA

    Queen Maker  K drama

    Black Knight K Drama

    Miss and Mrs. Cop K drama

    Unstoppable K drama

    Mad for Each Other rom-com

    Private Lifes K drama

    Flower of Evil K drama

    Glitch Korean series sci-fi

    See You in My 19th Life K  Drama did not finish it

    Alchemy of Souls   intriguing K Drama

    Song of the Bandits  historical set at the end of the Joseon dynasty

    Dream K drama about the homeless World Cup

    King Maker K drama about Kim Dae Jung’s early rise Disney A

    Ballerina K crime revenge thriller b a bit too violent

    Strong Girl Namjoon sequel  see post review female badass characters

    strong girl bong soon original A  see post review female badass characters

    Dona K Drama B

    Ray of Sunshine K Drama A

    The Worst of Evil Disney K Drama B

    Villante Disney K Drama B

    The Believer K Drama b

    the Believer Part two K Drama B

    Castaway Diva b  good rom-com

    comedy royal b

    My Demon  did not finish c

    Don’t Buy the Seller -K Drama about a serial killer who lures victims through ads for used sales

    Gyesang Creature K drama 6 episodes  Great badass lead actress.

    Havana K murder drama with an LGBT love affair theme

    Bloodhounds  K revenge crime drama

    2022 Movies Seen

    Black Money K Drama B

    Extreme Job  K Drama B

    We Are All Going To Die K Zombie Drama A

    Haibing 2017 The Thaw K Drama  B

    Our Blues  K Drama A set in Jeju

    Juvenile Justice K Drama B coming of age drama

    Silent Sea  K Drama B sci-fi

    My Liberation Notes

    My Love From The Stars  good rom-com

    Move To Heaven

    Honest Candidate

    Yaksha K Movie  B

    Blue  Bayou  Korean American Movie B

    Uncanny Counter K Drama  B

    Cyber Hell B

    Intruder K Drama B

    Welcome To Wedding Hell K Drama B

    Heist Korean Version B

    Will You Be There?  K Drama C Did Not Finish

    Extraordinary Attorney Yoo  A-1 great drama features an austic genius

    Minmi ding Café C Did Not Finish

    Remarriage And Desire K Drama B Another Drama About Rich People Behaving Badly.

    Unfamiliar Family K Drama  A

    Carter K Drama Movie C

    Designated Survivor K Drama A political intrigue

    Model Family K Drama  B

    Little Woman K Drama B  Korean re-make of a classic British 19th Century novel

    Stranger 1

    Stranger 2

    Reflection Of You good rom-com

    Made For Each Other  good rom-com

    Honest Candidate  political satire

    Signal K Drama

    When The Camellia Blooms B   good rom-com

    Love Struck In The City B

    Glitch Korean Sci-Fi  B good SciFi

    The Lies Within K Drama

    2021

    Space Sweepers K SF Drama

    Itaewon Class K Drama Trans character male to female

    Sense 8 is not a K drama per see but has a Korean lead actress

    The Last Man Standing  political thriller based on the true story of President Park’s assasination

    Sisispyus K Drama disappointing Sci-Fi

    Venzano K Drama good crime drama, and slow burn rom-com

    Glitch Good Sci-Fi

    Parasite  K Drama  Oscar Best picture

    Legends Of Alhambra  K Drama

    The Negotiator K Movie

    No Exit K Movie

    Crash Landing On You K Drama  great K rom-com set in North Korea

    Night In Paradise K Movie

    DP   K Drama

    Con  K Drama Movie

    When The Camelia Blooms K Drama great K rom-com

    Squid Games K Drama Number 1 On Netflix

    Move To Heaven K Drama

    Minuri  Oscar winner set in U.S.

    Hell Bound K Drama

    Hostage K Drama Movie

    Balgasal K SF

    The Wanted

    2020

     

    Mr. Kim’s Convenience Store set in Toronto

    Kim Ji Young K Drama

     

    2019

     

    49 Days Korean Movie B

    Chun hyang (2000 Film) YS

    The Assassin 2015 Korean Movie

    2015

    Kundu Korean Movie B

    Classified File Korean Movie On Plane

    2014

    Memories Of Murder Korean Film

    Typhoon Kore

    2011

    The King And I Korean Series

    Life In North Korea Documentary From National Geographic

    Morning Glory

    the end

  • the 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    the 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    May be an image of 1 person
    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2Oo

    More Roy Dufrain Writing

    Roy Dufrain Updates

    guest post by Roy Dufraine

    Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    The 2024 Oscars According to Roy Dufrain

    THE OSCARS AT OUR HOUSE.

    For more than twenty years now, Mrs D and I have made it an annual quest to see all of the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars telecast. This year we saw 9.5 of the 10 movies nominated.
    It started in 2000, when there were only five nominees (instead of up to 10 like now) and we usually had to see them in a theater, because they weren’t available to rent on VHS yet. (Yes, I said VHS).
    And we’ve done it every year since, except for 2019 which was interrupted by Mrs D’s infamous extended hospital stay. We have even ventured to other cities to see movies that weren’t playing at the one theater in our little town. I remember seeing Chocolat in Ukiah and more recently The Revenant in Rohnert Park. But now we can usually stream everything, and this year the whole project ran us around a hundred bucks in streaming rentals and purchases on top of our existing subscriptions to Amazon, etc.
    Several years ago I started writing about our tradition on Facebook. Now the writeup itself has become part of the deal. As I’ve said before, I’m no film student, nor expert critic. Just a regular dude who loves movies.
    Snap reviews and top picks below.

    American Fiction –

    Bold, wryly funny, contrarian, with the ring of truth. Brilliantly calls out the publishing industry, where retread tropes seem to trump story, art and insight, particularly when it comes to depictions of Black characters and writers. And I feel like there’s an even larger truth here about the way culture is degraded in general through over-commercialization.

    Anatomy of a Fall –

    A French film that moves carefully, piece by piece, and manages to be slow and taut at the same time. I found the characters to be inscrutable. I feel like I need to watch again just to see if maybe this time I would fully understand these people. It left me with a suspicion that perhaps all the story’s secrets have still not been revealed, that the resolution we see on the screen is still not the truth of these characters. And, in this case, that ambiguity is a good thing.

    Barbie —

    Cleverly funny in spots, but also unsubtly preachy in spots, an issue I’ve had with director Greta Gerwig before. But Margot Robbie was perfect and the movie is visually stunning in all its pinkish glory and devoted detail. Still, I think this movie appears in the Best Picture category more on the strength of its perceived politics than its success as an artistic endeavor.

    The Holdovers —

    A darkly funny, entertaining, and deeply reflective odd couple sort of story that’s enjoyable to watch. Maybe a little out of its league in the Best Picture category, but elevated to a higher status by Paul Giamatti’s performance, which is irresistibly engaging as always. Well worth a second watch.
    Killers of the Flower Moon — Having read the book, I felt the impact of the true part of this story was diminished by the fictionalized part of the movie. Reading the book I was deeply struck by the callous indifference shown toward the humanity of the Osage Indians. It resonated like an echo of Shindler’s List, underlining the incredible and frightening capacity of humans to rationalize literally any behavior in their fear or greed. But the movie revolves around Ernest Burkhardt (Leonardo DiCaprio) and depicts a somewhat tried and true arc of romantic tragedy, a weak-minded man caught up in the schemes of others, pulled along by greed and the need for approval, until he is in the process of killing the only real love he’s ever known. As is often the case, the truth was more complex. And more disturbing.

    Maestro –

    I usually make a conscious effort to limit my preconceptions of these movies. I don’t read reviews or watch trailers. But it’s hard to avoid a relentless ad campaign like the one mounted for Maestro. I’d seen the rousing TV spots touting the performances and the early awards. But I found the movie depressing, its characterization of Bernstein disappointing and unlikeable. But yes, Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan
    were both outstanding.
    Comment:  on my list to watch as I am a big Bernstein fan – one of the best classical composers of the 20th century in my opinion.

    Oppenheimer –

    Not what I would call a pleasant watch, at times slow and ponderous, even confusing with some of the time jumps. But the acting was so engrossing, immersive, mesmerizing even. Cillian Murphy in the title role was riveting. Robert Downey Jr simply disappeared into the role of Lewis Strauss. Emily Blunt was also captivating as Kitty Oppenheimer. The effects director Christopher Nolan used to heighten the sense of Oppenheimer’s interiority were brilliant and effective.
    For example when Oppenheimer steps on a charred corpse that only exists in his tortured, guilty mind. But the lasting impact of this film is the way it echoes in the mind afterward—how sad and terrible and absurd it is that we reckless humans have attained the power to destroy the world. It will probably win Best Picture. And it probably should.
    Comment: Also on my must see list

    Past Lives –

    Eventually, someone had to do a movie like this — an old romance is rekindled through the internet and complications ensue. In this particular case the past romance is an adolescent crush, cut short by one family’s immigration, and later complicated not just by the years, but also by geographic and cultural distance. This one stayed with me, kept me thinking for days afterward about its larger implications regarding fate, destiny, acceptance, grief and closure. Well worth more than one watch.

    Poor Things –

    Half of this movie was twice as much as I needed. We actually turned it off, extremely rare for us during Oscar season. What we saw played like a terrible excuse for some creepy, gratuitous soft porn. All the weirdness of the sets, costumes, cinematography and makeup felt like a desperate attempt at artistic status. If someone out there actually saw some redeeming value in this thing, feel free to explain in the comments section what I am missing.

    The Zone of Interest –

    This one’s all in German, with subtitles. But the dialog is sparse and the film’s biggest strength is in the fascinating dichotomy presented in its basic premise. It gives us a window into the surprisingly mundane personal lives of a “normal” family literally in the shadow of Auschwitz during the Holocaust. The sense of cognitive dissonance is alarming.

    Honorable Mention

    – I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to mention one film that was not even nominated for Best Picture but, in my opinion, should have been. Nyad has wonderful, engaging performances by Annette Bening and Jodie Foster, and it’s a suspenseful, satisfying, story of friendship, determination, human spirit, and triumph over the longest odds.

    Finally, here are my choices for the top awards.

    Don’t worry, the Academy almost always disagrees.
    Actor in a Leading Role: Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer Winner
    Actor in a Supporting Role: Robert Downey Jr, Oppenheimer Winner
    Actress in a Leading Role: Annette Bening, Nyad
    Actress in a Supporting Role: Emily Blunt, Oppenheimer
    Best Picture: Oppenheimer Winner 
    Soon it’s time to pop the popcorn, get cozy on the couch, badmouth the fashion and root for your favorites.
    Happy Oscars folks.

    here’s the winners 

    The 96th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 10, 2024, celebrated outstanding movies released in 2023. Here are some of the notable winners:

    1. Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
    2. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy for his role in “Oppenheimer”
    3. Best Actress: Emma Stone for her performance in “Poor Things”
    4. Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer”
    5. Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers”
    6. Best Director: Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”
    7. Best Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”
    8. Best Original Screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall”
    9. Best Animated Feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
    10. Best Documentary Feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
    11. Best International Feature Film: “The Zone of Interest”
    12. Best Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”
    13. Best Costume Design: “Poor Things”
    14. Best Film Editing: “Oppenheimer”
    15. Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Poor Things”
    16. Best Original Score: “Oppenheimer”
    17. Best Original Song: “Barbie”
    18. Best Production Design: “Poor Things”
    19. Best Sound: “The Zone of Interest”
    20. Best Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
    21. Best Documentary (Short Subject): “The Last Repair Shop”
    22. Best Animated Short Film: “War Is Over!”
    23. Best Live Action Short Film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” 12

     

     

    All reactions:

    15

  • Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    Master Movies Seen 1970- 2024

    movies watched during 2018
    night at the movies

    Master List Movies Seen

    movies master list

    I have been keeping track of movies and TV shows I have watched since I started my journals, going back to the late 90’s.  Here’s the list for the last few years.  On average I am watching over 150 movies/shows etc per year.  I have watched a lot of K drama over the last few years and can finally almost follow them without the use of subtitles!

    Assuming I have seen about 150 movies or TV shows per year since I was 5 I would say that I have seen about 10,000 movies and TV shows.

    Whenever I travel to the States, I binge-watch on the plane hitting ten movies on a round trip.

    I like to catch up on the Oscar winners, and blockbusters, and watch a Bollywood movie and a Spanish movie as well.

    Goals

    At Least One Korean Movie Per Week

    At Least One Spanish Movie Every So Often

    One Bollywood Or Another Foreign Language Movie Every So Often

    A Mixture Of Thrillers, K Drama, Comedies, Romcom, Etc

    Make A List Of Oscar Movies And Watch Several.

    Resume Going To The Theater Later In The Year.

    When Traveling To The US Watch Ten Movies Each Trip

    Including One Bollywood, One Spanish, Three To Four Blockbusters, One Classic, One Comedy

    200 Movies/TV Series By The End Of The Year.

     

    The 96th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on March 10, 2024, celebrated outstanding movies released in 2023. Here are some of the notable winners:

    1. Best Picture: “Oppenheimer”
    2. Best Actor: Cillian Murphy for his role in “Oppenheimer”
    3. Best Actress: Emma Stone for her performance in “Poor Things”
    4. Best Supporting Actor: Robert Downey Jr. in “Oppenheimer”
    5. Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph from “The Holdovers”
    6. Best Director: Christopher Nolan for “Oppenheimer”
    7. Best Adapted Screenplay: “American Fiction”
    8. Best Original Screenplay: “Anatomy of a Fall”
    9. Best Animated Feature: “The Boy and the Heron”
    10. Best Documentary Feature: “20 Days in Mariupol”
    11. Best International Feature Film: “The Zone of Interest”
    12. Best Cinematography: “Oppenheimer”
    13. Best Costume Design: “Poor Things”
    14. Best Film Editing: “Oppenheimer”
    15. Best Makeup and Hairstyling: “Poor Things”
    16. Best Original Score: “Oppenheimer”
    17. Best Original Song: “Barbie”
    18. Best Production Design: “Poor Things”
    19. Best Sound: “The Zone of Interest”
    20. Best Visual Effects: “Godzilla Minus One”
    21. Best Documentary (Short Subject): “The Last Repair Shop”
    22. Best Animated Short Film: “War Is Over!”
    23. Best Live Action Short Film: “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” 12

    The Lists are in reverse chronological order

    2024

     

    1. Confession K Drama A-
    2. Love In The Villa A
    3. Love At First Sight A
    4. Collectors K Drama B
    5. The Spy Gone North B K Drama
    6. Goodbye Mr. Black K Drama Did Not Finish
    7. My Demon Love K Drama Did Not Finish
    8. My Annoying Brother B
    9. Me And Me K Drama B
    10. Obliteration US Series C Did Not Finish
    11. Squid Game Season Two Did Not Finish
    12. Fair Play B-1 Is A Bit Too Violent And Dark
    13. In The Cold Netflix Series B
    14. Fool Me Once British Thriller B
    15. Leave The World Behind Lots Of Stars But A Meh
    16. Gyesang Creature K Drama Part Two B
    17. Manifest Season Four -Finished Series
    18. Stray UK Drama B
    19. Wednesday B
    20. Pretty Woman Classic Richard Gere/Julia Roberts A
    21. Somebody B
    22. The Devil Plan Was Too Complicated To Follow
    23. Night Agent A
    24. VIP K Drama B
    25. Destined With You K Drama
    26. My Annoying Brother B
    27. Spy Gone North Did Not Finish
    28. Catering Christmas Gala B
    29. Watcher B
    30. Millionaire First Love K Drama A
    31. Lift Heist Movie American Meh
    32. Hyenna K Legal Drama A
    33. Badlands Hunters K Post-Apocalypse Drama A
    34. Captivating The King K Historical Drama A
    35. Doctor Slump K Drama B
    36. The Trip Norwegian Dark Drama B
    37. Taken K Drama Movie B
    38. The Swindler K Drama Movie A
    39. Everything Happens Everywhere At Once Hoopla A
    40. A Transformers Copang TV B
    41. Golden Holliday K Movie Compang TV B
    42. Peacekeeper B
    43. Knock On The Cabin B
    44. Oppenheimer A
    45. Don’t Buy The Seller K Drama B
    46. Tourist Love Affair Cute But Predictable Filmed In Vietnam B
    47. The Dude In Me K Drama Is Cute A
    48. Black Phone B
    49. Single In Seoul K Movie B
    50. Secret Obsession American Movie B
    51. In The Shadow Of The Moon B
    52. Age Of Adeline A
    53. Fair Play B
    54. In From The Cold C
    55. Try To Kill Me I Dare You Polish Movie B
    56. Lee Kiwon K Movie About NK Refugees In Belgium
    57. Chronicle Sci-FI Meh C
    58. Young Police K Drama B
    59. Sweat And Sour B
    60. Happiness For Beginners US Drama B
    61. Falling For Christmas US Drama B
    62. The Gentlemen British TV Crime Series
    63. Killer Paradox K Crime Drama
    64. Queen Of Tears K Rom-Com

    2023 list

    1. 88 Minutes US thriller
    2. Moving to Heaven started in 2022.
    3. Emily In Paris Netflix B started in 2022.
    4. The Gray Man American
    5. Lies Within started in the 2022 BK drama.
    6. Trolly started 2022 B K drama a-
    7. Moonball SF B
    8. Glory K drama B+
    9. Confidential Assignment K drama b
    10. The Pale Blue Eyes – Murder mystery featuring Edgar Allen Poe as a cadet Netflix B
    11. Wednesday started in 2022
    12. On the line k drama b
    13. Weight Ton K drama b
    14. You American
    15. The age of Adaline started.
    16. Zone 414 did not finish b.
    17. Kate did not finish too violently d.
    18. 1899 needs to look again at America.
    19. The Invasion of South African c
    20. Parallel SF K drama
    21. Crash Course in Romance K drama A-
    22. Lookup American a big Meh
    23. One Spring Night K drama
    24. The Bros K drama
    25. Like for Likes K drama b.
    26. Ordinary People K drama b
    27. Quiet Place Part Two Next flix SF C+
    28. Echoes Next Flix series b American.
    29. Veteran K crime comedy b K drama
    30. Tiger in Winter K drama with a magical realism twist K drama
    31. After My Death, another Korean teenage crime drama k drama
    32. Confidential Assignment Two K drama
    33. Nothing Serious K rom-com
    34. Uncanny counter K drama
    35. What’s wrong with Secretary Kim K’s drama.
    36. Chief of Staff K drama
    37. Tau American
    38. Ad Astra American
    39. White noise American
    40. Mad for each other K drama
    41. Along with the god’s K’s drama
    42. Time to hunt K drama.
    43. Escape from Mogadishu K drama
    44. The decision to leave K drama.
    45. Adenoid K drama
    46. Hunt K drama
    47. Confession K drama
    48. A man from Toronto American
    49. The unforgiven American
    50. My unfamiliar family K drama
    51. You People Eddie Murphy Comedy
    52. Physical Another Squid Game K drama
    53. Confession K Drama
    54. Where the Crawdads Sing American movie
    55. Unblock Cyber crime K drama.
    56. Your Place or Mine US romcom
    57. Nope SCIFi Netflix
    58. One Spring Night K drama
    59. Sweat and Sour K drama
    60. Sweat Tooth
    61. Salvation
    62. Safe
    63. Black Panther Wakanda Forever
    64. Amsterdam b+
    65. Black Adam b
    66. Ant-Man and Wasp b
    67. Namaland B+
    68. Holy Betrayal Documentary on Religious cults in Korea
    69. Outer Banks Third Season
    70. Me K drama
    71. God’s Crook Line. Spanish
    72. Shin Divorce Attorney K Drama
    73. The Eternal King K drama
    74. Swing Kids American drama
    75. Live Up to Your Name K drama
    76. Murder Mystery 2 – not bad saw Murder Mystery One last year
    77. Kill Bosun K drama
    78. Shadow and Bone next season
    79. Tripple Frontier American
    80. Switch k drama
    81. Beef K Drama set in LA
    82. Strangers Things Season Four
    83. Queen Maker K drama
    84. Ticket to Paradise American drama
    85. The Stranger British
    86. Florida Man American
    87. Gone for Good British
    88. Stay Close British
    89. Kaleidoscope American
    90. Harris Goes to Paris British
    91. Collectors k drama
    92. The Chair American series
    93. What/if American series
    94. You Will Always Be My Maybe – US Romcom
    95. Black Knight K Drama
    96. Mother American Crime Thriller starring Jennifer Lopez
    97. Miss and Mrs. Cop K drama
    98. Unstoppable K drama
    99. Ordinary people
    100. Intruder
    101. Synopsis
    102. White noise
    103. Red notice
    104. How it ends
    105. Shimmer lake
    106. Mad for Each Other
    107. Private Lifes K drama
    108. Flower of Evil K drama
    109. The Mule
    110. Farber man’s (Oscar pick)
    111. Living
    112. Dangerous Games, Legacy
    113. The Independent
    114. Tau
    115. Bloodline
    116. hypnotic
    117. intrusion
    118. the stranger
    119. I Land
    120. another life
    121. colony
    122. imperfectives
    123. night flyers
    124. white lies
    125. Nice guys
    126. Glitch Aussies series
    127. Glitch Korean series
    128. dark
    129. awake
    130. 1989
    131. the order
    132. murder mystery 2
    133. SALT
    134. Adam project
    135. Star Trek Strange New Worlds Amazon
    136. Lost World CBC series on Amazon
    137. Outlaws Netflix
    138. Tyrone got Cloned on Netflix
    139. Lost City amazon
    140. Otto Netflix
    141. Terminator 2 Netflix
    142. Terminator 3
    143. Terminator 4
    144. Bird box Barcelona Netflix
    145. War of the World 2
    146. Expanse Season five
    147. Expanse Season Six
    148. Time Trap Netflix SF movie
    149. Wheel of Time Season Two Amazon
    150. Non-Stop
    151. Stolen
    152. Mysterious Island
    153. See You in My 19th Life K Drama did not finish it
    154. Babblyon saw that RHS did not finish it
    155. Heart of Stone saw with RHS
    156. The Stranger Netflix has good reviews but did not finish it

    2022

    1. Emily In Paris Netflix B
    2. Super Eight Stephen Spielberg B
    3. Black Money K Drama B
    4. Extreme Job K Drama B
    5. Freaks Netflix C
    6. Dune World (Not The Dune) C
    7. Assimilation – Invasion Of Body Snatchers Remake Hoopla C
    8. Power Play (Hoopla) C
    9. Constantine Netflix C
    10. Ozark Season 4 B
    11. Cowboy Bebop SF Netflix K Star But Not K Drama A
    12. Freaks
    13. We Are All Going To Die K Zombie Drama A
    14. Babysitter Killer Queen C
    15. Haebing 2017 The Thaw K Drama B
    16. Area 51 Hoopla C
    17. Nine Teeth Vampire Movie C
    18. Chosen B Netflix Danish SF
    19. Dark B Netflix German SF
    20. The Power Of The Dog C Oscar Nominee
    21. Bright With Will Smith B SF
    22. Kin B Netflix
    23. 88 Minutes B
    24. Shadow And Bone B+
    25. Locke And Key Season 2 B
    26. The Adam Project B
    27. Dark Crab – Sweedish Movie B
    28. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood B
    29. Alice In Borderland
    30. Warrior Nun
    31. Tulip Fever
    32. Army Of The Dead B
    33. Army Of Thieves C
    34. Glitch Australian Series
    35. Dark German SF B
    36. Our Blues K Drama A
    37. Juvenile Justice K Drama B
    38. Knight Day C
    39. Rebecca B
    40. Phantom Thread C
    41. Behind Her Eyes B
    42. Jumangi B
    43. The Dark Tower B
    44. I Frankenstein B
    45. Tau B
    46. Silent Sea K Drama B
    47. Night Flyer B
    48. El Camino Sequel To Breaking Bad B
    49. Rainy Day In New York -Woody Allen B
    50. My Liberation Notes
    51. Our Blues
    52. My Love From The Stars
    53. Move To Heaven
    54. Honest Candidate
    55. ARC B
    56. LA LA Land B Meh
    57. Ozark Season 4 B
    58. Yaksha K Movie B
    59. Blue Bayou Korean American Movie B
    60. Let Me Go Western Is Set In Montana Kevin Costner B
    61. Uncanny Counter K Drama B
    62. Cyber Hell B
    63. Intruder K Drama B
    64. Stranger Things Season Four B
    65. Welcome To Wedding Hell K Drama B
    66. The Hitman’s Body Gaurd’s Wife Part One C
    67. Oceans Eight B
    68. Interceptor A-
    69. Better Call Saul Season 5
    70. Better Call Saul Season 6
    71. Spiderhead C
    72. The Wrath Of Man C Did Not Finish C
    73. The Man From Toronto C
    74. Time Machine 2022 Re-Make B
    75. Heist Korean Version B
    76. RRR Bollywood Netflix Original A
    77. Will You Be There? K Drama C Did Not Finish
    78. Extraordinary Attorney Yoo A-1
    79. Minmiding Café C Did Not Finish
    80. American Made B +
    81. Tarzan B-
    82. Remarriage And Desire K Drama B= Another Drama About Rich People Behaving Badly.
    83. The King Of Stonks Austrian Satire B Worth Finishing
    84. Unfamiliar Family K Drama A
    85. My Liberation Notes K Drama A
    86. Carter K Drama Movie C
    87. Designated Survivor K Drama A
    88. Locke And Key Season Three B
    89. Model Family K Drama B
    90. Now You See Me
    91. The Body Guard’s Wife
    92. Red Notice
    93. How It Ends
    94. Better Call Saul Season Six B
    95. Manifest Netflix Special B
    96. Good Guys C
    97. Blood Red Sky D
    98. Little Woman K Drama B
    99. Chief Of Staff K Drama B
    100. Narco Saints K Drama B
    101. Interception
    102. Extraction
    103. Focus
    104. Project Power
    105. Love And Monsters
    106. Executive Decisions
    107. Gray-Man
    108. Adam Project
    109. Re-Start
    110. Jumangi
    111. Fifth Wave
    112. Justice League
    113. On Your Wedding Day
    114. 6 Underground
    115. Stranger 1
    116. Stranger 2
    117. Reflection Of You
    118. Made For Each Other
    119. Honest Candidate
    120. Man From Toronto
    121. The Protégé
    122. Signal K Drama
    123. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim? K Drama
    124. Manifest Four Seasons B+ Like Dark
    125. End-Of-The Road B
    126. When The Camellia Blooms B
    127. Love Struck In The City B
    128. Glitch Korean Sci-Fi B
    129. Zone 414 Did Not Finish C
    130. Office Invasion – South African SF Satire  C
    131. Kate Did Not Finish Too Violently Like In Kill Bill D
    132. Midnight Sky SF C  Too Meandering  C
    133. 1899 Did Not Finish Too Meandering B
    134. See You Yesterday Spike Lee SF B
    135. Someone B+
    136. Tidelands
    137. Jurassic World Domination
    138. Wednesday -Adams Family
    139. Your Psychological Thriller Series
    140. Prendergast Mike Meyers
    141. Dark Island German Film B
    142. Welcome To Murderville B
    143. Imperfects B
    144. Trolly K Drama
    145. The Lies Within K Drama

    2021 List

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans Are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. I Am Not Okay With This
    11. Constantine
    12. The Beach
    13. Holliday
    14. Rebecca
    15. About Time
    16. Spy Games
    17. We Could Be Heroes
    18. Vastness Of The Night Amazon
    19. Hanna
    20. The Expanse
    21. Sneaky Pete -Amazon
    22. How It Ends
    23. The I Land
    24. Wonder Woman
    25. Get Out
    26. Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    27. I Care A Lot 2020 TV
    28. Messiah
    29. Itaewon Class K Drama
    30. Sense 8
    31. Salvation
    32. The Order
    33. Lock N Key
    34. Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
    35. Titans
    36. O/A
    37. Abyss
    38. Outer Banks
    39. White Lines
    40. Umbrella Acadamy
    41. The Last Man Standing K Drama
    42. Suicide Squad
    43. The Honest Candidate K Drama
    44. Behind Her Eyes
    45. Sisyphus K Drama
    46. Venzano K Drama
    47. Strangers K Drama Season One
    48. Strangers K Drama Season Two
    49. Strangers K Drama Season Three
    50. The Woman In The Mirror
    51. Gemini Man
    52. Legends
    53. Bridgeton Netflix’s Top-Ranked Series
    54. Wanted With Angelina Jolie 2005?
    55. War Dogs
    56. The Holliday
    57. The Woman In The Mirror
    58. How It Ends
    59. Love And Monsters
    60. Knives Out
    61. Old Guard
    62. Borek Movie
    63. Sweet Tooth
    64. Mine K Drama
    65. Glitch
    66. Parasite K Drama
    67. Legends Of Alhambra K Drama
    68. August
    69. Sin City
    70. The Talented Mr. Ripply
    71. The Negotiator K Movie
    72. No Exit K Movie
    73. Crash Landing On You K Drama
    74. Jackel 1997 US Movie
    75. Night In Paradise K Movie
    76. DP K Drama
    77. Con K Drama Movie
    78. October
    79. When The Camelia Blooms K Drama
    80. Squid Games K Drama Number 1 On Netflix
    81. Move To Heaven K Drama
    82. The Money Heist Spanish Series
    83. Minuri
    84. Cool Hand Luke
    85. Citizen Kane
    86. Jungle Cruise
    87. Free Guy
    88. Black Widow
    89. King Kong V Godzilla
    90. Crazy Rich Asians
    91. Bliss Amazon
    92. Tomorrow’s Wars Amazon
    93. Reflections On You (K Drama, Netflix)
    94. Red Notice (Netflix)
    95. Hell Bound K Drama
    96. Crisis In Six Scenes Amazon
    97. The Wheel Of Time Amazon Season One
    98. Another Life Season Three
    99. Lost In Space Season Three
    100. Hostage K Drama Movie
    101. Army Of Thieves
    102. Army Of Death
    103. The Big Splash
    104. The Dark Tower
    105. Balgasal K SF
    106. The Wanted
    107. Mogadishu K Drama
    108. Don’t Look Up Netflix Special
    109. Focus
    110. Lucy
    111. Jupiter Ascending
    112. Space Between Us
    113. ARQ
    114. Rainy Day In NYC Woody Allen Film
    115. In Time
    116. Silent Sea
    117. San Andreas
    118. Don’t Look Up
    119. Mad For Each Other

    2020 Movies Seen

     

    1. Better Call Saul
    2. Nigh Flyer
    3. The Rim Of The World
    4. Joker
    5. Venom
    6. Lost In Space
    7. Jurassic World
    8. 100
    9. Birdbox
    10. I Am Number Four (Film)
    11. Umbrella Acadamy
    12. Locke And Key
    13. Sense 8
    14. Away
    15. Titan
    16. The Mist
    17. The Order
    18. October Faction
    19. The Man In The High Castle
    20. The Expanse
    21. Legends Of Tomorrow
    22. The Messiah
    23. The OA
    24. Lucy
    25. Timeless
    26. Travelers
    27. Alice Through The Looking Glass
    28. Annihilation
    29. The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
    30. Prince Caspian
    31. The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
    32. How It Ends
    33. Itaewon Class
    34. Zoo
    35. Extinction
    36. 6 Underground
    37. Ballade Of Buster Scruggs
    38. How It Ends
    39. Tau
    40. Series Of Unfortunate Events
    41. The Darkest Dawn
    42. The IO
    43. Ozark
    44. Avengers Day Of Ultron
    45. Prometheus
    46. Another Life
    47. Land Of The Lost
    48. Kim’s Convenience Store
    49. The Cloverfield Paradox
    50. The A-Team
    51. Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales
    52. Salvation
    53. Iron Man 2
    54. Total Recall
    55. The Machine (Hoopla)
    56. Absolutely Anything (Hoopla)
    57. The Adventurer Curse Of The Midas Touch (Hoopla)
    58. The Endless (Hoopla)
    59. Color Out Of Time (Hoopla)
    60. The Librarian Curse Of The Judas Chalice (Hoopla)
    61. The Librarian King Soloman’s Mine (Hoopla)
    62. The Librarian Quest For The Spear (Hoopla)
    63. Dinosaur Island (Hoopla)
    64. Land That Time Forgot (Hoopla)
    65. Dark Prophecy (Hoopla)
    66. The Villainess (Hoopla)
    67. Bad Boys For Life
    68. Outer Banks
    69. Suicide Squad
    70. Abyss
    71. Series Of Unfortunate Events
    72. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
    73. Superman Vrs Batman Star Of Justice
    74. Last Man Standing K Political Drama
    75. Honest Candidate K Drama
    76. Irishman
    77. Project Power
    78. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
    79. Kim Ji Young K Drama
    80. The Sting
    81. Focus
    82. Fantasy Island
    83. Warrior Nun –Did Not Finish
    84. Good Omens Amazon
    85. Sneaky Pete Amazon
    86. Blood Shot Netflix
    87. Jupiter Ascendant Netflix
    88. White Lines
    89. Bloodlines
    90. Inside Bill’s Brain
    91. War Dogs
    92. Alice In The Borderlands
    93. The I- Land
    94. Black Mirror
    95. The Last Three Days

    2019

    Partial List  Saw At Least 90 Total

    1. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)
    2. Aquaman (Theater) B
    3. 49 Days Korean Movie B
    4. Doomsday Device YS B
    5. Winter Kills YS C -Disappointing Despite Great Cast
    6. Heist 2001 Version YS  B
    7. Curse Of The Golden Flower YS
    8. HG Wells Men In The Moon YS A-1
    9. The Rift YS
    10. Narnia Voyage Of The Dawn Treader YS B
    11. Operation Chromite YS B
    12. The Assassin YS C Did Not Finish
    13. Justice League B
    14. The Ghost And The Darkness B
    15. The A-Team B
    16. Jack Reacher, Never Go Back B
    17. Night Flyer Series B
    18. Cold Pursuit
    19. Chunhyang(2000 Film) YS
    20. The Assassin 2015 Korean Movie
    21. Eraser(Film)
    22. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo(2011 Film)
    23. Operation Chromite(Film)
    24. The Rite(2011 Film) YS
    25. The First Men In The Moon YS

    26.  Curse Of The Golden Flower YS

    1. Alien Code YS
    2. Point B YS
    3. Shada(Doctor Who) YS
    4. Glass(2019 Film)
    5. Memories Of The Alhambra K Drama
    6. The Man In The High Castle 4 Seasons Amazon
    7. The Expanse Four Seasons Amazon

    2018

    1. Once Upon A Time ABC Mini-Series A
    2. Taken Earth C
    3. Alice Through The Looking Glass B
    4. The Vault C Too Scary A Movie
    5. GORA Turkish SF Comedy C
    6. Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales B
    7. Cowboys Vs Dinosaurs B
    8. Enterprise Complete Season
    9. Frequency Series
    10. Coverdale Paradox
    11. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (On a Plane)
    12. Kong Island Of Skulls (On Plane)
    13. Geostorm (On Plane)
    14. Lost And Found YS
    15. Berlin Syndrome YS
    16. Burn Country YS
    17. Beatriz At Dinner YS
    18. Breaking The Bank YS
    19. The Expanse Netflix Original
    20. Discovery Netflix
    21. Drone Wars YS
    22. Prometheus Trap YS
    23. Blackway YS
    24. The Mermaid YS
    25. The Great Wall YS

    2017/2016

    1. Leap Year TV  B
    2. Congressman YS  B
    3. Crimson Force YS  B
    4. The H Man YS  B
    5. Battle In Outer Space YS B
    6. Mothra YS  B
    7. 11 22 63 IS  A
    8. Blunt Talk YS  B Did Not Finish
    9. Alien Arsenal YS B
    1. mbush At Dark Canyon B
    2. Fighting With Anger B
    3. Baytown Outlaws B
    4. Hick C-1
    5. Heathens And Thieves A-
    6. Implanted B-
    7. When The Sky Falls C-
    8. Wild Bill Hickok Swift Justice B
    9. Traded B
    10. Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency -Mini-Series A
    11. Mystery Science Theater Cave Dwellers C
    12. Meet The Guilbys B
    13. The President A
    14. Stand Up Guy B
    15. Snow Piercer B Korean Producer B
    16. Painkillers C
    17. Dirty Lies
    18. Quarantine LA C
    19. Breaking The Bank B
    20. Strange B
    21. Jack Reacher Never Go Back B
    22. Keeping Up With The Jones B
    23. Hell Or High Water B
    24. The Accountant B

     

    Oregon

     

    1. The Ghost In The Shell Ashland Theater
    2. The Circle Theater Medford
    3. George Feydeua A Flea In Her Ear – ASH Drama
    4. The Black Hole MPL
    5. Final Days Of Planet Earth MPL
    6. The Last Sentinel MPL
    7. Supernova MPL B
    8. East Of Eden MPL A
    9. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof MPL A
    10. A Street Car Named Desire MPL A
    11. Rebel Without A Cause MPL A
    12. Enterprise First Year MPL B
    13. How To Mary A Millionaire MPL
    14. How To Be A Latin Lover Theater A
    15. Wonder Women Theater A-
    16. The Three Musketeers MPL C
    17. Time Changer MPL D
    18. Star Trek Enterprise four Seasons
    19. Solaris B-
    20. The Sea Of Trees A-
    21. Quantum Leap Season One A-1
    22. Star Gate Atlantis Rising B-
    23. Total Recall B
    24. Tammy B-
    25. A Tale Of Two Cities BBC B
    26. Vanishing Point A-
    27. Spider-Man Homecoming In Theater B
    28. War Of Planet Of The Apes In Theater B+
    29. Rogue One Netflix B
    30. The Dark Tower Theater B
    31. Eye Of The Needle MPL A
    32. Congo MPL B
    33. Exile Mplb
    34. Allegiant MPL B
    35. The Man MPL B
    36. Virus MPL B
    37. Frankenstein MPL A
    38. Treasure Island MPL B
    39. Jericho TV Series B
    40. Man In The High Castle TV Series A
    41. One Under The Sun Amazon B
    42. Independent’s Day Amazon –One Of The Worst Movie Ever Made F
    43. The Last Lovecraft – Relic Of Cthulu C
    44. Mysterious Island B
    45. Zoo Series On Netflix Seasons One To Three
    46. Stranger Things Season three seasons
    47. Suburbicon Theater B-1
    48. Thor Ragnarok Theater B
    49. Monsters Netflix C
    50. Travelers Netflix B
    51. Julius Caesar OSF B
    52. Hannah And The Dreaded Gazebo OSF B
    53. Blade Runner 2049 B
    54. Once Upon A Time ABC Series B
    55. The Night Of The Hunter MPL A
    56. The Maltese Falcon MPL A A
    57. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel MPL B+
    58. Mission Impossible Rogue Nation MPL B
    59. Beasts Of The Southern Wilds MPL
    60. Satan Met A Lady MPL B
    61. The Villainous Korean Movie 2017 Hoopla
    62. Guardians Of The Galaxy Part Two
    63. Star Wars The Last Jedi
    64. Nice guys
    65. Arrival
    66. Hell or High Water
    67. Dead Pool
    68. Revenant in theater
    69. Fifth wave on plane
    70. Synchroneity
    71. London Has Fallen on plane
    72. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot on plane
    73. Ten Coverfield Lane
    74. Julius Caeser OSF
    75. A wrinkle in Time OSF

     

    2015

     

    1. All About The Benjamin’s TNT B
    2. Rush Hour Three TNT  B
    3. The Interview Google On-Line C
    4. Paradise 2013 C
    5. The Signal 2014 B
    6. Duplicity Julia Roberts Clive Owens B
    7. Are You Here B
    8. Maleficent   B
    9. Guardians Of The Galaxy B
    10. Begin Again 2014 B
    11. The Giver 2014 A
    12. Sea Biscuit A
    13. November Man B
    14. A Most Wanted Man C
    15. Labor Day B
    16. Life Of Crime B
    17. Kundo Korean Movie B
    18. And So It Goes 2014 Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton B
    19. Marley And Me B
    20. Jobs B
    21. The Family C
    22. Stuck In Love B
    23. Mud B
    24. X Men Days Of Future Past C
    25. The Identical B
    26. Jurassic City C
    27. Railway Man B
    28. Peabody And Sherman B
    29. Lunch Box Bollywood Movie 2013 B
    30. Y Tu Su Mama, También Award Winning Mexican Movie 2014 B
    31. Australia B
    32. Henderson Presents B
    33. John Wick B
    34. Silver Lining Playback A
    35. The Good Night B
    36. View From The Top B
    37. Contagion C
    38. Pineapple Express C
    39. Country Strong B
    40. The Hobbit –Battle Of The Five Armies B
    41. Dinosaur Experiment C
    42. Broke Back Mountain Library  A
    43. An Affair To Remember Library  A
    44. Two Days In Paris Library A
    45. Ride With The Devil Library A
    46. Carmen Opera Library A
    47. Catch 22 Library B
    48. Game Of Thrones Season One Library B
    49. Game Of Thrones Season Two Library B
    50. Barefoot In The Park Library A
    51. No Reservations Library C
    52. Fast And Furious Library C
    53. Charlie’s Angels 2000 Library B
    54. Charlie’s Angels 2003 Version Saw Earlier Noted Here B
    55. Endless Love B
    56. Hot Pursuit On Plane C
    57. Day Of Adeline On Plane A
    58. Avengers Day Of Ultron On Plane C
    59. Tomorrowland On Plane B
    60. Far From The Madding Crowd On Plane A
    61. Aloha On Plane
    62. Mad Max Fury Road On a Plane
    63. San Andreas On Plane
    64. Classified File Korean Movie On Plane
    65. Casanova From Library
    66. Company You Keep From Library
    67. Contraband From Library
    68. Bleak House Mini-Series From Library
    69. La Boehme Opera From Library
    70. Eat Drink Man Women From Library
    71. Runner, Runner From Library
    72. Sense And Sensibility From Library
    73. American Snipper HBO
    74. Wild HBO
    75. Maze Runner HBO
    76. Dumb And Dummer To HBO
    77. Havoc HBO
    78. 5 Flights Up HBO
    79. Kill The Messenger HBO
    80. My Blueberry Nights Library
    81. Last Chance, Harvey, Library
    82. Serial Mom HBO
    83. The Producers 2005 Version
    84. Broken Flowers Hood
    85. Rumor Has It that HBO
    86. Run All Night HBO
    87. Fistful Of Dollars HBO
    88. A Few More Dollars HBO
    89. The Good, The Bad, And Ugly HBO
    90. Fifty Shades Of Grey HBO
    91. Hang Em High HBO
    92. The Drop HBO
    93. The Leisure Class HBO
    94. The Kingsmen Secret Service HBO
    95. Birdman HBO
    96. The Wiz NBC Special
    97. Spectre At Kingstown
    98. Magnolia HBO
    99. The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion HBO
    100. The Rock HBO
    101. Child Hood’s End Syfy Channel Special
    102. Insurgent HBO

     

    2014

     

     

    1. Jack Reacher 2012 Net Flix
    2. Thieves (Korean Movie Next Flix)
    3. Side Effects – Next Flix
    4. The Informant – Next Flix
    5. The Assassination Of Jessie James By The Coward Robert Ford 2008 Next Flic
    6. Olympus Has Fallen 2013 Next Flix
    7. Coriolanus 2011 Next Flix
    8. 300  Net Flix
    9. Appolo 18  Net Flic
    10. Shape Of Things To Come On Plane
    11. Battle Star Galactica Razor On Plane
    12. The Master On Plane
    13. Ides Of March On Plane
    14. Oblivion Net Flix
    15. Midnight In Paris Woody Allen Saw Earlier On Plane  Net Flic
    16. Non-Stop In Regal –  A Bit Disappointing
    17. Then She Found Me Directed By Helen Hunt 2007 Net Flic
    18. Zelig 1996 Woody Allen Nex Fix
    19. Husband And Wives = Woody Allen Movie Netflix
    20. Confederate States Of America 2004 Mockumentary
    21. Out Of Sight George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez Based On Elmore Leonard Novel – Bit Disappointing On Plane
    22. Hobbit Desolation Of Smug On Plane
    23. Ender’s Game On Plane On Plane
    24. The Internship On Plane
    25. Closed Circuit On Plane
    26. Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Download
    27. RoboCop Download
    28. The A-Team On Plane
    29. The Europa Report On Plane
    30. Blue Jasmine On Plane
    31. World’s End On Plane
    32. The Hangover On Plane
    33. Edge Of Tomorrow In Movie Theather
    34. True Crime 1998 Clint Eastwood (TV)
    35. Bullet To The Head (TV)
    36. Get The Gringo (TV)
    37. Pacific Rim (TV)
    38. Starsky And Hutch (TV)
    39. Space Jam (TV)
    40. World War Z Nextflex
    41. Wolf Of Wall Street Nextflex
    42. Gravity Nextflex
    43. 12 Years A Slave Nextflex
    44. Fracture Nextflex
    45. Good Night And Good Luck Nextflex
    46. The Perfect Storm Nextflex
    47. The Book Thief Nextflex
    48. Best Offer Nextflex
    49. Muncih 2005 Spellberg Nextflex
    50. A Winter’s Tale Nextflex
    51. Trascendence Nextflex
    52. The Other Women Nextflex
    53. Layer Cake Nextflex
    54. Heat Robert Dinoro, Al Pacino Nextflex
    55. Last Vegas Dinoro Freeman Kline Pacino Nextflex
    56. The Grand Budapest Hotel Netflix
    57. Best Laid Plans 1999 Version Nextflex
    58. Firewall Nextflex
    59. Saving Mr. Banks Nextflex
    60. A Wrinkle In Time Nextflex
    61. Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close – Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock About 9-11 And One Family’s Reaction Nextflex
    62. Mandella’s Long Walk To Freedom Nextflex
    63. Enough Said Nextflex
    64. All You Need Is Love Nextflex
    65. Divergent Nextflex
    66. Noah Nextflex
    67. You will Meet A Tall Dark Handsome Stranger – Woody Allen Movie 2010 Nextflex
    68. X Men Wolverine Origins Nextflex
    69. Captain America Winter Soldier Nextflex
    70. X Men 2 United Nextflex
    71. Sex Tape In Hotel
    72. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes On Plane
    73. Godzilla 2014 Version On Plane
    74. Don Juan Netflix
    75. Frozen Nextflex
    76. Gone Girl 2014 In Regal Springfield
    77. Better Living Through Chemistry 2013 Movie Netflix
    78. Elysium 2013 Nextflix
    79. A Million Ways To Die In The West Nextflex
    80. Interstellar 2014 In Regal Springfield
    81. Burning Palms – Worst Movie Of The Year For Me
    82. Million Dollar Arm
    83. Lost In America 1985 Recommended By Matt Jacobson
    84. Manhattan Murder Mystery 1995 Woody Allen
    85. State Of Play Next Flic
    86. Babel Next Flic
    87. Peter Pan Live NBC
    88. Snowpiercer Korean Directed Film
    89. Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit
    90. Superbad
    91. It’s A Wonderful Life
    92. This Means War
    93. Memories Of Murder Korean Film
    94. The Good, The Bad, And The Weird Korean Film
    95. Bad Santa
    96. Typhoon Korean Movie 2005
    97. In The Cut 2003 Australian Movie Set In NYC

     

    TV Series And Movies

     

    1. Breaking Bad Television Binge Watching All Episodes
    2. House Of Cards
    3. Tin Man
    4. Falling Skies

     

     

    2013

     

     

    1. Crazy, Stupid Love, Netflix January 1, 2013
    2. The Descendents  Netflix January 4, 2013
    3. The Hobbit (In Theater) January 5, 2013
    4. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  Netflix
    5. Abritrage Richard Gere
    6. Get Him To The Greek TV
    7. Snatch  Netflix
    8. The One Netflix
    9. One For The Money (Netflix)
    10. Star Trek The Undiscovered Country TV
    11. The Help Netflix
    12. Hope Spring Netflix
    13. Paul Netflix
    14. Stolen Netflix – Did Not Finish Nominate For Worst Film Of The Year
    15. The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe ABC Family
    16. Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2011 ABC Family
    17. Mission Impossible 1V Ghost Protocol
    18. Here Comes Mr. Jordan 1941 TCM
    19. A Star Is Born 1945 TCM
    20. Mission Impossible 111
    21. Decisions
    22. Life Of Pi Next Flic
    23. In Land Of Blood And Honey Next Flic
    24. Lockout Next Flic
    25. 21 Jump Street Next Flic
    26. Sherlock Holmes’s Games Of Shadows Plane
    27. Wrath Of The Titans Plane
    28. Horrible Bosses Plane
    29. Safe House Plane
    30. Hunter Plane
    31. Take This Waltz Next Flix
    32. Marley TV
    33. Coriolanus (Theather RHS)
    34. Wallenstein (Theather RHS)
    35. Great Gatsby (Regal Kingstown)
    36. Groom Lake (Hulu)
    37. Motorcycle Diaries 2004 Next Flic
    38. Looper Next Flic
    39. Superman Man Of Steel In Regal Theather
    40. Bourne Legacy (Netflix)
    41. Earthlings 2012 Hulu
    42. Gangster Squad (Nextflix)
    43. Red (Part)
    44. Zookeeper (Part)
    45. Witches Of Oz (Netflix)
    46. Interstate 60 Hulu
    47. White House Down In Theather
    48. Sex And Lucia Next Flic
    49. Ted Next Flic
    50. Star Ship Troopers – Invasion Next Flic
    51. Ana Karina 2012 Net Flix – Production Did Not Work For Me – Too Cute And Avant Garde – Like Watching A Film Of A Play Adaption.  Did Not Work As A Play Or As A Movie – A Big Disappointment
    52. Time Bandits 1981 Hulu
    53. RIPD In Theather
    54. Atonement (Netflix)
    55. Tristone And Isolde (2006) Netflix
    56. Dune 1984 Nextflex
    57. Meet The Millers Theather
    58. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World Next Flic
    59. Iron Man 3 On Plane
    60. Trance On Plane
    61. Prisoners In Theather
    62. The Butler In Theather
    63. Outsourced Netflix
    64. Cloud Atlas Netflix
    65. Flight 2012 Next Flic
    66. The Campaign 2012 Next Flic
    67. Asian Invasion (Porn Movie For Strip Poker Game)
    68. Details Nextflix
    69. The Blind Side Netflix
    70. Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides Netflix
    71. Robin Hood 2010 Netflix
    72. The Counselor 2013 In Theather
    73. The Host Netflix
    74. After The Sunset 2008 Netflix
    75. Grown Ups TNT On Cruise
    76. The Proposal TNT On Cruise
    77. Red 2 TNT On Cruise
    78. Maiden Heist Next Flix
    79. Despicable Me – Disney Channel
    80. Hunger Games Catching Fire In Theather
    81. The Place Beyond The Pines Next Flic
    82. Watch Man 2009 Next Flix
    83. Snow White And The Huntsman Nextflix
    84. Parker Netflix Streaming
    85. American Hustle
    86. A Christmas Story
    87. Ice Quake 2013 Syfy
    88. On The Road

     

     

     

    2012

     

     

    1. Dragnet (Next Flex)  Jan 1
    2. Bird On A Wire (Next Flex) Jan1
    3. Laura Croft Tomb Raider (Hollywood Chanel)
    4. Kuffs MGM Chanel
    5. Journey To The Lost World MGM Chanel
    6. Yellow Handkerchief Netflix
    7. Shanghai Knights Hollywood Chanel
    8. MMB 2 Hollywood Chanel
    9. What Women Want Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt 2000 Hollywood Chanel
    10. The Door In The Floor Jeff Bridges, Kim Bassinger, Mimi Rogers 2000 Next Flix Check References To Book
    11. America’s Sweethearts 2001 Julia Roberts, Kusshak, Catherine Zetta Jones Nextflix
    12. Marathon Man
    13. Catwoman
    14. The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes 2011 On Plane
    15. Cowboys And Aliens 2010 On Plane
    16. The Island 2005 On Plane
    17. The Day The Earth Stood Still 1951 On Plane
    18. Hot Tube Time Machine Net Flix
    19. The Big Lebrowski Net Flix
    20. Leopolis Seoul Netflix
    21. King Of The Lost World
    22. Money Ball (Training Day)
    23. Serenity Next Flex 2005
    24. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One (On Plane)
    25. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels On The Plane
    26. Bender’s Big Score (Netflix)
    27. Serenity (Nextflix)
    28. The Punisher (TV)
    29. Love’s Kitchen (Netflix)
    30. Transformers 11 2009 – Disappointing But Will Watch Transformers 111 To Finish The Series Off.
    31. The Double 2011 Richard Gere
    32. Contagion Did Not Finish Warsaw
    33. Sherlock Holmes 2 Did Not Finish Warsaw
    34. Win Win Warsaw Good Fli
    35. The Invasion 2005 Innovative Shooting Technique
    36. Tower Heist Nex
    37. The Tree Of Life Nex – Disappointing
    38. The Hangover Part Two NEX
    39. Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2011 Version)
    40. The King’s Speech NEX
    41. Midnight In Paris Woody Allen Movie 2011
    42. John Carter Hotel Room
    43. This Means War On Plane
    44. J Egard With Leonardo Di Capio Directed By Clift Eastwood – Big Disappointment. Just Too Long, Too Much Talking. From NEX
    45. Dr Strangelove From Mik B
    46. The Armour Of God 1987 Jackie Chan, Lola Forner Spanish Actress Hulu
    47. The Sands Of Oblivion 2007 Hulu
    48. The Monitors (Next Flex)
    49. MIB3 On Plane
    50. Prometheus – Last Half Worth Seeing Again On Plane
    51. Battleship On Plane
    52. Players Bollywood Remake Of The Italian Job –Worth Seeing
    53. Cross Worlds Next Flex
    54. Phil The Alien Next Flex
    55. Invasion Of The Pod People Hulu
    56. Alien Armageddon Hulu
    57. Red State Netflix
    58. God Bless America Netflix
    59. The Man Who Fell To Earth Netflix
    60. Very Bad Things Next Flix
    61. Ready Or Not – Hulu
    62. The Last Lovecraft: Relic Of Cthulu 2009 Netflix
    63. Amazing Spiderman 2012 Plane
    64. To Rome With Love 2010 Plane Woody Allen
    65. Dawalt’s Guard (First Arabic Movie) Plane
    66. Search For Justice 2012 Nicolas Cage Plane
    67. Mirror Mirror With Julia Roberts – On Plane In February
    68. The Gauntlet With Clint Eastwood 1977
    69. The Hunger Game Blockbuster
    70. The Debt
    71. The Maltese Falcon TCM
    72. My Week With Marilynn Block Buster
    73. Bernie Blockbuster
    74. Savages Blockbuster
    75. Wanderlust Blockbuster
    76. Skyfall Theather
    77. Office Space
    78. Dumb And Dumber TV
    79. Accepted TV
    80. The Iron Lady Blockbuster
    81. The Watch Blockbuster
    82. Larry Crowne Blockbuster
    83. Hot Rock 1972 Robert Redford HDNET
    84. Killing Them Softly (Movie Theather)

     

    2011

     

    1. How Do You Know 2010
    2. Nothing But The Truth 2008 Saw Earlier Not Bad 1-15
    3. Salt 2010 With Angelina Jolie
    4. The Other Side Of The Bed Spanish 2002
    5. A Perfect Getaway 2009
    6. Fool’s Gold
    7. Invictus 2009 Morgan Freeman, Matt Damian
    8. Like Water For Chocolate
    9. The Flower Of My Secret La Flora De Mi Secreto Spanish Movie 1995
    10. 88 Minutes 2007 Al Pacino
    11. Mr. Deeds 2002
    12. The King And I Korean Series
    13. Sex And The City 11

    14,  Hell Boy Part 11

    1. Love Happens
    2. Drive Angry 2011 Nicolas Cage Add To Worst Movie List

    17  Girl With The Dragon Tatoo 2009

    1. The Spanish Prisoner 1997 David Mamet Director Steve Martin
    2. Illegally Yours 1988 Robert Lowe
    3. Machette 2010 Half Spanish Dialogue Robert Dinero, Jessica Alba
    4. The Prince Of Persia 2010

    22   No False Move 1992 Bill Ray Thorton

    23 Life In North Korea Documentary From National Geographic

    1. Green Zone
    2. Morning Glory

    26 Killers

    1. Eat Pray Love

    28   The Town

    1. Kate And Leopold
    2. The Legend Of Bagger Vance

    30   Emma

    31  Les Miserables 1998 Version

    32  Unstoppable 2010

     

    2010

     

     

    1. Fragments 2009
    2. Where The Day Takes You 1992
    3. The Illusionist 2003
    4. PS, I Love You 2007
    5. The Burning Plain 2008
    6. The Other Man 2008
    7. Mama Mia 2008
    8. Dim Sum Funeral 2008
    9. Inglorious Bastards 2009
    10. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? 2003 Second Time Around
    11. Time Traveler’s Wife 2009
    12. Amelia 2009
    13. Lies And Illusions 2009 Add To Worst List
    14. Serious Moonlight 2009
    15. “The Chaser” Korean Film
    16. Precious 2009 Academy Award For Best Actress
    17. Every Body’s Alright
    18. Space Balls
    19. Three Stooges Selected Episodes
    20. Ghosts Of Girl Friends Past 2009 Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner
    21. Up In The Air 2009 George Clooney
    22. The Men Who Stare At Goats 2009 George Clooney
    23. Have You Heard About The Morgans? Hugh Grant, Sara Jessica Parker 2009
    24. Sherlock Holmes 2009 Robert Downey, Jude Law And Rachael Mc Donald
    • “Crazy Heart” 2010  Best Picture Award 2010 Jeff Bridges, Robert Duval, Maggie Gyenehall
    • “Five Minutes Of Heaven” Liam Nelson 2010.
    • Avatar 2009 Best Picture
    • Romeo Must Die Jet Li 2000
    • Flawless 2008 Demi Moore Michael Kane
    • Extraordinary Measures 2010 Harrison Ford
    • Alice In Wonderland 2010
    • The Road 2009
    • It’s Complicated
    • Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
    • The Invention Of Lying
    • Edge Of Darkness
    • The Spy Next Door
    • Young Victorian
    • Old Dogs (On Plane)
    • Leap Year (On Plane)
    • Couples Retreat (Travis) 2009
    • Knight And Day 2010 (Medford)
    • Inception 2010 (Medford)
    • The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2010 (Medford)
    • Clash Of The Titans (On Plane) 2010
    • Remember Me (On Plane) -2010
    • Bounty Hunter (On Plane -2010
    • Date Night (On Plane ) 2010
    • 2 Fast 2 Furious 2003 Eva Mendes Stars (Saw On TV)
    • Water World – Keven Kostner Saw On Korean TV
    • Legends Of The Fall  Saw On Korean TV
    • Iron Man 2 (On Plane)
    • How To Tame Your Dragon (On Plane)
    • The Informant (HBO Home)
    • Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (Parts)
    • Batteries Not Included 1987 Second Time Around (HBO)
    • Family Man (HBO)
    • Wall Street
    • Helen  – Short List For Worst Movie I Saw – Just Did Not Work For Me.
    • The Warlords
    • A Plague Of Zombies
    • Robin Hood
    • The Unthinkable
    • The Book Of Eli
    • The Count Of Monte Cristo
    • The Messenger (Angela Saw)
    • Red (In The Theather)
    • The Count Of Mont Cristo Angela Saw I Saw Parts
    • 3:10 To Yuma (Saw A Few Years Ago, Saw Again)
    • Law Abiding Citizen 2009
    • Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring Korean Film 2005
    • Aliens In The Addict 2009 TV
    • Loch Ness 1996 Ted Dancer HBO
    • Fair Game 2010 In Theater
    • The Pianists 2002 Angela Saw, I Saw A Few Years Ago
    • The Simpsons Movie First Half was Seen Earlier
    • Star Wars 6 First Half Hour
    • Wizard Of OZ Half
    • The King And I Korean History Drama
    • The Darjeeling Limited 2007 Owen Wilson Wes Anderson Directed
    • The Piano  1995   Angela Saw, I Heard Parts Of It
    • Gia 1994  Very Sexual And Lots Of Lesbian Scenes Which Turned Me On.
    • Oregon (SFY)
    • Leiberstruam 1999 Kim Novack, Bill Pullman  HBO
    • The Jones 2009 Demi Moore, David Duchovny Amber Heard, And Ben Hollingsworth Directed By Derrick Borte – Disappointed, Did Not Work For Me
    • The Hours 2002 Nicole Kidman, Julain Moore, And Meryle Shreep Re Life Of Virginia Woolf And Her Impact On The Life Of Two Women
    • Bobby 2006 Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, William Macy, Martin Sheet, Linsday Lohan, And Cristian Slater Written Nd Directed By Emilio Estevez
    • True Grit 2010 – Overly Hyped In My Opinion
    • Vivdirana Spanish Film 1961 Classic
    • Volver  2005 Spanish Film
    • How Much Do You Love Me 2005 French
    1. Ninja Assassins 2009  Staring Rain  On TV

    93  Horsefeathers  Marx Brothers On TV

     

     

    2009

     

    1. Underwear” Starting Val Kilmer, Graham Greene,
    2. Constant Gardener With Rachael Weiz –
    3. Rumor Has It – Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner
    4. Queen
    5. Hancock With Will Smith
    6. Dave – With Eddie Murphy – SF Comedy
    7. Joe Kid – With Clint Eastwood – Saw Opening
    8. Iron Man – Not Bad. Another Marvel Movie.
    9. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”
    10. Gone, Baby, Gone”
    11. Fracture
    12. Burn After Reading”
    13. 21 Grams”
    14. The Changling With Angelia Jolie, Directed By Clint
    15. Kiss The Dust”
    16. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
    17. Electric Mist With Tomy Lee Jones
    18. Good German
    19. Siberian Express
    20. Body Of Lies
    21. Slum Dog Millionaire
    22. Lucky Slevin
    23. Australia
    24. What Just Happened
    25. City Of Ember
    26. Proof Of Life
    27. Bottle Shock
    28. Runaway Jury
    29. Master Spy
    30. Marie Antoinette
    31. Interstate
    32. He’s Just Not That Into You
    33. Madagascar 11
    34. Collateral With Jamie Fox And Tom Cruise
    35. My Super Ex Girl Friend
    36. State Of Play – In Medford Movie Theather
    37. Bolt-On The Plane
    38. Yes Man, In Hotel Room In DC
    39. Avengers
    40. Spy Games
    41. All The Way
    42. The Day The Earth Stood Still
    43. Seven Pounds
    44. Nothing But The Truth
    45. The Reader – Oscar Winner For Best Actress 2008 Kate Winslet
    46. Crossing Over
    47. Kill Shot With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
    48. Vanished With Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock
    49. Valkarie
    50. Star Trek – Prequel Movie (From Street Vendor)
    51. 52 The Clearing With Robert Redford – 2004
    52. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button With Brad Pitt Best Actor Award 2009
    53. Knowing With Nicolas Cage 2009
    54. The Code
    55. Counterfeit
    56. Alexander 2004 Oliver Stone Producer
    57. Out For Justice 1991
    58. Echelon Conspiracy 2009
    59. The Good Thief 2001 With Nick Nolte
    60. Meteor = NBC Mini-Series
    61. Wild Hogs 2007 Tim Allen, Travolta, Macy, Lawrence
    62. 28 Days Later
    63. Wild Things 2
    64. Mystic River Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Sean Pean
    65. Criminal 2004
    66. Essential Lover
    67. Two Lovers
    68. Angels And Demons 2008 Started by Tom Hanks, Directed By Ron Howard
    69. The Informers
    70. Duplicity
    71. Surveillance Produced By Jennifer Lynch Starting Pullman And Ormand
    72. Trust The Man 2008
    73. The Mutant Chronicles 2008
    74. Heaven 1995?
    75. Wolverine With Hugh Jackman 2009
    76. Dark Streets With Bijou Philips
    77. Doubt With Meryle Strep 2008
    78. Coco Chanel Shirley Mc Cline 2008
    79. Ramen Girl
    80. The Yatzuka (1974 W George Mitchum)
    81. The Fountain 2006 W Rachel Weiss (Hot)
    82. Easy Virtue 2009 (On Plane)
    83. Act Of Imagination – Eddie Murphy And Serena Williams’s Daughter
    84. I Hate Valentine’s Day 2009  (On Plane)
    85. The Proposal 2009 With Sandra Bullock
    86. Into The Storm (Bio Of Winston Churchill (On Plane)
    87. MILF Hunters 5 Porno Movie Seen In Hotel
    88. Brooks
    89. Taken
    90. The Big Bounce
    91. The Heartbreak Kid (Second Time Around)
    92. Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 With John Travolta, Denzel Washington
    93. Cherrie 2008 With Michelle Pfiefer
    94. Accidental Husband 2008 With Uma Thuber
    95. Management With Jennifer Anison, Steve Chain, And Woody Harrelson, 2008
    96. My Life In Ruins, 2008 With Nia Valdolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding And Richard Dreyfus)
    97. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2005
    98. Spanglish 2005 With Adam Sandler
    99. A Married Life 2008
    100. Open Road 2009
    101. Vanity Fair 2004 Recee Weatherspoon As Bucky Sharp
    102. Beyond Borders 2008 Anglie Jolie, And Clive Owen
    103. I’ll Sleep When I Am Dead 2003with Clive Owen
    104. The King Of California 2007 With Michael Douglas
    105. Target 1985 With Gene Hackman And Matt Dillion
    106. The Life Of David Gale With Kevin Spacy, And Kate Winslet
    107. Bruno
    108. Lucky You With Drew Barrymore
    109. The Last Word
    110. 2012 With John Cusack
    111. Bad Lieutenant With Nicolas Cage
    112. The Tournament 2009 Kelly Hu
    113. Public Enemies 2009 Johny Deep
    114. Julia And Julia 2009 Meryle Sherpa
    115. Cold Mountain 2003 Jude Law, Nicole Kidman
    116. Out Of Time 2003 Denzel Washington, Eva Mendez (Hot)
    117. Night At The Museum 11 Battle For Smithsonian
    118. Sleuth 2009 Version
    119. Land Of The Lost 2009
    120. The Brother’s Bloom 2008
    121. Letter From Iwa Jima 2007 Clint Eastwood Directed
    122. White Chicks
    123. Star Treck Generations
    124. Jackie Collins Hollywood Wife 2003
    125. Charlie Wilson’s War -2008 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
    126. The Whole Nine Yards 2000 Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peete (Hot)
    127. The Illusionist

    2008

    1. After The Sunset With Pierce Bronson, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle
    2. American Gangster With Denzel Washington And Russell Crowe
    3. Out Of Reach With Steven Seagal
    4. Amos And Andy With Nicolas Cage And Samuel Jackson
    5. The Merchant Of Venice With AL Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins
    6. Harrison’s Flowers With Adrian Macdowell, Elias Koteas, Brendan Gleeson, Adrian Brody, And David Stratham
    1. Sylvia – Movie About The Poet Sylvia Plath And Ted Hughes
    2. What Happened In Vegas – With Cameron Diaz
    3. Rendition With Meryle Strep – About The Issue Of Renditions, Well Done
    4. Adaptation – Nicolas Cage Re Life Of Two Twin Brothers Screen Writers And The Process Of Writing A Screen Play
    5. Bangkok Dangerous Nicolas Cage
    6. Elizabeth
    7. The Weather Man Nicolas Cage
    8. Get Smart
    9. Possession NF
    10. Next With Nicolas Cage NF
    11. Knocked Up NF
    12. Untouchables AMC
    13. Fargo AMC
    14. Mummy Returns

    2007 To 2010 Barbados

    Saw A Lot Of Movies On Video And Netflix Via Mail

    2003 To 2007  DC Saw An Average of 100 Per Year – lot via blockbuster

    2000 To 2003  Saw An Average Of 100 Per Year Mostly Videos But Did See In Movie Theaters Twice A Month And Saw Several Bollywood Movies

    2000   Saw The Three Stooges Marathon To Start The Year

    1996 -1997  Saw Less Than 50 Due To Being In Hospital Half The Year

    The 90s  Saw About 100 Per Year Blockbuster Was Popular

    1994  during six month Thai training saw four movies per week

    1991 during training saw four movies per week, two normal,

    The ’80s Saw A Lot Via Video About 100 Per Year

    The ’70s Saw On TV And In Movie Theaters

    Watched a lot of Creature Features movies on TV in the early ’70s every Friday night they had a double feature.    Went on average once a week to the movies with friends

    Favorite animation series included American Dad, Dilbert,  Family Guy, Futurama, Bullwinkle, Looney Tunes .

    Favorite TV series over the years include Arrested Development,  Batman, Superman,  Everyone Loves Raymond, Two and half men, Married with Children, Malcom in the Middle, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and as a child, Beverly Hillbies, Dobbie Gils, Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres, Outer limits, Twilight zone, and X Files.

    Saw all planet of the Apes movies and all James Bond movies

     

  • Jim Davidson Music Links

    Jim Davidson Music Links

    https://wp.me/p7NAzO-2JxIntroduci[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”4″ gal_title=”All images”]

     

    ng Jim Davidson

    Jim Davidson Music Links

    Jim Davidson is a friend I have known since high school in the 70s in Berkeley, California.

    He is perhaps the world’s leading authority on all things Perry Mason, and has published the definitive book on Perry Mason.

    He is also a talented musician, and an expert on comics and classic TV shows.

    You can find his work at the following links

    ;

    Here’s my comics history blog:

    https://comicshistoryhub.blogspot.com/

    Here’s my TV history site:

    http://www.classictvinfo.com/

    Here’s my Perry Mason book:

    https://amzn.to/41QFnLj

    Here’s a playlist of my live music performances:

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX1JF6laivmCEtsKEBOESR7ONhowMdkvm

    Here’s a playlist of my studio music performances:

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX1JF6laivmDeiTySUhrFho-Aq3NYa5Yn

    Here’s the Facebook page for my music group:

    https://www.facebook.com/karensudjianjimdavidson

     

  • Cosmos’s Movie Watching List 2023

    Cosmos’s Movie Watching List 2023

    Cosmos Movie Watching List 2023

    Movie Watching Goals 2023

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.
    At least one Korean movie per week
    At least one Spanish movie every so often
    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie every so often

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc
    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year
    When traveling to the US watch ten movies each trip
    Including one Bollywood, one Spanish, three to four blockbusters, one classic, one comedy

    see Cosmos movie lists for 2016 to date for reference on other movies I have seen.

    the list

    January

    88 Minutes US thriller
    Move to Heaven  started in 2022
    Emily In Paris Netflix B started in 2022
    The Gray Man  American
    Lies Within started in 2022 B K drama
    Trolly started 2022 B K drama a-
    Moonfall  SF B
    Glory K drama B+
    Confidential Assignment K drama b
    The Pale Blue Eyes –  Murder mystery featuring Edgar Allen Poe as a cadet Netflix B
    Wednesday started in 2022
    On the line  k drama b
    Weight Ton  K drama b
    You  American
    The age of Adaline started
    Zone 414 did not finish  b
    Kate  did not finish too violent  d
    1899 need to look again American
    The Invasion of South African  c
    Parallel SF  SF  K drama
    Crash Course in Romance K drama  A-
    Lookup  American a big Meh

    February

    One Spring Night  K drama
    The Bros K drama
    Like for Likes K drama b
    Ordinary People K drama b
    Quiet  Place Part Two Next flix SF C+
    Echoes  Next Flix series b  American

    On plane To.from Australia

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever
    Amsterdam b+
    Black Adam b
    Ant-Man and Wasp b
    Namaland B+

    Return to Korea

    Holy Betrayal Documentary on Religious cults in Korea
    Outer Banks Third Season
    Me Me K drama
    God’s Crook Line.Spanish
    Shin Divorce Attorney K Drama
    The Eternal King K drama

    April

    Swing Kids American drama
    Live Up to Your Name K drama
    Murder Mystery 2 – not bad saw Murder Mystery One last year
    Kill Bosun K drama
    Shadow and Bone next season
    Tripple Frontier American
    Switch k drama
    Beef K Drama set in LA
    Strangers Things Season Four
    Queen Maker K drama
    Ticket to Paradise American drama
    The Stranger British

    May

    Dr. Cha K drama
    How to Get Rich American documentary
    Florida Man American
    Gone for Good British
    Stay Close British
    Kaleidoscope American
    Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris British
    Collectors k drama
    the Chair American series
    What/if American series
    You Will Always Be My Maybe – US Romcom
    Black Knight K Drama
    Mother American Crime Thriller staring Jennifer Lopez
    Miss and Mrs. Cop K drama
    Unstoppable K drama
    Ordinary people
    Intruder
    Hynoptic
    White noise
    Red notice
    How it ends
    Shimmer lake
    Tau
    ordinary people
    intrunsion
    the stranger
    gone for good
    Private Lifes`

    On planes to US/From the US and across the country

    The goal is to watch 12 movies/ five to five coming back and two cross country
    Focusing on Oscar winners, plus at least one Spanish and one Bollywood movie

    While on travel to the U.S watch five movies each way picking Oscar picks if a possible total of 10 to 15 movies, two or three in the theater as well 20 movies total one Bollywood and One Spanish each trip

    Korea to US four movies

    DC to Oregon two movies

    Medford to Dallas is one movie

    Dallas Seoul 4 movies

    12 movies total

    Pick four Oscar nominees
    One Bollywood movie
    One Spanish movie
    One Thai movie?
    One SF
    One thriller
    One comedy
    Two classic movies

    June

    July

    August

    Five Movies to Korea

    Pick four Oscar nominees
    One Bollywood movie
    One Spanish movie
    One Thai movie?
    One SF
    One thriller
    One comedy
    Two classic movies

    September

    October

    Four movies to Europe
    Four movies on the way back

    Pick four Oscar nominees
    One Bollywood movie
    One Spanish movie
    One Thai movie?
    One SF
    One thriller
    One comedy
    Two classic movies

    November

    December

    Oscar Nominees BOLD want to see

    The strange and sentimental film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” led among the films nominated for the 95th Academy Awards on Tuesday, scoring 11 nominations. “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” followed with nine nominations each.
    Blockbuster’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” each landed nominations for best film, and there is plenty of star power among the nominees. Both Rihanna and Lady Gaga were nominated in the original song category (for tunes from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” respectively), as veterans in the industry were recognized as well.
    Those actors include Angela Bassett, who was nominated in the best supporting actress category for her role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever;” Jamie Lee Curtis in the same category for “Everything Everywhere All at Once;” Judd Hirsch in “The Fabelmans,” nominated for the best supporting actor; Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Brendan Fraser in “The Whale,” nominated for best actor; and in the best actress category Cate Blanchett for “Tár,” Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans” and Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”
    Allison Williams, who most recently starred in the horror hit “M3GAN,” and Riz Ahmed, who received an Oscar last year for his role in the short film “The Long Goodbye,” announced the nominations.

    The Academy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, March 12.

    See below for a full list of the nominees. BOLD wants to See * seen

    BEST PICTURE

    “Everything Everywhere All At Once”
    Allyson Riggs/A24
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Avatar: The Way of Water”
    “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    “Elvis”
    “The Fabelmans”
    “Tár”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”
    “Triangle of Sadness”
    “Women Talking”

    ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

    *Angela Bassett in ‘Black Panther Wakanda Forever
    Annette Brown/Marvel Studios
    Hong Chau, “The Whale”
    Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

    Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin.”
    Searchlight Pictures
    Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”
    Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”
    Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

    Peter Lanzani and Ricardo Darin star in “Argentina, 1985”
    Amazon Studios
    “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany
    “Close,” Belgium
    “EO,” Poland
    “The Quiet Girl,” Ireland

    DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

    “The Elephant Whisperers”
    “Haulout”
    “How Do You Measure a Year?”
    “The Martha Mitchell Effect”
    “Stranger at the Gate”

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    “All That Breathes”
    “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”
    “Fire of Love”
    “A House Made of Splinters”
    “Navalny”

    ORIGINAL SONG

    “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”
    “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”
    “Lift Me” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
    “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”
    “This Is A Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’
    Netflix
    “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”
    “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”
    “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”
    “The Sea Beast”
    “Turning Red”

    ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ seen *
    Netflix
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Living”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”
    “Women Talking”

    ORIGINAL

    s Sammy Fabelman in ‘The Fabelmans’
    Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
    “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    “The Fabelmans”
    “Tár”
    “Triangle of Sadness”

    ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

    Elvis’
    Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
    Austin Butler, “Elvis”
    Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
    Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”
    Bill Nighy, “Living”

    ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

    Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michelle Yeoh in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once
    Cate Blanchett, “Tár”
    Ana de Armas, “Blonde”
    Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”
    Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”
    Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    DIRECTOR

    Paul Dano, Mateo Zoryan Francis-DeFord, and Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans, co-written, produced, and directed by Steven Spielberg.
    Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
    Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”
    Todd Field, “Tár”
    Ruben Ostlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

    PRODUCTION DESIGN

    Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Avatar: The Way of Water”
    “Babylon”
    “Elvis”
    “The Fabelmans”

    ‘All Quiet on the Western Front
    Reiner Bajo/Netflix
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”
    “Elvis”
    “Empire of Light”
    “Tár”

    COSTUME DESIGN

    Letitia Wright in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
    Marvel Studios
    “Babylon”
    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
    “Elvis”
    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”

    ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

    Paramount Pictures
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Avatar: The Way of Water”
    “The Batman”
    “Elvis”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    ANIMATED SHORT FILM

    “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”
    “The Flying Sailor”
    “Ice Merchants”
    “My Year of Dicks”
    “An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It”
    LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
    “An Irish Goodbye”
    “Ivalu”
    “Le Pupille”
    “Night Ride”
    “The Red Suitcase”
    ORIGINAL SCORE
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Babylon”
    “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    “The Fabelmans”
    VISUAL EFFECTS
    os.
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “Avatar: The Way of Water”
    “The Batman”
    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    FILM EDITING
    “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    “Elvis”
    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    “Tár”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING

    Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale’
    A24
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “The Batman”
    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
    “Elvis”
    “The Whale”

    eteran K crime comedy b K drama

    Tiger in Winter K drama with a magical realism twist K drama

    After My Death another Korean teenage crime drama k drama

    Confidential Assignment Two K drama

    March

    Nothing Serious K rom-com

    Uncanny counter  K drama

    What’s wrong with Secretary Kim  K drama

    Chief of Staff K drama

    Tau  American

    Ad Astra  American

    White noise American

    Mad for each other  K drama

    Along with the gods K drama

    Time to hunt K drama

    Escape from Mogadishu K drama

    Decision to leave K drama

    Akenoid K drama

    Hunt K drama

    Confession K drama

    Man from Toronto  American

    The unforgiven  American

    My unfamiliar family K drama

    You People Eddie Murphy Comedy

    Physical  Another Squid Game K drama

    Confession K Drama

    Where the Crawdads Sing American movie

    Unblock Cyber crime K drama

    Your Place or Mine US romcom

    Nope Scifi Netflix

    One Spring Night  K drama

    Sweat and Sour K drama

    Sweat Tooth

    Salvation

    Safe

    On plane to/From Australia

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever

    Amsterdam  b+

    Black Adam  b

    Ant-Man and Wasp b

    Namaland  B+

    Return to Korea

    Holy Betrayal Documentary on Religious cults in Korea

    Outer Banks Third Season

    Me Me  K drama

    God’s Crook Line.Spanish

    Shin Divorce Attorney K Drama

    The Eternal King  K drama

    April

    Swing Kids  american drama

    Live Up to Your Name  K drama

    Murder Mystery 2 – not bad saw Murder Mystery One last year

    Kill Bosun K drama

    Shadow and Bone next season

    Tripple Frontier  American

    Switch k drama

    Beef  K Drama set in LA

    Strangers Things Season Four

    Queen Maker  K drama

    Ticket to Paradise  American drama

    The Stranger  British

    May

    Dr. Cha  K drama

    How to Get Rich American documentary

    Florida Man  American

    Gone for Good British

    Stay Close   British

    Kaleidoscope American

    Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris British

    Collectors k drama

    the Chair American series

    What/if American series

    You Will Always Be My Maybe – US Romcom

    Black Knight K Drama

    Mother  American Crime Thriller staring Jennifer Lopez

    Miss and Mrs. Cop  K drama

    Unstoppable K drama

    Ordinary people

    Intruder

    Hynoptic

    White noise

    Red notice

    How it ends

    Shimmer lake

    Tau

    ordinary people

    intrunsion

    the stranger

    gone for good

    private Lifes

    To watch

    The diplomat

    Safehouse

    On planes to US/From the US and across the country

    The goal is to watch 12 movies/ five to five coming back and two cross country

    Focusing on Oscar winners, plus at least one Spanish and one Bollywood movie

    While on travel to the U.S watch five movies each way picking Oscar picks if a possible total of 10 to 15 movies, two or three in the theater as well 20 movies total one Bollywood and One Spanish each trip

    Korea to US four movies

    DC to Oregon two movies

    Medford to Dallas is one movie

    Dallas Seoul five movies

    12 to 15  movies total

    Pick four Oscar nominees

    One Bollywood movie

    One Spanish movie

    One Thai movie?

    One SF

    One thriller

    One comedy

    Two classic movies

     

    June

     

    July

     

    August

     

    Five Movies to Korea

    Pick four Oscar nominees

    One Bollywood movie

    One Spanish movie

    One Thai movie?

    One SF

    One thriller

    One comedy

    Two classic movies

    September

    October

    Four movies to Europe

    Four movies on the way back

    Pick four Oscar nominees

    One Bollywood movie

    One Spanish movie

    One Thai movie?

    One SF

    One thriller

    One comedy

    Two classic movies

    November

    December

    Oscar Nominees BOLD want to see

    The strange and sentimental film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” led among the films nominated for the 95th Academy Awards on Tuesday, scoring 11 nominations. “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “The Banshees of Inisherin” followed with nine nominations each.

    Blockbuster’s “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” each landed nominations for best film, and there is plenty of star power among the nominees. Both Rihanna and Lady Gaga were nominated in the original song category (for tunes from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” respectively), as veterans in the industry were recognized as well.

    Those actors include Angela Bassett, who was nominated in the best supporting actress category for her role in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever;” Jamie Lee Curtis in the same category for “Everything Everywhere All at Once;” Judd Hirsch in “The Fabelmans,” nominated for the best supporting actor; Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin,” and Brendan Fraser in “The Whale,” nominated for best actor; and in the best actress category Cate Blanchett for “Tár,” Michelle Williams in “The Fabelmans” and Michelle Yeoh in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

    Allison Williams, who most recently starred in the horror hit “M3GAN,” and Riz Ahmed, who received an Oscar last year for his role in the short film “The Long Goodbye,” announced the nominations.

     

    The Academy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, March 12.

     

    See below for a full list of the nominees.  BOLD wants to See * seen

     

    BEST PICTURE

     

    “Everything Everywhere All At Once”

    Allyson Riggs/A24

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Avatar: The Way of Water”

    “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    “Elvis”

    “The Fabelmans”

    “Tár”

    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    “Triangle of Sadness”

    “Women Talking”

     

    ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

    *Angela Bassett in ‘Black Panther Wakanda Forever

    Annette Brown/Marvel Studios

    Hong Chau, “The Whale”

    Kerry Condon, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    Jamie Lee Curtis, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    Stephanie Hsu, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

    Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell in “The Banshees of Inisherin.”

    Searchlight Pictures

    Brendan Gleeson, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    Brian Tyree Henry, “Causeway”

    Judd Hirsch, “The Fabelmans”

    Barry Keoghan, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

     

    INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

     

    Peter Lanzani and Ricardo Darin star in “Argentina, 1985”

    Amazon Studios

    “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Germany

    “Close,” Belgium

    “EO,” Poland

    “The Quiet Girl,” Ireland

    DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

    “The Elephant Whisperers”

    “Haulout”

    “How Do You Measure a Year?”

    “The Martha Mitchell Effect”

    “Stranger at the Gate”

    DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    “All That Breathes”

    “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed”

    “Fire of Love”

    “A House Made of Splinters”

    “Navalny”

    ORIGINAL SONG

    “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”

    “Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”

    “Lift Me” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

    “Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”

    “This Is A Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    ‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’

    Netflix

    “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

    “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On”

    “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”

    “The Sea Beast”

    “Turning Red”

    ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

    ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ seen *

    Netflix

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Living”

    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    “Women Talking”

     

    ORIGINAL

     

    s Sammy Fabelman in ‘The Fabelmans’

    Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

    “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    “The Fabelmans”

    “Tár”

    “Triangle of Sadness”

     

    ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

     

    Elvis’

    Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures

    Austin Butler, “Elvis”

    Colin Farrell, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”

    Paul Mescal, “Aftersun”

    Bill Nighy, “Living”

     

    ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

     

    Jamie Lee Curtis, and Michelle Yeoh in ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once

    Cate Blanchett, “Tár”

    Ana de Armas, “Blonde”
    Andrea Riseborough, “To Leslie”

    Michelle Williams, “The Fabelmans”

    Michelle Yeoh, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

     

    DIRECTOR

     

    Paul Dano, Mateo Zoryan Francis-DeFord, and Michelle Williams in The Fabelmans, co-written, produced, and directed by Steven Spielberg.

    Merie Weismiller Wallace/Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment

    Martin McDonagh, “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    Steven Spielberg, “The Fabelmans”
    Todd Field, “Tár”

    Ruben Ostlund, “Triangle of Sadness”

     

    PRODUCTION DESIGN

     

    Scott Garfield/Paramount Pictures

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Avatar: The Way of Water”

    “Babylon”

    “Elvis”

    “The Fabelmans”

     

    ‘All Quiet on the Western Front

    Reiner Bajo/Netflix

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths”

    “Elvis”

    “Empire of Light”

    “Tár”

     

    COSTUME DESIGN

     

    Letitia Wright in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

    Marvel Studios

    “Babylon”

    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

    “Elvis”

    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris”

     

    ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND

     

    Paramount Pictures

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Avatar: The Way of Water”

    “The Batman”

    “Elvis”

    “Top Gun: Maverick”

     

    ANIMATED SHORT FILM

     

    “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse”

    “The Flying Sailor”

    “Ice Merchants”

    “My Year of Dicks”

    “An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It”

    LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM

    “An Irish Goodbye”

    “Ivalu”

    “Le Pupille”

    “Night Ride”

    “The Red Suitcase”

    ORIGINAL SCORE

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Babylon”
    “The Banshees of Inisherin”

    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

    “The Fabelmans”

    VISUAL EFFECTS

    os.

    “All Quiet on the Western Front”

    “Avatar: The Way of Water”

    “The Batman”

    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    FILM EDITING

    “The Banshees of Inisherin”
    “Elvis”
    “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
    “Tár”
    “Top Gun: Maverick”

    MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
    Brendan Fraser in ‘The Whale’
    A24
    “All Quiet on the Western Front”
    “The Batman”
    “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
    “Elvis”
    “The Whale”

    the End

  • movies master list

    movies master list

    Master List Movies 2008 To 2023

    movies list

    best movies of all times

    Cosmos Books Read 2021 Update

    100 Movies/TV Series By The End Of The Year.

    At Least One Korean Movie Per Week
    At Least One Spanish Movie Every So Often
    One Bollywood Or Another Foreign Language Movie Every So Often
    A Mixture Of Thrillers, K Drama, Comedies, Romcom, Etc
    Make A List Of Oscar Movies, Watch Several
    Resume Going To The Theater Later In The Year
    When Traveling To The US Watch Ten Movies Each Trip
    Including One Bollywood, One Spanish, Three To Four Blockbusters, One Classic, One Comedy

    Statistical Breakdown

    Assuming I Have Seen About 100 Movies Or TV Shows Per Year Since I Was 10 I Would Say That I Have Seen About 6,000 Shows.   I Have Been Keeping Track Since 2008 In Separate Journals.

    These Are Listed In Reverse Chronological Order from 2002 To 2008

    2022

    January

    Emily In Paris Netflix B

    Super Eight Stephen Spielberg B

    Black Money K Drama B

    Extreme Job  K Drama B

    Freaks Netflix C

    Dune World (Not The Dune) C

    Assimilation – Invasion Of Body Snatchers Remake Hoopla C

    Power Play (Hoopla) C

    Constantine Netflix  C

    Ozark Season 4 B

    Cowboy Bebop SF Netflix K Star But Not K Drama  A

    Freaks

    Measiah

    February

    We Are All Going To Die K Zombie Drama A

    Babysitter Killer Queen C

    Haebing 2017 The Thaw K Drama  B

    Area 51 Hoopla  C

    Nine Teeth Vampire Movie  C

    Chosen  B Netflix Danish SF

    Dark  B  Netflix German SF

    The Power Of The Dog C Oscar Nominee

    See Review

    Bright  With Will Smith B SF

    Kin B Netflix

    March

    88 Minutes B

    Shadow And Bone  B+

    Locke And Key Season 2 B

    The Adam Project B

    Dark Crab – Sweedish Movie B

    Once Upon A Time In Hollywood B

    Alice In Borderland

    Warrior Nun

    Tulip Fever

    Army Of The Dead B

    Army Of Thieves   C

    Glitch Australian Series

    April

    Dark German SF  B

    Our Blues  K Drama A

    Juvenile Justice K Drama B

    Knight Day C

    Rebecca  B

    Phantom Thread C

    Behind Her Eyes B

    Jumangi B

    The Dark Tower B

    I Frankenstein B

    Tau B

    Silent Sea  K Drama B

    Night Flyer B

    El Camino Sequel To Breaking Bad B

    Rainy Day In New York -Woody Allen B

    My Liberation Notes

    Our Blues

    My Love From The Stars

    Move To Heaven

    Honest Candidate

    May

     

    ARC B

    LA LA Land B Meh

    Ozark Season 4 B

    Yaksha K Movie  B

    Blue  Bayou  Korean American Movie B

    Let Me Go Western Is Set In Montana Kevin Costner B

    Uncanny Counter K Drama  B

    Cyber Hell B

    Intruder K Drama B

    Stranger Things Season Four B

    Welcome To Wedding Hell K Drama B

    The Hitman’s Body Gaurd’s Wife Part One C

    Oceans Eight B

    Interceptor A-

    Better Call Saul Season 5

    Better Call Saul Season 6

    Spiderhead C

    The Wrath Of Man C Did Not Finish C

    The Man From Toronto C

    Time Machine 2022 Re-Make B

    July

    Heist Korean Version B

    RRR Bollywood Netflix Original A

    Will You Be There?  K Drama C Did Not Finish

    Extraordinary Attorney Yoo  A-1

    Minmiding Café C Did Not Finish

    American Made  B +

    Tarzan B-

    Remarriage And Desire K Drama  B= Another Drama About Rich People Behaving Badly.

    The King Of Stonks Austrian Satire B Worth Finishing

    Unfamiliar Family K Drama  A

    August 1, 2022

    My Liberation Notes  K Drama  A

    Carter  K Drama Movie C

    Designated Survivor K Drama A

    Locke And Key Season Three  B

    Model Family K Drama  B

    Now You See Me

    The Body Guard’s Wife

    Red Notice

    How It Ends

    September

     

    Better Call Saul Season Six  B

    Manifest Netflix Special  B

    Good Guys C

    Blood Red Sky D

    Little Woman K Drama B

    Chief Of Staff K Drama B

    Narco Saints K Drama B

    October

    Interception

    Extraction

    Focus

    Project Power

    Love And Monsters

    Executive Decisions

    Gray-Man

    Adam Project

    Re-Start

    Jumangi

    Fifth Wave

    Justice League

    On Your Wedding Day

    6 Underground

    Stranger 1

    Stranger 2

    Reflection Of You

    Made For Each Other

    Honest Candidate

    Man From Toronto

    The Protégé

    Signal K Drama

    What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?  K Drama

    November

    Manifest Four Seasons B+ Like Dark

    End-Of-The Road  B

    When The Camellia Blooms B

    Love Struck In The City B

    Glitch Korean Sci-Fi  B

    Zone 414 Did Not Finish C

    Office Invasion  – South African SF Satire  C

    Kate Did Not Finish Too Violently Like In Kill Bill  D

    Midnight Sky  SF C  Too Meandering  C

    1899 Did Not Finish Too Meandering B

    See You Yesterday Spike Lee SF B

    Someone B+  Some Strong Sexual Scenes –

    December

    Tidelands

    Jurassic World Domination

    Wednesday -Adams Family

    You  Psychological Thriller Series

    Prendergast Mike Meyers  C Did Not Finish

    Dark Island German Film B

    Welcome to Murderville  B

    2021

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans Are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. Constantine
    11. The Beach
    12. Holliday
    13. Rebecca
    14. About Time
    15. Spy Games
    16. We Could Be Heroes
    17. Vastness Of The Night Amazon

    February

    1. Hanna
    2. The Expanse
    3. Sneaky Pete -Amazon
    4. How It Ends
    5. The I Land
    6. Wonder Woman
    7. Get Out
    8. Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    9. I Care A Lot 2020
    10. Itaewon Class K Drama

    March

    1. Sense 8
    2. Salvation
    3. The Order
    4. Lock N Key
    5. Ballad Of Buster Scruggs
    6. Titans

    April

    1. O/A
    2. Abyss
    3. Outer Banks
    4. White Lines
    5. Umbrella Acadamy
    6. The Last Man Standing K Drama

    May

    1. Suicide Squad
    2. The Honest Candidate K Drama
    3. Behind Her Eyes
    4. Sisyphus K Drama
    5. Venzano K Drama
    6. Strangers K Drama Season One
    7. Strangers K Drama Season Two
    8. Strangers K Drama Season Three
    9. The Woman In The Mirror
    10. Gemini Man
    11. Legends
    12. Bridgeton Netflix Top-Ranked Series

    June

    1. Wanted With Angelina Jolie 2005?
    2. War Dogs
    3. The Holliday
    4. The Woman In The Mirror
    5. How It Ends
    6. Love And Monsters
    7. Knives Out

    July

    1. Old Guard
    2. Love, Death, And Robots
    3. Borek Movie
    4. Sweet Tooth
    5. Mine K Drama
    6. Glitch
    7. Parasite K Drama

    August

    1. Sin City
    2. The Talented Mr. Ripply
    3. The Negotiator K Movie
    4. No Exit K Movie
    5. Crash Landing On You K Drama

    September

    1. Jackel 1997 US Movie
    2. Night In Paradise K Movie
    3. DP K Drama
    4. Con K Drama Movie

    October

    1. When The Camelia Blooms K Drama
    2. Squid Games K Drama Number 1 On Netflix
    3. The Devil’s Advocate
    4. Move To Heaven K Drama
    5. The Money Heist Spanish Series

    On Plane

    1. Minuri
    2. Cool Hand Luke
    3. Citizen Kane
    4. Jungle Cruise
    5. Free Guy
    6. Black Widow
    7. King Kong V Godzilla
    8. Crazy Rich Asians

    Return To Korea

    1. Bliss Amazon
    2. Tomorrow’s Wars Amazon
    3. Reflections On You (K Drama, Netflix)
    4. Red Notice (Netflix)
    5. Hell Bound K Drama
    6. Crisis In Six Scenes Amazon
    7. The Wheel Of Time Amazon Season One
    8. Another Life Season Three
    9. Lost In Space Season Three
    10. Hostage K Drama Movie
    11. Army Of Thieves
    12. Army Of Death
    13. The Big Splash
    14. The Dark Tower
    15. Balgasal K SF
    16. The Wanted
    17. Mogadishu K Drama
    18. Don’t Look Up Netflix Special
    19. Focus
    20. Lucy
    21. Jupiter Ascending
    22. Space Between Us
    23. ARQ
    24. Rainy Day In NYC Woody Allen Film
    25. In Time
    26. Silent Sea
    27. San Andreas
    28. Don’t Look Up
    29. Mad For Each Other

    Movie Watched 2020

     

     

    List

    1. Better Call Saul Finished Series 2022
    2. Nigh Flyer
    3. The Rim Of The World
    4. Joker
    5. Venom
    6. Lost In Space
    7. Jurassic World
    8. 100
    9. Birdbox
    10. I Am Number Four(Film)
    11. Umbrella Acadamy
    12. Locke And Key
    13. Sense 8
    14. Away
    15. Titan
    16. The Mist
    17. The Order
    18. October Faction
    19. The Man In The High Castle
    20. The Expanse
    21. Legends Of Tomorrow
    22. The Messiah
    23. The OA
    24. Lucy
    25. Timeless
    26. Travelers
    27. Alice Through The Looking Glass
    28. Annihilation
    29. The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe
    30. Prince Caspian
    31. The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader
    32. How It Ends
    33. Itaewon Class
    34. Zoo
    35. Extinction
    36. 6 Underground
    37. Ballade Of Buster Scruggs
    38. How It Ends
    39. Tau
    40. Series Of Unfortunate Events
    41. The Darkest Dawn
    42. The IO
    43. Ozark
    44. Avengers Day Of Ultron
    45. Prometheus
    46. Another Life
    47. Land Of The Lost
    48. Kim’s Convenience Store
    49. The Cloverfield Paradox
    50. The A-Team
    51. Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales
    52. Salvation
    53. Iron Man 2
    54. Total Recall
    55. The Machine (Hoopla)
    56. Absolutely Anything (Hoopla)
    57. The Adventurer Curse Of The Midas Touch (Hoopla)
    58. The Endless (Hoopla)
    59. Color Out Of Time (Hoopla)
    60. The Librarian Curse Of The Judas Chalice (Hoopla)
    61. The Librarian King Soloman’s Mine (Hoopla)
    62. The Librarian Quest For The Spear (Hoopla)
    63. Dinosaur Island (Hoopla)
    64. Land That Time Forgot (Hoopla)
    65. Dark Prophecy (Hoopla)
    66. The Villainess (Hoopla)
    67. Bad Boys For Life
    68. Outer Banks
    69. Suicide Squad
    70. Abyss
    71. Series Of Unfortunate Events
    72. Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children
    73. Superman Vrs Batman Star Of Justice
    74. Last Man Standing K Political Drama
    75. Honest Candidate K Drama
    76. Irishman
    77. Project Power
    78. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
    79. Kim Ji Young K Drama
    80. The Sting
    81. Focus
    82. Fantasy Island
    83. Warrior Nun –Did Not Finish
    84. Good Omens Amazon
    85. Sneaky Pete Amazon
    86. Blood Shot Netflix
    87. Jupiter Ascendant Netflix
    88. White Lines
    89. Bloodlines
    90. Wu Assasins
    91. Inside Bill’s Brain
    92. War Dogs
    93. Alice In The Borderlands
    94. The I- Land
    95. Black Mirror
    96. The Last Three Days

     

     

    2019

    Partial List  Saw At Least 90 Total

    1. A Series Of Unfortunate Events (Netflix)

    2. Aquaman (Theater) B
    3. 49 Days Korean Movie B
    4. Doomsday Device YS B
    5. Winter Kills YS C -Disappointing Despite Great Cast
    6. Heist 2001 Version YS  B
    7. Curse Of The Golden Flower YS
    8. HG Wells Men In The Moon YS A-1
    9. The Rift YS
    10. Narnia Voyage Of The Dawn Treader YS B
    11. Operation Chromite YS B
    12. The Assassin YS C Did Not Finish
    13. Justice League B
    14. The Ghost And The Darkness B
    15. The A-Team B
    16. Jack Reacher, Never Go Back B
    17. Night Flyer Series B
    18. Cold Pursuit
    19. Chunhyang(2000 Film) YS
    20. The Assassin 2015 Korean Movie
    21. Eraser(Film)
    22. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo(2011 Film)
    23. Operation Chromite(Film)
    24. The Rite(2011 Film) YS
    25. The First Men In The Moon YS

    26. Curse Of The Golden Flower YS

    1. Alien Code YS
    2. Point B YS
    3. Shada(Doctor Who) YS
    4. Glass(2019 Film)
    5. Memories Of The Alhambra K Drama
    6. The Man In The High Castle 4 Seasons Amazon
    7. The Expanse Four Seasons Amazon

    2018

    1. Once Upon A Time ABC Mini-Series A
    2. Taken Earth C
    3. Alice Through The Looking Glass B
    4. The Vault C Too Scary A Movie
    5. GORA Turkish SF Comedy C
    6. Pirates Of The Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales B
    7. Cowboys Vs Dinosaurs B
    8. Enterprise Complete Season
    9. Frequency Series
    10. Coverdale Paradox
    11. Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets (On a Plane)
    12. Kong Island Of Skulls (On Plane)
    13. Geostorm (On Plane)
    14. Lost And Found YS
    15. Berlin Syndrome YS
    16. Burn Country YS
    17. Beatriz At Dinner YS
    18. Breaking The Bank YS
    19. The Expanse Netflix Original
    20. Discovery Netflix
    21. Drone Wars YS
    22. Prometheus Trap YS
    23. Blackway YS
    24. The Mermaid YS
    25. The Great Wall YS

     

    2017

    1. eap Year TV  B
    2. Congressman YS  B
    3. Crimson Force YS  B
    4. Three Classic SF Japanese Movies From The ’50s
    1. The H Man YS  B
    2. Battle In Outer Space YS B
    3. Mothra YS  B
    1. 11 22 63 IS  A
    2. Blunt Talk YS  B Did Not Finish
    3. Alien Arsenal YS B
    1. Seven Westerns
    1. A Night In Old Mexico B
    2. Ambush At Dark Canyon B
    3. Fighting With Anger B
    4. Baytown Outlaws B
    5. Hick C-1
    6. Heathens And Thieves A-
    1. Implanted B-
    2. When The Sky Falls C-
    3. Wild Bill Hickok Swift Justice B
    4. Traded B
    5. Dirk Gently Holistic Detective Agency -Mini-Series A
    6. Mystery Science Theater Cave Dwellers C
    7. Meet The Guilbys B
    8. The President A
    9. Stand Up Guy B
    10. Snow Piercer B Korean Producer B
    11. Painkillers C
    12. Dirty Lies
    13. Quarantine LA C
    14. Breaking The Bank B
    15. Strange B
    16. Jack Reacher Never Go Back B
    17. Keeping Up With The Jones B
    18. Hell Or High Water B
    19. The Accountant B

    Oregon

    1. The Ghost In The Shell Ashland Theater
    2. The Circle Theater Medford
    3. George Feydeua A Flea In Her Ear – ASH Drama
    4. The Black Hole MPL
    5. Final Days Of Planet Earth MPL
    6. The Last Sentinel MPL
    7. Supernova MPL B
    8. East Of Eden MPL A
    9. Cat On A Hot Tin Roof MPL A
    10. A Street Car Named Desire MPL A
    11. Rebel Without A Cause MPL A
    12. Enterprise First Year MPL B
    13. How To Mary A Millionaire MPL
    14. How To Be A Latin Lover Theater A
    15. Wonder Women Theater A-
    16. The Three Musketeers MPL C
    17. Time Changer MPL D
    18. Star Trek Enterprise Season Two B
    19. Solaris B-
    20. The Sea Of Trees A-
    21. Quantum Leap Season One A-1
    22. Star Gate Atlantis Rising B-
    23. Total Recall B
    24. Tammy B-
    25. A Tale Of Two Cities BBC B
    26. Vanishing Point A-
    27. Spider-Man Homecoming In Theater B
    28. War Of Planet Of The Apes In Theater B+
    29. Rogue One Netflix B
    30. The Dark Tower Theater B
    31. Eye Of The Needle MPL A
    32. Congo MPL B
    33. Exile Mplb
    34. Allegiant MPL B
    35. The Man MPL B
    36. Virus MPL B
    37. Frankenstein MPL A
    38. Treasure Island MPL B
    39. Jericho TV Series B
    40. Man In The High Castle TV Series A
    41. One Under The Sun Amazon B
    42. Independent’s Day Amazon –One Of The Worst Movie Ever Made F
    43. The Last Lovecraft – Relic Of Cthulu C
    44. Mysterious Island B
    45. Zoo Series On Netflix Seasons One To Three
    46. Stranger Things Season Two B+ Season One Was Better
    47. Suburbicon Theater B-1
    48. Thor Ragnarok Theater B
    49. Monsters Netflix C
    50. Travelers Netflix B
    51. Julius Caesar OSF B
    52. Hannah And The Dreaded Gazebo OSF B
    53. Blade Runner 2049 B
    54. Once Upon A Time ABC Series B
    55. The Night Of The Hunter MPL A
    56. The Maltese Falcon MPL A A
    57. The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel MPL B+
    58. Mission Impossible Rogue Nation MPL B
    59. Beasts Of The Southern Wilds MPL
    60. Satan Met A Lady MPL B
    61. The Villainous Korean Movie 2017 Hoopla
    62. Guardians Of The Galaxy Part Two
    63. Star Wars The Last Jedi

    2016 Missing

    the graduate  while on trip

    2015

    The List

    Movies/TV Series   Netflix Unless Otherwise Mentioned

    1. All About The Benjamin’s TNT B
    2. Rush Hour Three TNT  B
    3. The Interview Google On-Line C
    4. Paradise 2013 C
    5. The Signal 2014 B
    6. Duplicity Julia Roberts Clive Owens B
    7. Are You Here B
    8. Maleficent   B
    9. Guardians Of The Galaxy B
    10. Begin Again 2014 B
    11. The Giver 2014 A
    12. Sea Biscuit A
    13. November Man B
    14. A Most Wanted Man C
    15. Labor Day B
    16. Life Of Crime B
    17. Kundo Korean Movie B
    18. And So It Goes 2014 Michael Douglas, Diane Keaton B
    19. Marley And Me B
    20. Jobs B
    21. The Family C
    22. Stuck In Love B
    23. Mud B
    24. X Men Days Of Future Past C
    25. The Identical B
    26. Jurassic City C
    27. Railway Man B
    28. Peabody And Sherman B
    29. Lunch Box Bollywood Movie 2013 B
    30. Y Tu Su Mama, También Award Winning Mexican Movie 2014 B
    31. Australia B
    32. Henderson Presents B
    33. John Wick B
    34. Silver Lining Playback A
    35. The Good Night B
    36. View From The Top B
    37. Contagion C
    38. Pineapple Express C
    39. Country Strong B
    40. The Hobbit –Battle Of The Five Armies B
    41. Dinosaur Experiment C
    42. Broke Back Mountain Library  A
    43. An Affair To Remember Library  A
    44. Two Days In Paris Library A
    45. Ride With The Devil Library A
    46. Carmen Opera Library A
    47. Catch 22 Library B
    48. Game Of Thrones Season One Library B
    49. Game Of Thrones Season Two Library B
    50. Barefoot In The Park Library A
    51. No Reservations Library C
    52. Fast And Furious Library C
    53. Charlie’s Angels 2000 Library B
    54. Charlie’s Angels 2003 Version Saw Earlier Noted Here B
    55. Endless Love B
    56. Hot Pursuit On Plane C
    57. Day Of Adeline On Plane A
    58. Avengers Day Of Ultron On Plane C
    59. Tomorrowland On Plane B
    60. Far From The Madding Crowd On Plane A
    61. Aloha On Plane
    62. Mad Max Fury Road On a Plane
    63. San Andreas On Plane
    64. Classified File Korean Movie On Plane
    65. Casanova From Library
    66. Company You Keep From Library
    67. Contraband From Library
    68. Bleak House Mini-Series From Library
    69. La Boehme Opera From Library
    70. Eat Drink Man Women From Library
    71. Runner, Runner From Library
    72. Sense And Sensibility From Library
    73. American Snipper HBO
    74. Wild HBO
    75. Maze Runner HBO
    76. Dumb And Dummer To HBO
    77. Havoc HBO
    78. 5 Flights Up HBO
    79. Kill The Messenger HBO
    80. My Blueberry Nights Library
    81. Last Chance, Harvey, Library
    82. Serial Mom HBO
    83. The Producers 2005 Version
    84. Broken Flowers Hood
    85. Rumor Has It that HBO
    86. Run All Night HBO
    87. Fistful Of Dollars HBO
    88. A Few More Dollars HBO
    89. The Good, The Bad, And Ugly HBO
    90. Fifty Shades Of Grey HBO
    91. Hang Em High HBO
    92. The Drop HBO
    93. The Leisure Class HBO
    94. The Kingsmen Secret Service HBO
    95. Birdman HBO
    96. The Wiz NBC Special
    97. Spectre At Kingstown
    98. Magnolia HBO
    99. The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion HBO
    100. The Rock HBO
    101. Child Hood’s End Syfy Channel Special
    102. Insurgent HBO

    2014

    Movies/TV Series

    1. Jack Reacher 2012 Net Flix
    2. Thieves (Korean Movie Next Flix)
    3. Side Effects – Next Flix
    4. The Informant – Next Flix
    5. The Assassination Of Jessie James By The Coward Robert Ford 2008 Next Flic
    6. Olympus Has Fallen 2013 Next Flix
    7. Coriolanus 2011 Next Flix
    8. 300  Net Flix
    9. Appolo 18  Net Flic
    10. Shape Of Things To Come On Plane
    11. Battle Star Galactica Razor On Plane
    12. The Master On Plane
    13. Ides Of March On Plane
    14. Oblivion Net Flix
    15. Midnight In Paris Woody Allen Saw Earlier On Plane  Net Flic
    16. Non-Stop In Regal –  A Bit Disappointing
    17. Then She Found Me Directed By Helen Hunt 2007 Net Flic
    18. Zelig 1996 Woody Allen Nex Fix
    19. Husband And Wives = Woody Allen Movie Netflix
    20. Confederate States Of America 2004 Mockumentary
    21. Out Of Sight George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez Based On Elmore Leonard Novel – Bit Disappointing On Plane
    22. Hobbit Desolation Of Smug On Plane
    23. Ender’s Game On Plane On Plane
    24. The Internship On Plane
    25. Closed Circuit On Plane
    26. Secret Life Of Walter Mitty Download
    27. RoboCop Download
    28. The A-Team On Plane
    29. The Europa Report On Plane
    30. Blue Jasmine On Plane
    31. World’s End On Plane
    32. The Hangover On Plane
    33. Edge Of Tomorrow In Movie Theather
    34. True Crime 1998 Clint Eastwood (TV)
    35. Bullet To The Head (TV)
    36. Get The Gringo (TV)
    37. Pacific Rim (TV)
    38. Starsky And Hutch (TV)
    39. Space Jam (TV)
    40. World War Z Nextflex
    41. Wolf Of Wall Street Nextflex
    42. Gravity Nextflex
    43. 12 Years A Slave Nextflex
    44. Fracture Nextflex
    45. Good Night And Good Luck Nextflex
    46. The Perfect Storm Nextflex
    47. The Book Thief Nextflex
    48. Best Offer Nextflex
    49. Muncih 2005 Spellberg Nextflex
    50. A Winter’s Tale Nextflex
    51. Trascendence Nextflex
    52. The Other Women Nextflex
    53. Layer Cake Nextflex
    54. Heat Robert Dinoro, Al Pacino Nextflex
    55. Last Vegas Dinoro Freeman Kline Pacino Nextflex
    56. The Grand Budapest Hotel Netflix
    57. Best Laid Plans 1999 Version Nextflex
    58. Firewall Nextflex
    59. Saving Mr. Banks Nextflex
    60. A Wrinkle In Time Nextflex
    61. Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close – Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock About 9-11 And One Family’s Reaction Nextflex
    62. Mandella’s Long Walk To Freedom Nextflex
    63. Enough Said Nextflex
    64. All You Need Is Love Nextflex
    65. Divergent Nextflex
    66. Noah Nextflex
    67. You will Meet A Tall Dark Handsome Stranger – Woody Allen Movie 2010 Nextflex
    68. X Men Wolverine Origins Nextflex
    69. Captain America Winter Soldier Nextflex
    70. X Men 2 United Nextflex
    71. Sex Tape In Hotel
    72. Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes On Plane
    73. Godzilla 2014 Version On Plane
    74. Don Juan Netflix
    75. Frozen Nextflex
    76. Gone Girl 2014 In Regal Springfield
    77. Better Living Through Chemistry 2013 Movie Netflix
    78. Elysium 2013 Nextflix
    79. A Million Ways To Die In The West Nextflex
    80. Interstellar 2014 In Regal Springfield
    81. Burning Palms – Worst Movie Of The Year For Me
    82. Million Dollar Arm
    83. Lost In America 1985 Recommended By Matt Jacobson
    84. Manhattan Murder Mystery 1995 Woody Allen
    85. State Of Play Next Flic
    86. Babel Next Flic
    87. Peter Pan Live NBC
    88. Snowpiercer Korean Directed Film
    89. Jack Ryan, Shadow Recruit
    90. Superbad
    91. It’s A Wonderful Life
    92. This Means War
    93. Memories Of Murder Korean Film
    94. The Good, The Bad, And The Weird Korean Film
    95. Bad Santa
    96. Typhoon Korean Movie 2005
    97. In The Cut 2003 Australian Movie Set In NYC

    TV Series And Movies

    1. Breaking Bad Television Binge Watching All Episodes
    2. House Of Cards
    3. Tin Man
    4. Falling Skies

    2013

    The List

    1. Crazy, Stupid Love, Netflix January 1, 2013
    2. The Descendents  Netflix January 4, 2013
    3. The Hobbit (In Theater) January 5, 2013
    4. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel  Netflix
    5. Abritrage Richard Gere
    6. Get Him To The Greek TV
    7. Snatch  Netflix
    8. The One Netflix
    9. One For The Money (Netflix)
    10. Star Trek The Undiscovered Country TV
    11. The Help Netflix
    12. Hope Spring Netflix
    13. Paul Netflix
    14. Stolen Netflix – Did Not Finish Nominate For Worst Film Of The Year
    15. The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe ABC Family
    16. Journey To The Center Of The Earth 2011 ABC Family
    17. Mission Impossible 1V Ghost Protocol
    18. Here Comes Mr. Jordan 1941 TCM
    19. A Star Is Born 1945 TCM
    20. Mission Impossible 111
    21. Decisions
    22. Life Of Pi Next Flic
    23. In Land Of Blood And Honey Next Flic
    24. Lockout Next Flic
    25. 21 Jump Street Next Flic
    26. Sherlock Holmes’s Games Of Shadows Plane
    27. Wrath Of The Titans Plane
    28. Horrible Bosses Plane
    29. Safe House Plane
    30. Hunter Plane
    31. Take This Waltz Next Flix
    32. Marley TV
    33. Coriolanus (Theather RHS)
    34. Wallenstein (Theather RHS)
    35. Great Gatsby (Regal Kingstown)
    36. Groom Lake (Hulu)
    37. Motorcycle Diaries 2004 Next Flic
    38. Looper Next Flic
    39. Superman Man Of Steel In Regal Theather
    40. Bourne Legacy (Netflix)
    41. Earthlings 2012 Hulu
    42. Gangster Squad (Nextflix)
    43. Red (Part)
    44. Zookeeper (Part)
    45. Witches Of Oz (Netflix)
    46. Interstate 60 Hulu
    47. White House Down In Theather
    48. Sex And Lucia Next Flic
    49. Ted Next Flic
    50. Star Ship Troopers – Invasion Next Flic
    51. Ana Karina 2012 Net Flix – Production Did Not Work For Me – Too Cute And Avant Garde – Like Watching A Film Of A Play Adaption.  Did Not Work As A Play Or As A Movie – A Big Disappointment
    52. Time Bandits 1981 Hulu
    53. RIPD In Theather
    54. Atonement (Netflix)
    55. Tristone And Isolde (2006) Netflix
    56. Dune 1984 Nextflex
    57. Meet The Millers Theather
    58. Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World Next Flic
    59. Iron Man 3 On Plane
    60. Trance On Plane
    61. Prisoners In Theather
    62. The Butler In Theather
    63. Outsourced Netflix
    64. Cloud Atlas Netflix
    65. Flight 2012 Next Flic
    66. The Campaign 2012 Next Flic
    67. Asian Invasion (Porn Movie For Strip Poker Game)
    68. Details Nextflix
    69. The Blind Side Netflix
    70. Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides Netflix
    71. Robin Hood 2010 Netflix
    72. The Counselor 2013 In Theather
    73. The Host Netflix
    74. After The Sunset 2008 Netflix
    75. Grown Ups TNT On Cruise
    76. The Proposal TNT On Cruise
    77. Red 2 TNT On Cruise
    78. Maiden Heist Next Flix
    79. Despicable Me – Disney Channel
    80. Hunger Games Catching Fire In Theather
    81. The Place Beyond The Pines Next Flic
    82. Watch Man 2009 Next Flix
    83. Snow White And The Huntsman Nextflix
    84. Parker Netflix Streaming
    85. American Hustle
    86. A Christmas Story
    87. Ice Quake 2013 Syfy
    88. On The Road

    2012

    The List

    1. Dragnet (Next Flex)  Jan 1
    2. Bird On A Wire (Next Flex) Jan1
    3. Laura Croft Tomb Raider (Hollywood Chanel)
    4. Kuffs MGM Chanel
    5. Journey To The Lost World MGM Chanel
    6. Yellow Handkerchief Netflix
    7. Shanghai Knights Hollywood Chanel
    8. MMB 2 Hollywood Chanel
    9. What Women Want Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt 2000 Hollywood Chanel
    10. The Door In The Floor Jeff Bridges, Kim Bassinger, Mimi Rogers 2000 Next Flix Check References To Book
    11. America’s Sweethearts 2001 Julia Roberts, Kusshak, Catherine Zetta Jones Nextflix
    12. Marathon Man
    13. Catwoman
    14. The Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes 2011 On Plane
    15. Cowboys And Aliens 2010 On Plane
    16. The Island 2005 On Plane
    17. The Day The Earth Stood Still 1951 On Plane
    18. Hot Tube Time Machine Net Flix
    19. The Big Lebrowski Net Flix
    20. Leopolis Seoul Netflix
    21. King Of The Lost World
    22. Money Ball (Training Day)
    23. Serenity Next Flex 2005
    24. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One (On Plane)
    25. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels On The Plane
    26. Bender’s Big Score (Netflix)
    27. Serenity (Nextflix)
    28. The Punisher (TV)
    29. Love’s Kitchen (Netflix)
    30. Transformers 11 2009 – Disappointing But Will Watch Transformers 111 To Finish The Series Off.
    31. The Double 2011 Richard Gere
    32. Contagion Did Not Finish Warsaw
    33. Sherlock Holmes 2 Did Not Finish Warsaw
    34. Win Win Warsaw Good Fli
    35. The Invasion 2005 Innovative Shooting Technique
    36. Tower Heist Nex
    37. The Tree Of Life Nex – Disappointing
    38. The Hangover Part Two NEX
    39. Girl With Dragon Tattoo (2011 Version)
    40. The King’s Speech NEX
    41. Midnight In Paris Woody Allen Movie 2011
    42. John Carter Hotel Room
    43. This Means War On Plane
    44. J Egard With Leonardo Di Capio Directed By Clift Eastwood – Big Disappointment. Just Too Long, Too Much Talking. From NEX
    45. Dr Strangelove From Mik B
    46. The Armour Of God 1987 Jackie Chan, Lola Forner Spanish Actress Hulu
    47. The Sands Of Oblivion 2007 Hulu
    48. The Monitors (Next Flex)
    49. MIB3 On Plane
    50. Prometheus – Last Half Worth Seeing Again On Plane
    51. Battleship On Plane
    52. Players Bollywood Remake Of The Italian Job –Worth Seeing
    53. Cross Worlds Next Flex
    54. Phil The Alien Next Flex
    55. Invasion Of The Pod People Hulu
    56. Alien Armageddon Hulu
    57. Red State Netflix
    58. God Bless America Netflix
    59. The Man Who Fell To Earth Netflix
    60. Very Bad Things Next Flix
    61. Ready Or Not – Hulu
    62. The Last Lovecraft: Relic Of Cthulu 2009 Netflix
    63. Amazing Spiderman 2012 Plane
    64. To Rome With Love 2010 Plane Woody Allen
    65. Dawalt’s Guard (First Arabic Movie) Plane
    66. Search For Justice 2012 Nicolas Cage Plane
    67. Mirror Mirror With Julia Roberts – On Plane In February
    68. The Gauntlet With Clint Eastwood 1977
    69. The Hunger Game Blockbuster
    70. The Debt
    71. The Maltese Falcon TCM
    72. My Week With Marilynn Block Buster
    73. Bernie Blockbuster
    74. Savages Blockbuster
    75. Wanderlust Blockbuster
    76. Skyfall Theather
    77. Office Space
    78. Dumb And Dumber TV
    79. Accepted TV
    80. The Iron Lady Blockbuster
    81. The Watch Blockbuster
    82. Larry Crowne Blockbuster
    83. Hot Rock 1972 Robert Redford HDNET
    84. Killing Them Softly (Movie Theather)

     

    2011

     

    1. How Do You Know 2010
    2. Nothing But The Truth 2008 Saw Earlier Not Bad 1-15
    3. Salt 2010 With Angelina Jolie
    4. The Other Side Of The Bed Spanish 2002
    5. A Perfect Getaway 2009
    6. Fool’s Gold
    7. Invictus 2009 Morgan Freeman, Matt Damian
    8. Like Water For Chocolate
    9. The Flower Of My Secret La Flora De Mi Secreto Spanish Movie 1995
    10. 88 Minutes 2007 Al Pacino
    11. Mr. Deeds 2002
    12. The King And I Korean Series
    13. Sex And The City 11

    14,  Hell Boy Part 11

    1. Love Happens
    2. Drive Angry 2011 Nicolas Cage Add To Worst Movie List

    17  Girl With The Dragon Tatoo 2009

    1. The Spanish Prisoner 1997 David Mamet Director Steve Martin
    2. Illegally Yours 1988 Robert Lowe
    3. Machette 2010 Half Spanish Dialogue Robert Dinero, Jessica Alba
    4. The Prince Of Persia 2010

    22   No False Move 1992 Bill Ray Thorton

    23 Life In North Korea Documentary From National Geographic

    1. Green Zone
    2. Morning Glory

    26 Killers

    1. Eat Pray Love

    28   The Town

    1. Kate And Leopold
    2. The Legend Of Bagger Vance

    30   Emma

    31  Les Miserables 1998 Version

    32  Unstoppable 2010

    1. Due Date 2010

    2010

    1. Fragments 2009
    2. Where The Day Takes You 1992
    3. The Illusionist 2003
    4. PS, I Love You 2007
    5. The Burning Plain 2008
    6. The Other Man 2008
    7. Mama Mia 2008
    8. Dim Sum Funeral 2008
    9. Inglorious Bastards 2009
    10. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? 2003 Second Time Around
    11. Time Traveler’s Wife 2009
    12. Amelia 2009
    13. Lies And Illusions 2009 Add To Worst List
    14. Serious Moonlight 2009
    15. “The Chaser” Korean Film
    16. Precious 2009 Academy Award For Best Actress
    17. Every Body’s Alright
    18. Space Balls
    19. Three Stooges Selected Episodes
    20. Ghosts Of Girl Friends Past 2009 Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner
    21. Up In The Air 2009 George Clooney
    22. The Men Who Stare At Goats 2009 George Clooney
    23. Have You Heard About The Morgans? Hugh Grant, Sara Jessica Parker 2009
    24. Sherlock Holmes 2009 Robert Downey, Jude Law And Rachael Mc Donald
    • “Crazy Heart” 2010  Best Picture Award 2010 Jeff Bridges, Robert Duval, Maggie Gyenehall
    • “Five Minutes Of Heaven” Liam Nelson 2010.
    • Avatar 2009 Best Picture
    • Romeo Must Die Jet Li 2000
    • Flawless 2008 Demi Moore Michael Kane
    • Extraordinary Measures 2010 Harrison Ford
    • Alice In Wonderland 2010
    • The Road 2009
    • It’s Complicated
    • Beyond A Reasonable Doubt
    • The Invention Of Lying
    • Edge Of Darkness
    • The Spy Next Door
    • Young Victorian
    • Old Dogs (On Plane)
    • Leap Year (On Plane)
    • Couples Retreat (Travis) 2009
    • Knight And Day 2010 (Medford)
    • Inception 2010 (Medford)
    • The Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2010 (Medford)
    • Clash Of The Titans (On Plane) 2010
    • Remember Me (On Plane) -2010
    • Bounty Hunter (On Plane -2010
    • Date Night (On Plane ) 2010
    • 2 Fast 2 Furious 2003 Eva Mendes Stars (Saw On TV)
    • Water World – Keven Kostner Saw On Korean TV
    • Legends Of The Fall  Saw On Korean TV
    • Iron Man 2 (On Plane)
    • How To Tame Your Dragon (On Plane)
    • The Informant (HBO Home)
    • Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (Parts)
    • Batteries Not Included 1987 Second Time Around (HBO)
    • Family Man (HBO)
    • Wall Street
    • Helen  – Short List For Worst Movie I Saw – Just Did Not Work For Me.
    • The Warlords
    • A Plague Of Zombies
    • Robin Hood
    • The Unthinkable
    • The Book Of Eli
    • The Count Of Monte Cristo
    • The Messenger (Angela Saw)
    • Red (In The Theather)
    • The Count Of Mont Cristo Angela Saw I Saw Parts
    • 3:10 To Yuma (Saw A Few Years Ago, Saw Again)
    • Law Abiding Citizen 2009
    • Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring Korean Film 2005
    • Aliens In The Addict 2009 TV
    • Loch Ness 1996 Ted Dancer HBO
    • Fair Game 2010 In Theater
    • The Pianists 2002 Angela Saw, I Saw A Few Years Ago
    • The Simpsons Movie First Half was Seen Earlier
    • Star Wars 6 First Half Hour
    • Wizard Of OZ Half
    • The King And I Korean History Drama
    • The Darjeeling Limited 2007 Owen Wilson Wes Anderson Directed
    • The Piano  1995   Angela Saw, I Heard Parts Of It
    • Gia 1994  Very Sexual And Lots Of Lesbian Scenes Which Turned Me On.
    • Oregon (SFY)
    • Leiberstruam 1999 Kim Novack, Bill Pullman  HBO
    • The Jones 2009 Demi Moore, David Duchovny Amber Heard, And Ben Hollingsworth Directed By Derrick Borte – Disappointed, Did Not Work For Me
    • The Hours 2002 Nicole Kidman, Julain Moore, And Meryle Shreep Re Life Of Virginia Woolf And Her Impact On The Life Of Two Women
    • Bobby 2006 Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Sharon Stone, William Macy, Martin Sheet, Linsday Lohan, And Cristian Slater Written Nd Directed By Emilio Estevez
    • True Grit 2010 – Overly Hyped In My Opinion
    • Vivdirana Spanish Film 1961 Classic
    • Volver  2005 Spanish Film
    • How Much Do You Love Me 2005 French
    1. Ninja Assassins 2009  Staring Rain  On TV

    93  Horsefeathers  Marx Brothers On TV

    2009

    1. Underwear” Starting Val Kilmer, Graham Greene,
    2. Constant Gardener With Rachael Weiz –
    3. Rumor Has It – Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner
    4. Queen
    5. Hancock With Will Smith
    6. Dave – With Eddie Murphy – SF Comedy
    7. Joe Kid – With Clint Eastwood – Saw Opening
    8. Iron Man – Not Bad. Another Marvel Movie.
    9. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”
    10. Gone, Baby, Gone”
    11. Fracture
    12. Burn After Reading”
    13. 21 Grams”
    14. The Changling With Angelia Jolie, Directed By Clint
    15. Kiss The Dust”
    16. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
    17. Electric Mist With Tomy Lee Jones
    18. Good German
    19. Siberian Express
    20. Body Of Lies
    21. Slum Dog Millionaire
    22. Lucky Slevin
    23. Australia
    24. What Just Happened
    25. City Of Ember
    26. Proof Of Life
    27. Bottle Shock
    28. Runaway Jury
    29. Master Spy
    30. Marie Antoinette
    31. Interstate
    32. He’s Just Not That Into You
    33. Madagascar 11
    34. Collateral With Jamie Fox And Tom Cruise
    35. My Super Ex Girl Friend
    36. State Of Play – In Medford Movie Theather
    37. Bolt-On The Plane
    38. Yes Man, In Hotel Room In DC
    39. Avengers
    40. Spy Games
    41. All The Way
    42. The Day The Earth Stood Still
    43. Seven Pounds
    44. Nothing But The Truth
    45. The Reader – Oscar Winner For Best Actress 2008 Kate Winslet
    46. Crossing Over
    47. Kill Shot With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
    48. Vanished With Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock
    49. Valkarie
    50. Star Trek – Prequel Movie (From Street Vendor)
    51. 52 The Clearing With Robert Redford – 2004
    52. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button With Brad Pitt Best Actor Award 2009
    53. Knowing With Nicolas Cage 2009
    54. The Code
    55. Counterfeit
    56. Alexander 2004 Oliver Stone Producer
    57. Out For Justice 1991
    58. Echelon Conspiracy 2009
    59. The Good Thief 2001 With Nick Nolte
    60. Meteor = NBC Mini-Series
    61. Wild Hogs 2007 Tim Allen, Travolta, Macy, Lawrence
    62. 28 Days Later
    63. Wild Things 2
    64. Mystic River Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Sean Pean
    65. Criminal 2004
    66. Essential Lover
    67. Two Lovers
    68. Angels And Demons 2008 Started by Tom Hanks, Directed By Ron Howard
    69. The Informers
    70. Duplicity
    71. Surveillance Produced By Jennifer Lynch Starting Pullman And Ormand
    72. Trust The Man 2008
    73. The Mutant Chronicles 2008
    74. Heaven 1995?
    75. Wolverine With Hugh Jackman 2009
    76. Dark Streets With Bijou Philips
    77. Doubt With Meryle Strep 2008
    78. Coco Chanel Shirley Mc Cline 2008
    79. Ramen Girl
    80. The Yatzuka (1974 W George Mitchum)
    81. The Fountain 2006 W Rachel Weiss (Hot)
    82. Easy Virtue 2009 (On Plane)
    83. Act Of Imagination – Eddie Murphy And Serena Williams’s Daughter
    84. I Hate Valentine’s Day 2009  (On Plane)
    85. The Proposal 2009 With Sandra Bullock
    86. Into The Storm (Bio Of Winston Churchill (On Plane)
    87. MILF Hunters 5 Porno Movie Seen In Hotel
    88. Brooks
    89. Taken
    90. The Big Bounce
    91. The Heartbreak Kid (Second Time Around)
    92. Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 With John Travolta, Denzel Washington
    93. Cherrie 2008 With Michelle Pfiefer
    94. Accidental Husband 2008 With Uma Thuber
    95. Management With Jennifer Anison, Steve Chain, And Woody Harrelson, 2008
    96. My Life In Ruins, 2008 With Nia Valdolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding And Richard Dreyfus)
    97. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2005
    98. Spanglish 2005 With Adam Sandler
    99. A Married Life 2008
    100. Open Road 2009
    101. Vanity Fair 2004 Recee Weatherspoon As Bucky Sharp
    102. Beyond Borders 2008 Anglie Jolie, And Clive Owen
    103. I’ll Sleep When I Am Dead 2003with Clive Owen
    104. The King Of California 2007 With Michael Douglas
    105. Target 1985 With Gene Hackman And Matt Dillion
    106. The Life Of David Gale With Kevin Spacy, And Kate Winslet
    107. Bruno
    108. Lucky You With Drew Barrymore
    109. The Last Word
    110. 2012 With John Cusack
    111. Bad Lieutenant With Nicolas Cage
    112. The Tournament 2009 Kelly Hu
    113. Public Enemies 2009 Johny Deep
    114. Julia And Julia 2009 Meryle Sherpa
    115. Cold Mountain 2003 Jude Law, Nicole Kidman
    116. Out Of Time 2003 Denzel Washington, Eva Mendez (Hot)
    117. Night At The Museum 11 Battle For Smithsonian
    118. Sleuth 2009 Version
    119. Land Of The Lost 2009
    120. The Brother’s Bloom 2008
    121. Letter From Iwa Jima 2007 Clint Eastwood Directed
    122. White Chicks
    123. Star Treck Generations
    124. Jackie Collins Hollywood Wife 2003
    125. Charlie Wilson’s War -2008 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
    126. The Whole Nine Yards 2000 Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peete (Hot)
    127. The Illusionist

    2009

    1. Underwear” Starting Val Kilmer, Graham Greene,
    2. Constant Gardener With Rachael Weiz –
    3. Rumor Has It – Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Costner
    4. Queen
    5. Hancock With Will Smith
    6. Dave – With Eddie Murphy – SF Comedy
    7. Joe Kid – With Clint Eastwood – Saw Opening
    8. Iron Man – Not Bad. Another Marvel Movie.
    9. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind”
    10. Gone, Baby, Gone”
    11. Fracture
    12. Burn After Reading”
    13. 21 Grams”
    14. The Changling With Angelia Jolie, Directed By Clint
    15. Kiss The Dust”
    16. How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
    17. Electric Mist With Tommy Lee Jones
    18. Good German
    19. Siberian Express
    20. Body Of Lies
    21. Slum Dog Millionaire
    22. Lucky Slevin
    23. Australia
    24. What Just Happened
    25. City Of Ember
    26. Proof Of Life
    27. Bottle Shock
    28. Runaway Jury
    29. Master Spy
    30. Marie Antoinette
    31. Interstate
    32. He’s Just Not That Into You
    33. Madagascar 11
    34. Collateral With Jamie Fox And Tom Cruise
    35. My Super Ex Girl Friend
    36. State Of Play – In Medford Movie Theather
    37. Bolt-On The Plane
    38. Yes Man, In Hotel Room In DC
    39. Avengers
    40. Spy Games
    41. All The Way
    42. The Day The Earth Stood Still
    43. Seven Pounds
    44. Nothing But The Truth
    45. The Reader – Oscar Winner For Best Actress 2008 Kate Winslet
    46. Crossing Over
    47. Kill Shot With Mickey Rourke, Diane Lane
    48. Vanished With Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock
    49. Valkarie
    50. Star Trek – Prequel Movie (From Street Vendor)
    51. 52 The Clearing With Robert Redford – 2004
    52. Curious Case Of Benjamin Button With Brad Pitt Best Actor Award 2009
    53. Knowing With Nicolas Cage 2009
    54. The Code
    55. Counterfeit
    56. Alexander 2004 Oliver Stone Producer
    57. Out For Justice 1991
    58. Echelon Conspiracy 2009
    59. The Good Thief 2001 With Nick Nolte
    60. Meteor = NBC Mini-Series
    61. Wild Hogs 2007 Tim Allen, Travolta, Macy, Lawrence
    62. 28 Days Later
    63. Wild Things 2
    64. Mystic River Directed By Clint Eastwood, Starring Sean Pean
    65. Criminal 2004
    66. Essential Lover
    67. Two Lovers
    68. Angels And Demons 2008 Started by Tom Hanks, Directed By Ron Howard
    69. The Informers
    70. Duplicity
    71. Surveillance Produced By Jennifer Lynch Starting Pullman And Ormand
    72. Trust The Man 2008
    73. The Mutant Chronicles 2008
    74. Heaven 1995?
    75. Wolverine With Hugh Jackman 2009
    76. Dark Streets With Bijou Philips
    77. Doubt With Meryle Strep 2008
    78. Coco Chanel Shirley Mc Cline 2008
    79. Ramen Girl
    80. The Yatzuka (1974 W George Mitchum)
    81. The Fountain 2006 W Rachel Weiss (Hot)
    82. Easy Virtue 2009 (On Plane)
    83. Act Of Imagination – Eddie Murphy And Serena Williams’s Daughter
    84. I Hate Valentine’s Day 2009  (On Plane)
    85. The Proposal 2009 With Sandra Bullock
    86. Into The Storm (Bio Of Winston Churchill (On Plane)
    87. MILF Hunters 5 Porno Movie Seen In Hotel
    88. Brooks
    89. Taken
    90. The Big Bounce
    91. The Heartbreak Kid (Second Time Around)
    92. Taking Of Pelham 123 2009 With John Travolta, Denzel Washington
    93. Cherrie 2008 With Michelle Pfiefer
    94. Accidental Husband 2008 With Uma Thuber
    95. Management With Jennifer Anison, Steve Chain, And Woody Harrelson, 2008
    96. My Life In Ruins, 2008 With Nia Valdolos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding And Richard Dreyfus)
    97. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2005
    98. Spanglish 2005 With Adam Sandler
    99. A Married Life 2008
    100. Open Road 2009
    101. Vanity Fair 2004 Recee Weatherspoon As Bucky Sharp
    102. Beyond Borders 2008 Anglie Jolie, And Clive Owen
    103. I’ll Sleep When I Am Dead 2003with Clive Owen
    104. The King Of California 2007 With Michael Douglas
    105. Target 1985 With Gene Hackman And Matt Dillion
    106. The Life Of David Gale With Kevin Spacy, And Kate Winslet
    107. Bruno
    108. Lucky You With Drew Barrymore
    109. The Last Word
    110. 2012 With John Cusack
    111. Bad Lieutenant With Nicolas Cage
    112. The Tournament 2009 Kelly Hu
    113. Public Enemies 2009 Johny Deep
    114. Julia And Julia 2009 Meryle Sherpa
    115. Cold Mountain 2003 Jude Law, Nicole Kidman
    116. Out Of Time 2003 Denzel Washington, Eva Mendez (Hot)
    117. Night At The Museum 11 Battle For Smithsonian
    118. Sleuth 2009 Version
    119. Land Of The Lost 2009
    120. The Brother’s Bloom 2008
    121. Letter From Iwa Jima 2007 Clint Eastwood Directed
    122. White Chicks
    123. Star Treck Generations
    124. Jackie Collins Hollywood Wife 2003
    125. Charlie Wilson’s War -2008 Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts
    126. The Whole Nine Yards 2000 Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry, Amanda Peete (Hot)
    127. The Illusionist

    After The Sunset With Pierce Bronson, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson, Don Cheadle

    American Gangster With Denzel Washington And Russell Crowe

    Out Of Reach With Steven Seagal

    Amos And Andy With Nicolas Cage And Samuel Jackson

    The Merchant Of Venice With AL Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins

    Harrison’s Flowers With Adrian Macdowell, Elias Koteas, Brendan Gleeson, Adrian Brody, And David Stratham

    Cruise December 15 -21

    Sylvia –  Movie About The Poet Sylvia Plath And Ted Hughes

    What Happened In Vegas – With Cameron Diaz

    Rendition With Meryle Strep – About The Issue Of Renditions, Well Done

    Adaptation  – Nicolas Cage Re Life Of Two Twin Brothers Screen Writers And The Process Of Writing A Screen Play

    Bangkok Dangerous Nicolas Cage

    Elizabeth

    The Weather Man Nicolas Cage

    Get Smart

    Possession  NF

    Next With Nicolas Cage NF

    Knocked Up  NF

    Untouchables AMC

    Fargo  AMC

    Mummy Returns

    2007 To 2010 Barbados

    Saw A Lot Of Movies On Video And Netflix Via Mail

    2003 To 2007  DC Saw An Average of 100 Per Year

    2000 To 2003  Saw An Average Of 100 Per Year Mostly Videos

    But Did See In Movie Theaters Twice A Month And Saw Several Bollywood Movies

    Saw The Three Stooges Marathon To Start The Year

    1996 -1997  Saw Less Than 50 Due To Being In Hospital Half The Year

    Saw About 100 Per Year Blockbuster Was Popular

    1994  during six month Thai training saw four movies per week two normal, two adult movies

    1991 during training saw four movies per week, two normal, two adult movies

    The ’80s Saw A Lot Via Video About 100 Per Year

    The ’70s Saw On TV And In Movie Theaters

    Watched a lot of Creature Features movies on TV in the early ’70s every Friday night they had a double feature.    Went on average once a week to the movies with friends, mostly Robert Sicular starting from 1970 to 1974.

    Favorite animation series included American Dad, Dilbert,  Family Guy, Futurama, Bullwinkle, Looney Tunes .

    Favorite TV series over the years include Arrested Development,  Batman, Superman,  Everyone Loves Raymond,  Get Smart, Dragnet,  Adam 12, Two and half men, Married with Children, Malcom in the Middle, Dallas, Falcon Crest, and as a child, Beverly Hillbies, Dobbie Gils, Gilligan’s Island, Green Acres, Outer limits, Twilight zone, and X Files.

    Saw all planet of the Apes movies, All James Bond movies, Spider man, Superman, Start Treck and Start wars movies.

  • Big Meh for the Power of the Dog

    Big Meh for the Power of the Dog

    The Power of the Dog = a Big Meh

     

    the oower of the dog poster
    the oower of the dog poster

    movies list

    Cosmos Movie List 2021

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

     

     

     

    I don’t get why “the Power of Dog” has gotten so much critical buzz, awards, and Oscar nominations.   I found it long, tedious, boring, too much talking, not enough action, and wondered why anyone would consider this movie to be a masterpiece. To me, it was just “Meh”.

    There were a few interesting aspects to the movie, but not explored enough in my opinion.  There was a brokeback mountain bromance in the movie between Phil and his nephew, Peter, who was depicted as a socially inept, sensitive, effeminate young man.  But this was just hinted at and never fully developed.

    The main character Phil to me was a bit flat and undeveloped as well.  He had gone to Yale majoring in classics, and gone back to help manage the family ranch. He is an intelligent man, but does not live up to his potential.  Rose, Phil’s sister in law is also never fleshed out as a character. She is depicted as an alcoholic wreck – a widow whose husband had died after committing suicide.  She is a sad broken woman but never really drown out either.

    There is a lack of action throughout the movie which just seems meandering touching on my theme and another before petering out with Phil’s mysterious death from anthrax.

     

    The movie hints that Peter had given Phil tainted raw hides and Phil caught anthrax while working on the hide without wearing gloves.   The movie would have been much more powerful if that had been further developed and Peter had intended to kill Phil.

     

    But this was just another plot point hinted at and dropped.

    The cinematography was good, the music was soaring. Overall, though, the movie just did not work for me.  I’d give it a C and certainly, it does not deserve an Oscar nomination.

    The Power of the Dog is a 2021 Western psychological drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. It is based on Thomas Savage‘s 1967 novel of the same name. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. Shot mostly across rural Otago, New Zealand, the film is an international co-production between New Zealand, Greece, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. The Power of the Dog covers themes such as love, grief, resentment, jealousy, and sexuality.

    The Power of the Dog had its world premiere at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2021, where Campion won the Silver Lion for Best Direction. The film had a limited theatrical release in November 2021, and was released to stream worldwide on Netflix on December 1, 2021. The Power of the Dog received universal acclaim from critics, who praised Campion’s direction and screenplay, cinematography, score, and performances of the four leads. It was highly regarded as one of the best films of 2021 by multiple top-ten lists.

    It has received many accolades including a leading 12 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and was named one of the best films of 2021 by the American Film Institute. It also received seven nominations at the 79th Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture for Smit-McPhee and Best Director for Campion, and 10 nominations at the 27th Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture.

    The power of the Dog Wiki

     

  • Cosmos Movies Seen 2022

    Cosmos Movies Seen 2022

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    Cosmos Movie List 2022

    Movie Watching Goals 2022

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.
    At least one Korean movie per week
    At least one Spanish movie per month
    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month
    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc
    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several
    Resume going to the theater later in the year
    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

    the list

    January

    Emily In Paris Netflix B
    Supereight Stephen Spielberg B
    Black Money K drama B
    Extreme Job  K Drama B
    Freaks Netflix C
    Dune World (Not the Dune) C
    Assimilation – Invasion of Body snatchers remake Hoopla C
    Power Play (hoopla) C
    Constantine Netflix  C
    Ozark season 4 B
    Cowboy Bebop SF Netflix K Star but not K Drama  A-

    February

    We are all going to die K zombie drama A
    Babysitter Killer Queen c
    Haebing 2017 the Thaw K Drama  b
    Area 51 Hoopla  C
    Nine Teeth Vampire movie  C
    Chosen  b Netflix Danish SF
    Dark  B  Netflix German SF
    The Power of the Dog C Oscar nominee

     

  • Cosmos Movie List 2021 Final Updates

    Cosmos Movie List 2021 Final Updates

    Cosmos Movie List 2021 Final Updates

    Cosmos’s Fav k Drama

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    the list

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

    the list

     

     

     

     

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

     

     

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

     

     

    the list

     

    January

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. I Am Not Okay with This
    11. Constantine
    12. The Beach
    13. Holliday
    14. Rebecca
    15. About Time
    16. Spy games
    17. We could be heroes
    18. Vastness of the Night Amazon

    February

    1. Hanna
    2. The Expanse
    3. Sneaky Pete -Amazon
    4. How it Ends
    5. The I Land
    6. Wonder Woman
    7. Get Out
    8. Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    9. I Care a Lot 2020 TV
    10. Messiah

    March

    1. Itaewon Class K Drama
    2. Sense 8
    3. Salvation
    4. The Order
    5. Lock N Key
    6. Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    7. Titans

    April

    1. O/A
    2. Abyss
    3. Outer Banks
    4. White Lines
    5. Umbrella Acadamy
    6. The Last Man Standing K Drama

    May

    1. Suicide Squad
    2. The Honest candidate K Drama
    3. Behind Her Eyes
    4. Sisyphus K Drama
    5. Venzano K Drama
    6. Strangers K Drama season one
    7. Strangers K Drama season two
    8. Strangers K Drama season three
    9. The Woman in the Mirror
    10. Gemini Man
    11. Legends
    12. Bridgeton Netflix top-ranked series

    June

    1. Wanted with Angelina Jolie 2005?
    2. War Dogs
    3. The Holliday
    4. The woman in the Mirror
    5. How It Ends
    6. Love and Monsters
    7. Knives Out

    July

    1. Old Guard
    2. Love, Death, and Robots
    3. Borek Movie
    4. Sweet Tooth
    5. Mine K Drama
    6. Glitch
    7. Parasite K Drama
    8. Legends of Alhambra K Drama

    August

    1. Sin City
    2. The Talented Mr. Ripply
    3. The negotiator K movie
    4. No exit K movie
    5. Crash Landing On You K Drama

    September

    1. Jackel 1997 US Movie
    2. Night in Paradise K movie
    3. DP K drama
    4. Con K drama movie

    October

    1. When the Camelia Blooms K Drama
    2. Squid Games K Drama
    3. The Devil’s Advocate
    4. Move to Heaven K Drama
    5. The Money Heist Spanish Series

    On Plane

    1. Minuri K drama won an Oscar for best supporting actress
    2. Cool Hand Luke
    3. Citizen Kane
    4. Jungle Cruise
    5. Free Guy
    6. Black Widow
    7. King Kong V Godzilla
    8. Crazy Rich Asians

    Return to Korea

    1. Bliss Amazon
    2. Tomorrow’s Wars Amazon
    3. Reflections on You (K Drama, Netflix)
    4. Red Notice (Netflix)
    5. Hell Bound K Drama
    6. Crisis in Six Scenes Amazon
    7. The Wheel of Time Amazon season one
    8. Another life season three
    9. Lost in Space Season three
    10. Hostage K Drama movie
    11. Army of Thieves
    12. Army of Death
    13. The Big Splash
    14. The Dark Tower
    15. Balgasal K SF
    16. The Wanted
    17. Mogadishu K Drama
    18. Don’t Look Up Netflix special
    19. Focus
    20. Lucy
    21. Jupiter Ascending
    22. Space Between us
    23. ARQ
    24. Rainy Day in NYC Woody Allen Film
    25. In Time
    26. Silent Sea
    27. San Andreas
    28. Don’t look Up
    29. Riany Day in NYC
    30. In Time

    K Drama List

    Crashlanding on you
    Legends of Alhambra
    The negotiator movie
    No exit movie
    Mine
    Venzeano
    Sisyphus
    Stranger
    Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    The Last Man Standing K Drama
    Mr. Sunshine
    Itaewon Class
    Mr. Kim’s convenience
    A night in Paradise
    Reflections On You
    Hell Bound
    Balgasal
    Mogadishu

    To watch

    Sky Castle
    Kingdom
    Reply 1988
    Signal
    My Mister
    Hospital PlayList
    Flower of Evil

    The End

  • Cosmos Movie List 2021 Updates

    Cosmos Movie List 2021 Updates

    Cosmos Movie List 2021 Updates

    Cosmos’s Fav k Drama

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    this is an updated to my 2021 movie listing reflecting among other things the K Dramas I have recently gotten into.  I will update it again at the end of the year, if not sooner.

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

    movies watched during 2018
    night at the movies

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

    the list

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

    the list

     

     

     

     

    January

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. I Am Not Okay with This
    11. Constantine

    February

    1. The Beach
    2. Holliday
    3. Rebecca
    4. About Time
    5. Spy games
    6. We could be heroes
    7. Vastness of the Night Amazon
    8. Hanna
    9. The Expanse
    10. Sneaky Pete -Amazon

    March

    1. How it Ends
    2. The I Land
    3. Wonder Woman
    4. Get Out
    5. Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    6. I Care a Lot 2020 TV
    7. Messiah
    8. Itaewon Class K Drama

    April

    1. Sense 8 –has Korean star
    2. Salvation
    3. The Order
    4. Lock N Key
    5. Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    6. Titans
    7. O/A
    8. Abyss
    9. Outer Banks

    May

    1. White Lines
    2. Umbrella Acadamy
    3. The Last Man Standing K Drama
    4. Suicide Squad
    5. The Honest candidate K Drama
    6. Behind Her Eyes
    7. Sisyphus K Drama
    8. Venzano K Drama
    9. Strangers K Drama
    10. The Woman in the Mirror
    11. Gemini Man
    12. Legends
    1. Wanted with An

    2. Bridgeton

    3. Agelina Jolie
    4. War Dogs
    5. The Holliday
    6. The woman in the Mirror
    7. How It Ends
    8. Love and Monsters
    9. Knives Out
    10. Old Guard
    11. Love, Death, and Robots
    12. Borek Movie

    July

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    61 Sweet Tooth

    1. Mine K Drama
    2. Glitch
    3. Parasite K movie 2020 Oscar Winner
    4. Legends of Alhambra K Drama
    5. Sin City
    6. The Talented Mr. Ripley

    August

    1. The negotiator K movie

    2. No exit K movie
    3. Crash Landing On Me K Drama
    4. Jackel 1997 US Movie
    5. Night in Paradise K movie
    6. My Love from the Stars – K Drama

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

     

     

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

     

     

    the list

     

    January

     

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. I Am Not Okay with This
    11. Constantine
    12. The Beach
    13. Holliday
    14. Rebecca
    15. About Time
    16. Spy games
    17. We could be heroes
    18. Vastness of the Night Amazon

    February

    1. Hanna
    2. The Expanse
    3. Sneaky Pete -Amazon
    4. How it Ends
    5. The I Land
    6. Wonder Woman
    7. Get Out
    8. Space Sweepers K SF Drama
    9. I Care a Lot 2020 TV
    10. Messiah

     

    March

     

    1. Itaewon Class K Drama
    2. Sense 8
    3. Salvation
    4. The Order
    5. Lock N Key
    6. Ballad of Buster Scruggs
    7. Titans

    April

     

    1. O/A
    2. Abyss
    3. Outer Banks
    4. White Lines
    5. Umbrella Acadamy
    6. The Last Man Standing K Drama

     

    May

     

    1. Suicide Squad
    2. The Honest candidate K Drama
    3. Behind Her Eyes
    4. Sisyphus K Drama
    5. Venzano K Drama
    6. Strangers K Drama season one
    7. Strangers K Drama season two
    8. Strangers K Drama season three
    9. The Woman in the Mirror
    10. Gemini Man
    11. Legends
    12. Bridgeton Netflix top-ranked series

     

    June

     

    1. Wanted with Angelina Jolie 2005?
    2. War Dogs
    3. The Holliday
    4. The woman in the Mirror
    5. How It Ends
    6. Love and Monsters
    7. Knives Out

     

    July

     

    1. Old Guard
    2. Love, Death, and Robots
    3. Borek Movie
    4. Sweet Tooth
    5. Mine K Drama
    6. Glitch
    7. Parasite K Drama
    8. Legends of Alhambra K Drama

    August

    1. Sin City
    2. The Talented Mr. Ripply
    3. The negotiator K movie
    4. No exit K movie
    5. Crash Landing On You K Drama

    September

    1. Jackel 1997 US Movie
    2. Night in Paradise K movie
    3. DP K drama
    4. Con K drama movie

    October

    1. When the Camelia Blooms K Drama
    2. Squid Games K Drama number 1 on netflix
    3. The Devil’s Advocate
    4. Move to Heaven K Drama
    5. The Money Heist Spanish Series

    On Plane

    1. Minuri
    2. Cool Hand Luke
    3. Citizen Kane
    4. Jungle Cruise
    5. Free Guy
    6. Black Widow
    7. King Kong V Godzilla
    8. Crazy Rich Asians

     

    Return to Korea

    1. Bliss Amazon
    2. Tomorrow’s Wars Amazon
    3. Reflections on You (K Drama, Netflix)
    4. Red Notice (Netflix)
    5. Reflection on You (K Drama)
    6. Hell Bound K Drama

    To watch list

    Dune

    Latest James Bond

    Amazon Prime videos

     

    K Drama List

    Crashlanding on you

    Legends of Alhambra

    The negotiator movie

    No exit  movie

    Mine

    Venzeano

    Sisyphus

    Stranger

    Space Sweepers K SF Drama

    The Last Man Standing K Drama

    Mr. Sunshine

    Itaewon Class

    Mr. Kim’s convenience

    A night in Paradise

    Minuri

    Reflections On You

    Hell Bound

    To watch

    My Love from the Stars K Drama

    Sky Castle

    Kingdom

    Reply 1988

    Signal

    My Mister

    Hospital PlayList

    Flower of Evil

    The Most Exciting TV Shows Coming in 2021: From ‘Wanda Vision’ to ‘Impeachment’

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

     

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

     

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Brymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

     

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    The Best Movies of 2020

    The Movies I Can’t-Wait to Watch (in Movie Theaters??) in 2021

    This Global Box-Office Blockbuster Is a Reminder That Hollywood Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Telling Big Stories

    I Was Moved by Raz Ahmed’s Understated, Intense Performance in Sound of Metal

    What It’s Like to Watch a Friend Make a Great Movie—and to Be Expected to Respond to It as an Asian American Critic

    What did movies matter in 2020? What did anything? I don’t intend those questions in the nihilistic sense of “lol nothing matters.” I pose them open-endedly in the last weeks of a year that put such once foundational concepts as mattering, let alone movies, into question. All the things we lost in the coronavirus pandemic in 2020—our gathering places, our public institutions, our jobs, our sense of daily shared reality, and for far too many Americans, our loved ones’ lives—put the things we were still able to do into sharper relief. And one of the best things you can still do when holed up at home, as long as you have a home and some means of wiring yourself into the ambient digital matrix we all now exist in, is watch movies.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Without theaters, the cinematic year (like the year) felt amorphous and hazy. What constituted a “hit” or a “flop” in 2020? Which movies were the virtual-festival darlings, the hyped-up disappointments, or the word-of-mouth successes? Because almost all of our viewing happened in private, and because the big streaming platforms guard their data like Smaug his hoard, it was hard to determine which movies people were talking about or ignoring, hard to choose what to watch, and more and more as this year of entertainment-conglomerate mergers wore on, hard to figure out where to stream it. Watercooler conversation can’t very well drive box office receipts when the only watercooler insight is your kitchen sink and the only box office is … Home Box Office. But though there were far fewer opportunities to talk about a movie on the way out of the theater—surely among life’s peak everyday experiences—there were more chances than usual to fall into weird indie rabbit holes and nurture new cinematic crushes.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    A methodological note on this year’s list: I have been loose on the parameters as to what constitutes a “2020 movie.” Some of the below titles showed at festivals in 2019, were meant to open theatrically this year, and wound up going straight to streaming instead. Others were released in both formats at different times during the year, and at least one never ended up opening at all but remains on the list as a harbinger of good films to come. This is a record of the movie year as I experienced it: fragmentary, catch-as-catch-can, often out of sync with “the conversation” yet somehow astonishingly timely. No movie on this list could have been conceived after the pandemic shut down film production, yet many if not most of them seem somehow to respond to our current historical moment of cabin fever and barely contained mass rage. If I had to find a thread running through the movies that follow (though imposing thematic coherence on any list this diffuse is a fool’s game), it would have something to do with captivity and freedom. The characters in these films are often escaping, hiding out, lying in wait, fetching the bolt cutters to find their way out of whatever traumatic past has trapped them. While you wait for your shot at freedom (in the form, it now seems, of that first vaccine injection), here are some great movies to get you through the next few months. In alphabetical order:

    The Assistant

    Kitty Green’s unassuming but keenly observed first narrative feature follows one terrible workday in the life of an intern of a never-seen movie producer who’s a serial sexual abuser in the Harvey Weinstein mold. Ozark’s Julia Garner is on screen, often alone, for virtually every second of the movie. Her miserably treated character is the only moral center in this austere movie’s cold and self-dealing universe, and she could easily have gone for Cinderella-style sympathy from the audience (if instead of sweeping ashes from the hearth, Cinderella stapled scripts and fielded calls from anxious wives). But Garner rejects the temptation to coast as a suffering ingenue. In a quietly bravura performance that’s dialogue-free for long stretches, she fills in a whole tragic back story just by the way she listens. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review The Assistant.)

     

    The Assistant

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    Bureau

    From its opening image—Brazil has seen from space, the fires in the Amazon visible, as a classic Caetano Veloso song plays on the soundtrack—Kleber Mendonca Filho’s genre-splicing thriller has an air of unsettling mystery. The title is the name of a remote village in the country’s hardscrabble northeast, where, for reasons never fully explained, an international team of white supremacist assassins led by the always-chilling Udo Kier descends to wreak brutal and possibly supernatural mayhem. Densely plotted and packed with vivid actors including the legendary Sonia Braga, this ambitious if the sometimes inscrutable film takes place shortly, “a few years from now.” But its merciless vision of global politics as a zero-sum class and race struggle, and its almost comedically grisly final action sequence, feels very much of the present.

     

    Bureau

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Beanpole

    Kant emir Balagan’s second feature, about a young woman working as a military nurse in post–World War II Leningrad, is filmed in a palette of impossibly rich greens, reds, and golds—every frame glows with the intensity of a stained-glass window or an illuminated manuscript. That
    lush pictorial beauty offsets the extreme bleakness of the story, as the lanky “beanpole” of the title (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) contends with the psychic fallout from her service in the war. In increasingly self-destructive ways, she seeks to expiate her bottomless guilt for what she perceives as a terrible wrong done to a friend, but which the audience, with more compassion for the characters than they can summon for themselves, understands as a wrong done to Beanpole herself by the implacable cruelty of history.

     

    Beanpole

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Collective

    In the fall of 2015, a fire broke out at a packed nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, resulting in the death of 64 people and the permanent disfigurement of more than 100 more. In the years that followed, public outrage over the incident—the club had no functioning fire exits—caused a government to fall and a new activist movement to arise. Alexander Nana’s intricate, suspenseful documentary tracks the journalistic effort to expose the complex knot of corruption, deception, and negligence that enabled both the disaster itself and the failure of the health care system to do right by the victims after. This is one of the most heartbreaking films I watched in a year already drowning in heartbreak, but also one of the most necessary at a time when the fourth estate is often the last line of defense against a global capitalist system that seems designed to be quite homicidal.

     

    Collective

    For rent

    $6.99 from Amazon

    Da 5 Bloods

    In retrospect, Chadwick Boseman’s sudden, tragic, and, for everyone but those in his most intimate circle, completely unexpected death of colon cancer in August makes this Spike Lee joint about a group of Black veterans returning to Vietnam all the more moving and urgent. But Da 5 Bloods would have been one of the best movies of the year anyway. Boseman’s role is small but pivotal: His climactic encounter with the older vet played superbly by Delray Lindo is a scene of transformation and healing that fully justifies the rush of cathartic tears it brings. In addition to being insightful about Vietnam War trauma and the complications of modern Black masculinity, Da 5 Bloods is a rollicking buddies-on-the-road comedy, full of earthy humor and jovial trash talk. The early scene when the four old soldiers, tropical drinks in hand, boogie their way to their table at a real-life Ho Chi Minh City disco called Apocalypse Now is one of the year’s great depictions of an experience so many of us missed over this homebound year: goofing off on the dance floor with friends. (Read the review.)

     

    Da 5 Bloods

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    First Cow

    Kelly Reichardt’s seventh feature, a stripped-down Western about the tender friendship between two lonely men in a Pacific Northwest pioneer town in 1820, was the last film I saw in a theater in 2020, at an early March press preview surrounded by colleagues, some of them longtime friends. That whole night had an unusually celebratory feeling; First Cow had blown away everyone I spoke to about it, but the feeling it left in its wake was a quiet, subdued kind of dazzlement, the sneaking suspicion that early in the release calendar though it still was, we had probably just watched one of the most original and accomplished movies we’d see all year. Afterward, in the lobby, there was a little reception with a waiter serving “oily cakes,” the sweet fried-dough pastry that figures crucially in the movie’s plot. Munching them, it was easy to see how this confection, a rare delicacy in the movie’s hardscrabble setting, could have caused the high-stakes competition for scarce resources that the movie chronicles. But though First Cow is all about finding a way to survive in an environment of scarcity, this contemplative, compassionate drama is a miracle of filmmaking abundance, with incandescent performances from John Magar and Orion Lee and the curiously calming presence of Eve, the prettiest on-screen bovine since Buster Keaton fell in love with a heifer in the 1925 silent Go West. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review First Cow.)

     

    First Cow

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Let Them All Talk

    As I was finalizing this list, it occurred to me that one of the most crucial functions of movie viewing, especially in a year like this (has there ever been a year like this? Maybe 1918?), was sadly underrepresented. Sometimes all you need is some stylish escapism, a low-stakes hangout film where likable characters pursue sparkling or snarky conversations over flutes of Champagne in rooms with flattering lighting. To the rescue just in time came Steven Soderbergh’s latest comedy, about an egocentric novelist (Meryl Streep) who invites two long-estranged friends (Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest) and her devoted nephew (Lucas Hedges) on a trans-Atlantic cruise to collect a literary prize in Europe. At first, the generically titled Let Them All Talk seemed like it was going to be a Nancy Meyers–style rom-com about frisky codgers on a boat—not that there would be anything remotely wrong with that. But by 20 minutes in, it was clear this was pure Soderbergh, a multicharacter caper film in the mode of his Ocean’s movies, Out of Sight, or Magic Mike. The difference: Instead of winning a striptease competition or robbing a high-security bank, this crew of oddballs—three strong-willed middle-aged women, an awkward young man, and the various colorful characters they cross paths with on the ship—is simply seeking to come to terms with the undone work of their own lives: the longtime friendships in need of repair, the romantic connections not yet made, the books left to write. (Read the review.)

     

    Let Them All Talk

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    Minami

    Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical film follows a Korean immigrant family in the 1980s as they attempt to turn a recalcitrant piece of land in rural Arkansas into a working vegetable farm. The story is seen mainly through the eyes of 7-year-old David, played with movie-stealing aplomb by the tiny but utterly self-possessed first-time actor Alan S. Kim. (His petulant delivery of “I’m not pretty! I’m good-looking!” may be my single favorite line reading of the year.) But Steven Yuen, in a marvelously understated performance as his stubborn but fiercely devoted father, gives the kid a run for his money. Minami is a drama about immigrants that don’t try to make grand statements about the immigrant experience in America. Rather, it tells the specific story of one family, dysfunctional and troubled in its particular way, but held together by a powerful bond of love. (Read the review.)

     

    Minami

    Coming Feb. 12, 2021, from A24

    Nomad land

    Jessica Broder’s 2017 book on retirement-age migrant workers living out of their RVs provided the source material for this lyrical portrait of a widow (Frances McDormand) who takes to the road after a mine closure eliminates the small company town she’s lived in her whole life. I don’t know how to add to what I already wrote in my review, and what so many others have said: Nomad land is a miracle of a movie that somehow transmutes painful experiences like homelessness, loneliness, and systemic exploitation by a pitiless labor market into a poetic meditation on freedom, friendship, and the passage of time. (Read the review.)

     

    Nomad land

    Coming soon from Searchlight Pictures

    Saint Maud

    This is the only movie on the list that hasn’t yet been released at all. I saw it in late February, the week before the coronavirus started to shut down in-person press screenings, and my lovestruck review of it is still waiting in the can be published, although the headline—calling it “The First Great Horror Film of 2020”—will have to change by a digit. But I leave it on the list in anticipation of great films to come. The English director Rose Glass, making her debut feature, serves up a gory brew of body horror and spiritual cinema in the tradition of Robert Bresson. Jennifer Hele and Morfitt Clark are spellbinding as a terminally ill choreographer and her fanatically religious young caregiver. Are the ecstatic visions that ravish Maud in her sordid bedsit the work of the divine, the demonic, or her own mental and emotional instability? It’s the rare movie that delves this deeply into the experience of personal faith and (Lord, that final shot!) scares your pants off to boot.

     

    Saint Maud

    Coming “soon” from A24

    Plus, five runners-up:

    City Hall
    Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Fourteen
    Lovers Rock
    Time

    The Best TV of 2020

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

     

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

     

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Braymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

     

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix

    The Only Movie Watchlist You’ll Need This Summer

    Here are 32 new films to see this season, whether you’re ready to return to theaters or want to stay on the couch.

    Hollywood has a crowded slate of films—delayed by the pandemic and otherwise—to release over the next three months. That makes choosing what to see more stressful than usual, especially when some titles can be seen both in theaters and at home. To make the process more manageable, I’ve scrutinized trailers and even screened some of the films below to put together this guide for all your needs, whatever they may be. My first question, to set the scene: How far would you like to venture away from your couch?

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    BLACK WIDOW (JULY 9)

    The superspy played by Scarlett Johansson didn’t get a funeral in Avengers: Endgame, but she is getting the solo film her fans have been campaigning for since it was possible to binge all of the Marvel movies in less than a day. (For those counting, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 24th entry.) This prequel follows Natasha on a mission across Europe to reunite her “family,” characters who will probably be essential to the next films. Bonus tip: Don’t forget to watch for a post-credits scene.

    WARNER BROS.

    THE SUICIDE SQUAD (AUGUST 6)

    Comic-book superheroes rarely ever actually die. The same goes for comic-book-inspired film franchises. The David Ayer–directed version of Suicide Squad bombed with critics, but the band of supervillains forced to do the government’s bidding is getting a second chance, with some fresh additions to the cast and a new director in James Gunn, the needle-drop-happy mind behind Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Come for Margot Robbie reprising her gonzo performance as Harley Quinn; stay for what appears to be a much more irreverent and coherent version of the story. At the very least, this version looks lit brightly enough so that we can see what’s happening.

    … I LIKE MY MOVIES TO COME WITH A BEAT

    IN THE HEIGHTS (JUNE 11)

    A feel-good hug of a movie that might make you dance in your seat, this adaptation of the Broadway hit by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiana Alegria Hodes dazzles with Jon M. Chu’s maximalist direction. The story follows characters living in the disappearing Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, all with their ideas for fulfilling their American dreams. Consider this my official endorsement of the film’s sterling quality, and an appeal for concession stands across America to please add piragua to their menu.

    FOCUS FEATURES

    THE SPARKS BROTHERS (JUNE 18)

    The director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) trains his eye on the quirky musical duo, whose sound has influenced, well, almost every band in existence, this documentary argues. Featuring interviews with dozens of musicians (Beck, Flea, Jack Anton off) and notable no musicians (Mike Myers, Jason Schwartzman), the film, which premiered this year at Sundance, is a close look at music history and a peek inside Wright’s kinetic mind.

    RESPECT (AUGUST 13)

    Biopics of famous entertainers need, above all else, the right actor in the leading role. This glitzy portrait of Aretha Franklin—not to be confused with the limited series that aired earlier this year—casts Jennifer Hudson as the legendary singer, and the star seems poised to embark on another awards-season run if all goes well. She’s surrounded by an equally impressive cast: The ensemble also includes heavyweights such as Forest Whitaker and Audra McDonald, along with an unexpected dramatic turn from Marlon Wayans as Aretha’s manager and first husband, Ted White.

    THE BEATLES: GET BACK (AUGUST 27)

    Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame trades hobbits for the Fab Four. This documentary follows the Beatles as they make the album Let It Be and includes never-before-seen footage that had been cut from Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 doc. Jackson has stated that the hours of material he’s gathered show the foursome’s camaraderie and challenge the narrative that the album was made amid discord. I’ve got a feeling he’s right; after all, the film was created with approval from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

    … I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING WITH MY PARENTS

    STILLWATER (JULY 30)

    In this thriller directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Matt Damon plays a blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth Everyman whose estranged daughter (Abigail Breslin) gets arrested for murder abroad. The script seems to have been inspired by the Amanda Knox case but told from an astonishingly resourceful and über-patriotic parent’s perspective. Think Jason Bourne, if Bourne had a conspicuous twang and transformative facial hair.

    LIONSGATE

    THE PROTÉGÉ (AUGUST 20)

    Everything about this spy movie’s trailer—slow-motion shoot-outs, cool disguises, the villain delivering whispered threats—screams predictability, but the film has assembled a formidable cast, including Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. And I guess this is when I admit I’m a fan of the star Maggie Q’s CW-feed take on Nikita from the early 2010s. Campy action is her sweet spot.

    REMINISCENCE (AUGUST 20)

    One of the Westworld co-creators, Lisa Joy, wrote and directed this tale of a scientist (Hugh Jackman) who discovers a way to time travel through memory. If it’s anything like Joy’s work on the first season of the HBO series, it’ll be twisty but enthralling. If it’s anything like the latest season, it’ll give you a massive headache. Either way, the film marks a welcome return to hard sci-fi for Jackman after he starred in the underrated The Fountain more than a decade ago. (What’s that—he was in Chippie in 2015? Why would you remind me?)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    WARNER BROS.

    SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (JULY 16)

    LeBron James steps into Michael Jordan’s shoes—er, Air Jordans—in this update on the cult favorite about NBA stars playing basketball alongside Looney Tunes characters. The villains this time are AI-controlled digital players, whatever that means. This might turn out to be nothing more than a shameless mashup of all the intellectual property Warner Bros. has ever owned, but if it matches the earnestness of its predecessor—and if James has half as much fun as Jordan did as a movie star—it just might work.

    JUNGLE CRUISE (JULY 30)

    Yes, this is Disney trying to turn another one of its theme-park rides into a billion-dollar franchise, but Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s combined charm can not—excuse me, will not—be denied. Jesse Plemons also drops in as the kooky villain who gets in the way of our heroes’ mission to find a tree with healing powers in the middle of the Amazon. If this Disney-feed spin on The African Queen all looks a bit … much, just remember: The CGI simply adds more scenery for all three stars to chew.

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    THE FOREVER PURGE (JULY 2)

    Just in time for Independence Day, the horror franchise about a dystopian version of America in which lawlessness gets to run rampant for a day every year will release what is (reportedly) its final installment. In it, a band of criminals decides that the annual purge should last longer than a day. Maybe forever. What are the odds of this series delivering four more sequels?

    ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (JULY 16)

    As a breezy, 100-minute collection of puzzles and jump scares, the first film was a surprise hit, the kind of low-stakes entertainment even non–horror fans can enjoy. This sequel finds the surviving heroes from the original getting trapped in—you guessed it—another series of escape rooms with a group of other players. Though the tests look a lot harder to solve this time around, if the film’s writers continue to focus on the riddles, they might just figure out a way to sustain a franchise.

    OLD (JULY 23)

    Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this graphic-novel adaptation follows a vacationing family who realizes that the beach they’re relaxing on is making them age at a rapid pace—so rapid, they’ll all be dead by the end of the day. Gael García Bernal and Phantom Thread’s Vicky Kreps star as the parents; their children age quickly into teens played by rising stars Alex Wolff and Thomasina McKenzie. Shyamalan, who’s expressed endearing excitement about making this film, has said his daughters gave him the source material—and perhaps the inspiration for the film’s underlying anxiety around getting older. In other words, he sees dying people.

    THE NIGHT HOUSE (AUGUST 20)

    Rebecca Hall stars as a widow grieving her husband’s death while alone—or is she?—in the house, he built for them. To go any further into the plot risks spoilers, but I can tell you that Hall’s character starts seeing visions of her husband lurking around the property. Also, according to critics who attended the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, this film couples its scares with innovative but intrusive sound design. Brace your senses.

    CANDYMAN (AUGUST 27)

    This remake/sequel to the 1992 film possesses quite the pedigree: Jordan Peele, the reigning king of our era of elevated horror, co-wrote the script with the producer Win Rosenfeld (Black Klansman) and the director Nia DaCosta, who made a splash on the festival circuit with the thriller Little Woods and is on deck to direct the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. And I haven’t even mentioned the Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), who stars as an artist finding inspiration in the urban myth about the titular killer with a hook for a hand (played by Tony Todd, returning to the role), only to unleash him, whatever he is.

    … I MISS SEEING FESTIVAL FAVORITES IN PERSON

    ANNA KOORIS / A24

    ZOLA (JUNE 30)

    Starring Riley Keough and Taylor Paige, this satirical romp follows a pair of women who go on a road trip to make some quick cash dancing in strip clubs. The film, which is based on a viral Twitter thread, scored distribution through the indie studio A24 even before it screened for the first time at Sundance in 2020. The gamble has paid off so far: Critics loved it. (Perhaps more movies should be based on tweets? Don’t @ me.)

    THE GREEN KNIGHT (JULY 30)

    A crown descending onto Dev Patel’s head and then lighting him on fire. A bear holding a lantern at the top of a staircase. A talking fox emerging from heavy fog. Based on the trailers, it seems the director David Lowery has shrouded his film in cryptic, poetic images—which is appropriate, given that his source material is an ambiguous 14th-century fantasy epic filled with figurative language. The story follows an Arthurian knight (Patel) being tested for his chivalry by a giant green being. If Lowery has his way, the eerie atmosphere of the film, which was supposed to premiere at SXSW in 2020, will linger in your mind long after you finish watching it.

    CODA (AUGUST 13)

    Though I saw this at one of Sundance’s virtual screenings—as in, alone in my living room—I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only viewer who had used up all her tissues by the time the credits rolled. (I became certain when, two days later, Apple picked up the film for distribution for a festival-record $25 million.) The film tells a coming-of-age story through an unconventional heroine: a teenager who’s the only hearing member of her family, grappling with her responsibilities to her relatives and her love of singing. It’s a crowd-pleasing tearjerker, the kind I wish I’d seen in a packed theater.

    … I’M JUST A HUGE RYAN REYNOLDS FAN

    LIONSGATE

    THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (JUNE 16)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by a fearless woman. Explosions, pop-culture references, and jokes at Reynolds’s character’s expense ensue. Judging by the trailer, it seems like the film was a lot of fun to make for all of the actors involved, including an Oscar winner.

    FREE GUY (AUGUST 13)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by—frankly, I could just copy my previous paragraph and paste it here for this film. But there are some significant differences worth mentioning: Reynolds’s character exists inside a video game, a different Oscar winner (Taika Waititi) tags along, and the movie will probably be rated PG-13 instead of R.

    I’d Rather Stay Home but …

    … I WANT A TASTE OF BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    AMAZON PRIME

    THE TOMORROW WAR (JULY 2, AMAZON PRIME)

    Chris Pratt is drafted to fight a war in the future against alien invaders and gets to grumble things like “I was trying to save my daughter. If I got to save the world to save her, then I’m gonna do it.” It’s a time-travel movie, so I’m expecting someone he meets in the future to turn out to be him or someone he knows, only older. (By the way, when did all movie aliens start looking like the Stranger Things Demogorgon?)

    Also available: Black Widow (July 9, Disney+ with Premier Access); Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16, HBO Max); The Suicide Squad (August 6, HBO Max)

    … I WANT TO DANCE ALONG

    SUMMER OF SOUL (JULY 2, HULU)

    The music producer and DJ Questlove’s directorial debut traces the events of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week celebration in 1969 featuring performers such as Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and B. B. King; the archival footage on display had been shelved for more than 50 years. The film took home several documentary awards at Sundance this year, for good reason: As much as it may be a history lesson about the decade, it’s also an absorbing concert movie and a probing look at how live music captured the frustrations and fears of members of the Black community and offered them catharsis when nothing else could.

    Also available: In the Heights (June 11, HBO Max)

    … I’M WATCHING IT WITH MY PARENTS

    NETFLIX

    THE ICE ROAD (JUNE 25, NETFLIX)

    When the trailer for this disaster flick began with Liam Nelson driving in the snow, looking forlorn, I felt déjà vu: Hasn’t he already done this? Turns out I was thinking of 2019’s Cold Pursuit, a farce of a film in which Nelson’s character gets in the way of a turf war among gangs in the Rockies. This, on the other hand, is pure action: Nelson plays a trucker who must drive across thousands of miles of icy pavement to rescue a group of trapped miners. A perfectly chilly way to slide into summer.

    Also available: Reminiscence (August 20, HBO Max)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    LUCA (JUNE 18, DISNEY+)

    Pixar’s latest is a literal fish-out-of-water tale about an anxious merboy named Luca who ventures above the surface to—actually, it’s not clear what he’s up there to do, other than eat gelato, explore a quaint Italian seaside town, and accidentally terrorize its locals. But the animation looks delightful, and the story seems to be a fable about the wonders of getting outside your comfort zone. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just the children this film is aimed at.

    NETFLIX

    FATHERHOOD (JUNE 18, NETFLIX)

    The comedian Kevin Hart stars in this film from an About a Boy co-writer, Paul Weitz, as a single parent trying to raise his adorable daughter, Maddy (Melody Hurd). You can imagine the hijinks: Hart’s Matthew struggles to find support, can’t tie a baby wrap, and fails to figure out how to do Maddy’s hair. Be ready for tears, though; the story’s based on a memoir and appears to delve into the unexpected loss of Maddy’s mom as much as it does into father-daughter antics.

    Also available: Jungle Cruise (July 30, Disney+ with Premier Access); CODA (August 13, Apple TV+)

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    HULU

    FALSE-POSITIVE (JUNE 25, HULU)

    Pregnancy has proved potent as inspiration for horror writers, and this film offers a modern spin on the subgenre nursed into being by Rosemary’s Baby. Ilana Glazer of Broad City stars as a woman who, after a successful IVF treatment, starts to suspect that her doctor, played by Pierce Bresnan, has more sinister intentions in mind than helping her and her spouse (Justin Theroux) conceive.

     
    THE FEAR STREET TRILOGY (JULY 2, 9, 16, NETFLIX)

    Billed as a “film trilogy event” by Netflix, this collection of movies takes R. L. Stine’s young-adult-oriented book series and spins it into an R-rated mini cinematic universe. Set in and around the fictional Ohio town of Shadyside, the three films chronicle three very different, very creepy years in local history—1994, 1978, and 1666—that all have something to do with an ancient curse. Binge if you dare.

    … I WANT A DASH OF ROMANCE

    GOOD ON PAPER (JUNE 23, NETFLIX)

    By now anyone who’s ever tried online dating knows what a “catfish” is. In this romantic comedy, however, the heroine, played by the comedian Ilia Schlesinger, falls for a “cuttlefish”—the kind of date who isn’t hiding via the internet but putting on an entire charade in person. Schlesinger based the script on an incident that happened to her in real life, so even if the relationship doesn’t end well, you can trust that it’ll be populated with her signature zany characters.

    THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (JULY 23, NETFLIX)

    Based on a Jojo Moyes novel, this decades-spanning romance toggles between the 1960s, when a writer (Callum Turner) falls for the wife (Shailene Woodley) of his subject, and present-day, when their love letters are found by a British journalist (Felicity Jones) who becomes determined to track them down. The plot’s easy to predict, but the period costumes and production design deliver the lush aesthetic that fans of such sweeping love stories cherish.

    We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

    Shirley Li is a staff writer at The Atlantic​, where she covers culture.

     

     

     

    K Drama List

    Crashlanding on you

    Legends of Alhambra

    The negotiator movie

    Mine

    Venzeano

    Sisyphus

    Stranger

    Space Sweepers K SF Drama

    The Last Man Standing K Drama

    Honest Candidate

    Mr. Sunshine

    Itaewon Class

    Mr. Kim’s convenience

    A night in Paradise

    No exit

    My Love from the Stars K Drama

    To watch

    Sky Castle

    Kingdom

    Reply 1988

    Signal

    My Mister

    Hospital PlayList

    Flower of Evil

    The Most Exciting TV Shows Coming in 2021: From ‘Wanda Vision’ to ‘Impeachment’

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Brymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    The Best Movies of 2020

    The Movies I Can’t-Wait to Watch (in Movie Theaters??) in 2021

    This Global Box-Office Blockbuster Is a Reminder That Hollywood Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Telling Big Stories

    I Was Moved by Raz Ahmed’s Understated, Intense Performance in Sound of Metal

    What It’s Like to Watch a Friend Make a Great Movie—and to Be Expected to Respond to It as an Asian American Critic

    What did movies matter in 2020? What did anything? I don’t intend those questions in the nihilistic sense of “lol nothing matters.” I pose them open-endedly in the last weeks of a year that put such once foundational concepts as mattering, let alone movies, into question. All the things we lost in the coronavirus pandemic in 2020—our gathering places, our public institutions, our jobs, our sense of daily shared reality, and for far too many Americans, our loved ones’ lives—put the things we were still able to do into sharper relief. And one of the best things you can still do when holed up at home, as long as you have a home and some means of wiring yourself into the ambient digital matrix we all now exist in, is watch movies.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Without theaters, the cinematic year (like the year) felt amorphous and hazy. What constituted a “hit” or a “flop” in 2020? Which movies were the virtual-festival darlings, the hyped-up disappointments, or the word-of-mouth successes? Because almost all of our viewing happened in private, and because the big streaming platforms guard their data like Smaug his hoard, it was hard to determine which movies people were talking about or ignoring, hard to choose what to watch, and more and more as this year of entertainment-conglomerate mergers wore on, hard to figure out where to stream it. Watercooler conversation can’t very well drive box office receipts when the only watercooler insight is your kitchen sink and the only box office is … Home Box Office. But though there were far fewer opportunities to talk about a movie on the way out of the theater—surely among life’s peak everyday experiences—there were more chances than usual to fall into weird indie rabbit holes and nurture new cinematic crushes.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    A methodological note on this year’s list: I have been loose on the parameters as to what constitutes a “2020 movie.” Some of the below titles showed at festivals in 2019, were meant to open theatrically this year, and wound up going straight to streaming instead. Others were released in both formats at different times during the year, and at least one never ended up opening at all but remains on the list as a harbinger of good films to come. This is a record of the movie year as I experienced it: fragmentary, catch-as-catch-can, often out of sync with “the conversation” yet somehow astonishingly timely. No movie on this list could have been conceived after the pandemic shut down film production, yet many if not most of them seem somehow to respond to our current historical moment of cabin fever and barely contained mass rage. If I had to find a thread running through the movies that follow (though imposing thematic coherence on any list this diffuse is a fool’s game), it would have something to do with captivity and freedom. The characters in these films are often escaping, hiding out, lying in wait, fetching the bolt cutters to find their way out of whatever traumatic past has trapped them. While you wait for your shot at freedom (in the form, it now seems, of that first vaccine injection), here are some great movies to get you through the next few months. In alphabetical order:

    The Assistant

    Kitty Green’s unassuming but keenly observed first narrative feature follows one terrible workday in the life of an intern of a never-seen movie producer who’s a serial sexual abuser in the Harvey Weinstein mold. Ozark’s Julia Garner is on screen, often alone, for virtually every second of the movie. Her miserably treated character is the only moral center in this austere movie’s cold and self-dealing universe, and she could easily have gone for Cinderella-style sympathy from the audience (if instead of sweeping ashes from the hearth, Cinderella stapled scripts and fielded calls from anxious wives). But Garner rejects the temptation to coast as a suffering ingenue. In a quietly bravura performance that’s dialogue-free for long stretches, she fills in a whole tragic back story just by the way she listens. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review The Assistant.)

     

    The Assistant

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    Bureau

    From its opening image—Brazil has seen from space, the fires in the Amazon visible, as a classic Caetano Veloso song plays on the soundtrack—Kleber Mendonca Filho’s genre-splicing thriller has an air of unsettling mystery. The title is the name of a remote village in the country’s hardscrabble northeast, where, for reasons never fully explained, an international team of white supremacist assassins led by the always-chilling Udo Kier descends to wreak brutal and possibly supernatural mayhem. Densely plotted and packed with vivid actors including the legendary Sonia Braga, this ambitious if the sometimes inscrutable film takes place shortly, “a few years from now.” But its merciless vision of global politics as a zero-sum class and race struggle, and its almost comedically grisly final action sequence, feels very much of the present.

     

    Bureau

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Beanpole

    Kant emir Balagan’s second feature, about a young woman working as a military nurse in post–World War II Leningrad, is filmed in a palette of impossibly rich greens, reds, and golds—every frame glows with the intensity of a stained-glass window or an illuminated manuscript. That
    lush pictorial beauty offsets the extreme bleakness of the story, as the lanky “beanpole” of the title (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) contends with the psychic fallout from her service in the war. In increasingly self-destructive ways, she seeks to expiate her bottomless guilt for what she perceives as a terrible wrong done to a friend, but which the audience, with more compassion for the characters than they can summon for themselves, understands as a wrong done to Beanpole herself by the implacable cruelty of history.

     

    Beanpole

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Collective

    In the fall of 2015, a fire broke out at a packed nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, resulting in the death of 64 people and the permanent disfigurement of more than 100 more. In the years that followed, public outrage over the incident—the club had no functioning fire exits—caused a government to fall and a new activist movement to arise. Alexander Nana’s intricate, suspenseful documentary tracks the journalistic effort to expose the complex knot of corruption, deception, and negligence that enabled both the disaster itself and the failure of the health care system to do right by the victims after. This is one of the most heartbreaking films I watched in a year already drowning in heartbreak, but also one of the most necessary at a time when the fourth estate is often the last line of defense against a global capitalist system that seems designed to be quite homicidal.

     

    Collective

    For rent

    $6.99 from Amazon

    Da 5 Bloods

    In retrospect, Chadwick Boseman’s sudden, tragic, and, for everyone but those in his most intimate circle, completely unexpected death of colon cancer in August makes this Spike Lee joint about a group of Black veterans returning to Vietnam all the more moving and urgent. But Da 5 Bloods would have been one of the best movies of the year anyway. Boseman’s role is small but pivotal: His climactic encounter with the older vet played superbly by Delray Lindo is a scene of transformation and healing that fully justifies the rush of cathartic tears it brings. In addition to being insightful about Vietnam War trauma and the complications of modern Black masculinity, Da 5 Bloods is a rollicking buddies-on-the-road comedy, full of earthy humor and jovial trash talk. The early scene when the four old soldiers, tropical drinks in hand, boogie their way to their table at a real-life Ho Chi Minh City disco called Apocalypse Now is one of the year’s great depictions of an experience so many of us missed over this homebound year: goofing off on the dance floor with friends. (Read the review.)

     

    Da 5 Bloods

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    First Cow

    Kelly Reichardt’s seventh feature, a stripped-down Western about the tender friendship between two lonely men in a Pacific Northwest pioneer town in 1820, was the last film I saw in a theater in 2020, at an early March press preview surrounded by colleagues, some of them longtime friends. That whole night had an unusually celebratory feeling; First Cow had blown away everyone I spoke to about it, but the feeling it left in its wake was a quiet, subdued kind of dazzlement, the sneaking suspicion that early in the release calendar though it still was, we had probably just watched one of the most original and accomplished movies we’d see all year. Afterward, in the lobby, there was a little reception with a waiter serving “oily cakes,” the sweet fried-dough pastry that figures crucially in the movie’s plot. Munching them, it was easy to see how this confection, a rare delicacy in the movie’s hardscrabble setting, could have caused the high-stakes competition for scarce resources that the movie chronicles. But though First Cow is all about finding a way to survive in an environment of scarcity, this contemplative, compassionate drama is a miracle of filmmaking abundance, with incandescent performances from John Magar and Orion Lee and the curiously calming presence of Eve, the prettiest on-screen bovine since Buster Keaton fell in love with a heifer in the 1925 silent Go West. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review First Cow.)

     

    First Cow

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Let Them All Talk

    As I was finalizing this list, it occurred to me that one of the most crucial functions of movie viewing, especially in a year like this (has there ever been a year like this? Maybe 1918?), was sadly underrepresented. Sometimes all you need is some stylish escapism, a low-stakes hangout film where likable characters pursue sparkling or snarky conversations over flutes of Champagne in rooms with flattering lighting. To the rescue just in time came Steven Soderbergh’s latest comedy, about an egocentric novelist (Meryl Streep) who invites two long-estranged friends (Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest) and her devoted nephew (Lucas Hedges) on a trans-Atlantic cruise to collect a literary prize in Europe. At first, the generically titled Let Them All Talk seemed like it was going to be a Nancy Meyers–style rom-com about frisky codgers on a boat—not that there would be anything remotely wrong with that. But by 20 minutes in, it was clear this was pure Soderbergh, a multicharacter caper film in the mode of his Ocean’s movies, Out of Sight, or Magic Mike. The difference: Instead of winning a striptease competition or robbing a high-security bank, this crew of oddballs—three strong-willed middle-aged women, an awkward young man, and the various colorful characters they cross paths with on the ship—is simply seeking to come to terms with the undone work of their own lives: the longtime friendships in need of repair, the romantic connections not yet made, the books left to write. (Read the review.)

     

    Let Them All Talk

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    Minami

    Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical film follows a Korean immigrant family in the 1980s as they attempt to turn a recalcitrant piece of land in rural Arkansas into a working vegetable farm. The story is seen mainly through the eyes of 7-year-old David, played with movie-stealing aplomb by the tiny but utterly self-possessed first-time actor Alan S. Kim. (His petulant delivery of “I’m not pretty! I’m good-looking!” may be my single favorite line reading of the year.) But Steven Yuen, in a marvelously understated performance as his stubborn but fiercely devoted father, gives the kid a run for his money. Minami is a drama about immigrants that don’t try to make grand statements about the immigrant experience in America. Rather, it tells the specific story of one family, dysfunctional and troubled in its particular way, but held together by a powerful bond of love. (Read the review.)

     

    Minami

    Coming Feb. 12, 2021, from A24

    Nomad land

    Jessica Broder’s 2017 book on retirement-age migrant workers living out of their RVs provided the source material for this lyrical portrait of a widow (Frances McDormand) who takes to the road after a mine closure eliminates the small company town she’s lived in her whole life. I don’t know how to add to what I already wrote in my review, and what so many others have said: Nomad land is a miracle of a movie that somehow transmutes painful experiences like homelessness, loneliness, and systemic exploitation by a pitiless labor market into a poetic meditation on freedom, friendship, and the passage of time. (Read the review.)

     

    Nomad land

    Coming soon from Searchlight Pictures

    Saint Maud

    This is the only movie on the list that hasn’t yet been released at all. I saw it in late February, the week before the coronavirus started to shut down in-person press screenings, and my lovestruck review of it is still waiting in the can be published, although the headline—calling it “The First Great Horror Film of 2020”—will have to change by a digit. But I leave it on the list in anticipation of great films to come. The English director Rose Glass, making her debut feature, serves up a gory brew of body horror and spiritual cinema in the tradition of Robert Bresson. Jennifer Hele and Morfitt Clark are spellbinding as a terminally ill choreographer and her fanatically religious young caregiver. Are the ecstatic visions that ravish Maud in her sordid bedsit the work of the divine, the demonic, or her own mental and emotional instability? It’s the rare movie that delves this deeply into the experience of personal faith and (Lord, that final shot!) scares your pants off to boot.

     

    Saint Maud

    Coming “soon” from A24

    Plus, five runners-up:

    City Hall
    Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Fourteen
    Lovers Rock
    Time

    The Best TV of 2020

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

     

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

     

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Braymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

     

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix

    The Only Movie Watchlist You’ll Need This Summer

    Here are 32 new films to see this season, whether you’re ready to return to theaters or want to stay on the couch.

    Hollywood has a crowded slate of films—delayed by the pandemic and otherwise—to release over the next three months. That makes choosing what to see more stressful than usual, especially when some titles can be seen both in theaters and at home. To make the process more manageable, I’ve scrutinized trailers and even screened some of the films below to put together this guide for all your needs, whatever they may be. My first question, to set the scene: How far would you like to venture away from your couch?

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    BLACK WIDOW (JULY 9)

    The superspy played by Scarlett Johansson didn’t get a funeral in Avengers: Endgame, but she is getting the solo film her fans have been campaigning for since it was possible to binge all of the Marvel movies in less than a day. (For those counting, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 24th entry.) This prequel follows Natasha on a mission across Europe to reunite her “family,” characters who will probably be essential to the next films. Bonus tip: Don’t forget to watch for a post-credits scene.

    WARNER BROS.

    THE SUICIDE SQUAD (AUGUST 6)

    Comic-book superheroes rarely ever actually die. The same goes for comic-book-inspired film franchises. The David Ayer–directed version of Suicide Squad bombed with critics, but the band of supervillains forced to do the government’s bidding is getting a second chance, with some fresh additions to the cast and a new director in James Gunn, the needle-drop-happy mind behind Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Come for Margot Robbie reprising her gonzo performance as Harley Quinn; stay for what appears to be a much more irreverent and coherent version of the story. At the very least, this version looks lit brightly enough so that we can see what’s happening.

    … I LIKE MY MOVIES TO COME WITH A BEAT

    IN THE HEIGHTS (JUNE 11)

    A feel-good hug of a movie that might make you dance in your seat, this adaptation of the Broadway hit by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiana Alegria Hodes dazzles with Jon M. Chu’s maximalist direction. The story follows characters living in the disappearing Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, all with their ideas for fulfilling their American dreams. Consider this my official endorsement of the film’s sterling quality, and an appeal for concession stands across America to please add piragua to their menu.

    FOCUS FEATURES

    THE SPARKS BROTHERS (JUNE 18)

    The director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) trains his eye on the quirky musical duo, whose sound has influenced, well, almost every band in existence, this documentary argues. Featuring interviews with dozens of musicians (Beck, Flea, Jack Anton off) and notable no musicians (Mike Myers, Jason Schwartzman), the film, which premiered this year at Sundance, is a close look at music history and a peek inside Wright’s kinetic mind.

    RESPECT (AUGUST 13)

    Biopics of famous entertainers need, above all else, the right actor in the leading role. This glitzy portrait of Aretha Franklin—not to be confused with the limited series that aired earlier this year—casts Jennifer Hudson as the legendary singer, and the star seems poised to embark on another awards-season run if all goes well. She’s surrounded by an equally impressive cast: The ensemble also includes heavyweights such as Forest Whitaker and Audra McDonald, along with an unexpected dramatic turn from Marlon Wayans as Aretha’s manager and first husband, Ted White.

    THE BEATLES: GET BACK (AUGUST 27)

    Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame trades hobbits for the Fab Four. This documentary follows the Beatles as they make the album Let It Be and includes never-before-seen footage that had been cut from Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 doc. Jackson has stated that the hours of material he’s gathered show the foursome’s camaraderie and challenge the narrative that the album was made amid discord. I’ve got a feeling he’s right; after all, the film was created with approval from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

    … I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING WITH MY PARENTS

    STILLWATER (JULY 30)

    In this thriller directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Matt Damon plays a blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth Everyman whose estranged daughter (Abigail Breslin) gets arrested for murder abroad. The script seems to have been inspired by the Amanda Knox case but told from an astonishingly resourceful and über-patriotic parent’s perspective. Think Jason Bourne, if Bourne had a conspicuous twang and transformative facial hair.

    LIONSGATE

    THE PROTÉGÉ (AUGUST 20)

    Everything about this spy movie’s trailer—slow-motion shoot-outs, cool disguises, the villain delivering whispered threats—screams predictability, but the film has assembled a formidable cast, including Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. And I guess this is when I admit I’m a fan of the star Maggie Q’s CW-feed take on Nikita from the early 2010s. Campy action is her sweet spot.

    REMINISCENCE (AUGUST 20)

    One of the Westworld co-creators, Lisa Joy, wrote and directed this tale of a scientist (Hugh Jackman) who discovers a way to time travel through memory. If it’s anything like Joy’s work on the first season of the HBO series, it’ll be twisty but enthralling. If it’s anything like the latest season, it’ll give you a massive headache. Either way, the film marks a welcome return to hard sci-fi for Jackman after he starred in the underrated The Fountain more than a decade ago. (What’s that—he was in Chippie in 2015? Why would you remind me?)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    WARNER BROS.

    SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (JULY 16)

    LeBron James steps into Michael Jordan’s shoes—er, Air Jordans—in this update on the cult favorite about NBA stars playing basketball alongside Looney Tunes characters. The villains this time are AI-controlled digital players, whatever that means. This might turn out to be nothing more than a shameless mashup of all the intellectual property Warner Bros. has ever owned, but if it matches the earnestness of its predecessor—and if James has half as much fun as Jordan did as a movie star—it just might work.

    JUNGLE CRUISE (JULY 30)

    Yes, this is Disney trying to turn another one of its theme-park rides into a billion-dollar franchise, but Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s combined charm can not—excuse me, will not—be denied. Jesse Plemons also drops in as the kooky villain who gets in the way of our heroes’ mission to find a tree with healing powers in the middle of the Amazon. If this Disney-feed spin on The African Queen all looks a bit … much, just remember: The CGI simply adds more scenery for all three stars to chew.

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    THE FOREVER PURGE (JULY 2)

    Just in time for Independence Day, the horror franchise about a dystopian version of America in which lawlessness gets to run rampant for a day every year will release what is (reportedly) its final installment. In it, a band of criminals decides that the annual purge should last longer than a day. Maybe forever. What are the odds of this series delivering four more sequels?

    ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (JULY 16)

    As a breezy, 100-minute collection of puzzles and jump scares, the first film was a surprise hit, the kind of low-stakes entertainment even non–horror fans can enjoy. This sequel finds the surviving heroes from the original getting trapped in—you guessed it—another series of escape rooms with a group of other players. Though the tests look a lot harder to solve this time around, if the film’s writers continue to focus on the riddles, they might just figure out a way to sustain a franchise.

    OLD (JULY 23)

    Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this graphic-novel adaptation follows a vacationing family who realizes that the beach they’re relaxing on is making them age at a rapid pace—so rapid, they’ll all be dead by the end of the day. Gael García Bernal and Phantom Thread’s Vicky Kreps star as the parents; their children age quickly into teens played by rising stars Alex Wolff and Thomasina McKenzie. Shyamalan, who’s expressed endearing excitement about making this film, has said his daughters gave him the source material—and perhaps the inspiration for the film’s underlying anxiety around getting older. In other words, he sees dying people.

    THE NIGHT HOUSE (AUGUST 20)

    Rebecca Hall stars as a widow grieving her husband’s death while alone—or is she?—in the house, he built for them. To go any further into the plot risks spoilers, but I can tell you that Hall’s character starts seeing visions of her husband lurking around the property. Also, according to critics who attended the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, this film couples its scares with innovative but intrusive sound design. Brace your senses.

    CANDYMAN (AUGUST 27)

    This remake/sequel to the 1992 film possesses quite the pedigree: Jordan Peele, the reigning king of our era of elevated horror, co-wrote the script with the producer Win Rosenfeld (Black Klansman) and the director Nia DaCosta, who made a splash on the festival circuit with the thriller Little Woods and is on deck to direct the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. And I haven’t even mentioned the Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), who stars as an artist finding inspiration in the urban myth about the titular killer with a hook for a hand (played by Tony Todd, returning to the role), only to unleash him, whatever he is.

    … I MISS SEEING FESTIVAL FAVORITES IN PERSON

    ANNA KOORIS / A24

    ZOLA (JUNE 30)

    Starring Riley Keough and Taylor Paige, this satirical romp follows a pair of women who go on a road trip to make some quick cash dancing in strip clubs. The film, which is based on a viral Twitter thread, scored distribution through the indie studio A24 even before it screened for the first time at Sundance in 2020. The gamble has paid off so far: Critics loved it. (Perhaps more movies should be based on tweets? Don’t @ me.)

    THE GREEN KNIGHT (JULY 30)

    A crown descending onto Dev Patel’s head and then lighting him on fire. A bear holding a lantern at the top of a staircase. A talking fox emerging from heavy fog. Based on the trailers, it seems the director David Lowery has shrouded his film in cryptic, poetic images—which is appropriate, given that his source material is an ambiguous 14th-century fantasy epic filled with figurative language. The story follows an Arthurian knight (Patel) being tested for his chivalry by a giant green being. If Lowery has his way, the eerie atmosphere of the film, which was supposed to premiere at SXSW in 2020, will linger in your mind long after you finish watching it.

    CODA (AUGUST 13)

    Though I saw this at one of Sundance’s virtual screenings—as in, alone in my living room—I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only viewer who had used up all her tissues by the time the credits rolled. (I became certain when, two days later, Apple picked up the film for distribution for a festival-record $25 million.) The film tells a coming-of-age story through an unconventional heroine: a teenager who’s the only hearing member of her family, grappling with her responsibilities to her relatives and her love of singing. It’s a crowd-pleasing tearjerker, the kind I wish I’d seen in a packed theater.

    … I’M JUST A HUGE RYAN REYNOLDS FAN

    LIONSGATE

    THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (JUNE 16)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by a fearless woman. Explosions, pop-culture references, and jokes at Reynolds’s character’s expense ensue. Judging by the trailer, it seems like the film was a lot of fun to make for all of the actors involved, including an Oscar winner.

    FREE GUY (AUGUST 13)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by—frankly, I could just copy my previous paragraph and paste it here for this film. But there are some significant differences worth mentioning: Reynolds’s character exists inside a video game, a different Oscar winner (Taika Waititi) tags along, and the movie will probably be rated PG-13 instead of R.

    I’d Rather Stay Home but …

    … I WANT A TASTE OF BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    AMAZON PRIME

    THE TOMORROW WAR (JULY 2, AMAZON PRIME)

    Chris Pratt is drafted to fight a war in the future against alien invaders and gets to grumble things like “I was trying to save my daughter. If I got to save the world to save her, then I’m gonna do it.” It’s a time-travel movie, so I’m expecting someone he meets in the future to turn out to be him or someone he knows, only older. (By the way, when did all movie aliens start looking like the Stranger Things Demogorgon?)

    Also available: Black Widow (July 9, Disney+ with Premier Access); Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16, HBO Max); The Suicide Squad (August 6, HBO Max)

    … I WANT TO DANCE ALONG

    SUMMER OF SOUL (JULY 2, HULU)

    The music producer and DJ Questlove’s directorial debut traces the events of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week celebration in 1969 featuring performers such as Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and B. B. King; the archival footage on display had been shelved for more than 50 years. The film took home several documentary awards at Sundance this year, for good reason: As much as it may be a history lesson about the decade, it’s also an absorbing concert movie and a probing look at how live music captured the frustrations and fears of members of the Black community and offered them catharsis when nothing else could.

    Also available: In the Heights (June 11, HBO Max)

    … I’M WATCHING IT WITH MY PARENTS

    NETFLIX

    THE ICE ROAD (JUNE 25, NETFLIX)

    When the trailer for this disaster flick began with Liam Nelson driving in the snow, looking forlorn, I felt déjà vu: Hasn’t he already done this? Turns out I was thinking of 2019’s Cold Pursuit, a farce of a film in which Nelson’s character gets in the way of a turf war among gangs in the Rockies. This, on the other hand, is pure action: Nelson plays a trucker who must drive across thousands of miles of icy pavement to rescue a group of trapped miners. A perfectly chilly way to slide into summer.

    Also available: Reminiscence (August 20, HBO Max)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    LUCA (JUNE 18, DISNEY+)

    Pixar’s latest is a literal fish-out-of-water tale about an anxious merboy named Luca who ventures above the surface to—actually, it’s not clear what he’s up there to do, other than eat gelato, explore a quaint Italian seaside town, and accidentally terrorize its locals. But the animation looks delightful, and the story seems to be a fable about the wonders of getting outside your comfort zone. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just the children this film is aimed at.

    NETFLIX

    FATHERHOOD (JUNE 18, NETFLIX)

    The comedian Kevin Hart stars in this film from an About a Boy co-writer, Paul Weitz, as a single parent trying to raise his adorable daughter, Maddy (Melody Hurd). You can imagine the hijinks: Hart’s Matthew struggles to find support, can’t tie a baby wrap, and fails to figure out how to do Maddy’s hair. Be ready for tears, though; the story’s based on a memoir and appears to delve into the unexpected loss of Maddy’s mom as much as it does into father-daughter antics.

    Also available: Jungle Cruise (July 30, Disney+ with Premier Access); CODA (August 13, Apple TV+)

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    HULU

    FALSE-POSITIVE (JUNE 25, HULU)

    Pregnancy has proved potent as inspiration for horror writers, and this film offers a modern spin on the subgenre nursed into being by Rosemary’s Baby. Ilana Glazer of Broad City stars as a woman who, after a successful IVF treatment, starts to suspect that her doctor, played by Pierce Bresnan, has more sinister intentions in mind than helping her and her spouse (Justin Theroux) conceive.

     
    THE FEAR STREET TRILOGY (JULY 2, 9, 16, NETFLIX)

    Billed as a “film trilogy event” by Netflix, this collection of movies takes R. L. Stine’s young-adult-oriented book series and spins it into an R-rated mini cinematic universe. Set in and around the fictional Ohio town of Shadyside, the three films chronicle three very different, very creepy years in local history—1994, 1978, and 1666—that all have something to do with an ancient curse. Binge if you dare.

    … I WANT A DASH OF ROMANCE

    GOOD ON PAPER (JUNE 23, NETFLIX)

    By now anyone who’s ever tried online dating knows what a “catfish” is. In this romantic comedy, however, the heroine, played by the comedian Ilia Schlesinger, falls for a “cuttlefish”—the kind of date who isn’t hiding via the internet but putting on an entire charade in person. Schlesinger based the script on an incident that happened to her in real life, so even if the relationship doesn’t end well, you can trust that it’ll be populated with her signature zany characters.

    THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (JULY 23, NETFLIX)

    Based on a Jojo Moyes novel, this decades-spanning romance toggles between the 1960s, when a writer (Callum Turner) falls for the wife (Shailene Woodley) of his subject, and present-day, when their love letters are found by a British journalist (Felicity Jones) who becomes determined to track them down. The plot’s easy to predict, but the period costumes and production design deliver the lush aesthetic that fans of such sweeping love stories cherish.

    We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

    Oscar Winners 2021

    Note: for some reason I have not seen any of these yet.  I will look for them on netflix and add them to my list as time goes by.

    2021 Winners

    Best Picture Nomadland
    Best Director Chloé ZhaoNomadland
    Best Actor Anthony HopkinsThe Father
    Best Actress Frances McDormandNomadland
    Best Supporting Actor Daniel KaluuyaJudas and the Black Messiah
    Best Supporting Actress Youn Yuh-jungMinari
    Original Screenplay Promising Young Woman
    Adapted Screenplay The Father
    Animated Feature Film Soul
    Foreign Fanguage Film Another Round
    Documentary Feature My Octopus Teacher
    Documentary Short Subject Colette
    Live Action Short Film Two Distant Strangers
    Animated Short Film If Anything Happens I Love You
    Best Original Score SoulTrent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
    Best Original Song Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah
    Best Cinematography MankErik Messerschmidt
    Best Costume Design Ma Rainey’s Black BottomAnn Roth
    Best Visual Effects TenetAndrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, Scott Fisher
    Best Makeup and Hairstyling Ma Rainey’s Black BottomSergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
    Best Film Editing Sound of MetalMikkel E. G. Nielsen

     

    The Most Exciting TV Shows Coming in 2021: From ‘Wanda Vision’ to ‘Impeachment’

     

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

     

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

     

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Brymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

     

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    The Best Movies of 2020

    The Movies I Can’t-Wait to Watch (in Movie Theaters??) in 2021

    This Global Box-Office Blockbuster Is a Reminder That Hollywood Doesn’t Have a Monopoly on Telling Big Stories

    I Was Moved by Raz Ahmed’s Understated, Intense Performance in Sound of Metal

    What It’s Like to Watch a Friend Make a Great Movie—and to Be Expected to Respond to It as an Asian American Critic

    What did movies matter in 2020? What did anything? I don’t intend those questions in the nihilistic sense of “lol nothing matters.” I pose them open-endedly in the last weeks of a year that put such once foundational concepts as mattering, let alone movies, into question. All the things we lost in the coronavirus pandemic in 2020—our gathering places, our public institutions, our jobs, our sense of daily shared reality, and for far too many Americans, our loved ones’ lives—put the things we were still able to do into sharper relief. And one of the best things you can still do when holed up at home, as long as you have a home and some means of wiring yourself into the ambient digital matrix we all now exist in, is watch movies.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Without theaters, the cinematic year (like the year) felt amorphous and hazy. What constituted a “hit” or a “flop” in 2020? Which movies were the virtual-festival darlings, the hyped-up disappointments, or the word-of-mouth successes? Because almost all of our viewing happened in private, and because the big streaming platforms guard their data like Smaug his hoard, it was hard to determine which movies people were talking about or ignoring, hard to choose what to watch, and more and more as this year of entertainment-conglomerate mergers wore on, hard to figure out where to stream it. Watercooler conversation can’t very well drive box office receipts when the only watercooler insight is your kitchen sink and the only box office is … Home Box Office. But though there were far fewer opportunities to talk about a movie on the way out of the theater—surely among life’s peak everyday experiences—there were more chances than usual to fall into weird indie rabbit holes and nurture new cinematic crushes.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    A methodological note on this year’s list: I have been loose on the parameters as to what constitutes a “2020 movie.” Some of the below titles showed at festivals in 2019, were meant to open theatrically this year, and wound up going straight to streaming instead. Others were released in both formats at different times during the year, and at least one never ended up opening at all but remains on the list as a harbinger of good films to come. This is a record of the movie year as I experienced it: fragmentary, catch-as-catch-can, often out of sync with “the conversation” yet somehow astonishingly timely. No movie on this list could have been conceived after the pandemic shut down film production, yet many if not most of them seem somehow to respond to our current historical moment of cabin fever and barely contained mass rage. If I had to find a thread running through the movies that follow (though imposing thematic coherence on any list this diffuse is a fool’s game), it would have something to do with captivity and freedom. The characters in these films are often escaping, hiding out, lying in wait, fetching the bolt cutters to find their way out of whatever traumatic past has trapped them. While you wait for your shot at freedom (in the form, it now seems, of that first vaccine injection), here are some great movies to get you through the next few months. In alphabetical order:

    The Assistant

    Kitty Green’s unassuming but keenly observed first narrative feature follows one terrible workday in the life of an intern of a never-seen movie producer who’s a serial sexual abuser in the Harvey Weinstein mold. Ozark’s Julia Garner is on screen, often alone, for virtually every second of the movie. Her miserably treated character is the only moral center in this austere movie’s cold and self-dealing universe, and she could easily have gone for Cinderella-style sympathy from the audience (if instead of sweeping ashes from the hearth, Cinderella stapled scripts and fielded calls from anxious wives). But Garner rejects the temptation to coast as a suffering ingenue. In a quietly bravura performance that’s dialogue-free for long stretches, she fills in a whole tragic back story just by the way she listens. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review The Assistant.)

     

    The Assistant

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    Bureau

    From its opening image—Brazil has seen from space, the fires in the Amazon visible, as a classic Caetano Veloso song plays on the soundtrack—Kleber Mendonca Filho’s genre-splicing thriller has an air of unsettling mystery. The title is the name of a remote village in the country’s hardscrabble northeast, where, for reasons never fully explained, an international team of white supremacist assassins led by the always-chilling Udo Kier descends to wreak brutal and possibly supernatural mayhem. Densely plotted and packed with vivid actors including the legendary Sonia Braga, this ambitious if the sometimes inscrutable film takes place shortly, “a few years from now.” But its merciless vision of global politics as a zero-sum class and race struggle, and its almost comedically grisly final action sequence, feels very much of the present.

     

    Bureau

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Beanpole

    Kant emir Balagan’s second feature, about a young woman working as a military nurse in post–World War II Leningrad, is filmed in a palette of impossibly rich greens, reds, and golds—every frame glows with the intensity of a stained-glass window or an illuminated manuscript. That
    lush pictorial beauty offsets the extreme bleakness of the story, as the lanky “beanpole” of the title (Viktoria Miroshnichenko) contends with the psychic fallout from her service in the war. In increasingly self-destructive ways, she seeks to expiate her bottomless guilt for what she perceives as a terrible wrong done to a friend, but which the audience, with more compassion for the characters than they can summon for themselves, understands as a wrong done to Beanpole herself by the implacable cruelty of history.

     

    Beanpole

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Collective

    In the fall of 2015, a fire broke out at a packed nightclub in Bucharest, Romania, resulting in the death of 64 people and the permanent disfigurement of more than 100 more. In the years that followed, public outrage over the incident—the club had no functioning fire exits—caused a government to fall and a new activist movement to arise. Alexander Nana’s intricate, suspenseful documentary tracks the journalistic effort to expose the complex knot of corruption, deception, and negligence that enabled both the disaster itself and the failure of the health care system to do right by the victims after. This is one of the most heartbreaking films I watched in a year already drowning in heartbreak, but also one of the most necessary at a time when the fourth estate is often the last line of defense against a global capitalist system that seems designed to be quite homicidal.

     

    Collective

    For rent

    $6.99 from Amazon

    Da 5 Bloods

    In retrospect, Chadwick Boseman’s sudden, tragic, and, for everyone but those in his most intimate circle, completely unexpected death of colon cancer in August makes this Spike Lee joint about a group of Black veterans returning to Vietnam all the more moving and urgent. But Da 5 Bloods would have been one of the best movies of the year anyway. Boseman’s role is small but pivotal: His climactic encounter with the older vet played superbly by Delray Lindo is a scene of transformation and healing that fully justifies the rush of cathartic tears it brings. In addition to being insightful about Vietnam War trauma and the complications of modern Black masculinity, Da 5 Bloods is a rollicking buddies-on-the-road comedy, full of earthy humor and jovial trash talk. The early scene when the four old soldiers, tropical drinks in hand, boogie their way to their table at a real-life Ho Chi Minh City disco called Apocalypse Now is one of the year’s great depictions of an experience so many of us missed over this homebound year: goofing off on the dance floor with friends. (Read the review.)

     

    Da 5 Bloods

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    First Cow

    Kelly Reichardt’s seventh feature, a stripped-down Western about the tender friendship between two lonely men in a Pacific Northwest pioneer town in 1820, was the last film I saw in a theater in 2020, at an early March press preview surrounded by colleagues, some of them longtime friends. That whole night had an unusually celebratory feeling; First Cow had blown away everyone I spoke to about it, but the feeling it left in its wake was a quiet, subdued kind of dazzlement, the sneaking suspicion that early in the release calendar though it still was, we had probably just watched one of the most original and accomplished movies we’d see all year. Afterward, in the lobby, there was a little reception with a waiter serving “oily cakes,” the sweet fried-dough pastry that figures crucially in the movie’s plot. Munching them, it was easy to see how this confection, a rare delicacy in the movie’s hardscrabble setting, could have caused the high-stakes competition for scarce resources that the movie chronicles. But though First Cow is all about finding a way to survive in an environment of scarcity, this contemplative, compassionate drama is a miracle of filmmaking abundance, with incandescent performances from John Magar and Orion Lee and the curiously calming presence of Eve, the prettiest on-screen bovine since Buster Keaton fell in love with a heifer in the 1925 silent Go West. (Listen to the Culture Gabfest review First Cow.)

     

    First Cow

    For rent

    $4.99 from Amazon

    Let Them All Talk

    As I was finalizing this list, it occurred to me that one of the most crucial functions of movie viewing, especially in a year like this (has there ever been a year like this? Maybe 1918?), was sadly underrepresented. Sometimes all you need is some stylish escapism, a low-stakes hangout film where likable characters pursue sparkling or snarky conversations over flutes of Champagne in rooms with flattering lighting. To the rescue just in time came Steven Soderbergh’s latest comedy, about an egocentric novelist (Meryl Streep) who invites two long-estranged friends (Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest) and her devoted nephew (Lucas Hedges) on a trans-Atlantic cruise to collect a literary prize in Europe. At first, the generically titled Let Them All Talk seemed like it was going to be a Nancy Meyers–style rom-com about frisky codgers on a boat—not that there would be anything remotely wrong with that. But by 20 minutes in, it was clear this was pure Soderbergh, a multicharacter caper film in the mode of his Ocean’s movies, Out of Sight, or Magic Mike. The difference: Instead of winning a striptease competition or robbing a high-security bank, this crew of oddballs—three strong-willed middle-aged women, an awkward young man, and the various colorful characters they cross paths with on the ship—is simply seeking to come to terms with the undone work of their own lives: the longtime friendships in need of repair, the romantic connections not yet made, the books left to write. (Read the review.)

     

    Let Them All Talk

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    Minami

    Lee Isaac Chung’s semi-autobiographical film follows a Korean immigrant family in the 1980s as they attempt to turn a recalcitrant piece of land in rural Arkansas into a working vegetable farm. The story is seen mainly through the eyes of 7-year-old David, played with movie-stealing aplomb by the tiny but utterly self-possessed first-time actor Alan S. Kim. (His petulant delivery of “I’m not pretty! I’m good-looking!” may be my single favorite line reading of the year.) But Steven Yuen, in a marvelously understated performance as his stubborn but fiercely devoted father, gives the kid a run for his money. Minami is a drama about immigrants that don’t try to make grand statements about the immigrant experience in America. Rather, it tells the specific story of one family, dysfunctional and troubled in its particular way, but held together by a powerful bond of love. (Read the review.)

     

    Minami

    Coming Feb. 12, 2021, from A24

    Nomad land

    Jessica Broder’s 2017 book on retirement-age migrant workers living out of their RVs provided the source material for this lyrical portrait of a widow (Frances McDormand) who takes to the road after a mine closure eliminates the small company town she’s lived in her whole life. I don’t know how to add to what I already wrote in my review, and what so many others have said: Nomad land is a miracle of a movie that somehow transmutes painful experiences like homelessness, loneliness, and systemic exploitation by a pitiless labor market into a poetic meditation on freedom, friendship, and the passage of time. (Read the review.)

     

    Nomad land

    Coming soon from Searchlight Pictures

    Saint Maud

    This is the only movie on the list that hasn’t yet been released at all. I saw it in late February, the week before the coronavirus started to shut down in-person press screenings, and my lovestruck review of it is still waiting in the can be published, although the headline—calling it “The First Great Horror Film of 2020”—will have to change by a digit. But I leave it on the list in anticipation of great films to come. The English director Rose Glass, making her debut feature, serves up a gory brew of body horror and spiritual cinema in the tradition of Robert Bresson. Jennifer Hele and Morfitt Clark are spellbinding as a terminally ill choreographer and her fanatically religious young caregiver. Are the ecstatic visions that ravish Maud in her sordid bedsit the work of the divine, the demonic, or her own mental and emotional instability? It’s the rare movie that delves this deeply into the experience of personal faith and (Lord, that final shot!) scares your pants off to boot.

     

    Saint Maud

    Coming “soon” from A24

    Plus, five runners-up:

    City Hall
    Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Fourteen
    Lovers Rock
    Time

    The Best TV of 2020

    I May Destroy You and The Queen’s Gambit makes Willa Paskin’s list.

    2020 was not a great year—even for television. There was a tremendous amount of TV shows, most of which were fine; some of which, despite not even being all that fine, hit the strange, stressful, contained spot we all found ourselves in; and some of which that was, you know, good. For this list, when I say “good” I mean “the shows I most enjoyed,” a deeply fuzzy determination based on the series’ ambition, uniqueness, and, like, how much I wanted to watch it. This list contains several shows—including the first two—that I would describe as the year’s “best,” but it’s also peppered with shows I would primarily describe as personal favas. Would I have loved Ted Lasso so much in another year? I truly don’t know. All I know is, in this one, it felt like a bomb.

     

    I May Destroy You

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. At the end of the first episode of I May Destroy You, creator, writer, and star Michaela Coal’s character, Arabella, is drugged and raped in a bar. The rest of the series, inspired by Coal’s own experience, follows Arabella as she tries to process what happened—and so much else. I May Destroy You explores consent in various permutations, but it also digs deep on Arabella, a charismatic, talented, tempestuous, brilliant, and undisciplined writer, friend, goof, lover, drug taker, social media influencer, and artist in the making. In a year when people prized escape, I May Destroy You offered something tougher and more hopeful: the possibility you just might be able to wring something meaningfulout of the awful past.

     

    City So Real

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. In a year full of popular documentary series, City So Real is better than all the rest of them. Loosely arranged around the 2019 Chicago mayoral race, it plays fly on the wall in neighborhoods all over the city. At protests, campaign rallies, barbershops, bars, city meetings, restaurants, campaign offices, dinner parties, radio stations, and dingy administrative rooms, a cross-section of indelible Chicagoans, so distinctive they wouldn’t feel out of place in fiction, talk about their hard-nosed home and its intricate politics. The show is sprawling and yet as perfectly assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. Put together, it gives the full scope of a flawed, challenging, changing city and its stubbornly devoted residents.

     

    Ted Lasso

    Streaming on Apple TV+

    $4.99/month from Apple TV+

    1. The character Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) first popped up in a series of sports promos, but he reappeared in the full-fledged series Ted Lassojust in time to counterprogram the state of the world. Lasso, basically, the nicest guy in existence, knows nothing about soccer when he takes over a British football club, but no matter, he knows human beings. With his emotional know-how, can-do attitude, kindly good spirits, down-home charm, and warm, fuzzy personality (and mustache), he wins over the excellent British supporting cast who, surprise surprise, are all lovely deep down, too. It’s a fantasy of American decency and British patience for cornpone jokes that I found irresistible.

     

    The Great Pottery Throw Down

    Streaming on Hulu with HBO Max subscription

    $14.99 with HBO add-on from Hulu

    1. Three seasons of The Great Pottery Throw Down, a craft competition shows that’s The Great British Clay-Off, arrived on HBO Max all at once this year. The artistry on the show leaves a little to be desired—the tension between utility and inspiration tilts toward the former—but I’m a sucker for watching people make things, and there’s something particularly hypnotic about people pulling shapes out of lumps of whirring clay. The show also has Keith Braymer Jones, a bulky master potter with a molting Flock of Seagulls hairstyle who is the anti–Paul Hollywood. Instead of macho shtick and a crushing congratulatory handshake, he tears up at the contestants’ accomplishments, not only when they do great work, but when they exceed themselves.

     

    Mrs. America

    Streaming on Hulu

    $5.99/month from Hulu

    1. Mrs. Americatells the story of the failed fight to pass the Equal Rights Amendment when equality and second-wave feminists were both bested by the driven and polarizing Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett). Big picture, it’s a slow-motion tragedy, but episode by episode it’s juicy and thrilling to watch, and chock-full of wonderful performances. It focuses not only on Schlafly but on women’s movement boldface names like Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Shirley Chisholm (Uzoh Daub), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), who were trying to do so much for so many that they were undone by a woman on a mission to remake female equality into the bipartisan issue it remains today. Mrs. America perhaps makes the mistake of framing Schlafly as primarily an opportunist, not exactly an ideologue, but it gets across its gutting point: In this instance, the past isn’t prologued, because it’s not even past.

     

    The Good Lord Bird

    Streaming on Hulu with Showtime subscription

    $8.99 with Showtime add-on from Hulu

    1. If you were to imagine in a vacuum what a premium cable miniseries about the life of the abolitionist John Brown might look like, you’d almost surely imagine something much stuffier and soberer than The Good Lord Bird. With the award-winning James McBride novelas a guideline, this drama takes the most serious of subjects, America’s peculiar institution, and explores it with intelligence, verve, and wit. The story is told from the perspective of Onion (Joshua Caleb Johnson), the young Black boy who joins Brown’s (Ethan Hawke) ragtag group, and whom Brown, blind to the basics of the people’s he’s devoted his life to helping, spends the whole series believing to be a girl. Hawke is incredible as Brown, a loony force of nature, long-winded, hilarious, intermittently gentle, and terrifying, spitting brimstone and, well, spit. He’s part of the show’s no-sacred-cows approach to history, in which even the righteous can be ridiculous, stumbling blindly through time, but that doesn’t make them any less right.

     

    The Queen’s Gambit

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. The Queen’s Gambit opens like it’s going to be a brooding gothic about abandonment, addiction, and loneliness, only to renege and deliver something more straightforwardly satisfying: a superhero story about genius, community, and chess. The show is a realist fantasy, where all the details—the period wallpaper, the interior design, the gameplay—are accurate, but the misogyny has gone missing, with men falling all over one another to help Beth Harmon, the genius who just defeated them. Whether that’s inspiring or facile, it’s a blast. It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

     

    Bluey

    Streaming on Hulu with Disney Plus subscription

    $6.99 with Disney+ add-on from Hulu

    1. Bluey, an animated Australian children’s show about a family (who happen to be dogs), is the most playful, sweet, wholesome, nondidactic, and—why it is on this list!—least annoying children’s show on television.

     

    Cheer

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. Netflix’s docuseries Cheer premiered at the very beginning of January, so basically, the distant past. In the interim so much has happened, including the disturbing and distressing allegationsinvolving one of the leads, the show’s emotional center. It’s hard to reconcile, but so was the show itself, a study of the grueling lengths young adults will go to belong to something bigger than themselves. Is it worth it? Should the adult in charge know better and push less? Are the demands being put on their bodies—the concussions, the broken limbs—teaching them self-discipline, or just giving them a lifetime of ailments? And why was it impossible (for me, anyway) not to get caught up in its sports-movie-triumph narrative?

     

    Teenage Bounty Hunters

    Streaming on Netflix

    $8.99/month from Netflix

    1. This is a bit of a list trickery, in which I use the pesky 10th slot as an alert more than anything else: If you or anyone you know has ever enjoyed a teen drama that aired on the WB or UPN, or knows a current teen who seems like they would dig that kind of thing, may I please introduce you to Netflix’s Teenage Bounty Hunters, essentially a lost WB show just waiting for a time slot before Buffy, Veronica Mars, Dawson’s Creek, or Felicity. Two fraternal twin sisters—one naughty, one nice, but swapping roles all the while—who attend a Christian high school start a sideline as bounty hunters after crashing their dad’s car. It’s a case-of-the-week show, a teen show, a family mystery show, and it’s scrappy and plucky and full of banter, a lighter-side Veronica Mars. It also addresses one of the great concerns of my youth: whether all those WB shows could have had bigger audiences if only they’d been on different channels (the answer is no.) Netflix didn’t pick this show up for a second season, which means, in great WB fashion, this show already has the makings of a cult classic.

    Best Sci-Fi Movies on Netflix

    The Only Movie Watchlist You’ll Need This Summer

    Here are 32 new films to see this season, whether you’re ready to return to theaters or want to stay on the couch.

    Hollywood has a crowded slate of films—delayed by the pandemic and otherwise—to release over the next three months. That makes choosing what to see more stressful than usual, especially when some titles can be seen both in theaters and at home. To make the process more manageable, I’ve scrutinized trailers and even screened some of the films below to put together this guide for all your needs, whatever they may be. My first question, to set the scene: How far would you like to venture away from your couch?

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    I Want to Go Back to Theaters and …

    … I’M CRAVING BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    F9 (JUNE 25)

    The latest installment in the Fast & Furious series sees Vin Diesel’s near-indestructible Dominic Toretto face off against his brother, Jakob (played by John Cena); the return of the fan-favorite character Han (Sung Kang); and—I’m guessing—a lot of cars vrooming and whooshing about. The film has already sped into theaters overseas and earned a pandemic record-making $163 million in its opening weekend. If the director Justin Lin keeps upping the ante with the action in these movies’ inevitable sequels, as he has skillfully done in previous Fast movies, this franchise might just last forever.

    SNAKE EYES: G.I. JOE ORIGINS (JULY 23)

    Starring Crazy Rich Asians’ Henry Golding as the titular ninja, this G.I. Joe spin-off draws inspiration from a comic-book series that traces Snake Eyes’ backstory before he lost his voice. It’s also a blatant attempt to build another cinematic universe, but the trailer offers enough flashy sword fights and martial-arts showdowns to make the effort worthwhile for now. If nothing else, I’m curious to see if Golding’s got the chops to be a leading action star. (I have a feeling he does.)

    BLACK WIDOW (JULY 9)

    The superspy played by Scarlett Johansson didn’t get a funeral in Avengers: Endgame, but she is getting the solo film her fans have been campaigning for since it was possible to binge all of the Marvel movies in less than a day. (For those counting, this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 24th entry.) This prequel follows Natasha on a mission across Europe to reunite her “family,” characters who will probably be essential to the next films. Bonus tip: Don’t forget to watch for a post-credits scene.

    WARNER BROS.

    THE SUICIDE SQUAD (AUGUST 6)

    Comic-book superheroes rarely ever actually die. The same goes for comic-book-inspired film franchises. The David Ayer–directed version of Suicide Squad bombed with critics, but the band of supervillains forced to do the government’s bidding is getting a second chance, with some fresh additions to the cast and a new director in James Gunn, the needle-drop-happy mind behind Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Come for Margot Robbie reprising her gonzo performance as Harley Quinn; stay for what appears to be a much more irreverent and coherent version of the story. At the very least, this version looks lit brightly enough so that we can see what’s happening.

    … I LIKE MY MOVIES TO COME WITH A BEAT

    IN THE HEIGHTS (JUNE 11)

    A feel-good hug of a movie that might make you dance in your seat, this adaptation of the Broadway hit by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiana Alegria Hodes dazzles with Jon M. Chu’s maximalist direction. The story follows characters living in the disappearing Latino neighborhood of Washington Heights, all with their ideas for fulfilling their American dreams. Consider this my official endorsement of the film’s sterling quality, and an appeal for concession stands across America to please add piragua to their menu.

    FOCUS FEATURES

    THE SPARKS BROTHERS (JUNE 18)

    The director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) trains his eye on the quirky musical duo, whose sound has influenced, well, almost every band in existence, this documentary argues. Featuring interviews with dozens of musicians (Beck, Flea, Jack Anton off) and notable no musicians (Mike Myers, Jason Schwartzman), the film, which premiered this year at Sundance, is a close look at music history and a peek inside Wright’s kinetic mind.

    RESPECT (AUGUST 13)

    Biopics of famous entertainers need, above all else, the right actor in the leading role. This glitzy portrait of Aretha Franklin—not to be confused with the limited series that aired earlier this year—casts Jennifer Hudson as the legendary singer, and the star seems poised to embark on another awards-season run if all goes well. She’s surrounded by an equally impressive cast: The ensemble also includes heavyweights such as Forest Whitaker and Audra McDonald, along with an unexpected dramatic turn from Marlon Wayans as Aretha’s manager and first husband, Ted White.

    THE BEATLES: GET BACK (AUGUST 27)

    Peter Jackson of Lord of the Rings fame trades hobbits for the Fab Four. This documentary follows the Beatles as they make the album Let It Be and includes never-before-seen footage that had been cut from Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 doc. Jackson has stated that the hours of material he’s gathered show the foursome’s camaraderie and challenge the narrative that the album was made amid discord. I’ve got a feeling he’s right; after all, the film was created with approval from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.

    … I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING WITH MY PARENTS

    STILLWATER (JULY 30)

    In this thriller directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Matt Damon plays a blue-collar, salt-of-the-earth Everyman whose estranged daughter (Abigail Breslin) gets arrested for murder abroad. The script seems to have been inspired by the Amanda Knox case but told from an astonishingly resourceful and über-patriotic parent’s perspective. Think Jason Bourne, if Bourne had a conspicuous twang and transformative facial hair.

    LIONSGATE

    THE PROTÉGÉ (AUGUST 20)

    Everything about this spy movie’s trailer—slow-motion shoot-outs, cool disguises, the villain delivering whispered threats—screams predictability, but the film has assembled a formidable cast, including Michael Keaton and Samuel L. Jackson. And I guess this is when I admit I’m a fan of the star Maggie Q’s CW-feed take on Nikita from the early 2010s. Campy action is her sweet spot.

    REMINISCENCE (AUGUST 20)

    One of the Westworld co-creators, Lisa Joy, wrote and directed this tale of a scientist (Hugh Jackman) who discovers a way to time travel through memory. If it’s anything like Joy’s work on the first season of the HBO series, it’ll be twisty but enthralling. If it’s anything like the latest season, it’ll give you a massive headache. Either way, the film marks a welcome return to hard sci-fi for Jackman after he starred in the underrated The Fountain more than a decade ago. (What’s that—he was in Chippie in 2015? Why would you remind me?)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    WARNER BROS.

    SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY (JULY 16)

    LeBron James steps into Michael Jordan’s shoes—er, Air Jordans—in this update on the cult favorite about NBA stars playing basketball alongside Looney Tunes characters. The villains this time are AI-controlled digital players, whatever that means. This might turn out to be nothing more than a shameless mashup of all the intellectual property Warner Bros. has ever owned, but if it matches the earnestness of its predecessor—and if James has half as much fun as Jordan did as a movie star—it just might work.

    JUNGLE CRUISE (JULY 30)

    Yes, this is Disney trying to turn another one of its theme-park rides into a billion-dollar franchise, but Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s combined charm can not—excuse me, will not—be denied. Jesse Plemons also drops in as the kooky villain who gets in the way of our heroes’ mission to find a tree with healing powers in the middle of the Amazon. If this Disney-feed spin on The African Queen all looks a bit … much, just remember: The CGI simply adds more scenery for all three stars to chew.

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    THE FOREVER PURGE (JULY 2)

    Just in time for Independence Day, the horror franchise about a dystopian version of America in which lawlessness gets to run rampant for a day every year will release what is (reportedly) its final installment. In it, a band of criminals decides that the annual purge should last longer than a day. Maybe forever. What are the odds of this series delivering four more sequels?

    ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS (JULY 16)

    As a breezy, 100-minute collection of puzzles and jump scares, the first film was a surprise hit, the kind of low-stakes entertainment even non–horror fans can enjoy. This sequel finds the surviving heroes from the original getting trapped in—you guessed it—another series of escape rooms with a group of other players. Though the tests look a lot harder to solve this time around, if the film’s writers continue to focus on the riddles, they might just figure out a way to sustain a franchise.

    OLD (JULY 23)

    Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this graphic-novel adaptation follows a vacationing family who realizes that the beach they’re relaxing on is making them age at a rapid pace—so rapid, they’ll all be dead by the end of the day. Gael García Bernal and Phantom Thread’s Vicky Kreps star as the parents; their children age quickly into teens played by rising stars Alex Wolff and Thomasina McKenzie. Shyamalan, who’s expressed endearing excitement about making this film, has said his daughters gave him the source material—and perhaps the inspiration for the film’s underlying anxiety around getting older. In other words, he sees dying people.

    THE NIGHT HOUSE (AUGUST 20)

    Rebecca Hall stars as a widow grieving her husband’s death while alone—or is she?—in the house, he built for them. To go any further into the plot risks spoilers, but I can tell you that Hall’s character starts seeing visions of her husband lurking around the property. Also, according to critics who attended the Sundance Film Festival in 2020, this film couples its scares with innovative but intrusive sound design. Brace your senses.

    CANDYMAN (AUGUST 27)

    This remake/sequel to the 1992 film possesses quite the pedigree: Jordan Peele, the reigning king of our era of elevated horror, co-wrote the script with the producer Win Rosenfeld (Black Klansman) and the director Nia DaCosta, who made a splash on the festival circuit with the thriller Little Woods and is on deck to direct the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. And I haven’t even mentioned the Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Watchmen), who stars as an artist finding inspiration in the urban myth about the titular killer with a hook for a hand (played by Tony Todd, returning to the role), only to unleash him, whatever he is.

    … I MISS SEEING FESTIVAL FAVORITES IN PERSON

    ANNA KOORIS / A24

    ZOLA (JUNE 30)

    Starring Riley Keough and Taylor Paige, this satirical romp follows a pair of women who go on a road trip to make some quick cash dancing in strip clubs. The film, which is based on a viral Twitter thread, scored distribution through the indie studio A24 even before it screened for the first time at Sundance in 2020. The gamble has paid off so far: Critics loved it. (Perhaps more movies should be based on tweets? Don’t @ me.)

    THE GREEN KNIGHT (JULY 30)

    A crown descending onto Dev Patel’s head and then lighting him on fire. A bear holding a lantern at the top of a staircase. A talking fox emerging from heavy fog. Based on the trailers, it seems the director David Lowery has shrouded his film in cryptic, poetic images—which is appropriate, given that his source material is an ambiguous 14th-century fantasy epic filled with figurative language. The story follows an Arthurian knight (Patel) being tested for his chivalry by a giant green being. If Lowery has his way, the eerie atmosphere of the film, which was supposed to premiere at SXSW in 2020, will linger in your mind long after you finish watching it.

    CODA (AUGUST 13)

    Though I saw this at one of Sundance’s virtual screenings—as in, alone in my living room—I was pretty sure I wasn’t the only viewer who had used up all her tissues by the time the credits rolled. (I became certain when, two days later, Apple picked up the film for distribution for a festival-record $25 million.) The film tells a coming-of-age story through an unconventional heroine: a teenager who’s the only hearing member of her family, grappling with her responsibilities to her relatives and her love of singing. It’s a crowd-pleasing tearjerker, the kind I wish I’d seen in a packed theater.

    … I’M JUST A HUGE RYAN REYNOLDS FAN

    LIONSGATE

    THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD (JUNE 16)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by a fearless woman. Explosions, pop-culture references, and jokes at Reynolds’s character’s expense ensue. Judging by the trailer, it seems like the film was a lot of fun to make for all of the actors involved, including an Oscar winner.

    FREE GUY (AUGUST 13)

    The Deadpool actor plays a reluctant hero who gets dragged into scary shenanigans by—frankly, I could just copy my previous paragraph and paste it here for this film. But there are some significant differences worth mentioning: Reynolds’s character exists inside a video game, a different Oscar winner (Taika Waititi) tags along, and the movie will probably be rated PG-13 instead of R.

    I’d Rather Stay Home but …

    … I WANT A TASTE OF BIG-SCREEN ACTION

    AMAZON PRIME

    THE TOMORROW WAR (JULY 2, AMAZON PRIME)

    Chris Pratt is drafted to fight a war in the future against alien invaders and gets to grumble things like “I was trying to save my daughter. If I got to save the world to save her, then I’m gonna do it.” It’s a time-travel movie, so I’m expecting someone he meets in the future to turn out to be him or someone he knows, only older. (By the way, when did all movie aliens start looking like the Stranger Things Demogorgon?)

    Also available: Black Widow (July 9, Disney+ with Premier Access); Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16, HBO Max); The Suicide Squad (August 6, HBO Max)

    … I WANT TO DANCE ALONG

    SUMMER OF SOUL (JULY 2, HULU)

    The music producer and DJ Questlove’s directorial debut traces the events of the Harlem Cultural Festival, a six-week celebration in 1969 featuring performers such as Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, and B. B. King; the archival footage on display had been shelved for more than 50 years. The film took home several documentary awards at Sundance this year, for good reason: As much as it may be a history lesson about the decade, it’s also an absorbing concert movie and a probing look at how live music captured the frustrations and fears of members of the Black community and offered them catharsis when nothing else could.

    Also available: In the Heights (June 11, HBO Max)

    … I’M WATCHING IT WITH MY PARENTS

    NETFLIX

    THE ICE ROAD (JUNE 25, NETFLIX)

    When the trailer for this disaster flick began with Liam Nelson driving in the snow, looking forlorn, I felt déjà vu: Hasn’t he already done this? Turns out I was thinking of 2019’s Cold Pursuit, a farce of a film in which Nelson’s character gets in the way of a turf war among gangs in the Rockies. This, on the other hand, is pure action: Nelson plays a trucker who must drive across thousands of miles of icy pavement to rescue a group of trapped miners. A perfectly chilly way to slide into summer.

    Also available: Reminiscence (August 20, HBO Max)

    … I NEED A KID-FRIENDLY FLICK

    LUCA (JUNE 18, DISNEY+)

    Pixar’s latest is a literal fish-out-of-water tale about an anxious merboy named Luca who ventures above the surface to—actually, it’s not clear what he’s up there to do, other than eat gelato, explore a quaint Italian seaside town, and accidentally terrorize its locals. But the animation looks delightful, and the story seems to be a fable about the wonders of getting outside your comfort zone. That’s a lesson for anyone, not just the children this film is aimed at.

    NETFLIX

    FATHERHOOD (JUNE 18, NETFLIX)

    The comedian Kevin Hart stars in this film from an About a Boy co-writer, Paul Weitz, as a single parent trying to raise his adorable daughter, Maddy (Melody Hurd). You can imagine the hijinks: Hart’s Matthew struggles to find support, can’t tie a baby wrap, and fails to figure out how to do Maddy’s hair. Be ready for tears, though; the story’s based on a memoir and appears to delve into the unexpected loss of Maddy’s mom as much as it does into father-daughter antics.

    Also available: Jungle Cruise (July 30, Disney+ with Premier Access); CODA (August 13, Apple TV+)

    … I WANT TO BE TERRIFIED

    HULU

    FALSE-POSITIVE (JUNE 25, HULU)

    Pregnancy has proved potent as inspiration for horror writers, and this film offers a modern spin on the subgenre nursed into being by Rosemary’s Baby. Ilana Glazer of Broad City stars as a woman who, after a successful IVF treatment, starts to suspect that her doctor, played by Pierce Bresnan, has more sinister intentions in mind than helping her and her spouse (Justin Theroux) conceive.

     
    THE FEAR STREET TRILOGY (JULY 2, 9, 16, NETFLIX)

    Billed as a “film trilogy event” by Netflix, this collection of movies takes R. L. Stine’s young-adult-oriented book series and spins it into an R-rated mini cinematic universe. Set in and around the fictional Ohio town of Shadyside, the three films chronicle three very different, very creepy years in local history—1994, 1978, and 1666—that all have something to do with an ancient curse. Binge if you dare.

    … I WANT A DASH OF ROMANCE

    GOOD ON PAPER (JUNE 23, NETFLIX)

    By now anyone who’s ever tried online dating knows what a “catfish” is. In this romantic comedy, however, the heroine, played by the comedian Ilia Schlesinger, falls for a “cuttlefish”—the kind of date who isn’t hiding via the internet but putting on an entire charade in person. Schlesinger based the script on an incident that happened to her in real life, so even if the relationship doesn’t end well, you can trust that it’ll be populated with her signature zany characters.

    THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (JULY 23, NETFLIX)

    Based on a Jojo Moyes novel, this decades-spanning romance toggles between the 1960s, when a writer (Callum Turner) falls for the wife (Shailene Woodley) of his subject, and present-day, when their love letters are found by a British journalist (Felicity Jones) who becomes determined to track them down. The plot’s easy to predict, but the period costumes and production design deliver the lush aesthetic that fans of such sweeping love stories cherish.

    We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

    Shirley Li is a staff writer at The Atlantic​, where she covers culture.

     

    Oscar Winners 2021

    Note: for some reason I have not seen any of these yet.  I will look for them on netflix and add them to my list as time goes by.

    2021 Winners

    Best Picture Nomadland
    Best Director Chloé ZhaoNomadland
    Best Actor Anthony HopkinsThe Father
    Best Actress Frances McDormandNomadland
    Best Supporting Actor Daniel KaluuyaJudas and the Black Messiah
    Best Supporting Actress Youn Yuh-jungMinari
    Original Screenplay Promising Young Woman
    Adapted Screenplay The Father
    Animated Feature Film Soul
    Foreign Fanguage Film Another Round
    Documentary Feature My Octopus Teacher
    Documentary Short Subject Colette
    Live Action Short Film Two Distant Strangers
    Animated Short Film If Anything Happens I Love You
    Best Original Score SoulTrent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste
    Best Original Song Fight for You – Judas and the Black Messiah
    Best Cinematography MankErik Messerschmidt
    Best Costume Design Ma Rainey’s Black BottomAnn Roth
    Best Visual Effects TenetAndrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley, Scott Fisher
    Best Makeup and Hairstyling Ma Rainey’s Black BottomSergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal, Jamika Wilson
    Best Film Editing Sound of MetalMikkel E. G. Nielsen

    The End

  • Cosmos’s Fav k Drama

    Cosmos’s Fav k Drama

    netflix K drama site

    Cosmos’s Fav K-Drama  

     Movies Seen 2021

    movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    Over the last few years I finally became a K Drama fan.  Part of the reason is that my Korean is now good enough to mostly follow the dialogue although i still need sub-titles.  Second because of COVID we’ve been mostly at home  in Korea, and third, I finally just got into K Drama.  I know a bit late, but what the heck. 

    Here are some of my favorite K Dramas-  I provide a snyopsis and my comment on each.  

    In general K Dramas come in two forms – movies and series. The series are reminiscent of Mexican telenovals – usually 16 episodes, occasionally 20, and occasional fewer.  A few have two seasons.  Most run for about a month.  Almost all are available now on Netflic and Hullu with English sub-titles.   A few were quite controversal.  

     Parasite of course won the 2020 Oscar.  And Minuri won best supporting actress this year.  

    Parasite  2020 Best Picture Oscar

     

    Parasite (Korean: 기생충; Hanja: 寄生蟲; RR: Gisaengchung) is a 2019 South Korean black comedy thriller film directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay with Han Jin-won. The film, starring Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, and Lee Jung-eun, follows a poor family who scheme to become employed by a wealthy family and infiltrate their household by posing as unrelated, highly qualified individuals.

    Parasite premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2019, where it became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or. It was then released in South Korea by CJ Entertainment on 30 May 2019. The film was considered by many critics to be the best film of 2019. It grossed over $258 million worldwide on a production budget of about $15.5 million.

    Among its numerous accolades, Parasite won a leading four awards at the 92nd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature Film, becoming the first non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.[note 1]

    Parasite is the first South Korean film to receive Academy Award recognition and one of three films to win both the Palme d’Or and the Academy Award for Best Picture.[note 2] It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language, and became the first non-English language film to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. At the 56th Grand Bell Awards and the 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards, Parasite had eleven nominations with five wins. At the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards, it had twelve nominations with three wins. Joon-Ho has confirmed a TV series is in the works while two sequels are also planned.

    Plot[edit]

    The Kim family—father Ki-taek, mother Chung-sook, daughter Ki-jung, and son Ki-woo—live in a small semi-basement apartment (banjiha),[10] have low-paying temporary jobs as pizza box folders, and struggle to make ends meet.[11] University student Min-hyuk, a friend of Ki-woo’s, gives the family a scholar’s rock meant to promise wealth. Leaving to study abroad and knowing his friend needs the income, he suggests that Ki-woo pose as a university student to take over his job as an English tutor for the daughter of the wealthy Park family, Da-hye. Ki-woo, presenting himself as a Yonsei University student, is subsequently hired by the Parks.

    The Kim family schemes to get each member of the family a job by posing as unrelated and highly qualified workers to become servants of the Parks. Ki-jung poses as “Jessica” and, using Ki-Woo as a reference, becomes an art therapist to the Parks’ young son, Da-song. Ki-jung frames Yoon, Mr Park’s chauffeur, for having sex in the car, then recommends Ki-taek to replace him. Finally, Chung-sook takes over as the Parks’ housekeeper after the Kims exploit the peach allergy of the long-time housekeeper, Moon-gwang, to convince Mrs Park that she has tuberculosis. Ki-woo begins a secret romantic relationship with Da-hye.

    When the Parks leave on a camping trip, the Kims revel in the luxuries of their residence before Moon-gwang abruptly appears at the door, telling Chung-sook she has left something in the basement. She enters a hidden entrance to an underground bunker created by the architect and previous homeowner, where Moon-gwang’s husband, Geun-sae, has been secretly living for over four years, hiding from loan sharks. Chung-sook refuses Moon-gwang’s pleas to help Geun-sae remain in the bunker, but the eavesdropping Kims accidentally reveal themselves. Moon-gwang films them on her phone and threatens to expose their ruse to the Parks.

    A severe rainstorm brings the Parks home early, and the Kims scramble to clean up the home and subdue Moon-gwang and Geun-sae before they return. The Kims trap Geun-sae and Moon-gwang in the bunker. Mrs Park reveals to Chung-sook that Da-song had a seizure-inducing traumatic experience on a previous birthday, when he saw a “ghost” — actually Geun-sae — emerging from the basement at night. Before the Kims manage to sneak out of the house, they hear Mr Park’s off-handed comments about Ki-taek’s smell. The Kims find their apartment flooded with sewer water and are forced to shelter in a gymnasium with other displaced people.

    The next day, Mrs Park hosts a house party for Da-song’s birthday with the Kim family’s help. Ki-woo enters the bunker with the scholar’s rock to find Geun-sae. Finding Moon-gwang has died from a concussion she received during the earlier fight, he is attacked by Geun-sae, who bludgeons his head with the rock and escapes, leaving Ki-woo lying in a pool of blood in the basement. Seeking to avenge Moon-gwang, Geun-sae stabs Ki-jung with a kitchen knife in front of the horrified party guests. Da-song suffers another seizure upon seeing Geun-sae, and a struggle breaks out until Chung-sook fatally impales Geun-sae with a barbecue skewer. While Ki-taek tends to a severely bleeding Ki-jung, Mr Park orders Ki-taek to drive Da-song to the hospital. In the chaos, Ki-taek, upon seeing Mr Park’s disgusted reaction to Geun-sae’s smell, angrily takes the knife and kills him. Ki-taek then flees the scene, leaving behind the rest of the Kim family.

    Weeks later, Ki-woo is recovering from brain surgery. He and Chung-sook are convicted of fraud and put on probation. Ki-jung has died and Ki-taek, wanted by the police for Mr Park’s murder, cannot be found. Geun-sae has been assumed to be an insane homeless man, and neither his nor Ki-taek’s motive for the stabbings are known. Ki-woo spies on the Parks’ home, now sold to a German family unaware of its history, and sees a message in Morse code from a flickering light. Ki-taek, who escaped into the bunker via the garage, has buried Moon-gwang in the backyard and now raids the kitchen at night and flickers the light every day, hoping Ki-woo will see it. Still living in their original basement apartment with his mother, Ki-woo writes a letter to Ki-taek, vowing to earn enough money to one day purchase the house and reunite with his father.

    Cast[edit]

    • Song Kang-ho as Kim Ki-taek (Mr Kim; 김기택; Gim Gitaek), the father of the Kim family who is hired as Park Dong-ik’s chauffeur.
    • Choi Woo-shik as Kim Ki-woo (Kevin; 김기우; Gim Giu), the son of the Kim family who is hired as Da-hye’s English tutor. Choi Woo-shik stated that the character is intelligent but does not have the vigour needed to succeed in examinations.[12]
    • Lee Sun-kyun as Park Dong-ik (Nathan; 박동익; Bak Dongik), the father of the Park family.
    • Cho Yeo-jeong as Choi Yeon-gyo (Madame; 최연교; Choe Yeongyo), the mother of the Park family.
    • Park So-dam as Kim Ki-jung (Jessica; 김기정; Gim Gijeong), the daughter of the Kim family who is hired as Da-song’s art therapist.
    • Lee Jung-eun as Gook Moon-gwang (국문광; Guk Mungwang), the housekeeper for the Park family, who also worked for the architect and previous owner of the house. Bong Joon-ho said her relationship with the architect and parts of her story “that happen in between the sequences in the film” will be explored in the spin-off television series.[13]
    • Jang Hye-jin as Chung-sook (박충숙; Bak Chungsuk), the mother of the Kim family who is hired as the housekeep for the Park family.
    • Park Myung-hoon as Oh Geun-sae (오근세; O Geunse), Moon-gwang’s husband.
    • Jung Ji-so as Park Da-hye (박다혜; Bak Dahye), the daughter of the Park family.
    • Jung Hyeon-jun as Park Da-song (박다송; Bak Dasong), the son of the Park family.
    • Park Keun-rok as Yoon (윤; Yun), Park Dong-ik’s chauffeur.
    • Park Seo-joon as Min-hyuk (민혁; Minhyeok), Ki-woo’s friend.[14]

    Crashlanding on you 

    program.tving.com/tvn/cloy 

    Crash Landing on You is a 2019–2020 South Korean television series written by Park Ji-Eun, directed by Lee Jeong-Hyo, and starring Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Jung-Hyun, and Seo Ji-Hye. It is about a South Korean chaebol heiress who, while paragliding in Seoul, South Korea, is swept up in a sudden storm, crash-lands in the North Korean portion of the DMZ, and meets a captain in the Korean People’s Army. Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries. Wikipedia 

    Genre: Romantic Drama, Romantic comedy 

    Created by: Studio Dragon 

    Written by: Park Ji-Eun 

     Comments: 

    One of my favorites.  It is a classic romcom opposites attract theme.   Almost a Romeo and Juliet star crossed lovers theme with the division of the Korean peninsular separating the lovers.   When Captain Ri meets Se-Yeong who literary crash lands on him after a freak paragliding accident took over the DMZ, has to decide to risk everything to save her life and return her to South Korea, or turn her in as duty would dictate.  He chose to follow his heart and enlists the aid of his squad of soldiers who all fall in love with her as well. She also becomes friendly with the local woman in the village.  

    When a notorious gangster follows her to Seoul to kill her to take revenge on Captain Ri, Captain Ri and his squad follow her to save her and bring down the gangsters.  I won’t say more than that.  

    This series led to the North Koreans to blow up the inter-Korean liaison office as they saw the movie as an insult to the North.  Some southern politicians denounced it as being too sympathetic to the North. It also of course featured rich people behaving badly in both the North and the South.  – Common theme in most K Drama’s these days. 

    And a sub-romance between the Captain’s soon to be ex and Se-Young Ex who is End Commenta con artist who is hiding out in the north after defrauding her father and brother. 

    End Comment 

    Memories of Alhambra  

     program.tving.com/tvn/tvnalhambra 

    Memories of the Alhambra is a 2018 South Korean television series, starring Hyun Bin and Park Shin-Hye. Primarily set in Spain, the series centers on a company CEO and a hostel owner who gets entangled in a series of mysterious incidents surrounding a new and intricate augmented reality game inspired by the stories of the Alhambra Palace. It aired on cable network tvN from December 1, 2018, to January 20, 2019, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:00. It is also available for online streaming on Netflix.Wikipedia 

    Genre: Science fantasy, Action, Thriller, Romance 

    Created by: Jinnie Choi (Studio Dragon), Lee Myung-Han 

    Written by: Song Jae-Jung 

     Comment:

    Did not finish it but will return to it soon.  Had an intriguing SF plot line. 

    End Comment 

    The Negotiation (film) 

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

     

    The Negotiation 
     

     
     
    Hangul  협상 
    Hanja  協商 
    Revised Romanization  Hyeobsang 
    Directed by  Lee Jong-Seok 
    Screenplay by  Choi Sung-Hyun 
    Produced by  Yoon Je-kyoon
    Lee Sang-jik 
    Starring  Son Ye-jin
    Hyun Bin 
    Cinematography  Lee Tae-Joon 
    Edited by  Jung Jin-hee 
    Music by  Hwang Sang-Joon 
    Production
    companies     		 JK Film
    CJ E&M[1] 
    Distributed by  CJ Entertainment 
    Release date 
    • September 19, 2018 (South Korea) 
    Running time  114 minutes 
    Country  South Korea 
    Language  Korean 
    Budget  ₩10 billion[2] 
    Box office  US$15.6 million[3] 

    The Negotiation (Korean: 협상; Hanja: 協商; RR: Hyeobsang) is a 2018 South Korean action crime thriller film directed by Lee Jong-Seok and starring Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin.[4][1] The film was released on September 19, 2018.[5][6][7] 

    Two Flipinos kidnap some Koreans. Crisis negotiator Inspector Ha Chae-youn of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who was on a date and was called by her colleague, Superintendent Ahn Hyuk-su, is brought in to handle the situation, despite strong protests from her superior, Captain Jung Jun-gu. While Chae-youn is negotiating with the kidnappers, Captain Jung decides to send a police officer hit team to kill the men, shooting one kidnapper on the shoulder. He immediately kills the man he was holding and was shot dead afterward. The remaining kidnapper used the woman as a shield and dragged her to a room. The police team arrives and kills the kidnapper in the room. Chae-youn enters the room to find the woman who had been killed by the kidnapper before the police team entering the house. The woman dies in Chae-youn’s arms, leaving Chae-youn shocked. 

    Ten days later, a devastated Chae-youn decides to resign from the police force, but Captain Jung urges her to reconsider, before leaving on a work trip. Chae-youn is then urgently called upon by Ahn, who informs her that she has been urgently summoned to deal with a hostage crisis by the Commissioner himself. Upon arrival to a secret location, she meets with the Commissioner of Police Moon Jong-hyuk and Presidential Secretary Gong of National Security. She is ordered to negotiate with the kidnapper – Min Tae-gu, a Korea-based international arms dealer and UK citizen, who had kidnapped several Korean nationals from Bangkok – including a reporter named Lee Su-mok. Without any additional information, she hung up on Min twice after being offended by him and asks Secretary Gong to reveal to her the necessary details. Not wanting to talk, the two men ordered Chief Han to talk to Min instead, while she is being hesitant about doing so. Upon seeing the negotiations going sour, she takes the seat from Chief Han. While negotiating with Min video conferencing, she is shocked to discover that Captain Jung, who was supposed to be on a trip, has also been kidnapped by Min as well, 

    Chae-youn is later informed that the hostages are being held at an island in the Malacca Straits, where a joint military-police op has been sent to, intent on freeing them. Han also informs them that Daehan Daily, a news outlet Lee is working for, had been ordered to keep silent of their employee’s situation, as requested by the President. Min later demands to see the CEO of Daehan Daily, Yoon Dong-hoon, Lee’s boss. While talking with Dong-hoon, Min demands to know whether Lee is one of his reporters or not. Min threatens Yoon that his own family could be in danger, revealing that he knows of their whereabouts. Commissioner Moon cuts into their conversation to stop Yoon from telling the truth. Because of this, Min shoots Captain Jung dead, which further shocked Chae-youn. Commissioner Moon and Secretary Gong bring in negotiators from the National Intelligence Services to take over and order Chae-youn, Ahn, and even Han to leave the site. 

    Outside, Han reveals to them that Lee is a black agent working for the NIS, whose mission was to spy on Min’s syndicate. She tells them that Min is an arms dealer working in the Malacca Straits, selling every kind of weapons and equipment to other criminals in the majority of the Southeast Asian countries. Chae-youn’s two colleagues arrive in their van, and Chae-youn sought to find out the truth themselves. She then asks Ahn to follow Yoon and ask him further. Back inside, the NIS team approached Min aggressively, demanding that Min release his hostages or otherwise they will bombard his location, killing Agent Lee with him. Unbothered, Min reveals that he had also kidnapped a family of four, keeping the NIS under this thumb. Min demands to bring Chae-youn back as he will only talk to her. With no other choice, Chief Han goes over to bring Chae-youn, along with her team, back inside. 

    This time, Chae-youn demands the NIS to tell her everything that they know about Min. Min demands Chae-youn to bring Koo Gwan-su—chairman of Nine Electronics, an arms company. As they wait, the NIS tells Chae-youn that Min used to work for Koo as the man in charge of dealing with the company’s illegal activities. When Min decided to work alone as an arms dealer in Malacca Straits, Koo betrays Min and tipped him off to the NIS. Koo also revealed the $50 million worth of taxes that he had evaded, and due to his ‘honesty’, the government practically erased his criminal activities. When Chae-youn asks where Koo is, the NIS agent reveals to her that they were all inside the Nine Electrics weapons laboratory. Koo himself had funded the entire operation of the NIS to hunt Min down. In a hotel suite lounge somewhere downtown were Koo, NIS Deputy Chief Park In-kyu, Air Force Commander Son Jung-Tae, and the Chief of National Security himself, Hwang Ju-ik. These four men had been keeping a close eye on the entire operation. 

    Meanwhile, Ahn found out from the escaping Yoon that NIS Deputy Chief Park was the one who asked him to give Agent Lee a false Daehan Daily ID. Koo arrives at the site and begins to talk with Min. Min asks Koo to restore a certain Swiss bank account, and Koo agrees to it. However, Min had further demanded. He asks Koo why he had killed a woman named Yoo Hyun-Ju. Koo denies any knowledge of any Hyun-Ju, and Min began to tell Chae-youn of Hyun-Ju. Min introduced Hyun-Ju to Koo as his secretary. In reality, Hyun-Ju was to keep records of hidden, expensive paintings that Koo owned and kept. These paintings were worth 10 billion won each, and profits from these paintings would be shared between Koo, Park, Son, and Hwang. Some of the paintings were kept in a house that Hyun-Ju and presumably her husband stayed in. It is revealed that Hyun-Ju was the woman who died in Chae-youn’s arms ten days ago, and Min convinces Chae-youn that something was amiss during that operation, which resulted in Hyun-Ju’s death, and the disappearance of the paintings in the house almost immediately. To further prove his point, Min plays an audio recording of a conversation between the four corrupt men. This recording was done by Hwang himself, where Min explained that Hwang never fully trusted the three other men he was working with and had a habit of keeping recording devices for important conversations. Min then demands Hwang to show up and talk to him in one hour, otherwise, he’ll kill every hostage—including the children. 

    Chae-young and her team validate the information Min had given as they try to figure out the connection between Min and Hyun-Ju. Secretary Gong lies to Chae-young, telling her that Hwang was with the President and that he couldn’t come. Meanwhile, Ahn was able to track down Chief Park’s phone records. There, he found out that Captain Jung had accepted a bribe from Chief Park. Captain Jung was under the command of Chief Park, and that they planned to kill Hyun-Ju by using the Filipino kidnappers as an alibi. Chae-youn resumes the negotiations with Min, telling Min that Hyun-Ju’s case will be reopened. Min demands to talk with Commissioner Moon. Min asks if Koo is being questioned by the police and that if Hwang is really with the President. Before answering, they found out from a Thai server that Min had been live-streaming the entire situation on YouTube, which sends the country into a frenzy. Upon figuring out that Koo is not being questioned, and that Hwang is in hiding, Min shoots Agent Lee in the leg. He gives Hwang one last chance to show himself. 

    Back in their lounge, Hwang orders Chief Park to invent a story and Commander Son to begin the military operation immediately. Hwang wants Min dead, along with the hostages. Meanwhile, Ahn returns to Hyun-Ju’s home, where the kidnapping ten days ago occurred. There, he found a photo of Somang Orphanage, an old orphanage where Hyun-Ju came from. He goes over to the new orphanage, and he found out that Hyun-Ju’s real name wasn’t Yoon Hyun-Ju, but Min Hyun-Ju—she was Min’s younger sister. Back in the lab, the military team arrived in Min’s location and authorizes the mission, despite Chae-youn’s protests. Min reveals that a bomb is strapped on one of the hostages, revealing a suicide for all of them. Either way, the team blows up a signal tower—stopping their communication. Chae-youn tries to stop the team from entering Min’s hideout as a bomb is present. Hwang (through Commander Son) pressures them to continue, and the team enters the hideout. However, as soon as they moved in, the room had exploded, presumably from Min’s suicide bomb, and killing the hostages inside. Hwang and his cronies were finally able to relax, and the NIS were packing up their things. 

    As Chae-youn stares at the last footage of their negotiations with Min in despair, she notices through the background that Min wasn’t in Southeast Asia, but in South Korea all along. That night, Ahn went to the old orphanage building and found all of the hostages safe. Meanwhile, Min and his gang arrived at the Nine Electronics weapons lab. He orders his fellow gang to go home and takes the bomb with him. Min storms the lounge and finally catches Hwang, Koo, Park, and Son, with the bomb strapped to his chest. Chae-young convinced Secretary Gong to reveal the true location of Hwang and his cronies so that they can stop Min. Min shoots Koo, activates the bomb via a detonator, and Chae-youn arrives at the lounge to finally meet Min. She apologizes to Min for not being able to protect Hyun-Ju, and she vows to defend Min at any cost to bring the remaining cronies to justice. Min reveals to her that he asked Hyun-Ju to betray Koo by stealing every bit of information he had. He believed that his plan ultimately led to his sister’s death. He raises the gun at Hwang, and he was shot to the head by a sniper outside. A flashback reveals that Min backfired with his plan, telling his sister that the plan is too dangerous after all. However, Hyun-Ju wanted to proceed with the plan, so that the two of them can find a place to live in silence and peace. 

    As the team arrives to escort Hwang, Park, Son, and Chae-youn outside, Chae-youn overheard that the detonator wasn’t turned on, and Min planned to die in the end and bring the corrupt men to justice. Chae-young chases Hwang outside, prematurely telling them of their arrest as she shouts their rights to them. As their car leaves, the reporters then surround Chae-youn. Chae-youn and Ahn went to an overlooking spot, where they made a makeshift memorial for Min and Hyun-Ju. Chae-youn shows Ahn of Min’s pen drive presumably with the dealings of Hwang and his cronies, as stolen by Hyun-Ju. In court, Hwang, Park, Son, and Chae-young appear, with Chae-young as a prime witness. The pen drive is revealed to the court as evidence, and the film ends with Chae-young reciting an oath. 

    Cast[edit] 

    Main[edit] 

    Supporting[edit] 

    • Kim Jong-goo as CEO Yoon 
    • Yoo Yeon-soo as Chief Moon 
    • Lee Joo-young as Lee Da-bin 
    • Kim Min-sang as Deputy Department Head Park 
    • Park Sung-Geun as Operation officer 
    • Han Ki-Joon as Lieutenant General Son 
    • Park Soo-young as Section Chief Choi 
    • Jung In-gyeom as Lee Sang-mok 
    • Lee Si-a as Yoo Yeon-Joo 
    • Lee Hak-joo as Park Min-woo 

    Special appearance[edit] 

    Production[edit] 

    Principal photography began on June 17, 2017, in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.[11][12][13] 

    Release[edit] 

    The film premiered in South Korea on September 19, 2018.[14][15] 

    By September 2018, the film was sold to over 22 countries. It was released in North America on September 20, in Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei on October 4, in Hong Kong and Macau in early October, in Vietnam and Taiwan on October 19, and in Indonesia on October 24, 2018.[16][17] 

    The film was released on VOD services and digital downloads on October 17, 2018.[18] 

    Comment: 

    very engaging police thriller taking place in Bangkok and Seoul.  

     Usual high level polticial corruption and rich people behaving badly.  Also features a woman protagonist who goes against her superiors and saves the day.  

     End comment 

    No exit  movie 

     Comment:  

    A nother engaging police crime drama.  Very engrossing and great acting. Takes place in Chejuo who a mafia figure goes on the run after being betrayed by his boss.  

     End comment 

     https://mydramalist.com/28794-exit 

    This was another great Korean movie. It was packed with action and comedy. This movie kept you on edge on your seat and glued your eyes to the screen. I love how Jo Jung Suk always keeps his quirky side whenever he played a character. He never disappoints me in the comedy area. Love him in dramas and movies. 

    Images for no exit k drama 

     More Images for no exit k drama 

    EXIT (2018) – MyDramaList 

    https://mydramalist.com/28771-exit 

    Exit is an interesting drama with an old concept depicted in a new way. The entire two hours were engrossing for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Choi Tae Joon was natural, strong and intense in playing his role and the rest of the cast also did a pretty good job. The background score is quite good though it has no OSTs. Two hours is not much. 

     

    Exit (Korean Drama, 2018, 엑시트) @ Han Cinema 

    https://www.hancinema.net/korean_drama_Exit.php 

    Exit (Korean Drama, 2018, 엑시트) – Find the cast, latest updates, latest news, legal streaming links, DVDs, Blu-rays, collectibles, latest trailers, latest … 

    Comment: 

     an intense gangster drama taking place in Soeul and Cheju island. The main villain is a mafia figure who is double crossed  by his bosses and hides out in Cheju where he falls in love with a deeply disturbed woman. 

    End comment

    Mine 

    mine (TV series) – Wikipedia 

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_(TV_series) 

    Mine (Korean: 마인) is a 2021 South Korean television series directed by Lee Na-Jung and starring Lee Bo-young, Kim Seo-Hyung, Lee Hyun-Wook, and Ok Ja-Yeon. It revolves around strong women who free themselves from the prejudice of society and find their real ‘mine’. It also peeps into the mysterious lives of wealthy people. The series premiered ten on May 8, 2021, and aired every … 

    Mine (Korean Drama) – AsianWiki 

    https://asianwiki.com/Mine_(Korean_Drama) 

    Profile. Drama: Mine Revise romanization: Mine Hangul: 마인 Director: Lee Na-Jeong Writer: Baek Mi-Kong Network: tvN Episodes: 16 Reléase Date: May 8 – June 27, 2021, Run time: Sat. & Sun. 21:00 Language: Korean Country: South Korea Plot Synopsis by Asianizing Staff © 

    Mine (2021) – Dramatist 

    https://mydramalist.com/75937-blue-diamond 

    Mine (2021) Mine. (2021) “Mine” is about strong and ambitious women who overcome the world’s prejudices to find their true selves. Seo Hee-Soo was a former top actress, but she gave up her career to marry the second son of Hyo Won Group. She does her best to fit in as a daughter-in-law of that family. 

    Mine | Netflix Official Site 

    https://www.netflix.com/title/81403973 

    Mine. 2021 | TV-14 | 1 Season | TV Dramas. Encaged in a gold-clad life of secrets and lies, two women in a conglomerate family seek to topple all that stands in their way of finding true joy. Starring: Lee Bo-young, Kim Seo-Hyung, Lee Hyun-Wook. 

    Mine (2021) – Full Cast & Crew – Dramatist 

    https://mydramalist.com/75937-blue-diamond/cast 

    Today, we present some unexpected cameo appearances in K-Dramas by popular actors and actresses. Get Ready to Be Enrolled in the “Police University” of 2021 News – Aug 1, 2021 

    Images for mine k drama 

    Comment:

     One of my recent favorites.  Almost a poster child for the rich family behaving badly theme. An interesting LBGT romance sub-theme as well. Another Romeo-Juliet Cinderlla romance sub-plot as well.  The main protagnoist is a real sociopath.  The story revolves around his murder and who wanted him dead the most. Well everyone hated him, everyone wanted him dead.  The suspense was kept alive to the very end. The other theme is the two sister in laws who battle the family and in the end prevail against all the odds to ome out on top and regain what they saw as “Mine” hence the tittle.  Very well done.  

      End comments

     

     

     

     

     More Images for my k drama 

    Stream It or Skip It: ‘Mine’ On Netflix, A Soapy K-Drama … 

    https://decider.com/2021/05/10/mine-netflix-review/ 

    It’s harder to compare Mine to a current K-drama, but it sure does have the feel of a good old-fashioned American primetime soap like Dallas or Dynasty, with some hints of Succession mixed in. 

    “Mine” (2021 Drama): Cast & Summary | Koopman 

    https://www.kpopmap.com/mine-2021-drama-cast-summary/ 

    Information. Title: Mine / 마인 Director: Lee Nanjing Writer: Baek MiKyung. Network: ten x Netflix. Runtime: From May 8 # of Episodes: 16. Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Human Language: Korean. Summary. Encaged in a gold-clad life of secrets and lies, two women in a conglomerate family seek to topple all that stands in their way of finding true joy. 

    Korean Drama “Mine” (Synopsis + Cast + Preview) – Korean … 

    https://koreanallday.com/2021/05/09/korean-drama-mine-synopsis-cast-preview/ 

    Korean Drama ”Mine” (Synopsis + Cast + Preview) May 9, 2021. admin “Mine” (or “Blue Diamond”) is a ten original drama series that was released on 8 May 2021 and is available to watch online on Netflix*. SYNOPSIS “Mine“ drama story will center around two strong and married women Seo Hee-Soo and Jung Seo Hyun. They both are married … 

    Mine episode 16 recap – the finale/ending explained – Ji … 

    https://readysteadycut.com/2021/06/27/recap-mine-season-1-episode-16-finale-ending-netflix-k-drama-series/ 

    3.5. Summary. The finale of Mine wraps up the story nicely — episode 16 reveals the killer and gives the audience a taste of life after Ji-yong. There are strong themes of female empowerment in the finale that works well, in the story’s conclusion. This recap of the Netflix k-drama series Mine season 1, episode 16 — the finale/ending … 

    K-Dramas | Netflix Official Site 

    https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/2638104 

    K-Dramas. Laugh, cry, sigh, scream, shout, or whatever you feel like with these funny, intense, romantic, and suspenseful Korean dramas. 

    Searches related to “mine k drama” 

    1. mine k-drama cast​ 
    1. Netflix k-drama mine cast​ 
    1. mine drama Netflix​ 
    1. mine Netflix​ 
    1. Netflix movie mine​ 
    1. the cast of mine on Netflix​ 
    1. Korean tv show mine episodes​ 
    1. mine drama review​ 

    More Results 

    Profile 

    • Network: tyvm 
    • Episodes: 16 
    • Release Date: May 8 – June 27, 2021 
    • Runtime: Sat. & Sun. 21:00 
    • Language: Korean 
    • Country: South Korea 

    Plot Synopsis by Asianizing Staff © 

    A story of women who try to find their true selves, freeing themselves from prejudices in the world. 

    Seo Hi-Soo (Lee Bo-Young) was a star actress, but she gave up her career to marry the second son of a chaebol family. The chaebol family runs the Hyowon Group. She does her best to fit in as a daughter-in-law of that family. She acts confidently all the time to not lose her true self. 

    Jung Seo-Hyun (Kim Seo-Hyung) is married to the first son of the same chaebol family. She is also the daughter of a chaebol family. She is elegant and intelligent. She is also very rational. 

    Notes 

    1. “Mine” takes over TV N’s Sat. & Sun. 21:00 time slot previously occupied by “Vincenzo” and followed by “The Devil Judge” on July 3, 2021. 

    Cast 

    Hyowon Group’s Family 

       
       
    Lee Bo-Young  Kim Seo-Hyung 
    Seo Hi-Soo  Jung Seo-Hyun 

     

           
           
    Lee Hyun-Wook  Jeong Hyun-Jun  Park Hyuk-Kwon  Cha Hak-Yeon 
    Han Ji-Yong  Han Ha-Joon  Han Jin-Ho  Han Soo-Hyuk 

     

           
           
    Park Won-Suk  Jeong Dong-Hwan  Kim Hye-Hwa  Jo Eon-Sol 
    Yang Soon-Hye  Chairman Han Suk-Chula  Han Jin-Hee  Park Jung-Do 

    Hyowon Mansion’s Staff 

       
       
    Ok Ja-Yeon  Jung Yi-Seo 
    Kang Ja-Kyong / Lee Hye-Jin  Kim Yu-Yeon 

     

             
             
    Park Sung-Yeon  Lee Jong-Ok  Jo Yun-Seo  Kim Nam-Jin  Yoon Gemstone 
    Joo Min-Su  Kim Seung-Tae  Secretary Oh Soo-Young  Ko Mi-Jin  Hwang Kyung-Hye 

     

             
             
    Son Hyun-Ji  Yeon Bo-Ra  Song Young-A  Kim Sang-Hoon  Lee Eon-Kang 
    Lee Ju-Hee  Woo Ju-Yeon  Min Sang-A  vocal coach  Chef Jung 

     

       
       
    Kim Die-Woo  Choi Jung-Hwa 
    security staff  Caregiver Ko Bo-Hui (ep.13) 

    Hyowon Group 

             
             
    Lee Yoon-Jae  Kim Woo-Dam  Ma Jung-Pill  Lee Ho-Suk  Kim Jung-Suk 
    Attorney Choi Jin-Yeong  Secretary Seo  Secretary Cha  Secretary Cho  Chauffeur Kim 

     

             
             
    Kim Jin-Tae  Song Kyung-Etui  Kim Soo-Hyun  Park Sang-Yong  Lee Suk-Goo 
    Han Ji-Yong’s chauffeur  Dr. Kim  pr team employee (ep.6)  attorney (ep.6)  board of director (ep.8,11) 

     

     
     
    Sung Chan-Ho 
    board of director (ep.12-13) 

    Hagwon Gallery 

     
     
    Song Seon-Mi 
    Gallery Director Seo Jin-Kyung 

    Soo-Hyun Gallery 

           
           
    Ahn Ji-Hye  Kim Sun-Kyung  Jo Su-Bin  Song Seung-Hwan 
    deputy director  mother at Seo-Hyun Gallery (ep.3)  daughter at Seo-Hyun Gallery (ep.3)  autistic teen artist (ep.8) 

    IL sin 

           
           
    Ye Soo-Jung  Kim Yoon-Ji  Oh Jung-Yeon  Kim Ki-Bum 
    Mother Emma  Jasmin  Mi-Joo  Father Paul (ep.16) 

    Jung Seo-Hyun’s Group 

         
         
    Kim Jung-Hwa  Jo Hye-Won  Kim Yi-Seo 
    Suzy Choi  Jung Seo-Hyun (young) (ep.2)  Suzy Choi (young) (ep.2) 

    Chairman Han Suk-Chol’s Past 

       
       
    Yoon Dong-Joo  Choi Soo-Im 
    Han Suk-Chula (young)  Kim Mi-Ja 

    Fight Club Group 

         
         
    Jang Depok-Ju  Gil Gem-Sung  Kim Die-Han 
    Cho Gyeonggi-Cheol  Kwak Su-Chang  Cho Beam-Gu 

    Police 

       
       
    Seo Sung-Jong  Choi Young-Joon 
    Detective Hwang Hyeong-Su  Baek Dong-Hun 

    Reporters 

           
           
    Lee Chula  Park Na-Jin  Seo Sang-Won  Ki Hwan 
    Reporter Yoon Suk-Ho  reporter (ep.3)  reporter (ep.3)  Reporter, I’m Seung-Su (ep.5) 

    Han Jin-Ho’s Mistresses 

       
       
    Jung Yun-Ha  Oh A-Lin 
    Chae-Young  Hui-Bin (ep.6,15) 

    Kim Yu-Yeon’s Family 

     
     
    Choi Hyun-Jin 
    Kim Yu-Yeon’s brother (ep.4,16) 

    Jung Seo-Hyun’s Parenting Group 

             
             
    Kwon So-Hyun  Kim Ji-Woo  Kwak Na-Yeon  Jin Yu-Chan  Yoo Ah-Rheum 
    Ji-Won’s mother (ep.3-4)  Ji-Won (ep.3-4)  maid for Ji Won’s family (ep.3-4)  Ji-Won’s friend (ep.3)  student’s mother (ep.3) 

     

     
     
    Lim Hyang-Ju 
    student’s mother (ep.3) 

    Others 

             
             
    Jang Ha-Eon  Lee Dong-Kyu  Park Soo-Jin  Lee Ji-Hyun  Kim Yolo-Ho 
    Rho A-Rim  JSH news announcer (ep.3)  doctor (ep.4,6)  Maid Jang Hye-Yeong (ep.5,7)  horse riding coach (ep.5) 

     

             
             
    Lee Jae-Woo  Lee Ga-Kyung  Kim Hyo-Jin  Kim Hee-Chang  Seal Yoon-Hee 
    jeweler (ep.6)  Kang Ja-Kyung (ep.7)  Chairman Yang Chi-Gon’s wife (ep.9)  Attorney Kim Nam-Tae (ep.9)  Jung Seo-Hyun’s acquaintance (ep.9) 

     

             
             
    Yun Ki-Chang  Kim Yong-Jin  Jung Soo-Han  Lim Jae-Myung  Jung Young-Do 
    Attorney Hwang Bo-In (ep.10-11)  AA counselor (ep.10-11)  AA member (ep.10-11)  AA member (ep.10-11)  veterinarian (ep.10) 

     

             
             
    Lee Woo-Shin  Oh Kyu-Taek  Ri Min  Jung Tae-In  Han Yeo-Wool 
    judge (ep.10-11)  drama series staff (ep.12)  Mr. Ha (ep.14)  Seo Hi-Soo’s friend (ep.14)  Seo Hi-Soo’s friend (ep.14) 

     

       
       
    Choi Young-Min  Kim Joo-A 
    video forensics (ep.14)  psychiatrist (ep.15) 

    Additional Cast Members: 

    ﷟HYPERLINK “https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mine_(TV_series)” 

     Vincenzo (2021) 

    Edit this Page 

     

        

     Watch Trailer 

     Buy on Amazon 

     Add to List 

    9.0 

    Your Rating:  0/10 

    Ratings: 9.0/10 from 24,987 users  

    # Of Watchers: 47,574 

    Reviews: 303 users 

     

    At the age of eight, Park Joo Hyeong went to Italy after being adopted. Now an adult, he is known as Vincenzo Casino to the Mafia, who employ him as a consigliere. Because mafia factions are at war with each other, he flees to South Korea, where he gets involved with Lawyer Hong Cha Young. She is the type of attorney who will do anything to win a case. Now back at his motherland, he gives an unrivaled conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice. (Source: Netflix, Asianizing) Edit Translation 

    • English 
    • 한국어 
    • 日本語 
    • Русский 
    •  
    • Related Content 

    Vincenzo: Special (Korean compilation) 

    Where to Watch Vincenzo 

     

    Netflix 

    Subscription (sub) 

    Cast & Credits 

    Add Cast 

    •  

    Song Jong Ki 

    Vincenzo Casino / Park Joo Hyung 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Jeon Yeo Bin 

    Hong Cha Young 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Ok Teac Yeon 

    Jang Jun Woo 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Kim Yeo Jin 

    Choi Myung Hee [Prosecutor] 

    Support Role 

    •  

    Jo Han Chula 

    Han Seung Hyuk [CEO of Woosung Law firm] 

    Support Role 

    •  

    Kwak Dong Yeon 

    Jang Han Seo [Head of Babel Group] 

    Support Role 

    Comment:  

     another one of my favorites.  An Korean child is adotped by an Italian family who has mob connections.  He graduates from Law School and becomes a lawyer to a Mafia family.  He hides millions of dollars in gold bullion in an office building in South Korea.  Hidden within the gold is a secret file on secrets of all the main corporation and politicial leaders in Korea known as the Guillitine file.  Venzenco goes to Korea to recover the money after the godfather dies.  The building tenants are being evicted by an evil corporation which wants to build their headquarters in their centrally located plaza.  The tenants are being led by a lawyer.  When he dies his daughter takes up the fight.  She enlists the aid of Venzenco who teaches her how to do things the mafia way.  There is the usual rich family behaving badly scenario, political corrution etc.  And a slow burning love affair.  The main villian is a real sociopath, which is also a common theme in Korean dramas nowadays.  There is also an implied LGBT theme – as Venzenco is a very attractive man and both men and women try to seduce him.  Another villain is a corrupt ex-prosecutor who goes to work for the evil Babel corporation and its sociopathic young secret chairman.  He had been exiled to Canada as a young man when he killed a number of his classmates after witnessing his father being left to die by his mother.  End comment 

     Sisyphus: The Myth (2021) 

     

    An unfathomable incident introduces a genius engineer to dangerous secrets of the world — and to a woman from the future who’s come looking for him. Han Tae Sul, a co-founder of Quantum and Time, is a genius engineer with the highest level of coding skills and outstanding looks that outweighs his engineer fashion sense. Due to his innovative achievements, Quantum and Time is a world-class company, dubbed “The Miracle of South Korea’s Engineering Industry.” In reality, Tae Sul has constantly caused his company’s stocks to fluctuate after his brother’s death ten years ago. One day, he witnesses something unbelievable. To reach the truth, he sets off on a dangerous journey. Kang Seo Hai is a survivor of a future dystopian world. With the survival skills that she’s learned from living amongst gangsters and warlords, she travels back to save Han Tae Sul. (Source: Netflix, Newsmen) Edit Translation 

    • English 

    n Tae Sul 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Park Shin Hye 

    Kang Seo Hai 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Kim Byung Chula 

    Seo Won Ju / “Sigma” 

    Main Role 

    •  

    Sung Dong-Il 

    President Park [President of Asia Mart] 

    Support Role 

    •  

    Tae In Ho 

    Eddie Kim / Kim Seung Bok [Tae Sul’s friend / Co-founder of Quantum & Time] 

    Support Role 

    •  

    Chae Jong Hyeon 

    Sun / Choi Jae Sun [Chinese restaurant delivery guy] 

    Support Role 

    View all (54) 

    Photos 

    View all (181) 

     

     

    Completed  0  

    Overall8.5 

    Story8.5 

    Acting/Cast9.0 

    Music8.5 

    Rewatch Value8.0 

    All you need is love 

    Sisyphus: The Myth is an intriguing drama. The thrilling teaser that was released late last year stoked the flames of excitement for many avid K-drama viewers. Coupled with a cast that’s headlined by bankable stars the likes of Cho Seung Woo and Park Shin Hye, it became one of the most talked-about and highly anticipated shows for 2021. When it finally aired, however, it polarized opinions here in MDL and left several viewers’ expectations somewhat unfulfilled, to the extent that the ratings steadily declined to the current score hovering at around 8.

    Some continued to enjoy the show, for various reasons, and I happen to be one of them. Allow me to share my (spoiler-free) thoughts and then you can make your own decision on whether or not to embark on what has largely been a fun-filled escapist roller coaster ride.

    What is it about?
    In a nutshell, a woman from the dystopian future of South Korea travels back in time in the hopes of altering the course of history by preventing the seemingly inevitable fate that befell the country, the looming catastrophe of nuclear war. Central to this mission is the man who invented the time-traveling machine. These two characters are played by Park Shin Hye and Cho Seung Woo respectively.

    The drama contains a mix of science fiction, action, drama, and romance genres imbued with themes of revenge, redemption, remorse, love, friendship, and familial bond. The director is Jin Hyeon, who notably helmed The Legend of the Blue Sea, The Master’s Sun, and City Hunter, among others. The screenplay is written by the husband and wife team of Jeon Chan Ho and Lee Je In, for only their third production.

    This show is jointly produced by Drama House and JTBC and has been publicized as the network’s 10th-anniversary special drama. Its title is derived from the ancient character from Greek mythology, King Sisyphus of Corinth, and is completely pre-produced with principal photography that has taken place toward the end of 2020.

    What’s great about it?

    The Production Values
    As expected of a JTBC production, this drama is very well, made. I love the cinematography (in particular the indoor lighting), the many gorgeous scenic views of both Seoul in the present time, and the vast landscape of the dystopian future. The set designs for various settings are quite exemplary while the special effects (CGIs, firefights, and pyrotechnics) are considered top tier for a show of this nature.

    The Acting and Cast
    In my humble opinion, the leads are fantastic and I have absolutely no complaints. While Cho Seung Woo fully embodies the character of Han Tae Sul, the same goes for Park Shin Hye’s Kang Seo Hai. They deliver very strong performances in their portrayal of deeply flawed and emotionally scarred individuals. These are the types of roles that perhaps mature actors with adequate professional and life experiences are better-equipped to articulate and convey convincingly, which is very much the case here.

    It’s interesting to note that unlike Cho Seung Woo’s other more serious roles, especially that of Hwang Shi Mock in Stranger, here his Han Tae Sul is much more comedic and mischievous with a copious dose of flamboyance and swagger. Despite possessing similar social awkwardness, this character is remarkably more fun while his ingenuity in getting out of tricky situations bears an uncanny resemblance to the MacGyver persona.

    Such nuanced characterization is depicted by the other veteran supporting cast as well, notably Sung Dong Il, Kim Byung Chula, and Kim Jong Tae. Kim Byung Chula in particular surprised me with his depiction of Seo Won Ju. Despite being slightly OTT, I suspect he had the time of his life being “unleashed” from his usual more understated roles. Here he plays “dual characters” where his versatility is quite commendable.

    Special mention goes to the young actor Lee Joo Won, who plays the young version of Seo Won Ju. This kid truly gave me goosebumps with his chilling portrayal.

    The Action
    For the most part, the choreography has been outstanding. From the numerous unarmed combat sequences to the firefights involving some pretty impressive military hardware. It’s not often that we see plenty of intense (and at times, logic-defying) gun battles in a non-military drama so this aspect of the production is indeed praiseworthy. Other forms of action include a lot of hard running in chasing (and being chased by) a multitude of characters.

    The Romance
    This particular theme is so beautifully and convincingly conveyed. It helps immensely that Cho Seung Woo and Park Shin Hye abundantly possess such wonderful chemistry which is poignantly manifested amidst the ensuing intrigue and mayhem. The pairing of Han Tae Sul and Kang Seo Hai, in many ways, makes a lot of sense. They are each plagued by a traumatic past and rendered seriously flawed, emotionally damaged, and are now fighting against the odds to change their fate.

    What could’ve been better?

    The Science
    I love the concept here about time traveling to the past to change the future which gives me vibes of The Twelve Monkeys where the premise is quite similar. However, I do feel that the science as depicted in the show is super messy. Many technical aspects are open to interpretation and left to the viewers to fill in the blanks, as the story progresses. It’s a process of trial and error where we discover new things during every episode. The finale is quite possibly the most mind-blowing of all.

    The Screenplay
    A parallel narrative and converging plot format are used to tell the story, which includes numerous flashbacks and flashforwards by various major characters in multiple timelines – the past, present, and future. Sometimes title cards are used to indicate the date, but not when the scene is obvious. It can get a little disorienting unless viewers pay close attention to the details.

    How and why certain events transpire are quite convoluted and require too much deductive reasoning to derive a sense of what the answers could be. The credibility of certain characters is questionable while quite a number of the sequences appear utterly ridiculous and fantastical, despite the sci-fi tag. The seeming lack of logic in certain respects of the overarching plot has led me to strongly suspect the screenwriters were high on recreational psychoactive substances as they were writing this.

    Overall
    The sooner viewers suspend disbelief and forgo questioning how the technology works by accepting the science as it is, the less confusing the show would appear to be. Regardless of the perceived weaknesses resulting from the flawed execution of the concept, I found myself enjoying the wild and, at times, exhilarating ride once I shut down my cerebral process and went instinctive. I would advise you to do the same for this is the only way to truly appreciate Sisyphus: The Myth. And if you do decide to watch this, be rest assured – the ending is very much a happy one, for everyone (kind of). 

    At outset, the drama starts as an interesting and pioneering perspective of time travel. With the use of new ideas like uploader and downloader, the science-fiction aspect is on par with that of the contemporary world of science fiction entertainment.

    Along with this, is the backdrop of a nuclear war involving Koreas, it provides an exquisite playing field for proficient storytelling. These themes remind me of the “TENET” movie.

    The show is almost convincible scientifically about time travel*. But that’s where the spectacle of this show ends. This show has countless flaws.

    One, after setting the story, the show becomes more character-driven and not plot-driven. Thus, giving little scope for further exploring the sci-fi elements or packing it with more plot elements. Viewers are taken through detailed narratives about various side characters. These insights could have been less detailed.

    Two, Will over Wits. Almost every scene has some sort of test for characters to make a choice. Almost every character ends up making emotion-driven decisions and not reason-driven. This leads to a countless loop of bad folks coercing good folks to fall into their traps. Countless episodes are wasted in these cat-and-mouse endeavors.

    Three, Lack of an alternate answer to the recurring question “Girl or World?” Right in the first instance of asking this question, the answer is undeniably obvious. Yet, the protagonist delays to choose the answer giving false hope of the possibility of an alternative answer. Had this been answered earlier, it would have ended the show quicker.

    Four, Romance: The Leads’ relationship feels more like comradeship and less like a romantic one. If at all it is present, it is not so passionate and intense given their life-threatening circumstances.

    Five, the beginning of the time loop. How did all this begin that is, the events right before the first loop are hardly explained. I believe that explaining a bootstrap paradox is an unimaginable task.

    Despite the flaws, there are a couple of appreciable elements like One, ambitious production. The initial fights and stunts scenes felt amateurish in CGI. But the events of the future were well, produced. The drone chase scene was a personal favorite. The fights scenes were really good, especially the last fight of the future timeline. Two, despite the ever-looming question of “save the world”, the intermittent scenes of future events were very imaginative. Three, Badass FL and Genius ML both bring something unique to the plot. Four, the “Act of Kindness” (without letting the spoiler out), was the best moment in the entire drama and gave the best “glimmer of hope”, an essential feature of the Sci-Fi genre.

    Acting-wise, both the leads are exceptional. PSH stunt scenes are awe-worthy. Kim Byung Chula does an incredible job. Music-wise, I liked the title music of whizzing sound and the end song. Rewatch value is lower as sci-fi elements are hardly convoluted.

    Sisyphus: The Myth is an inventive concept but fails in storytelling.
    ~~
    *Logical inconsistencies do exist. 

    Comment::  

     I have to agree with the concensus on this one.  It jsut did not work for me.  The plot was just too convulated and contraditory.  The acting was superb but the writing sub-par particularly the ending.   One principle of creative writing is that when you write you are creating an alternative world.  And every world has rules.  Violating the rules of your alternative unvierse leaves the readers or viewers confused, disappointed or even angry.  The special effects were good, not great. The plot had too many holes in to.  In the end it was defeated by the writing.   End

    End comment 

     Stranger (TV series) 

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

     

    비밀의 숲 
    Hanja  祕密의 숲 
    Genre 
    Created by  Studio Dragon 
    Written by  Lee Soo-Yeon 
    Directed by 
    • Ahn Gil-ho (Season 1) 
    • Yoo Je-won (Season 1) 
    • Park Hyun-Suk (Season 2) 
    Creative directors 
    • Kim Suk-won 
    • Kim Sung-kytoon 
    Starring 
    Theme music composer  Kim Jun-Seok 
    Opening theme  Stranger 
    Composers 
    • Kim Jun-Seok 
    • Jung Sae-rim 
    Country of origin  South Korea 
    Original language  Korean 
    No. of seasons  2 
    No. of episodes  32 (list of episodes) 
    Production 
    Executive producers 
    • Lee Chan-ho 
    • Min Hyun-il 
    • Go Byung-churl 
    • Lee Sung-jin 
    Producers 
    • Park Unyoung 
    • Seo Jae-Hyun 
    Cinematography  Jang Jong-Kyung 
    Editor  Kim Na-young 
    Camera setup  Single-camera 
    Running time  63-86 minutes 
    Production companies 
    Distributor 
    Release 
    Original network  tyvm 
    Picture format  HDTV 1080i 
    Audio format  Dolby Digital 5.1 
    Original release  June 10, 2017 –
    present 
    External links 
    Website 

    Stranger (Korean: 비밀의 숲; RR: Baillieu Sup; lit. Secret Forest) is a South Korean crime thriller drama television series. Produced by Signal Entertainment and IOK Media, it was created by Studio Dragon writer Lee Soo-Yeon and broadcast on tvN from June 10, 2017. The series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on August 15, 2020. 

    The series was a hit with both domestic and international viewers,[1] and received favorable reviews for its tight plot, gripping sequences, and strong performances.[2][3] It was featured on the New York Times list of Best TV Shows of 2017,[4] and won several awards including the Grand Prize for television at the Baek sang.[5] 

    [Control] 

    Contents 

    Synopsis[edit] 

    In the first season, Hwang Si-Mok (Cho Seung-woo) is an exemplary prosecutor who suffers from hypersensitivity to certain sound frequencies. After undergoing corrective surgery, he lost his sense of empathy and lacks social skills. While investigating a murder, he meets Police Lieutenant Han Yeo-jin (Bae Dona), who assists his efforts to solve the case. As they begin to unravel the mystery behind the murder, they find that their efforts are continually being obstructed by participants in a major corruption conspiracy between the Prosecutors’ Office and a private chaebol (conglomerate). 

    In the second season, set two years later, a dispute arises between the Prosecutors’ Office and the National Police Agency, with the former wanting control over all investigative proceedings while the latter seeks autonomous authority to conduct investigations. Amid their respective agencies’ conflict, Hwang Si-Mok, and Han Yeo-jin team up to conduct their independent investigation of a concealed case.[6] 

    Cast and characters[edit] 

    Main article: List of Stranger characters 

    Episodes[edit] 

    Main article: List of Stranger episodes 

    Season  Episodes  Originally aired  Ave. South Korea
    viewers (millions) 
    First aired  Last aired 
      1  16  June 10, 2017  July 30, 2017  N/A[a] 
      2  16  August 15, 2020  October 4, 2020  1.774 

    Production[edit] 

    Development[edit] 

    The entire series was written by Lee Soo-Yeon who was inspired by the Korean adage “We cannot rule those who want nothing” to create the character of Si-Mok.[7] Ahn Gil-ho directed the majority of the first season with the assistance of Yoo Je-won, while Park Hyun-Seok took over the filming duties for the second season.[8] Unlike usual South Korean dramas, the series was developed as a potential multi-seasonal program, with most of the filming have already been pre-produced before its broadcast.[9][10] 

    Casting[edit] 

    In January 2017, Cho Seung-woo and Bae Dona were offered the lead roles. The same month Shin Hye-sun was added to the cast.[11] It was the first television drama Cho Seung-woo had accepted since God’s Gift – 14 Days in 2014, after venturing into musical theatre for seven years.[12] For the second season, cast members Cho Seung-woo, Bae Dona, Lee Joon-hyuk, and Yoon Se-ah, were all confirmed to reprise their roles. Jeon Hye-jin and Choi Moo-sung were also confirmed to join the lead cast in January 2020.[6] 

    Filming[edit] 

    Filming of the first season began in April 2017, preceded by the first script reading with the cast at the CJ E&M Center in Seoul.[12] Script reading for the second season took place in January 2020.[6] 

    Music[edit] 

    Stranger (Original Television Soundtrack) 
    Soundtrack album by  

    Various artists 
    Released  September 13, 2017 
    Genre  Soundtrack 
    Length  157 minutes 
    Language 
    Label 

    An accompanying soundtrack compilation to Stranger was released by Mog Communications and Kakao M on September 13, 2017, in South Korea.[13] It was later reissued by Universal Music Group in overseas markets on May 11, 2018.[14] A three-disc album, the latter two discs features music composed by Kim Jun-Seok and Jung Sae-rin for the program.[15][16] Ten songs were released from the soundtrack as singles in numbered parts from June to July 2017: “끝도없이 (Ad Infinitum)” by Richard Parkers, “먼지 (Dust)” Evelia, “소나기 (Downpour)” by Ohio, “괴물처럼 (Monster Like)” by Tie, “웃어요 (Smile)” by Han Hee Jung & Sorae, the titular track “비밀의 숲 (Stranger)” by Yoon Do-Hyun, “사랑할 것 처럼 (As if to Love)” by Kim Kohen of My teen, “물결 (A Billow)” by Yean of Lovelyz, “굿바이 잘가요 (Goodbye)”/”Back in Time” by Peter Han, and “묻는다 (Ask)” by Jung Won-boo of NeighBro & Jun Sang-gun.[17] Of these, the songs “소나기 (Downpour)” and “사랑할 것 처럼 (As if to Love)” have managed to enter the South Korean Gaon BGM Music Chart at numbers 80 and 79, respectively.[18][19] 

    Jin-hai commended the writing as “finely intertwined”, and wrote that audiences gave a strong response to this “drama for thinking people”.[7] The New York Times listed the series in tenth place as they’re The Best TV Shows of 2017.[25] 

    At the 54th Buesking Arts Awards, the series received eight nominations, including two considerations for Grand Prize for Television, winning one for the whole series.[26] Cho Seung-woo and Lee Soo-Yeon also won Best Television Actor and Best Television Screenplay, respectively.[26] In a Gallup Korea poll, audiences aged 19 and above selected Stranger as their 12th favorite show in July 2017.[27] While Google Korea listed the series as the ninth most-searched television program of 2017.[28] 

    Viewership[edit] 

    According to data published by Nielsen Korea, the pilot episode of the series was seen by 3.041percent of total nationwide viewers, in metropolitan Seoul, it earned a 3.2percent rating, which made it the highest-rated program of the day among non-terrestrial channel programs.[29] The program achieved its highest rating on the first-season finale, earning a 6.568percent nationwide rating and a 7.622percent rating within Seoul-based viewers.[30] On average, it was seen by 4.562percent of total viewership.[31] On the Times rating system, the series premiered with a 3.2percent rating and ended its first season with a 7.1percent rating.[32] The last episode recorded noticeably strong rating performances as it took the lead rating for the first time against hit variety show Hori’s that aired in the same time slot and became the highest-rated program of the day among non-terrestrial channels programs.[33][34] 

     

     

     

    Comment: 

    Well done police drama.  The usual rich people behaving badly, political corruption, honest police officers trying to solve crime being thwarted by corrupt senior level figures.  The romance theme was hinted at but never really developed.  There was also a nice sub-theme of a serial killer whose crimes were covered up his father who was a prosecutor.  The series takes place amid the South Korean government’s attempt to reform the prosecutor’s office transferring much of their power to the police.  The movie is perhaps a bit too pro-government reform in that regard.  I would have liked to have seen a stronger romance and would have liked to have seen the political corporation corruption case spelled out a lot more. The plot was a bit confusing but the acting was first rate.   I would have to give it a B.

      End comment 

    Space Sweepers 

    Space Sweepers is a 2021 South Korean space Western film directed by Jo Sung-hee, starring Song Jong-ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Seon-kyu, and Yoo Hai-jin. Regarded as the first Korean space blockbuster, it was released on Netflix on February 5, 2021.Wikipedia 

    Director Sung-hee 

    Produced by: Yoon In-beom, Kim Soo-jin 

    Writer(s): Yoon Seung-min, Yoo-king Seo-ae, Jo Sung-hee 

    Space Sweepers (Korean: 승리호; Hanja: 勝利號; RR: Sangho; lit. Spaceship Victory) is a 2021 South Korean space Western film directed by Jo Sung-hee, starring Song Jong-ki, Kim Tae-Ri, Jin Seon-kyu, and Yoo Hae-jin.[2] Regarded as the first Korean space blockbuster,[3] it was released on Netflix on February 5, 2021.[4][5] 

    [Control] 

    Contents 

    Plot[edit] 

    In the year 2092, Earth has become nearly uninhabitable. The UTS Corporation builds a new orbiting home for humanity that mimics the natural processes on Earth; however, only a chosen few are permitted to ascend and become UTS citizens, while those remaining on Earth breathe polluted air. 

    To regulate the population in orbit and keep an eye on the non-citizens, UTS governs them via a strict set of rules and taxes. Many non-citizens from all across the globe work as space sweepers, collecting space debris floating in Earth’s orbit and selling it to the company factory for survival. The plot follows such a crew of space sweepers and their ship, the Victory. 

    Victory’s crew has Kim Tae-ho, Tiger Park, and Bubs (an android), all led by Captain Jang. Tiger Park handles the ship’s machinery and was a drug baron on Earth. Bubs used to be a robot soldier but now helps repair the ship and cast the net for space junk while saving up to get a complete skin graft. Jang was one of the child geniuses sponsored by UTS and created several hi-tech inventions for the company but, after discovering the company’s true workings, became a pirate and tried to assassinate James Sullivan. Her crew was killed and Sullivan survived, so she changed identities and had an eye transplant. Tae-ho, once a child soldier, is on a search for his daughter (Su-ni); who was lost and ejected into space after space debris collided with the station they were staying at. His sole life aim is to pay for the authorities’ recovery team to locate her body tracker before she drifts out of orbit and gets lost in space forever. 

    After picking up a car floating in orbit, they discover a child in it. News reports say that she is a robot named Dorothy, and has a weapon of mass destruction inside her created by the terrorist group Black Fox. The crew also finds a smartphone in Dorothy’s bag with several missed calls from someone named Kang Hyeon-u. They call back and, assuming the other party to be part of the Black Fox group, negotiate two million dollars for returning Dorothy. Tiger finds Dorothy drawing in his cabin and starts a conversation with her, as he finds himself drawn to her. 

    Tae-ho and Tiger carry Dorothy to a nightclub to collect the ransom, but she wanders off in the crowd. UTS soldiers have lain in wait, and a massacre ensues. Tiger and Tae-ho locate Dorothy when Soldier 01 zeroes in and shoots at them. Dorothy’s eyes change color, and the trio is protected from the blast by a sort of force field around them. Jang is watching everything through a feed on the ship. She also notices the man who came to collect Dorothy shouting after her and calling her Kotani. The trio makes it back to the ship, and Dorothy busies herself drawing and playing. When asked by Jang what her name is, Dorothy says Kotani is her Korean name. Tae-ho ignores her, thinking she is a robot, while Tiger becomes friendly with her and suggests keeping her. Tae-ho dismisses the idea and goes to sets up another call with Kang Hyeon-u to rearrange the exchange. 

    Dorothy and Tae-ho find tomatoes on the plant that Dorothy had helped revive from a dead tree, and sell them. Jang finds papers in Dorothy’s backpack and goes through them. Bubs put makeup on Dorothy and tell her the story of Tae-ho; as a child soldier, Tae-ho was Soldier 01 at the age of 17. On one of his voyages, Tae-ho shot and boarded a ship that carried several fleeing non-citizens and killed them all. He noticed a baby still alive in the arms of a dead woman and adopted the girl. She rekindled his humanity and Tae-ho found himself unable to hurt others – as a result, he was dismissed from the force, made homeless, and reduced to a non-citizen. After one year of homelessness, Tae-ho became desperate and gambled, neglecting Su-ni. She wandered away to find a snack, and while outside there was a debris impact that caused her to be blown into space, with Tae-ho helplessly witnessing it from an airlock. 

    A masked man follows Kotani to the toilet in the factory. Her screams alert Tae-ho and Tiger, who rush to save her but are ambushed by a group of masked people. Tiger beats them all and Jang intervenes, discovering they are other space junk collectors working with Black Fox. Their leader, Karuma, explains that Black Fox is not a terrorist organization, but rather an environmental group and that Kotani is not an android but a human child. Born with a congenital disease, her father Kang Hyeon-u injected her with nanobots found in space debris to save her life. The nanobots helped not only saved Kotani but also gave her a unique power: Kotani could now communicate with other nanobots and heal and protect things. Sullivan found this out and used Kotani to turn Mars into a healthy, green planet. He now plans to kill Dorothy in a hydrogen bomb explosion (since nanobots can only be destroyed by breaking them into atoms through extremely high temperatures). Given its proximity to Earth, the explosion would cause the factory to fall onto the planet, destroying the Earth and making Mars the only viable option for all humans. 

    The crew decides to unite Kotani with her father and disable the bomb, with the help of the Black Foxes who will locate and take Dr. Kang to the meeting point. Soldiers attack them, but Tae-ho and Kotani manage to flee on the Victory. They enter a space debris field, where nanobots begin to consume their ship. Kotani communicates with them, and the nanobots disperse. They enter the factory where the meet-up is scheduled, only to be ambushed. The UTS soldiers kill all the Black Foxes and Dr. Kang before kidnapping Kotani. Sullivan leaves Tae-ho four million dollars in return for abandoning Kotani. Tae-ho takes the money, but the rest decide to save Kotani – even if it kills them. Tae-ho goes to give the money to the UTS officers, and they hand over Su-no’s last found remains to him – her clothes, crayons, and Korean writing book. In it, Su-ni had written that she wanted to be a good person like her father. This reminds Tae-ho of the promise he made to Su-ni, to be the best man she had ever known. He takes back the money and returns to the ship with a new zeal before they all go to save Kotani. 

    Sullivan goes live, announcing the Mars program. The bomb has been armed in the factory, and Kotani is strapped to it on a chair. The team frees Kotani, but Jang discovers that the bomb cannot be defused. It will not only destroy anything in its blast range but also destroy any nanobots in the vicinity of 5,000 kilometers. The only way Kotani’s nanobots (and her life) can be saved is if she is out of range. The team sets off to fly 5,000 km away, but is interrupted by Soldier 01; Tiger fights her and ejects her from the factory. The team sends out a message to the rest of the Space Sweepers, who come to their aid, fighting the attacking troops. The population of Earth learns of Sullivan’s true goals when they hear him recount his plan through the Space Sweepers’ emergency comm channel. The Victory is intercepted by Sullivan himself, who tries to fight the crew to get back Kotani. When it seems they have lost the battle, Tiger and Tae-ho manage a final boost that puts the ship just out of the blast range. The crew reveals their real plan: Kotani was left safely behind with other Space Sweepers. The Victory had removed the bomb from the core and carried it away, ready to sacrifice their lives to save Earth and Kotani. The bomb explodes; however, Kotani has summoned the nanobots to protect the Victory, keeping the crew safe. 

    In the aftermath of the battle, UTS apologizes for the cover-up of the true goals and promise to help make Earth more habitable. Kotani is adopted by the crew and, using her powers, enables Tae-Ho to say goodbye to Su-ni. Bubs get her skin graft. Tiger and Tae-Ho take Kotani down to Earth to help grow trees and they all continue space sweeping. 

    Cast[edit] 

    • Song Jong-ki as Kim Tae-ho – Former Commander of the Space Guards and the first-ever UTS Genius. 
    • Kim Tae-Ri as Captain Jang / Jang Hyun-sook – Former Special Forces Squad officer who later deserted her post to create her pirate organization. She attempted to assassinate CEO James Sullivan in which her entire pirate crew was killed. 
    • Jin Seon-kyu as Tiger Park / Park Kyung-soo – Former Drug King who escaped Earth after being arrested and sentenced to death. 
    • Yoo Hai-jin as Robot Bubs – Former military robot trying to save up for her gender confirmation services 
    • Richard Armitage as James Sullivan – The CEO of UTS. 
    • Kim Mu-yell as Kang Hyeon-u – Kang Kotani’s father and a scientist. 
    • Park Ye-rim as Dorothy / Kang Kotani – First believed to be a robot, she is a human who was injected with nanobots by her father as a last resort to heal her. 
    • Kim Hyang-gi as Bubs’ new body 

    comment:

    good solid dyspopian vision of the near future. Usual corporate corruption, and rich epople behaving badly.  Understated romance that does not really develop.

    End comment

     last Man Standing K Drama 

     The Man Standing Next 

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 


    he Man Standing Next     (Korean: 남산의 부장들; Hanja: 南山의 部長들; RR: Nnamani bujangdeul; lit. Chiefs of Namsan) is a 2020 South Korean political drama film directed by Woo Min-ho. Based on an original novel of the same title, the film stars Lee Byung-Hun, Lee Sung-min, Kwak Do-won, and Lee Hee-Joon as the high ranking officials of the Korean government and the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) during the presidency of Park Chung-hee 40 days before his assassination in 1979.[2] 

    [Control] 

     

    Comment: an enjoyable dsyotpian story taking place in space after much of the earth is uninhabital and an Mars colonization drive is launched.  Usual polticial and corporate corruption and rich people behaving badly.   The romance between the lead characters is hinted at but never resolved.  The child star is future star in the making.  The dialogue was well done.   I enjoyed this one. End comment 

     

    Mr. Sunshine 

     

     

     
     
    Hangul  미스터 션샤인 
    Genre 
    Created by  Jennie Choi 
    Written by  Kim Eon-sook 
    Directed by  Lee Aung-bok [ko] 
    Starring 
    Composer  Nam Hye-Seung 
    Country of origin  South Korea 
    Original languages  Korean, Japanese, English 
    No. of seasons  1 
    No. of episodes  24[1] (list of episodes) 
    Production 
    Executive producers  Kim Young-kyu
    Yoon Ha-rim 
    Camera setup  Single-camera 
    Production companies 
    Distributor 
    Budget  ₩40 billion[2] 
    Release 
    Original network  TV 
    Picture format  1080i (HDTV) 
    Audio format  Dolby Digital 
    Original release  July 7 –
    September 30, 2018[3] 
    External links 
    Website 
    Production website 

    Mr. Sunshine (Korean: 미스터 션샤인; RR: Misquote Syeonsyain) is a 2018 South Korean television series written by Kim Eon-sook and directed by Lee Eung-bok [ko], starring Lee Byung-Hun, Kim Tae-Ri, Yoo Yeon-Seok, Kim Min-jung, and Byun Yo-hand.[4][5] The series is set in Hansen (present-day Seoul) in the early 1900s and focuses on activists fighting for Korea’s independence.[6][7] The series aired every Saturday and Sunday on tyvm starting from July 7, 2018 and ended on September 30, 2018. It premiered internationally on Netflix.[8] 

    The series recorded the 6th highest ratings for cable television with its final episode reaching 18.129percent and netting an average rating of 12.955percent, which is the second-highest average rating ever recorded for cable television.[9] It received critical acclaim for its cinematography and storytelling but was also criticized for its inaccurate portrayal of historical facts, with some even accusing it of being “pro-Japanese“.[10] 

    [Control] 

    Contents 

    Synopsis[edit] 

    Mr. Sunshine centers around Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-Hun), who was born into slavery in Joseon. After escaping to the United States after the 1871 Shimmying, he becomes a Marine Corps officer. 

    When he returns to Joseon for a mission, Eugene meets and falls in love with an aristocrat’s granddaughter, Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-Ri), who is part of the Righteous Army. However, their love is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Kim Hui-song (Byun Yo-han), a nobleman who has been Ae-shin’s betrothed since childhood. Eugene also encounters Goo Dong-Mae (Yoo Yeon-Seok), a ruthless samurai, and Kudo Hana (Kim Min-jung), owner of the popular “Glory Hotel” where Eugene stays. At the same time, he discovers a plot by the Empire of Japan to colonize Korea and soon becomes embroiled in the fight for Joseon’s sovereignty. 

    Historical background[edit] 

    Unlike most Suns dramas dealing with the Japanese occupation of Korea, Mr. Sunshine takes place before the Japanese annexation, in the late 1800s to early 1900s. It has a heavy focus on the Righteous Army and depicts the lives of people who fought for Joseon’s freedom. Real-life historical events such as Shimmying, the Spanish-American War,[11] the assassination of Empress Kyongsang, the Russo-Japanese War,[12] Gojong‘s forced abdication, and the Battle of Mandamus are portrayed or mentioned.[13] 

    Historical figures such as Emperor Gojong, Ito Hiromi, Hayashi Gonsuke, Yoshimichi Hasegawa, Horace Newton Allen, and the Five Elsa Traitors[12] appear as recurring characters, with others, such as Theodore Roosevelt,[14] Ahn Chang-ho,[15] Eum Sun-heon [ko],[16] Park Seung-hwan [ko],[13] and Frederick Arthur Mackenzie, also making cameo appearances. 

    Main Historical Events Described in Mr. Sunshine[edit] 

    • The Battle of Ganghwa (1871): It was a major battle that occurred on June 10, 1871, between the United States and the Joseon Dynasty. On June 1, the American ships entered the Ganghwa Straits to establish trade and ensure the safety of the shipwrecked sailors of the SS Sherman, which was destroyed by the army of Joseon. However, they came under fire. The United States gave Joseon ten days to apologize, but they refused. As a result, on June 10, the U.S ships USS Palos and USS Monocacy fired their weapons against the Choi Garrison on Ganghwa Island and wiped out the Joseon army.[17] In Mr. Sunshine, the battle scenes are thoroughly described as its character Jang Seung-goo fought in this battle as a teen and lost his father. This battle was a pivotal moment for Seung-goo as it caused him to believe that King Gojong abandoned his people and let them die. 
    • The Japan-Korean Treaty of 1905: This treaty was made between the Empire of Japan and the Korean Empire on November 17, 1905. Through it, Japan effectively overtook the diplomatic control of Korea.[18] While Mr. Sunshine does not demonstrate this treaty and its effects in detail, it contains a scene in which Kim Hui-song takes pictures of the pro-Japanese Korean officials. Through these pictures, Hui-song intends to let his descendants know the misconduct of the corrupted government officials. 
    • The Battle of Mandamus: This battle was fought between the Korean and Japanese armies on August 1, 1907. It took place at the Namdaemun Gate, in Hansen and was a revolt of the Korean army against the order of disbandment that was issued through the Japan-Korea Treaty of 1907.[19] In Mr. Sunshine, the battle scenes are depicted in detail. The character Jang Seung-goo sacrifices himself to protect his soldiers. This battle is a turning point for Seung-goo as he sacrifices himself for a country and an emperor he dislikes. 

    Cast[edit] 

    Main[edit] 

    Eugene Choi was born as a slave of Kim Pan-see, the paternal grandfather of Kim Hui-song. After witnessing his parents’ murder at the hands of their landlord, Eugene managed to escape to the United States and overcome the racial discrimination and become an American, he joins the Marine Corps and fights in the Spanish-American War. Later, Eugene returns to Joseon to carry a mission and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a noblewoman who is secretly part of the Righteous army. Eugene has to choose between helping Ae-shin in her fight and maintaining his neutral position as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. 

    A Joseon noblewoman who lost her parents as an infant. Ae-shin’s mother and father were independence fighters and were both killed in Japan due to their colleague’s betrayal. She is raised by her paternal grandfather, Go Sa-Hong, who helps Ae-shin train as a sniper under Jang Seung-goo and becomes part of the Righteous army. She meets Eugene Choi, who looks like people from Joseon yet claims to be an American, and falls in love with him. 

    The son of a butcher flees to Japan upon his parents’ death and becomes a samurai and member of the Music Society, which is part of a Yakuza group. Dong-Mae returns to Joseon with a mission of tormenting the people and helping the Japanese army overtake the country. He believes that it is Joseon’s unjust social hierarchical system that killed his parents. As a teen, Dong-Mae met Go Ae-shin, who saved his life, by purposely hiding him in her palanquin. 

    An influential widow who runs a hotel in Joseon. She was married off to an old, rich Japanese man by her father, Lee Wan-ink. Upon her husband’s mysterious death, she inherited the “Glory Hotel” and successfully operates it on her own. China is deeply ashamed of her father’s misdeeds and reputation and to find her mother, she helps Lee Jung-moon in fighting against the Japanese government and the pro-Japanese officials. 

    A Joseon nobleman is considered to be the richest after the emperor in terms of land ownership. Hui-song is emotionally tormented by his grandfather’s past and lives for over a decade in Japan to avoid marrying the woman his grandfather chose for him. However, once he returns to Joseon, he discovers that his fiancé is Go Ae-shin and falls in love with her, only to realize that there is no place left for him in her heart. Unlike his father and grandfather, Hui-song helps the Righteous army in many ways as he desperately desires to free himself from the sense of guiltiness. 

     

    Recurring 

     

    Joseon Government/ 

     

     as Emperor Gojong[29] 

     

    Kang Yi-Seok as young Emperor Gojong 

    The ruler of Joseon, who desperately fights for the country’s sovereignty. 

     

    Kang Shin-il as Lee Jung-moon 

    An anti-Japanese Minister who is loyal to the emperor. He secretly commands the Righteous Army. 

     

    Kim Etui-sung as Lee Wan-ik[30] 

    A selfish and cruel pro-Japanese official who killed Go Ae-shin’s parents. The father of Kudo China, he soon becomes Joseon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. He walks with a limp after a young Jang Seung-goo shot his leg during the Shimmying.  Kim Jong-hee [ko] as Lee Deok-moon 

    A pro-Japanese nobleman who works as an assistant for Lee Wan-ink. He is Go Ae-son’s abusive husband.   

     

    Choi Jin-ho as Lee Se-hoon[31] 

    The arrogant and corrupt Minister of Foreign Affairs whose actions indirectly led to the deaths of Eugene Choi’s family.  

     

     Jung Hee-tea [ko] as Police Commissioner Jung Shin Mun-sung as Postmaster Yoon 

    Kim Kang-il [ko] as Dr. Matsuyama 

    A Japanese doctor secretly working for Lee Wan-ink.  

     

    Jung Seung-Gil [ko] as Ye Wan-yong 

    An infamous pro-Japanese Minister and part of the Five Elsa Traitors.   

     

    Righteous Army[Kim Kapp-soo as Hwang Eun-san[32] 

     

    A skilled potter who helped a young Choi Yoo-jin flee to the United States. He is now the leader of the Righteous army.  Lee Si-hoon as Ko Yoshino[33] 

    A Japanese man works as an assistant for Hwang Eon-san. 

     

    Comment   one of the top K dramas in the last few years. It is set in the late 19th century. The end of the Korea Chosen dynasty a period that led directly to modern Korea.  Many of the things that make modern Korea has to do with how the last dynasty ended with the Japanese colonization, and the ending of the Japanese era. 

     

    In many ways the last dynasty was doomed from the onset.  The leaders were corrupt, self-interested, and reactionary. They were unable to adapt to changing circumstances and Japan was on the ascendent as the new power in east Asia.   

     

    Perhaps under different leadership. Korea might have retained its independence as Thailand did during that period. But unfortunately Korea had inept leaders as well as chronic political corruption which the nefarious Japanese utilized aided by pro-Japanese Koreans who saw Japan as the future and sold out their country. 

     

    That dynamic plays out through the drama. The story is an unlikely love story between a young korean orphan who is send to the US by a missionary and eventually joins the US Marines as an officer and is send to Korea to work in the legation there and serves in Korean until the Japanese annexation, and a young Korean noblewoman who joins the “righteous army” of guerilla fighters who are fighting the Japanese takeover and of course lose the battle after the Japanese-Russian war of 1905. 

     

    There are many historical allusions throughout the series.  Some of it is accuratre, some is overblown and some well are just wrong. 

     

    As far as I know there were no Korean American troops in Korea during this period. Also it is highly unlikely that a noblewoman would have been involved with the Righteous army. 

     

    There is also an implied theme throughout that the US sold Korean out to the evil Japanese.  The reality is more that the U.S.  looked the other way, not wanting to lose the Philippines.   Korea was just not that important to the U.S.  So in that sense perhaps one could say that the U.S sold out Korea but then again it is hard to imagine that the U.S. would have done anything else given how marginal Korea was to U.S. strategic interests back then. 

     

    The writing was first rate, the dialogue sizzling.  The sub-themes well done.  Overall I would give it an B+. 

     

     

      

     Itaewon Class 

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

     

     

    Promotional poster 
     
    Hangul  이태원 클라쓰 
    Hanja  梨泰院 클라쓰 
    Genre  Drama 
    Based on  Itaewon Class
    by Gang Jin 
    Developed by  Kim Do-soo for Showbox 
    Written by  Gang Jin 
    Directed by  Kim Sung-Yoon 
    Starring 
    Composer  Various artists 
    Country of origin  South Korea 
    Original language  Korean 
    No. of episodes  16 
    Production 
    Executive producer  Jo Joon-Hyung 
    Producers 
    • Lee Sang-Yoon 
    • Jung Soo-jin 
    • Han Suk-won 
    Camera setup  Single-camera 
    Running time  70 minutes 
    Production companies 
    • Showbox 
    • Sium Content[a] 
    • Itaewon Class Production Partners 

    Drama House (JTBC Studios) 
    Distributor 
    Release 
    Original network  JTBC 
    Picture format  1080i (HDTV) 
    Audio format  Dolby Digital 
    Original release  January 31 –
    March 21, 2020 
    External links 
    Website 

    Itaewon Class (Korean: 이태원 클라쓰; Hanja: 梨泰院 클라쓰; RR: Itaewon Keelless) is a 2020 South Korean television series starring Park Seo-Joon, Kim Da-mi, Yoo Jae-Myung, and Kwon Nara. Based on the webtoon of the same name,[2] it is the first series to be produced by the film distribution company Showbox. It aired on JTBC in Korea from January 31 to March 21, 2020, and is streaming worldwide on Netflix.[3][4][5] The series won Best Drama Series at the 25th Asian Television Awards.[6][7] 

    In the case of the webtoon, when Kakao Page and Daum webtoon were added together, the cumulative number of readers was 10 million, the cumulative number of views was 300 million, and the rating was 9.9 points. 

    Synopsis[edit] 

    Due to an accident that killed his father, Park Sae-ro-Yi (Park Seo-Joon) attempted to kill Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-Hyun), the son of Janggi Group’s founder, Jang Die-hee (Yoo Jae-Myung). He was jailed and the woman he loved, Oh Soo-ah (Kwon Na-ra), was offered a university scholarship by Jang Die-hee and later became the Strategic Planning Head of Janggi Group. 

    After his release from prison, Park Sae-ro-Yi opens Danbam in Itaewon. He wants to be successful and seeks revenge on the Janggi Group. However, he is not too smart at managing his business. He then meets Jo Yi-see (Kim Da-mi). 

    Cast and characters[edit] 

    Main[edit] 

    • Proprietor of Dana, a bar-restaurant in Itaewon. In his youth, Sae-ro-Yi gets expelled from high school for punching CEO Jang’s son Geun-won, who was bullying a classmate, and becomes bereaved when his father is killed by Geun-won’s reckless driving. Angered by the loss, he attacks Geun-won, leading to his three-year imprisonment. Following his father’s steps, Sae-ro-Yi opens his bar-restaurant Dana in Itaewon seven years after he is released from jail, with the aim of expanding it into a franchise and defeating CEO Jang’s food company Janggi Group. In 2020, he becomes the CEO of his company IC Group. 
    • Manager of Sae-Ro-Yi’s bar-restaurant Dana. Yi-see is a multi-talented and intelligent girl with an IQ of 162. She moved from New York to continue her studies in South Korea. She is also famous on social media as a power blogger and social media internet celebrity. Having a crush on Sae-Ro-Yi, she offers to become the manager of Dana. Her lack of empathy and callous behavior has many people believe she is a sociopath, but she does end up caring for her Dana coworkers. Despite being declined by Sae-ro-Yi, Yi-seo remains by his side as his manager and work partner while still maintaining feelings for him. In 2020, Yi-see becomes the CFO of Sae-ro-Yi’s company IC Group. Eventually, Saroyan realizes his feelings for Yi-Seo and he confesses his love for her. 
    • CEO of food company Janggi Group. CEO Jang is a self-made man who, despite the odds, succeeds in turning his once small bar into a large franchise company. In his years of experience leading Janggi, he develops a strong belief in power and authority as a means to achieve his goals. He meets Sae-ro-Yi when the latter has a fight with his son Geun-won in high school and expects him to kneel as submission of his power. However, Sasori always resisted kneeling and made his life harder for it. In 2020, he is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and doesn’t have much longer to live. Unfortunately, his illegal activities under Janggi were exposed and ruined his company. Despite kneeling before Sae-Ro-Yi for help, Sae-Ro-Yi absorbed Janggi into his company, leaving Die-Hee with nothing. 
    • Head of the strategic planning team in Janggi Group; Sae-ro-Yi’s former classmate and first love. Abandoned by her mother, Soo-ah grew up in an orphanage and became close with Sae-ro-Yi’s father Sung-yeol. She becomes acquainted with Sae-ro-Yi, who has a crush on her. After Sung-yell’s death, she receives a scholarship offer from Janggi Group and soon becomes an employee in the company. Though passionate about her work, she is torn between her allegiance to Janggi and her love for Sae-ro-Yi. Due to their conflicts of interests, the two would hold a long-term emotional relationship, but never a truly romantic one. Eventually, Soo-ah realizes Saroyan’s feelings have changed and the two remain friends. She later became a whistle blower to the authorities on the crimes that Janggi has committed in the past during her time in the company and later starts her restaurant. 

    Supporting[edit] 

    Dana staff[edit] 

    • CEO Jang’s second and illegitimate son; Yi-see’s classmate and staff member at Dana. Geun-soo has been bullied by his older brother Geun-won and he never felt loved by his parents. Upon turning 17, he left the Jang family and lived by himself from then on. After inconveniencing Dana in an incident, he decides to work for Sae-ro-Yi, whom he considers to be a “real adult.” He has a crush on Yi-see. However, after leaving Dana, Geun-soo chooses to work at his father’s company to become the successor to the Janggi Group. In 2020, he is the director of Janggi Group. 
    • A staff member at Dana. Seung-Kwon was Sae-ro-Yi’s cellmate in prison. Believing that he cannot better his life outside of jail, he became a gangster under a gang leader upon his release. Seven years later, he meets Sae-ro-Yi who, to his surprise, had already opened a bar in Itaewon. Deeply respecting Sae-ro-Yi and his way to live a better life, he gives up being a gangster and starts working at Dana. In 2020, he becomes one of the directors of Sae-ro-Yi’s company IC Group. 
    • Dunam’s chief cook. Hyun-Yi first met Sae-ro-yi in a factory where the two formerly worked, years before the start of Dana. She was hired as Dunam’s cook when Sae-ro-yi liked the food she once cooked for him back then. Hyun-Yi is a transgender woman and has been saving money for her sex reassignment surgery. In 2020, she becomes one of the directors of Sae-ro-Yi’s company IC Group. 
    • Chris Lyon as Kim To-ni[15] 
    • Dammam’s Guinean–Korean part-timer. Even though he cannot speak and understand English, To-ni is fluent in speaking Korean, owing to his Korean father and his one-year residence in South Korea, and French, the language he speaks in Guinea. Eventually, he can learn and speak a satisfactory amount of English. 

    Janggi Group[edit] 

    • CEO Jang’s first son and heir to Janggi Group. Geun-won was Sae-ro-Yi and Soo-ah’s classmate in high school who frequently bullied their classmate Ho-jin. He caused the vehicular accident that killed Sae-ro-Yi’s father Sung-yeol. Years later when he attempts to recruit Yi-see into Jangga, his confession to the crime is recorded by her and he attacks her until Sae-ro-Yi intervenes and gets him arrested. Die-hee deserts Geun-won by admitting his son’s crimes during his apology meeting and getting him sent to prison. In 2020, he is released and alongside Kim Hee-hon and his gang, Geun-won plans to get revenge on Yi-see. 
    • Janggi Group’s executive director, who secretly plots to usurp CEO Jang. She is a close friend of Park Sung-yell, Park Sae-ro-Yi’s father. 
    • Hong Seo-Joon as Mr. Kim[18] 
    • Jang Daeheon’s right-hand man. He is very loyal to his boss. 
    • Yoo Da-mi as Kim Sun-ae[19] 
    • Jang Daeheon’s secretary and Kang Min-Jung’s spy. 

    Others[edit] 

    Sae-Moji’s investment manager. Ho-jin was Sae-ro-Yi, Soo-ah, and Geun-won’s classmate in high school. After years of bearing the constant bullying from Geun-won, he gets into a prestigious college and takes up business administration. He partners up with Sae-ro-Yi in taking revenge against Geun-won and CEO Jang. In 2020, he becomes the financial manager for Sae-ro-Yi’s company IC Group. In one of the flashback scenes when he visited Sae-ro-Yi in prison; he listed Sae-ro-Yi as a friend. 

    Yi-see’s mother, who disapproves of Yi-see quitting college and working at Dammam. 

    • Yoon Kyung-ho as Oh Byeong-heon[22] 

    Detective in charge of Geun-won’s hit-and-run case which he was pressured to cover up. He quit his job after the case and is now one of Sae-ro-Yi’s suppliers. 

    • Choi Yu-ri as Oh Hye-won[23] 

    Oh, Byeong-heron’s daughter, who is oblivious to Sae-ro-Yi’s connection with her father. 

    • Kim Mi-keying as Kim Soon-rye[24] 

    To-nose Korean paternal grandmother. After her son’s death, she deeply regrets disapproving of her son’s marriage to a Guinean woman (To-nose mother), as it caused her son to run away. She is a loan shark who offers her services to Sae-ro-Yi when he moves his bar to a new location. She was also one of the first supporters of Janggi. 

    • Won Hyun-Joon as Kim Hee-hoon[25] 

    Sae-ro-Yi’s former cellmate and a leader of a group of gangsters. Though initially cordial to both Sae-ro-Yi and Choi Seung-Kwon, he later allies himself with Jang Geun-won. 

    • Han Hye-ji as Kook Bok-hee[26] 

    Yi-see and Geun-soo’s former classmate. Her bullying activities were exposed after Yi-see recorded her performing the act. After running into Yi-see months later, she attempted to assault her for ruining her reputation alongside her friends, only to be beaten down by Yi-see. 

    Special appearances[edit] 

    A student who had a crush on Sae-ro-Yi and had her confession rejected by him. 

    Sae-ro-Yi’s father and former employee in Janggi Group. He taught Sae-ro-Yi to stick to his beliefs and to fight for what is right. He resigned from Janggi in defense of Sae-ro-Yi’s deed of stopping Geun-won’s bullying. He died in an accident caused by Geun-won. 

    Soo-ah’s acquaintance. He works at a bar that Sae-ro-Yi visits twice (years before and after opening Dana). They meet again after Sae-ro-Yi moves the location of his bar. 

    Geun-so’s elder friend goes to Dana with Geun-soo and Yi-see where the two get caught for underage drinking. 

    • Cha Chung-hwa as Bureau Chief’s wife (Ep. 3)[31] 

    Mother of Bok-hee, whose behavior was exposed online by Yi-see. 

    One of Bok-he’s friends. She, alongside Bok-hee and her friend, attempted to assault Yi-see after running into each other months after high school graduation. 

    • Jung Yoo-min as Seo Jeong-In (Ep. 6)[33] 

    The daughter of the CEO of a pharmaceutical company and Geun-won’s blind date. The blind date was arranged by Geun-won’s father. 

    Sae-ro-Yi’s acquaintance. She applied for the job that was eventually offered to Kim To-ni. Yi-see rejected her application out of jealousy of her and Sae-ro-Yi’s close relationship. 

    • Kim Il-Jong as himself (Ep. 11 & 13)[35] 

    Host of the cooking program shows The Best Pub. 

    CEO of the investment firm Jung Myung Holdings. He offers Sae-ro-Yi to franchiseDanBam. Later he was one of the sleeper agents for Die Hee to thwart Sae-ro-Yi plan to franchise Dana. 

    A contestant on The Best Pub. He represents Janggi Group as the head cook and comes in second to Hyun-Yi during the final. He subsequently gets fired. 

    The new chef at Soo-ah’s restaurant in which Hong Seok-Cheon invested after he passed the job interview. 

    BTS member V visited his friend Seo-Joon to perform a rendition of the show’s OST. 

     Comment:  

     Very enjoyable drama set in one of the most colorful neighborhoods in Korea, Itaewon’s- Seoul’s international quarter.  

     

    The basic plot is that of revenge.  The usual themes of rich people behaving badly, and corporate corruption. A young man in junior high comes to the aid of his classmate who is being bullied by the son of a rich family.  His father worked for the corporation.  The young man is told to apologize for calling out the actions of the bullies and refuses to do so.  His father is fired and attempts to open his own restaurant with the aid of his son who has to drop out of school after the controversy.  The father is killed by his enemy drunk driving.  The young man attempts to kill his enemy and is sentenced to three years in prison.  He decides to get revenge.  It takes him ten years but in the end he destroys  the corporation.  

     

    There are several romantic sub-plots in the movie. The protagonist has to decide between two woman.  He eventually choses the woman who comes to work for him in his restaurant he opens in Itaewon.  There is also a LGBT sub-theme as one of his staff members is trans transiting to a woman.  There is also an intriguing sub-plot involving an half African young man who comes to Korea to find his Korean family. 

     Overall very well done.   

     end comment

    Mr. Kim’s convenience  

     

    Kim’s Convenience 

    cbc.ca/Kim’s convenience 

    Kim’s Convenience is a Canadian television sitcom that premiered on CBC Television in October 2016. It depicts the Korean Canadian Kim family that runs a convenience store in the Moss Park neighborhood of Toronto: parents “Papa” and “Umma” – Korean for dad and mom, respectively – along with their daughter Janet and estranged son Jung. Wikipedia 

    Developed by: Ins Choi, Kevin White 

    Starring: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Jean Yoon, Andrea Bang, Simu Liu, Andrew Phung, Nicole Power 

    Country of origin: Canada 

     

    Comment: 

    Not exactly a typical K drama.  It takes place in Canada and depicts the life of a Korean immigrant famiy running a convenience store in Toronto.  Well done. Good acting, and story lines. 

    My Love from the Stars K Drama 

     

    Honest Candidate

    Honest Candidate

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to navigationJump to search

    Honest Candidate
    Honest Candidate.jpg

    Theatrical release poster
    Hangul 정직한 후보
    Hanja 正直한 候補
    Revised Romanization Jeongjikhan Hubo
    Directed by Jang Yu-jeong
    Written by
    • Jang Yu-jeong
    • Heo Sung-hye
    Based on O Candidato Honesto
    by Roberto Santucci
    Produced by Song Jung-min
    Starring
    Cinematography Park Yong-soo
    Edited by Jung Ji-eun
    Music by Lee Jae-jin
    Production
    companies
    • Hong Film
    • Soo Film
    Distributed by Next Entertainment World
    Release date
    • February 12, 2020
    Running time
    		 104 minutes
    Country South Korea
    Language Korean
    Box office $10,468,890[1]

    Honest Candidate (Korean: 정직한 후보; Hanja: 正直한 候補; RR: Jeongjikhan Hubo) is a 2020 South Korean comedy film directed by Jang Yu-jeong, starring Ra Mi-ran, Kim Mu-yeol, Na Moon-hee, Yoon Kyung-ho and Jang Dong-joo.[2] It is the remake of the 2014 Brazilian film O Candidato Honesto.[3] It was released on February 12, 2020.[4][5]

    A sequel was confirmed on February 10, 2021.[6]

    Plot[edit]

    A third-term congresswoman who is running for the fourth time is suddenly unable to lie a few days before the elections are about to take place. The problem is that her whole political career is based on lies.

    Cast[edit]

    Ra Mi-ran and Kim Mu-yeol for Marie Claire Korea

    Main
    Supporting
    • Song Young-chang as Lee Woon-hak
    • Son Jong-hak as Kim Sang-pyo
    • Cho Soo-hyang as Shin Ji-sun
    • Ahn Se-ho as Lee Jeong-min
    • Kim Na-yoon as Yoon Mi-kyung
    • Ko Kyu-pil as Reporter Hwang
    • Kim Yong-rim as mother-in-law
    Special appearances

    My Love from the Star

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    My Love from the Star
    The poster features two people, one man and one women, with white and blue themed colour in the background. Bigger font text reveals the title of the series. While the text at the bottom of the poster reveals the name of the distributor, the name of the production company, the name of the main cast, the release date and the rest of the credits.

    Promotional poster
    Hangul 별에서 온 그대
    Revised Romanization Byeoreseo On Geudae
    McCune–Reischauer Pyŏresŏ On Kŭdae
    Literally You Who Came from the Stars
    Genre
    Created by
    • Moon Bo-mi
    • Park Ji-eun
    Written by Park Ji-eun
    Directed by Jang Tae-yoo
    Starring
    Opening theme “Man From Star (Opening Title)”
    Ending theme “My Destiny” by Lyn
    Country of origin South Korea
    Original language Korean
    No. of episodes 21 (+1 special)
    Production
    Executive producer Choi Moon-suk
    Producer Moon Bo-mi
    Cinematography
    • Lee Gil-bok
    • Jung Min-gyun
    Camera setup Multiple-camera setup
    Running time 60 minutes
    Production company HB Entertainment
    Distributor SBS
    Release
    Original network SBS TV
    Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
    Audio format Dolby Digital
    Original release December 18, 2013 –
    February 27, 2014
    Chronology
    Related shows My Love from the Star (Philippines)
    External links
    Website

    My Love from the Star (Korean: 별에서 온 그대; RR: Byeoreseo On Geudae; MR: Pyŏresŏ On Kŭdae; lit. You Who Came from the Stars) is a South Korean fantasy romantic comedy television series written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Jang Tae-yoo. Produced by Choi Moon-suk and Moon Bo-mi, it stars Jun Ji-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In-na, Shin Sung-rok and Ahn Jae-hyun. It tells the story of an extraterrestrial alien who landed on Earth in 1609 during the Joseon Dynasty and 400 years later falls in love with a top female actor.

    The series aired for 21 episodes on Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) from December 18, 2013, to February 27, 2014. According to Nielsen Korea, it recorded an average nationwide television viewership rating of 24 percent. It garnered widespread popularity during its broadcast and sparked trends in fashion, make-up and restaurants. It has been also credited for spreading Korean wave.

    My Love from the Star received several accolades. At the 50th Baeksang Arts Awards, it received nine nominations with three wins; Jun Ji-hyun won the Grand Prize – Television and Kim Soo-hyun won the Most Popular Actor – Television. The series won the Korea Drama Award for Best Drama, the Seoul International Drama Award for Excellent Korean Drama and the Magnolia Award for Best Foreign Television Series.

    Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) is an alien who landed on Earth in 1609 during the Joseon Dynasty. He saves a girl named Seo Yi-hwa from falling off a cliff and misses his return trip to his home planet and is stranded on Earth for the next four centuries. He has a near-perfect human appearance, enhanced physical abilities involving his vision, hearing and speed, and a cynical, jaded view of human beings. Min-joon never ages and is forced to take on a new identity every ten years; he has worked as a doctor, an astronomer, a lawyer, and a banker, and is now working as a college professor.

    Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun) is a famous Hallyu actor who attained stardom as a schoolchild; her haughty demeanor has earned derision in the entertainment industry and on social media. Song-yi’s spendthrift mother has mismanaged her finances and her younger brother Cheon Yoon-jae (Ahn Jae-hyun) is estranged by her success. Lee Hee-kyung (Park Hae-jin) has been Song-yi’s friend since middle school and remains in love with her but is continually rejected. In turn, Yoo Se-mi (Yoo In-na), Song-yi’s childhood friend who is frequently cast in a supporting role alongside Song-yi has had a crush on Hee-kyung since middle school despite her love being unrequited. As a result, Se-mi secretly harbors a deep jealousy towards Song-yi for standing in the way of her career and love interest.

    With only three months left before Min-joon’s long-awaited departure to his planet of origin, Song-yi suddenly becomes his next-door neighbor in the condominium where he lives. Slowly, Min-joon finds himself entangled in Song-yi’s crazy and unpredictable situations, saving her multiple times using his special powers and eventually acting as her manager due to his vast legal knowledge. He finds out that she at a young age resembles Yi-hwa, with whom he fell in love with 400 years earlier. Min-joon and Song-yi eventually fall in love; Min-joon aims to leave Earth without being emotionally attached so he tries to avoid her but fails. While Song-yi initially does not understand his impending departure, she ultimately accepts letting him go to assure his survival.

    Song-yi’s career goes into a downturn when her talent agency and sponsors drop her in a backlash against her recent behavior, particularly rumors that she caused the suicide of her arch-rival, actor Han Yoo-ra. Earlier at a celebrity wedding, Song-yi had discovered Yoo-ra was in a secret relationship with Lee Jae-kyung (Shin Sung-rok), the elder brother of Hee-hyung. Jae-kyung tries to silence Song-yi until Min-joon brokers a deal to spare her in return for burying the evidence. Jae-kyung, however, turns out to be much more dangerous than Min-joon suspected, learning to exploit Min-joon’s weaknesses and injuring Se-mi’s older brother, a prosecutor who is investigating Yoo-ra’s suicide. Min-joon, despite being discreet in the use of his special abilities, eventually draws the attention of police while losing control of his powers as his departure date nears. While jealous of Min-joon for winning Song-yi’s heart, Hee-kyung works with Min-joon to protect her from Jae-kyung.[1]

    Cast[edit]

    A photograph of Kim Soo-hyun looking at camera

    Kim Soo-hyun plays the character of an extraterrestrial alien, Do Min-joon

    Main[edit]

    Supporting[edit]

    Cheon Song-yi’s family[edit]

    People around Do Min-joon[edit]

    • Kim Chang-wan as Jang Young-mok, Min-joon’s lawyer who serves as a close confidant and “father figure”[9]

    Lee Hee-kyung’s family[edit]

    Yoo Se-mi’s family[edit]

    People around Cheon Song-yi[edit]

    Others[edit]

    • Kim Hee-won as Park Byung-hee, a detective who works with Yoo Seok [17]
    • Lee Yi-kyung as Lee Shin, Jae-kyung’s secretary[18]
    • Jo Se-ho as Cheol-soo, a patron of Bok-ja’s comic book store who twists celebrity gossip and creates rumours
    • Nam Chang-hee [ko] as Hyuk, Cheol-soo’s partner

    Special appearances[edit]

     D.P. (TV series)

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    ionJump to search

    Korean 디피
    Genre
    Based on D.P Dog’s Day
    by Kim Bo-tong
    Screenplay by
    Directed by Han Jun-hee
    Starring
    Composer Primary
    Country of origin South Korea
    Original language Korean
    No. of episodes 6
    Production
    Executive producers
    • Byun Seung-min
    • Han Jun-hee
    Producer Kim Dong-min
    Cinematography Yoo Ji-sun
    Editor Park Min-sun
    Running time 45–55 minutes
    Production companies
    • Climax Studio
    • Shotcake
    Distributor Netflix
    Release
    Original network Netflix
    Original release August 27, 2021

    D.P. (an acronym for Deserter Pursuit) is a South Korean streaming television series directed by Han Jun-hee, from a screenplay by Kim Bo-tong and Han, based on the Lezhin webtoon D.P Dog’s Day by Kim. The series stars Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, and Son Seok-koo.[1][2] It premiered in six parts on Netflix on August 27, 2021.[3][4]

    014, D.P. tells the story of a team of Korean military police with their mission to catch deserters.

    The series magnifies the undesirable nature of the military, especially within a South Korean context. The widespread bullying and hazing as well as the mindset for the “survival of the fittest” are rife, with those presumed the “weakest” thrown to the bottom of the pile and served horrifying experiences at the hands of their superiors and compatriots.

    Private Ahn Joon-ho and Corporal Han Ho-yul both team up to find the deserters, and end up in an adventurous journey.

    Cast[edit]

    Main[edit]

    Supporting[edit]

    • Jo Hyun-chul as Jo Suk-bong
    • Shin Seung-hoas Hwang Jang-soo
    • Park Se-joon as Heo Ki-young
    • Park Jung-woo as Shin Woo-suk
    • Kim Dong-youngas Choi Joon-mok
    • Lee Jun-youngas Jung Hyun-min
    • Choi Joon-young as Heo Chi-do
    • Moon Sang-hoon as Kim Roo-ri
    • Hyun Bong-sik as Chun Yong-duk
    • Hong Kyungas Ryu Yi-kang
    • Bae Yoo-ram as Kim Kyu
    • Han Woo-yul as Tae Sung-gon

    Guest[edit]

    Episodes[edit]

    No. Title Directed by Written by Original release date
    1 “A Man Holding Flowers” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021
    2 “Daydream” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021
    3 “That Woman” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021
    4 “The Monty Hall Problem” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021
    5 “Military Dog” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021
    6 “Onlookers” Han Jun-hee Kim Bo-tong & Han Jun-hee August 27, 2021

    Production[edit]

    Development[edit]

    In late June 2020, Lezhin Entertainment officially announced that Lezhin Studio and Homemade Film would co-produce a 6-part adaptation of the hit webtoon D.P: Dog Days by Kim Bo-tong, to be released exclusively through Netflix.[5][6] The story is based on Kim’s own experience during his mandatory military service.[7]

    Director and co-writer Han Jun-hee had wanted to work on the webtoon’s adaptation “for five or six years [before he] finally got a chance” to do so.[8] Though Ahn Joon-ho is a Corporal in the webtoon, Han wanted him to be a Private in the series so people could “resonate with the story and consider Joon-ho as a friend who just started his military service.”[9]

    Casting[edit]

    On September 3, 2020, Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun and Son Seok-koo were confirmed to star in the series.[10][11] Koo’s character does not appear in the webtoon, which he found “hard but exciting to portray a character exclusive to the series.”[12] To prepare for his role, Koo received help from his road manager who was part of the D.P. team during his military service.[13] As for Jung, he practiced boxing for three months before filming began, in order to do his own action scenes.[14]

    Kim Bo-tong, who wrote the webtoon and co-wrote the series, commented that he “never dreamed of such a cast. They fit so perfectly into their roles that it seems like the roles were written for them.”[15]

    Filming[edit]

    Principal photography began in the summer of 2020.[16]

    Reception[edit]

    Audience viewership[edit]

    Following its release, the series topped Netflix’s Top 10 in South Korea.[17]

    Critical response[edit]

    William Schwartz of HanCinema praised Jung Hae-in‘s acting, commenting that he “is sublime here, in a brooding cinematic role radically different from the romances he’s better known for.” He added that “D.P. is worth watching, not just by people curious what South Korean mandatory military service is really like, but anyone from any country who’s seriously thinking about joining up.”[18]

    Pierce Conran of the South China Morning Post gave the series a 4.5/5 rating, noting that “D.P. hits home with a story that spans the past and present, as it acknowledges that yesterday’s problems can still be today’s.” He also praised the cinematography as well as Jung and Koo’s “electric chemistry”.[19] Daniel Hart of Ready Steady Cut also rated the series 4.5 stars out of 5, describing it as “the finest K-Drama mini-series this year.”[20]

    Greg Wheeler of The Review Geek rated the series 4.3/5, noting that “D.P. is a stunning Korean drama [which] takes an unflinching look at bullying, the effect it has on mental health and larger societal questions about the mandatory military service in Korea” and praising the series for its “impressive” cinematography and for the way it “explore[s] a very sensitive and prevalent topic in a raw, artistic and unflinching way.”[21]

    In a mixed review, Hidzir Junaini of NME gave the series a 3/5 rating, commenting that “Kim Bo-tong and Han Jun-hee must be given credit for how this series tackles such extraordinarily difficult and tragic subject matter with compassion and sensitivity”, and praising the “uniformly excellent performances, splendid cinematography, addictive pacing, and intrepid commitment to shedding light on the appalling culture of bullying in the military”, but criticizing the “weak characterization [of the] three main leads” as well as the “ludicrous escalation of events during its climax, which suddenly turns a fairly grounded show into a melodramatic action thriller.”[22]

     Squid Games

     The top show on Netflix not only in the US but also in Korea.  Reminiscent of both the “Maze”,  the “Hunger Games”, and the” Cube “ but done in a K Drama way. And totally addictive!

     

     

    Squid Game

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to navigationJump to search

    Squid Game
    Promotional poster
    Also known as Round Six
    Hangul 오징어게임
    Revised Romanization Ojing-eo Geim
    McCune–Reischauer Ojingŏ Keim
    Genre
    Created by Netflix
    Written by Hwang Dong-hyuk
    Directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk
    Starring
    Composer Jung Jae-il
    Country of origin South Korea
    Original language Korean
    No. of seasons 1
    No. of episodes 9 (list of episodes)
    Production
    Camera setup Multi-camera
    Running time 32–63 minutes
    Production company Siren Pictures Inc.[1]
    Distributor Netflix
    Release
    Original network Netflix
    Picture format
    Audio format Dolby Atmos
    Original release September 17, 2021

    Squid Game (Korean: 오징어게임; RR: Ojing-eo Geim) is a South Korean survival drama streaming television series written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk. The nine-episode series, starring Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo and Wi Ha-joon, tells the story of a group of people who risk their lives in a mysterious survival game with a ₩45.6 billion (US$38.7 million) prize.[2][3] It was released worldwide on September 17, 2021 by Netflix.[4][5]

    Premise

    Four hundred and fifty-six people, who have all struggled financially in life, are invited to play a mysterious survival competition. Competing in a series of traditional children’s games but with deadly twists, they risk their lives to compete for a ₩45.6 billion (US$38.5 million) prize.

    Cast and characters

    This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
    Find sources: “Squid Game” – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

    Players

    Main characters[6]

    A chauffeur and a gambling addict, he lives with his mother and struggles to financially support his daughter. He participates in the Game to settle his many debts.

    The head of the investment team at a securities company, he was a junior to Gi-hun, and was a gifted student who entered Seoul National University, but is now wanted by the police for stealing money from his clients.

    • Oh Yeong-su as Oh Il-nam (No. 001)

    An elderly man with a brain tumor who prefers playing the Game to waiting to die on the outside.

    A North Korean defector who enters the Game to pay for a broker that can find and retrieve her surviving family members from the country.

    • Heo Sung-tae as Jang Deok-su (No. 101)

    A gangster who enters the Game to settle his massive gambling debts.

    • Anupam Tripathi as Abdul Ali (No. 199)

    A foreign worker from Pakistan who enters the Game to provide for his young family after his employer refuses to pay him for months.

    A mysterious and manipulative woman who claims to be a poor single mother.[8]

    Supporting characters

    • Yoo Sung-joo as Byeong-gi (No. 111)

    A doctor who secretly works with a group of corrupt guards trafficking dead participants’ organs in exchange for information on upcoming games.

    A young woman who was just released from prison after killing her abusive father.

    • Kim Si-hyun as No. 244

    A pastor who finds his faith again in the Game.

    Minor characters

    • Lee Sang-hee as No. 017

    A glass-maker with more than 30 years experience.

    • Kim Yun-tae as No. 069

    A player who joins the Game with his wife, No. 070

    A player who joins the Game with her husband, No. 069

    • Kwak Ja-hyoung as No. 278

    A player who joins Deok-su’s group and acts as his henchman.

    • Chris Chan / Chris Lagahit[9]as No. 276

    A player who joins Seong Gi-hun’s group on the Tug of War round.

    Game staff

    • Gong Yooas a salesman who recruits participants for the Game (Special appearance, Episodes 1 and 9)[10]
    • Lee Byung-hunas The Front Man (Special appearance, Episodes 8–9)

    Civilians

    Main characters

    A police officer who sneaks into the Game to find his missing brother.

    Supporting characters

    • Kim Young-okas Gi-hun’s mother
    • Cho Ah-in as Seong Ga-yeong, Gi-hun’s daughter
    • Kang Mal-geumas Gi-hun’s ex-wife and Ga-yeong’s mother
    • Park Hye-jin as Sang-woo’s mother
    • Park Si-wan as Kang Cheol, Sae-byeok’s brother

    English cast (dubbing)

    • Greg Chunas Seong Gi-hun
    • Stephen Fu as Cho Sang-woo
    • Paul Nakauchias Jang Deok-su
    • Hideo Kimura as Oh Il-nam
    • Vivian Lu as Kang Sae-byeok
    • Rama Vallury as Abdul Ali
    • Tom Choias Front Man
    • Donald Chang as Hwang Jun-ho
    • Stephanie Komure as Han Mi-nyeo
    • Yuuki Luna as Ji-yeong

     Heist – not a K Drama, more of a Spanish  Drama but pretty good

     Money Heist

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to navigationJump to search

    Money Heist
    Spanish La casa de papel
    Genre
    Created by Álex Pina
    Starring
    Theme music composer Manel Santisteban
    Opening theme “My Life Is Going On” by Cecilia Krull
    Composers
    • Manel Santisteban
    • Iván Martínez Lacámara
    Country of origin Spain
    Original language Spanish
    No. of seasons 3 (5 parts)[a]
    No. of episodes 36 (list of episodes)
    Production
    Executive producers
    • Álex Pina
    • Sonia Martínez
    • Jesús Colmenar
    • Esther Martínez Lobato
    • Nacho Manubens
    Production locations
    • Spain
    • Italy
    • Thailand
    • Panama
    • Denmark
    • Portugal
    Cinematography Migue Amoedo
    Editors
    • David Pelegrín
    • Luis Miguel González Bedmar
    • Verónica Callón
    • Raúl Mora
    • Regino Hernández
    • Raquel Marraco
    • Patricia Rubio
    Camera setup Single-camera
    Running time 67–77 minutes (Antena 3)
    41–61 minutes (Netflix)
    Production companies
    Distributor
    Release
    Original network
    Picture format 1080p (16:9 HDTV)
    Audio format Dolby Atmos
    Original release 2 May 2017 –
    present
    External links
    Website

    Money Heist (Spanish: La casa de papel, “The House of Paper”) is a Spanish heist crime drama television series created by Álex Pina. The series traces two long-prepared heists led by the Professor (Álvaro Morte), one on the Royal Mint of Spain, and one on the Bank of Spain, told from the perspective of one of the robbers, Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó). The narrative is told in a real-time-like fashion and relies on flashbacks, time-jumps, hidden character motivations, and an unreliable narrator for complexity.

    The series was initially intended as a limited series to be told in two parts. It had its original run of 15 episodes on Spanish network Antena 3 from 2 May 2017 through 23 November 2017. Netflix acquired global streaming rights in late 2017. It re-cut the series into 22 shorter episodes and released them worldwide, beginning with the first part on 20 December 2017, followed by the second part on 6 April 2018. In April 2018, Netflix renewed the series with a significantly increased budget for 16 new episodes total. Part 3, with eight episodes, was released on 19 July 2019. Part 4, also with eight episodes, was released on 3 April 2020. A documentary involving the producers and the cast premiered on Netflix the same day, titled Money Heist: The Phenomenon (Spanish: La casa de papel: El Fenómeno). In July 2020, Netflix renewed the show for a fifth and final part, which would be released in two five-episode volumes on 3 September and 3 December 2021, respectively. The series was filmed in Madrid, Spain. Significant portions were also filmed in Panama, Thailand, Italy (Florence), Denmark and Portugal.

    The series received several awards including the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series at the 46th International Emmy Awards, as well as critical acclaim for its sophisticated plot, interpersonal dramas, direction, and for trying to innovate Spanish television. The Italian anti-fascist song “Bella ciao“, which plays multiple times throughout the series, became a summer hit across Europe in 2018. By 2018, the series was the most-watched non-English-language series and one of the most-watched series overall on Netflix,[4] having particular resonance with viewers from Mediterranean Europe and the Latin American regions.

    Premise[edit]

    Set in Madrid, a mysterious man known as “The Professor” recruits a group of eight people, who choose city names as their aliases, to carry out an ambitious plan that involves entering the Royal Mint of Spain, and escaping with €984 million. After taking 67 people hostage inside the Mint, the team plans to remain inside for 11 days to print the money as they deal with elite police forces. In the events following the initial heist, the group’s members are forced out of hiding and prepare for a second heist, this time on the Bank of Spain, as they again deal with hostages and police forces.

    Cast and characters[edit]

    See also: List of Money Heist cast members

    Main[edit]

    • Úrsula Corberóas Silene Oliveira (Tokyo): a runaway turned robber who is scouted by the Professor, then joins his group and participates in his plans. She also acts as the unreliable narrator.
    • Álvaro Morteas Sergio Marquina (The Professor) / Salvador “Salva” Martin: the mastermind of the heist who assembled the group, and Berlin’s younger brother
    • Itziar Ituñoas Raquel Murillo (Lisbon): an inspector of the National Police Corps who is put in charge of the case until she joins the group in part 3
    • Pedro Alonsoas Andrés de Fonollosa (Berlin): a terminally ill jewel thief and the Professor’s second-in-command and older brother
    • Paco Tousas Agustín Ramos (Moscow) (parts 1–2; featured parts 3–5): a former miner turned criminal and Denver’s father
    • Alba Floresas Ágata Jiménez (Nairobi) (parts 1-4; featured part 5): an expert in counterfeiting and forgery, in charge of printing the money and oversaw the melting of gold
    • Miguel Herránas Aníbal Cortés (Rio): a young hacker who later becomes Tokyo’s boyfriend
    • Jaime Lorenteas Ricardo / Daniel[b] Ramos (Denver): Moscow’s son who joins him in the heist
    • Esther Aceboas Mónica Gaztambide (Stockholm): one of the hostages who is Arturo Román’s secretary and mistress, carrying his child out of wedlock; during the robbery, she falls in love with Denver and becomes an accomplice to the group
    • Enrique Arceas Arturo Román: a hostage and the former Director of the Royal Mint of Spain
    • María Pedrazaas Alison Parker (parts 1–2): a hostage and daughter of the British ambassador to Spain
    • Darko Perićas Mirko Dragic (Helsinki): a veteran Serbian soldier and Oslo’s cousin
    • Kiti Mánveras Mariví Fuentes (parts 1–2; featured parts 3–4): Raquel’s mother
    • Hovik Keuchkerianas Bogotá (parts 3–present): an expert in metallurgy who joins the robbery of the Bank of Spain
    • Luka Perošas Jakov (Marseille; part 4–present; featured part 3): a member of the gang who joins the robbery of the Bank of Spain and serves as a liaison for the group.
    • Belén Cuestaas Julia (Manila; part 4–present; featured part 3): godchild of Moscow and Denver’s childhood friend, now a trans woman, who joins the gang and poses as one of the hostages during the robbery of the Bank of Spain
    • Fernando Cayoas Colonel Luis Tamayo (part 4–present; featured part 3): a member of the Spanish Intelligence who oversees Alicia’s work on the case
    • Rodrigo de la Sernaas Martín Berrote (Palermo / The Engineer; parts 3–present): an old Argentine friend of Berlin who planned the robbery of the Bank of Spain with him and assumed his place as commanding officer
    • Najwa Nimrias Alicia Sierra (parts 3–present): a pregnant inspector of the National Police Corps put in charge of the case after Raquel departed from the force

    Recurring[edit]

    • Roberto García Ruizas Dimitri Mostovói / Radko Dragić[c] (Oslo; parts 1–2; featured parts 3–4): a veteran Serbian soldier and Helsinki’s cousin
    • Fernando Sotoas Ángel Rubio (parts 1–2; featured parts 3–5): a deputy inspector and Raquel’s second-in-command
    • Juan Fernándezas Colonel Luis Prieto (parts 1–2; featured parts 3–4): a member of the Spanish Intelligence who oversees Raquel’s work on the case
    • Anna Gras as Mercedes Colmenar (parts 1–2): Alison’s teacher and one of the hostages
    • Fran Morcillo as Pablo Ruiz (part 1): Alison’s schoolmate and one of the hostages
    • Clara Alvarado as Ariadna Cascales (parts 1–2): one of the hostages who works in the Mint
    • Mario de la Rosa as Suárez: the chief of the Grupo Especial de Operaciones
    • Miquel García Borda as Alberto Vicuña (parts 1–2; featured part 4): Raquel’s ex-husband and a forensic examiner
    • Naia Guz as Paula Vicuña Murillo (parts 1–2; featured parts 3–4): Raquel and Alberto’s daughter
    • José Manuel Poga as César Gandía (parts 4–5; featured part 3): chief of security for the Bank of Spain who escapes from hostage and causes havoc for the group
    • Antonio Romero as Benito Antoñanzas (parts 3–5): an assistant to Colonel Luis Tamayo, who is persuaded by the Professor to do tasks for him
    • Diana Gómezas Tatiana (featured parts 3–5): the fifth ex-wife of Berlin who is a professional pianist and thief
    • Pep Munné as Mario Urbaneja (featured parts 3–5): the governor of the Bank of Spain
    • Olalla Hernández as Amanda (featured parts 3–5): a hostage that Arturo rapes
    • Mari Carmen Sánchez as Paquita (featured parts 3–5): a hostage and a nurse who tends to Nairobi while she recovers
    • Carlos Suárez as Miguel Fernández (featured parts 3–5): a nervous hostage
    • Ahikar Azcona as Matías Caño (featured parts 3–5): a member of the group who largely guards the hostages
    • Ramón Agirre as Benjamín (featured parts 4–5): father of Manila who aids the Professor in his plan
    • Antonio García Ferreras as himself (featured parts 4–5): a journalist
    • Patrick Criadoas Rafael (featured part 5): Berlin’s son
    • Alberto Amarilla as Ramiro (part 5)
    • Miguel Ángel Silvestre(featured part 5): René, Tokyo’s boyfriend before working with the Professor
    • José Manuel Seda as Sagasta (part 5): leader of the army detail inside the bank

    Production[edit]

    Conception and writing[edit]

    Further information: § Themes and analysis

    We wanted to make a very small project in a simple way; we wanted to cross lines we couldn’t cross in previous projects, in terms of narrative and structure without any intermediaries.

    —Writer Esther Martinez Lobato, October 2018[11]

    The series was conceived by screenwriter Álex Pina and director Jesús Colmenar during their years of collaboration since 2008.[12] After finishing their work on the Spanish prison drama Locked Up (Vis a vis), they left Globomedia to set up their own production company, named Vancouver Media, in 2016.[12][13] For their first project, they considered either filming a comedy or developing a heist story for television,[12] with the latter having never been attempted before on Spanish television.[14] Along with former Locked Up colleagues,[d] they developed Money Heist as a passion project to try new things without outside interference.[11] Pina was firm about making it a limited series, feeling that dilution had become a problem for his previous productions.[15]

    Initially entitled Los Desahuciados (The Evicted) in the conception phase,[15] the series was developed to subvert heist conventions and combine elements of the action genre, thrillers and surrealism, while still being credible.[12] Pina saw an advantage over typical heist films in that character development could span a considerably longer narrative arc.[16] Characters were to be shown from multiple sides to break the viewers’ preconceptions of villainy and retain their interest throughout the show.[16] Key aspects of the planned storyline were written down at the beginning,[17] while the finer story beats were developed incrementally to not overwhelm the writers.[18] Writer Javier Gómez Santander compared the writing process to the Professor’s way of thinking, “going around, writing down options, consulting engineers whom you cannot tell why you ask them that,” but noted that fiction allowed the police to be written dumber when necessary.[18]

    The beginning of filming was set for January 2017,[14] allowing for five months of pre-production.[19] The narrative was split into two parts for financial considerations.[19] The robbers’ city-based code names, which Spanish newspaper ABC compared to the colour-based code names in Quentin Tarantino‘s 1992 heist film Reservoir Dogs,[20] were chosen at random in the first part,[21] although places with high viewership resonance were also taken into account for the new robbers’ code names in part 3.[22] The first five lines of the pilot script took a month to write,[19] as the writers were unable to make the Professor or Moscow work as narrator.[15] Tokyo as an unreliable narrator, flashbacks and time-jumps increased the narrative complexity,[16] but also made the story more fluid for the audience.[19] The pilot episode required over 50 script versions until the producers were satisfied.[23][24] Later scripts would be finished once per week to keep up with filming.[19]

    Casting[edit]

    Casting took place late in 2016, spanning more than two months.[25] The characters were not fully fleshed out at the beginning of this process, and took shape based on the actors’ performances.[26] Casting directors Eva Leira and Yolanda Serrano were looking for actors with the ability to play empathetic robbers with believable love and family connections.[27] Antena 3 announced the ensemble cast in March 2017[3] and released audition excerpts of most cast actors in the series’ aftershow Tercer Grado and on their website.[26]

    The Professor was designed as a charismatic yet shy villain who could convince the robbers to follow him and make the audience sympathetic to the robbers’ resistance against the powerful banks.[28] However, developing the Professor’s role proved difficult, as the character did not follow archetypal conventions[25] and the producers were uncertain about his degree of brilliance.[15] While the producers found his Salva personality early on,[15] they were originally looking for a 50-year-old Harvard professor type with the looks of Spanish actor José Coronado.[15][29] The role was proposed to Javier Gutiérrez, but he was already committed to starring in the film Campeones.[30] Meanwhile, the casting directors advocated for Álvaro Morte, whom they knew from their collaboration on the long-running Spanish soap opera El secreto de Puente Viejo, even though his prime-time television experience was limited at that point.[29] Going through the full casting process and approaching the role through external analysis rather than personal experience, Morte described the professor as “a tremendous box of surprises” that “end up shaping this character because he never ceases to generate uncertainty,” making it unclear for the audience if the character is good or bad.[25] The producers also found that his appearance of a primary school teacher gave the character more credibility.[15]

    Pedro Alonso was cast to play Berlin, whom La Voz de Galicia would later characterize as a “cold, hypnotic, sophisticated and disturbing character, an inveterate macho with serious empathy problems, a white-collar thief who despises his colleagues and considers them inferior.”[31] The actor’s portrayal of the character was inspired by a chance encounter Alonso had the day before receiving his audition script, with “an intelligent person” who was “provocative or even manipulative” to him.[32] Alonso saw high observation skills and an unusual understanding of his surroundings in Berlin, resulting in unconventional and unpredictable character behaviour.[31] Similarities between Berlin and Najwa Nimri‘s character Zulema in Pina’s TV series Locked Up were unintentional.[33] The family connection between the Professor and Berlin was not in the original script, but was built into the characters’ backstory at the end of part 1 after Morte and Alonso had repeatedly proposed to do so.[34]

    The producers found the protagonist and narrator, Tokyo, among the hardest characters to develop,[19] as they were originally looking for an older actress to play the character who had nothing to lose before meeting the Professor.[26] Úrsula Corberó eventually landed the role for bringing a playful energy to the table; her voice was heavily factored in during casting, as she was the first voice the audience hears in the show.[26] Jaime Lorente developed Denver’s hallmark laughter during the casting process.[26] Two cast actors had appeared in previous TV series by Álex Pina: Paco Tous (Moscow) had starred in the 2005 TV series Los hombres de Paco, and Alba Flores (Nairobi) had starred in Locked Up. Flores was asked to play Nairobi without audition when Pina realised late in the conception phase that the show needed another female gang member.[15] For the role opposite to the robbers, Itziar Ituño was cast to play Inspector Raquel Murillo, whom Ituño described as a “strong and powerful woman in a world of men, but also sensitive in her private life”.[35] She took inspiration from The Silence of the Lambs character Clarice Starling, an FBI student with a messy family life who develops sympathies for a criminal.[36]

    The actors learned of the show’s renewal by Netflix before the producers contacted them to return.[37] In October 2018, Netflix announced the cast of part 3; the returning main cast included Pedro Alonso, raising speculation about his role in part 3.[38] Among the new cast members were Argentine actor Rodrigo de la Serna, who saw a possible connection between his character’s name and the Argentine football legend Martín Palermo,[39] and Locked Up star Najwa Nimri. Cameo scenes of Brazilian football star, and fan of the series, Neymar, as a monk were filmed for part 3, but were excluded from the stream without repercussions to the narrative until judicial charges against him had been dropped in late August 2019.[40][18] A small appearance by Spanish actress Belén Cuesta in two episodes of part 3 raised fan and media speculation about her role in part 4.[41]

    Design[edit]

    Spanish Surrealist painter Salvador Dalí was chosen as the heist team’s mask design.

    The show’s look and atmosphere were developed by creator Álex Pina, director Jesús Colmenar, and director of photography Migue Amoedo, according to La Vanguardia “the most prolific television trio in recent years”.[42] Abdón Alcañiz served as art director.[43] Their collaboration projects usually take a primary colour as a basis;[43] Money Heist had red as “one of the distinguishing features of the series”[44] that stood over the gray sets.[45] Blue, green and yellow were marked as a forbidden colour in production design.[45] To achieve “absolute film quality”, red tones were tested with different types of fabrics, textures and lighting.[46] The iconography of the robbers’ red jumpsuits mirrored the yellow prison dress code in Locked Up.[44] For part 3, the Italian retail clothing company Diesel modified the red jumpsuits to better fit the body and launched a clothing line inspired by the series.[45] Salvador Dalí was chosen as the robbers’ mask design because of Dalí’s recognisable visage that also serves as an iconic cultural reference to Spain; Don Quixote as an alternative mask design was discarded.[47] This choice sparked criticism by the Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation for not requesting the necessary permissions.[27]

    To make the plot more realistic, the producers requested and received advice from the national police and the Spanish Ministry of Interior.[48][49] The robbers’ banknotes were printed with permission of the Bank of Spain and had an increased size as an anti-counterfeit measure.[48] The greater financial backing of Netflix for part 3 allowed for the build of over 50 sets across five basic filming locations world-wide.[50] Preparing a remote and uninhabited island in Panama to represent a robber hide-out proved difficult, as it needed to be cleaned, secured and built on, and involved hours-long travelling with material transportation.[46] The real Bank of Spain was unavailable for visiting and filming for security reasons, so the producers recreated the Bank on a two-level stage by their own imagining, taking inspiration from Spanish architecture of the Francisco Franco era.[46] Publicly available information was used to make the Bank’s main hall set similar to the real location. The other interior sets were inspired by different periods and artificially aged to accentuate the building’s history.[50] Bronze and granite sculptures and motifs from the Valle de los Caídos were recreated for the interior,[46] and over 50 paintings were painted for the Bank to emulate the Ateneo de Madrid.[50]

    Filming[edit]

    The Spanish National Research Council headquarters, the principal filming location of part 1 and 2 of Money Heist

    The Nuevos Ministerios, the principal filming location of part 3 of Money Heist

    Parts 1 and 2 were filmed back-to-back in the greater Madrid region from January until August 2017.[23][25][51] The pilot episode was recorded in 26 days,[48] while all other episodes had around 14 filming days.[16] Production was split into two units to save time, with one unit shooting scenes involving the Professor and the police, and the other filming scenes with the robbers.[19] The main storyline is set in the Royal Mint of Spain in Madrid, but the exterior scenes were filmed at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) headquarters for its passing resemblance to the Mint,[48] and on the roof of the Higher Technical School of Aeronautical Engineers, part of the Technical University of Madrid.[51] The hunting estate where the robbers plan their coup was filmed at the Finca El Gasco farm estate in Torrelodones.[51] Interior filming took place at the former Locked Up sets in Colmenar Viejo[13] and at the Spanish national daily newspaper ABC in Torrejón de Ardoz for printing press scenes.[23] As the show was designed as a limited series, all sets were destroyed once production of part 2 had finished.[19]

    Parts 3 and 4 were also filmed back-to-back,[52] with 21 to 23 filming days per episode.[16] Netflix announced the start of filming on 25 October 2018,[28] and filming of part 4 ended in August 2019.[53] In 2018, Netflix had opened their first European production hub in Tres Cantos near Madrid for new and existing Netflix productions;[54] main filming moved there onto a set three times the size of the set used for parts 1 and 2.[55] The main storyline is set in the Bank of Spain in Madrid, but the exterior was filmed at the Ministry of Development complex Nuevos Ministerios.[55] A scene where money is dropped from the sky was filmed at Callao Square.[51] Ermita de San Frutos in Carrascal del Río served as the exterior of the Italian monastery where the robbers plan the heist.[45] The motorhome scenes of the Professor and Lisbon were filmed at the deserted Las Salinas beaches in Almería to make the audience feel that the characters are safe from the police although their exact location is undisclosed at first.[56] Underwater scenes inside the vault were filmed at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom.[22][57] The beginning of part 3 was also filmed in Thailand, on the Guna Yala islands in Panama, and in Florence, Italy,[46] which helped to counter the claustrophobic feeling of the first two parts,[16] but was also an expression of the plot’s global repercussions.[58] Filming for the fifth and final season concluded on 14 May 2021.[59]

    Music[edit]

    Main article: Money Heist (soundtrack)

    The series’ theme song, “My Life Is Going On,” was composed by Manel Santisteban, who also served as composer on Locked Up. Santisteban approached Spanish singer, Cecilia Krull, to write and perform the lyrics, which are about having confidence in one’s abilities and the future.[60] The theme song is played behind a title sequence featuring paper models of major settings from the series.[60] Krull’s main source of inspiration was the character Tokyo in the first episode of the series, when the Professor offers her a way out of a desperate moment.[61] The lyrics are in English as the language that came naturally to Krull at the time of writing.[61]

    The Italian anti-fascist song “Bella ciao” plays multiple times throughout the series and accompanies two emblematic key scenes: at the end of the first part the Professor and Berlin sing it in preparation for the heist, embracing themselves as resistance against the establishment,[62] and in the second part it plays during the thieves’ escape from the Mint, as a metaphor for freedom.[63] Regarding the use of the song, Tokyo recounts in one of her narrations, “The life of the Professor revolved around a single idea: Resistance. His grandfather, who had fought against the fascists in Italy, taught him the song, and he taught us.”[63] The song was brought to the show by writer Javier Gómez Santander. He had listened to “Bella ciao” at home to cheer him up, as he had grown frustrated for not finding a suitable song for the middle of part 1.[18] He was aware of the song’s meaning and history and felt it represented positive values.[18] “Bella ciao” became a summer hit in Europe in 2018, mostly due to the popularity of the series and not the song’s grave themes.[

    To  watch 

    Minuri Movie 

    Sky Castle 

    Kingdom 

    Reply 1988 

    Signal 

    My Mister 

    Hospital PlayList 

    Flower of Evil  

    Best Korean Dramas (50 Must Watch) 

    by itaws88 | created – 01 May 2017 | updated – 22 Mar 2019 | Public 

     Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Rye (2016) 

    15 | 60 min | Drama, Fantasy, History 

    Korean melodramatic adaptation of Chinese drama Startling by Each Step (2011) follows a woman who travels back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty of Korea whenever a total eclipse of the sun took place. 

    Stars: Lee Joon-Gi, Ji-eon Lee, Kang Ha-Neal, Nam Joo-Hyuk 

     2. Sangsogjadeul (2013) 

    15 | 55 min | Comedí, Drama, Romance 

    After a chance encounter in LA, two teens from different social backgrounds reunite at an exclusive high school attended by Korea’s Uber rich. 

    Stars: Lee Min-Ho, Park Shin-Hye, Woo-bin Kim, Kim Ji-Won 

    3. Kill Me, Heal Me (2015) 

    15 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

     A love story between the son from a wealthy family who has 7 personalities Cha Do Hyun (Ji Sung) and Oh Ri Jin (Hwang Jung Elum) who becomes his secret psychiatrist. 

    Stars: Seong Ji, Hwang Jeong-elm, Kim Hee-Jung, Shim Hye-jin 

    4. Healer (2014–2015) 

    TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Crime 

    An old murder incident involving a group who ran an illegal broadcasting station brings together different people – a mysterious errand guy “Healer” who possesses disguise and fighting … See full summary » 

    Stars: Ji Chang-Wook, Park Min-Young, Tae-Mi, Jeong Guy-Su 

    6. Oogonium (2013) 

    Tae Gong Sil can see ghosts, but their constant demands of help make her life impossible until she meets Joo Jong Won, handsome CEO that measures everything with money since when she touches him, the ghosts disappear. 

    Stars: Kong Hyo-Jin, So Ji-sob, Seo In-Guk, Yoo-Ri Kim 

    7. Haereul poteen dal (2012) 

    TV-Y | Drama, Fantasy, Romance 

    The story of the secret love between Lee Hwan, a fictional king of Joseon, and Wool, a female shaman. Wool was born as Heo Yeon Woo, the daughter of a noble family who won the love of the … See full summary » 

    Stars: Mi-seen Jeon, Mi-keying Yang, Eung-soo Kim, Eun-Byul 

    8. Boys Over Flowers (2009) 

    TV-14 | 70 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

    Poor girl attends the elite Shin Hwa High and is bullied by the leader of F4 (the four richest boys). He becomes attracted to her; however, she has a crush on his best friend. Whom will she choose? 

    Stars: Ku Hye-Sun, Lee Min-Ho, Kim Hyun-Jong, Kim Bum 

    9. Minami Shiny (2009) 

    15 | 60 min | Comedy, Drama, Music 

    Go Mi-Nya, a girl about to become a nun is asked to cover for her indisposed twin brother, Mi-Nam, who’s on the verge of becoming a k-idol. To do so, she disguises herself as a boy and joins Arnell, a really popular boy band. 

    Stars: Park Shin-Hye, Yong-Hwa, Yong-Hwa Jung, Hong-ki Lee 

    TV-Y | 60 min | Comedy, Romance 

    Love, tradition, and politics collide when a spirited young art student is betrothed to the crown prince of South Korea. 

    Stars: Yun Geun-Hye, Ju Ji-Hoon, Song Ji-Hyo, Bool-am Choi 

    11. Mischievous Kiss (2010) 

    15 | 66 min | Comedy, Romance 

    Fate brings polar opposite high school classmates (one obsessively attracted to the other, the other indifferent to all advances) to live under one roof. Is romance possible? 

    Stars: Jung So-Min, Kim Hyun-Jong, Tae-Sung Lee, Hye-Young Jung 

    12. Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010) 

    TV-Y | 70 min | Comedy, Drama, History 

    In the Joseon era, Kim Yoon-hee masquerades as a boy to earn a living as a book transcriber. Her family’s dire circumstances and the encouragement of a noble’s son finally drive her to attend Shunyuan University, forbidden for females. 

    Stars: Park Min-Young, Yoo-chum Park, Yoo Ah-in, Song Jong-ki 

    13. Ok-tab-bang Wang-se-ja (2012) 

    15 | 65 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance 

    Crown Prince Yi gak finds that he has been transported from Chosun Dynasty to modern-day Seoul. He meets Hong Se Na, who bears a striking resemblance to his dead wife, and is determined to … See full summary » 

    Stars: Woo-Sik Choi, Seok-won Jeong, Yu-mi Jeong, Han Ji-min 

    14. Mai gel (2005–2006) 

    With a perpetually indebted father, Joo Yoo Rin learned to lie on the spot and get herself out of tricky situations, which gets Seal Gong Chan, a rich heir to a company, to hire her to impersonate his long lost cousin. 

    Stars: Lee Da-have, Lee Dong-Wook, Lee Joon-Gi, Si-yeon Park 

    15. Shining Inheritance (2009) 

    15 | 70 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

    After losing her father Go Eunson’s stepmother kicks her and her autistic brother out of the house. Shortly after her brother is kidnapped. Eon-sung now has to look for her brother while also trying to find a job to survive. 

    Stars: Han Hyo-jook, Lee Seung-gi, Moon Chae-Won, Soo-bin Bae 

    16. 마이 프린세스 (2011) 

    15 | 65 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

    Kim Tae-hee plays Lee Seal, an ordinary college student who finds out she’s a princess and the great-granddaughter of Korea’s last Emperor. But life can be complicated for a princess in this funny, quirky melodrama. 

    Stars: Song Seung-Heon, Kim Tae-hee, Park Yeon, Soo-young Ryu 

    17. Angkeumhan Dashingly (2014– ) 

    Na Ae-ra (Lee Min-Jung) and Cha Jung-woo (Joo Sang-wok) got married young. Ae-ra wanted to have steady life but Jung-woo business led them to lots of debt and hard work so she broke off … See full summary » 

    Stars: Lee Min-Jung, Sang-UK Joo, Gyu-Ri, Seo Kang-Joon 

    18. All About My Romance (2013– ) 

    A conservative government party member falls for the feisty young leader of an upstart liberal party in this Korean romantic comedy. 

    Stars: Shin Ha-kin, Lee Min-Jung, Hee-soon Park, Chae-Ah Han 

    19. Protect the Boss (2011) 

    TV-Y | 65 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

    After a long stretch of unemployment, No Eon Seol lands a job as secretary to Cha Ji Heon the youngest son of a rich family. However, her secretary duties go beyond the ordinary, helping her boss cope and function in normal society. 

    Stars: Gi-soo Byion, Hwa-Yeon Cha, Kang-hee Choi, Jeong Gyu-Su 

    0. The King 2 Hearts (2012) 

    15 | 65 min | Action, Drama, Romance 

    The crown prince of South Korea is forced to work alongside a female North Korean military officer. Political and emotional complications lead to an uneasy marriage engagement. 

    Stars: Lee Seung-gi, Ha Ji-Won, Jo Jung-Suk, Jason-Patrick Taylor 

    21. Bool-up Eosin Jungyi (2013– ) 

    15 | Drama, History, Romance 

    A Historical drama about Yoo Jung, also known as Jung Yi, the first female potter in the Joseon Dynasty and regarded as the dojo of Shin taro porcelain. ‘Yoo Jung’ is based on the real … See full summary » 

    Stars: Moon Geun-young, Sang-Yoon Lee, Kim Bum, Keon-Hyeong Park 

    22. Nae Yeojachinguneun Gumshoe (2010) 

    15 | 60 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance 

    Chae Die Wong, an aspiring actor, unwillingly releases a Gumshoe, a legendary nine-tailed fox, from her centuries-old prison. He runs away terrified and ends up injuring himself badly, but she saves his life and asks him to stay by his side. 

    Stars: Shin Min-a, Lee Seung-gi, Min-woo No, Park Soo-Jin 

    23. Naege Geothermally Haebwa (2011) 

    A woman, jealous when her friend steals her first love and marries him, lies that she is married too. The lie ensnares a hotel president who goes along with the lie for his reasons. Will the lie become reality? 

    Stars: Seung-us Ryu, Yun Geun-hye, Yun-hie Jo, Sung Jun 

    24. Un-Myong-Cheol-eom neol sa-rang-hae (2014) 

    TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Romance 

    A touching Korean drama filled with comedy about a girl who finds happiness, friendship, and love in the most unexpected way! 

    Stars: Jang Hyuk, Jang Na-ra, Choi Jin-Hyuk, churl 

    25. Shinai (2012) 

    60 min | Drama, Fantasy, History 

    When the queen-to-be of medieval Korea is badly wounded, Captain Choi Young uses a wormhole to “heaven,” which is 21st-century South Korea, to bring back the spoiled Dr. Yoo Eon-Soo who becomes a pawn in a game of human chess. 

    Stars: Kim Hee-seen, Yoon Kyun-Sang, Lee Min-Ho, Deok-Hwan Ryu 

    26. The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007) 

    15 | 55 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance 

    A tomboy, mistaken for a lad, maintains the deception for the sake of employment. The situation becomes complicated when her male boss begins to develop feelings for this “boy.” 

    Stars: Gong Yoo, Yun Geun-Hye, Sun-Kyun Lee, Jeong-an Chae 

    Story a simple maid that rises high in the royal harem as a consort and, ultimately, mother of the Korean king. 

    SARS: Han Hyo-Joo, Julia Lim, Kim Yoo-Jeong, Da-Min Han 

    28. Love in the Moonlight (2016) 

    The unlikely love story between a crown prince and his eunuch. 

    Stars: Park Bo-Gum, Kim Yoo-Jeong, Chae Soo-bin, Kwak Dong-Yeon 

    29. She Was Pretty (2015) 

    When Ji Sung-Joon was young, he was ugly. As he grew up, he began to have an attractive appearance. When Kim Hye-Jin was young, she was pretty. As she grew up, she became ugly. Ji Sung-Joon tries to find his first love. 

    Stars: Hwang Jeong-elm, Seo Jun Park, Jun-hee Ko, Si Won Choi 

    30. Bimil (2013) 

    A devoted woman makes the ultimate sacrifice for her boyfriend, only to learn that love doesn’t always conquer all. Yoo Jeong (Hwang Jeong Elum) is a sweet, upbeat person who has always … See full summary » 

    Stars: Hwang Jeong-elm, Seong Ji, Soo-bin Bae, Lee Da-hee 

    31. Naemsaereul Boneen Sonyeo (2015) 

    Detective Tae Ho lost his younger sister to a barcode-murder case and lost his ability to taste, smell, and feel pain. He then meets Oh Cho Rim, the only witness to the murder case who possesses a special sense: she can see smells. 

    Stars: Yoo-chum Park, Shin Se-Kyung, Jin-Seo Yoon, Min Nakong 

    32. Sesang Eddied Eobneun Chakhan Namja (2012) 

    Kang Ma-Ru is a promising medical student until he takes the blame for a crime he didn’t commit. When he finds an opportunity for revenge, he takes it, using Seo Eon-Gi. Ma-Ru soon … See full summary » 

    Stars: Song Jong-ki, Moon Chae-Won, Si-Yeon Park, Kwang-Soo Lee 

    33. Descendants of the Sun (2016) 

    TV-14 | 60 min | Action, Comedy, Drama 

    This drama tells of the love story that develops between a surgeon and a special forces officer. 

    Stars: Song Jong-ki, Song Hye-Kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-Won 

    34. Haideu, Jail, Na (2015) 

    Koo Seo-Jin (Hyun-Bin) has two different personalities. One of his personalities is cold like Hyde and the other is sweet like Jekyll. 

    Stars: Hyun Bin, Han Ji-min, Hee-Sung Kwak, Hyerim 

    35. O Ma-i Bi-neo-seu (2015–2016) 

    A lawyer in her thirties coming out of a long relationship decides to regain her figure and health after meeting a renowned personal trainer who obsesses with leading a healthy lifestyle after suffering a serious injury in his childhood. 

    Stars: So Ji-sob, Shin Min-a, Sung Hoon, Yoo In-young 

    36. Secret Garden (2010–2011) 

    A rich young CEO falls for a poor stuntwoman despite class differences, cultural traditions, and the man’s firmly objecting mother. 

    Stars: Ha Ji-Won, Hyun Bin, Yoon Sang-Hyun, Sa-rang Kim 

    37. Gamy eon (2015) 

    Ji-sook facing a hard time because of her father’s debts and begin being chased by moneylenders. When a series of things happen Ji-sook has to live with Eon Ha’s identity (a Woman from an elite family) because she looks exactly like Eon Ha. 

    Stars: Soo Ae, Ju Ji-Hoon, Jeong-Hun Yeon, Yoo In-young 

    38. Chongriwa Na (2013– ) 

    At 42-years-old, Kwon Yolo (Lee Beom Soo) is South Korea’s youngest prime minister ever. On top of his reputation of being an honest man of the utmost integrity, he’s also a widower who … See full summary » 

    Stars: Im Yoon-ah, us, Yoon Shi-Yoon, Jeong-an Chae 

    39. Pool ha-woo-sue (2004) 

    TV-14 | 60 min | Comedy, Romance 

    In a bid to reacquire her childhood home, a free-spirited woman agrees to a sham marriage with a selfish actor. Their daily lives are complicated by overlapping love triangles and comic misadventures. 

    Stars: Song Hye-Kyo, Rain, Eun-Jeong, Seong-su Kim 

    40. Kawagoe (2005– ) 

    Chun-Hyang is smart and sassy and becomes involved with good-looking Mongering. His first love Chae-rim enters the picture. An older man, Hak-do, pursues her. Will they find their way back to each other? 

    Stars: Chae-young Han, Hee Jae, Tae-wooing Edom, Si-Eun Park 

    41. Mary Stayed Out All Night (2010) 

    Wi Mae Ri is the cheerful, pragmatic daughter of a failed businessman who had grown used to being constantly on the move to escape from loan sharks. She becomes fast friends with the … See full summary » 

    Stars: Moon Geun-young, Hyo-Jin, Kim Jae-Wook, Hyo-jin Kim 

    42. City Hunter (2011) 

    Lee Yun-song was trained by his father’s best friend to get revenge on the government for killing everyone in his father’s unit. 

    Stars: Lee Min-Ho, Park Min-Young, Sang-Jung Kim, Ho-jin Chun 

    43. Neon Neace Banhaesseo (2011) 

    A series of misunderstandings causes Lee Shin, the cocky leader of “The Stupid” and Lee Guy-won, a student majoring in Traditional Korean Music to start on the wrong foot. Until she sees him performing live, and is immediately captivated. 

    Stars: Yong-Hwa Jung, Park Shin-Hye, Chang-up Song, Yi-Hyeon So 

    44. Aenggeurimam (2015) 

    This drama is about Jo Gang-JA, a mother who was known as a tough girl in high school. Her daughter Ah-ran is bullied at school and when Gang-JA finds out, she makes it her responsibility … See full summary » 

    Stars: Kim Hee-seen, Kim Yoo-Jeong, Hyun-Woo Ji, Ji Soo 

    45. Nae mi-eum-i deul-li-da (2011–) 

    Can You Hear My Heart features Hallyu stars Kim Jae Won, Hwang Jung Elum, and Nam Goong Min in this romantic drama that shows us love in defiance of physical limitations? Dong Joo (played by … See full summary » 

    Stars: Jae-won Kim, Hwang Jeong-elm, Min Namkoong, Lee Hye-yeong 

    46. Jang Ok-Jung, Sarang-e Salda (2013) 

    Life Of Jang Ok Jung, Later Known as Jang Hee Bin, was one of the most famous Concubines of The Joseon Dynasty who was known for her hunger for power. 

    Stars: Kim Tae-hee, Yoo Ah-in, Geon-Ju Lee, Soo-Hyun Hong 

    47. Marriage Contract (2016) 

    Ji-Hoon (Lee Seo-Jin) has a cynical personality due to his family background. Even though he comes from a rich family, his mother had an affair with a married man and they had Ji-Hoon. From… See full summary » 

    Stars: Seo-jin Lee, Kim You-Jin, Yoo-Ri Kim, Kim Kwang-guy 

    48. Won-deo-pool la-i-pea (2005– ) 

    The story of Xu Tian who suffers big blows both in his love and work life. When he decides to leave America, where he has been living for 10 years and returns to his home country, luck is not on his side. 

    Stars: Frank Powers, Jun-yong Choi, Eun-Jeong, Hyeon Ju 

    49. Dream High (2011–2012) 

    Dream High tells the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars in the Korean music industry. Go Hye Mi is a student who sings … See full summary » 

     J.Y. Park, Jin-won Jung, Ji-eon Lee, Kim Soo-Hyun 

    50. Personal Taste (2010) 

    The surprise hit of 2010, Personal Taste (aka Personal Preference) garnered high ratings and a huge fanbase in a comedy that proves true love is found in the most unlikely places. Quirky … See full summary » 

    Stars: Son Ye-jin, Lee Min-Ho, Nam-Gil Kim, Ji-Seok Kim 

    The Taeyang Corporation is the largest conglomerate in South Korea. The family that runs Taeyang has been under a curse for hundred years that the first bride of the eldest son will always … See full summary » 

    Stars: Jin-Sung Yang, Hong-ki Lee, Jung-Hee Nam 

    D-P

     

    D.P. (2021)

    comment:  a very gripping  look at the  Korean military  life and what led so many people to desert the abusive condictions  they experience.   the Korean government has announced that they are dismantling the DP unit  but insisted that this  drama had anything to do with that decision.   Ha!

    Screenwriter

    Main Role

    Support Role

    Guest Role

    Park Seo Joon is now confirmed to advance to Hollywood with the upcoming movie “The Marvels.”

    The end

     

     

  • Review of  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Series

    Review of  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Series

    Cosmos Books Read 2020

    RevisedMovies Seen 2021

    Cosmos’s Reading List 2021

    Review of  Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Series

    One of the most interesting and unique books I have read recently is the “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” series.  There were six books in the series

    miss pergrine
    miss pergrines

    https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/Miss_Peregrine_Film_Poster.jpg

    https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1935859/mediaindex

     

     

     

     

    A sequel, titled Hollow City, was released on January 14, 2014.[13] The novel is set immediately after the first and sees Jacob and his friends fleeing from Miss Peregrines to the “peculiar capital of the world”, London.[14]

    The third installment in Miss Peregrine’s series, titled Library of Souls, was announced in early 2015.[15] It was released on September 22, 2015.[15]

    A Map of Days, the first installment of a new trilogy set in the United States and featuring the main protagonists from the original trilogy, was released on October 2, 2018, by Dutton Books for Young Readers (a division of Penguin Group).[16]

    On January 14, 2020, the fifth installment, The Conference of the Birds, was released.

    On February 23, 2021, the sixth and final book of the second trilogy, The Desolations of Devil’s Acre, was released.

    And there was a movie version, with Samuel L Jackson as the main villain.

    alma peregrine
    alma peregrine

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The books all follow a similar pattern.  Old fake photos are interspersed throughout the books illustrating key people and events.

    The original idea was to write a children’s book featuring the old photos and the story that photos told.

    The series is somewhat like the Harry Potter series, a young man discovers a secret hidden world that he is a part of and he is destined for great things.  The series unfolds as a grand battle between good and evil with the future of not only the peculiar world at fate but the entire world.  It is also somewhat like the X files.  Mutant children are hidden away at boarding schools hidden in time loops to protect them from prosecution in the larger world.  The leaders of the peculiar world are women who are also part birds.

    The main villain,  Caul, is the sister of the main Ymbryn bird lady, Alma Peregrine.  He intends to enslave all of pecurliardom and then enslave the normal as well.  Her wards play a decisive role in the eventual defeat of Cual and his army of wrights, and hollogasts – who are terrifying creatures both in the book and in the movie.

    How they defeat them I will leave the reader to read about as I don’t want to spoil the book or movie.

    I disagree with the critics of the movie.  The average rating was 3 out of 4, I might give it a 4 out of 4. The movie version is pretty close to the book and is one of the better adaptations of a book I have seen.  I hope they make a sequel.

    All in all, one of the most original, inventive, and yes terrifying young adult SF horror series I have read in years.

    Wiki details follow

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Jump to navigationJump to search

    For the film based on the novel, see Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (film).

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
    Cover photograph courtesy of Yefim Tobias
    Author Ransom Riggs
    Country United States
    Language English
    Genre Young adult literature, fantasy
    Publisher Quirk Books
    Published in English June 7, 2011
    Media type Print, e-book, audiobook
    Pages 352 pp.
    ISBN 978-1-59474-476-1
    OCLC 664668604
    Followed by Hollow City 

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a contemporary fantasy debut novel by American author Ransom Riggs. The story is told through a combination of narrative and a mix of vernacular and found photography from the personal archives of collectors listed by the author.

    This young adult book was originally intended to be a picture book featuring photographs Riggs had collected, but on the advice of an editor at Quirk Books, he used the photographs as a guide from which to put together a narrative.[1][2] Riggs was a collector of photographs but needed more for his novel. He met Leonard Lightfoot, a well-known collector at the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and was introduced to other collectors.[3] The result was a story about a boy who follows clues from his grandfather’s old photographs, tales, and his grandfather’s last words which lead him on an adventure that takes him to a large abandoned orphanage on Cairnholm, a fictional Welsh island.[2]

    The book has been a New York Times bestseller.[1][4] It reached the #1 spot on the Children’s Chapter Books list on April 29, 2012, after being on the list for 45 weeks,[5] remaining there until May 20, when it dropped to the fourth spot on the list.[6][7][8] Critics have generally praised the book for the creative use of vintage photographs in the sepia style and surrealist form, as well as good characterization and settings.

    Contents

    Plot[edit]

    As a child, Jacob Magellan Portman has been fascinated with his grandfather Abraham’s stories about surviving as a Jew during World War II, running from man-eating monsters, and living with peculiar children in a secret home guarded by “a wise old bird”. As Jacob grows older, he begins to doubt the stories until the arrival of his grandfather’s death. Blood-strewn, exhausted, and lying in his back garden on the outskirts of Florida Woods, Abraham’s last words are a mystery: “…find the bird in the loop on the other side of the old man’s grave on September 3, 1940, and tell them what happened.” As his grandfather dies, Jacob catches sight of a horrific monster just like the ones described in Abraham’s stories. Soon, he starts experiencing trauma and being plagued with nightmares relating to those monsters. Believing their son to be going crazy, Jacob’s parents take him to Dr. Golan, a psychiatrist, who suggests that Jacob go to Cairnholm, Wales, the location of his grandfather’s children’s home to confront the place of his trauma. On his own, Jacob locates and explores the old house only to find it empty and everything caked in dust. According to the local people, the place is haunted and a bomb had killed all its inhabitants many years ago, on September 3, 1940.

    Sensing a connection, Jacob refuses to give up and returns to the house one more time, where he encounters a mysterious girl who can conjure fire with her hands whom he follows, trying to question her after hearing her call out his grandfather’s name. They reach the bogs surrounding the house before Jacob realizes that the people of Cairnholm are different, including the patrons at the inn and his father isn’t there. Luckily, a confused Jacob is rescued by the girl from before and an invisible boy, who introduce themselves as Emma Bloom and Millard Nulling’s respectively. A suspicious Emma holds him captive and brings him to the children’s home, where he finds it magically transformed to the paradise of his grandfather’s stories, complete with the peculiar children and the “wise old bird”, who is, in fact, the headmistress Miss Alma LeMay Peregrine (named after that well-known raptorial bird of prey the peregrine falcon).

    There Jacob is also introduced to other peculiar children apart from Emma and Millard: Bronwyn Bruntley, a girl with incredible strength, Claire Densmore, a little girl with an extra mouth at the back of her head, Olive Abroholos Elephanta, a little girl who can levitate, Enoch O’Connor, a boy who can animate non-living things for a short amount of time by transplanting organs, Hugh Apiston, a boy with bees living in his stomach, Fiona Frauenfeld, a girl with an affinity for growing plants, and Horace Somnusson, a boy with prophetic dreams. Jacob is shocked and befuddled by the state of the place, so Olive and Millard explain that they are currently existing in a time loop, a place where time is constantly reversed and where they all relive the same day every day, September 3, 1940. This is all thanks to Miss Peregrine, a special type of peculiar being known as a ymbryne, one who can shapeshift into birds (namely a peregrine falcon after which she is named) and manipulate time. Apart from keeping them alive (if not the bomb would have killed them), this time loop also protects the peculiar children from being hunted by hollowgast — humanoid, tentacle-mouthed creatures that devour peculiars. That experiment occurred in the Siberian tundra, which was marked by a cataclysmic explosion, and from there the hollowgast was born. In addition to hollowgast being a threat, hollows who have consumed enough peculiars are evolved into wights, beings who resemble humans in every aspect save their eyes, which have no pupils. These wights’ ultimate goal is to gain power from the peculiars, as well as morph every one of their fellow hollowgast into wights that will rule the world.

    Soon, Miss Peregrine’s former mentor Miss Avocet arrives at the loop mad with grief over the kidnapping of her wards to wights, who have executed their plan of raiding loops. Fearing for the children’s safety, Jacob is tasked with the job of reporting any suspicious information going on in the outside world. With his comings and goings, Jacob and Emma begin to develop feelings for each other, as well as get a glimpse into his peculiar self: he can see the hollows while other peculiars can’t, just like his grandfather. Miss Peregrine’s fears are confirmed when eyeless sheep bodies begin to pile up, and Martin, a worker in the Cairnholm Local Museum, is killed. Going against Miss Peregrine’s orders to not leave the house, Enoch, Bronwyn, Emma, Jacob, and Millard escape, and Enoch uses a sheep heart to briefly bring Martin back to life. Martin manages to inform the group of the presence of a wight on the island, but by then it is too late as one appears right behind them along with a hollow companion. To Jacob’s shock, he reveals himself to be Dr. Golan, as well as Jacob’s family’s hired lawn gardener, and Jacob’s middle school bus driver. Jacob refuses Golan’s offer to join him in finding peculiars and decides to stay with his friends. Golan sends his hollow after the group, and Emma and Jacob split up from the rest. After a brief scuffle, Jacob kills it with a pair of sheep shears. They make their way back to the orphanage, but discover that Golan has kidnapped Miss Peregrine and Miss Avocet and locked the rest of the children in the house.

    Dr. Golan warns them not to attempt to rescue Miss Peregrine and leaves the loop, but Millard manages to sneak out invisibly and follow him. Jacob and his friends follow Millard’s tracks and find Golan near a lighthouse trying to catch a boat with his other wight comrades. During the process of saving Miss Peregrine, who is trapped in her bird form, Millard is wounded from a gunshot, but Golan is ultimately killed by Jacob. Just then, the other wights arrive and even though they can rescue Miss Peregrine, Miss Avocet is taken away. Returning to the orphanage, they find it destroyed, leaving them having to track down the wights and discover how to help Miss Peregrine. It is then Jacob decides to follow his friends and returns to the present to say goodbye to his father, but promises to return when his mission is finished. Guided by only a prophetic dream from Horace, they set sail to find help.

    Peculiardom[edit]

    Peculiars[edit]

    Otherwise known as synergist (a word meaning “peculiar spirit” in the Old Peculiar language, which is, in turn, the author’s adaptation of Old English, or Anglo-Saxon language), peculiar folk are a branch of humanity possessing a second soul which manifests itself in strange ways such as abnormal characteristics and abilities commonly referred to as peculiarities. Very rarely are peculiar children born to peculiar parents as the essence or gene of peculiarity often skips entire generations, making peculiar populations vastly less than that normal people.

    Ymbrynes[edit]

    A ymbryne (pronounced IMM-brinn) is a specific kind of female peculiar who can transform into distinct birds, control and manipulate time as she sees fit, and govern the peculiar world. Most essentially, the ability to control time lets these women possess a period of historical time by looping it, creating a potentially eternal sanctuary for peculiars. They often set out into the present-day world to rescue peculiars in dire situations or to search for those without a ymbryne. Ymbryne means “revolution” or “circuit” in Old Peculiar.

    Council of Ymbrynes[edit]

    The Council of Ymbrynes is the official government and law of peculiardom. Their responsibilities include the maintenance of loop order, the writing or amending of laws regularly, and the determination of sentences for those convicted of a crime. Members are not specified.

    Time loops[edit]

    Time loops are the fabric of the peculiar world, often referred to as peculiardom. Similar to towns, cities, states, and countries, they act as specific locations. Together they create a vast and quite complex world of varying whereabouts and dates only peculiars can enter. Within these loops, peculiars live indefinitely without aging or reliving previous experiences, even as the day around them repeats itself. While it may appear to be a form of eternal youth, it is the suspension of time inevitable. In reality, many, if not all, of Miss Peregrine’s children are over fifty years old, but the loop detains them as teenagers and small children physically and mentally. A loop must be reset daily or it will collapse, leaving all peculiars within it exposed to the outside world.

    Aging forward[edit]

    As a result of time loops, those who reside in them may not be able to return to the present day, depending on how long they’ve been there. In a mere matter of hours outside of the loop, the amount of time evaded will catch up. An example of this is Miss Peregrine’s former ward, a young girl named Charlotte who left the loop while Miss Peregrine was away. She was discovered by police in the mid-1980s and sent to a welfare agency. When Miss Peregrine found her just two days later, she’d already aged thirty-five years. Although she survived the ordeal, the unnatural aging process had caused Charlotte a great deal of mental disorder, and she was sent to live with Miss Nightjar, a ymbryne more suited for her care. The same process of deterioration applies to anything taken out of time loops as another instance was an apple Jacob took back to the inn where he and his father were staying in the present day. He left it on the nightstand next to his bed as he fell asleep that night, but by morning, found it had rotted to the point of disintegrating.

    Hollowgast[edit]

    A word meaning “empty spirit”. The hollowgast are monsters who feed on peculiars. They were created by a freak accident in an unethical and illegal experiment conducted by Miss Peregrine’s two brothers. Hundreds had joined their cause, and with the aid of misguided but powerful ymbrynes, it was intended to achieve immortality without the limitations of time loops. Instead, it led to a catastrophic collapse that destroyed half of Siberia where the experiment took place. Everyone involved was presumed dead, but their corpses became deformed and crawled back to a lesser, animalistic state of life. Apart from their shadows, hollows are invisible to all but a gifted few including Abraham and Jacob Portman. They are also identified by the groups of large tentacle-like tongues that occupy their grotesquely stretched mouths. It is speculated that this outcome was the result of being reverse-aged to a time before their souls existed, thus the word hollowgast. Their souls having been erased, hollows possess no form of peculiarity, rendering them unable to enter time loops.

    Wights[edit]

    If a hollow consumes enough peculiar souls, its original human form is restored, except irises and pupils leaving the eyes entirely white. Because of this, peculiars refer to these evolved creatures as wights. They possess no extraordinary abilities but are highly skilled in posing as normal people under multiple identities and can even pass into time loops. Much of their existence revolves around procuring peculiars for remaining hollows to devour. Once they set their eyes on a peculiar child, they will follow them around, as they did with Jacob to the island.

    Characters[edit]

    Peculiar children[edit]

    • Jacob Magellan Portman— A 16-year-old American teenager and the protagonist of the story. Jacob becomes subject to acute stress reaction after witnessing his grandfather’s death and claiming that a monster from his grandfather’s childhood stories had killed him. Everyone he knows begins to consider him crazy and avoids him. His parents eventually take him to see a psychiatrist, on whose instruction Jacob’s dad takes him on a trip to the Welsh island where his grandfather grew up. There, Jacob discovers that the stories of a magical orphanage and both peculiar children and the monster are real. He also learns that the ability to see these monsters is an extremely rare peculiarity as they are invisible to all but a few like himself.
    • Abraham Portman— Abraham was Jacob’s grandfather who also had the peculiarity of seeing the monsters. He left Miss Peregrine’s loop as a young man to join both the war against Germany and the war against the hollowgast, promising to make a home in America for his fellow peculiars. But having started a family of his own during his time in the normal world, he never went back for them. Despite this, he was still pressured into eradicating hollows, resulting in long, frequent hunting trips away from his wife and two children, a secret which they took as careless neglect. Over the years, Abraham became a near-stranger to everyone he knew and, in his old age, was killed by one of the very monsters he had fought so valiantly to defeat. Police simply concluded that dementia and an attack by wild animals were the cause of his death.
    • Emma Bloom— Emma is a teenager under Miss Peregrine’s care. Her peculiarity manifested in her hands when she was ten years old. They began to glow red, becoming painfully hot to the point of generating fire. Emma had a romantic relationship with Abraham which they maintained even as he went to war until he stopped responding to her letters. After years without replying, Abraham finally wrote her back simply to tell her he could no longer do so because he’d married another woman. Emma became heartbroken and bitter but still mourned him upon learning of his death when his grandson Jacob arrived in Miss Peregrine’s time loop. Although she treated Jacob harshly at first, their mutual sorrow for Abraham started a deeply sincere relationship between them.
    • Millard Nullings— Millard is a young adolescent possessing the peculiarity of invisibility which is said to be quite uncommon. He chooses to go about nude to stay fully invisible but wears clothes at supper on Miss Peregrine’s orders. He is also exceptionally well-versed in all things peculiar and, as a hobby, spends much of his time documenting every little detail of the day they live in.
    • Bronwyn Bruntley— A young adolescent possessing super-human strength, Bronwyn is also kindhearted and a loyal friend. She respects and obeys Miss Peregrine more than her fellow wards do, often correcting them and citing rules they’re meant to follow, mostly in fear of anyone getting in trouble. The only occasions for which she refuses to cooperate are when she is made to dress lady-like. Before Miss Peregrine took her and her older brother Victor in, Bronwyn discovered her strength at the age of ten when she snapped their abusive stepfather’s neck without actually meaning to.
    • Enoch O’Connor— A young adolescent with the ability to resurrect the dead and bring inanimate objects to life for a limited time by using the extracted organs of other living things. Enoch was born to a family of undertakers and, before moving into time loops, caused tremendous confusion by frequently bringing the dead to life at his father’s funeral parlor. He is the least liked of Miss Peregrine’s wards as the others are put off by his selfish behavior, negative thinking, and obsession with violence. His previous ymbryne was never specified, nor were his reasons for relocating to Miss Peregrine’s loop.
    • Olive Abroholos Elephanta— Olive is the second youngest to Claire and comes across as quite giddy and openly friendly. Her peculiarity renders her lighter than air, making her float freely like a balloon. She has barely any control over it and must always be weighed down or bound to something to keep from floating away. Her most routine means is a pair of heavy leaden shoes.
    • Hugh Apiston— Hugh is a teenager with bees living in his stomach. His peculiarity allows him to communicate with them and command them. He is in love with Fiona.
    • Horace Somnusson— Horace is a young adolescent capable of having prophetic dreams, albeit very scarcely. They occur most often as nightmares of events so horrifying, they tend to throw him into bouts of shock. He can be quite a snob and is an extremely passionate follower of fashion, commonly seen in a suit and tie with a top hat and monocle.
    • Fiona Frauenfeld— Fiona is a teenager possessing power over plants. Her peculiarity allows her to manipulate their life and growth and control their movements. She speaks with a thick Irish accent, though she rarely speaks at all, and has a romantic, symbiotic relationship with Hugh.
    • Claire Densmore— The youngest of all Miss Peregrine’s wards, Claire also possesses the most grotesque peculiarity in their midst: a second mouth in the back of her head with sharp teeth, hidden beneath her blonde curls. She is typically cheerful but becomes shy and self-conscious when made to dine with others.
    • Victor Bruntley— Miss Peregrine once had many more peculiars under her care, many of whom were killed by the hollowgast, including Bronwyn’s older brother Victor. Like Bronwyn, Victor possessed immense physical strength. He left during the loop’s early days, claiming he couldn’t stand being trapped there; it was a reckless decision that led to his demise. Until his burial when the loop closed, his lifeless body had remained at Miss Peregrine’s home, locked away in his bedroom and neatly laid to rest in bed. Some of the children would occasionally sneak in and have Enoch resurrect him, though he always seemed to be in a rush to get back to the afterlife.
    • The Twins— The Twins appear as two short children, wearing sacks on their heads that have holes for the eyes, however without their masks, they have pale gray, scaly skin with gray serpentine eyes and fangs. Not much is known about Twin’s personalities, besides the fact that they are shy and quiet because they do not speak to anyone besides each other. Not too much is known about their peculiarity, but in the movie, they were capable of turning a Wight into stone with just a glare, similar to Medusa in Greek Mythology. It was believed in the book they had a telepathic bond.

    Ymbrynes[edit]

    All ymbrynes take on last names which correspond to the type of bird into which they can shapeshift (e.g., Miss Peregrine can turn into a peregrine falcon).

    • Alma LeFay Peregrine— Miss Peregrine is a highly skilled ymbryne and the headmistress of her children’s-home. She is a delicate woman who enjoys smoking a pipe and adores her charges, though she can be strict at times. At a very young age, she learned to hone her peculiarity as a student under Miss Avocet. Miss Peregrine’s loop is located on the fictional island of Cairnholm, Wales, on September 3, 1940, though it’s September 2 for the first few hours.
    • Esmerelda Avocet— Miss Avocet is an elderly and wise woman from the mid-Victorian period in England. Having taught most notable ymbrynes to master their craft, she is regarded as near-royalty. Her loop is in Derbyshire on July 15, 1867, but it was invaded by wights and hollowgast, forcing her to flee to Miss Peregrine’s loop.
    • Miss Nightjar— Miss Nightjar takes in difficult cases of peculiars. One such case being Miss Peregrine’s former ward, Charlotte. Miss Nightjar’s loop is in Swansea, Wales on April 3, 1901, and is co-run by Miss Thrush.
    • Miss Finch— Miss Finch has an aunt who is also a ymbryne but prefers to stay in finch Their loop is based in London, but the date is not stated.
    • Millicent Thrush— Miss Thrush has a loop in London and is headmistress of a children’s home there but also co-runs Miss Nightjar’s special-care home.
    • Miss Kestrel— Possibly a rather historical ymbryne. Enoch mentions an old story of her being injured in a road accident. The incident is said to have trapped her in the form of a kestrel for an entire week, leading to the collapse of her loop before she healed. Location and date are not stated.
    • Balenciaga Wren— Miss Wren is the headmistress of a menagerie for peculiar animals. Her loop is based in mainland Wales in a much older, unknown time.
    • Miss Gannett— Miss Gannett has a loop in Ireland, in June of 1770.
    • Miss Treecreeper— Miss Peregrine mentions her name but doesn’t remember where or when her loop is based.

    Non-peculiars[edit]

    • Franklin Portman— Jacob’s father, Frank, is an unemployed, amateur ornithologist who volunteers at a bird rescue and likes to pass it off as his job. He also spends much of his time writing manuscripts for nature books, though he’s never completed one, giving up on his every project midway. His whole life, he’s had a rather rough relationship with his father, Abraham, as he was rarely around. Frank is very protective of his son but understands his need for room to grow and learn on his own.
    • Maryann Portman— Maryann is Jacob’s obsessively materialistic mother and Franklin’s wife. She comes from a wealthy family that owns a drugstore company with one hundred and fifteen branches across the state of Florida. While she loves her son and is immensely protective of him, she tends to be more concerned about public image and what people think of them.
    • Golan— Dr. Golan was one of the many peculiars who supported and participated in the disastrous experiment that created the hollowgast. He is among those who have reached the state of being a wight, a term he disowns as “their word.” He is a licensed psychiatrist and, to uncover information on Miss Peregrine’s loop, has been stalking the Portman family for years under many a guise including their yardman, Jacob’s middle school bus driver Mr. Barron, and ultimately himself when Jacob begins seeing him for therapy.
    • Malthus— Malthus was once a peculiar and an old friend of Dr. Golan’s who also joined the rebellion against the ymbrynes, dying by the results of the experiment designed to overthrow them and reemerging a hollow. He now travels with the restored Golan, devouring peculiars as they discover time loops. For reasons not specified, Golan allowed him to kill Abraham before they could learn the location of Miss Peregrine’s loop. From then on, Malthus haunted Jacob, keeping a vigil on him day and night.
    • Martin Pagett— Martin is a part-time but knowledgeable and well-spoken curator of a small museum on Cairnholm, though due to the island’s sparse renown and low tourist appeal, they rarely see any patronage. He strikes up a bond with Jacob, giving him a rundown of Cairnholm’s s history and assisting him in learning how the children’s home was destroyed. Martin plays an unwitting but vital role in discovering Malthus and Dr. Golan on the island.
    • Oggie— Oggie is Martin’s uncle, whom he introduces to Jacob to help him learn more about the fallen children’s home. Elderly and gruff but still sharp of wit, Oggie recalls the strange children and their reclusive headmistress and recounts the bombing in detail, occasionally veering off into rants on the weather and politics. Though he longed to fight for his country, he was too young then and merely watched it all take place.
    • Susan Portman— Susan is Frank’s younger sister and Jacob’s aunt. While going through Abraham’s possessions with them after his passing, she found his copy of The Selected Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and that he had written a brief well-wish to Jacob on the title page. When she gives it to him on his birthday, Jacob unwittingly discovers a letter from Miss Peregrine when it fell out from between the pages.
    • Ricky— Ricky is described as Jacob’s best and only friend, though their relationship is more of a deal for personal benefit: in exchange for Jacob helping Ricky with his homework, Ricky acts as Jacob’s bodyguard at school.

    Reception[edit]

    Miss Peregrine’s spent seventy weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list for children’s chapter books. It reached the number one spot on the list on April 29, 2012, after being on the list for forty-five weeks.[5] It remained there until 20 May, when it dropped to the fourth spot on the list.[6][7][8] The book dropped off the list on September 9, 2012, after sixty-three weeks.[9][10]

    According to Deborah Netburn for the Los Angeles Times, the best part of the novel is “a series of black-and-white photos sprinkled throughout the book”.[11] Publishers Weekly called the book “an enjoyable, eccentric read distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”[12]

    Sequels[edit]

    A sequel, titled Hollow City, was released on January 14, 2014.[13] The novel is set immediately after the first and sees Jacob and his friends fleeing from Miss Peregrines to the “peculiar capital of the world”, London.[14]

    The third installment in Miss Peregrine’s series, titled Library of Souls, was announced in early 2015.[15] It was released on September 22, 2015.[15]

    A Map of Days, the first installment of a new trilogy set in the United States and featuring the main protagonists from the original trilogy, was released on October 2, 2018, by Dutton Books for Young Readers (a division of Penguin Group).[16]

    On January 14, 2020, the fifth installment, The Conference of the Birds, was released.

    On February 23, 2021, the sixth and final book of the second trilogy, The Desolations of Devil’s Acre, was released.

    Adaptations[edit]

    Graphic novel[edit]

    An original graphic novel adaptation by Cassandra Jean and Ransom Riggs called Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children: The Graphic Novel was released in October 2013.[17]

    Film[edit]

    Main article: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (film)

    A film adaptation of the book was released in the United States on September 30, 2016. It was directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Jane Goldman.[18] Eva Green played Miss Peregrine in the film, along with Asa Butterfield as Jacob,[19] and Ella Purnell as Emma Bloom.

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (film)

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculair Children, directed by Tim Burton and written by Jane Goldman, based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Ransom Riggs. The film stars Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Chris O’Dowd, Allison Janney, Rupert Everett, Terence Stamp, Ella Purnell, Judi Dench, and Samuel L. Jackson.

    Filming began in February 2015 in London and the Tampa Bay Area. The film premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, on September 25, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on September 30, 2016, by 20th Century Fox.[5] It received mixed reviews and grossed $296 million worldwide against a production budget of $110 million.

    Plot[edit]

    Abe Portman has told stories to his grandson Jake about battling monsters and spending his childhood at “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” at Cairnholm, an island off the coast of Wales. The home’s children and their headmistress, Miss Alma Peregrine, possess paranormal abilities and are known as “Peculiars”. One day, Jake finds Abe dying with his eyes removed, and he tells Jake to go to “the loop of September 3, 1943”.

    Following advice from Dr. Golan, Jake travels to the United Kingdom to go to Cairnholm with his father Frank to investigate the children’s home, learning that it was destroyed during a Luftwaffe raid. Upon entering the ruins, Jake finds children from Abe’s stories. They take him through a portal and he emerges in the year 1943 when the house was still intact. Miss Peregrine greets him and explains that she belongs to a class of female Peculiars named “Ymbrynes”, who can transform into birds (in Miss Peregrine’s case, a peregrine falcon) and manipulate time. To avoid persecution for being Peculiars, she and her children hide from the outside world in a time loop she created, accessible only to Peculiars and set to September 3, 1943, allowing them to live the same day repeatedly and avoid aging as long as they stay inside it.

    Jake is introduced to the rest of the children, including aerokinetic Emma Bloom, who he is attracted to. Jake learns he is also a Peculiar like his grandfather and can see the invisible monsters from Abe’s stories, which are called “Hollowgasts” (or “Hollows”). They are disfigured Peculiar scientists who killed a Ymbryne in a failed experiment to harvest her powers trying to achieve immortality. Led by shapeshifter Mr. Barron, they hunt Peculiars to consume their eyeballs, which allow them to regain visibly human form, but with milky-white eyes, named “Wights”.

    A wounded Ymbryne named Miss Avocet arrives, explaining Barron assaulted her in the January 2016 time loop at Blackpool, England, killing her children, and is trying to repeat the failed experiment using more Ymbrynes. Miss Peregrine prepares to move out with her children and Miss Avocet, after learning from Jake that a Hollow may be on the island in the present after sheep were killed. Jake returns to 2016, but finding an elderly man killed by the Hollow, he goes back to the portal to warn them the Hollow is near. However, he is followed by another visitor on the island, an ornithologist who is Mr. Barron.

    Barron had tried to extract the location of Ms. Peregrine’s loop from Abe, but he’s hungry Hollow companion, Mr. Malthus (the one on the island), killed Abe before he could do so. He then posed as Dr. Golan, encouraging Jake to go to the island so he could lead him to the loop. Using Jake as a hostage at the children’s home, Barron forces Miss Peregrine to trap herself in bird form and takes her to Blackpool, leaving Jake, the other children, and Miss Avocet as prey for Malthus.

    Malthus arrives and kills Miss Avocet, but Jake and the children escape just as the Luftwaffe raid destroys the house, killing Malthus. Without Miss Peregrine to reset it, the loop closes, leaving them stuck in 1943. Rescuing a sunken ocean liner, they travel to Blackpool and enter its January 2016 loop, fight Barron’s Wight and Hollow allies, and rescue Miss Peregrine and other captive Ymbrynes. Barron disguises himself as Jake, hoping to confuse the children who have come to finish him off. But when the last remaining Hollow arrives, Jake can see and avoid it. The Hollow kills Barron and is in turn killed by Jake.

    Before the time loop closes, Jake says goodbye to the children as they exit and return to their ship in 1943 while he stays in 2016, travels to Florida, and relates his adventures to Abe, who is alive and well: Barron’s death at the beginning of 2016 erased his presence in Florida later on. Abe gives Jake a map of international time loops, allowing Jake to reunite with his friends and Emma in 1943. They declare their feelings for each other and kiss. The children and Miss Peregrine sail their ship, seeking a happy time loop.

    Cast[edit]

    Peculiars[edit]

    Peculiar adults[edit]

    • Eva Greenas Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine, the strict but clever and caring Ymbryne headmistress of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children who can transform into a peregrine falcon and manipulate time[6]
    • Terence Stampas Abe Portman, Jake’s grandfather who can see the invisible Hollows
      • Callum Wilson as young Abe[7][8]
    • Judi Denchas Miss Esmeralda Avocet, the Ymbryne headmistress of another shelter for Peculiar Children in Blackpool. Like Miss Peregrine, Miss Avocet can manipulate time; she can transform into an avocet.

    Peculiar children[edit]

    • Asa Butterfieldas Jake Portman, a 16-year-old American teenager, and Abe’s grandson. He visits Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and is given, by Miss Peregrine, the task/promise of protecting the children. Like his grandfather, Jake can see the invisible Hollows.
      • Butterfield also portrays Mr. Barron’s disguised as Jake[9]
      • Aiden Flowersas 10-year-old Jake
      • Nicholas Oteri as 6-year-old Jake
    • Ella Purnellas Emma Bloom, an aerokinetic teenager who can manipulate air and can breathe underwater by creating liquid bubbles of air. She is lighter than air and must always wear lead shoes or a tether to keep from floating away. Emma is also Abe’s former love interest in the 1940s and Jake’s current love interest.
    • Finlay MacMillan as Enoch O’Connor, a teenager and Olive’s love interest who can reanimate the deadand bring inanimate objects to life as his living puppets for a limited time by placing a heart inside
    • Lauren McCrostieas Olive Abroholos Elephanta, a pyrokinetic red-haired teenager, and Enoch’s love interest. She has to wear special black gloves to prevent burning everything she touches.
    • Cameron King as the voice and motion-capture of Millard Nullings, an invisibleboy[10]
    • Pixie Daviesas Bronwyn Bruntley, a young girl with superhuman strength, Victor’s sister
    • Georgia Pemberton as Fiona Frauenfeld, a young girl who can control and maintain plants including the vegetables in Miss Peregrine’s garden[10]
    • Milo Parkeras Hugh Apiston, a boy with bees living in his stomach[10]
    • Raffaella Chapmanas Claire Densmore, a young girl with an additional mouth hidden in the back of her head[10]
    • Hayden Keeler-Stone as Horace Somnusson, a boy who can project his dreams (which are sometimes prophetic) through a monocle[10]
    • Joseph and Thomas Orwell as the Twins, two masked gorgon-like twin boys who turn anyone who sees them into stone. They normally wear hoods to hide their faces.
    • Louis Davison as Victor Brantley, Bronwyn’s late brother who had the same ability as her. He was killed by a hollow infiltrator before the events in the film and was briefly brought back to life by Enoch.[10]

    Wights and Hollows[edit]

    • Samuel L. Jacksonas Mr. Barron, the shape-shifting leader of the Wights and Hollows. Barron and his Wight and Hollow minions hunt Peculiars and devour their eyes to recover human form. Barron also believes by doing this that he is invincible. His shape-shifting peculiarity allows him to disguise himself as another person. When he uses his peculiarity to become a person who doesn’t exist, his white eyes don’t change, so he has to wear contact lenses. He can also form blades, axes, and/or lassos with his own hands.
    • Scott Handy as Mr. Gleeson, a cryokinetic Wight
    • Helen Day as Miss Edwards, a half-simianWight with great agility, dexterity, and mobility[11]
    • Jack Brady as Mr. Clark, a Wight
    • Philip Philmar as Mr. Archer, a Wight
    • Robert Milton Wallace as Mr. Malthus, a Hollow

    Non-Peculiars[edit]

    • Chris O’Dowdas Franklin “Frank” Portman, Jake’s father and Abe’s son
    • Kim Dickensas Maryann Portman (credited as “Jake’s Mom”), Jake’s mother[7], and an up-and-coming businesswoman
    • O-Lan Jonesas Shelly, Jake’s drugstore supervisor, and co-worker
    • Jennifer Jarackas as Susie Portman, Frank’s sister, and Jake’s aunt. She passes Jake her late father’s gift which gives him the way to find Miss Peregrine’s time loop.
    • George Vricos as Bobby, Judy’s husband, and Jake’s uncle
    • Brooke Jaye Taylor as Judy, Bobby’s wife, and Jake’s other aunt
    • Ioan Hefin as Kev, the bartender on Cairnholm in the present day
    • Nicholas Ameras Oggie, a blind and elderly present-day resident of Cairnholm
    • Shaun Thomas and Justin Davies as Dylan and Worm, two present-day teenage Welsh residents whom Jake meets in Cairnholm

    Director Tim Burton makes a cameo appearance in the film as a visitor at the funfair in Blackpool who gets a skeleton thrown at him by a Hollow. Glen Mexted, who previously worked with Burton as an extra in both Dark Shadows and the music video for the Killers‘ “Here with Me“, also appears in the same scene as a customer eating ice cream.

    Production[edit]

    The film rights to the 2011 novel Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs were sold to 20th Century Fox in May of that year.[12] In November, Deadline Hollywood reported that Tim Burton was in talks to direct and would also be involved in selecting a writer.[13] On December 2, Jane Goldman was reportedly hired to adapt the story as a screenplay for the film.[14]

    On July 28, 2014, Eva Green was set to play Miss Peregrine in the film; Mischa Barton, Lucy Hale, and Alison Sudol were also considered.[6] On September 24, 2014, it was announced that Asa Butterfield was being eyed for the second lead role as Burton’s choice, but that at that time he had not yet been offered the role.[15] On November 5, 2014, Ella Purnell was offered a role and was in final talks to join the film; it was also reported that Butterfield had been offered the male lead role, and was the favored choice.[16] On February 6, 2015, Samuel L. Jackson was added to the cast to play Mr. Barron, while Butterfield was confirmed for the second lead role.[9] Terence Stamp, Chris O’Dowd, Rupert Everett, Kim Dickens, and Judi Dench were announced as being in the cast on March 12, 2015.[7]

    Filming was initially set to begin in August 2014 in London.[17] Principal photography on the film began on February 24, 2015, in the Tampa Bay Area.[18] Filming lasted for two weeks in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in Florida.[18] It is the second Tim Burton film to be shot in the Tampa Bay area, the first being Edward Scissorhands, in 1989.[18] Production of the film later moved to Caerhays Castle and Minions in Cornwall, and Blackpool in the United Kingdom, and Brasschaat, a municipality close to Antwerp, Belgium.[7][19][20]

    Music[edit]

    The film’s score was composed by Mike Higham and Matthew Margeson. The soundtrack was released on October 11, 2016, by La-La Land Records. Florence and the Machine recorded the film’s end credits song, “Wish That You Were Here“.

    Release[edit]

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was originally set for a release date of July 31, 2015.[21] The release date moved to March 4, 2016, then again to December 25, 2016,[5] before finally moving to September 30, 2016.

    Box office[edit]

    Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children grossed $87.2 million in the United States and Canada and $207.9 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $295.1 million, against a production budget of $110 million.[3]

    In the United States and Canada, the film opened alongside Deepwater Horizon and was projected to gross around $25 million from 3,522 theaters in its opening weekend.[4][22] In total, the film earned $28.9 million during its opening weekend, finishing first at the box office.[23] The opening was on par with Dark Shadows‘ $29.7 million in 2012, Burton’s last big budgeted film.[23] Variety called it “a mediocre start” given the film’s $110 million budget.[24]

    It had number one openings in Russia ($6.3 million), France ($5.3 million), Mexico (3.8 million), Australia ($3.1 million), Brazil ($2.7 million) and the Philippines ($1.7 million), and the biggest opening for Burton in Malaysia and Indonesia.[25][26] In South Korea, it debuted at number two with $5.2 million. The film was released in China and Italy in December 2016 and Japan in February 2017.[27]

    Critical response[edit]

    On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 64% based on 253 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children proves a suitable match for Tim Burton’s distinctive style, even if it’s on stronger footing as a visual experience than a narrative one.”[28] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on 43 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[29] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale.[30][31]

    IGN critic Samantha Ladwig gave the film a 7.2/10, summarizing her review with: “Though there are lingering questions about certain characters by the time the end credits roll, the film’s striking visuals help compensate for its unemotional and anti-climactic script.”[32] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times wrote “Easily the director’s finest work since his masterful 2007 screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd, and a striking reminder of what an unfettered gothic imagination can achieve with the right focus and an infusion of discipline.”[33] USA Today‘s Brian Truitt gave the film 3.5 out of 4 and wrote, “After a long run of dystopian YA movies for teen crowds, Burton is just the right guy to make cinema weird again.”[34] Calvin Wilson of St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film 3.5 out of 4 and stated, “Burton delivers his most ambitious and engaging film since Sweeney Todd (2007). Although the story becomes increasingly complex as it goes along, the emotional payoff is more than worth it.”[35]

    Michael O’Sullivan of The Washington Post gave the film 3 out of 4 and wrote “The very idea of this – at once gruesome and darkly funny — is perfectly suited to Burton’s sensibility, which also reveals itself in the casting of Butterfield, who has the quality of a young, slightly less freaky Johnny Depp.”[36] The Guardian‘s Jordan Hoffman gave the film 4 out of 5 and said, “We get the playfulness of seeing quirky magic powers mixed with the familiarity of how a time loop plays out. Add in Burton’s authorial visual stamp and what we’ve got is an extremely pleasing formula. It gels as Tim Burton’s best (non-musical) live-action movie for 20 years.”[37] James Berardinelli from ReelViews gave the film 3 out of 4 and stated, “Overall, despite feeling a little long and suffering from a rushed ending, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a fresh and engaging storybook adventure that should appeal to viewers both inside and out of the core demographic.”[38] The New York Times‘s Manohla Dargis gave a positive review, writing: “The story gets busy — you may get lost in 1943 or perhaps closer to the present — but it scarcely matters. Mr. Burton’s attention to detail and the ebb and flow of tone (scary, funny, eerie), as well as his sensitive, gentle work particularly with the child actors, make each new turn another occasion for unfettered imagination.”[39] Devan Coggan from Entertainment Weekly gave the film “B-” (67/100), describing the film “The film chooses style over substance, emphasizing how cool the children’s powers are without fleshing them out as full characters. To compete with Burton’s best, his heroic weirdos need a little more heart — and the monsters need sharper teeth.”[40]

    Kyle Smith of the New York Post, Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times, and Tom Huddleston of Time Out decried the film. According to Smith, who gave the film 2 stars out of 4: “It may be senseless, but it’s sumptuous: the picture looks like it cost about a billion bucks, with absolutely every detail giving Burton an excuse to take his mad picture-book mind and let loose, the way Emma the girl full of air keeps soaring away from earthly constraints. Burton may give us a bland hero, a tepid love story, and a muddled plot but, hey, at least he’s got a skeleton army doing battle with giant tentacle monsters at an amusement park.”[41] Roeper, who scored the film 1.5 stars out of 4, began his review by writing: “I’m wondering if the mutant kids at Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children ever play basketball against their rivals across the pond, Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. I’d watch that. I’d certainly rather watch that than Tim Burton’s adaptation of the popular children’s book about a school for freakishly gifted children. This is a messy, confusing, uninvolving mishmash of old-school practical effects and CGI battles that feels … off nearly every misstep of the way.[42] Tom Huddleston of Time Out gave the film 2 stars out of 5, writing: “Director Tim Burton likes his films busy: watch a classic like Beetlejuice or Batman, and you’ll be pushed to find a single frame that isn’t packed with background detail, weird creatures, ornate furnishings, and intricate costumes. The problem with his new film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, is that the script is every bit as busy and it can get pretty confusing.”[43]

    Accolades[edit]

    Award Date of ceremony Category Nominee(s) Results Ref.
    Costume Designers Guild February 21, 2017 Excellence in Fantasy Film Colleen Atwood Nominated [44]
    Globes de Cristal Awards January 30, 2017 Best Foreign Film Tim Burton Nominated [45]
    Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 17, 2016 Best Original Song – Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film “Wish That You Were Here” – Florence and the Machine Nominated [46]
    [47]
    People’s Choice Awards January 18, 2017 Favorite Dramatic Movie Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Nominated [48]
    Saturn Awards June 28, 2017 Best Fantasy Film Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Nominated [49]
    Teen Choice Awards August 13, 2017 Choice Fantasy Movie Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Nominated [50]
    Choice Fantasy Movie Actor Asa Butterfield Nominated
    Choice Fantasy Movie Actress Eva Green Nominated
    Visual Effects Society Awards February 7, 2017 Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature Jelmer Boskma, Frazer Churchill, Hal Couzens, Andrew Lockley, and Hayley Williams Nominated [51]
    Women Film Critics Circle December 19, 2016 Best Family Film Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Nominated [52]

     

    For more information here’s the google search results

     

    https://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Awr9DWinE.FgzK8AEEpXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGZyAwRmcjIDc2ItdG9wBGdwcmlkA2t5TXVKSDRaU3A2bDhzN3laSDZhSkEEbl9yc2x0AzAEbl9zdWdnAzYEb3JpZ2luA3NlYXJjaC55YWhvby5jb20EcG9zAzAEcHFzdHIDBHBxc3RybAMwBHFzdHJsAzQ4BHF1ZXJ5A21pc3MlMjBwZXJlZ3JpbmUncyUyMGhvbWUlMjBmb3IlMjBwZWN1bGlhciUyMGNoaWxkcmVuJTIwd2lraQR0X3N0bXADMTYyNTM2MzM4Ng–?p=miss+peregrine%27s+home+for+peculiar+children+wiki&fr2=sb-top

    the End

     

     

  • Movies Seen 2021

    Movies Seen 2021

    movies watched during 2018
    night at the movies

     

    Cosmos’s Movies Watched  2021

    movies  seen 2020

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    Movie Watching Goals 2021

    100 movies/TV series by the end of the year.

    At least one Korean movie per week

    At least one Spanish movie per month

    One Bollywood or another foreign language movie per month

    A mixture of thrillers, K Drama, comedies, romcom, etc

    Make a list of Oscar movies, watch several

    Resume going to the theater later in the year

    When traveling to the US watch five movies each trip

    the list

    January

    1. Bloodshot
    2. Ozark
    3. Bloodlines
    4. Discovery
    5. Humans are Useless Hoopla
    6. Wu Assassins
    7. 6 Underground
    8. Warrior Nuns
    9. Alice In Borderland
    10. I Am Not Okay With This
    11. Constantine
    12. The Beach
    13. Holliday
    14. Rebecca
    15. About Time
    16. Spy games
    17. We could be heroes
    18. Vastness of the Night Amazon
    19. Hanna
    20. The Expanse
    21. Sneaky Pete -Amazon
    22. How it Ends
    23. The I Land

     

    February

    March

    April

    May

    June

    July

    August

    September

    October

    November

    December

    Oscar Nominees

    Best Movies of the Year – Critics list

    best movies 2021 bing list

    Best Movie of the Year Cosmos’s List

    Expanse

    Discovery

    Hanna

    Sneaky Pete

    The Beach

    The End

     

  • movies seen 2020

    movies seen 2020

    Movies Seen 2020

    i have seen over 95  movies and TV shows so far this year, on my way to my goal of seeing 100 shows by the end of the year.  I saw a wide variety – SF, thrillers, classics, K drama, comedy.  I need to see at least one Spanish and one Bollywood to complete my goals.   I included at the end a list of the best movies so far.  The one I really want to see is Bill and Ted Face the Music since the Bill and Ted movies (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey) are among my favorite movies.

    movies seen 2019

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movies list

    best movies 2020

     

    goals:   100 movies

                  a mixture of classic, thriller, SF, comedy include one Korean movie/tv show per week, and at least one Spanish language movie and one Bollywood movie

    the List

    the List (default is netflix)

    1. Better Call Saul
    2. Nigh flyer
    3. The rim of the World
    4. Joker
    5. Venom
    6. Lost in Space
    7. Jurassic World
    8. 100
    9. Birdbox
    10. I Am Number Four(film)
    11. Umbrella Academy
    12. Locke and Key
    13. Sense 8
    14. Away
    15. Titan
    16. The Mist
    17. The Order
    18. October Faction
    19. The Man in the High Castle
    20. The Expanse
    21. Legends of Tomorrow
    22. The Messiah
    23. The OA
    24. Lucy
    25. Timeless
    26. Travelers
    27. Alice Through the Looking Glass
    28. Annihilation
    29. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
    30. Prince Caspian
    31. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
    32. How It Ends
    33. Itaewon Class
    34. Zoo
    35. Extinction
    36. 6 Underground
    37. Ballade of Buster Scruggs
    38. How It Ends
    39. Tau
    40. Series of Unfortunate Events
    41. The Darkest Dawn
    42. The IO
    43. Ozark
    44. Avengers Day of Ultron
    45. Prometheus
    46. Another Life
    47. Land of the Lost
    48. Kim’s Convenience Store
    49. The Cloverfield Paradox
    50. The A- Team
    51. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales
    52. Salvation
    53. Iron Man 2
    54. Total Recall
    55. The Machine (Hoopla)
    56. Absolutely Anything (Hoopla)
    57. The Adventurer Curse of the Midas Touch (Hoopla)
    58. The Endless (Hoopla)
    59. Color Out of Time (Hoopla)
    60. The Librarian Curse of the Judas Chalice (Hoopla)
    61. The Librarian King Soloman’s Mine (Hoopla)
    62. The Librarian Quest for the Spear (Hoopla)
    63. Dinosaur Island (Hoopla)
    64. Land that Time Forgot (Hoopla)
    65. Dark Prophecy (Hoopla)
    66. The Villainess (Hoopla)
    67. Bad Boys for Life
    68. Outer Banks
    69. Suicide squad
    70. Abyss
    71. Series of unfortunate events
    72. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
    73. Superman Vs Batman Star of Justice
    74. Last Man Standing K Political Drama
    75. Honest Candidate k Drama
    76. Irishman
    77. Project Power
    78. Once Upon a Time In Hollywood
    79. Kim Ji Young K Drama
    80. The Sting
    81. Focus
    82. Fantasy Island
    83. Warrior nun
    84. Good Omens amazon
    85. Sneaky Pete Amazon
    86. Blood Shot Netflix
    87. Jupiter ascendant Netflix
    88. White Line
    89. Bloodlines
    90. Wu Assassins
    91. Inside Bill’s Brain
    92. War Dogs
    93. Alice in the Borderlands
    94. The i- land
    95. Black Mirror
    96. The Colony

    Updated September 2, 2020

    2020’s been a year of limitless upheaval, and yet the show must go on. The movies have been made, their stories yearning to seek an audience, whether through a traditional theatrical route or through more creative streaming means as studios indie and major have experimented with these past months. However they’re getting delivered to you, we’re now ranking the best movies of 2020 by Tomatometer, all Certified Fresh!

    In the movie theater space of the bygone epoch that is early 2020, we saw surprise critical hits like Bad Boys For Life, Birds of Prey, and The Invisible Man. Nic Cage’s The Color Out of Space and Elijah Wood-starring Come To Daddy got people talking in the indie genre circuit, while Onward did as well as one would expect for Pixar-lite. As the world turned to streaming platforms, there was a Certified Fresh movie every other week that seemed to command everyone’s attention, including The Platform, Shirley, Da 5 Bloods, The Vast of Night, Blow the Man Down, The Willoughbys, and Hamilton.

    We’ll be updating this list as more critically acclaimed movies release and theaters navigate the choppy reopening surf, so check back to keep discovering the best movies of 2020. And don’t forget to check out the most anticipated movies of 2020, along with the year’s best horror movies so far.

    Now, continue on to discover critic-approved quality films, and be reminded of the ones you want to rewatch, with our list of the very best movies of 2020. And be sure to let us know your favorite 2020 films in the comments.

    Update: Class Action Park, The Rental, Bill & Ted Face the Music, I’m Thinking of Ending Things added.

     

    THE LODGE (2020)
    74%

    #122
    Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive Riley Keough performance, The Lodge should prove a suitably unsettling destination for fans of darkly atmospheric horror.
    Synopsis: A bone-chilling nightmare from the directors of GOODNIGHT MOMMY, THE LODGE follows a family who retreat to their remote winter…[More]
    Starring: Riley Keough, Jaeden Martell, Lia McHugh, Alicia Silverstone
    Directed By: Severin Fiala, Veronika Franz
    #121
    Critics Consensus: To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You may feel like little more than an amiable postscript to its predecessor, but fans of the original should still find this a swoonworthy sequel.
    Synopsis: It’s a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a… [More]
    Starring: Sarayu Rao, Holland Taylor, Noah Centineo, Lana Condor
    Directed By: Michael Fimognari

    THE WRETCHED (2020)
    75%

    #120
    Critics Consensus: The Wretched stirs up a savory blend of witch-in-the-woods horror ingredients that should leave genre fans hungry for a second helping from writer-directors Brett and Drew T. Pierce.
    Synopsis: Following his parents’ separation, a rebellious teenage boy, Ben, is sent to live with his father for the summer and… [More]
    Starring: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones, Azie Tesfai
    Directed By: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce

    THE RENTAL (2020)
    75%

    #119
    Critics Consensus: Some tricky genre juggling makes The Rental a bit of a fixer-upper, but effective chills and a solid cast make this a fine destination for horror fans.
    Synopsis: Two couples on an oceanside getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying… [More]
    Starring: Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Toby Huss
    Directed By: Dave Franco

    THE GENTLEMEN (2020)
    75%

    #118
    Critics Consensus: It may not win writer-director Guy Ritchie many new converts, but for those already attuned to the filmmaker’s brash wavelength, The Gentlemen stands tall.
    Synopsis: THE GENTLEMEN follows American expat Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) who built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word… [More]
    Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery
    Directed By: Guy Ritchie

    FAMILY ROMANCE, LLC (2020)
    76%

    #117
    Critics Consensus: A fascinating exploration of human connection, Family Romance, LLC sees Werner Herzog following an unconventional path to existentialism.
    Synopsis: Romance is a business. Family, friends, followers. All available for hire. A man is hired to impersonate the missing father… [More]
    Starring: Yuichi Ishii, Mahiro Tanimoto, Miki Fujimaki, Takashi Nakatani
    Directed By: Werner Herzog

    SUMMERLAND (2020)
    76%

    #116
    Critics Consensus: In Summerland, the living is a little too easy to raise dramatic stakes — but Gemma Arterton’s performance adds some much-needed extra heat.
    Synopsis: Alice is a reclusive writer, resigned to a solitary life on the seaside cliffs of Southern England while World War… [More]
    Starring: Gemma Arterton, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Courtenay, Penelope Wilton
    Directed By: Jessica Swale

    MILITARY WIVES (2020)
    76%

    #115
    Critics Consensus: Like a favorite song you know by heart, Military Wives offers few surprises — but its pleasures are no less formidable for their familiarity.
    Synopsis: Military Wives centers on a group of women from different backgrounds whose partners are away serving in Afghanistan. Faced with…[More]
    Starring: Kristin Scott Thomas, Sharon Horgan, Jason Flemyng, Greg Wise
    Directed By: Peter Cattaneo

    BUFFALOED (2020)
    77%

    #114
    Critics Consensus: This late-capitalism comedy is undeniably uneven, but Zoey Deutch’s effervescent performance gives Buffaloed wings.
    Synopsis: Peg Dahl (Zoey Deutch) has never run with the Buffalo pack. As a young girl obsessed with making enough cash… [More]
    Starring: Zoey Deutch, Judy Greer, Jai Courtney, Jermaine Fowler
    Directed By: Tanya Wexler

    BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (2020)
    77%

    #113
    Critics Consensus: Loaded up with action and a double helping of leading-man charisma, Bad Boys for Life reinvigorates this long-dormant franchise by playing squarely to its strengths.
    Synopsis: The Bad Boys Mike Lowrey (Will Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) are back together for one last ride in… [More]
    Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig
    Directed By: Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah

    TOMMASO (2020)
    78%

    #112
    Critics Consensus: While admittedly a self-indulgent exercise, Tommaso is powerfully anchored by an outstanding central performance from Willem Dafoe.
    Synopsis: Playing opposite the director’s own wife and daughter, Willem Dafoe is a Ferrara-like American artist living in Rome in this… [More]
    Starring: Willem Dafoe, Anna Ferrara, Christina Chiriac, Lorenzo Piazzoni
    Directed By: Abel Ferrara

    GREYHOUND (2020)
    79%

    #111
    Critics Consensus: Greyhound’s characters aren’t as robust as its action sequences, but this fast-paced World War II thriller benefits from its efficiently economical approach.
    Synopsis: In the early days of WWII, an international convoy of 37 Allied ships, led by captain Ernest Krause (Hanks) in… [More]
    Starring: Tom Hanks, Stephen Graham, Rob Morgan, Elisabeth Shue
    Directed By:
    #110
    Critics Consensus: With a fresh perspective, some new friends, and loads of fast-paced action, Birds of Prey captures the colorfully anarchic spirit of Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn.
    Synopsis: You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? “Birds of Prey (And… [More]
    Starring: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor
    Directed By: Cathy Yan
    #109
    Critics Consensus: Its unusual approach won’t be for all viewers, but True History of the Kelly Gang takes a distinctively postmodern look at Australia’s past.
    Synopsis: Set against the badlands of colonial Australia where the English rule with a bloody fist and the Irish endure, Ned… [More]
    Starring: George MacKay, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult, Essie Davis
    Directed By: Justin Kurzel

    TIGERTAIL (2020)
    80%

    #108
    Critics Consensus: Uneven yet revealing, Tigertail offers a well-acted — and ultimately valuable — look at the immigrant experience in America.
    Synopsis: In this poignant multi-generational drama, Pin-Jui (Hong-Chi Lee) is a free-spirited yet impoverished young Taiwanese factory worker, who makes the… [More]
    Starring: Christine Ko, Fiona Fu, Joan Chen, James Saito
    Directed By: Alan Yang

    THE PAINTED BIRD (2020)
    80%

    #107
    Critics Consensus: Brutally uncompromising in its portrayal of Nazi Germany, The Painted Bird is a difficult watch that justifies its stark horror with searing impact.
    Synopsis: In an effort to save their child from the massive extermination of Jews, a Jewish couple send their son to… [More]
    Starring: Petr Kotlár, Udo Kier, Lech Dyblik, Jitka Cvancarová
    Directed By: Václav Marhoul
    #106
    Critics Consensus: While it may feel muddled at times, The Platform is an inventive and captivating dystopian thriller.
    Synopsis: One day Goreng wakes up with his future colleague Trimagasi in the 33rd level of a prison style place, crossed… [More]
    Starring: Ivan Massagué, Antonia San Juan, Zorion Eguileor, Emilio Buale
    Directed By: Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia

    HOW TO BUILD A GIRL (2020)
    80%

    #105
    Critics Consensus: Led by Beanie Feldstein’s charming performance, How to Build a Girl puts a disarmingly earnest spin on the familiar coming-of-age comedy formula.
    Synopsis: Johanna Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a bright, quirky, 16-year-old who uses her colorful imagination to regularly escape her humdrum life…[More]
    Starring: Beanie Feldstein, Alfie Allen, Paddy Considine, Emma Thompson
    Directed By: Coky Giedroyc

    VHYES (2020)
    81%

    #104
    Critics Consensus: VHYes is a unique film for specific tastes — and a rare, albeit grimy gift for viewers who can appreciate its retro aesthetic and absurd humor.
    Synopsis: A bizarre retro comedy shot entirely on VHS, VHYes takes us back to a simpler time, when twelve-year-old Ralph mistakenly… [More]
    Starring: Kerri Kenney, Thomas Lennon, Charlyne Yi, John Gemberling
    Directed By: Jack Henry Robbins

    PORNO (2020)
    81%

    #103
    Critics Consensus: Porno mines sexual repression to produce a laughably lurid — and genuinely scary — outing that should delight genre fans in search of a good time.
    Synopsis: Four repressed, religious teens and a straight-edge projectionist working at a small-town movie theater in the 1990s discover a secret… [More]
    Starring: Bill Phillips, Katelyn Pearce, Peter Reznikoff, Robbie Tann
    Directed By: Keola Racela

    TO THE STARS (2020)
    81%

    #102
    Critics Consensus: Its reach may occasionally exceed its grasp, but To the Stars uses its period setting as an effective backdrop for an insightful look at female friendship.
    Synopsis: In a god-fearing small town in 1960s Oklahoma, bespectacled and reclusive teen Iris endures the booze-induced antics of her mother… [More]
    Starring: Malin Akerman, Shea Whigham, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro
    Directed By: Martha Stephens
    #101
    Critics Consensus: As wholesomely goofy as its heroes, Bill and Ted Face the Music is a rare long-belated sequel that largely recaptures the franchise’s original charm.
    Synopsis: The stakes are higher than ever for the time-traveling exploits of William “Bill” S. Preston Esq. and Theodore “Ted” Logan…. [More]
    Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, Samara Weaving, Brigette Lundy-Paine
    Directed By: Dean Parisot

    THE OLD GUARD (2020)
    81%

    #100
    Critics Consensus: The Old Guard is occasionally restricted by genre conventions, but director Gina Prince-Bythewood brings a sophisticated vision to the superhero genre – and some knockout action sequences led by Charlize Theron.
    Synopsis: Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die… [More]
    Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli
    Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood
    #99
    Critics Consensus: Once Were Brothers my frustrate Band fans looking for a less narrowly focused overview, but the group’s music and history remain as engrossing as ever.
    Synopsis: Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band is a confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson’s young… [More]
    Starring: Robbie Robertson, Martin Scorsese, Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton
    Directed By: Daniel Roher
    #98
    Critics Consensus: Like the grieving Scrabble enthusiast at the heart of its unique story, Sometimes Always Never scores high enough to be well worth a play.
    Synopsis: Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his… [More]
    Starring: Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, Alice Lowe, Oliver Sindcup
    Directed By: Carl Hunter

    THE WHISTLERS (2020)
    83%

    #97
    Critics Consensus: The Whistlers finds writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu working in a more crowd-pleasing vein than previous efforts, with thoroughly entertaining results.
    Synopsis: In THE WHISTLERS, not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides… [More]
    Starring: Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon, Rodica Lazar, Antonio Buíl
    Directed By: Corneliu Porumboiu

    THE WAY BACK (2020)
    83%

    #96
    Critics Consensus: The Way Back’s occasionally frustrating treatment of a formulaic story is often outweighed by Ben Affleck’s outstanding work in the central role.
    Synopsis: Back in high school, Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) had everything going for him. A basketball phenom, he could have punched… [More]
    Starring: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Michaela Watkins, Janina Gavankar
    Directed By: Gavin O’Connor

    MR. JONES (2020)
    84%

    #95
    Critics Consensus: Flawed yet fundamentally worthy, Mr. Jones peers into the past to tell a fact-based story that remains troublingly relevant today.
    Synopsis: Agnieszka Holland’s thriller, set on the eve of WWII, sees Hitler’s rise to power and Stalin’s Soviet propaganda machine pushing… [More]
    Starring: James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, Peter Sarsgaard, Joseph Mawle
    Directed By: Agnieszka Holland

    THE TRAITOR (2020)
    84%

    #94
    Critics Consensus: While it doesn’t probe particularly far below the surface of its central character, The Traitor tells its fact-based story with enough energy to entertain.
    Synopsis: THE TRAITOR tells the true story of Tommaso Buscetta, the man who brought down the Cosa Nostra. In the early… [More]
    Starring: Pierfrancesco Favino, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Fabrizio Ferracane, Luigi Lo Cascio
    Directed By: Marco Bellocchio

    SHE DIES TOMORROW (2020)
    84%

    #93
    Critics Consensus: Formally provocative and emotionally raw, She Dies Tomorrow confirms writer-director Amy Seimetz as a filmmaker with a unique — and timely — vision.
    Synopsis: After waking up convinced that she is going to die tomorrow, Amy’s carefully mended life begins to unravel. As her… [More]
    Starring: Kate Lyn Sheil, Kentucker Audley, Chris Messina, Kate Aselton
    Directed By: Amy Seimetz

    ZOMBI CHILD (2020)
    85%

    #92
    Critics Consensus: If the strain of its ambitious juggling act sometimes shows, Zombi Child remains an entertainingly audacious experience, enlivened with thought-provoking themes.
    Synopsis: Haiti, 1962: A man is brought back from the dead only to be sent to the living hell of the… [More]
    Starring: Louise Labèque, Wislanda Louimat, Katiana Milfort, Mackenson Bijou
    Directed By: Bertrand Bonello

    BIG TIME ADOLESCENCE (2020)
    85%

    #91
    Critics Consensus: Funny, heartfelt, and brought to life by a smartly assembled ensemble, Big Time Adolescence finds fresh pleasures in the crowded coming-of-age genre.
    Synopsis: A seemingly bright and mostly innocent 16-year-old named Mo (Griffin Gluck) attempts to navigate high school under the guidance of… [More]
    Starring: Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck, Emily Arlook, Machine Gun Kelly
    Directed By: Jason Orley
    #90
    Critics Consensus: Aided by stellar performances from Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, I’m Thinking of Ending Things finds writer-director Charlie Kaufman grappling with the human condition as only he can.
    Synopsis: Despite second thoughts about their relationship, a young woman (Jessie Buckley) takes a road trip with her new boyfriend (Jesse… [More]
    Starring: Jesse Plemons, Jessie Buckley, Toni Collette, David Thewlis
    Directed By: Charlie Kaufman

    SEA FEVER (2020)
    86%

    #89
    Critics Consensus: If Sea Fever never quite heats up as much as it could, it remains an engrossing, well-acted sci-fi thriller with effective horror elements.
    Synopsis: Siobhán’s a marine biology student who prefers spending her days alone in a lab. She has to endure a week… [More]
    Starring: Hermione Corfield, Connie Nielsen, Dougray Scott, Olwen Fouéré
    Directed By: Neasa Hardiman

    COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2020)
    86%

    #88
    Critics Consensus: A welcome return for director Richard Stanley, Color Out of Space mixes tart B-movie pulp with visually alluring Lovecraftian horror and a dash of gonzo Nicolas Cage.
    Synopsis: After a meteorite lands in the front yard of their farm, Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) and his family find themselves… [More]
    Starring: Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Brendan Meyer
    Directed By: Richard Stanley

    1BR (2020)
    85%

    #87
    Critics Consensus: 1BR’s occasionally ordinary storytelling is more than outweighed by tight direction, interesting ideas, and an effective blend of horror and thoughtful drama.
    Synopsis: After leaving behind a painful past to follow her dreams, Sarah scores the perfect Hollywood apartment. But something is not… [More]
    Starring: Nicole Brydon Bloom, Giles Matthey, Alan Blumenfeld, Celeste Sully
    Directed By: David Marmor

    COME TO DADDY (2020)
    87%

    #86
    Critics Consensus: Bloody horror with barbed wit, Come to Daddy anchors its brutal violence in a surprisingly mature approach to provocative themes.
    Synopsis: Norval Greenwood, a privileged man-child arrives at the beautiful and remote coastal cabin of his estranged father, who he hasn’t… [More]
    Starring: Elijah Wood, Stephen McHattie, Martin Donovan, Michael Smiley
    Directed By: Ant Timpson

    DEERSKIN (2020)
    87%

    #85
    Critics Consensus: Led by a daring performance from Jean Dujardin, Deerskin finds writer-director Quentin Dupieux working in a more accessible — yet still distinctive — vein.
    Synopsis: In this black comedy of middle-aged masculinity gone awry, Academy Award winner Jean Dujardin (The Artist) is a recent divorcee… [More]
    Starring: Jean Dujardin, Adèle Haenel, Albert Delpy, Coralie Russier
    Directed By: Quentin Dupieux

    SPACESHIP EARTH (2020)
    87%

    #84
    Critics Consensus: Spaceship Earth achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment — and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream.
    Synopsis: Spaceship Earth is the true, stranger-than-fiction, adventure of eight visionaries who in 1991 spent two years quarantined inside of a… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Matt Wolf

    THE TRIP TO GREECE (2020)
    87%

    #83
    Critics Consensus: The Trip to Greece sees this series subject to the laws of diminishing returns, but Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan remain reliably enjoying company.
    Synopsis: When Odysseus left Troy it took him ten years to get back to his home in Ithaca. Steve and Rob… [More]
    Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon, Kareem Alkabbani, Marta Barrio
    Directed By: Michael Winterbottom

    SORRY WE MISSED YOU (2020)
    87%

    #82
    Critics Consensus: Sorry We Missed You may strike some as tending toward the righteously didactic, but director Ken Loach’s passionate approach remains effective.
    Synopsis: Ricky and his family have been fighting an uphill struggle against debt since the 2008 financial crash. An opportunity to… [More]
    Starring: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Rhys Stone, Katie Proctor
    Directed By: Ken Loach

    SHIRLEY (2020)
    87%

    #81
    Critics Consensus: Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject’s pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form.
    Synopsis: Renowned horror writer Shirley Jackson is on the precipice of writing her masterpiece when the arrival of newlyweds upends her… [More]
    Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Michael Stuhlbarg, Odessa Young, Logan Lerman
    Directed By: Josephine Decker

    LES MISÉRABLES (2020)
    87%

    #80
    Critics Consensus: Les Misérables transcends its unwieldy story with compelling ideas and an infectious energy that boils over during a thrilling final act.
    Synopsis: Stephane, only just arrived from Cherbourg, joins the anti-criminality brigade of Montfermeil in a sensitive district of the Paris suburbs….[More]
    Starring: Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djebril Zonga, Issa Perica
    Directed By: Ladj Ly

    EMMA. (2020)
    87%

    #79
    Critics Consensus: Other adaptations may do a better job of consistently capturing the spirit of the classic source material, but Jane Austen fans should still find a solid match in this Emma.
    Synopsis: Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending, is reimagined in this delicious new film… [More]
    Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Mia Goth
    Directed By: Autumn de Wilde
    #78
    Critics Consensus: Sensitive, well-acted, and solidly directed, Words on Bathroom Walls is an admirable addition to a genre that too rarely does justice to its worthy themes.
    Synopsis: WORDS ON BATHROOM WALLS tells the story of witty and introspective Adam (Charlie Plummer), who appears to be your typical… [More]
    Starring: Charlie Plummer, Andy Garcia, Taylor Russell, AnnaSophia Robb
    Directed By: Thor Freudenthal

    SPUTNIK (2020)
    88%

    #77
    Critics Consensus: Effective space alien horror with a Soviet-era twist, Sputnik proves there are still some scary good sci-fi thrillers left in the galaxy.
    Synopsis: Due to her controversial methods, young doctor Tatiana Yurievna (Oksana Akinshina) is on the precipice of losing her medical license…. [More]
    Starring: Oksana Akinshina, Pyotr Fyodorov, Fedor Bondarchuk, Anton Vasilev (II)
    Directed By: Egor Abramenko

    SELAH AND THE SPADES (2020)
    88%

    #76
    Critics Consensus: A smart, well-acted, and refreshingly messy coming-of-age story, Selah and the Spades suggests a bright future for debuting writer-director Tayarisha Poe.
    Synopsis: In the closed world of an elite Pennsylvania boarding school, Haldwell, the student body is run by five factions. Seventeen-year-old… [More]
    Starring: Lovie Simone, Celeste O’Connor, Jharrel Jerome, Gina Torres
    Directed By: Tayarisha Poe
    #75
    Critics Consensus: The Truth may not stand with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s best work, but it finds the writer-director revisiting familiar themes with a typically sensitive touch.
    Synopsis: Legends of French cinema Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche join masterful filmmaker Hirokazu Koreeda (Shoplifters, Still Walking) to paint a… [More]
    Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, Ethan Hawke, Ludivine Sagnier
    Directed By: Hirokazu Koreeda

    ONWARD (2020)
    88%

    #74
    Critics Consensus: It may suffer in comparison to Pixar’s classics, but Onward makes effective use of the studio’s formula — and stands on its own merits as a funny, heartwarming, dazzlingly animated adventure.
    Synopsis: In “Onward,” teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) get an unexpected opportunity… [More]
    Starring: Tom Holland (II), Chris Pratt, Octavia Spencer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
    Directed By: Dan Scanlon

    BANANA SPLIT (2020)
    89%

    #73
    Critics Consensus: Banana Split serves up a sweet comedic dish that serves as a delightful calling card for co-writer and star Hannah Marks.
    Synopsis: April (Hannah Marks) has spent the last two years of high school in a relationship with Nick (Dylan Sprouse), from… [More]
    Starring: Hannah Marks, Liana Liberato, Dylan Sprouse, Addison Riecke
    Directed By: Benjamin Kasulke

    YOU DON’T NOMI (2020)
    89%

    #72
    Critics Consensus: It may not change many minds regarding Showgirls, but You Don’t Nomi is a solidly entertaining postmortem of an infamous flop.
    Synopsis: In YOU DON’T NOMI, a chorus of film critics and fervent devotees explore the complicated afterlife of 1995’s biggest film… [More]
    Starring: Adam Nayman, April Kidwell, Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, David Schmader
    Directed By: Jeffrey McHale

    SWALLOW (2020)
    89%

    #71
    Critics Consensus: Swallow’s unconventional approach to exploring domestic ennui is elevated by a well-told story and Haley Bennett’s powerful leading performance.
    Synopsis: On the surface, Hunter (Haley Bennett) appears to have it all. A newly pregnant housewife, she seems content to spend… [More]
    Starring: Haley Bennett, Austin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, David Rasche
    Directed By: Carlo Mirabella-Davis

    THE BOOKSELLERS (2020)
    90%

    #70
    Critics Consensus: Inviting viewers into a fascinating world of bibliophiles, The Booksellers is a documentary that’s easy to curl up and get lost in.
    Synopsis: Antiquarian booksellers are part scholar, part detective and part businessperson, and their personalities and knowledge are as broad as the…[More]
    Starring: Parker Posey, Fran Lebowitz, Gay Talese
    Directed By: D.W. Young

    THE WILLOUGHBYS (2020)
    90%

    #69
    Critics Consensus: An appealing animated adventure whose silliness is anchored in genuine emotion, The Willoughbys offers fanciful fun the entire family can enjoy.
    Synopsis: Convinced they’d be better off raising themselves, the Willoughby children hatch a sneaky plan to send their selfish parents on… [More]
    Starring: Will Forte, Maya Rudolph, Alessia Cara, Terry Crews
    Directed By: Kris Pearn

    BLOOD QUANTUM (2020)
    90%

    #68
    Critics Consensus: Blood Quantum blends bloody horror with sociopolitical subtext, taking a fresh bite out of the crowded zombie genre in the bargain.
    Synopsis: The dead are coming back to life outside the isolated Mi’gMaq reserve of Red Crow, except for its Indigenous inhabitants… [More]
    Starring: Michael Greyeyes, Forrest Goodluck, Kiowa Gordon, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers
    Directed By: Jeff Barnaby

    REBUILDING PARADISE (2020)
    91%

    #67
    Critics Consensus: From the horror of natural disaster to the spirit summoned behind the titular effort, Rebuilding Paradise stirringly depicts one community’s perseverance.
    Synopsis: On the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, a devastating firestorm engulfed the picturesque city of Paradise, California. By the time… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Ron Howard
    #66
    Critics Consensus: Smart and stylish, The Wild Goose Lake blends B-movie thrills with bold filmmaking choices and thought-provoking social commentary.
    Synopsis: Fleeing from the law, gangster Zenong Zhou (Ge Hu) crosses paths with an innocent-looking woman named Aiai Liu (Lun-Mei Kwei)…. [More]
    Starring: Ge Hu, Liao Fan, Regina Wan, Liang Qi
    Directed By: Diao Yinan

    BULL (2020)
    91%

    #65
    Critics Consensus: An intimate two-hander anchored by a pair of well-matched actors, Bull takes an achingly empathetic look at life on the economic margins.
    Synopsis: In a near-abandoned subdivision west of Houston, a wayward teen runs headlong into her equally willful and unforgiving neighbor, an… [More]
    Starring: Rob Morgan, Amber Havard, Yolonda Ross, Keeli Wheeler
    Directed By: Annie Silverstein

    MISS AMERICANA (2020)
    91%

    #64
    Critics Consensus: Miss Americana provides an engaging if somewhat deliberately opaque backstage look at a pop star turned cultural phenomenon.
    Synopsis: Miss Americana is a raw and emotionally revealing look at one of the most iconic artists of our time during… [More]
    Starring: Taylor Swift
    Directed By: Lana Wilson

    WEATHERING WITH YOU (2020)
    91%

    #63
    Critics Consensus: Beautifully animated and narratively engaging, Weathering with You further establishes writer-director Makoto Shinkai as a singularly talented filmmaker.
    Synopsis: The summer of his high school freshman year, Hodaka runs away from his remote island home to Tokyo, and quickly… [More]
    Starring: Kotaro Daigo, Nana Mori, Tsubasa Honda, Sakura Kiryu
    Directed By: Makoto Shinkai

    BEANPOLE (DYLDA) (2020)
    91%

    #62
    Critics Consensus: Filmed with impressive skill and brought to life by unforgettable performances, Beanpole takes a heartbreakingly empathetic look at lives shattered by war.
    Synopsis: 1945, Leningrad. World War II has devastated the city, demolishing its buildings and leaving its citizens in tatters, physically and… [More]
    Starring: Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Vasilisa Perelygina, Andrey Bykov, Igor Shirokov
    Directed By: Kantemir Balagov

    BACURAU (NIGHTHAWK) (2020)
    91%

    #61
    Critics Consensus: Formally thrilling and narratively daring, Bacurau draws on modern Brazilian sociopolitical concerns to deliver a hard-hitting, genre-blurring drama.
    Synopsis: A few years from now… Bacurau, a small village in the Brazilian sertão, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita,… [More]
    Starring: Barbara Colen, Thomas Aquino, Silvero Pereira, Karine Teles
    Directed By: Kleber Mendonça Filho, Juliano Dornelles

    RELIC (2020)
    91%

    #60
    Critics Consensus: Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James.
    Synopsis: When Edna, the elderly and widowed matriarch of the family, goes missing, her daughter Kay and granddaughter Sam travel to… [More]
    Starring: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote, Chris Bunton
    Directed By: Natalie Erika James

    THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
    91%

    #59
    Critics Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and above all scary, The Invisible Man proves that sometimes, the classic source material for a fresh reboot can be hiding in plain sight.
    Synopsis: Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Moss) escapes in the dead of… [More]
    Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer
    Directed By: Leigh Whannell
    #58
    Critics Consensus: A Good Woman Is Hard to Find, but it isn’t difficult to see a star in the making while watching Sarah Bolger’s powerful performance in this gritty thriller.
    Synopsis: Sarah is a recently widowed young mother. Her son Ben has been an elective mute since the day he witnessed… [More]
    Starring: Edward Hogg, Andrew Simpson, Jane Brennan, Caolan Byrne
    Directed By: Abner Pastoll

    PREMATURE (2020)
    92%

    #57
    Critics Consensus: Premature transcends its familiar trappings with sharp dialogue and a strong sense of setting that further establish Rashaad Ernesto Green as a gifted filmmaker.
    Synopsis: On a summer night in Harlem during her last months at home before starting college, seventeen-year-old poet Ayanna (Zora Howard)… [More]
    Starring: Imani Lewis, Jimmy Lee Gary Jr., Meeya Davis, Ozzie Stewart
    Directed By: Rashaad Ernesto Green

    END OF SENTENCE (2020)
    92%

    #56
    Critics Consensus: Steered by a pair of powerful lead performances, End of Sentence is a road trip movie that takes audiences on a satisfying emotional journey.
    Synopsis: After being widowed, Frank Fogle reluctantly embarks on a journey to honor his wife’s last wish of spreading her ashes… [More]
    Starring: John Hawkes, Logan Lerman, Sarah Bolger, Olafur Darri Olafsson
    Directed By: Elfar, Adalsteins
    #55
    Critics Consensus: An intoxicating blend of documentary and fiction, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets surveys the bar-going life with a remarkably sober eye.
    Synopsis: Co-directors Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’s genre-bending docudrama focuses on a Las Vegas dive bar named ‘The Roaring 20s’… [More]
    Starring: Michael Martin, Peter Elwell, Shay Walker
    Directed By: Bill Ross IV, Turner Ross

    THE OUTPOST (2020)
    92%

    #54
    Critics Consensus: Told with gripping realism, The Outpost is a thrilling technical feat and a worthy tribute to military heroes.
    Synopsis: Based on true events. A team of U.S. soldiers stationed at the deadliest outpost in Afghanistan are relentlessly attacked by… [More]
    Starring: Scott Eastwood, Orlando Bloom, Jack Kesy, Cory Hardrict
    Directed By: Rod Lurie

    THE ASSISTANT (2020)
    92%

    #53
    Critics Consensus: Led by a powerhouse performance from Julia Garner, The Assistant offers a withering critique of workplace harassment and systemic oppression.
    Synopsis: “The Assistant” follows one day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner), a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer,… [More]
    Starring: Julia Garner, Matthew MacFadyen, Makenzie Leigh, Kristine Froseth
    Directed By: Kitty Green

    THE VAST OF NIGHT (2020)
    92%

    #52
    Critics Consensus: An engrossing sci-fi thriller that transcends its period trappings, The Vast of Night suggests great things for debuting director Andrew Patterson.
    Synopsis: In the twilight of the 1950s, on one fateful night in New Mexico, a young, winsome switchboard operator Fay (Sierra… [More]
    Starring: Sierra McCormick, Jake Horowitz , Gail Cronauer, Bruce Davis
    Directed By: Andrew Patterson

    DA 5 BLOODS (2020)
    92%

    #51
    Critics Consensus: Fierce energy and ambition course through Da 5 Bloods, coming together to fuel one of Spike Lee’s most urgent and impactful films.
    Synopsis: From Academy Award Winner Spike Lee comes a New Joint: the story of four African-American Vets — Paul (Delroy Lindo),… [More]
    Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis
    Directed By: Spike Lee

    WORKING MAN (2020)
    93%

    #50
    Critics Consensus: A too-rare showcase for an ensemble of talented veteran actors, Working Man quietly builds into an absorbing — and timely — character study.
    Synopsis: In the Rust Belt of America another factory is closing. After decades on the job, the reclusive Allery Parkes finds… [More]
    Starring: Peter Gerety, Billy Brown, Talia Shire, Gary Houston
    Directed By: Robert Jury

    THE PERFECT CANDIDATE (2020)
    93%

    #49
    Critics Consensus: A message movie admirable for its subtlety as well as its execution, The Perfect Candidate faces oppression and powerfully advocates for change.
    Synopsis: A revealing look at the changing roles of women in Saudi Arabia from director Haifaa Al-Mansour (WADJDA), THE PERFECT CANDIDATE… [More]
    Starring: Mila Al Zahrani, Dhay, Khalid Abdulrhim, Shafi Al Harthy
    Directed By: Haifaa Al-Mansour

    UNCORKED (2020)
    93%

    #48
    Critics Consensus: Like a good wine, once you let Uncorked breathe, its heartfelt tenderness will yield a sweet time.
    Synopsis: Fueled by his love for wine, Elijah enrolls in a course to become a master sommelier, an elite designation given… [More]
    Starring: Mamoudou Athie, Kelly Jenrette, Matt McGorry, Sasha Compère
    Directed By: Prentice Penny

    BECOMING (2020)
    93%

    #47
    Critics Consensus: It may not get as personal as some viewers might have hoped, but Becoming offers an uplifting look at a pivotal moment in its subject’s public life.
    Synopsis: Becoming is an intimate look into the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama during a moment of profound change,… [More]
    Starring: Michelle Obama
    Directed By: Nadia Hallgren

    AND THEN WE DANCED (2020)
    93%

    #46
    Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding performance from Levan Gelbakhiani, And Then We Danced defeats prejudice with overwhelming compassion.
    Synopsis: A passionate tale of love and liberation set amidst the ultraconservative confines of modern Georgian society, And Then We Danced…[More]
    Starring: Ana Javakishvili, Giorgi Tsereteli, Tamar Bukhnikashvili, Marika Gogichaishvili
    Directed By: Levan Akin

    ORDINARY LOVE (2020)
    93%

    #45
    Critics Consensus: Led by strong performances from Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson, Ordinary Love wrings heartrending drama out of one couple’s medical travails.
    Synopsis: Joan and Tom (Academy Award (R) nominee Lesley Manville and Liam Neeson) have been married for many years. An everyday… [More]
    Starring: Liam Neeson, Lesley Manville, Amit Shah, David Wilmot
    Directed By: Lisa Barros D’Sa, Glenn Leyburn

    YES, GOD, YES (2020)
    94%

    #44
    Critics Consensus: Natalia Dyer’s charming performance — and writer-director Karen Maine’s sensitive work — will leave audiences saying Yes, God, Yes to this coming-of-age dramedy.
    Synopsis: Growing up in the Midwest in the early 00s, sixteen-year-old Alice has always been a good Catholic. But when an… [More]
    Starring: Natalia Dyer, Wolfgang Novogratz, Francesca Reale, Susan Blackwell
    Directed By: Karen Maine

    BABYTEETH (2020)
    94%

    #43
    Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and sensitively directed, Babyteeth offers audiences a coming-of-age story that’s messier — and more rewarding — than most.
    Synopsis: When seriously ill teenager Milla falls madly in love with smalltime drug dealer Moses, it’s her parents’ worst nightmare. But… [More]
    Starring: Eliza Scanlen, Toby Wallace, Emily Barclay, Eugene Gilfedder
    Directed By: Shannon Murphy

    WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES (2020)
    94%

    #42
    Critics Consensus: We Are Little Zombies mixes the playful and the profane with a stylish and visually inventive look at death, abandonment, and the grieving process.
    Synopsis: When four young orphans–Hikari, Ikuko, Ishi, and Takemura–first meet, their parents’ bodies are being turned into dust, like fine Parmesan…[More]
    Starring: Keita Ninomiya, Satoshi Mizuno, Mondo Okumura, Sena Nakajima
    Directed By: Makoto Nagahisa

    COME AS YOU ARE (2020)
    94%

    #41
    Critics Consensus: Come As You Are approaches sensitive subjects with heart and humor, taking audiences on a thoroughly entertaining road trip to a crowd-pleasing destination.
    Synopsis: Three young men with disabilities (Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, and Ravi Patel) flee their overbearing parents on a road trip… [More]
    Starring: Grant Rosenmeyer, Hayden Szeto, Ravi Patel, Gabourey Sidibe
    Directed By: Richard Wong

    BOYS STATE (2020)
    94%

    #40
    Critics Consensus: Startling, upsetting, and overall absorbing, Boys State strikingly depicts American political divisions — and machinations — taking root in the next generation.
    Synopsis: Boys State is a political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment: a thousand 17-year-old… [More]
    Starring: Jack White, Malec Moghadam
    Directed By: Amanda McBaine, Jesse Moss

    PALM SPRINGS (2020)
    94%

    #39
    Critics Consensus: Strong performances, assured direction, and a refreshingly original concept make Palm Springs a romcom that’s easy to fall in love with.
    Synopsis: When carefree Nyles (Andy Samberg) and reluctant maid of honor Sarah (Cristin Milioti) have a chance encounter at a Palm… [More]
    Starring: Andy Samberg, Cristin Milioti, J.K. Simmons, Peter Gallagher
    Directed By: Max Barbakow

    CLASS ACTION PARK (2020)
    95%

    #38
    Critics Consensus: Disturbing and thrilling in equal measure, Class Action Park is a raucous chronicle of the infamous waterpark that was as beloved as it was dangerous.
    Synopsis: Class Action Park is the first ever documentary on the world’s most dangerous amusement park, Action Park, that had its… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Chris Charles Scott, Seth Porges

    HOWARD (2020)
    95%

    #37
    Critics Consensus: Howard serves as a bittersweet tribute to the life and legacy of a brilliant artist whose timeless songs served as the soundtrack for a generation of Disney fans.
    Synopsis: Directed by Don Hahn (“Beauty and the Beast”), “Howard” is the untold story of Howard Ashman, the brilliant lyricist behind… [More]
    Starring: Alan Menken, Bill Lauch, Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson
    Directed By: Don Hahn

    DESERT ONE (2020)
    93%

    #36
    Critics Consensus: Comprehensive without getting bogged down in details, Desert One offers a fascinating look at a daring military mission that ended in defeat.
    Synopsis: In April 1980, the US government launched the Operation Eagle Claw, their response to the hostage crisis that was happening… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Barbara Kopple
    #35
    Critics Consensus: It’s far more conventional than the life it honors, but John Lewis: Good Trouble remains a worthy tribute to an inspiring activist and public servant.
    Synopsis: Using interviews and rare archival footage, John Lewis: Good Trouble chronicles Lewis’ 60-plus years of social activism and legislative action… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Dawn Porter

    BEASTIE BOYS STORY (2020)
    95%

    #34
    Critics Consensus: Here’s a Beastie Boys Story they had to tell, about three bad brothers you know so well. It started way back in history — and for new or old fans, it’s a must-see.
    Synopsis: Beastie Boys Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz tell you an intimate, personal story of their band and 40 years of… [More]
    Starring: Mike D
    Directed By:

    FIRST COW (2020)
    96%

    #33
    Critics Consensus: First Cow finds director Kelly Reichardt revisiting territory and themes that will be familiar to fans of her previous work — with typically rewarding results.
    Synopsis: Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble… [More]
    Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Ewen Bremner, Rene Auberjonois
    Directed By: Kelly Reichardt

    BLOOD ON HER NAME (2020)
    96%

    #32
    Critics Consensus: A satisfyingly dark noir elevated by stellar acting and a sharp screenplay, Blood on Her Name thrills in the moment and lingers in the memory.
    Synopsis: A woman’s panicked decision to cover up an accidental killing spirals out of control when her conscience demands she return… [More]
    Starring: Bethany Anne Lind, Elisabeth Röhm, Jared Ivers, Jimmy Gonzales
    Directed By: Matthew Pope
    #31
    Critics Consensus: A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon retains the charm of its small-screen source material while engagingly expanding the title character’s world.
    Synopsis: What begins as an ordinary day for Shaun the Sheep (Justin Fletcher) turns out to be anything but, when an… [More]
    Starring: Justin Fletcher
    Directed By: Richard Starzak
    #30
    Critics Consensus: The Painter and the Thief uses the unlikely bond between a criminal and his victim as the canvas for a compelling portrait of compassion and forgiveness.
    Synopsis: Desperate for answers about the theft of her 2 paintings, a Czech artist seeks out and befriends the career criminal… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By:

    THE GO-GO’S (2020)
    97%

    #29
    Critics Consensus: Emulating the spirit of punk in form and function, The Go-Go’s is a raucous celebration of the pioneering band and a stylistic knockout that will blow viewers’ hair back.
    Synopsis: As the first multi-platinum-selling, all-female band to play their own instruments, write their own songs and soar to No. 1… [More]
    Starring: Belinda Carlisle, Elissa Bello, Margot Olavarria, Charlotte Caffey
    Directed By: Alison Ellwood
    #28
    Critics Consensus: A White, White Day plunges viewers into the darkness of grief and jealousy, led by Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson’s brilliantly layered performance.
    Synopsis: In a remote Icelandic town, an off-duty police chief begins to suspect a local man of having had an affair… [More]
    Starring: Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson, Ída Mekkín Hlynsdóttir, Sara Dögg Ásgeirsdóttir, Bjorn Ingi Hilmarsson
    Directed By: Hlynur Pálmason
    #27
    Critics Consensus: As wickedly smart as it is energetic, Why Don’t You Just Die! should satisfy audiences in the mood for a gore-soaked good time.
    Synopsis: Matvey has just one objective: to gain entry to his girlfriend’s parents’ apartment and kill her father Andrey with a… [More]
    Starring: Aleksandr Kuznetsov, Vitaliy Khaev, Evgeniya Kregzhde , Mikhail Gorevoy
    Directed By: Kirill Sokolov

    LA LLORONA (2020)
    97%

    #26
    Critics Consensus: La Llorona puts a fresh spin on the familiar legend by blending the supernatural and the political to resolutely chilling effect.
    Synopsis: Indignant retired general Enrique finally faces trial for the genocidal massacre of thousands of Mayans decades ago. As a horde… [More]
    Starring: Maria Mercedes Coroy, Margarita Kénefic, Sabrina de la Hoz, Julio Diaz
    Directed By: Jayro Bustamante
    #25
    Critics Consensus: Led by an impressive performance from Bartosz Bielenia, Corpus Christi thoughtfully and engagingly examines questions of faith and redemption.
    Synopsis: Corpus Christi is the story of a 20-year-old Daniel who experiences a spiritual transformation while living in a Youth Detention… [More]
    Starring: Bartosz Bielenia, Eliza Rycembel, Aleksandra Konieczna, Tomasz Zietek
    Directed By: Jan Komasa

    THE HALF OF IT (2020)
    97%

    #24
    Critics Consensus: For viewers in search of an uncommonly smart, tender, and funny coming-of-age story, The Half of It has everything.
    Synopsis: Shy, straight-A student Ellie is hired by sweet but inarticulate jock Paul, who needs help winning over a popular girl…. [More]
    Starring: Leah Lewis, Daniel Diemer, Alexxis Lemire
    Directed By: Alice Wu

    THE LAST TREE (2020)
    98%

    #23
    Critics Consensus: Distinctive in terms of content, perspective, and insight, The Last Tree vividly depicts the turmoil of adolescence with remarkable grace.
    Synopsis: THE LAST TREE follows the story of Femi, a British boy of Nigerian heritage who, after a happy childhood in… [More]
    Starring: Sam Adewunmi, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Tai Golding, Denise Black
    Directed By: Shola Amoo

    FOURTEEN (2020)
    98%

    #22
    Critics Consensus: Fourteen subtly establishes the bond between its main characters — and the way longtime friendships can erode by a matter of nearly invisible degrees.
    Synopsis: Mara and Jo, in their twenties, have been close friends since middle school. Jo, the more outgoing figure, is a… [More]
    Starring: Tallie Medel, Norma Kuhling, C. Mason Wells, Dylan McCormick
    Directed By: Dan Sallitt

    DISCLOSURE (2020)
    98%

    #21
    Critics Consensus: Disclosure engrossingly illuminates the history and effects of the way transgender lives are depicted onscreen — and outlines how much progress still needs to be made.
    Synopsis: Disclosure is an unprecedented look at the depiction of transgender people and experiences throughout the history of film and television…. [More]
    Starring: Nick Adams, Ser Anzoategui, Alexandra Billings, Chaz Bono
    Directed By: Sam Feder

    VITALINA VARELA (2020)
    98%

    #20
    Critics Consensus: Rigorous and beautifully composed, Vitalina Varela is a quietly absorbing drama whose placid surface belies hidden depths.
    Synopsis: Vitalina Varela, 55-year-old, Cape Verdean, arrives in Lisbon 3 days after her husband’s funeral. She’s been waiting for her plane… [More]
    Starring: Vitalina Varela, Ventura, Manuel Tavares Almeida, Marina Alves Domingues
    Directed By: Pedro Costa

    BLACK IS KING (2020)
    98%

    #19
    Critics Consensus: Beyoncé is King.
    Synopsis: The voyages of Black families, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a young king’s transcendent journey through betrayal,… [More]
    Starring: Beyoncé Knowles, Folajomi Akinmurele, Connie Chiume, Nyaniso Ntsikelelo Dzedze
    Directed By: Beyoncé Knowles

    CIRCUS OF BOOKS (2020)
    98%

    #18
    Critics Consensus: Like the cheekily named store at this documentary’s center, Circus of Books proves there are countless stories below the surface if we’re only willing to look.
    Synopsis: For over 35 years, the gay porn shop, Circus of Books, served as the epicenter for LGBT life and culture… [More]
    Starring: Larry Flynt, Justin Honard, Jeff Stryker
    Directed By: Rachel Mason

    BEATS (2020)
    98%

    #17
    Critics Consensus: Well-acted and enlivened by an evocative soundtrack and period detail, Beats draws timeless themes out of its specific story and setting.
    Synopsis: A universal story of friendship, rebellion, and the irresistible power of music set against the backdrop of the Criminal Justice… [More]
    Starring: Cristian Ortega, Lorn Macdonald, Laura Fraser, Amy Manson
    Directed By: Brian Welsh

    EXTRA ORDINARY (2020)
    98%

    #16
    Critics Consensus: A horror/rom-com hybrid that somehow manages to blend its ingredients without losing their flavor, Extra Ordinary more than lives up to its title.
    Synopsis: Rose, a sweet, small town driving instructor, is gifted with supernatural abilities, “The Talents”, which mean she can talk to… [More]
    Starring: Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte, Claudia O’Doherty
    Directed By: Mike Ahern, Enda Loughman

    BLOW THE MAN DOWN (2020)
    98%

    #15
    Critics Consensus: Clever, funny, and original, Blow the Man Down is a cinematic journey that’s not to be missed.
    Synopsis: Welcome to Easter Cove, a salty fishing village on the far reaches of Maine’s rocky coast. Grieving the loss of… [More]
    Starring: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, June Squibb, Margo Martindale
    Directed By: Danielle Krudy, Bridget Savage Cole

    HAMILTON (2020)
    98%

    #14
    Critics Consensus: Look around, look around at how beautifully Hamilton shines beyond Broadway – and at how marvelously Thomas Kail captures the stage show’s infectious energy.
    Synopsis: An unforgettable cinematic stage performance, the filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” combines the best elements of… [More]
    Starring: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry
    Directed By: Thomas Kail
    #13
    Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.
    Synopsis: France, 1760. Marianne is commissioned to paint the wedding portrait of Héloïse, a young woman who has just left the… [More]
    Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Valeria Golino
    Directed By: Céline Sciamma

    SAINT FRANCES (2020)
    99%

    #12
    Critics Consensus: Saint Frances approaches an array of weighty issues with empathy, humor, and grace — and marks star and writer Kelly O’Sullivan as a tremendous talent to watch.
    Synopsis: Flailing thirty-four-year-old Bridget (Kelly O’Sullivan) finally catches a break when she meets a nice guy and lands a much-needed job… [More]
    Starring: Kelly O’Sullivan, Ramona Edith-Williams, Jim True-Frost, Lily Mojekwu
    Directed By: Alex Thompson

    MISS JUNETEENTH (2020)
    99%

    #11
    Critics Consensus: Like a pageant winner walking across the stage, Miss Juneteenth follows a familiar path — but does so with charm and grace.
    Synopsis: Turquoise Jones is a single mom who holds down a household, a rebellious teenager, and pretty much everything that goes… [More]
    Starring: Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze, Lori Hayes
    Directed By: Channing Godfrey Peoples
    #10
    Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and directed, Never Rarely Sometimes Always reaffirms writer-director Eliza Hittman as a filmmaker of uncommon sensitivity and grace.
    Synopsis: Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder)… [More]
    Starring: Sidney Flanigan, Talia Ryder, Théodore Pellerin, Ryan Eggold
    Directed By: Eliza Hittman
    #9
    Critics Consensus: Engrossing for casual listeners as well as hardcore fans, Mystify: Michael Hutchence sheds a poignant light on a life and career cut short by tragedy.
    Synopsis: At the height of his internationally renowned career, a sudden blow to the head robs the famously sensual rock star… [More]
    Starring: Michael Hutchence, Kylie Minogue, Helena Christensen, Bono
    Directed By: Richard Lowenstein
    #8
    Critics Consensus: A striking debut for writer-director Kim Bora, House of Hummingbird delicately captures a turning point in one young woman’s life.
    Synopsis: Set against the backdrop of a rapidly expanding Seoul in 1994, a lonely 14-year-old Eun-hee moves through life like a… [More]
    Starring: Park Ji-hu, Kim Sae-byeok, Jeong In-gi, Lee Seung-yeon
    Directed By: Kim Bora

    REWIND (2020)
    100%

    #7
    Critics Consensus: Rewind pulls at the roots of a family’s horrific trauma with a deeply personal documentary that’s hard to watch, but worth the effort.
    Synopsis: In his candid personal memoir, Sasha Joseph Neulinger revisits his childhood and the events that tore apart his seemingly-perfect world…. [More]
    Starring: Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Jacqui Neulinger, Henry Nevison, Bekah Neulinger
    Directed By: Sasha Joseph Neulinger

    A SECRET LOVE (2020)
    100%

    #6
    Critics Consensus: In telling one couple’s story, A Secret Love pays understated yet powerful tribute to a lifetime of choices and sacrifices made in the name of enduring devotion.
    Synopsis: A Secret Love tells an incredible love story between Terry Donahue and Pat Henschel, whose relationship spans nearly seven decades…. [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Chris Bolan

    ATHLETE A (2020)
    100%

    #5
    Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses — as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.
    Synopsis: Athlete A follows a team of reporters from The Indianapolis Star as they investigate claims of abuse at USA Gymnastics,… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk
    #4
    Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.
    Synopsis: Dazzling and tender-hearted, legendary astrologer Walter Mercado vanished at the peak of his fame. This documentary poignantly explains what happened…. [More]
    Starring: Raul de Molina, Eugenio Derbez, Betty Benet Mercado, Ivonne Benet Mercado
    Directed By: Kareem Tabsch , Cristina Costantini

    THE FIGHT (2020)
    98%

    #3
    Critics Consensus: The Fight takes an engaging look at some of the people working on the front lines for the ACLU — and makes a passionate case for the legal battles they wage.
    Synopsis: At this defining moment in American history, THE FIGHT follows a scrappy team of heroic ACLU lawyers in an electrifying… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Elyse Steinberg, Josh Kriegman, Eli B. Despres

    DRIVEWAYS (2020)
    100%

    #2
    Critics Consensus: Understated yet powerful, Driveways is a character study anchored in fundamental decency — and a poignant farewell to Brian Dennehy.
    Synopsis: Director Andrew Ahn’s intimate drama revolves around the unlikely friendship formed between a lonely young boy (Lucas Jaye) and his… [More]
    Starring: Hong Chau, Lucas Jaye, Brian Dennehy, Christine Ebersole
    Directed By: Andrew Ahn
    #1
    Critics Consensus: As entertaining as it is inspiring, Crip Camp uses one group’s remarkable story to highlight hope for the future and the power of community.
    Synopsis: In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle… [More]
    Starring:
    Directed By: Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht

     

     

     

  • movies seen 2019

    movies seen 2019

    2019 movie night poster
    Jake Cosmos Aller Presents 2019 the year in Movies

    Jake’s Cosmos Aller’s Movies Watched During 2019.

    Like my book list, I have been keeping a list of movies and TV shows watched during the year. Here is my list of movies watched during 2019.

    I saw  movies/TV shows during the year. Many of them I saw while flying to and from Asia four times this year – I almost always watch five movies enroute as I can’t sleep very well on planes.

    Books read 2019

    Cosmos’s Music Play List 2018
    best movies list

    require list of best movies

    cosmos’s 2019 play listWould love to see what my friends have watched. For the first time I tried to grade the movie/show. I have been binge watching a lot of shows as well as movies of course. Most were English movies, but I did see some Korean movies as well.

    For 2019 I hope to see a lot more movies as a megabox theater opened about one mile from my house. It has a great shabu shabu restaurant, will soon have a sauna and a bowling ally. I can see spending a lot of time there! saw Bohemian Rhapsody there on Christmas day.

    hope to hear from you regarding your own favorite movies of the year.

    Purpose: Movie List

    Keep daily track of all movies watched, including title, main actors, and plot synopsis and mini review, include in daily journal and copy to Movie list. Use in conjunction with book read list to keep track of books and movies read and watched. Also plays attended and TV movie events.

    Also note when something is well written or produced and lesions I can learn for my own writing projects, and continue to write fan boy  stories and alternative  endings.. This year watch more Korean movies and TV and occasional Spanish or Bollywood movies as well as usual mix of SF, Thrillers, and comedies. Diversity the list a bit.

    best movies of the year for me were

    Bird Box
    Godzilla Kings of the Monsters
    Godzilla
    Avengers Ultra
    Avengers End Game
    Avengers infinity End
    SPider Man Coming Home
    A Wrinkle in Time 2018 version
    Aquarman
    Justice League

    best series for me were

    Night flyer series b
    War of the Worlds
    Kim’s connivence Netflix Korean drama
    another life Netflix drama
    stranger things season three
    discover season two
    Enterprise -finished series
    rim of the world Netflix original drama
    colony Netflix
    I Island Netflix
    THE AO

    List

    A series of unfortunate Events (Nextfix)
    Aquarman (theater) B
    49 Days Korean Movie B
    Dr Who Shada YS B
    Alien Code YS B
    Doomsday Device YS B
    Genesis YS D
    Point B YS B
    Memories of Alhambra Korean SF series B
    Glass in theater C
    Winter Kills YS C -disappointing despite great cast
    Heist 2001 version YS B
    Curse of the Golden Flower YS
    HG Wells Men in The Moon YS A-1
    The Rift YS
    Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader YS B
    Operation Chromite YS B
    The Assassin YS C did not finish
    Chuyang YS B
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo YS A
    Eraser b
    The Snows of Kilimanjaraco c
    Justice League b
    The Ghost and the Darkness b
    The A Team b
    Jack Reacher, Never Go Back b
    Night flyer series b
    Cold Pursuit
    War of the Worlds
    Agatha Christie – And then there were None
    Kungfu Yoga
    Kim’s connivence Netflix Korean drama
    another life Netflix drama
    stranger things season three
    discover season two
    Enterprise -finished series
    rim of the world Netflix original drama
    colony Netflix
    I Island Netflix
    THE AO
    Better Call Saul
    Bird Box
    Godzilla Kings of the Monsters
    Godzilla
    Avengers Ultron
    Avengers End Game
    Avengers infinity End
    SPider Man Coming Home
    BatMan First Knight Arises
    Sense Netflix Series
    Venom neflix
    A Wrinkle in Time 2018 version
    A wrinkle in time 2003 version (earlier)
    A wrinkle in Time OSF 2016
    Lost In Space season two
    Jurasic  Park Lost Lost World

    JokerJoker (2019 film)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to navigationJump to search
    Joker
    Joker (2019 film) poster.jpg
    Theatrical release poster
    Directed by Todd Phillips
    Produced by
    Todd Phillips
    Bradley Cooper
    Emma Tillinger Koskoff
    Written by
    Todd Phillips
    Scott Silver
    Based on Characters
    by DC Comics
    Starring Joaquin Phoenix
    Music by Hildur Guðnadóttir
    Cinematography Lawrence Sher
    Edited by Jeff Groth
    Production
    companies
    Warner Bros. Pictures
    DC Films
    Joint Effort
    Bron Creative
    Village Roadshow Pictures[1]
    Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
    Release date
    August 31, 2019 (Venice)
    October 4, 2019 (United States)
    Running time
    122 minutes[2]
    Country United States
    Language English
    Budget $55–70 million[3][4]
    Box office $1.063 billion[5][6]
    Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker. Joker provides a possible origin story for the character; set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed stand-up comedian whose descent into insanity and nihilism inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron appear in supporting roles. Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, and Joint Effort, in association with Bron Creative and Village Roadshow Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros.Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese (particularly Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy), who was initially attached to the project as a producer. The graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) was the basis for the premise, but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City, and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, due to its violent and disturbing content.

    Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film polarized critics; while Phoenix’s performance, Phillips’ direction, musical score, cinematography and production values were praised, the dark tone, portrayal of mental illness, and handling of violence divided responses.[7] Joker also generated concerns of inspiring real-world violence; the movie theater where the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises refused to show it. Despite this, the film became a major box office success, setting records for an October release. Joker has grossed over $1 billion, making it the first R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark at the worldwide box office, the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2019, and the 33rd-highest-grossing film of all time. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, the film received four nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama.

    Contents
    1 Plot
    2 Cast
    3 Production
    3.1 Development
    3.2 Writing
    3.3 Pre-production
    3.4 Filming
    3.5 Post-production
    4 Marketing
    5 Release
    5.1 Theatrical
    5.1.1 Security concerns
    5.2 Home media
    6 Reception
    6.1 Box office
    6.2 Critical response
    6.3 Industry response
    6.4 Social commentary
    6.5 Accolades
    7 Future
    8 Notes
    9 References
    10 External links
    Plot
    In 1981, party clown, social outsider and aspiring stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck lives with his mother, Penny, in Gotham City. Gotham’s class society is rife with crime and unemployment, leaving segments of the population disenfranchised and impoverished. Arthur suffers from a medical disorder that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times, and depends on social services for medication. After a gang of delinquents attacks Arthur in an alley, his co-worker, Randall, gives him a gun for protection. Arthur meets his neighbor, single mother Sophie Dumond, and invites her to his upcoming stand-up comedy show at a nightclub.

    While entertaining at a children’s hospital, Arthur’s gun falls out of his pocket. Randall lies that Arthur bought the gun himself and Arthur is fired by his agent. On the subway, still in his clown makeup, Arthur is beaten by three drunken Wayne Enterprises businessmen who were harassing a female passenger; he shoots two in self-defense and executes the third. The murders are condemned by billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, who labels those envious of more successful people as “clowns”. Demonstrations against Gotham’s rich begin, with protesters donning clown masks in Arthur’s image. Funding cuts shutter the social service program, leaving Arthur without medication.

    Arthur has difficulty delivering jokes for his comedy routine, but nevertheless, receives a standing ovation from the audience. After a date with Sophie, Arthur returns home and intercepts a letter written by Penny to Thomas Wayne, alleging that he is Thomas’s illegitimate son, and immediately berates his mother for hiding the truth. At Wayne Manor, Arthur talks to Thomas’s young son, Bruce, but flees after a scuffle with butler Alfred Pennyworth. Following a visit from two Gotham City Police Department detectives investigating Arthur’s involvement in the train murders, Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. While Arthur stays with his mother in an emergency room, his childhood idol, talk show host Murray Franklin, mocks Arthur on TV by showing clips from the comedy routine on his show.

    At a public event, Arthur confronts Thomas, who tells him that Penny is delusional and not his biological mother, and Arthur begins to laugh before getting punched by Thomas. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and steals Penny’s case file; the file says Penny adopted Arthur as a baby and allowed her abusive boyfriend to harm them both. However, Penny alleged that Thomas used his influence to fabricate the adoption and commit her to the asylum to hide their affair. Distraught, Arthur returns home and enters Sophie’s apartment unannounced. Frightened, Sophie tells him to leave; their previous encounters were apparently delusions. The following day, Arthur goes to the hospital and kills Penny, suffocating her with a pillow.

    Arthur is invited to appear on Murray’s show due to the unexpected popularity of his comedy routine’s clips. As he prepares, Arthur is visited by Randall and fellow ex-colleague Gary. Arthur murders Randall for revenge, but leaves Gary unharmed for treating him well in the past. En route to the studio, Arthur is pursued by the two detectives onto a train filled with some of the clown protesters. One detective accidentally shoots a protester and incites a riot, allowing Arthur to escape.

    Before the show goes live, Arthur requests that Murray introduce him as Joker, a reference to Murray’s previous mockery. Arthur walks out to applause, but the mood quickly changes when he tells morbid jokes, confesses to be the killer from the train murders, and rants about how society abandons and harasses the disenfranchised. Arthur then fatally shoots Murray and is arrested as riots break out across all of Gotham. One rioter corners the Wayne family in an alley and murders Thomas and his wife Martha, sparing Bruce.[a] Arthur watches the city go up in chaos from the window of the police car and laughs in satisfaction. Rioters in an ambulance crash into the police car and free Arthur; he dances before the crowd and smears the blood on his face into a smile. At Arkham, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke and tells his psychiatrist she would not understand it. He runs from orderlies, leaving a trail of bloodied footprints.

    Cast
    Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker:
    A mentally ill, impoverished stand-up comedian disregarded by society,[9] whose history of abuse causes him to become a nihilistic criminal.[10] Phoenix had been interested in a low-budget “character study” of a comic book character, and said the film “feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe […] It might as well be the thing that scares you the most.”[11] Phoenix lost 52 pounds (24 kg) in preparation,[12][13] and based his laugh on “videos of people suffering from pathological laughter.”[14] He also sought to portray a character who audiences could not identify with and did not look to previous Joker actors for inspiration; instead, he read a book about political assassinations so he could understand killers and motivations.[10] Phoenix believes that Fleck is the actual Joker;[15] however, director Todd Phillips said that he intentionally left it ambiguous as to whether Arthur becomes the actual Joker as seen in traditional Batman stories or inspires a separate character.[16]
    Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin:[17]
    A talk show host who plays a role in Arthur’s downfall.[18] De Niro said his role in Joker pays homage to his character from The King of Comedy (1983), Rupert Pupkin, who is a comedian obsessed with a talk-show host.[17]
    Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond:[19]
    A cynical single mother and Arthur’s love interest.[19][20] Beetz, a “huge fan” of Phoenix, said that it was “an honor” to co-star with him,[21] and that she learned a lot working with him on set.[22]
    Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck: Arthur’s mentally and physically ill mother,[23] who formerly worked for Thomas Wayne.[24] Hannah Gross portrays a young Penny.[25]
    Additionally, Brett Cullen plays Thomas Wayne, a billionaire philanthropist running for mayor of Gotham.[26] Unlike in the comics, Thomas plays a role in the Joker’s origins and is less sympathetic than traditional incarnations.[27] Alec Baldwin was initially cast in the role but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[28][29] Douglas Hodge plays Alfred Pennyworth, the butler and caretaker of the Wayne family,[30] and Dante Pereira-Olson plays Bruce Wayne, Thomas’s son, who becomes the Joker’s archenemy Batman as an adult.[31][32]

    Additional cast members include: Glenn Fleshler and Leigh Gill as Randall and Gary, Arthur’s clown co-workers;[33][34] Bill Camp and Shea Whigham as two detectives in the Gotham City Police Department;[35] Marc Maron as Gene Ufland, a producer on Franklin’s show;[36][37] Josh Pais as Hoyt Vaughn, Arthur’s agent;[33][38] Brian Tyree Henry as a clerk at Arkham State Hospital;[39] Ben Warheit as a Wall Street banker who gets murdered by Arthur on a subway platform;[40] Gary Gulman as a comedian who performs his act at the restaurant before Arthur does;[41] and Bryan Callen as Javier, a co-worker of Arthur.[42] Justin Theroux has an uncredited cameo as a celebrity guest on Franklin’s show.[43]

    Production
    Development

    Joker director Todd Phillips in 2016
    Between 2014 and 2015, Joaquin Phoenix expressed interest in acting in a low-budget “character study” type of film about a comic book villain, like the DC Comics character Joker.[11] Phoenix had previously declined to act in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he would have been required to play the roles, such as the Hulk and Doctor Strange, in multiple films.[44] He did not believe his idea for a film should cover the Joker, as he thought the character had been depicted in a similar way before, and tried to think of a different one. Phoenix’s agent suggested setting up a meeting with Warner Bros., but he declined.[11] Similarly, Todd Phillips had been offered to direct comic-based films a number of times, but declined because he thought they were “loud” and did not interest him. According to Phillips, Joker was created from his idea to create a different, more grounded comic book film.[12] He was attracted to the Joker because he did not think there was a definitive portrayal of the character, which he knew would provide considerable creative freedom.[16]

    Phillips pitched the idea for Joker to Warner Bros. after his film War Dogs premiered in August 2016.[12] Prior to War Dogs, Phillips was mostly known for his comedy films, such as Road Trip (2000), Old School (2003), and The Hangover (2009); War Dogs marked a venture into more unsettling territory.[45] During the premiere, Phillips realized “War Dogs wasn’t going to set the world on fire and I was thinking, ‘What do people really want to see?’”[12] He proposed that DC Films differentiate its slate from the competing Marvel Studios’ by producing low-budget, standalone films.[46][47] After the successful release of Wonder Woman (2017), DC Films decided to deemphasize the shared nature of its DC-based film franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[48] In August 2017, Warner Bros. and DC Films revealed plans for the film, with Phillips directing and co-writing with Scott Silver, and Martin Scorsese set to co-produce with Phillips.[49]

    According to Kim Masters and Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, Jared Leto, who portrayed the Joker in the DCEU, was displeased by the existence of a project separate from his interpretation.[50][51] In October 2019, Masters reported that Leto “felt ‘alienated and upset’” when he learned that Warner Bros.—which had promised him a standalone DCEU Joker film—let Phillips proceed with Joker, going as far as to ask his music manager Irving Azoff to get the project canceled. Masters added that Leto’s irritation was what caused him to end his association with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), as he believed “his agents should have told him about the Phillips project earlier and fought harder for his version of Joker.” However, sources associated with Leto deny that he attempted to get Joker canceled and left CAA because of it.[51]

    Warner Bros. pushed for Phillips to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the Joker,[45] hoping to use his frequent collaborator Scorsese’s involvement to attract him.[50] However, Phillips said that Phoenix was the only actor he considered,[52] and that he and Silver wrote the script with Phoenix in mind, “The goal was never to introduce Joaquin Phoenix into the comic book movie universe. The goal was to introduce comic book movies into the Joaquin Phoenix universe.”[53] Phoenix said when he learned of the film, he became excited because it was the kind he was looking to make, describing it as unique and stating it did not feel like a typical “studio movie.”[11] It took him some time to commit to the role, as it intimidated him and he said “oftentimes, in these movies, we have these simplified, reductive archetypes, and that allows for the audience to be distant from the character, just like we would do in real life, where it’s easy to label somebody as evil, and therefore say, ‘Well, I’m not that.’”[53]

    Writing
    It was a yearlong process from when we finished the script just to get the new people on board with this vision, because I pitched it to an entirely different team than made it. There were emails about: ‘You realize we sell Joker pajamas at Target.’ There were a zillion hurdles, and you just sort of had to navigate those one at a time […] At the time, I would curse them in my head every day. But then I have to put it in perspective and go, ‘They’re pretty bold that they did this.’
    – Todd Phillips[12]
    Phillips and Silver wrote Joker throughout 2017, and the writing process took about a year.[54] According to producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff, it took some time to get approval for the script from Warner Bros., partly because of concerns over the content. Similarly, Phillips commented that there were “a zillion hurdles” during the year-long writing process due to the visibility of the character.[12] Phillips said that while the script’s themes may reflect modern society, the film was not intended to be political.[54] While the Joker had appeared in several films before, Phillips thought it was possible to produce a new story featuring the character. “It’s just another interpretation, like people do interpretations of Macbeth,” he told The New York Times.[52]

    The script draws inspiration from Scorsese films such as Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and The King of Comedy (1983),[49][45] as well as Phillips’ Hangover Trilogy.[55] Other films Phillips has cited as inspiration include character studies released in the 1970s—such as Serpico (1973) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)—the silent film The Man Who Laughs (1928), and several musicals. Phillips said that aside from the tone, he did not consider Joker that different from his previous work, such as his Hangover films.[54] While the film’s premise was inspired by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), which depicts the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian,[12] Phillips said it does not “follow anything from the comic books… That’s what was interesting to me. We’re not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker.”[56] Phillips later clarified that he meant they did not look to a specific comic for inspiration, but rather “picked and chose what we liked” from the character’s history.[57]

    Phillips and Silver found the most common Joker origin story, in which the character is disfigured after falling into a vat of acid, too unrealistic.[12] Instead, they used certain elements of the Joker lore to produce an original story,[58] which Phillips wanted to feel as authentic as possible.[12] Because the Joker does not have a definitive origin story in the comics, Phillips and Silver were given considerable creative freedom and “pushed each other every day to come up with something totally insane.”[54] However, they did try to retain the ambiguous “multiple choice” nature of the Joker’s past by positioning the character as an unreliable narrator—with entire storylines simply being his delusions[16]—and left what mental illnesses he suffers from unclear.[45] As such, Phillips said the entire film is open to interpretation.[16] One segment that has been confirmed to be real, according to Phillips in an interview, was Arthur’s appearance on Murray Franklin’s show, as the original intention was to cut to Sophie who is watching him on her TV just to show the audience she is still alive, but it was decided it would disrupt the narrative which was to see everything from Arthur’s point of view.[59]

    Pre-production
    Following the disappointing critical and financial performance of Justice League (2017), in January 2018 Walter Hamada replaced Jon Berg as the head of DC-based film production at Warner Bros.[60] Hamada sorted through the various DC films in development, canceling some while advancing work on others; the Joker film was set to begin filming in late 2018 with a small budget of $55 million.[3] Masters reported that Warner Bros. was reluctant to let Joker move forward, and gave it a small budget in an effort to dissuade Phillips.[51] By June, Robert De Niro was under consideration for a supporting role in the film.[61] The deal with Phoenix was finalized in July 2018,[62] after four months of persuasion from Phillips.[12] Immediately afterwards,[62] Warner Bros. officially green-lit the film,[63] titled it Joker, and gave it an October 4, 2019, release date.[64] Warner Bros. described the film as “an exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale.”[65]

    Scorsese’s longtime associate Koskoff joined to produce,[66][67] although Scorsese left his producing duties due to other obligations.[66] Scorsese considered serving as an executive producer, but was preoccupied with his film The Irishman.[12] It was also confirmed that the film would have no effect on Leto’s Joker[68] and would be the first in a new series of DC films unrelated to the DCEU.[3] In July, Zazie Beetz was cast in a supporting role,[20] and De Niro entered negotiations in August.[18][69] Frances McDormand declined an offer to portray the mother of the Joker, and Frances Conroy was cast.[70][23] At the end of July, Marc Maron, who had recently finished filming the third season of the web television series GLOW,[37] and Bryan Callen joined the cast.[36][71] Alec Baldwin was cast as Thomas Wayne on August 27, but dropped out two days later due to scheduling conflicts.[28]

    Filming
    A corrugated silver metal subway train sits with its doors open in a station. Its rollsign reads “0 Local / To Old Gotham all times / Downtown & Tricorner”.
    A New York City Subway C train with a rollsign for the fictional 0 train left over from filming for Joker
    Principal photography commenced in September 2018 in New York City,[b] under the working title Romeo.[74] Shortly after filming began, De Niro, Brett Cullen, Shea Whigham, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Josh Pais, and Douglas Hodge were announced to have joined the film, with Cullen replacing Baldwin.[33][75] Bradley Cooper joined the film as a producer,[76] and the director of photography was Lawrence Sher, both of whom Phillips had previously collaborated with.[33] On September 22, a scene depicting a violent protest filmed at the Church Avenue station in Kensington, Brooklyn,[77] although the station was modified to look like the Bedford Park Boulevard station in the Bronx.[78] Filming of violent scenes also took place at the abandoned lower platform of the Ninth Avenue station in Sunset Park, Brooklyn.[79]

    According to Beetz, Phillips rewrote the entire script during production; because Phoenix lost so much weight for the film, there would not be an opportunity for reshoots. She recalled, “we would go into Todd’s trailer and write the scene for the night and then do it. During hair and makeup we’d memorize those lines and then do them and then we’d reshoot that three weeks later.”[80] Phillips recalled Phoenix sometimes walked off-set during filming because he lost self-control and needed to compose himself—to the confusion of other actors, who felt they had done something wrong. De Niro was one of the few Phoenix never walked out on, and De Niro said he was “very intense in what he was doing, as it should be, as he should be.”[81]

    Filming in Jersey City started on September 30 and shut down Newark Avenue, while filming in November, starting on November 9, shut down Kennedy Boulevard. Filming in Newark began on October 13 and lasted until October 16.[74] Shortly before the Newark filming, SAG-AFTRA received a complaint that extras were locked in subway cars for more than three hours during filming in Brooklyn, a break violation. However, the issue was quickly resolved after a representative visited the set.[82] That month, Dante Pereira-Olson joined the cast as a young Bruce Wayne.[30] Whigham said towards the end of October the film was in “the middle” of production, adding that it was an “intense” and “incredible” experience.[35] By mid-November, filming had moved back to New York.[83] Filming wrapped on December 3, 2018,[84] with Phillips posting a picture on his Instagram feed later in the month to commemorate the occasion.[85]

    Post-production
    Phillips confirmed he was in the process of editing Joker in March 2019.[86] At CinemaCon the following month, he stated the film was “still taking shape” and was difficult to discuss, as he hoped to maintain secrecy.[87] Phillips also stated that most reports surrounding the film were inaccurate, which he felt was because it is “an origin story about a character that doesn’t have a definitive origin.”[88] Brian Tyree Henry was also confirmed to have a role in the film.[38] The visual effects were provided by Scanline VFX and Shade VFX and supervised by Matthew Giampa and Bryan Godwin, with Erwin Rivera serving as the overall supervisor.[89]

    In August 2018, Hildur Guðnadóttir was hired to compose the film’s score.[90] Guðnadóttir began writing music after reading the script and meeting with Phillips, who “had a lot of strong ideas” about how he thought the score should sound. She worked on the Joker score alongside the score for the drama miniseries Chernobyl; Guðnadóttir said switching between the two was challenging because the scores were so different.[91] Additionally, the film features the songs “That’s Life”, “Send In the Clowns”, and “Rock and Roll Part 2”.[45][92] The use of “Rock and Roll Part 2” generated controversy when it was reported that its singer Gary Glitter (a convicted sex offender) would receive royalties, but it was later confirmed he would not.[92] The score was released on October 2, 2019 by WaterTower Music.[93]

    The film’s final budget was $55–70 million, considered by The Hollywood Reporter “a fraction” of the cost of a typical comic book-based film.[3][4] In comparison, the previous villain-centric DC film, Suicide Squad (2016), cost $175 million.[45] $25 million of Joker’s budget was covered by the Toronto-based financing company Creative Wealth Media, while Village Roadshow Pictures and Bron Studios each contributed to 25% of it.[94][4] Joker was also the first live-action theatrical film in the Batman film franchise to receive an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, due to “strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language, and brief sexual images.”[95] In the United Kingdom, the BBFC gave the film a 15 certificate.[96]

    Marketing
    Phillips has promoted the film by posting set photos on his Instagram feed.[97] On September 21, 2018, he released test footage of Phoenix in-costume as the Joker, with “Laughing” by The Guess Who accompanying the footage.[98] At CinemaCon on April 2, 2019, Phillips unveiled the first trailer for the film,[38] which was released online the following day.[99] The trailer, prominently featuring the song “Smile” performed by Jimmy Durante, generated positive responses, with some commentators comparing it to Taxi Driver and Requiem for a Dream and praising Phoenix’s performance.[100][101] Writers described the trailer as dark and gritty,[102] with ComicBook.com’s Jenna Anderson feeling it appeared more like a psychological thriller than a comic book film.[38] Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker since the 1992 cartoon Batman: The Animated Series, expressed enthusiasm in a Twitter post.[103][104] Conversely, io9’s Germain Lussier said the trailer revealed too little and that it was too similar to photos Phillips posted on Instagram. While he still believed it exhibited potential, Lussier overall thought the trailer was not “a home run.”[105] The trailer received over eight million views in the first few hours of release.[106]

    On August 25, 2019, Phillips released six brief teasers that contained flashes of writing, revealing the second trailer would be released on August 28.[107] Filmmaker Kevin Smith commended the trailer, stating he thought the film “would still work even if [DC Comics] didn’t exist” and praising its uniqueness.[108] Overall, Deadline Hollywood estimated that Warner Bros. spent $120 million on promotion and advertisements.[4]

    Release
    Theatrical

    Joaquin Phoenix (left) at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, where Joker premiered.
    Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation and won the Golden Lion award.[109][110] It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2019.[111] The film was released theatrically by Warner Bros. Pictures on October 4, 2019 in the United States, and a day earlier in Australia and several other international markets.[112][113]

    Security concerns
    On September 18, 2019, the United States Army distributed an email warning service members of potential violence at theaters screening the film and noting the Joker character’s popularity among the incel community. A separate memo revealed the Army received “credible” information from Texas law enforcement “regarding the targeting of an unknown movie theater during the release.”[114] However, according to Deadline Hollywood, the FBI and the United States Department of Homeland Security found no credible threats surrounding the release of the film.[115]

    In an interview with TheWrap, Phillips expressed surprise at the backlash, stating he thought “it’s because outrage is a commodity” and calling critics of the film “far-left”.[116] Phoenix walked out of an interview by The Telegraph when asked if the film could inspire mass shooters. He later returned to finish the interview, but did not answer the question.[117] Following this, journalists were disinvited from the premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre, with only photographers being allowed to interact with the filmmakers and cast on the carpet. In a statement to Variety, Warner Bros. said that “A lot has been said about Joker, and we just feel it’s time for people to see the film.”[118][119]

    The film did not play at the Aurora, Colorado movie theater where the 2012 mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Three families of victims, as well as the mother of a witness, signed a letter to Warner Bros. with the request.[120] Additionally, Landmark Theaters has prohibited moviegoers from wearing Joker costumes during its run, while the Los Angeles and New York City Police Departments increased police visibility at area theaters, though they did not receive “any specific threat.”[121][24]

    Home media
    Joker was released on Digital HD on December 17, 2019,[122] and will be released on DVD, Blu-ray and Ultra HD Blu-ray on January 7, 2020.[123] It will be available on HBO Max when it launches in 2020.[124]

    Reception
    Box office
    As of December 23, 2019, Joker has grossed $333.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $729.5 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $1.063 billion.[5][6] It is the seventh-highest-grossing film of 2019 and the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time,[125] as well as the first R-rated film to pass the billion-dollar mark.[126] In terms of budget-to-gross ratio, Joker is also the most profitable film based on a comic book,[127] due to its small budget and little decline in week-to-week grosses during its theatrical run.[128] Deadline Hollywood estimated it would turn a profit of about $464 million when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[129]

    In August 2019, BoxOffice magazine analyst Shawn Robbins wrote that he expected Joker to gross $60–90 million during its opening weekend in North America.[130] Following the film’s premiere, BoxOffice predicted Joker could open to $70–95 million domestically.[131] Later updating to $85–105 million, Robbins suggested it could become the first October release to open to over $100 million, and surpass the record set by Venom in 2018.[132] However, Comscore’s senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian thought the film would open closer to $50 million because it is not a “typical comic-book movie.”[133] Three weeks prior to its release, official industry tracking projected the film would debut to $65–80 million, with some estimates going as high as $90 million.[134] The week of its release, Atom Tickets announced pre-sale totals for the film were outpacing those of Venom and It Chapter Two ($91.1 million debut), and that Joker was its second-bestselling R-rated film of 2019 behind John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.[135]

    Joker opened in 4,374 theaters in North America and made $39.9 million on its first day, including $13.3 million from Thursday night previews, besting Venom’s respective October records.[4] It went on to break Venom’s record for the biggest October opening, finishing the weekend with a domestic total of $96.2 million. The film set career records for Phoenix, Phillips, and De Niro, and was the fourth-largest debut for an R-rated film of all-time.[136] It was also Warner Bros.’ biggest domestic opening in two years.[137] In its second weekend the film fell just 41.8% to $55.9 million, remaining in first and marking the best second-weekend October total (besting Gravity’s $43.1 million in 2013).[138] It made $29.2 million in its third weekend and $19.2 million in its fourth, finishing second behind Maleficent: Mistress of Evil both times.[139][140]

    Worldwide, the film was projected to debut to around $155 million, including $75 million from 73 overseas territories.[141] It made $5.4 million from four countries on its first day and $18.7 million from 47 in its second, for a two-day total of $24.6 million. It went on to greatly exceed expectations, making $140.5 million from overseas territories and a total $234 million worldwide. Its largest markets were South Korea (a Warner Bros. record $16.3 million), the United Kingdom ($14.8 million), Mexico ($13.1 million) and Japan ($7 million).[142] With this, it became the biggest worldwide opening for an October film.[137] During its second weekend, the film made an additional $125.7 million worldwide,[143] and $77.9 million in its third.[144] By this point, industry analysts expected Joker to become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, with some suggesting that it could finish its run with over $1 billion.[145] The film became the highest-grossing R-rated film in its fourth weekend, during which it grossed $47.8 million overseas,[146] and passed the billion-dollar mark about a month into its theatrical release.[126]

    Critical response

    Joaquin Phoenix (pictured in 2018) received universal critical acclaim for his performance as the Joker, a performance cited as one of the best of his career.[147]
    On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 69% based on 526 reviews, with an average rating of 7.26/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Joker gives its infamous central character a chillingly plausible origin story that serves as a brilliant showcase for its star – and a dark evolution for comics-inspired cinema.”[148] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 59 out of 100 based on 58 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews.”[149] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 84% (with an average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 60% “definite recommend.”[4]

    Mark Kermode of The Observer rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating that, “Joker has an ace card in the form of Joaquin Phoenix’s mesmerisingly physical portrayal of a man who would be king.”[150] Writing for IGN, Jim Vejvoda gave Joker a perfect score, writing the film “would work just as well as an engrossing character study without any of its DC Comics trappings; that it just so happens to be a brilliant Batman-universe movie is icing on the Batfan cake.” He found it a powerful and unsettling allegory of contemporary neglect and violence, and described Phoenix’s performance as the Joker as engrossing and “Oscar-worthy.”[151] Similarly, Xan Brooks of The Observer—who also gave the film a perfect score—called it “gloriously daring and explosive” and appreciated how Phillips used elements from Scorsese films to create an original story.[152] Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote, “Phoenix is astonishing as a mentally ill geek who becomes the killer-clown Joker in Todd Phillips’ neo-Taxi Driver knockout: the rare comic-book movie that expresses what’s happening in the real world.”[153]

    ComicBook.com’s Brandon Davis acclaimed Joker as a groundbreaking comic book adaptation that he found scarier than most 2019 horror films. Davis compared it favorably to the 2008 Batman film The Dark Knight, praised the cinematography and performances, and called it a film that needed to be seen to be believed.[154] Deadline Hollywood’s Pete Hammond believes the film redefines the Joker and is “impossible to shake off.” Hammond also praised the story and performances, and summarized the film as “a bravura piece of filmmaking that speaks to the world we are actually living in today in ways that few movies do.”[155] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said he was lost for words in describing Phoenix’s performance, calling the film “gut-wrenching” and “simply stupendous.”[156]

    However, David Ehrlich of IndieWire was more mixed and gave the film a “C+.” He felt that while “Joker is the boldest and most exciting superhero movie since The Dark Knight,” it was “also incendiary, confused, and potentially toxic.” Ehrlich thought that the film would make DC fans happy and praised Phoenix’s performance, but criticized Phillips’ direction and the lack of originality.[157] A more critical review came from Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com, who gave the film two stars out of four. Though he praised the performances and thought the story worked, Kenny criticized the social commentary and Phillips’ direction, finding the film too derivative and believing its focus was “less in entertainment than in generating self-importance.”[158] In an analysis of the character Joker, Onmanorama’s Sajesh Mohan wrote that the movie was cliché-ridden—the only original part being Joaquin Phoenix’s acting. “The movie, with great pain and in detail, explains how Arthur Fleck turns into Joker dejected by the way the world treats him. Thanks to Phillips and Silver, Phoenix was able to bring out the king among the Jokers,” the analysis read.[159]

    Time magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek, in a negative review, labeled Phoenix’s performance as over-the-top and felt that while Phillips tried to “[give] us a movie all about the emptiness of our culture… he’s just offering a prime example of it.” She argued the plot was nonexistent, “dark only in a stupidly adolescent way,” and “stuffed with phony philosophy.”[160] Meanwhile, NPR’s Glen Weldon thought the film lacked innovation and said its sympathetic take on the Joker was “wildly unconvincing and mundanely uninteresting.” Weldon also described Joker as trying too hard to deviate from the comics and, as a result, coming off as an imitation of films like Taxi Driver.[161] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian called it “the most disappointing film of the year.” While praising Phoenix’s performance and the first act, he criticized the film’s political plot developments and overall found it too derivative of various Scorsese films.[162]

    Industry response
    Joker generated positive responses from industry figures. DC Comics chief creative officer Jim Lee praised it as “intense, raw and soulful,” and said that it remained true to the character despite deviating from the source material.[147] Actor Mark Hamill, who has voiced the Joker in animation and video games, thought the film “brilliantly” reinvented the character and gave it “[two] thumbs up.”[163] Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore called Joker a “cinematic masterpiece” and said it was a “danger to society” if people did not see it.[164] Josh Brolin, who portrays Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, found the film powerful: “To appreciate Joker I believe you have to have either gone through something traumatic in your lifetime (and I believe most of us have) or understand somewhere in your psyche what true compassion is.”[165] Actor Vincent D’Onofrio vocally praised Phoenix’s performance in the film on Twitter, stating that he “deserves recognition for this performance,” while actress Jessica Chastain agreed, replying, “it’s one of the greatest pieces of acting I’ve ever seen.”[166] Actress and writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge also praised the film, stating: “I think the reason people got so uncomfortable is because it feels too true, too raw. I was watching it and thinking to myself, God, if this came out a year into Obama’s time in office, I don’t think we’d be feeling as worried about it”.[167]

    Social commentary
    Further information: Mental healthcare in the United States
    Joker deals with the themes of mental illness and its effects.[168] Its depiction of the Joker has been described as reminiscent of those who commit mass shootings in the United States as well as members of the online incel community.[169][170] Vejvoda, Hammond, and The Guardian’s Christina Newland interpreted the film as a cautionary tale—society’s ignorance of those who are less fortunate will create a person like the Joker.[151][155][171] Stephen Kent, writing for The Washington Examiner, described Arthur Fleck as blending shared aspects of mass shooters, and interpreted its message as a reminder that society is riddled with men like the Joker.[169] Writing in People’s World, Chauncey K. Robinson said the film “walks a fine line between exploration and validation” of Joker’s character, and is “ultimately an in-your-face examination of a broken system that creates its own monsters.”[172]

    Some writers have expressed concern that Joker’s sympathetic portrayal of a homicidal maniac could inspire real-world violence.[173][174] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair found the film was too sympathetic towards “white men who commit heinous crimes;” and that the social-politics ideologies represented in the film are “evils that are far more easily identifiable” to people “who shoot up schools and concerts and churches, who gun down the women and men they covet and envy, who let loose some spirit of anarchic animus upon the world—there’s almost a woebegone mythos placed on them in the search for answers.”[175] Jim Geraghty of National Review wrote he was “worried that a certain segment of America’s angry, paranoid, emotionally unstable young men will watch Joaquin Phoenix descending into madness and a desire to get back at society by hurting as many people as possible and exclaim, ‘finally, somebody understands me!’”[176] Contrarily, Michael Shindler, reviewing the film in Mere Orthodoxy, while agreeing that Joker depicts a sympathetic wish fulfillment fantasy, contends (drawing on insights from Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan) that it is for precisely that reason that the film will, if anything, preemptively quell real-world violence by rendering “the Flecks of the world into meek somnambulists.”[177]

    British neurocriminologist Adrian Raine commented on Joker’s depiction: “For 42 years, I’ve studied the cause of crime and violence. And while watching this film, I thought, ‘Wow, what a revelation this was’. I need to buy this movie down the road, make excerpt clips of it to illustrate […] It is a great educational tool about the making of the murderer. That threw me.”[178] Psychiatrist Kamran Ahmed highlighted the factors in Arthur’s childhood such as parental abuse and loss, and family history of mental illness in the genesis of his condition.[179] American psychiatrist Imani Walker, who is known for her Bravo television series Married to Medicine Los Angeles and working with violent criminals with mental disorders, analyzed the Joker’s apparent mental disorders and circumstances, but also notes that Arthur was trying to get help before his downfall. She says of Arthur and others in poverty who have mental illness: “We as a society don’t even pretend that they’re real people. And that’s what this movie is about. He never had a chance.”[180]

    During a Five Star Movement event in October 2019, Italian comedian and politician Beppe Grillo gave a speech wearing the Joker’s makeup.[181] References to the character were also found in anti-government protests worldwide.[182] During the 2019 Lebanese protests, a group of graffiti artists called Ashekm painted a mural of the Joker holding a Molotov cocktail, and it was also reported that there was a Joker facepaint station at the protests in Beirut.[182] In Los Ángeles, Chile, during the 2019 Chilean protests, the phrase “We are all clowns”, which is adopted by Gotham City protesters in the movie, was written at the foot of a statue.[182] In Hong Kong, protesters challenged an emergency decree prohibiting the wearing of masks by wearing those of fictional characters such as the Joker.[182]

    Micah Uetricht, managing director of Jacobin, opined in a review published by The Guardian that he was shocked that the media did not understand the movie’s message: “we got a fairly straightforward condemnation of American austerity: how it leaves the vulnerable to suffer without the resources they need, and the horrific consequences for the rest of society that can result.”[183] Ahmed also highlights the lack of funding for already-stretched mental health services worldwide being alluded to.[179]

    Accolades
    Main article: List of accolades received by Joker (2019 film)
    Joker won the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.[184] The film received four nominations at the 77th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director for Todd Phillips, and Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for Joaquin Phoenix.[185] It received seven nominations at the 25th Critics’ Choice Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Phoenix, and Best Adapted Screenplay.[186] The American Film Institute included Joker as one of the top 10 films of 2019.[187]

    Future
    Joker was intended to be a standalone film with no sequels,[87] although Warner Bros. intends for it to launch DC Black, a line of DC Comics-based films unrelated to the DCEU with darker, more experimental material.[46][188] While Phillips said in August 2019 that he would be interested in making a sequel, depending on the film’s performance and if Phoenix is interested,[55] he later clarified that “the movie’s not set up to [have] a sequel. We always pitched it as one movie, and that’s it.”[189] In October 2019, Phoenix spoke to Peter Travers of possibly reprising the role of Arthur, centering around Travers’ asking of Phoenix if he considers Joker to be his “dream role.” Phoenix stated, “I can’t stop thinking about it … if there’s something else we can do with Joker that might be interesting,”[190] and concluded, “It’s nothing that I really wanted to do prior to working on this movie. I don’t know that there is [more to do] … Because it seemed endless, the possibilities of where we can go with the character.”[191]

    On November 20, 2019, The Hollywood Reporter announced that a sequel was in development, with Phillips, Silver, and Phoenix expected to reprise their duties; however, Deadline Hollywood reported the same day that The Hollywood Reporter’s story was false and that negotiations had not even begun.[192][193] Phillips responded to the reports by saying that he had discussed a sequel with Warner Bros. and it remained a possibility, but it was not in development.[194]

    lost in space
    lost in space

    Lost in Space Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix, just in time for the Christmas celebrations. The second season of Netflix’s sci-fi space adventure continues the story of Robinsons and their robot companion who are stranded on an alien planet, trying to survive against all odds, and planning a way to somehow reach the Resolute spacecraft. Just like season 1, the second season of Lost in Space also has ten episodes, and starts with the group trying to power up the Jupiter 2 spacecraft and ensure survival by reaching their destination – the Alpha Centauri star system.

     

    Here’s Netflix’s official synopsis of Lost in Space Season 2:

    There’s more danger — and adventure — ahead for the Robinson family! With the Jupiter 2 stranded on a mysterious ocean planet without their beloved Robot, the Robinsons must work together, alongside the mischievous and manipulative Dr. Smith and the always charming Don West, to make it back to the Resolute and reunite with the other colonists. But they quickly find all is not as it seems. A series of incredible new threats and unexpected discoveries emerge as they look for the key to finding Robot and safe passage to Alpha Centauri. They will stop at nothing to keep their family safe… survival is a Robinson specialty after all.

    Developed by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless, the second season of Lost in Space brings JJ Field on board who plays the recurring guest role of Ben Adler, an expert on AI and advanced spaceship systems. Molly Parker and Toby Stephens return as parents Maureen and John respectively, alongside Taylor Russell, Maxwell Jenkins, and Mina Sundwall portraying the siblings Judy, Will, and Penny. The showrunners have trimmed down the average length of episodes in season 2, most of which are now below the 50-minute mark.

    The second season of Lost in Space is spread across 10 episodes and is now streaming on Netflix.

    COMMENTS

    For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    Further reading: Lost in Space, Lost in Space Season 2, Netflix
    Nadeem SarwarAside from dreaming about technology, Nadeem likes to get bamboozled by history and ponder about his avatars in alternate dimensions. More
    a wrinkle in time
    wrinkle in time
    1. A Wrinkle in Time is a 2018 American science fantasy adventure film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell, based on Madeleine L’Engle’s 1962 novel of the same name. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Whitaker Entertainment, the story follows a young girl who, with the help of three astral travelers, sets off on a quest to find her missing father. The film stars Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Storm Reid, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Peña, Zach Galifianakis, and Chris Pine.

    It is Disney’s second film adaptation of L’Engle’s novel, following a 2003 television film. Development began in 2010, with DuVernay signing on to direct in February 2016. Principal photography began on November 2, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. Near the end of filming, production moved to New Zealand, where photography ended on February 25, 2017. With an estimated production budget of $103 million, the film became the first live-action film with a nine-digit budget to be directed by a black woman.[7][8][9]
    With a total production and marketing budget of around $150 million,[10] the film was one of the biggest box office bombs in history, with losses of up to $131 million.[11][12][13] It was the second least successful film of the year, behind Mortal Engines. The film received mixed reviews, with critics taking issue “with the film’s heavy use of CGI and numerous plot holes”, while others “celebrated its message of female empowerment and diversity”.[14]
    Contents

    Plot[edit]
    Thirteen-year-old middle school student Meg Murry struggles to adjust to her school and home life since her father Alex, a renowned scientist, mysteriously disappeared while studying astrophysics when she was very young. Both Meg and her mother Kate believed he solved the question of humanity’s existence and theorized that he was teleported to another world.
    One evening, Meg’s younger brother Charles Wallace welcomes Mrs. Whatsit, a red-haired stranger in an extravagant white dress, into the Murry family house. Mrs. Whatsit claims that the tesseract, a type of space-travel Alex was working on, is real. The next day, while walking their dog, they meet one of Meg’s classmates, Calvin O’Keefe. He joins them to go to the house of Mrs. Who, a friend of Charles Wallace’s and a strange woman who speaks only in quotations.
    Meg and Charles Wallace invite Calvin to dinner. Afterwards Meg and Calvin go into her backyard where Mrs. Whatsit appears with Mrs. Who and another woman, Mrs. Which. The three reveal themselves as astral travelers and lead Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace through a tesseract, taking them to a distant planet named Uriel, third planet from the star Malak in Messier 101.
    After learning from the flowers that Alex has been to Uriel and since departed, Mrs. Whatsit transforms into a beautiful green flying creature and flies the children into the atmosphere where they see a dark shadow known as The IT. After gaining the women’s trust, Meg and the others tesser to another planet called Orion in the ‘belt’ of the name sake constellation to meet with a seer called Happy Medium to seek his help to find Alex.
    Happy Medium shows them that Meg’s father tessered to Uriel, then Ixchel and got trapped when he tessered to Camazotz, The IT’s homeworld. After Mrs. Which explains that The IT represents all the greed, anger, pride, selfishness, and low self-esteem in the world, she shows the children personal examples of these characteristics, including an elderly friend and neighbor of Charles Wallace’s getting mugged at a bus stop, Meg’s school bully Veronica Kiley’s extreme self-consciousness about her weight, and that Calvin, despite being popular at school, is forced and abused by his father to be a perfectionist. Given the news that Alex is on dangerous and evil Camazotz, the three Mrs. insist that they all travel back to Earth to regroup and make a plan, but Meg’s strong will to not leave without her father overrides the tesseract, and she unintentionally redirects them to Camazotz.
    Upon arriving in a field on Camazotz, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who find they are unable to stay because Camazotz’s evil is stronger than their light. Before they depart, they bestow gifts: Mrs. Who gives Meg her glasses, Mrs. Whatsit gives Meg the knowledge of her faults, and Mrs. Which gives the command to never separate.
    After the Mrs. leave, trees sprout up out of the ground and a forest appears. Meg and Calvin get separated from Charles Wallace by the wild forest. They desperately race to get to the wall to prevent a tornado-earthquake storm called the Land Monster that is destroying the forest. Once creatively getting past the wall, they reunite with Charles Wallace and stumble across an neighborhood where all the children are bouncing balls in perfect sync. After calling their children inside, a lady invites them to come inside her house for a meal, Meg declines the offer and reminds Calvin and Charles Wallace to not trust anyone in Camazotz.
    Next, the surroundings change and the three children find themselves on a beach where they meet The IT in its bodyguard form, Red. He offers the starving children food and tells them that Alex is safe and happy. He says there is nothing to worry about, but Calvin and Meg realize something is wrong when Charles Wallace proclaims that the food tastes like sand. When Red starts repeating the times tables, Charles Wallace is hypnotized by the rhythm, enabling The IT to take control of his mind.
    As Meg and Calvin pursue Red and Charles Wallace, they find themselves in a seemingly empty, white, spherical room after Meg pushes umbrellas out of her way, the “CENTRAL Central Intelligence.” Charles Wallace’s personality is different and he insults Meg and Calvin, while Red shuts down and disappears. Using Mrs. Who’s glasses, Meg discovers and then climbs an invisible staircase to a room where her father is imprisoned. After a tearful reunion, Meg brings Alex out of captivity, but Charles Wallace, under the influence of The IT’s power, forcefully drags them to meet his master. As Calvin and Meg fall under The IT’s power, Alex opens another tesser and prepares to escape with the children, abandoning Charles Wallace. Meg refuses and projects out of the tesser herself, leaving her alone. When she confronts Charles Wallace, she realizes The IT uses deception and hatred to fuel his power. Expressing her love for her brother and using the knowledge that she is imperfect, Meg frees Charles Wallace and let The IT free the control on Camazotz. The three Mrs. reappeared and congratulate Meg’s victory and Mrs. Which says that she and Charles Wallace became true warriors and they tesser back home.
    After returning home, Meg, Charles Wallace reunited with her dad and mom and they assure each other that they love each other. Calvin leaves Meg to talk to his father after saying a few words to Meg and she stares at the sky, thanking the Mrs.
    Cast[edit]
    Oprah Winfrey as Mrs. Which, an astral being as old as the universe
    Reese Witherspoon as Mrs. Whatsit, an astral being from the planet Uriel
    Mindy Kaling as Mrs. Who, an astral being from the planet Ixchel
    Storm Reid as Meg Murry, a gifted young girl
    Lyric Wilson as a young Meg
    Levi Miller as Calvin O’Keefe, Meg’s classmate and friend
    Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace Murry, Meg’s precocious adopted six-year-old brother
    Chris Pine as Dr. Alexander Murry, Meg and Charles Wallace’s long-lost father and Kate’s husband
    Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Dr. Kate Murry, Meg and Charles Wallace’s mother and Alex’s wife
    Zach Galifianakis as Happy Medium, a seer from the planet Orion.
    Michael Peña as Red,[15] a form of the IT
    David Oyelowo as The IT, Red’s true diabolical form[15]
    Andre Holland as James Jenkins, the principal of Meg, Calvin and Charles Wallace’s school[15]
    Rowan Blanchard as Veronica Kiley, a student who bullies Meg[15]
    Bellamy Young as Camazotz Woman,[15] a mother from the Camazotz neighbourhood
    Conrad Roberts as Elegant Man,[15] an elder neighbour and friend of Charles Wallace.
    Yvette Cason as Teacher,[15] a gossipy, jealous, teacher
    Will McCormack as Teacher,[15] another gossipy, jealous teacher
    Daniel MacPherson as Mr. O’Keefe,[15] Calvin’s abusive father
    Production[edit]
    Development[edit]
    In October 2010, Walt Disney Pictures retained the film rights for the 1962 novel A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, which had previously been made as a 2003 television film. Following the financial success of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland (2010), Disney hired Jeff Stockwell to write the screenplay for Cary Granat and his new Bedrock Studios. Granat had previously worked with Disney on the Chronicles of Narnia and Bridge to Terabithia films.[16] The project’s budget was slated to be $35 million, which the company compared to “District 9” and “Bridge to Terabithia,” both of which were made for less than $30 million.[17]
    However, A Wrinkle in Time was part of a new California Film Commission tax credit program, which offset production costs considerably.[18] On August 5, 2014, Jennifer Lee was announced as the screenwriter, taking over from Stockwell, who wrote the first draft.[19][20]
    On February 8, 2016, it was reported that Ava DuVernay had been offered the job of directing the film, and she was confirmed to direct later that same month.[21][22] She became the first non white woman to direct a live-action film with a production budget of more than $100 million.[23] The decision received positive sentiments in the media industry. Oprah Winfrey was happy to see this because DuVernay herself broke barriers for non white people in the film industry.[24] “So I do imagine, to be a brown-skinned girl of any race throughout the world, looking up on that screen and seeing Storm, I think that is a capital A, capital W, E, some, AWESOME, experience.”[24]
    Irene Monroe of The Cambridge Day expressed her feelings that Ava DuVernay was a superb choice of a director, due to the fact that she was able to correctly highlight and expose the struggles experienced by young African-American girls.[24]
    Casting[edit]
    On July 26, 2016, Variety reported that Oprah Winfrey began final negotiations to join the film to play Mrs. Which, the eldest of the three Mrs. Ws, celestial beings who guide the children along their journey.[25] On September 7, 2016, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling were in talks to join the film, with Witherspoon to play Mrs. Whatsit, a chatty, grandmotherly sprite, and Kaling to play the quotation-reciting Mrs. Who.[26] On September 13, 2016, Storm Reid was cast in the lead role of Meg Murry, a young girl traumatized by the disappearance of her scientist father years before.[27]
    In October 2016, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Chris Pine were cast as Meg’s parents, Drs. Kate and Alex Murry.[28][29]On November 1, 2016, additional cast announcements included Zach Galifianakis as Happy Medium, André Holland as Principal Jenkins, Levi Miller as Calvin, and Deric McCabe as Charles Wallace, along with Bellamy Young, Rowan Blanchard and Will McCormack.[30] Later, Michael Peña joined the cast to play Red.[31] The film producers are James Whitaker and Catherine Hand.[30]
    Filming[edit]
    Principal photography on the film began November 2, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.[30][32][33] Tobias A. Schliessler was the film’s cinematographer, Naomi Shohan as production designer, Paco Delgado as costume designer, and Rich McBride as the film’s visual effects supervisor.[30][34] During production, DuVernay asked McBride to be as flexible as possible on visual effects sequences to enable her to make changes and incorporate new ideas during shooting.[35]
    Filming for A Wrinkle in Time took place in multiple locations including Eureka, California, in Humboldt County, starting November 29, 2016.[36]
    After Los Angeles, production moved to New Zealand for two weeks.[30] During the last two weeks of February 2017, filming locations for A Wrinkle in Time were in Central Otago, New Zealand.[37] Actors and crew were in New Zealand for two weeks to shoot scenes in the Southern Alps, including at Hunter Valley Station near Lake Hāwea, with cast and crew treated to a traditional Māori powhiri and karakia.[38] Filming wrapped in New Zealand’s South Island after two weeks, and DuVernay declared the cast and crew’s love for New Zealand in an Instagram post.[39]
    Music[edit]
    Main article: A Wrinkle in Time (soundtrack)
    On September 28, 2017, Ramin Djawadi was announced as the composer for the film, replacing Jonny Greenwood, who was initially chosen to compose, and scored the film.[40] On February 20, 2018, it was announced that the soundtrack would feature appearances from Sade, Sia, Kehlani, Chloe x Halle, Freestyle Fellowship, DJ Khaled, and Demi Lovato.[41]
    Release[edit]
    A Wrinkle in Time premiered at the El Capitan Theatre on February 26, 2018, with its theatrical release on March 9, 2018.[42][43] This was a month ahead of its initial release date of April 6, 2018.[44]
    A Wrinkle in Time was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, and DVD on June 5, 2018.[45]
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    A Wrinkle in Time grossed $100.5 million in the U.S. and Canada, and $32.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $132.7 million.[5] A combined $250 million was spent on production and advertisement.[46][12][13] Following Disney’s Q2 earnings report in May 2018, Yahoo! Finance deduced the film would lose the studio $86–186 million,[47] and in April 2019, Deadline Hollywood calculated the film lost $130.6 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues.[48] The film’s financial failure meant that Ava DuVernay became the first African-American woman to direct a film that earned and lost at least $100 million domestically.[49][9]
    In the U.S. and Canada, A Wrinkle in Time was released alongside The Hurricane Heist, Gringo, and The Strangers: Prey at Night, and was projected to gross $30–38 million from 3,980 theaters in its opening weekend.[50] It made $10.2 million on its first day, including $1.3 million from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $33.3 million, finishing second behind Disney’s own Black Panther ($41.1 million in its fourth weekend).[51] In its second weekend, the film made $16.6 million, dropping 50% to fourth place.[52] On June 15, in its 15th week of release, the film returned to a total of 285 theaters, often as part of a double-feature with Incredibles 2. It ended up making $1.7 million (a 1,600% increase from the previous weekend), pushing the total U.S. gross to $100 million.[53]
    Internationally, the film opened in six countries alongside the U.S. and grossed $6.3 million in its opening weekend, Russia being the largest market with $4.1 million.[54]
    Critical response[edit]
    On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 42% based on 306 reviews, and an average rating of 5.26/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “A Wrinkle in Time is visually gorgeous, big-hearted, and occasionally quite moving; unfortunately, it’s also wildly ambitious to a fault, and often less than the sum of its classic parts.”[55] On Metacritic, the film earned a weighted average score of 53 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews.”[56] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B” on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 75% overall positive score; audience members under age 18 gave it an average grade of “A–” and a positive score of 89%.[51]
    Alonso Duralde of TheWrap praised the film’s visuals and performances, writing, “Awash in bold colors, bright patterns and ebullient kids, director Ava DuVernay’s new take on ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ dazzles its way across time and space even if it doesn’t quite stick the landing.”[57] David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a “C+” and praised what he described as its ambition, saying: “It almost doesn’t matter that the movie is too emotionally prescriptive to have any real power, or too high on imagination to leave any room for wonder; DuVernay evinces such faith in who she is and what she’s doing that ‘A Wrinkle in Time’ remains true to itself even when everything on screen reads false.”[58] Jamie Broadnax, a freelance writer and member of the Critic’s Choice Awards,tweeted that after seeing the film for the second time, she still was unable to conceptualize and take in the visuals displayed throughout the film and the numerous performances from various characters.[59] Kat Candler, an American independent filmmaker, stated that the film was a “gorgeous love letter to the warriors of the next generation”.[59] Mercedes Howze of the New Pittsburgh Courier stated that the visuals were extraordinary and that the film “continues to make lasting impressions on innocent minds to change what it looks like to be a young black woman”.[60]
    Vince Mancini of Uproxx gave the film a negative review, saying, “…if anything, the trouble with ‘Wrinkle’ is that you never really get a sense of DuVernay’s personal touch. In fact, it feels a lot like Brad Bird’s big budget, equally smarmy 2015 Disney film Tomorrowland. Both attempt to be so broad and universal that they feel disconnected from anything human. But universality doesn’t work that way, no matter how much you tell everyone to think like a kid.”[61] Conner Schwerdtfeger, former entertainment journalist for CinemaBlend, stated that the movie was “all over the place and underperformed,” but that DuVernay deserves some praise for the attempt at filming the seemingly unfilmable.[59] Sean Mulvihill, actor in “Living Luminaries: On the Serious Business of Happiness,” stated that the film had no flow, and although some moments “come alive” in the film, it could not save it.[59] Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter felt that the film was “unable to charm or disarm” the audience.[62] Wenlei Ma, film and TV critic of news.com.au, stated that, following the halfway mark in the film, movie-goers find themselves “not caring about the other characters besides Meg” and that it seemed to “drag” in the latter half.[63] She highlighted the film’s disappointment, regardless of the value parents find in the messages for children via quotations from Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.[63]
    Accolades[edit]

    First-generation (Murry series):
    A Wrinkle in Time (1962; Newbery Award Winner) ISBN 0-374-38613-7
    A Wind in the Door (1973) ISBN 0-374-38443-62.5. Intergalactic P.S. 3 (1970) ISBN 0-525-63405-3
    A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978) ISBN 0-374-37362-0 —National Book Award in category Children’s Books (paperback).[38][c]
    Many Waters (1986) ISBN 0-374-34796-4
    Second-generation (O’Keefe Family series):
    The Arm of the Starfish (1965) ISBN 0-374-30396-7
    Dragons in the Waters (1976) ISBN 0-374-31868-9
    A House Like a Lotus (1984) ISBN 0-374-33385-8
    An Acceptable Time (1989) ISBN 0-374-30027-5
    Time Quintet series (Murry series #1-4, O’Keefe Family series #4):
    A Wrinkle in Time (1962)
    A Wind in the Door (1973)
    A Swiftly Tilting Planet (1978)
    Many Waters (1986)
    An Acceptable Time (1989)

    bird Box (film)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    bird box
    bird box

    Bird Box is a 2018 American post-apocalyptic thriller film directed by Susanne Bier from a screenplay written by Eric Heisserer, and based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. The film follows a woman, played by Sandra Bullock, as she tries to protect herself and two children from malevolent supernatural entities that make people who look at them go insane and commit suicide.
    Bird Box had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 12, 2018, and began a limited release on December 14, before streaming worldwide on Netflix on December 21, 2018.
    In a post-apocalyptic world, Malorie Hayes advises two young, unnamed children that they will be going downstream on a river in a rowing boat. She strictly instructs them to not remove their blindfolds, or else they will die. From this point, the film alternates between two stages of Malorie’s story, separated by five years, until they conjoin: her attempt to navigate the river and the events that led to it.
    Five years earlier, a pregnant Malorie is visited by her sister, Jessica. A news report is being shown on television about unexplained mass suicides in Romania that are quickly spreading across Europe. Malorie has a routine pregnancy checkup with Jessica accompanying her to the hospital. When leaving the hospital, Malorie sees a woman bashing her head into a glass panel followed by others panicking as chaos quickly erupts throughout the town. Malorie realizes the “violence” that was spreading across Europe had already reached North America. Malorie and Jessica attempt to drive away from the violence, but Jessica witnesses the phenomenon affecting the masses and sees the entity, loses control of herself as she drives, and the car ends up overturning. An injured Malorie then witnesses Jessica walk into the path of an oncoming garbage truck, killing herself.
    Malorie attempts to flee on foot through the mass chaos on the streets. A woman, Lydia, invites Malorie over to a house for safety, even though her husband, Douglas, disagrees. However, right before she reaches Malorie, she goes into a trance, begins talking to her dead mother, and casually climbs into a burning car, which subsequently explodes. Malorie is rescued and brought into their house by Tom, a fleeing passerby. While recovering at their base, Charlie, one of the survivors who seems to have somewhat comprehensive knowledge of what could be happening, theorizes that demonic entities have invaded Earth, taking the form of their victims’ worst fears and driving them insane before causing them to die by suicide. At the insistence of Tom, they cover all windows in the house and blindfold themselves whenever they must venture outside. Later, Greg volunteers to tie himself to a chair while monitoring the surveillance cameras to see the entity on TV as it approaches but ends up killing himself by rocking his chair violently and slamming his head into a hearthstone after seeing it.
    As the supply of food decreases (and with the arrival of a new survivor, Olympia, who is also pregnant), most of the group go to a supermarket close by to restock. Malorie finds pet birds and decides to take them along with their supplies. The group attempts to help a coworker of Charlie’s who is locked outside the supermarket begging for help, and whom Charlie describes as “a little crazy.” As they contemplate the risks of opening the door, the birds that Malorie was saving go into a hysterical fury. The group is attacked by the infected coworker, who was not killed by the entities but is instead used to infect others. Charlie sacrifices himself to save the others, who are able to make it back safely to the house.
    Sometime after, Felix (a survivor) and Lucy steal the car and drive away. Soon thereafter, Olympia lets Gary, a stranger and apparent lone survivor of another group, into the house, against Douglas’ objections. Douglas gets extremely upset and starts threatening the others with a shotgun and is knocked unconscious by Cheryl (an elderly survivor). Douglas is subsequently imprisoned in the garage. Later, Olympia and Malorie go into labor, and Cheryl helps with the births. Gary starts to take out various drawings of the entity and seems to undergo a trance, indicating that he could have already been partially overtaken by the entity when he arrived. He opens the garage door to kill Douglas. He peeks outside and is completely taken over; he then knocks out Tom and proceeds to remove all the coverings from all the windows. Despite Malorie’s warnings, Olympia fails to look away from the windows and jumps out of the window. Gary forces Cheryl to look and as a result, Cheryl repeatedly stabs herself in the neck with a pair of scissors she is carrying. Douglas blindly attempts to kill Gary with a shotgun but fails, which results in Gary being able to kill Douglas with the scissors. While Malorie tries to protect the newborn babies (Malorie’s boy and Olympia’s girl), Tom recovers consciousness in time to overpower and kill Gary.
    Five years later, Tom and Malorie are living together with the children, whose only names are “Boy” and “Girl.” They receive a transmission from Rick, a survivor stating that they are well and safe at a community hidden in the forest. The four decide to go to the community but are ambushed by a group of infected survivors along the way. Without hesitation, Tom runs out to distract the group while Malorie and the children attempt to make an escape. When the group notices Malorie and the children escaping, Tom decides to open his eyes and shoot the group dead. He is overtaken by one of the entities, but he manages to shoot the last member of the group before shooting himself.
    Malorie, the children, and their pet birds, which are being carried in a box to provide a warning against the entity, make their way blindfolded down the river on a boat. They fight off an infected survivor and survive raging rapids.
    The boat flips in the rapids, but Malorie, Boy, and Girl manage to all find each other. Soon after, all three are separated when Malorie accidentally slides down a hill. The entities attempt to convince Boy and Girl to remove their blindfolds using Malorie’s voice. Malorie is able to tell them to fight the urge. Once they are all together again, they are chased by the entity, which is implied by camera movement and wind.
    The three eventually reach the community, a former school for the blind. Malorie releases the pet birds from the box to the other birds up on the ceiling and finally gives the children names: Tom and Olympia.
    Cast[edit]
    Sandra Bullock as Malorie
    Trevante Rhodes as Tom
    Jacki Weaver as Cheryl
    John Malkovich as Douglas
    Sarah Paulson as Jessica
    Rosa Salazar as Lucy
    Danielle Macdonald as Olympia
    Lil Rel Howery as Charlie
    Tom Hollander as Gary
    Machine Gun Kelly as Felix (credited as Colson Baker)
    BD Wong as Greg
    Pruitt Taylor Vince as Rick
    Vivien Lyra Blair as Girl/Olympia
    Julian Edwards as Boy/Tom
    Parminder Nagra as Dr. Lapham
    Rebecca Pidgeon as Lydia
    Amy Gumenick as Samantha
    Taylor Handley as Jason
    Happy Anderson as River Man
    Production[edit]
    Development[edit]
    The film rights to Bird Box were optioned by Universal Pictures in 2013, prior to the book’s release.[3][4] Scott Stuber and Chris Morgan were set to produce the film, with It and Mama director Andy Muschietti attached as director.[4] Screenwriter Eric Heisserer was in negotiations to pen the script.[5] In July 2017, after Stuber became head of the feature film division of Netflix, it was announced that Netflix had acquired the rights to the book and would develop the film, with Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich starring.[6][7] Susanne Bier was announced as the director.[6]
    Casting[edit]
    In July 2017, Sandra Bullock and John Malkovich were cast in the film as Malorie Hayes and Douglas.[6][7] In October 2017, Danielle Macdonald, Trevante Rhodes, Jacki Weaver, Sarah Paulson, Rosa Salazar, Lil Rel Howery, and Amy Gumenickjoined the cast.[8][9] In November 2017, Machine Gun Kelly and David Dastmalchian were also added.[10][11]
    Filming[edit]
    Principal photography began in California in October 2017.[12] Wilderness scenes were shot on the Smith River in the far northern part of the state.[13] The house exterior is from a place in Monrovia.[14] Cinematography partially took place in Santa Cruz,[15] and the final scene was shot at Scripps College.[16][17][18][19]
    The production used real-life birds during filming as much as possible, replacing them with digital birds for sequences when the birds became “agitated.”[20]
    The film uses footage of the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster, which caused the death of 47 people in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec on July 6, 2013. The stock-footage was purchased from a vendor and Netflix stated it would stay in the movie even after a request to remove it from survivors of the disaster.[21] Netflix later removed the footage and replaced with an outtake from a canceled U.S. TV series.[22] The same footage was also used in another Netflix production, Travelers, but has since been removed.[23]
    Visual effects[edit]
    The visual effects were created by Industrial Light & Magic and supervised by Marcus Taormina.[24]
    Music[edit]
    Oscar winners Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails) were hired to score the film. The soundtrack album itself was released about two weeks after the release of the film, on January 1, 2019. It was first released for sale only on Nine Inch Nails’s website, and later on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify and other platforms. The version that was released was an “Abridged” album, containing an hour and 6 minutes of music; 10 tracks. In a statement on the Nine Inch Nails website, Trent Reznor said:
    “Like all soundtrack records we release, we aim for these to play like albums that take you on a journey and can exist as companion pieces to the films and as their own separate works. We created a significant amount of music and conceptual sound for bird box, a lot of which never made it to your ears in the final version of the film. We’ve decided to present you with this version of the soundtrack record that represents what bird box is to us. We hope you enjoy. For those interested, we will be releasing a more expansive (read: more self-indulgent) physical-only offering this spring that will contain an additional hour of music and artwork that colors further outside the lines…”[25]
    The full version of the soundtrack was released on November 22, 2019, exclusively on a special edition vinyl box set (with a digital download at purchase).[26] The full version contains 13 more tracks and an extra hour of music, resulting in a 2 hours and 6 minute, 23 track album.
    Release[edit]
    The film had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 12, 2018.[27] However, due to the Woolsey Fire that hit California and out of respect for the victims of the Thousand Oaks shooting, Netflix cancelled AFI Fest’s red carpet coverage scheduled for the premiere.[28] The film began a limited theatrical run on December 14, 2018, before streaming on Netflix on December 21, 2018.[29]
    Reception[edit]
    On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 156 reviews, with an average rating of 5.73/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Bird Box never quite reaches its intriguing potential, but strong acting and an effectively chilly mood offer intermittently creepy compensation.”[30] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[31]
    Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com stated that “Most of the problems with Bird Box come back to a thin screenplay, one that too often gives its characters flat, expository dialogue and then writes itself into a corner with a climax that’s just silly when it needs to be tense.”[32] Amy Nicholson, in a review for British newspaper The Guardian, gave a negative appraisal, awarding the film 2 out of 5 stars and concluding that “as the film staggers on in its quest to give us entertainment satisfaction or death, we’re tempted to identity [sic] with the movie’s first victim, a woman in a tracksuit banging her head against the glass, ready to get this painful sight over with.”[33] Writing for Forbes, Sarah Aswell described the movie as one “that embraces everything about the (horror genre) formula, both good and bad – this movie has moments of true, delightful, fright, but it also has some of the corniness and shallowness that many horror movies can’t shake.”[34] New York Times found the film occasionally riveting and disappointing.[35]
    Audience viewership[edit]
    According to Nielsen, Bird Box was watched by nearly 26 million viewers in its first seven days of release in the United States. It also revealed that a significant part of its audience were young aged 18 to 34 (36%), female (57%), and either African American (24%) or Latino (22%).[36] Netflix also released its own viewing figure that gave a worldwide audience of over 45 million in seven days, with views defined by the company as the film streaming for over 70 percent of its time. The viewing figure was claimed to be the best ever for a Netflix film.[37][38] This audience figure released by Netflix was met with skepticism from some analysts, who cited a lack of independent verification of the view count.[39][40] According to Netflix, the film was viewed by 80 million households in the first 4 weeks following its release.[41][42] A Barclays study deduced that had the film received a traditional theatrical release, it would have grossed about $98 million worldwide.[43]
    Accolades[edit]

    Bird Box blindfold challenge[edit]
    In Australia, Netflix originally partnered with four Twitch streamers in performing what they called a Bird Box challenge, in which they would play some popular video games while blindfolded.[45] However, the challenge became widely mimicked on the Internet by individuals wearing blindfolds while trying to do ordinary activities, causing injuries to some. In response, Netflix released several messages over social media advising people not to undertake the challenge or hurt themselves.[40]Nevertheless, in January 2019, a 17-year-old girl in a blindfold taking part in the craze drove into oncoming traffic in Utah and crashed her car, prompting the police in the state to issue the same warning as Netflix.[46]

    Sense8

    Sense8
    Sense8 Title.png
    Genre
    Created by
    Written by
    Directed by
    Starring
    Composer(s)
    Country of origin United States
    Original language(s) English
    No. of seasons 2
    No. of episodes 24 (list of episodes)
    Production
    Executive producer(s)
    • Deepak Nayar (season 1)
    • Leon Clarance
    • Marc Rosen
    • Cindy Holland
    • Peter Friedlander
    • Tara Duncan
    • Lilly Wachowski (season 1)
    • Lana Wachowski
    • J. Michael Straczynski
    • Grant Hill
    • John Toll (season 2)
    • Laura Delahaye (finale)
    Producer(s)
    • Marcus Loges
    • L. Dean Jones Jr. (season 1)
    • Alex Boden
    • Terry Needham (season 2)
    • Roberto Malerba (season 2)
    Production location(s)
    Cinematography
    • John Toll
    • Danny Ruhlmann
    • Frank Griebe
    • Christian Almesberger
    Editor(s)
    • Joe Hobeck
    • Joseph Jett Sally
    • Fiona Colbeck
    Camera setup Single-camera[1]
    Running time 46–151 minutes
    Production company(s)
    Distributor Netflix
    Release
    Original network Netflix
    Picture format 4K (Ultra HD)[3]
    Audio format 5.1 (Surround) with optional Descriptive Video Servicetrack[4][5]
    Original release June 5, 2015 –
    June 8, 2018
    External links
    Website

    Sense8 (a play on the word sensate /ˈsɛnseɪt/) is an American science fiction drama web television series created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski for Netflix. The production companies behind Sense8 include the Wachowskis’ Anarchos Productions (replaced by Lana and her wife’s Venus Castina Productions in the second season), Straczynski’s Studio JMS, and Georgeville Television, with Unpronounceable Productions having been set up specifically for this show.

    The show’s first season introduced a multinational ensemble cast, with Aml Ameen, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Ángel Silvestre, and Brian J. Smithportraying eight strangers from different parts of the world who suddenly discover that they are “sensates”: human beings who are mentally and emotionally linked. Freema Agyeman, Terrence Mann, Anupam Kher, Naveen Andrews, and Daryl Hannah also star. In the second season Toby Onwumere replaces Ameen. The show explores subjects that its creators feel have not been emphasized in many science fiction shows to date,[6][7] such as politics, identity, sexuality, gender, and religion.[7][8]

    All episodes of the first season of Sense8 were written by the Wachowskis and Straczynski; in the second season, Lilly Wachowski took a break from the show, and the episodes were written by just Lana Wachowski and Straczynski, with the exception of the series finale which was written by Lana, David Mitchell, and Aleksandar Hemon. Most episodes were directed by the Wachowskis (or just Lana, in the second season), with the remainder being divided between their frequent collaboratorsJames McTeigue, Tom Tykwer, and Dan Glass. Sense8 was filmed almost entirely on location in a multitude of cities around the world.

    The first season, consisting of 12 episodes, became available for streaming on Netflix on June 5, 2015, and was met with generally favorable critical reception. It was praised for its representation of LGBTQ characters and themes, winning the GLAAD Media Awardfor Outstanding Drama Series. It was also recognized with a Location Managers Guild award for its use of locations as an integral part of the story, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.

    The second season began with a two-hour Christmas special in December 2016, with the remaining 10 episodes released in May 2017. However the following month Netflix announced that they had cancelled the series, which had ended with a cliffhanger in expectation of a third season, then under negotiation. In response to criticism of the cancellation, especially with an unresolved story, Netflix produced a two-and-a-half-hour series finale, which was released on June 8, 2018. The season was overall met with positive critical reception and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour), and two nominations by the GLAAD Media Awards for Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series for the season proper and series finale, respectively.

    Plot[edit]

    The story of Sense8 begins when the psychic connection of eight strangers from different cultures and parts of the world is “birthed” by a woman called Angelica, who kills herself to avoid capture by a man named “Whispers”. The eight eventually discover they now form a cluster of “sensates”: human beings who are mentally and emotionally linked, can sense and communicate with each other, and can share their knowledge, language, and skills.

    In the first season, the eight—Capheus, Sun, Nomi, Kala, Riley, Wolfgang, Lito, and Will—are shown trying both to live their everyday lives and to figure how and why they are connected. Meanwhile, a sensate named Jonas, who was involved with Angelica, comes to their aid, while the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO) and Whispers, a high-ranking sensate inside BPO, attempt to hunt them down.

    In the second season, the eight have grown accustomed to their connection and help each other on a daily basis. They learn more about Homo sensorium (the scientific name of sensates), the history and goals of BPO, the role of Angelica in it, and their powers and how to temporarily suspend them. They also meet other sensates, not all of whom are friendly. At the same time, Jonas attempts to both aid them and look after himself after being captured by Whispers, who is now involved in a cat-and-mouse game with Will, each of them trying to outsmart the other.

    In the series finale, the cluster and the people closest to them meet up in person to save Wolfgang who has been captured by BPO. To that end, the cluster has kidnapped Whispers and Jonas to use them as a bargaining chip and source of information, respectively. The heroes discover the two men’s and Angelica’s personal motivations, meet potential allies from both sapiens and sensorium, and deal with the Chairman of BPO, who launches a global attack against sensates and their allies.

    Cast[edit]

    Main article: List of Sense8 characters

    The eight sensates[edit]

    Other regulars[edit]

    • Freema Agyeman as Amanita “Neets” Caplan, Nomi’s girlfriend, who later becomes an ally for the new sensates.[22]
    • Terrence Mann as Milton Bailey “Whispers” Brandt, a sensate who turned against his own kind and who is a high-ranking member of an organization determined to neutralize sensates, known as the Biologic Preservation Organization (BPO).[8] Whispers uses many fake names, such as Dr. Matheson or Gibbons,[23]and is commonly known among sensates as “The Cannibal” for devouring his own cluster.[24] Angelica and the people she’s been involved with call him Whispers, after she likened him to the voice in ones’ head that beckons them to commit suicide; “That voice never shouts. It only whispers.”[25]
    • Anupam Kher as Sanyam Dandekar, Kala’s loving father, a chef and restaurant owner.[26]
    • Naveen Andrews as Jonas Maliki, a sensate from a different cluster who wants to help the newly-born cluster of sensates.[8][27]
    • Daryl Hannah as Angelica “Angel” Turing, a sensate from the same cluster as Jonas, who becomes the “mother” of the new sensates’ cluster as she activates their psychic connection.[28]

    Episodes[edit]

    Season Episodes Originally released
    1 12 June 5, 2015
    2 12 1 December 23, 2016
    10 May 5, 2017
    1 June 8, 2018

    Season 1 (2015)[edit]

    Main article: Sense8 (season 1)
    No.
    overall    		 No. in
    season    		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date
    1 1 “Limbic Resonance” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    2 2 “I Am Also a We” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    3 3 “Smart Money Is on the Skinny Bitch” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    4 4 “What’s Going On?” Tom Tykwer The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    5 5 “Art Is Like Religion” James McTeigue The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    6 6 “Demons” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    7 7 “W. W. N. Double D?” James McTeigue The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    8 8 “We Will All Be Judged by the Courage of Our Hearts” Dan Glass The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    9 9 “Death Doesn’t Let You Say Goodbye” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    10 10 “What Is Human?” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    11 11 “Just Turn the Wheel and the Future Changes” Tom Tykwer The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015
    12 12 “I Can’t Leave Her” The Wachowskis The Wachowskis & J. Michael Straczynski June 5, 2015

    Season 2 (2016–18)[edit]

    Main article: Sense8 (season 2)
    No.
    overall    		 No. in
    season    		 Title Directed by Written by Original release date
    13 1 “Happy F*cking New Year.”
    “A Christmas Special”[a]    		 Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski December 23, 2016
    14 2 “Who Am I?” Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    15 3 “Obligate Mutualisms” Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    16 4 “Polyphony” James McTeigue Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    17 5 “Fear Never Fixed Anything” James McTeigue Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    18 6 “Isolated Above, Connected Below” Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    19 7 “I Have No Room In My Heart For Hate” James McTeigue Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    20 8 “All I Want Right Now Is One More Bullet” Dan Glass Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    21 9 “What Family Actually Means” Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    22 10 “If All the World’s a Stage, Identity Is Nothing But a Costume” Tom Tykwer Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    23 11 “You Want a War?” Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski & J. Michael Straczynski May 5, 2017
    24 12 “Amor Vincit Omnia”[b] Lana Wachowski Lana Wachowski &
    David Mitchell & Aleksandar Hemon    		 June 8, 2018

    Production[edit]

    Main article: Production of Sense8

    Conception and development[edit]

    According to the Wachowskis, the origins of Sense8 date back several years before the announcement of the show to “a late-night conversation about the ways technology simultaneously unites and divides us”.[33] When deciding to create a television series, Lana chose to brainstorm ideas with Straczynski because of his extensive experience working with the format, by inviting him to her house in San Francisco.[34][35] After several days of discussion, they decided on creating a show that would explore the relationship between empathy and evolutionin the human race, necessitating filming on location in several countries over the world.[34][36] The title of the show was thought up by Lana on their second day of brainstorming, as a play on the word sensate and the notion of eight main characters.[37][38]

    On October 2, 2012, Variety first reported the existence of the show. The Wachowskis and Straczynski had written three hour-long spec scripts, and were attempting to shop them around.[39] Their first meeting with potential buyers was with Netflix. The Wachowskis and Straczynski talked to them about subjects such as gender, identity, secrecy, and privacy.[40] Netflix announced that they had ordered a 10-episode first season for the series on March 27, 2013,[33] which during filming was extended to 12.[41][35] Straczynski and the Wachowskis mapped out five seasons worth of stories for the series from the beginning,[35] including the series’ final episode.[42] Lilly Wachowski, after completing her gender transition, decided to take some time off and did not return as writer or director for the second season,[36] although she remained active as co-creator.[43]

    Producer Roberto Malerba has disclosed that the first season had an average budget of about $4.5 million per episode, and the second season $9 million per episode.[44][45]

    Writing[edit]

    Initial writing for the first season was split between the Wachowskis and Straczynski.[46] The show was transformed when they decided to limit the storytelling, with the exception of the opening scene of the first episode, to the perspective of the eight characters.[47] Lana Wachowski, a trans woman, has written her first transgender character in her career in the series: Nomi Marks. For that she partly used her own experiences.[48]Jamie Clayton, who plays Nomi, has provided the example of a scene where a young Nomi is bullied by boys in a gym shower, as a scene that was based on experiences from Lana’s life.[49] Freema Agyeman, who plays Nomi’s girlfriend Amanita, has shared that her character was based heavily on Lana’s wife, Karin Winslow.[50]

    Unlike the first season, where the Wachowskis and Straczynski split the number of scripts in half and worked remotely from each other,[34] writing for the second season was performed by Lana and Straczynski by collaborating inside a shared writers’ room.[47] David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon worked as additional writers on the second season and were credited as “consultants”.[51][52][53] They spent a week in September 2015 with Lana, Straczynski, and script supervisor Julie Brown, proposing to them situations to be further developed by Lana and Straczynski.[51] Later, once filming began, Lana did a lot of rewrites on a daily basis as she got inspired by the locations, actors, and so on, even on the set.[54][55][56] When the series finale special was announced, Lana, Mitchell, and Hemon returned as writers.[51]

    Casting[edit]

    On June 20, 2014, Deadline Hollywood announced the cast of the eight lead characters, along with Freema Agyeman, Naveen Andrews, Daryl Hannah, Alfonso Herrera, Eréndira Ibarra, and Terence Mann.[57] For the roles of those characters living outside of America, the filmmakers wanted to assemble a cast of international actors that matched the nationality of their respective characters, if possible. For example, Doona Bae, Tina Desai, and Max Riemelt are from Seoul, Mumbai, and Berlin like their respective characters.[58] Jamie Clayton is a trans woman like the character she plays.[14] In November, Deadline Hollywood wrote than Christian Oliver had joined the cast as a recurring villain.[59]

    On April 26, 2016, Deadline Hollywood reported that Aml Ameen abruptly left production a couple of episodes into filming of the second season over a conflict with Lana Wachowski that started during the table read for the season and progressively got worse.[9] Subsequent to Ameen’s departure, the role of Capheus was recast to Toby Onwumere after a seven-day auditioning process.[60] Earlier in April, Kick Gurry revealed he had been cast in the second season.[61] In May, Deadline Hollywood reported Ben Cole had been cast as Todd, a sensate who would rather be “normal”.[62] In September, Sylvester McCoy reportedly revealed he filmed three or four episodes of the second season.[63]

    Filming and cinematography[edit]

    To properly tell the international aspects of the story, filming for Sense8 took place almost entirely on location around the globe. In the first season, filming took place in nine cities located in eight countries: Berlin, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Nairobi, Reykjavík, San Francisco, and Seoul.[64] Production began on June 18, 2014, in San Francisco.[65] The writers wanted to feature an event in each city.[66] They were able to schedule the Pride[67] scenes with its Dykes on Bikes on the Dyke March[68][69] in San Francisco, the Fourth of July fireworks celebration in Chicago, and the Ganesha Chaturthi Hindu festival in Mumbai.[70] Filming wrapped in Iceland on January 21, 2015.[71] By the end of the shooting, the filmmakers had completed 100,000 miles (160,000 km) of flight time, or four times around the globe.[64]

    For the second season, production credited 16 cities located in 11 countries for having been part of the filming.[72]The major locations they filmed in include all of the first season’s except Reykjavík, and the following new ones: Amsterdam, Argyll, Chippenham, Los Angeles, Malta, Positano, Redwoods, and São Paulo.[53] Production start for the main unit of the second season was given an expected date of March 2016,[73] but a separate shoot involving the principal actors began on December 30, 2015, in Berlin, to capture footage during the Christmas holidays.[74][75][76] Main unit filming resumed in Berlin in the middle of March 2016.[77] In São Paulo, they filmed unrehearsed in front of a crowd of millions in its 20th Gay Pride Parade.[78] In Amsterdam, they were the first production to film in the Rijksmuseum.[79] On September 19, 2016, with the completion of the Malta shoot, filming for the second season came to an end.[80][81] Overall, the cast and crew flew in excess of 250,000 miles (400,000 km) to complete the season.[82] Filming for the series finale took place in Berlin, Brussels, Naples, and Paris.[83] Production began in Berlin on October 2, 2017.[84][85] In Paris, they filmed a four-minute fireworks show near the Eiffel Tower.[86] Filming wrapped in Berlin on November 12, 2017.[87][88]

    Netflix required the production to shoot with 4K resolution cameras to make the look of the show future-proof.[73]During the first season, cinematographer John Toll, once again collaborating with the Wachowskis after Cloud Atlas and Jupiter Ascending,[89] personally handled the cinematography in San Francisco, Chicago, London, Iceland, and Seoul.[90] In the second season he handled the majority of the locations.[91] Additional cinematographers worked with the rest of the directors in the remaining locations.[73] James McTeigue worked with Danny Ruhlman,[66] and Tom Tykwer worked with Frank Griebe and Christian Almesberger.[92][93] Toll returned as cinematographer for the series finale, teaming up again with Lana.[94]

    Toll’s cinematography in the third episode of the second season was recognized with a nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) during the 69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[1]

    Directing[edit]

    The show’s directors were attached to locations instead of episodes[95] and with several countries appearing in every episode, in reality none of them has a singular director.[96] During the first season, the Wachowskis were responsible for directorial duties in scenes shot in Chicago,[97] San Francisco,[98] London, and Iceland.[99]McTeigue worked on the Mexico City and Mumbai parts[66] along with some in Reykjavík,[96] and Tykwer helmed Berlin[100][101] and Nairobi.[102] Dan Glass made his directorial debut in the Seoul part of the story.[103] In total, the Wachowskis were credited for directing seven episodes, McTeigue and Tykwer two each, and Glass one.[3]

    In the second season, Lana Wachowski took over many of the filmmaking aspects of the show.[36] Production sound mixer Stevie Haywood recounted Lana’s directing style was to use two cameras as the default setup, and develop the shot over “enormously long takes” which could last up to fifteen to twenty minutes.[104] McTeigue returned as director for Mexico City,[105] and Tykwer for the Nairobi parts.[106] According to Glass, in the second season he directed the second unit in Seoul, and he also did some directing in Berlin.[107] Overall, six episodes of the second season, including the Christmas special and series finale,[94] credit Lana as director, three credit McTeigue, and Tykwer and Glass get credited each in one.

    Effects and post-production[edit]

    Seoul unit director Dan Glass and Jim Mitchell were the visual effects supervisors of the first season. The season had a total VFX shot count of about 1200.[108][109] An in-house VFX team was established in Chicago which completed over 700 shots. The major external VFX vendors were Locktix VFX (160–180 shots), Technicolor VFX(over 100 shots),[110] and Encore VFX.[103] Because of the series’ tight budget and timeline the production made the decision to do most of the effects, including the telepathy scenes, in-camera and only enhance them digitally where appropriate.[70] Technicolor provided dailies and worked with cinematographer John Toll and the Wachowskis to color grade the show. Technicolor finished the show in 4K and delivered both 2K and 4K masters.[110][111]

    In the second season, the visual effects supervisors were Dan Glass and Ryan Urban.[53] Technicolor were again responsible for managing dailies and color grading the show, while their VFX department delivered over 600 shots for the first 11 episodes, and an additional 109 for the series finale.[112][113] Sense8 was edited in the Wachowskis’ headquarters in Chicago,[110][111][114] Kinowerks,[115] by Joe Hobeck and Joseph Jett Sally in the first season and by Sally and Fiona Colbeck in the second.[116][53]

    Music and title sequence[edit]

    The score of Sense8 was composed by Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer, with additional contributions by Gabriel Isaac Mounsey,[117] and recorded by the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra.[118][119] Each season’s score was written up to a year and a half before filming began,[118] enabling the production to play it back to the actors before shooting a scene.[120] A soundtrack album for the first season was released digitally by WaterTower Musicon May 5, 2017. It includes 10 tracks by Klimek and Tykwer.[118] For the second season, Klimek and Tykwer provided to the editorial about 10 “mother” themes, each with a length of over five minutes, before filming began.[118] In the Christmas special episode “Happy F*cking New Year”, a cover of Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” is featured, which was arranged by Gary Fry and recorded by the Apollo Chorus of Chicago, with the lead vocalistbeing Daniel Martin Moore.[121][122]

    The theme music of Sense8 was picked by the Wachowskis from the two hours of original music Tykwer and Klimek had written.[123] The show received a nomination for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music during the 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[124] For the series almost two-minute long title sequence, Karin Winslow rented a car and with the help of a camera assistant traveled in the eight featured countries of the first season and captured over a hundred shots. “My directive from Lana was to go out and describe each country by what you see; find the nuances, find the food, find what people are doing, get a feel for the place,” said Winslow.[125] For the second season, and again for the finale, some of the footage was replaced by new shots.[53][117]

    Cancellation, revival, and future[edit]

    On June 1, 2017, Netflix announced they had cancelled the series after two seasons.[126][127] Later that month, Chief Content Officer of Netflix Ted Sarandos during his talk on Produced By Conference, commented that the show was cancelled because its audience, despite being very passionate, was not large enough to support the high production costs.[128] As a response to the cancellation, fans created online petitions, called Netflix, and tweeted #RenewSense8 and other hashtags, in an attempt to bring back the show. On June 29, 2017, the official social media accounts of the show posted a letter by Lana Wachowski which announced the release of a two-hour special targeting 2018.[129] A release date of June 8, 2018 and a final running time of 151 minutes were reported later.[130][131]

    Netflix billed the second special in their announcement as the series finale, but Lana left open the future of Sense8 past the special’s release.[132] On August 5, 2017, during a Facebook Live with Lana and the cast about the show’s revival, Lana joked that because she believed that the fans of the show would go and create more fans, she was writing the entire third season.[133][134] A few days later, Brian J. Smith said during an interview that he believed if “a truly eyebrow-raising amount of people” watched the special, they would make more.[135]Conversely, shortly after the special’s release, executive producer Grant Hill said that they followed Netflix’s directive to design it as the series finale,[136] and that there have not been any talks about the possibility of another revival.[137]

    Straczynski and Hemon have shared some hints about the character trajectories that were planned for the third season and beyond.[138][139][140]

    Reception[edit]

    Critical reception, popularity, and impact[edit]

    Critical reception of the first season of Sense8 has been generally favorable. Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator website, reported a 71% critical approval rating with an average rating of 6.25/10 based on 62 reviews. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Some of the scenarios border on illogical, but the diverse characters and the creative intersections between their stories keep the Wachowskis’ Sense8 compelling.”[141]On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the season is assigned a score of 64 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[142]

    Sense8 continued to be positively received in its second season. Rotten Tomatoes indexed 15 reviews for the early released Christmas special, and reported an 87% critical approval rating for it, with an average rating of 6.88/10. The website assigned the following consensus to the special: “Sense8 serves up a heaping helping of yuletide queerness and sci-fi slyness in this narratively messy but richly felt special.”[143] Based on 28 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes assigned the 10 episodes that followed the special a critical approval rating of 93%, with an average rating of 7.57/10. The critical consensus reads, “Sense8 maintains its stunning visuals, Wachowski wackiness, and great heart — though its individual characters deserve more development.”[144] On Metacritic, the season was assigned a score of 73 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[145]Rotten Tomatoes also collected 28 reviews for the series finale, and calculated a 93% critical approval rating, and an average rating of 7.15/10. The finale’s critical consensus reads, “A hard fought coda to a beloved series, Sense8′s epilogue exemplifies its strange, sensual, somewhat silly delights.”[146]

    In a report released by Netflix, it was discovered that at least 70% of the viewers that watched up to the third episode ended up watching the entire first season,[147] and Straczynski was told there are people that watch it “straight through – three, four, six times.”[148] In another report released by Netflix, Sense8 was listed among the shows whose viewers tend to heavily binge-watch their first seasons, rather than savoring their episodes by watching them at a slower pace.[149] Netflix’s Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos praised the success of Sense8in the up-and-coming French and German markets[150] but also globally.[151] Vice president of international series for Netflix Erik Barmack has named Sense8 one of the most popular Netflix series in the Brazilian market.[152]Less than three days after the premiere of the first season, Variety reported that it had been pirated more than half a million times, regardless of the series’ digital distribution.[153] Netflix also placed the second season of Sense8 at fifth place on their list for the year 2017 about couples where one of the two cannot resist the urge to wait, and ends up watching episodes ahead of their significant other.[154]

    Former Colombian President and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Juan Manuel Santos heavily referenced Sense8 in a speech he made in April 2019 during the graduation ceremony of students of the University of Los Andes who participated in the Ser Pilo Paga program. Santos recited the basic premise of the show about the fictional species Homo sensorium who can feel empathy for one another, and expressed his wish and belief that one day humanity will be the same, “united in diversity and tolerance”.[155]

    Accolades[edit]

    Year Award Category Recipient(s) Result Ref(s)
    2015 Camerimage First Look – TV Pilots Competition Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski (directors), Christian Almesberger, Frank Griebe, Danny Ruhlmann and John Toll(cinematographers) (for: “Limbic Resonance”) Nominated
    [156][157]
    2016 Dorian Awards LGBTQ TV Show of the Year Sense8 Nominated
    [158][159]
    Campy TV Show of the Year Sense8 Nominated
    GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Drama Series Sense8 Won
    [160][161]
    HPA Awards Outstanding Color Grading – Television Tony Dustin (for: “What’s Going On?”) Nominated
    [162][163]
    Location Managers Guild Awards Outstanding Locations in a Contemporary Television Series Marco Giacalone and Bill Bowling Won
    [164][165]
    Saturn Awards Best New Media Television Series Sense8 Nominated
    [166][167]
    Emmy Awards Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer Nominated
    [168][124]
    2017 Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour) John Toll (for: “Obligate Mutualisms”) Nominated
    [169][1]
    2018 Dorian Awards LGBTQ TV Show of the Year Sense8 Nominated
    [170][171]
    GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Drama Series Sense8 Nominated
    [172][173]
    2019 Producers Guild of America Awards Outstanding Producer of Streamed or Televised Motion Pictures Marcus Loges, Alex Boden, Roberto Malerba, Terry Needham, John Toll, Lana Wachowski, J. Michael Straczynski, and Grant Hill (for: “Together Until the End”)[c] Nominated
    [175][176]
    GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series Sense8 Nominated
    [177][178]

    Marketing[edit]

    The red carpet premiere of Sense8 took place on May 27, 2015, in San Francisco’s AMC Metreon,[179][180] where the first three episodes were previewed.[181] Starting in the middle of July 2015, Netflix Brazil released a series of documentary shorts called Sense8: Decoded. Inspired by Sense8 and directed by João Wainer, the shorts briefly touch upon subjects such as psychiatry, feminism, being transgender and Buddhism.[182][183][184][185] Later in the month, Netflix released a music track titled Brainwave Symphony on Spotify.[186] To produce it they subjected eight strangers to a series of various stimuli and they recorded their individual brainwaves using EEG sensors. After extracting a melody from each of them they arranged them in a way to produce a track which mirrors the escalating action of the season.[187][188] In early August 2015, Netflix made available Sense8: Creating the World, a half-hour web television documentary, shot around the world, about the making of the first season of the series.[70][189]

    On May 3, 2016, publicity stills of the ongoing production of the second season were posted online, accompanied by a short message by Lana Wachowski introducing the #Road2Sense8 hashtag under which new pictures would be posted.[190][191][192] On December 3, 2016, the Christmas special episode was screened at São Paulo’s Comic Con Experience, in advance of its Netflix premiere on December 23.[193] The second episode of the second season was screened out of competition during the Series Mania festival in Paris, on April 18, 2017.[194][195] On April 23, a screening of the second and third episodes took place in Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, in a benefit for the American Civil Liberties Union, followed by Lana Wachowski taking questions from the audience,[196][197] and again on April 26, in the red carpet premiere of the second season, at New York City’s AMC Lincoln Square.[198][54]

    Several screenings of the series finale took place prior to its release on Netflix, on June 8, 2018. The first screening took place in The Music Box Theatre in Chicago, on May 25, as a benefit for EMILY’s List, followed by a Q&A session with Lana and select cast members.[199] The second screening took place in the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo, on June 1, with several cast members attending.[200] The red carpet premiere followed in ArcLight Hollywood, in Los Angeles, on June 7.[201] Linda Perry made a guest appearance to perform “What’s Up?”.[202] Netflix organized an event for the fans on the day of the special’s release, June 8, in Posillipo, in Naples, where a big portion of the special was filmed. Among other things, fans could try a slice of a special “Sense8” pizza that was created by famous pizza maker Gino Sorbillo with the help of the cast.[203]

    The OA
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    the OA
    the OA

    This article is about the television series. For the peninsula in Scotland, see The Oa. For other uses of the letters OA, see OA (disambiguation).

    The OA is an American mystery drama web television series with science fiction, supernatural and fantasy elements.[6][7] The OA debuted on Netflix on December 16, 2016.[8][9] Created and executive produced by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the series is their third collaboration.[8][9] The series consists of two seasons of eight episodes each, nearly all directed by Batmanglij, and is produced by Plan B Entertainment and Anonymous Content.[10] In the series, Marling stars as a young woman named Prairie Johnson who resurfaces after having been missing for seven years. Prairie now calls herself “The OA” and can see, despite having been blind before her disappearance.
    On February 8, 2017, Netflix renewed the series for a second season, dubbed “Part II”, that was released on March 22, 2019. Although the OA was planned by its creators to be a five-part story told in five seasons,[11] on August 5, 2019, Netflix canceled the series after two seasons.[12] The OA received generally favorable critical reception, averaging 77% on Part I and 92% on Part II on Rotten Tomatoes. The series’ directing, visuals and acting were often singled out, as was its social impact.[13]

    The series centers around Prairie Johnson, an adopted young woman who resurfaces after having been missing for seven years. Upon her return, Prairie calls herself “The OA” (for “Original Angel”), exhibits scars on her back, and can see, despite having been blind when she disappeared. The OA refuses to tell the FBI and her adoptive parents where she has been and how her eyesight was restored, and instead quickly assembles a team of five locals (four high school students and a teacher) to whom she reveals that information, also explaining her life story. Finally, she asks for their help to save the other missing people whom she claims she can rescue by opening a portal to another dimension.[14]
    Part II[edit]
    The second season follows the OA as she traverses to another dimension and ends up in San Francisco to continue her search for her former captor Hap and her fellow captives, as Prairie crosses paths with private eye Karim Washington to assist in his investigation of the surreal disappearance of a missing girl that involves an abandoned house with a supernatural history and an online puzzle game. Meanwhile, in the original dimension, a series of unfortunate events propels the OA’s five companions to embark on a road trip across America to assist the OA on her journey.
    Cast[edit]
    The following actors appear in the series:[15][16]
    Main[edit]
    Brit Marling as Prairie Johnson / the OA / Nina Azarova / “Brit”
    Emory Cohen as Homer Roberts[17]
    Scott Wilson as Abel Johnson, Prairie’s adoptive father (season 1, guest season 2)
    Phyllis Smith as Betty “BBA” Broderick-Allen[18]
    Alice Krige as Nancy Johnson, Prairie’s adoptive mother (season 1, guest season 2)
    Patrick Gibson as Steve Winchell / “Patrick Gibson”[19]
    Brendan Meyer as Jesse
    Brandon Perea as Alfonso “French” Sosa
    Ian Alexander as Buck/Michelle Vu[20]
    Jason Isaacs as Hunter Aloysius “Hap” Percy / Dr. Percy / “Jason Isaacs”[21]
    Kingsley Ben-Adir as Karim Washington (season 2)
    Will Brill as Scott Brown (season 2, recurring season 1)
    Sharon Van Etten as Rachel DeGrasso (season 2, recurring season 1)[22]
    Paz Vega as Renata Duarte (season 2, recurring season 1)
    Chloe Levine as Angie (season 2, recurring season 1)
    Guest[edit]
    Hiam Abbass as Khatun (season 1)
    Zoey Todorovsky as Nina Azarova, a young Prairie Johnson
    Marcus Choi as Mr. Vu
    Robert Eli as Ellis Gilchrist, a high school principal (season 1)
    Nikolai Nikolaeff as Roman Azarov, Nina’s father
    Sean Grandillo as Miles Brekov (season 1)
    Zachary Gemino as Carlos Sosa, Alfonso’s brother
    Riz Ahmed as Elias Rahim, an FBI trauma counselor
    Robert Morgan as Stan Markham, a sheriff (season 1)
    Michael Cumpsty as Leon Citro (season 1)
    Bria Vinaite[23] as Darmi (season 2)
    Zendaya as Fola Uzaki (season 2)
    Zoë Chao as Mo (season 2)
    Irène Jacob as Élodie (season 2)
    Eijiro Ozaki as Azrael / Old Night, a giant octopus (voice) (season 2)
    Vincent Kartheiser as Pierre Ruskin (season 2)
    Liz Carr as Marlow Rhodes (season 2)
    Episodes[edit]

    Part I (2016)[edit]

    Part II (2019)[edit]

    Production[edit]
    The series was conceived by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij and they began working on the concept in December 2012.[24][25] They spent two years working on The OA on their own,[26] before pitching to studios.[27] From the early stages of development onward, they were telling the story out loud and noting one another’s reactions to the story to refine it accordingly.[28] They found it difficult to summarize the series in a written story, so they developed it aurally. When executives read the script of the first hour, they asked if the story “really [went] somewhere”. Marling and Batmanglij then began to tell the story from beginning to end,[28] playing all the characters and acting out the big moments through many hours.[29] They worked with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, which connected with the story and shared notes before it went to networks and studios.[26] Following a multiple-network bidding war, the series was first announced on March 5, 2015, when Netflix ordered eight one-hour long episodes with Plan B and Anonymous Content also on board. The announcement revealed that Marling would star, Batmanglij would direct, and both would write and executive produce. Marling and Batmanglij held similar positions in their previous two collaborations, Sound of My Voice and The East.[30]
    Rostam Batmanglij, Zal’s brother, worked as one of the composers on the series, and he also wrote its theme music.[31] He previously composed for both Sound of My Voice and The East. Choreographer Ryan Heffington created The Movements, which are inspired by interpretive dance. Heffington first professionally worked with them on The East, and had been an acquaintance of both from earlier than that.[32]
    The final chapter of Part I includes a dedication to Allison Wilke. Wilke, also known professionally as A.W. Gryphon, was a producer on the series who died of breast cancer three days after the series was finished and a month before its release.[33]

    Cancellation and fan response[edit]
    On August 5, 2019, Netflix canceled the series after two seasons,[12] leaving the show with a cliffhanger ending. Marling wrote that she and Batmanglij were “deeply sad” that they would not be able to finish the show.[34] Fans responded with a #SaveTheOA[35] and #TheOAisReal campaign on Twitter,[36] a Change.org petition,[34] and by posting video of themselves performing The Movements from the show.[37] Additionally, the OA fan base raised funds for a digital billboard in Times Square.[38] Marling wrote that she was moved by the fan support. One fan went on a hunger strike to protest for the show’s return; Marling and Batmanglij visited her and offered her food and water.[39] Some fans online have put forward a theory that the cancellation announcement was just a meta publicity stunt.[40][41]
    Reception[edit]
    Critical response[edit]
    Season one[edit]
    The first season of The OA garnered a polarized but generally positive response from critics. Rotten Tomatoes assigned the first season a 77% critical approval rating and an average rating of 7.59/10 based on 66 reviews, writing that “The OA is more than OK.”[42] Metacritic, based on 17 reviews, assigned the series a rating of 61 out of 100, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[43] Most reviewers acknowledged the series’ ambition and praised its mystery and direction. Reviewers made both favorable[6][44][45][46] and unfavorable[47][48][49] comparisons to another Netflix Original, Stranger Things.
    John Doyle of The Globe and Mail wrote, “The OA is Netflix’s strongest and strangest original production since Stranger Things. In terms of substantive, original drama, it transcends it. Mind you, it is unclassifiable in the context of drama, mystery, science-fiction and fantasy, since it is straddling all sorts of lines and blurring them. It is outright astounding and brilliant, too.”[6] Tim Surette at TV Guide said that “the final moments of Episode 5 – probably the best episode of the first season – was some of the most reaffirming television I’ve ever seen, not just for the show but for life itself. I’ve never really had this kind of a relationship with a series while watching it, but it’s that experience that makes it well worth viewing.”[50] New York Magazine’s review was entitled “Netflix’s The OA Is an Extraordinary, Binge-Worthy December Surprise”.[51]
    Tristram Fane Saunders of The Daily Telegraph gave a mixed review of 3 out of 5 stars and noted the series’ potential but criticized its similarity to fellow Netflix Original Stranger Things, claiming that the series was attempting to be “stranger than Stranger Things” but “on the basis of the first four episodes, the answer is a resounding no”. Saunders’s review also highlighted the series’ lack of originality and characterization, and derided the dialogue as “portentous [and] self-consciously literary”. It also criticized the slow pace as “glacial”. However, Saunders also acknowledged the series told an interesting and compelling story, writing that “The OA may be utter hokum, but you’ll still be hooked.”[52] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter gave a negative review, stating that the series was “a failed, but not wholly worthless, experiment in TV auteurism”. Fienberg added “the problem, of course, is that telling you what The OA is vaguely like is just another tease and telling you what it actually is is a recipe for disappointment, because after an enticing and somewhat infuriating build-up, The OAbecomes something quite ludicrous as it stumbles toward a climax that is, if I’m generous, merely unearned and if I’m not being generous, a series of offensive overreaches.”[53]
    Variety published diverging opinions about the series: its TV critic at the time, Sonia Saraiya, gave the show a mixed-to-negative review that praised the direction and acting but opined that overall “it is hard to take The OA seriously”, detailing that “none of it makes any sense”, and concluded that “[a]s an exercise in vision, The OA is exciting. As that other thing — a television show — it’s an especially cryptic attempt to say very little of consequence.”.[54] A few days later, on the other hand, the magazine’s chief film critic Peter Debruge wrote an extremely positive column with the headline “Why The OA is One of the Year’s Most Important Films”, stating that the show’s first season had “the most effective ending [he had] ever seen in a TV series”, and that its “final twist […] left [him] crying uncontrollably for nearly half an hour”.[55]
    Season two[edit]
    The second season received very positive reviews upon its release. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has an approval rating of 92% based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “The OA’s second season provides satisfying answers to its predecessors’ most maddening enigmas, all while maintaining the singular ambience that fans have come to crave.”[56] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 6 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[57] Critics acknowledged the second season’s vast improvements on its narrative and characterization, particularly praising its surrealism, directing and acting.
    Empire Magazine crowned The OA the best TV show of 2019 (so far) in September of 2019.[58] The Playlist stated in their review that: “The OA: Part II packs each frame so dense with detail, that not one second of the new season’s more-than-eight-hour runtime seems wasted, expositional, cheap, or unearned.”[59] Jesse Scheden of IGN gave The OA: Part II a score of 8.8 out of 10, saying the season is “bigger, more ambitious and much weirder than its predecessor”.[60] Rachel Syme of The New Republic praised the season, labeling the show as “the best, most inaccessible show on television”, saying that “[she wishes] more television was this unafraid to leave its audiences fumbling for understanding.”[61]
    Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter wrote: “The only thing I’m sure of when it comes to The OA is that the process of watching and experiencing an episode is unlike the viewing of any other show on TV and, good or bad, there’s value in that.” Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club echoed that sentiment, saying “sacrificing your expectations of plausibility feels like a worthwhile price of admission.”[62] Jen Chaney of New York Magazine called the season a mind-bender and praised the way it depicted the aftermath of a school shooting.[63]
    Ed Power of The Daily Telegraph, gave it 4 out of 5 stars, and wrote that the show “truly comes into its own when you stop attempting to piece together the storyline and instead submit to Marling and Batmanglij’s vision.”[64] Emily Todd VanDerWerff of Vox, initially critical of the first season, wrote of the series: “over time, I kept thinking about it. And thinking about it. And thinking about it. Until I convinced myself that The OA is kind of genius, while simultaneously being incredibly silly.”[65]Haleigh Foutch of Collider said, “Netflix has carved out a space for itself as a home for innovative genre storytelling, and The OA might just be their crowning achievement in that regard.”[66]
    Accolades[edit]

     

    Better Call Saul

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    better-call-saul
    This article is about the television series. For the Breaking Bad episode, see Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad). For the Homeland episode, see Better Call Saul (Homeland).

    Better Call Saul is an American television crime drama series created by Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould. It is a spin-off prequel of Gilligan’s prior series Breaking Bad. Set in the early 2000s, Better Call Saul follows the story of con-man turned small-time lawyer, Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk), beginning six years before the events of Breaking Bad, showing his transformation into the persona of criminal-for-hire Saul Goodman. Jimmy becomes the lawyer for former beat cop Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks), whose relevant skill set allows him to enter the criminal underworld of drug trafficking in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The show premiered on AMC on February 8, 2015. The 10-episode fourth season aired between August and October 2018. The show has been renewed for a fifth season, which is scheduled to premiere on February 23, 2020.
    Jimmy is initially working as a low-paid sole practitioner, with the back room of a nail salon as his home and office. His friend and romantic interest, Kim Wexler(Rhea Seehorn) works as a lawyer at the firm of Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM), where Jimmy and she were once employed in the mailroom. Partners at HHM include Jimmy’s nemesis, Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian), and brother, Chuck McGill (Michael McKean). Mike conducts illegal drug-related activity with Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) in addition to becoming right-hand man for drug lord Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) who runs a fast food restaurant as a business front. Odenkirk, Banks, and Esposito are all reprising their roles from Breaking Bad.
    Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul has received critical acclaim, with particular praise for its acting, characters, and cinematography; many critics have called it a worthy successor to Breaking Bad and one of the best prequels ever made. Some have also deemed it superior to its predecessor.[5][6][7] It has garnered many nominations, including a Peabody Award, 23 Primetime Emmy Awards, seven Writers Guild of America Awards, five Critics’ Choice Television Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Golden Globe Awards. The series premiere held the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history at the time of its airing. Despite the initial popularity, Better Call Saul has not attained the same viewership numbers as Breaking Bad did at its highest.

    Better Call Saul follows the life of the character Saul Goodman beginning about six years prior to the events of Breaking Bad.[8] In 2002, Goodman, born as James “Jimmy” McGill, is a former con artist trying to follow a legitimate career as an aspiring lawyer in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[9] After secretly completing law school and attaining admission to the bar, he unsuccessfully seeks to become an associate in the law firm in which his older brother Charles “Chuck” McGill is a senior partner. However, Jimmy’s work is frequently overshadowed by Chuck’s, and he struggles to find a way to prove himself, even with the help of an associate in the firm, Kim Wexler, with whom he also becomes romantically involved. At the same time, Jimmy takes care of Chuck, who claims to have electromagnetic hypersensitivity, a condition that makes him physically ill in the presence of anything with an electrical component and has caused him to take an extended leave from his firm and regular law work. Interspersed among Jimmy’s activities are the prior histories of other Breaking Bad characters, including Mike Ehrmantraut, a former police officer who becomes involved in illegal drug trafficking schemes, and drug kingpins Hector Salamanca and Gus Fring, who help distribute drugs illegally brought to the area from Mexico.
    The series also provides brief glimpses of Saul’s fate after the events of “Granite State”, the penultimate episode of Breaking Bad, in which Saul fears for his own safety and takes on a new identity in Omaha, Nebraska as Gene, the manager of a Cinnabon store. In Better Call Saul flash forwards, “Gene” reminisces about his past, but remains paranoid that someone might discover his true identity.
    The fourth season features scenes taking place closer to the time of events in Breaking Bad, which was set in 2008; the story, as described by co-creator Vince Gilligan, “brings us into the world—or at least points us on a path toward the world of Walter White and the territory of Walter White”.[9] In “Quite a Ride”, the cold open takes place concurrent to events near the end of Breaking Bad, with Jimmy as Saul destroying documents and taking money from the Saul Goodman office made memorable in that series.[10]

    Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould began planning a television spinoff of Breaking Bad as early as 2009. While filming “Full Measure”, Gilligan asked Bob Odenkirk, the actor of series character Saul Goodman, what he thought of a spinoff of the show.[11] In July 2012 Gilligan hinted at a possible Goodman spinoff,[12] stating that he liked “the idea of a lawyer show in which the main lawyer will do anything it takes to stay out of a court of law”, including settling on the courthouse steps.[13]Gilligan noted that over the course of Breaking Bad, there were a lot of “what if”s their team considered, such as if the show won a Primetime Emmy Award, or if people would buy “Los Pollos Hermanos” T-shirts. The staff did not expect these events to come to fruition, but after they did, they started considering a spin-off featuring Saul as a thought experiment. Further, Saul’s character on Breaking Bad became much more developed than the staff had originally planned, as he was originally slated to appear in only three episodes; with the growth of Saul’s character, Gilligan saw ways to explore Saul’s backstory.[14]
    In April 2013, Better Call Saul was confirmed to be in development by Gilligan and Gould; the latter wrote the Breaking Badepisode that introduced the character.[15][16]
    Casting[edit]
    Bob Odenkirk stars as lawyer Jimmy McGill (known as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad). In January 2014, it was announced that Jonathan Banks would reprise his Breaking Bad role as Mike Ehrmantraut and be a series regular.[17]
    New cast members include Michael McKean as McGill’s elder brother Chuck. McKean previously guest-starred in an episode of Odenkirk’s Mr. Show and Gilligan’s X-Files episode “Dreamland”.[18][19] The cast also includes Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, Rhea Seehorn as Kimberly “Kim” Wexler, and Michael Mando as Ignacio “Nacho” Varga.[20] In October 2014, Kerry Condon was cast[21] as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike’s daughter-in-law. In November 2014, it was announced that Julie Ann Emery and Jeremy Shamos had been cast as Betsy and Craig Kettleman, described as “the world’s squarest outlaws.”[22]
    Going into Season 3, it was announced that Giancarlo Esposito would return to play Gus Fring.[23]
    The showrunners have teased that “familiar faces” from Breaking Bad will make appearances during Season 4. They will also cast an actor for the character “Lalo”, mentioned only by name in the episode “Better Call Saul” episode of Breaking Bad.[24]Both Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul said, as of Season 3, they are both open to reappearing on the show as Walter Whiteand Jesse Pinkman, respectively, if asked, believing that Gilligan would have a sufficiently good reason to bring them in.[25]Paul had previously mentioned the possibility of a cameo during Season 1 but this fell through.[26][27] Anna Gunn also mentioned a “talk” with Gilligan over possible guest appearances as Skyler White.[28] Dean Norris, another Breaking Badalumnus, stated he could not be part of the earlier seasons, partly due to his involvement in the CBS series Under the Dome.[29] Gilligan said that by Season 3 that show had been on long enough that any reuse of Breaking Bad characters would be more than “just a cameo or an Alfred Hitchcock walkthrough”, and that their appearances would be necessary for the story.[25]
    Development history[edit]
    As of July 2013, the series had yet to be greenlighted.[30] Netflix was one of many interested distributors, but ultimately a deal was made between AMC and Breaking Bad production company Sony Pictures Television.[31] Gilligan and Gould serve as co-showrunners and Gilligan directed the pilot.[32] Former Breaking Bad writers Thomas Schnauz and Gennifer Hutchison joined the writing staff, with Schnauz serving as co-executive producer and Hutchison as supervising producer.[33] Also on the writing staff are Bradley Paul, and Gordon Smith, who was a writer’s assistant on Breaking Bad.[32]
    In developing the series, the producers considered making the show a half-hour comedy,[15] but ultimately chose an hour-long format more typical of a drama.[13] In October 2014, Odenkirk called the show “85 percent drama, 15 percent comedy.”[34]During his appearance on Talking Bad, Odenkirk noted that Saul was one of the most popular characters on the show, speculating that the audience likes the character because he is the program’s least hypocritical figure, and is good at his job.[35] Better Call Saul also employs Breaking Bad’s signature time jumps.[36]
    As filming began on June 2, 2014,[37] Gilligan expressed some concern regarding the possible disappointment from the series’ turnout, in terms of audience reception.[38][39]
    The first teaser trailer debuted on AMC on August 10, 2014, and confirmed its premiere date of February 2015.[40] In November 2014, AMC announced the series would have a two-night premiere; the first episode aired on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at 10:00 pm (ET), and then moved into its regular time slot the following night, airing Mondays at 10:00 pm.[41] In May 2015, Gilligan confirmed that more of the prominent characters from Breaking Bad would be making guest appearances in season 2, but remained vague on which characters were likely to be seen.[42]
    In June 2014, prior to the series’ launch, AMC had renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes to premiere in early 2016;[32] however, it was later reduced to 10 episodes.[43] The second season premiered on February 15, 2016.[44]
    In March 2016, AMC announced that Better Call Saul was renewed for a 10-episode third season which premiered April 10, 2017.[45][46] AMC renewed the series for a 10-episode fourth season in June 2017 which premiered on August 6, 2018.[47][48]The series was renewed for a fifth season on July 28, 2018, just prior to the airing of the fourth season.[49] The fifth season is not expected to air until 2020; according to AMC’s Sarah Barnett, the delay was “driven by talent needs”.[50] Filming for the fifth season started in April 2019, and finished in September 2019.[51][52] AMC later affirmed the ten-episode fifth season will start airing with a special Sunday broadcast on February 23, 2020, with following episodes to air on Mondays.[53]
    Like its predecessor, Better Call Saul is set and filmed primarily in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico.[54] The production used sets at Albuquerque Studios.[55]
    Cast and characters[edit]

    Bob Odenkirk (Jimmy McGill)

    Jonathan Banks(Mike Ehrmantraut)

    Rhea Seehorn (Kim Wexler)

    Patrick Fabian(Howard Hamlin)

    Michael Mando(Nacho Varga)

    Michael McKean(Chuck McGill)

    Giancarlo Esposito(Gus Fring)

    Tony Dalton (Lalo Salamanca)
    Main cast[edit]
    Main article: List of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul characters
    Bob Odenkirk as Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill/Gene Takovic, a lawyer and a former scam artist, who becomes involved with the criminal world.
    Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, a former Philadelphia police officer working as a parking lot attendant at the Albuquerque court house, and later a private investigator, bodyguard and “cleaner”.
    Rhea Seehorn as Kim Wexler, a lawyer formerly working at the Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill (HHM) law firm, now running her own practice, who is Jimmy’s girlfriend and confidante.[56][57]
    Patrick Fabian as Howard Hamlin, the managing partner at Hamlin, Hamlin & McGill, first appearing as Jimmy’s nemesis, until it becomes clear that he acts under Charles McGill’s orders.
    Michael Mando as Nacho Varga, who works in his father’s upholstery shop and is also an intelligent, ambitious member of Hector Salamanca’s gang.
    Michael McKean as Chuck McGill, Jimmy’s elder brother and a founding partner of HHM who is confined to his home by electromagnetic hypersensitivity and expresses disdain for his brother’s legal abilities. (seasons 1–3, recurring season 4)
    Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring, a methamphetamine distributor who uses his fast foodrestaurant chain Los Pollos Hermanos as a front. (seasons 3–present)
    Tony Dalton as Lalo Salamanca, nephew of Hector and cousin of Tuco, Leonel, and Marco, who helps run the family drug business after Hector’s stroke. (season 5, recurring season 4)[58]
    Recurring cast[edit]
    Introduced in season 1[edit]
    Kerry Condon as Stacey Ehrmantraut, Mike’s widowed daughter-in-law and the mother of Kaylee Ehrmantraut.
    Faith Healey (season 1) and Abigail Zoe Lewis (season 2–present) as Kaylee Ehrmantraut, Mike’s granddaughter.
    Eileen Fogarty as Mrs. Nguyen, owner of a nail salon which houses Jimmy’s law office (and sometime home) in its back room.
    Peter Diseth as Bill Oakley, a deputy district attorney.
    Joe DeRosa as Dr. Caldera, a veterinarian with ties to the criminal underworld.
    Dennis Boutsikaris as Rich Schweikart, the attorney for Sandpiper Crossing.
    Mark Proksch as Daniel “Pryce” Wormald, a drug company employee who begins supplying Nacho and hires Mike as security.
    Brandon K. Hampton as Ernesto, Chuck’s assistant who works at HHM.
    Josh Fadem as Camera Guy, or Joey Dixon, one of the three UNM film students who help Jimmy film various projects.
    Julian Bonfiglio as Sound Guy, one of the three UNM film students Jimmy hires for various film projects.
    Hayley Holmes as Drama Girl, one of the three UNM film students Jimmy hires for various projects.
    Jeremy Shamos and Julie Ann Emery as Craig and Betsy Kettleman, a county treasurer and his wife, accused of embezzlement.
    Steven Levine and Daniel Spenser Levine as Lars and Cal Lindholm, twin skateboarders and small-time scam artists.
    Míriam Colón as Abuelita, Tuco’s grandmother and Hector’s mother.
    Barry Shabaka Henley as Detective Sanders, a Philadelphia cop who was formerly partnered with Mike on the force.
    Mel Rodriguez as Marco Pasternak, Jimmy’s best friend and partner-in-crime in Cicero, Illinois.
    Clea DuVall as Dr. Cruz, a doctor who treats Chuck and suspects his condition is psychosomatic.
    Jean Effron as Irene Landry, an elderly client of Jimmy McGill overcharged by the Sandpiper Crossing elder care home.
    Introduced in season 2[edit]
    Ed Begley Jr. as Clifford Main, managing partner at Davis & Main.
    Omar Maskati as Omar, Jimmy’s assistant at Davis & Main.
    Jessie Ennis as Erin Brill, a lawyer at Davis & Main who is ordered to shadow Jimmy.
    Juan Carlos Cantu as Manuel Varga, Nacho’s father who owns an upholstery shop.
    Vincent Fuentes as Arturo Colon, a criminal associate of Hector Salamanca (seasons 2–4).
    Rex Linn as Kevin Wachtell, chairman of Mesa Verde Bank and Trust and a client of HHM and Kim.
    Cara Pifko as Paige Novick, senior legal counsel for Mesa Verde Bank and Trust and a friend of Kim.
    Ann Cusack as Rebecca Bois, Chuck’s ex-wife.
    Manuel Uriza as Ximenez Lecerda, an associate of Hector Salamanca.
    Introduced in season 3[edit]
    Bonnie Bartlett as Helen, Irene’s friend and member of the affected class in the Sandpiper lawsuit.
    Kimberly Hebert Gregory as ADA Kyra Hay.
    Tamara Tunie as Anita, a member of Mike and Stacey’s support group.
    Introduced in season 4[edit]
    Rainer Bock as Werner Ziegler, an engineer hired by Gus to plan and oversee construction of his meth “superlab”.
    Ben Bela Böhm as Kai, a rebellious member of the crew Werner Ziegler assembles for the construction of Gus’s meth “superlab”.
    Stefan Kapičić as Casper, a member of Werner Ziegler’s team.
    Poorna Jagannathan as Maureen Bruckner, a specialist from Johns Hopkins who flew to Albuquerque to treat Hector after Gus arranged for a “generous grant.”
    Breaking Bad characters[edit]
    Raymond Cruz as Tuco Salamanca, a ruthless, psychopathic drug distributor in the South Valley. (seasons 1–2)
    Cesar García as No-Doze, Tuco’s henchman. (season 1)
    Jesús Payán Jr. as Gonzo, Tuco’s henchman. (season 1)
    T.C. Warner as Nurse (season 1)
    Kyle Bornheimer as Ken, an arrogant, self-absorbed stockbroker (season 2)
    Stoney Westmoreland as Officer Saxton, an Albuquerque Police Department officer (season 2)
    Jim Beaver as Lawson, a black market weapons dealer in Albuquerque (season 2)
    Maximino Arciniega as Domingo “Krazy-8” Molina, one of Tuco’s distributors (seasons 2–present)
    Mark Margolis as Hector Salamanca, Tuco’s uncle and high-ranking member of the cartel (seasons 2–present)
    Debrianna Mansini as Fran, a waitress at Loyola’s Diner (seasons 2, 4)
    Daniel and Luis Moncada as Leonel and Marco Salamanca, Tuco’s cousins and Hector’s nephews who are hitmen for the cartel (seasons 2, 4)
    Jennifer Hasty as Stephanie Doswell, a real estate agent (season 2)
    Tina Parker as Francesca Liddy, Jimmy’s receptionist (seasons 3-present)
    Jeremiah Bitsui as Victor, Gus’s henchman (seasons 3–present)
    Ray Campbell as Tyrus Kitt, a henchman on Gus Fring’s payroll (seasons 3–present)
    JB Blanc as Dr. Barry Goodman, a doctor on Gus Fring’s payroll (seasons 3–present)
    Steven Bauer as Don Eladio Vuente, the head of the Juarez drug cartel (season 3)
    Javier Grajeda as Juan Bolsa, a high-level member of the Juárez drug cartel (seasons 3–present)
    Lavell Crawford as Huell Babineaux, a professional pickpocket hired by Jimmy (seasons 3–present)
    Laura Fraser as Lydia Rodarte-Quayle, a Madrigal Electromotive executive and associate of Gus Fring (seasons 3–present)
    Eric Steining as Nick, a member of Gus’s security team, later managed by Mike. (season 4)
    Franc Ross as Ira, a burglar Jimmy hires; in Breaking Bad, he is the owner of Vamonos Pest who appears in “Hazard Pay”. (season 4)
    David Costabile as Gale Boetticher, a chemist who is consulted by Gus (season 4)
    Episodes[edit]
    Main article: List of Better Call Saul episodes

    Season 1 (2015)[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 1)
    Tired of public defender work, Jimmy works to represent the Kettlemans, who are accused of embezzlement. Jimmy cares for his brother Chuck, who is housebound without electricity because he believes he has electromagnetic hypersensitivity. While pursuing an elder law career, Jimmy discovers clients being defrauded by the Sandpiper retirement home and begins a class action lawsuit with Chuck. When the case grows, Chuck suggests giving it to HHM, but secretly arranges with Howard to cut Jimmy out. The case continues growing and HHM brings on Davis & Main. Unhappy at Howard’s treatment of him, Kim recommends Jimmy to D&M.
    Season 2 (2016)[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 2)
    Jimmy works at D&M but quits after being reprimanded for his client outreach methods. Kim is demoted because of Jimmy’s actions. To reclaim her status, she secures Mesa Verde Bank as a client for HHM but Howard denies her credit. Kim and Jimmy practice in a shared office. Jimmy secretly causes Chuck to make an error that delays new branch construction, so Mesa Verde drops HHM to hire Kim. Nacho hires Mike to remove Tuco from the Salamanca organization. Mike goads Tuco into fighting and Tuco is imprisoned. Hector is suspicious so Mike prepares to assassinate him but is interrupted.
    Season 3 (2017)[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 3)
    Chuck discovers Jimmy’s fraud and tricks him into confessing, leading to suspension of Jimmy’s law license. Chuck’s ouster at HHM leads to his suicide. Gus stops Mike from killing Hector. Mike attacks Hector’s trucks and steals $250,000 from one. Mike asks for help laundering the money. Gus arranges for Mike’s hire as a contracted security expert at Madrigal and payment of monthly consulting fees. Hector plans to take over Manuel’s business so Nacho attempts to kill Hector by changing his angina medication for a placebo. Hector suffers a stroke and Gus’ first aid saves him, though he remains comatose.
    Season 4 (2018)[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 4)
    Jimmy regains his outgoing demeanor after Howard shoulders blame for Chuck’s death. Jimmy manages a cell phone store but makes more reselling prepaid phones. His reinstatement request is denied over lack of remorse for Chuck. After faking mourning, he successfully appeals, but reveals he’s going to practice as Saul Goodman. Gus learns Nacho attempted to kill Hector and blackmails him into undermining the Salamancas. Mike escorts engineers who evaluate the laundry’s potential as a meth lab and Gus hires Werner to oversee construction. Hector recovers mentally and can move his right index finger. Lalo Salamanca arrives to run Hector’s business.
    Talking Saul[edit]
    Talking Saul is a live aftershow hosted by Chris Hardwick, which features guests discussing episodes of Better Call Saul. The show uses the same format as Talking Dead, Talking Bad, and other similar aftershows also hosted by Hardwick. AMC announced that Talking Saul would air after the second season Better Call Saul premiere on February 15, 2016, and again after the second-season finale on April 18, 2016.[60] It returned following the season 3 premiere and finale.[61]
    Season 1 (2016)[edit]
    These episodes discuss season two of Better Call Saul.

    Season 2 (2017)[edit]
    These episodes discuss season three of Better Call Saul.

    Broadcast[edit]
    In December 2013, Netflix announced that the entire first season would be available for streaming in the U.S. after the airing of the first-season finale, and in Latin America and Europe each episode would be available a few days after the episode airs in the U.S.[66] However, the first season was not released on Netflix in the U.S. until February 1, 2016.[67][68] Internationally, episodes of the second season became available the day after they aired in the U.S.[69]
    Netflix is the exclusive video-on-demand provider for the series and makes the content available in all its territories, except for Australia and New Zealand.[66] In Australia, Better Call Saul premiered on the streaming service Stan[70] on February 9, 2015, acting as the service’s flagship program.[71] In New Zealand, the show is exclusive to the New Zealand-based subscription video-on-demand service, Lightbox.[72] The episodes were available for viewing within three days of broadcast in the U.S.[73]
    In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the series was acquired by Netflix on December 16, 2013,[74] and the first episode premiered on February 9, 2015, with the second episode released the following day. Every subsequent episode was released each week thereafter.[75] In India, the series is broadcast on Colors Infinity within 24 hours of the U.S. broadcast.[76]
    The series premiere drew in 4.4 million and 4 million in the 18–49 and 25–54 demographics, respectively, and received an overall viewership of 6.9 million.[77] This was the record for the highest-rated scripted series premiere in basic cable history, until it was surpassed later the same year by another AMC series, Fear the Walking Dead.[78]
    Reception[edit]
    Critical response[edit]
    Better Call Saul has received widespread critical acclaim.

    Season 1[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 1) § Reception
    The first season of Better Call Saul received critical acclaim, particularly for its acting, writing, and directing with many critics calling it a worthy successor to Breaking Bad. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season has a rating of 98%, based on 66 reviews, with an average rating of 8.16/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Better Call Saul is a quirky, dark character study that manages to stand on its own without being overshadowed by the series that spawned it.”[79] On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the first season has a score of 78 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[80]
    Season 2[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 2) § Reception
    The second season, much like the previous, received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the second season has a score of 97%, based on 31 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “Better Call Saul continues to tighten its hold on viewers with a batch of episodes that inject a surge of dramatic energy while showcasing the charms of its talented lead.”[81] On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 85 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.[82]
    Season 3[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 3) § Reception
    The third season, much like the previous two, received critical acclaim, particularly for the character development of Jimmy McGill. On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 97% based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 8.78/10. The site’s critical consensus is, “Better Call Saul shows no signs of slipping in season 3, as the introduction of more familiar faces causes the inevitable transformation of its lead to pick up exciting speed.”[83] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating “universal acclaim”.[84]
    Season 4[edit]
    Main article: Better Call Saul (season 4) § Reception
    The fourth season has also received critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, the season has a 99% approval rating with an average score of 8.93 out of 10 based on 36 reviews. The site’s critical consensus states, “Well-crafted and compelling as ever, Better Call Saul deftly balances the show it was and the one it will inevitably become.”[85] On Metacritic, the season has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 16 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”.[86]
    Awards and accolades[edit]

    Ratings[edit]

    Home media[edit]
    The first season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on November 10, 2015; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode, uncensored episodes, deleted scenes, gag reel, and several behind-the-scenes featurettes. A limited edition Blu-ray set was also released with 3D packaging and a postcard vinyl of the Better Call Saul theme song by Junior Brown.[136] The second season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on November 15, 2016; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.[137] The third season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on January 16, 2018; bonus features include audio commentaries for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.[138] The fourth season was released on Blu-ray and DVD in region 1 on May 7, 2019; bonus features include audio commentary for every episode and several behind-the-scenes featurettes.[139]
    Comics[edit]
    AMC has released two digital comic books for Better Call Saul. The first, titled Better Call Saul: Client Development, released in February 2015, in advance of the series premiere, details the history of Saul and Mike, acting as a spin-off of the Breaking Bad episode that introduced Saul.[140] In February 2016, in advance of the second-season premiere, AMC released Better Call Saul: Saul Goodman and the Justice Consortium in the Clutches of the Judgernaut![141

    the colony

    Colony (TV series)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    This article is about the 2016 American TV series. For other uses, see Colony (disambiguation).

    Colony is an American science fiction drama television series created by Carlton Cuse and Ryan J. Condal, starring Josh Holloway and Sarah Wayne Callies.[3] A ten-episode first season premiered with an online preview release of the first episode on USA Network’s website on December 15, 2015, following the launch of a game-like website[4] to promote the show. The series had its broadcast premiere on USA Network on January 14, 2016.[5] In April 2017, Colony was renewed for a third season which premiered on May 2, 2018.[6][7] On July 21, 2018, USA announced they had cancelled the series after three seasons.[8]

    In a dystopian near-future Los Angeles, residents live under a regime of military occupation by an organization known as the Transitional Authority. The Authority serves an extraterrestrial group referred to as the “Hosts”, about whom little is known. The symbol of the collaborating forces features stylized birds of prey, or raptors, which gives rise to their nickname, the “Raps”. The Authority enforces Host policy via militarized police called Homeland Security and nicknamed the “Redhats”.
    The Hosts took control on a day known simply as the “Arrival”. Late that day, massive rectangular blocks descended from the sky, linking together to build walls dividing the city. One of these walls, 20 to 30 stories tall, many meters thick, and many miles in length, surrounds the central part of Los Angeles, where the series is set. Other similar walls have been constructed around neighbouring urban areas, called “blocs”, with the whole referred to as a “colony”. Traffic passes through the walls at heavily secured checkpoints, called “gateways”, which allow the Authority to strictly control the movement of people and the distribution of consumables, such as food and fuel, which are rationed. The geographical extent of the alien invasion is unclear, but it is presumably worldwide.
    A privileged class of elites, drawn by the Hosts from the local population, are denigrated by some bloc residents as collaborators. The ruling forces maintain control through the separation of loved ones, shoot-on-sight curfews, forced disappearances, random checkpoints, frequent electronic identity checks, limitation of motor vehicle usage (most people walk or ride bicycles), pervasive visual propaganda, slave labor in a place called the “Factory” (later revealed to be located on the Earth’s moon to mine radioactive materials), and electronic surveillance with Host-provided drone aircraft that launch from the wall. Some medical problems, such as diabetes, have been “deemed unworthy for treatment” by the Hosts, to cull the population.
    A resistance movement is referred to as both the “Resistance” and the “Insurgency”. An informal barter-based black market has also sprung up, trading in surplus materials and home-produced goods.
    Allusion to historical events[edit]
    In a May 21, 2015, interview with Collider, executive producer Carlton Cuse stated that the show was “conceived as a metaphor for France during the Nazi occupation”.[9] In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, co-creator Ryan Condal detailed that the original concept behind Colony was that they “were actually inspired by Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII, where people went on living their lives, having coffee in street-side cafes while Nazi officers marched along the roads”.[10]
    Plot[edit]
    The series begins less than a year after the arrival of aliens who occupy Earth. It follows the Bowmans and their extended family in Los Angeles. Their son, Charlie, was on a school sports trip and was separated from them when alien walls sectioned off part of the city. The father, Will Bowman, is a former FBI agent and retired Army Ranger who reluctantly joins the Redhats (humans collaborating with the aliens) and is tasked with tracking down members of the resistance, after being threatened that he and his family would be sent to “the Factory” if he did not comply. Unbeknownst to Will, his wife, Katie, is an operative in the resistance. She later reveals this, and they begin to trade information. Their son, Bram, discovers a way under the wall, and later joins a rival resistance group.
    Cast and characters[edit]

    The cast at Camp Conival presentation for Colony offsite at Petco Park during San Diego Comic-Con 2016. From left: Adrian Pasdar, Tory Kittles, Sarah Wayne-Callies, Ryan Condal, Peter Jacobson, Amanda Righetti and Josh Holloway
    Main[edit]
    Josh Holloway as Will Bowman: A former U.S. Army Ranger and FBI Special Agent initially working under the alias Billy “Sully” Sullivan as a truck driver and mechanic.[3][11] To protect his family from being sent to the Factory, and to find his missing son Charlie, Will starts working for the Redhats hunting down Resistance members.
    Sarah Wayne Callies as Katie Bowman: Will’s wife and a secret Resistance operative. She owns and operates “The Yonk”, a New Orleans-themed bar.[3]
    Peter Jacobson as Alan Snyder: The Proxy Governor of the Los Angeles Bloc and an unrepentant Collaborator.[12] Snyder claims to be a former Stanford University provost but is later revealed to be the corrupt purchasing manager of a small community college. Snyder is removed as Proxy and made warden of a labor camp outside the bloc.
    Amanda Righetti as Madeline “Maddie” Kenner (seasons 1–2): Katie’s younger sister[13]
    Tory Kittles as Eric Broussard: A former U.S. Marine Corps Force Recon, CIA assassin, and private military contractor.[14] Now a resistance operative, he infiltrates the Redhats and is Katie’s main Resistance contact.
    Alex Neustaedter as Bram Bowman: Will and Katie’s teenaged son[12]
    Isabella Crovetti as Grace Kathryn “Gracie” Bowman: Will and Katie’s young daughter[15]
    Jacob Buster as Charlie Bowman (guest season 1; season 2–3): Will and Katie’s younger son, who was separated from the rest of his family a year before the start of the series, when the wall went up. He is found by Will at the beginning of season 2 and reunited with his family.[16]
    Recurring[edit]
    Kim Rhodes as Rachel (season 1): A doctor and Resistance cell member
    Paul Guilfoyle as Alexander Quayle (season 1): A former CIA Berlin station chief and Defense Intelligence Agency officer turned Los Angeles Resistance leader[17]
    Cooper J. Friedman as Hudson (seasons 1–2): Madeline’s diabetic son
    Carl Weathers as Bolton “Beau” Miller (season 1): A former San Francisco Police Department officer turned Homeland Security officer and Will Bowman’s partner[17][18]
    Ally Walker as Helena Goldwyn: Chief of staff and later Governor-General of the Los Angeles Colony of which the Bloc is a part[19]
    Kathy Baker as Phyllis (season 1): Will’s boss at Homeland Security whom he suspects (and she implies) is a former CIA agent[17]
    Kathleen Rose Perkins as Jennifer McMahon (seasons 1–2): A former online dating service database administrator turned Homeland Security agent, below Phyllis and above Will and Beau[17]
    Gonzalo Menendez as Captain Lagarza (season 1): A Redhat officer[12]
    Erin Way as Lindsey (seasons 1–2): The Proxy government-provided tutor for Gracie Bowman
    Kathryn Morris as Charlotte Burgess (season 1): A cultural director in the Green Zone who becomes Maddie’s boss[20]
    Adrian Pasdar as Nolan Burgess (seasons 1–2): Charlotte’s husband and an important player in the politics of the occupational government[20]
    Bethany Joy Lenz as Morgan (season 2):[a] A software engineer and Los Angeles Resistance member[21][22][23]
    Charlie Bewley as Eckhart (seasons 1–2): A resistance cell member
    Mac Brandt as Sgt. Jenkins (season 2): A labour camp guard
    Christian Clemenson as Dan Bennett (season 2): The new head of Homeland Security
    Toby Huss as Bob Burke (season 2): Homeland Security Investigator and Will Bowman’s new partner
    William Russ as Hennessey (season 2): An ex-spy[24]
    Keiko Agena as Betsy (season 2): A co-worker of Will Bowman and Jennifer at Homeland Security[24]
    Meta Golding as Noa (season 2): A member of a resistance cell from outside the walls
    John Hoogenakker as Scott Garland (season 3): A former FBI Agent and a Greyhat Lieutenant with the charge of hunting the resistance in the California Woodlands
    Wayne Brady as Everett Kynes (season 3): Head of the autonomous Seattle colony[25]
    Peyton List as Amy Leonard (season 3): A doctor and Resistance dispatcher who works with Broussard but distrusts Will
    Notes[edit]
    ^ Guest star Thora Birch played Morgan in season 1
    Episodes[edit]

    Season 1 (2016)[edit]

    ^ The pilot episode was released online on December 15, 2015.[26]
    Season 2 (2017)[edit]

    Season 3 (2018)[edit]

    Specials[edit]

    Reception[edit]
    Critical response[edit]
    The show has received generally positive reviews. On Metacritic it holds a score of 69/100, based on 22 reviews, indicating “generally favorable reviews.”[64] On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a score of 80%, based on 24 reviews with an average rating of 6.4/10. The critics’ consensus reads: “Colony offers an engaging enough narrative, a few scares, and an overall good time, even if none of it is particularly original.”[65]
    Stephen King praised the series saying: “In a year of remarkable TV, Colony is really something special: smart, suspenseful, subversive… thought-provoking.”[66]
    The I-Land

    the I Land
    theI Land

    The I-Land is an American science fiction thriller web television miniseries created by Anthony Salter. The series is executive produced by Neil LaBute, Chad Oakes and Mike Frislev. The series stars Kate Bosworth, Natalie Martinez, Ronald Peet, Kyle Schmid, Gilles Geary, Sibylla Deen, Anthony Lee Medina, Kota Eberhardt, Michelle Veintimilla and Alex Pettyfer. It was released on September 12, 2019 on Netflix.[9]
    Contents
    1Premise
    2Cast and characters
    2.1Main
    2.2Recurring
    3Production
    3.1Development
    3.2Casting
    3.3Filming
    4Episodes
    5Release
    6References
    7External links
    Premise[edit]
    The I-Land begins when “ten people wake up on a treacherous island with no memory of who they are or how they got there, they set off on a trek to try to get back home. They soon discover this world is not as it seems. Faced with the island’s extreme psychological and physical challenges, they must rise to their better selves — or die as their worst ones.”[10]
    Cast and characters[edit]
    Main[edit]
    Kate Bosworth as KC
    Natalie Martinez as Chase
    Ronald Peet as Cooper
    Kyle Schmid as Moses
    Gilles Geary as Mason
    Sibylla Deen as Blair
    Anthony Lee Medina as Donovan
    Kota Eberhardt as Taylor
    Michelle Veintimilla as Hayden
    Alex Pettyfer as Brody
    Recurring[edit]
    Clara Wong as Carol
    Keilyn Durrel Jones as Carter[11]
    Bruce McGill as Warden Wells
    María Conchita Alonso
    Production[edit]
    Development[edit]
    On September 28, 2018, it was announced that Netflix had given the production a series order for a seven-episode first season. Neil LaBute was set to serve as co-director, writer and showrunner for the miniseries along with directorial credits from Jonathan Scarfe and writing credits from Lucy Teitler. Executive producers were expected to include LaBute, Chad Oakes, and Mike Frislev with Lucy Teitler and Jonathan Scarfe serving as co-executive producers and Kate Bosworth acting as a producer. Production companies involved with the miniseries were slated to consist of Nomadic Pictures Entertainment.[10] The production company reportedly spent a budget of $14 million for the first season, with each episode costing $2 million.[12] On August 20, 2019, it was reported that the miniseries was set to be released on September 12, 2019.[9]
    Casting[edit]
    Alongside the series order announcement, it was confirmed that Kate Bosworth, Natalie Martinez, and Alex Pettyfer would star in the miniseries.[10] In October 2018, it was announced that Kyle Schmid had been cast in a starring role.[13] In December 2018, it was reported that Clara Wong had joined the cast in a recurring capacity.[14] In August 2019, Gilles Geary joined the main cast in the role of Mason.[15] In the same month, it was confirmed that Michelle Veintimilla, Kota Eberhardt, Sibylla Deen, Ronald Peet and Anthony Lee Medina will star in the miniseries.[9]
    Filming[edit]
    Filming for the first season took place in Pinewood Indomina Studios, Dominican Republic, San Pedro De Macoris and Las Terrenas, Samaná, Dominican Republic from October 15, 2018 to December 19, 2018.[12][16][17]
    Episodes[edit]

    Release[edit]
    On August 20, 2019, the teaser trailer for the miniseries was released.[9][18] On August 29, 2019, the official trailer for the miniseries was released.[19]

    Rim of the World

    is a 2019 American science fiction adventure film directed by McG from a screenplay by Zack Stentz. It stars Jack Gore, Miya Cech, Benjamin Flores Jr. and Alessio Scalzotto. The film, which was Stentz’ modern take on the kid-centered film of the 1980s,[2] was streamed on Netflix on May 24, 2019.[3][4] It was the most watched content in the SVOD service in the U.K. the week it was released, overtaking the series Dead to Me and Riverdale.[5]

    Three young teens, ZhenZhen, Alex, and Dariush, attend a summer camp in Southern California called Rim of the World. ZhenZhen is from China who runs away from her hated father. Dariush is the funny African American that is the son of a millionaire that has gone bankrupt, and Alex is the timid and scared son to a single widowed mother because his father died from a house fire. During a canoeing trip the three wander off in the woods and find another young teen, Gabriel, that is an escaped juvenile delinquent. While deep in the woods, the group sees the sky turning orange, hears explosions and receive alerts on their phones to avoid the metropolitan area. The group of four return to camp to find that the camp has evacuated except for Conrad, a drunk counselor that they cannot seem to wake. Overhead, US aircraft are fighting alien ships. An escape pod from the International Space Station crashes to Earth with a dying astronaut inside. She gives Alex a key which she says needs to get to a NASA station, JPL, in order for the aliens to be stopped. The alien kills the astronaut and then attacks the group along with its alien dog. The group manages to kill the alien dog with fire from the escape pod, which only seems to anger the alien. The alien is then shot by aircraft, but not before killing Conrad.
    With the key in hand, the group escapes the camp while the alien is seemingly dead. They make their way to the Sheriffs Office where they discover that Asia and Europe have been destroyed and the use of nuclear weapons in the Los Angeles Basin has been approved. While at the Sheriffs Office they discover an inmate, Lou, that has been left behind. Alex and ZhenZhen decide to release him before the group continues on their way to JPL. After leaving the Sheriffs Office the group is found by some Marines who take the key and put the children on a bus to take them to safety. Aliens attack the convoy, killing the soldiers. The group takes the key back and continues on their way to JPL. After stopping to rest for the night, they are attacked by a gang of masked individuals led by Lou from the Sheriff’s Office. He agrees to let the teens go if Alex gives him the key. Alex refuses and right before Lou attacks him, the alien that died at the camp but has regenerated itself ambushes the group, killing Lou and allowing the teens to escape.
    The teens finally make it to JPL only to find that the doctor who needs the key is dead. The teens are able to make radio contact with a general who explains that the key can be used to destroy the alien mothership in orbit via a Cold War defense project name Excalibur. ZhenZhen goes into the basement to start the generators while Alex goes on the roof to the communication tower. Dariush and Gabriel stay in the command center of JPL to insert the key into the systems. Alex is attacked on the roof by the alien and ZhenZhen is attacked in the basement by an alien dog but manages to lock it in the basement and get back to the command room to help Gabriel insert the launch key since Dariush has passed out from blood loss due to an injury.
    After successfully inserting the launch keys, the General warns ZhenZhen, Dariush, and Gabriel to get out of the building because JPL is not safe and there are two units on the way to get them. In the meantime, Alex has managed to lure the alien into a highly flammable engine test room and burns the alien to a crisp. With the building crumbling around him, Alex manages to escape and reunite with his friends. The group of teens watch from the ground as the mothership is blown up in the atmosphere above them. ZhenZhen rewards Alex for his bravery with a big kiss. Alex is reunited with his mother and the children are deemed heroes who have saved the world. Pictures show the teens being knighted by the Queen of England, being awarded crowns and sashes, and riding in parades throughout America.

    Cast[edit]
    Jack Gore as Alex, a timid, smart 13-year-old
    Miya Cech as ZhenZhen, a girl that runaways from China because her father wanted a boy.
    Benjamin Flores Jr. as Dariush, a spoiled rich boy teenager
    Alessio Scalzotto as Gabriel, a teenager with Dyscalculia who escaped from a juvenile detention center
    Andrew Bachelor as Logan, a camp counselor
    Annabeth Gish as Grace, Alex’s mother
    Scott MacArthur as Lou
    Dean Jagger as Captain Hawking
    Michael Beach as General Khoury
    Lynn Collins as Major Collins
    David Theune as Head Counselor
    Tony Cavalero as Conrad
    Carl McDowell as Carl
    Punam Patel as Angeline
    Jason Rogel as Customs Official
    Chris Wylde as Uncle Chris
    Rudy Mancuso as Wes
    Amanda Cerny as Lucy/”Hot Counselor”
    Allan Graf as Taxi Driver
    Cameron Fuller as Young Soldier
    Richard Gore as Alex’s dad
    Peter Parros as Dariush’s dad
    Annie Cavalero as Zip Line Counselor
    Production[edit]
    In March 2018, it was reported that McG would direct Rim of the World for Netflix from a screenplay by Zack Stentz. In an interview, Stentz revealed that he started working on the script as early as 2017 and the deal with Netflix was closed a year later.[6] Principal production commenced in May 2018 in Los Angeles, California.[7][8] In June 2018, the cast was announced.[9]
    Principal photography began in June 2018[10][9] and reportedly lasted 40 days.
    Reception[edit]
    On the review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 25% based on 12 reviews, with a weighted average of 3.8/10.[11]

    Another Life TV series

    Another Life (2019 TV series)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    another life
    another life

    Another Life is an American science fiction drama web television series created by Aaron Martin that premiered on Netflix on July 25, 2019.[1] The series stars Katee Sackhoff, Selma Blair, Tyler Hoechlin, Justin Chatwin, Samuel Anderson, Elizabeth Ludlow, Blu Hunt, A.J. Rivera, Alexander Eling, Alex Ozerov, Jake Abel, JayR Tinaco, Jessica Camacho, Greg Hovanessian, Barbara Williams and Lina Renna.

    Contents

    External linksSynopsis
    Another Life opens with the arrival on Earth of Möbius strip-shaped flying objects, which when they land, crystal-encrusted menhirs seem to self-construct or “grow” from them. Erik Wallace (Justin Chatwin) is a scientist employed by the United States Interstellar Command who is tasked with figuring out how to communicate with the alien monolith that has landed in the United States. However, this task proves difficult and so far unsuccessful. Wallace’s wife, Captain Niko Breckinridge (Katee Sackhoff), is tasked with taking the spaceship Salvare and its crew to find the origin of this sophisticated alien object.
    Cast and characters
    Main
    Katee Sackhoff as Niko Breckinridge, an astronaut who commands a crew on a mission to explore the genesis of an alien artifact.
    Justin Chatwin as Erik Wallace, a scientist of the United States Interstellar Command, dedicated to finding intelligent life out in the universe. He is also the husband of Niko.
    Samuel Anderson as William, a holographic interface of a sentient AI onboard The Salvare.
    Blu Hunt as August Catawnee, the lead engineer and youngest member of the crew aboard The Salvare.
    A.J. Rivera as Bernie Martinez, the Salvare’s microbiologist and part-time chef.
    Jake Abel as Sasha Harrison, the son of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, serving as the government’s representative and diplomatic liaison aboard The Salvare.
    Alex Ozerov as Oliver Sokolov, one of The Salvare’s engineers.
    Alexander Eling as Javier Almanzar, a former hacker who is onboard The Salvare as an expert in computer engineering.
    JayR Tinaco as Zayn Petrossian, the Salvare’s medic.
    Lina Renna as Jana Breckinridge-Wallace, the daughter of Niko and Erik.
    Selma Blair as Harper Glass, a media influencer who attempts to break one of the biggest stories in human history.
    Elizabeth Ludlow as Cas Isakovic, Niko’s second-in-command and pilot of The Salvare. She is awakened in episode 2.
    Recurring
    Jessica Camacho as Michelle Vargas, the Salvare’s communications expert.
    Barbara Williams as General Blair Dubois, General of United States Interstellar Command, in charge of United States’ response to the Artifact.
    Greg Hovanessian as Beauchamp McCarry, Niko’s third-in-command and pilot of The Salvare. He is awakened in episode 7.
    Parveen Dosanjh as Dr. Nani Singh, a scientist who is Erik’s friend and coworker.
    Chanelle Peloso as Petra Smith, a crew member of the Salvare.
    Guest
    Tyler Hoechlin as Ian Yerxa, an astronaut and the former commander of The Salvare space explorations ship, who loses the position to Niko.
    Martin Donovan as Egan Harrison, a politician and Sasha’s father.
    Leifennie as Azami Ouchi, a computer engineer.
    Episodes

    Production
    Development
    On April 26, 2018, Netflix announced that it had given the production a series order for a ten-episode first season.[3] The series is created by Aaron Martin who is credited as an executive producer alongside Noreen Halpern.[3] On June 19, 2019, it was confirmed that the series would premiere on July 25, 2019.[1]
    Casting
    On April 26, 2018, it was announced that Katee Sackhoff had been cast as a series regular.[3] On August 21, 2018, it was reported that Selma Blair had joined the cast in a recurring role.[4][5] On August 28, 2018, it was announced that Tyler Hoechlin, Justin Chatwin, Samuel Anderson, and Elizabeth Ludlow had joined the cast.[6] The following day, Blu Hunt joined the cast.[7] In September 2018, the rest of the main cast was revealed.[8]
    Filming
    Filming for the first season took place on location in Vancouver, British Columbia from August 20, 2018 to November 20, 2018.[9]
    Critical reception
    Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 6% of 17 critic ratings are positive for the series, with an average rating of 4.54/10. The website’s consensus reads, “A hodgepodge of science fiction homage, Another Life lacks the distinctive spark necessary to set it apart from the array of stories it aspires to be.”[10] Metacritic calculated an average score of 33 out of 100, based on 8 reviews, citing “generally unfavourable reviews”.[11]

    Nightflyers

    Nightflyers is an American horror science fiction television series on Syfy that premiered in the United States on December 2, 2018 and on Netflix, internationally on February 1, 2019. The series is based on the novella and series of short stories of the same name by George R. R. Martin. The first season consisted of ten episodes, which concluded on December 13, 2018. On February 19, 2019, it was reported that Syfy had canceled the series.

    Contents
    1Premise
    2Cast
    2.1Main
    2.2Recurring
    3Production
    3.1Development
    3.2Filming
    4Episodes
    5Release
    6Reception
    6.1Critical response
    6.2Ratings
    6.3Accolades
    7Home media
    8References
    9External links
    Premise[edit]
    In 2093, a team of scientists embarks on a journey into space aboard an advanced ship called the Nightflyer to make first contact with alien life-forms. However, when terrifying and violent events occur, the team begins to question each other and to realize there is something on-board the Nightflyer with them. It’s up to the crew to save the ship and themselves. [1]
    Cast[edit]
    Main[edit]
    Eoin Macken as Karl D’Branin, an astrophysicist and leader of the Nightflyer expedition[2]
    David Ajala as Roy Eris, the reclusive captain of the Nightflyer[2]
    Jodie Turner-Smith as Melantha Jhirl[2]
    Angus Sampson as Rowan, a xenobiologist[2]
    Sam Strike as Thale, an L-1 telepath[2]
    Maya Eshet as Lommie Thorne, a cyberneticist, who communicates with the Nightflyer’s computers via a neuro-port surgically implanted in her arm[2][3]
    Brían F. O’Byrne as Auggie, chief engineer of the Nightflyer[2][4]
    Gretchen Mol as Agatha Matheson, a psychiatrist who specializes in working with telepaths[2]
    Recurring[edit]
    Phillip Rhys as Murphy[2]
    Gwynne McElveen as Tobis[2]
    Zoë Tapper as Joy D’Branin
    Miranda Raison as Tessia
    Production[edit]
    Development[edit]
    In 2016, it was announced that Syfy would be developing a series based on Martin’s novella. Later in 2017, it was announced that the series would rather be based on the film adaptation from 1987.[5] George R. R. Martin will not be involved directly with the series due to his exclusive contract with HBO, but will be credited as an executive producer.[6]
    Filming[edit]
    The series started its production in early 2018 on location in Limerick, Ireland, and also at the Limerick-based Troy Studios, with Daniel Cerone serving as the showrunner.[7] [8]Cerone also serves as a series executive producer, alongside Gene Klein, David Bartis, and Doug Liman of Hypnotic, Alison Rosenzweig and Michael Gaeta of Gaeta Rosenzweig Films, and Lloyd Ivan Miller and Alice P. Neuhauser of Lloyd Ivan Miller Productions.[2][9][better source needed]
    For the visual effects, Spin VFX is the main vendor with Territory Studio supplying user interfaces, and Switch Visual Effects providing additional support. The visual effects have to work seamlessly with the huge practical set built for the ship.[10]
    Episodes[edit]

    Release[edit]

    Promotional poster for the series.
    Netflix has joined the series as a co-producer, and holds international airing rights in addition to secondary airing rights in the United States.[21]Nightflyers premiered on Syfy on December 2, 2018.[22] The first season consisted of ten episodes.[23] The first season became available to stream on Netflix worldwide on February 1, 2019.[24] On February 19, 2019, it was reported that Syfy had canceled the series.[25]
    Reception[edit]
    Critical response[edit]
    On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 33% based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 5.41/10. The website’s critical consensus reads: “Unsettling without being particularly scary, Nightflyers’s low-budget aesthetics and over-reliance on homage betray its intriguing philosophical pondering and impressive creative pedigree.”[26] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 47 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[27]
    Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club is disappointed that the show doesn’t do more to upend genre conventions the way Game of Thrones successfully did, saying “showrunner Jeff Buhler doesn’t quite know how to make it feel new again”. McLevy praises the show for its “appealing visual style” despite budgetary limitations, and of the acting cast he singles out Maya Eshet “who elevates every scene in which she appears”. He compares the show to the film Event Horizon and calls the show engaging but lacking depth and suggests the show may appeal more to those who already enjoy the sci-fi horror genre.[28]
    Ratings[edit]

    Accolades[edit]

    Home media[edit]

    Cold Pursuit
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    cold pursuit
    cold pursuit

    Cold Pursuit is a 2019 American black comedy action film[1][4] directed by Hans Petter Moland (in his Hollywood debut) from a screenplay by Frank Baldwin. The film stars Liam Neeson, Laura Dern, Emmy Rossum, William Forsythe, and Tom Bateman. It is a remake of the 2014 Norwegian vigilante film In Order of Disappearance (Kraftidioten), also directed by Moland, and follows a snowplow driver who sets out for revenge on a local drug lord following the murder of his son.
    The film was released in the United States on February 8, 2019, by Summit Entertainment. It has grossed over $32 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences and the dark humor.[5]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    4Release
    5Reception
    5.1Box office
    5.2Critical response
    6Controversy
    7References
    8External links
    Plot[edit]
    Nelson Coxman’s quiet life as a snowplow driver in the glitzy Colorado ski resort of Kehoe, where he was just awarded “Citizen of the Year”, is disrupted when his son dies from a forced heroin overdose. Nels’ wife Grace has a psychotic breakdown over her son’s death and leaves her husband in grief.
    A depressed Coxman is about to commit suicide when he learns that his son was murdered by a drug cartel. This causes him to craft a custom sniper rifle, become a vigilante and kill three members of the cartel, sinking their bodies in a nearby river. The cartel’s leader, Trevor “Viking” Calcote, suspects that these deaths are the work of Native American drug lord White Bull, with whom he has earlier avoided conflict. Viking abducts and murders White Bull’s only son, which sparks a gang war between the two factions.
    Viking eventually learns that Coxman has killed his men, and tries in vain to call off the gang war, not realizing White Bull intends to exact revenge through a blood debt, “a son for a son”. Meanwhile, Coxman kidnaps Viking’s son from his prep school in an attempt to draw the drug lord into an ambush. Despite abducting the boy, Coxman treats him well and avoids putting his life in jeopardy.
    Viking’s gang arrive at Coxman’s ambush, which is unsuccessful, and he is captured alive. White Bull’s gang arrives shortly thereafter with the intention of vengeance. During the ensuing shootout, most of the gangsters are killed and Viking is trapped after Coxman drops a shorn tree on his car, and is shot in the chest by White Bull.
    Viking dies later when found by Kehoe police Detectives Kimberly Dash and her partner Gip. As Coxman leaves the property in his snowplow to continue his work, White Bull jumps into the cab and the two men drive away together. The last remaining enforcer for White Bull’s cartel accidentally paraglides into the snowplow and is chopped to bits.
    Cast[edit]
    Liam Neeson as Nelson “Nels” Coxman
    Laura Dern as Grace Coxman, Nels’ wife
    Emmy Rossum as Kimberly “Kim” Dash, a local detective
    Tom Bateman as Trevor “Viking” Calcote, a psychopathic drug lord based in Denver, Colorado
    William Forsythe as Brock “Wingman” Coxman, a former hitman for Viking’s father and Nels Coxman’s brother
    Julia Jones as Aya, a member of the Ute people, Viking’s ex-wife, and the mother of his son
    Domenick Lombardozzi as Mustang, a closeted homosexual and senior enforcer for Viking
    Raoul Trujillo as Thorpe, a member of the Ute people and enforcer for White Bull
    Benjamin Hollingsworth as Dexter, an enforcer to Viking and Mustang’s secret lover
    John Doman as Gip, Kim’s partner and a corrupt cop working for White Bull
    David O’Hara as Sly, an enforcer to Viking
    Aleks Paunovic as Detective Osgard
    Christopher Logan as Shiv
    Nathaniel Arcand as Smoke
    Ben Cotton as Windex
    Tom Jackson as White Bull, a member of the Ute people and rival drug lord to Viking
    Micheál Richardson as Kyle Coxman, Nels’s son.
    Mitchell Saddleback as Avalanche
    Manna Nichols as Minya, a secretary at White Bull’s headquarters
    Production[edit]
    The participation of actor Liam Neeson, director Hans Petter Moland and producers Michael Shamberg and StudioCanal in making Cold Pursuit was announced in January 2017.[6] In March 2017, Domenick Lombardozzi, Emmy Rossum, Benjamin Hollingsworth, Laura Dern, William Forsythe, Julia Jones, and John Doman joined the cast of the film.[7][8][9][10][11][12] The next month, Aleks Paunovic joined.[13]
    Principal photography began in March 2017, in Alberta, Canada. Filming also took place in Fernie, British Columbia.[14] While Moland had hoped to shoot in the Banff and Jasper national parks, the permit was denied by Parks Canada, who cited concerns about the film’s environmental impact, and over the depiction of the First Nations gangsters led by Tom Jackson’s character. Jackson provided a letter in support of the project.[15]
    Release[edit]
    In November 2017, Summit Entertainment acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[16] It was released on February 8 in the United States,[17] and is scheduled for February 22 in the United Kingdom.
    The film’s February 5, 2019 red carpet premiere was cancelled because of comments made by Neeson the previous day, regarding a past incident in his life, which some interpreted as racist.[18]
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    As of February 21, 2019, Cold Pursuit has grossed $23.8 million in the United States and Canada, and $8.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $32.2 million, against a production budget of $60 million.[19][3]
    In the United States and Canada, Cold Pursuit was released alongside What Men Want, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and The Prodigy, and was projected to gross $7–10 million from 2,630 theaters in its opening weekend.[20] It made $3.6 million on its first day, including $540,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $11 million, finishing third, behind The Lego Movie 2 and What Men Want.[21][22] In its second weekend the film fell 45% to $6 million, finishing sixth.[23]
    Critical response[edit]
    On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 74% based on 118 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Cold Pursuit delivers the action audiences expect from a Liam Neeson thriller — along with humor and a sophisticated streak that make this an uncommonly effective remake.”[24] On Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[25] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B-” on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 3 out of 5 stars and a 42% “definite recommend”.[26][22]
    Chris Nashawaty, writing for Entertainment Weekly, delivered a positive review, grading it a “B+” and saying: “If [Cold Pursuit] sounds like murder-by-numbers Liam Neeson Mad Libs, well, it kind of is. But what sets Cold Pursuit apart from its predecessors is its tone. It has the jokey, self-amused vibe of an Elmore Leonard novel or one of those arch, wannabe Tarantino knock-offs that sprouted up like toadstools in the wake of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction and were quickly forgotten. It knows exactly what kind of movie it is, but that doesn’t stand in the way of it goosing its bloodbath set pieces with irreverent, off-kilter gallows humor.”[27] Richard Roeper, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, praised the film, awarding it 3.5 out of 4 stars, and saying, “As characters with nicknames such as Sly and Mustang and Smoke and War Dog and Shiv and Drayno enter and often quickly exit the picture, Cold Pursuit moves forward with the assured and deliberate force of Nels’ massive snowplow. And with Neeson/Nels at the wheel, Cold Pursuit is one fantastically hot mess of a movie.”[28]
    Controversy[edit]
    Liam Neeson was accused of racism after an interview with The Independent at a press junket for the film, published in February 2019.[29][30] Neeson explained his character’s “primal” anger to the interviewer by recounting an experience he had many years ago. A woman close to him said she had been raped by a stranger, and Neeson asked what color skin the attacker had; after learning the attacker was black, Neeson said that for about a week, he “went up and down areas with a cosh … hoping some ‘black bastard’ would come out of a pub and have a go” so that Neeson “could kill him”. In the interview, Neeson also said he was “ashamed” to recount the experience and that it was “horrible” that he did what he did. “It’s awful … but I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, ‘What the fuck are you doing?’”[31][32]
    In an appearance on Good Morning America, Neeson elaborated on his experience while denying being a racist, saying the incident occurred nearly 40 years ago, that he asked for physical attributes of the rapist other than race, that he would have done the same if the rapist was “a Scot or a Brit or a Lithuanian”, that he had purposely gone into “black areas of the city”, and that he “did seek help” from a priest after coming to his senses. Neeson said that the lesson of his experience was “to open up, to talk about these things”, as there was still underlying “racism and bigotry” in both the United States and Northern Ireland. The controversy Neeson’s comments caused led to the cancellation of the red carpet event for the premiere of Cold Pursuit.[33][34][35]

    Jack Reacher – Never Go Back B+Jack Reacher poster – Jack Reacher (film) – Wikipedia

    jack reacher attribution

    Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is a 2016 American action thriller film, directed by Edward Zwick and written by Zwick, Richard Wenk and Marshall Herskovitz, and based on the novel Never Go Back by Lee Child. A standalone sequel to the 2012 film Jack Reacher, the film stars Tom Cruise, Cobie Smulders, Patrick Heusinger, Aldis Hodge, Danika Yarosh, Holt McCallany and Robert Knepper. The plot follows Reacher going on the run with an Army Major who has been framed for espionage, as the two reveal a dark conspiracy.
    Principal photography began on October 20, 2015, in New Orleans, and the film was released on October 21, 2016, in IMAX and conventional formats.[4] It grossed $162 million worldwide and received mixed reviews from critics.

    Contents
    1 Plot
    2 Cast
    3 Production
    4 Release
    4.1 Box office
    4.2 Critical response
    4.3 Home media
    5 References
    6 External links
    Plot
    After busting a human trafficking ring, former military investigator turned vigilante drifter Jack Reacher returns to his old military headquarters to meet Major Susan Turner, whom he has been working with during his travels and has become his closest friend – only to learn from Colonel Sam Morgan that Turner has been accused of espionage and detained.
    Turner’s attorney, Colonel Bob Moorcroft, reveals that there is evidence that Turner is involved in the murders of two soldiers in Afghanistan, but Reacher believes she is being framed. Moorcroft also reveals an old acquaintance of Reacher, Candice Dutton, has filed a paternity suit against him, claiming he is the biological father of her 15-year-old daughter, Samantha Dutton. Reacher tries to reach out to Samantha, but she rebuffs him, believing he is after her biological mother due to her past as a prostitute.
    Moorcroft is later killed by an unknown assassin known as the Hunter. Reacher is framed for Moorcroft’s murder and arrested and transported to the prison where Turner is being detained. Two hitmen arrive to kill her, but Reacher neutralizes them, rescues her and they escape to Morgan’s house, having deduced he is involved in the conspiracy, to extract information. After they leave, the Hunter, revealed to be working with Morgan, kills Morgan and frames Reacher which he learns about from a friend, Sergeant Leach, when he asks her to investigate a military contractor.
    Reacher and Turner uncover surveillance pictures of Samantha and surmise she is in danger, arriving at her home to find her foster parents dead and Samantha hiding in the kitchen. Reacher and Turner decide to escort Samantha to Turner’s old private school for protection, but discover that she has her mobile phone with her and that the enemy probably knows exactly where they are. They discard the phone and make a quick exit, during which Samantha steals a backpack from one of the students to use the credit cards.
    Reacher, Turner and Samantha travel to New Orleans in search of Daniel Prudhomme, the only eyewitness to the murders for which Turner has been framed. They find him in a derelict warehouse filled with drug addicts and learn that Prudhomme is connected to Parasource, a private military organization that is trying to cover up the murders. Reacher contacts Turner’s friend, Captain Anthony Espin, to move Prudhomme into custody, but they are ambushed by assassins and Prudhomme is killed, while Reacher rescues a wounded Espin and finds out that the assassins are Parasource contractors. Parasource’s CEO, General James Harkness, then sends the Hunter to capture Samantha after she uses a credit card from the backpack she stole to order room service.
    Reacher and Turner, along with Espin, acting on information provided by Prudhomme, intercept a flight of weapons due to enter the country, where they confront Harkness and his men and accuse them of corruption. Upon opening the crates, however, Espin finds weapons as declared in the flight manifest. Before Turner can be re-arrested, Reacher opens up one of the weapons and discovers that they are filled with opium. They learn that Harkness framed Turner, who had been investigating his activities, for the murders of two soldiers who discovered that Harkness was selling weapons to insurgents and smuggling drugs into the United States. Espin and his men then arrest Harkness, clearing Reacher’s and Turner’s names.
    The Hunter and his men locate and chase Samantha through the streets to lure Reacher into a confrontation. Turner kills one of the assassins, whilst Reacher takes out another one on the rooftop. The Hunter captures Samantha and threatens to kill her, but she manages to escape and steal his gun. Reacher then tackles the Hunter onto another rooftop, briefly incapacitating both of them, and they have a vicious fight that culminates with Reacher breaking the Hunter’s arm, leg and neck, before dropping him off the rooftop. Reacher then admits to Samantha he might be her father.
    Following Harkness’ arrest, Turner is reinstated in her old position and goes back to her office, where her colleagues and a recovering Captain Espin all welcome her back. Reacher promises to keep in touch before meeting Samantha at a diner to meet Candice, Samantha’s mother, whom Reacher surmises he will recognize, as he remembers every woman he has slept with. Samantha reveals that the waitress that had been serving him is in fact Candice, and that Reacher cannot be her father, as neither had recognized each other. Reacher and Samantha then reluctantly part.
    A short time later, while Reacher is walking along a road, he is surprised when a phone Samantha had slipped into his pocket rings. He finds a text message from her reading, “Miss me yet?”. Reacher smiles as he sticks out his thumb to hitch a ride.
    Cast
    Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher
    Cobie Smulders as Major Susan Turner[5]
    Aldis Hodge[6] as Captain Anthony Espin, Turner’s friend
    Danika Yarosh[7] as Samantha Dutton, the girl Jack Reacher protects
    Patrick Heusinger[8] as the Hunter
    Holt McCallany[9] as Colonel Sam Morgan
    Austin Hebert as Daniel Prudhomme[9]
    Robert Catrini as Colonel Bob Moorcroft,[10] Turner’s attorney
    Robert Knepper as General James Harkness[11]
    Jessica Stroup as Lieutenant Sullivan
    Madalyn Horcher as Sergeant Leach
    Teri Wyble as Mrs. Prudhomme
    Lee Child as TSA Agent
    Production
    While Jack Reacher was intended to be a tent-pole for a film series, it was initially reported that a sequel would be unlikely due to its lackluster run at the North American box office.[12] However, in February 2013, a sequel became more likely after the film surpassed a gross of $200 million worldwide.[13] On December 9, 2013, it was announced that Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media were moving forward with the development of a second film, reportedly based on the 2013 Jack Reacher novel Never Go Back.[14]
    On May 14, 2014, it was reported that Tom Cruise would reprise his role as Jack Reacher.[15]
    On May 19, 2015, Deadline reported that Edward Zwick would re-team with Cruise, and direct the film. Zwick wrote the script along with Marshall Herskovitz, and also Richard Wenk. Zwick and Cruise had previously worked together on The Last Samurai.[16] On August 14, 2015, Cobie Smulders was added to the cast to play the female lead.[5] On September 15, Danika Yarosh signed on to star in the film,[7] on September 17, Aldis Hodge was added to the cast,[6] and on September 22, Patrick Heusinger was cast in the villain role.[8] On October 20, Holt McCallany joined the film, as did Austin Hebert.[9] On November 12, 2015, Robert Catrini joined,[10] and on January 20, 2016, Robert Knepper was cast as General Harkness, a retired general, and CEO of a private military firm.[11]
    Principal photography on the film began on October 20, 2015, in New Orleans, Louisiana.[17] On November 23, 2015, filming took place in Baton Rouge,[18] and in January 2016, filming also took place in St. Francisville.[19]
    Henry Jackman composed the film’s music, making this Zwick’s first film since Blood Diamond (2006) not to be scored by James Newton Howard.
    Release
    On June 14, 2016, Entertainment Weekly premiered a preview of the first trailer, with Cobie Smulders introducing the footage. The official Jack Reacher Twitter account announced that a full trailer would be released on June 22, 2016.[citation needed] A browser game, titled Jack Reacher: Never Stop Punching, was also released to promote the film.[20]
    In September 2015, Paramount set Jack Reacher: Never Go Back a release date of October 21, 2016.[21]
    Box office
    Jack Reacher: Never Go Back grossed $58.7 million in the United States and Canada, and $103.4 million in other countries, for a worldwide total of $162.1 million, against a production budget of $96 million.[2][22]
    In the United States and Canada, the film opened alongside Ouija: Origin of Evil, Keeping Up with the Joneses and Boo! A Madea Halloween, and was projected to gross around $20 million from 3,780 theaters in its opening weekend, with the studio expecting a debut of about $17 million.[23] It earned $1.3 million in midnight showings at 1,850 theaters, slightly above Oblivion’s $1.1 million and under Edge of Tomorrow’s $1.8 million.[24] For the weekend, the film opened to $23 million, finishing in second place, behind Boo! A Madea Halloween.[25][26] In its second weekend, the film dropped by 58.2%, grossing $9.6 million, and finishing third at the box office, behind A Madea Halloween ($16.7 million) and newcomer Inferno ($15 million).[27]
    Outside North America, the film was released in 42 countries in conjunction with its United States and Canada debut, representing about 75% of the film’s total marketplace internationally.[28]
    In 30 markets, the film posted the biggest opening in the series. Outside of the United States and China, the United Kingdom and Ireland ($3.3 million), France ($2.8 million), Australia ($2 million), Russia ($2 million), Indonesia ($1.9 million), Taiwan ($1.6 million) and the UAE ($1.3 million) posted the top openings.[28]
    Critical response
    On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 37%, based on 219 reviews, with an average rating of 5.2/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Monotonously formulaic, Jack Reacher: Never Go Back is one action-thriller sequel whose title also serves as a warning.”[29] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score 47 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[30] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale, while the first film received an “A−”.[31][24]

    Home media
    Jack Reacher: Never Go Back was released on Digital HD on January 17, 2017,[32] and on Blu-ray, Ultra HD Blu-ray and DVD on January 31, 2017.[33][34]
    By May 2018, the film had made $14.5 million in domestic region video sales.[35

    The A-Team (film)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    the A Team
    the A team

    The A-Team is a 2010 American action comedy film based on the 1980s television series of the same name created by Frank Lupoand Stephen J. Cannell. Co-written (with Brian Bloom and Skip Woods) and directed by Joe Carnahan, the film stars Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel, Patrick Wilson and Brian Bloom. The film tells the story of “The A-Team”, a Special Forces team imprisoned for a crime they did not commit, who escape and set out to clear their names. The film was produced by Stephen J. Cannell,[4] Ridley Scott and Tony Scott.[5][6] The film was theatrically released on June 11, 2010 by 20th Century Fox.
    The film had been in development since the mid-1990s having gone through a number of writers and story ideas and being put on hold a number of times. Upon its release, the film received mixed reviews from critics and was an average performer at the box office making $177 million on a $110 million budget.[7]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Locations and filming
    3.2Development
    3.3Casting
    4Marketing
    4.1Comics
    4.2Video game
    5Release
    5.1Home media
    6Reception
    6.1Critical response
    6.2Comments by original cast
    6.3Box office
    6.4Accolades
    6.5Soundtrack
    7Cancelled sequel
    8References
    9External links
    Plot[edit]
    John “Hannibal” Smith is held captive in Mexico by two Federal Police officers working for renegade General Javier Tuco. Hannibal escapes and sets out to rescue Templeton “Face” Peck, who is held captive at Tuco’s ranch. Hannibal saves Face after enlisting fellow Ranger, B.A. Baracus, driving to the rescue in BA’s modified GMC Vandura.[8] Pursued by Tuco, they stop at a nearby Army Hospitalto recruit the services of eccentric pilot Howling Mad Murdock. They flee in a medical helicopter, chased by Tuco, in a dogfight that leaves BA with a fear of flying. The battle ends when they lure Tuco’s helicopter into American airspace, where it is shot down by an F-22 Raptor for trespassing.
    Eight years later in Iraq, Hannibal is contacted by CIA Special Activities Division operative Lynch, who assigns them a black operationto recover U.S. Treasury plates and over $1 billion in cash slated to move out of Baghdad in an armored convoy. Hannibal’s commanding officer, General Morrison, consents to the operation but Face’s former girlfriend, Defense Criminal Investigative ServiceCapt. Charissa Sosa, tries to discourage the team against getting the plates. The mission is successful and when the team returns to base, the money and Morrison’s vehicle are destroyed by Brock Pike and his men from the private security firm Black Forest. Without Morrison (the only proof that they were authorized to act), Hannibal, Face, Murdock, and BA are court-martialled, sentenced to ten years in separate prisons, and dishonorably discharged. Sosa also ended up court-martialled and is demoted to lieutenant.
    Six months later, Lynch visits Hannibal in prison and tells him that Pike may be trying to sell the plates with the help of an Arab backer. Hannibal, who has been tracking Pike on his own, makes a deal with Lynch: full reinstatement and clean records for his team in return for the plates. Lynch agrees and Hannibal escapes, breaking out Face, BA, and Murdock in the process. The team hijacks a C-130, which is later shot down by Reaper UCAVs, but not before the team parachutes away in a tank stashed aboard and make it to the ground safely. The team moves to reclaim the plates and kidnap Pike’s backer. It is revealed that the backer is actually General Morrison, who plotted with Lynch and Pike to steal the plates but teamed up with Pike to double-cross Lynch and fake his death. Lynch orders an airstrike to kill the team and Morrison, but the team manages to escape whilst Morrison is killed.
    Hannibal arranges to meet Sosa on board a container ship at the Los Angeles Port, saying he will hand over Morrison and the plates. Face then calls Sosa on a drop phone he planted on her at the train station, and conspires a different plan with her. It all unfolds according to plan until Pike, who is now working with Lynch, blows up the container ship and chases Face to near death. BA (having converted to Buddhism while in prison) finally gives up his pacifist ways and kills Pike, saving Face. Hannibal leads Lynch into a container with Murdock, who, wearing a covered bullet-proof helmet, is portraying Morrison. Lynch shoots at Murdock’s head, believing that he kills Morrison, and is later tricked into admitting that he stole the plates, and is subsequently arrested by Sosa.
    The CIA agents led by a separate “Lynch” comes and claims custody of the original one. Despite their success and proving themselves innocent, the military still arrests the team for escaping from prison, also a crime; they and Sosa are angered by this, since it is only being done so Sosa’s boss does not have to fill out paperwork. Sosa is reinstated to captain, but she promises to do all she can to set the team free and kisses Face as everybody is led into a prison van. In the van, everyone starts saying that the system has burned them again, but Hannibal tells them that there is always a way out of any situation, and turns towards Face, who smiles and says “I don’t want to steal your line, boss, but… I love it when a plan comes together” and opens his mouth and reveals a handcuff key, given to him by Sosa through the kiss. The final scene includes a narration (spoken by Corey Burton) similar to the show’s opening narration.
    In a post-credits scene, Murdock and Face of The A-Team’s original cast are seen.
    Cast[edit]
    Liam Neeson as John “Hannibal” Smith
    Bradley Cooper as Templeton “Face” Peck
    Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as B.A. Baracus
    Sharlto Copley as Howling Mad Murdock
    Jessica Biel as Charissa Sosa [9]
    Patrick Wilson as Vance Burress/Agent Lynch[10]
    Jon Hamm as Other Lynch (uncredited)
    Brian Bloom as Brock Pike. Bloom was also a writer on the film.[11]
    Gerald McRaney as General Morrison
    Terry Chen as Ravech
    C. Ernst Harth as Crematorium Attendant
    Corey Burton as Narrator
    In a post credits scene, original series actors Dirk Benedict (Face) and Dwight Schultz (Murdock) have cameos with their film equivalents Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley. Benedict plays Face’s fellow tanning bed client, credited as “Pensacola Prisoner Milt,” and Schultz plays the German neurologist who examines Murdock.
    Production[edit]
    Locations and filming[edit]
    The entire film was shot at various locations in Canada including Kamloops, Vancouver, Cache Creek and Ashcroft,[12] British Columbia, with much of the studio works being done at Mammoth Studios.[10][13][14][15] Other footage was included as well, such as aerial shots of the Cologne train station (though erroneously referred to as Frankfurt Central Station in the movie) as well as an aerial shot of the Frankfurt skyline.[16] Canadian Forces Base Cold Lake is also featured in the German escape scene where a number of base buildings and landmarks are clearly visible, as is the false canopy painted under the CF-18s. The Royal Canadian Air Force along with some USMC squadrons are the only Hornet users to have the false canopy painted on the bottom. American markings were digitally added later. The Hawaii Mars Martin Mars water bomber, based at Sproat Lake, British Columbia, is also used in one scene of the movie to cross the Atlantic.
    Development[edit]

    Joe Carnahan at the film’s premiere.
    The film had been in development since the mid-1990s, going through a number of writers and story ideas, and being put on hold a number of times. Producer Stephen J. Cannell hoped to update the setting, perhaps using the Gulf War as part of the backstory.[17][18] John Singleton was initially assigned to direct, but in October 2008 he pulled out of the project.[19] When Singleton was still attached to the project as director, Ice Cube was approached for the role of B.A. Baracus.[20]
    The production budget for the film was $110 million,[3][21] but the cost came in at $100 million after tax credits.[2]
    Casting[edit]
    In June 2009, Variety revealed that Liam Neeson was in negotiations with 20th Century Fox to star as Hannibal Smith,[22] and Bradley Cooperannounced to MTV News[23] that he would be playing the role of Templeton Peck after he first denied the rumors saying that he was not involved and insisted that he had not seen any script.[24]
    On August 26, 2009, MMAjunkie.com reported that mixed martial arts fighter Quinton Jackson would play the role of B.A. Baracus in the upcoming film,[25] but this was later denied by a representative for Jackson.[26] In September 2009, The Vancouver Sun suggested that Jackson has been attached to the role and was postponing his fight at UFC 107 with Rashad Evans due to filming for The A-Team. Filming started in Vancouver in late 2009, and Jackson’s involvement was then confirmed.[27][28]
    On September 15, 2009, Variety confirmed the casting of Neeson, Cooper and Jackson. They additionally reported that Sharlto Copley and Jessica Biel were in final negotiations to join the cast. Copley would be playing the role of H.M. Murdock and Biel would be playing the ex-lover of Face who is a disillusioned and ruthless Army officer in charge of pursuing the team.[29] 20th Century Fox later confirmed that Copley and Biel were cast in the film.[10]
    On September 30, 2009, Liam Neeson and the rest of the cast were seen filming scenes in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as shooting got under way.[30] The first official pictures of Neeson, Cooper, Copley and Jackson in character were soon released, including one which features the iconic van in the background.[15]
    On October 30, 2009, Dwight Schultz confirmed that he had filmed a cameo scene for the movie.[31] This news was followed on the November 23, 2009, that Dirk Benedict would also make a cameo.[32] Schultz and Benedict played Howling Mad Murdock and Templeton Peck respectively in the original series. Mr. T, the original BA Baracus, did not appear in the film. In an interview with Wendy Williams, he said he did not like doing a cameo appearance in a film based on the original series he once did.
    Marketing[edit]
    Comics[edit]
    In February 2010, it was announced a series of comics for the movie would be released beginning in March. Written by Carnahan and Chuck Dixon, the series, The A-Team: War Stories is a prequel to the film, featuring one-shots focusing each on Hannibal, Face, BA, and Murdock.[33] A second series, The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding, is a tie-in to the film by showing an all-new adventure set after the quartet escaped. Film director Joe Carnahan and Tom Waltz collaborated to pen the series.
    Jazwares released a line of action figures featuring the four main characters, plus the GMC Vandura.
    Video game[edit]
    An application for the iPhone was released as part of the marketing blitz for the film. The A-Team application is a side-scrolling, third person, action shooter game. Produced by RealNetworks the game includes voice-overs from B.A. Baracus.[34]
    Release[edit]
    The film’s first trailer was released January 8, 2010.[35] The film’s second trailer was released April 1, 2010.[36] The film premiered in Los Angeles on Thursday June 3, 2010, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Liam Neeson arrived in The A-Team custom Chevrolet G20 van; Bradley Cooper and Sharlto Copley rode in on a real U.S. Army tank.[37][38] The film opened nationwide on June 11, 2010.[39]
    The film premiered in the United Kingdom on July 27, before going on general release the next day. The event was attended by the four team members along with Jessica Biel, and the A-Team van.[40]
    Home media[edit]
    The film was released on December 14, 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray.[41] It was released on DVD and Blu-ray on October 27 in Australia and on November 29, 2010 in the UK. An extended cut was also released, pushing the running time to 133 minutes.[42] Two of the most noteworthy additions in the extended cut were the two cameo scenes of the original Face and Murdock, which were pushed back after the end credits in the original cut due to pacing.[43]
    Reception[edit]
    Critical response[edit]
    The A-Team received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 48% based on 208 reviews with an average rating of 5.4/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “For better and for worse, Joe Carnahan’s big-screen version of The A-Team captures the superficial, noisy spirit of the TV series.”[44] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 47 out of 100 based on 37 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[45] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale.[46]
    Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly says of the film: “It’s trash so compacted it glows”.[47] Richard Corliss of Time magazine calls the film “the best in a mediocre line-up of summer-action flicks”. He goes on to say the film lacks “a coherent plot and complex characterization”, though he does note that these qualities “are irrelevant to the genre”.[48] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone magazine calls the film, “big, loud, ludicrous and edited into visual incomprehension”, but “pity the fool who lets that stand in the way of enjoying The A-Team”.[49] In contrast, Lou Lumenick of the New York Post, who titled his piece “Pity the fool who sees ‘The A-Team’”, is among the most critical, calling the film “overlong, overblown and utterly forgettable.”[50] The Hollywood Reporter criticizes the film’s story, character development and logic, calling it “nearly writer-free”,[51] while the St. Petersburg Times was far more positive, calling the film “literally a blast” from start to finish, and praises it for “containing more thrills than the average shoot-em-up”.[52]
    Film critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said The A-Team is an incomprehensible mess, criticizing the film for being as shallow as the television series, which he describes as “punishment” when drawn out to a two-hour-long film.[53] Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger complains the film makers remembered little more from the television series than a Dirty Dozen gimmick and compares the film to the “awful” Smokin’ Aces by the same director.[54]
    Comments by original cast[edit]
    Dirk Benedict, who played Templeton Peck in the TV series, spoke of regretting his cameo, stating “You’ll miss me if you blink. I kind of regret doing it because it’s a non-part. They wanted to be able to say, ‘Oh yeah, the original cast are in it,’ but we’re not. It is three seconds. It’s kind of insulting.”[55]
    Mr. T, the original B. A. Baracus, was offered a cameo, but turned it down, feeling it would not be right for him to appear in the film if he did not play Barracus.[56] In a 2010 interview with Script magazine director Joe Carnahan claimed that Mr. T, after viewing scenes from the film, thought the final product was “the greatest thing in the world”.[57] After the premiere of the film Mr. T allegedly stated that he had become disillusioned and felt the story emphasized sex and violence, and that it was unfaithful to the original series.[58] An attorney for Mr. T later stated that the actor had not yet seen the film and could not comment on it.[59]
    Dwight Schultz, who played the TV series’ “Howling Mad” Murdock, issued a statement to his official fansite that the film “pays homage to the series while it eschews its essential working premise: a band of capable military brothers for hire determined to save underdog and usually poor civilians from scum. … The team characters are sufficiently different and, with so many roles reversed from the original, one could say they are not really derivative, save for their names.” He also noted that Sharlto Copley’s Murdock “is faithful to the original, but at the same time is big screen twisted and right at home with the new team.”
    In the psychiatric hospital scene, Reginald Barclay, Schultz’s character from Star Trek: The Next Generation, is credited during the opening title of a film, as is G.F. Starbuck, referencing Lieutenant Starbuck, Benedict’s character from the original Battlestar Galactica.[60]
    Box office[edit]
    The film fell slightly short of expectations for its opening weekend, earning $26 million, as opposed to the initially predicted $30–35 million.[2] The film opened behind The Karate Kid, which took in $56 million.[61][62] The film opened in the UK/Ireland on July 28, 2010, and came at No. 3 in at the box office with a first weekend haul of $5.6 million.[3] As of August 26, 2010, The A-Team had taken over $77.2 million at the U.S. box office, and $100 million internationally, for a worldwide total of over $177.2 million.[3]
    Accolades[edit]

    Soundtrack[edit]

    The soundtrack album of The A-Team was released on June 21, 2010,[64] by Varèse Sarabande.[65] On December 1, 2009, it was announced that Alan Silvestri would compose the film score.[66] Silvestri recorded his score with a 90-piece ensemble of the Hollywood Studio Symphony at the Newman Scoring Stage at 20th Century Fox.[67]
    Track listing
    All music composed by Alan Silvestri unless stated otherwise.

    Songs used in the film are:
    “House of Pain” by The Game
    “Shut Up” by Trick Daddy
    “Trio Para Enamorados (Trio for Lovers)” by Jorge Calandrelli
    “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” (Sung onscreen by Sharlto Copley)
    “A-Team Blastoff Suite” by Tom Morello
    “I Got Mine” by The Black Keys
    “I’ve Been Lonely for So Long” by Frederick Knight
    “The Washington Post” by John Phillip Sousa
    “I Don’t Want to Change Your Mind” by Wildlife
    “My Girl Has Rosenmand” written by Johannes Brahms and performed by Peter Schreier and Konrad Ragossnig
    “The Little Drummer Boy” written by Harry Simeone, Katherine K. Davis and Henry Onorati
    “Anarchy in the U.K.” by Sex Pistols
    “I Ran 6 Miles” by Gary Sredzienski
    “Reelin’ In the Years” written by Steely Dan
    Cancelled sequel[edit]
    Neeson, Cooper, Copley and Jackson originally expressed interest in doing a sequel.[68][69] Joe Carnahan has expressed interest in directing a sequel and said it will depend on DVD and Blu-ray sales and rentals.[70] On March 10, 2011, Cooper stated that the film had not generated enough revenue for there to be a sequel.[71] This was confirmed by Liam Neeson in a webchat.[72] Neeson later commented in early 2012 that he understood why the film was not successful: “I watched it about two months ago and I found it a little confusing and I was in the thing. I just couldn’t figure out who was who and what’s been done to him and why, a little bit.”[73] Later in 2013 Carnahan said on his Twitter account “For the record guys and as much as I appreciate all the A-TEAM love. There will NOT be a sequel. It didn’t make enough $$$ and that’s that

    Snows of Kilimanjaro
    The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952 film)
    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to navigationJump to search

    The Snows of Kilimanjaro

    attribution

    earnest hemmiingway
    EH 7018P Ernest Hemingway on safari, Africa. January, 1934. Photograph in the Ernest Hemingway Photograph Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston.

    The Snows of Kilimanjaro is a 1952 American Technicolor film based on the short story of the same name by Ernest Hemingway. The film version of the short story was directed by Henry King, written by Casey Robinson, and starred Gregory Peck as Harry, Susan Hayward as Helen, and Ava Gardner as Cynthia Green (a character invented for the film). The film’s ending does not mirror the story’s ending.[4]
    Considered by Hemingway to be one of his finest stories, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” was first published in Esquire magazine in 1936 and then republished in The Fifth Column and the First Forty-Nine Stories (1938).
    The film was nominated for two Oscars at the 25th Academy Awards, for Best Cinematography, Color and Best Art Direction, Color(Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox).
    The film has entered the public domain.[5]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Casting
    3.2Filming
    4Reception
    5Home media
    6References
    7External links
    Plot[edit]

    Peck recalls his memories from what he thinks is his deathbed in Africa
    The film begins with the opening words of Hemingway’s story: “Kilimanjaro is a snow-covered mountain 19,710 feet high, and is said to be the highest mountain in Africa. Its western summit is called the Masai ‘Ngje Ngi,’ the House of God. Close to the western summit there is the dried and frozen carcass of a leopard. No one has explained what the leopard was seeking at that altitude.”[4]
    The story centers on the memories of disillusioned writer, Harry Street, who is on safari in Africa. He has a severely infected wound from a thorn prick, and lies outside his tent awaiting a slow death, though in the film it is pointed out he may have acquired the infection from leaping into a muddy river to rescue one of the safari’s porters from a hippo after he falls in the river. His female companion, Helen, nurses Harry and hunts game for the larder.
    The loss of mobility brings self-reflection. In an often delirious state he remembers his past relationship with Cynthia Green, whom he met in Paris as members of the “Lost Generation.” Upon the sale of Harry’s first novel, rather than rent a nicer home, Harry wishes to go on safari to Africa. There he has his happiest moments, including bagging a rhino. Cynthia is pregnant, but worries about sharing this news with Harry, who is passionate about his travels and work as a journalist and author. Harry only learns about the pregnancy after her miscarriage. Suffering depression and sinking into alcoholism, she eventually leaves Harry for a flamenco dancerwhen she believes Harry is off for a job as a war correspondent.
    Harry later becomes engaged to the wealthy and socially connected Countess Elizabeth, whom he meets on the Cote d’Azur; however, he still remains loyal to the memory of Cynthia. On the eve of their wedding, a drunken Elizabeth confronts Harry with a letter to Harry sent from Cynthia, who is now in Madrid. Elizabeth destroys the letter in front of Harry who stalks off to go to Spain. Unable to find Cynthia at the Madrid address on the envelope, he enlists to fight in the Spanish Civil War. During a battle he meets Cynthia, who is now an ambulance driver. Cynthia is mortally wounded, and Harry is shot and wounded when he deserts the battle to try to bring the dying Cynthia to a doctor.
    Harry returns to Paris. While he is standing on the bridge watching the river, he meets Helen, who reminds him of Cynthia. After the death of his beloved mentor Uncle Bill, Harry receives as a bequest a letter from his uncle that gives him the riddle of the leopard. Harry’s bartender suggests that the leopard ended up there as he was on a false scent and became lost, but Harry takes Helen on a safari to Kenya to learn the answer of the riddle. He is injured and develops an infection. As Harry nears death, the protective Helen fights off a witch doctor. Following the directions in an emergency first aid manual, she opens Harry’s wound to release the infection. At the dawn a medical party arrives by airplane. The vultures and hyena who have been awaiting Harry’s death leave and never return. Harry realizes his love for Helen.
    Cast[edit]

    Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner meet
    Gregory Peck as Harry Street
    Susan Hayward as Helen
    Ava Gardner as Cynthia Green
    Hildegard Knef as Countess Elizabeth
    Emmett Smith as Molo
    Leo G. Carroll as Uncle Bill
    Torin Thatcher as Mr. Johnson
    Marcel Dalio as Emile
    Leonard Carey as Dr. Simmons
    Paul Thompson as Witch Doctor
    Ava Norring as Beatrice
    Helene Stanley as Connie
    Vicente Gómez as Guitarist (as Vicente Gomez)
    Richard Allan as Spanish Dancer
    Charles Bates as Harry Street (17 years)
    Lisa Ferraday as Vendeuse
    Production[edit]

    Peck and Susan Hayward
    Twentieth Century-Fox bought the rights to the story in June 1948, paying $125,000.[4]
    Casting[edit]
    Humphrey Bogart, Richard Conte and Marlon Brando were all reported to be under consideration for the male lead, as was Dale Robertson.[4]
    Filming[edit]
    The film was shot on location in Nairobi, Kenya, Cairo, Egypt, and the French Riviera, and studio work was done at Stage 14 in 20th Century Fox Studios. During production, on April 8, 1952, when Peck was carrying Gardner for a scene in the film, Peck wrenched his knee and production had to be postponed for 10 days while he recovered in his Pacific Palisades home, and Hildegard Knef came down with influenza in the studios.[3][6] She was able though to sing two Cole Porter tunes in the film.[7] Jazz musician Benny Carter performs early on in the film.[8]
    The bullfight sequences were archive footage, taken from Fox’s 1941 film Blood and Sand.[4]
    Reception[edit]

    On location in Kenya
    Helped by a star-studded cast, the film was one of the most successful films of the early 1950s and earned $12.5 million at the box office, very high for that period.[3] The film was much acclaimed by critics, although some vary in their opinion of it, ranging from “simply plodding” to “much-maligned”.[9][10] The cinematography was highly acclaimed in particular, and even the sophisticated interiors were praised.[11][12]Bosley Crowther of The New York Times described the cinematography as “magnificent and exciting” and said that the “overall production in wonderful color is full of brilliant detail and surprise and the mood of nostalgia and wistful sadness that is built up in the story has its spell.”[11]He praised Peck’s character for his “burning temper and melancholy moods”, although he said that Ava Gardner was “pliant and impulsive” in a role “as soggy and ambiguous as any in the film”.[11] Variety praised the film as “an often engrossing dramatic mixture of high adventure, romance and symbolism,” adding that “the color coating used to display the story’s varied locales is beautiful,” and “Miss Gardner has never been better.”[13] Harrison’s Reports called it “at once absorbing, exciting, and fascinating.”[14] The Monthly Film Bulletin, however, wrote that Hemingway’s dialogue sounded “stilted and a little dated” on the screen, and that “any real seriousness that the film might have retained is nullified by the ending. Letting Harry survive makes of the film a naive kind of spiritual success story with a conventional boy-meets-lots-of-girls plot.”[15] A more recent appraisal in Bowker’s Directory described it as having “plenty of action & romance” and stated that it was “the popular ‘celebrity film’ of its time”.[16]Hemingway, who disliked the typical Hollywood happy ending, accepted the money for the film, but he could not bring himself to view it, according to one report.[11] However, in a 1954 article for Look magazine, Hemingway said a hyena was the best performer in the picture, which the writer called The Snows of Zanuck.[17]
    The film was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction (Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox).[18]
    Home media

     

    Justice League (film)

    justice league
    justrice league

    Justice League is a 2017 American superhero film based on the DC Comics superhero team of the same name, distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the follow-up to 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the fifth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[5][6][7] The film is directed by Zack Snyder, written by Chris Terrio and Joss Whedon, and features an ensemble castthat includes Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Gal Gadot, Ezra Miller, Jason Momoa, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Diane Lane, Connie Nielsen, and J. K. Simmons. In the film, Batman and Wonder Woman recruit The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg after Superman’s death to save the world from the catastrophic threat of Steppenwolf and his army of Parademons.
    The film was announced in October 2014, with Snyder on board to direct and Terrio attached to write the script. Initially titled Justice League Part One, with a second part to follow in 2019, the second film was indefinitely delayed to accommodate a standalone Batman film with Affleck. Principal photography commenced in April 2016 and ended in October 2016. After Snyder stepped down to deal with the death of his daughter, Joss Whedon was hired to oversee the remainder of post-production, including directing additional scenes written by himself; Snyder retained sole directorial credit, while Whedon received a screenwriting credit. Justice League premiered in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was released in the United States in 2D, Real D 3D, and IMAX on November 17, 2017.
    With an estimated production budget of $300 million, Justice League is one of the most expensive films ever made. The film grossed $657 million worldwide against a break-even point of $750 million, becoming a box office bomb and losing the studio around $60 million, while also making it the lowest overall gross of the DCEU. The film received mixed reviews from critics; although the action sequences and performances (particularly Gadot and Miller) were praised, the plot, writing, pacing, villain, and overuse of CGI were criticized. The film’s tone was met with a polarized reception, with some appreciating the lighter tone compared to the previous DCEU films, and others finding it inconsistent.

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    2.1Main cast
    2.2Additional cast
    3Production
    3.1Background
    3.2Filming
    3.3Post-production
    4Music
    5Release
    5.1Marketing
    5.2Home media
    6Reception
    6.1Box office
    6.2Critical response
    6.3Accolades
    6.4Community reaction
    7Future
    8Notes
    9References
    10External links
    Plot
    Thousands of years ago, Steppenwolf and his legions of Parademons attempted to take over Earth with the combined energies of three Mother Boxes. They were foiled by a unified army that includes the Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, mankind, and a Green Lantern. After repelling Steppenwolf’s army, the Mother Boxes were separated and hidden in locations on the planet. In the present, mankind is in mourning over Superman for two years, whose death triggers the Mother Boxes to reactivate and Steppenwolf’s return to Earth. In an effort to regain favor with his master Darkseid, Steppenwolf aims to gather the boxes to form “The Unity”, which will destroy Earth’s ecology and terraform it in the image of Steppenwolf’s homeworld.
    Steppenwolf retrieves the Mother Box from Themyscira, prompting Queen Hippolyta to warn her daughter Diana of Steppenwolf’s return. Diana joins Bruce Wayne in his attempt to unite other metahumans to their cause, with Wayne going after Arthur Curry and Barry Allen, while Diana tries to locate Victor Stone. Wayne fails to persuade Curry, but manages to recruit an enthusiastic Allen onto the team. Although Diana fails to convince Stone to join, he agrees to help them locate the threat if he discovers their location. Stone later joins the team after his father Silas and several other S.T.A.R. Labs employees are kidnapped by Steppenwolf seeking to acquire the Mother Box from mankind.
    Steppenwolf attacks an Atlantean outpost to retrieve the next Mother Box, forcing Curry into action. The team receives intel from Commissioner James Gordon leading them to Steppenwolf’s army, based in an abandoned facility under Gotham Harbor. Although the group manages to rescue the kidnapped employees, the facility is flooded during combat, which traps the team until Curry helps delay the flood so they can escape. Stone retrieves the last Mother Box, which he had hidden, for the group to analyze. Stone reveals that his father used the Mother Box to rebuild Stone’s body after an accident almost cost him his life. Wayne decides to use the Mother Box to resurrect Superman, not only to help them fight off Steppenwolf’s invasion, but also to restore hope to mankind. Diana and Curry are hesitant about the idea, but Wayne forms a secret contingency plan in case Superman returns as hostile.
    Clark Kent’s body is exhumed and placed in the amniotic fluid of the genesis chamber of the Kryptonian scout ship alongside the Mother Box, which in turn activates and successfully resurrects Superman. However, Superman’s memories have not returned, and he attacks the group after Stone accidentally launches a projectile at him. On the verge of being killed by Superman, Batman enacts his contingency plan: Lois Lane. Superman calms down and leaves with Lane to his family home in Smallville, where he reflects and his memories slowly come back. In the turmoil, the last Mother Box is left unguarded and Steppenwolf retrieves it with ease. Without Superman to aid them, the five heroes travel to a village in Russia where Steppenwolf aims to unite the Mother Boxes once again to remake Earth. The team fights their way through the Parademons to reach Steppenwolf, although they are unable to distract him enough for Stone to separate the Mother Boxes. Superman arrives and assists Allen in evacuating the city, as well as Stone in separating the Mother Boxes. The team defeats Steppenwolf, who, overcome with fear, is attacked by his own Parademons before they all teleport away.
    After the battle, Bruce and Diana agree to set up a base of operations for the team, with room for more members. As the team is now established, Diana steps back into the public spotlight as a heroine; Barry acquires a job in Central City’s police department, impressing his father; Victor continues to explore and enhance his abilities with his father in S.T.A.R. Labs; Arthur embraces his Atlantean heritage and continues protecting people on the seas; and Superman resumes his life as reporter Clark Kent and as protector of Earth as well.
    In a post-credits scene, Lex Luthor has escaped from Arkham Asylum and then recruits Slade Wilson to form their own league.
    Cast

    Ben Affleck, Ezra Miller, Gal Gadot, Ray Fisher and Jason Momoa at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con.
    Main cast
    Ben Affleck as Bruce Wayne / Batman: 
A wealthy socialite, and the owner of Wayne Enterprises. He dedicates himself to protecting Gotham City from its criminal underworld as a highly trained, masked vigilante equipped with various tools and weapons. Affleck noted on how the film gave him an opportunity to reinvent Batman and portray a more classic take on the character. He described that in the film, audiences will see Batman as more heroic, and more of a leader. “Batman is by nature, [while] not necessarily anti-social, pretty private, pretty a loner,” Affleck says. “And then in this movie he’s thrust into the role of having to not only work with people, but bring them together and convince them to come in and try to … somehow with Wonder Woman hold all that community effort together. That was a really interesting thing to play for me, and it also does take us to a more traditional role for Batman in the Justice League comics, and his role with the Justice League versus the sort of less typical version we saw in Batman v Superman, where he was blinded by rage and wanted to take on Superman.”[8][9]
    Henry Cavill as Kal-El / Clark Kent / Superman: 
A member of, and inspiration for, the Justice League. He is a Kryptonian survivor, and a journalist for the Daily Planet based in Metropolis. In Justice League, Superman was portrayed as more optimistic and hopeful. The character was intentionally excluded from all Justice League marketing materials to emphasize his death as depicted on Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[10]
    Gal Gadot as Diana Prince / Wonder Woman: 
An antiquities dealer, acquaintance of Wayne, and an immortal Amazonian warrior, who is the crown princess of Themyscira and daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus. She is endowed with metahuman attributes and abilities inherited from her parents.
    Ezra Miller as Barry Allen / The Flash: 
A Central City University student, who can move at superhuman speeds with his ability to tap into the Speed Force.
    Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman: 
The heir to the throne of the undersea nation of Atlantis.[11] His metahuman aquatic abilities and physical attributes originate from his Atlantean physiology. Momoa was cast as Aquaman in October 2014, and made a cameo role in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.[12][13] Momoa stated that the Justice League film would be released first, before the release of the solo Aquaman film, which may be about the hero’s origin story.[14]
    Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg: 
A former college athlete who, after being cybernetically reconstructed after a nearly fatal car accident, is turned into a techno-organic being enhanced by reactive, adaptive biomimetic alien technology. His enhancements include the abilities of flight, variable weaponry and technopathy. Fisher portrays the character through the use of motion capturefor the cybernetic portion of his body.[15] Fisher was cast as Cyborg in April 2014, and made a cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[16][17]
    Amy Adams as Lois Lane: 
An undaunted and compassionate award-winning journalist for the Daily Planet and the love interest for Kent.[18] Adams confirmed that she would reprise her role as Lois Lane in Justice League and its untitled sequel.[19][20]
    Jeremy Irons as Alfred Pennyworth: Wayne’s butler, chief of security, and trusted confidant.[21]
    Diane Lane as Martha Kent: Kent’s adoptive mother.[18][22][23]
    Connie Nielsen as Hippolyta: Diana’s mother and Queen of the Amazons.[18]
    J. K. Simmons as James Gordon: The Commissioner of the Gotham City Police Department, and close ally of Batman.[18]
    Ciarán Hinds as Steppenwolf: 
An alien military officer from Apokolips who leads an army of Parademons and is searching for the three Mother Boxes held on Earth. The character is described as “old, tired” and trying to find a way to escape his role of servitude under Darkseid.[24] Hinds portrayed the villain through use of motion capture and received some advice in the process from Liam Neeson, who had recently done similar work in A Monster Calls.[25] After the release of the film, Hinds was reportedly unhappy with the final cut of the film, which trimmed down the backstory and characterization of Steppenwolf.[26]
    Additional cast
    The Olympian Old Gods Zeus, Ares and Artemis are portrayed by fitness model Sergi Constance, stuntman Nick McKinless, and MMA fighter Aurore Lauzeral, respectively.[27][28] All three were required to reach a specific degree of physicality, with Snyder instructing McKinless to sport “veins like worms and paper thin skin”. In the finished film, McKinless’ face was replaced with David Thewlis’ face, and Thewlis received the credit as Ares.[27] Robin Wright reprises her role as Antiope during a flashback sequence. Amber Heard portrays the Atlantean Mera.[29][30][18] Two ancient kings of Earth appear during a scene depicting Steppenwolf’s first invasion, including King Atlan of Atlantis and Arthur Pendragon of ancient England; portrayed by Julian Lewis Jones and Francis Magee, respectively.[31][32] Joe Morton reprises his role as Silas Stone, Victor Stone’s father and S.T.A.R. Labs’ head while Billy Crudup appears, uncredited, as Henry Allen, Barry Allen’s father. Joe Manganiello and Jesse Eisenberg appear uncredited in a post-credits scene as Slade Wilson / Deathstrokeand Lex Luthor, respectively.[33][34][35] Michael McElhatton appears as the leader of a group of terrorists who clash with Wonder Woman early in the film,[36] while Holt McCallanymakes an uncredited appearance as a burglar.[37] Marc McClure, who portrayed Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Reeve Superman film series, has a cameo as a police officer.[38] An unidentified Green Lantern appears at the beginning of the film, created by use of CGI and embodied by an uncredited actor. Willem Dafoe and Kiersey Clemons filmed scenes as Nuidis Vulko and Iris West, although their roles were cut from the final film. Both actors are signed for multiple films and set to appear in the future installments of the franchise.[39][40]Dafoe appears in Aquaman and it was reported in November 2017 that the studio wanted to recast Clemons in a different role. Laurence Fishburne, who portrays Perry White in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), said he declined to reprise his role in the film due to scheduling conflicts.[41]
    Early in production, a scene depicting Green Lanterns Kilowog and Tomar-Re visiting Batman was filmed as another post-credits scene, further teasing the upcoming Green Lantern Corps, but the scene was later scrapped.[42] In March 2016, producer Charles Roven said that Green Lantern would not appear in any film before Justice League Part Two, and stated that they “could put Green Lantern in some introduction in Justice League 2, or barring that, a movie after.”[43] Later, Snyder revealed that Ryan Zheng was cast to portray Ryan Choi in the film, setting up the character’s future as The Atom. These scenes were cut from the theatrical film.[44]
    Production
    Background
    We’re going to make a Justice League movie, whether it’s now or 10 years from now. But we’re not going to do it and Warners is not going to do it until we know it’s right.
    —Producer Gregory Noveck, on whether Warner Bros. is going to do a Justice League film, 2008.[45]
    In February 2007, it was announced that Warner Bros. had hired husband and wife duo Michele and Kieran Mulroney to write a script for a Justice League film.[46] The news came around the same time that Joss Whedon’s long-developed Wonder Woman film was cancelled,[47] as well as The Flash, written and directed by David S. Goyer.[48] Reportedly titled Justice League: Mortal,[49] the script by Michele and Kiernan Mulroney was submitted to Warner Bros. in June 2007, receiving positive feedback,[50] which prompted the studio to immediately fast track production in the hope of beginning filming before the 2007–08 Writers Guild of America strike.[51] Warner Bros. was less willing to proceed with development of a sequel to Superman Returns, having been disappointed with its box office. Brandon Routh was not approached to reprise the role of Superman in Justice League: Mortal,[52] nor was Christian Bale from Batman Begins.[53] Warner Bros. intended for Justice League: Mortal to be the start of a new film franchise, and to branch out into separate sequels and spin-offs.[54] Shortly after filming The Dark Knight,[55] Bale stated in an interview that “It’d be better if it doesn’t tread on the toes of what our Batman series is doing,” and felt it would make more sense for Warner Bros. to release the film after The Dark Knight Rises.[53] Jason Reitman was the original choice to direct Justice League, but he turned it down, as he considers himself an independent filmmaker and prefers to stay out of big budget superhero films.[56] George Millersigned to direct in September 2007,[51] with Barrie Osbourne producing[57] on a projected $220 million budget.[58]
    The following month, roughly 40 actors and actresses auditioned for the ensemble superhero roles, among them Joseph Cross, Michael Angarano, Max Thieriot, Minka Kelly, Adrianne Palicki and Scott Porter. Miller had intended to cast younger actors, as he wanted them to “grow” into their roles over the course of several films.[55] D. J. Cotrona was cast as Superman,[54] along with Armie Hammer as Batman.[59] Jessica Biel reportedly declined to play Wonder Woman role after negotiations.[60] The character was also linked to actresses Teresa Palmer and Shannyn Sossamon, along with Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who confirmed that she had auditioned.[61] Ultimately, Megan Gale was cast as Wonder Woman,[62] while Palmer was cast as Talia al Ghul, whom Miller had in mind to act with a Russian accent.[63] The script for Justice League: Mortal would have featured John Stewartas Green Lantern, a role originally offered to Columbus Short.[64] Hip hop recording artist and rapper Common was cast,[65] with Adam Brody as Barry Allen / Flash,[66] and Jay Baruchel as the lead villain, Maxwell Lord.[67] Longtime Miller collaborator Hugh Keays-Byrne had been cast in an unnamed role, rumored to be Martian Manhunter. Santiago Cabrera was eventually revealed to be Aquaman after the film was cancelled.[68] Marit Allen was hired as the original costume designer before her untimely death in November 2007,[69] and the responsibilities were assumed by Weta Workshop.[70]
    However, the writers strike began that same month and placed the film on hold. Warner Bros. had to let the options lapse for the cast,[71] but development was fast tracked once more in February 2008 when the strike ended. Warner Bros. and Miller wanted to start filming immediately,[72] but production was pushed back three months.[54] Originally, the majority of Justice League: Mortal was to be shot at Fox Studios Australia in Sydney,[58] with other locations scouted nearby at local colleges,[57] and Sydney Heads doubling for Happy Harbor.[49] The Australian Film Commission had a say with casting choices, giving way for George Miller to cast Gale, Palmer and Keays-Bryne, all Australian natives. The production crew was composed entirely of Australians, but the Australian government denied Warner Bros. a 40 percent tax rebate as they felt they had not hired enough Australian actors.[58][73] Miller was frustrated, stating that “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Australian film industry is being frittered away because of very lazy thinking. They’re throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars of investment that the rest of the world is competing for and, much more significantly, highly skilled creative jobs.”[74] Production offices were then moved to Vancouver Film Studios in Canada. Filming was pushed back to July 2008, while Warner Bros was still confident they could produce the film for a summer 2009 release.[75][76]

    Zack Snyder, the director of Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justiceand Justice League.
    With production delays continuing, and the success of The Dark Knight in July 2008,[77] Warner Bros. decided to focus on the development of individual films featuring the main heroes, allowing director Christopher Nolan to separately complete his Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Risesin 2012. Warner Bros. relaunched development for a solo Green Lantern film, released in 2011 as a critical and financial disappointment. Meanwhile, film adaptations for The Flash and Wonder Woman continued to languish in development, while filming for a Superman reboot commenced in 2011 with Man of Steel, produced by Nolan and written by Batman screenwriter David S. Goyer. In October 2012, following its legal victory over Joe Shuster’s estate for the rights to Superman, Warner Bros. announced that it planned to move ahead with the Justice League film.[78] Shortly after filming on Man of Steel was complete, Warner Bros hired Will Beall to write the script for a new Justice League film.[79] Warner Bros. president Jeff Robinov explained that Man of Steel would be “setting the tone for what the movies are going to be like going forward. In that, it’s definitely a first step.”[80] The film included references to the existence of other superheroes in the DC Universe,[81] and set the tone for a shared fictional universe of DC Comics characters on film.[82] Goyer stated that should Green Lantern appear in a future installment, it would be a rebooted version of the character, unconnected to the 2011 film.[83]
    With the release of Man of Steel in June 2013, Goyer was hired to write a sequel, as well as a new Justice League, with the Beall draft being scrapped.[84] The sequel was later revealed to be Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a team-up film featuring Henry Cavill as Superman, Ben Affleck as Batman, Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jason Momoa as Aquaman, and Ray Fisher as Victor Stone / Cyborg, the latter three in minor roles that became more significant in the Justice League film. The universe is separate from Nolan and Goyer’s work on The Dark Knight trilogy, although Nolan was still involved as an executive producer for Batman v Superman.[85] In April 2014, it was announced that Zack Snyder would also direct Goyer’s Justice League script.[86] Warner Bros. was reportedly courting Chris Terrio to rewrite Justice League the following July, after having been impressed with his rewrite of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[87] On October 15, 2014, Warner Bros. announced the film would be released in two parts, with Part One on November 17, 2017, and Part Two on June 14, 2019. Snyder was set to direct both films.[22] In early July 2015, EW revealed that the script for Justice League Part One had been completed by Terrio.[88] Zack Snyder stated that the film would be inspired by the New Gods comic series by Jack Kirby.[89] Although Justice League was initially announced as a two-part film, with the second part set for release two years after the first, Snyder stated in June 2016 that they would be two distinct, separate films and not one film split into two parts, both being stand-alone stories.[90][91]
    Filming
    Principal photography commenced on April 11, 2016, with shooting taking place at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, as well as various locations around London and Scotland. Additional filming took place in Chicago, Illinois, Los Angeles, and Djúpavík, in the Westfjords[92] of Iceland.[93][94] Snyder’s longtime cinematographer Larry Fong was replaced by Fabian Wagner due to scheduling conflicts.[94] Ben Affleck served as executive producer.[95] In May 2016, it was revealed that Geoff Johns and Jon Berg would produce the Justice League films, and would also be in charge of the DC Extended Universe, after the largely negative critical reception of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[96] The same month, Irons stated that the Justice League storyline would be more linear and simple, compared to the theatrical version of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.[97] Johns confirmed on June 3, 2016 that the title of the film is Justice League,[98] and later stated that the film would be “hopeful and optimistic” in comparison to previous DC Extended Universe (DCEU) films.[99]
    Justice League had a troubled production. During filming, it was reported that the rewrites by Geoff Johns caused issues with Chris Terrio and Warner Bros. executives. Warner Bros. was unsatisfied with how the film was shaping up under Snyder, because of the negative feedback that Batman v Superman received. It was reported that Warner Bros. held a footage summit for writers that include Joss Whedon, Wonder Woman writer Allan Heinberg, Seth Grahame-Smith, and Andrea Berloff. This caused numerous rewrites as Justice League was filming.[100][101][102] Whedon was eventually hired by Warner Bros. after Snyder stepped down for directorial duties during the post-production. Filming wrapped in October 2016.[103][104][105]
    Post-production

    Joss Whedon took over the post-production of Justice League after Snyder stepped down.
    In May 2017, Snyder stepped down from directorial duties during post-production of the film to properly deal with the death of his daughter, Autumn Snyder. Joss Whedon, whom Snyder had previously brought on to rewrite some additional scenes, took over to handle post-production duties in Snyder’s place.[106] In July 2017, it was announced the film was undergoing two months of reshoots in London and Los Angeles, with Warner Bros. putting about $25 million into them, more than the typical $6–10 million additional filming costs,[107] which brought the budget of the film up to $300 million.[108] The reshoots coincided with Cavill’s schedule for Mission: Impossible – Fallout, for which he had grown a mustache which he was contracted to keep while filming.[109] While Fallout director Christopher McQuarrie initially gave the producers of Justice League permission to have Cavill shave the mustache in exchange for the $3 million it would cost to shut down production on Fallout and then digitally fill the mustache in, executives from Paramount Pictures rejected the idea. Justice League’s VFX team was then forced to used special effects to digitally remove the mustache in post-production.[110]
    In an interview, producer Charles Roven said: “Let’s just say 80, 85 percent of the movie is what was originally shot. There’s only so much you can do with other 15, 20 percent of the movie”.[111] Whedon received a screenwriting credit on the film alongside Chris Terrio,[112] while Snyder received sole director’s credit.[113]
    Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara mandated the film to be under two hours.[108][114][115] The company also did not opt to delay of the film’s release despite the fact that there had been numerous problems in post-production, so that the executives will receive their cash bonuses before the company’s merger with AT&T.[116][117] In February 2018, it was reported that Snyder was fired from directorial duties from Justice League, after his cut was deemed “unwatchable” according to Collider’s Matt Goldberg. “I’d heard similar things from separate sources over the last year as well, I also heard that Snyder’s rough-cut of the movie was ‘unwatchable’ (a word that jumped out at me because it’s rare you hear two separate sources use exactly the same adjective). Of course, even if that’s true, there’s obviously more to the story since rough cuts can be fixed up with reshoots, rewrites, etc.”, Goldberg wrote.[118][119] According to DC Comics publisher, comic book artist Jim Lee, Snyder was not fired. Speaking at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, Lee stated “that he (Snyder) was not fired at all and that he stepped down from the production due to a family matter”, as far as he knew.[120]
    Music
    Main article: Justice League (soundtrack)
    In March 2016, Hans Zimmer, who co-composed the score for Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, stated that he had officially retired from the “superhero business”.[121] Junkie XL, who wrote and composed the soundtrack of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with Zimmer, was originally scoring the film.[122] In June 2017, Danny Elfman was announced to have controversially replaced Junkie XL.[123] Elfman had previously composed the films Batman and Batman Returns, and the theme music for Batman: The Animated Series. Elfman used the Batman theme music from the 1989 film Batman. The John Williams’ Superman theme was used during “a dark, twisted moment” in the film,[124][125] the time when a resurrected Superman fights the Justice League. The film features a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows” performed by Sigrid, “Icky Thump” performed by the White Stripes, and a cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together” performed by Gary Clark Jr. and Junkie XL.[126] WaterTower Music released the soundtrack album digitally on November 10, 2017, with a release of the physical format on December 8.[127]
    Release
    The film held its world premiere in Beijing on October 26, 2017, and was theatrically released in North America and elsewhere around the world in standard, RealD 3D and IMAX on November 17, 2017.[128] Its Japan premiere took place on November 20, 2017 in Tokyo, with only Ezra Miller and Ray Fisher from the main cast attending. In the United States, the film opened to 4,051 theaters in its widest release. Justice League was shown in cinemas for 119 days (17 weeks).
    Marketing
    Superman was intentionally left out on all early Justice League marketing materials, including trailers, clips and posters, which actor Cavill commented as “ridiculous”. Despite his character being hidden from promotional materials, Cavill still joined the rest of the cast on the film’s press tour.[129][130] Clark Kent was revealed in a final trailer before the release of the film, but edited in a way that writers felt Lois Lane was dreaming about Clark.[131][132] Sponsorship and marketing partners of the film included AT&T,[133] Gillette,[134] Mercedes-Benz,[135] and TCL.[136]
    Home media
    Justice League was released on digital download on February 13, 2018, and was released on Blu-ray Disc, Blu-ray 3D, 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray and DVD on March 13, 2018 in various international markets.[137] The Blu-ray features two deleted scenes titled Return of Superman.[138] As of January 18, 2019, it has made $15.2 million in DVD sales and $38.7 million in Blu-ray sales, totaling an estimated of $53.9 million.[139]
    Reception
    Box office
    Justice League grossed $229 million in the United States and Canada, and $428.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $657.9 million, against a production budget of $300 million.[4] It had a worldwide opening of $278.8 million, the 24th biggest of all-time.[140][141] Up against an estimated break-even point of as much as $750 million, Deadline Hollywood reported that the film lost the studio around $60 million.[142][143][144] Due to the film losing the studio money, the movie was deemed a “box office bomb” or “flop”.[145][146][147][148][149][150]
    In the United States and Canada, industry tracking initially forecast the film debuting to $110–120 million from 4,051 theaters (including 400 IMAX screens).[151] It made $13 million from Thursday night previews, up from the $11 million made by Wonder Woman the previous June.[152] However, after making $38.8 million on its first day (including Thursday previews), weekend projections were lowered to $95 million. It ended up debuting to $93.8 million, down 45% from Batman v Superman’s opening of $166 million, and being the first film of the DCEU to open under $100 million. Deadline attributed the low figure to lukewarm audience reaction to the film and most of its predecessors, as well as poor critical reception, and film review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes not posting their aggregated score until the day before release, causing speculation and doubt from filmgoers.[153] In its second weekend, the film dropped 56% to $41.1 million, finishing second at the box office, behind newcomer Coco.[154] It was the second-best second weekend hold of the DCEU, behind Wonder Woman’s 43%, but the lowest overall gross.[155] In its third week it again finished second behind Coco, grossing $16.7 million.[156] It made $9.7 million in its fourth week and $4.3 million in its fifth, finishing a respective second and fifth at the box office.[157][158] In 2018, Forbes compared the drastic uncohesive shift from Snyder’s darker films Man of Steel and Batman v Superman to the lighter Justice League (co-written by Whedon), to the similarly drastic and uncohesive change in tone experienced from the older 1989 and 1992 Tim Burton’s Batman films to the direct light-hearted sequels directed by Schumacher, although noting the former shift in tone was better received than the one in Justice League, affecting box office, due to going against the expectations of Snyder fans in its attempt to reach a higher demographic, while alienating its own established core audience.[159]
    Internationally, the film was projected to debut to $215–235 million for a worldwide opening of $325–355 million.[160] It made $8.5 million on its first day from nine countries, including South Korea, France and Brazil.[152] It ended up having a $185 million international debut from 65 countries, including $57.1 million from China, $9.8 million from the United Kingdom, $9.6 million from Mexico and $8.8 million from South Korea. The film broke a record in the Philippines with a debut of $1.12M (PHP 57.3M), making it the biggest industry opening day for a film there in 2017.[161] In Brazil, the film opened to $14.2 million, the biggest opening in the country’s history.[140] Outside North America, the films largest markets were China ($106 million), Brazil ($41 million), Mexico ($24.8 million), and United Kingdom ($24 million).[162]
    Critical response

    The performances of Gal Gadot (left) and Ezra Miller were widely praised by critics.
    Justice League received mixed reviews. It was praised for its action sequences and acting (primarily by Gadot and Miller) but criticized for the screenplay, pacing and CGI, as well as its thin plot, and the underdeveloped villain.[163] On review aggregatorwebsite Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 40%, based on 326 reviews, with an average rating of 5.3/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Justice League leaps over a number of DC movies, but its single bound isn’t enough to shed the murky aesthetic, thin characters, and chaotic action that continue to dog the franchise.”[164] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 45 out of 100, based on 52 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[165] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B+” on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it an 85% overall positive score (average 4 out of 5 stars) and a 69% “definite recommend”.[153][166]
    Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, praising the cast, especially Gadot, and saying “It’s a putting-the-band-together origins movie, executed with great fun and energy.”[167] Owen Gleiberman of Variety gave the film a positive review and wrote, “Justice League … has been conceived, in each and every frame, to correct the sins of Batman v Superman. It’s not just a sequel—it’s an act of franchise penance. The movie … is never messy or bombastic. It’s light and clean and simple (at times almost too simple), with razory repartee and combat duels that make a point of not going on for too long.”[168]
    Bilge Ebiri of the Village Voice similarly gave it a positive review: “… action scenes start and stop and then start again, then go in different directions, and it was a few moments into the Big Climactic Face-Off before I realized we’d arrived at the Big Climactic Face-Off. But these off-kilter rhythms actually lend the film a pleasant unpredictability. As does the humor, which often sits uneasily next to the moodiness, but is somehow fast and witty enough to work.” [169]
    Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, praising the cast but criticizing the action sequences and writing, saying: “The scenes of the League members together, bickering and bonding, spike the film with humor and genuine feeling, creating a rooting interest in the audience. Without it, the film would crumble.”[170] Conversely, Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter, while praising Gadot and Miller, called the film visually ugly and boring, saying, “Fatigue, repetition and a laborious approach to exposition are the keynotes of this affair, which is also notable for how Ben Affleck, donning the bat suit for the second time, looks like he’d rather be almost anywhere else but here.”[171]
    Sara Stewart of the New York Post gave the film 1.5 out of 4 stars: “Justice League is a pointless flail of expensive (yet somehow cheap-looking) CGI that no amount of tacked-on quips, or even Gadot’s luminescent star power, can rescue. Like Cyborg (Ray Fisher), one of its ostensible heroes, Justice League is patched together from disparate elements. Original director Zack Snyder left partway through due to a death in the family, leaving Joss Whedon to finish up. The result? All the plodding, gray, generic action of a Snyder film with stabs of Whedonian humor that almost never feel organic. There’s no sense of purpose here, not even a sense of place.”[172]
    Writing for The Washington Post, Alyssa Rosenberg also returned with a negative review: “… if Justice League is a symbol of just how entrenched superhero movies have become in the Hollywood ecosystem, it’s also a potent illustration that success hasn’t necessarily artistically elevated the genre. It’s not just that, beat by beat, Justice League feels nearly identical to so many of the superhero movies that have come before, or that it features some of the ugliest, most pointless special effects I’ve seen at the movies in a long time. It’s that the darn thing feels depressingly haphazard and thoughtless, and that it’s guaranteed to make a ton of money anyway. Superhero fans are a ridiculously powerful market; they deserve better than this.”[173]
    James Berardinelli gave it 2 out of 4 stars: “When Marvel mapped out the trajectory for their Cinematic Universe, they were sometimes criticized for overthinking and overplanning. Nearly every major hero – Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America, Thor – had his own movie. Many of the secondary characters (including the villain) boasted significant screen time in one or more of the first five films. Only once all these things had been accomplished were the characters brought together for The Avengers. The formula worked. The Avengers was popcorn bliss, a superhero nirvana. DC, however, came late to the party. Riding the critical and popular success of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and smarting from the disappointing performance of Bryan Singer’s Superman Returns, they dithered and dallied and didn’t begin planning out the post-Dark Knight campaign until the MCU movie count was past the half-dozen mark and rising. The late start resulted in a rushed and ununified approach. Justice League arrives with three major characters who haven’t previously been introduced. As a result, this film has a lot of heavy background lifting to do – too much, in fact, for it to be able to tell a worthwhile story. 70% of the movie is set-up for future tales. The rest is an overlong smack-down between our heroes and possibly the worst villain ever to appear in a comic book picture.”[174]
    Writing for the Film Ireland Magazine, Ellen Murray found the characters interesting, but their setting unworthy: “… there is something undeniably thrilling in seeing these iconic characters work together on the big screen. It’s just a shame that their current incarnation, moulded in Zack Snyder’s vision, lacks a strong framework to allow them to better shine. The characters save the film from being a complete and utter disaster, but they alone can’t save it from being a mild disaster. While undoubtedly Snyder is genuinely passionate about these characters, he seems to suffer from a fundamental misunderstanding of what they represent and, most importantly, what cinema-goers expect from a story involving them. Justice League understands that a character like Superman means something to people; it just can’t show us convincingly why”.[175]
    Accolades
    Justice League was short-listed as a potential candidate for the 90th Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, along with another DC Extended Universe (DCEU) film, Wonder Woman.[176][177] However, neither film made it to the final list of nominations.

    Community reaction
    The divisive reaction towards the final highlighted cut of the film, with Zack Snyder leaving directorial duties and the final cut of the film in the hands of Joss Whedon, has led to an argument comparing the situation to the one experienced by the film Superman II. Both Justice League and Superman II feature a director that was replaced, for different reasons, before completion of a film, which lead to a second director coming in and making substantial changes to the tone of each film. Although the reasoning behind each director’s departure differs, Richard Donner was able to complete his Superman II cut in 2005. In the belief that Snyder had shot enough material for a finished film, a campaign for a “Snyder Cut” was started to allow Snyder to receive a similar treatment to Donner. Arguments are made that Snyder’s vision would be more cohesive to the previous films than the actual theatrical cut, which Snyder has refused to see. Ultimately, Warner Bros has denied any intention of making a “Snyder Cut”.[188]
    Future
    A sequel was scheduled to be released in June 2019[22] but has since been delayed to accommodate the release for a standalone Batman film.[189] By March 2017, producer Charles Roven announced that Zack Snyder would return as director.[190] In October 2017, J. K. Simmons stated that the studio is working on the script of the sequel, alongside The Batman.[191] Shortly after the release of Justice League, Henry Cavill stated that he is under contract with Warner Bros. to play Superman for one more film.[192] In December 2017, it was reported that there were “no immediate plans” for Zack Snyder to direct a Justice League sequel, or any other DC films, with Snyder instead being relegated to an executive producer position. This comes after a reshuffling of film production staff at Warner Bros. due to the film’s mixed critical reception and disappointing financial performance.[

    The Ghost and the Darkness

    ghost and darkness
    ghost and darkness

    The Ghost and the Darkness is a 1996 American historical adventure film directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas. The screenplay was written by William Goldman. The story is a fictionalized account of the Tsavo Man-Eaters, two Tsavo lions that attacked and killed workers at Tsavo, Kenya, during the building of the Uganda-Mombasa Railway in East Africa in 1898.
    The film received a mixed critical response upon release and later won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing for supervising sound editor Bruce Stambler.[4]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Screenplay
    3.2Locations
    3.3Filming
    4Reception
    5Home release
    6Historical accuracy
    7See also
    8References
    9External links
    Plot[edit]
    In 1898, Sir Robert Beaumont, the primary financier of a railroad project in Tsavo, Kenya, is furious because the project is running behind schedule. He seeks out the expertise of Lt. Colonel John Henry Patterson, a British military engineer, to get the project back on track. Patterson travels from England to Tsavo, telling his wife, Helena, he will complete the project and be back in London for the birth of their son. He meets British supervisor Angus Starling, Kenyan foreperson Samuel, and Doctor David Hawthorne. Hawthorne tells Patterson of a recent lion attack that has affected the project.
    That night, Patterson kills an approaching lion with one shot, earning the respect of the workers and bringing the project back on schedule. However, not long afterwards, Mahina, the construction foreman, is dragged from his tent in the middle of the night. His half-eaten body is found the next morning. Patterson then attempts a second night-time lion hunt, but the following morning, another worker is found dead at the opposite end of the camp from Patterson’s position.
    Patterson’s only comfort now is the letters he receives from his wife. Soon, while the workers are gathering wood and building fire pits around the tents, a lion attacks the camp in the middle of the day, killing another worker. While Patterson, Starling and Samuel are tracking it to one end of the camp, another lion leaps upon them from the roof of a building, killing Starling with a slash to the throat and slashes Patterson on the left arm. Despite the latter’s efforts to kill them, both lions escape. Samuel states that there has never been a pair of man-eaters; they have always been solitary hunters.
    The workers, led by Abdullah, begin to turn on Patterson. Work on the bridge comes to a halt. Patterson requests soldiers from England to protect the workers, but is denied. During a visit to the camp, Beaumont tells Patterson that he will ruin his reputation if the bridge is not finished on time and that he will contact the famous hunter Charles Remington to help because Patterson has been unable to kill the animals.
    Remington arrives with skilled Maasai warriors to help kill the lions. They dub the lions “the Ghost” and “the Darkness” because of their notorious methods of attack. The initial attempt fails when Patterson’s borrowed gun misfires. The warriors decide to leave, but Remington stays behind. He constructs a new hospital for sick and injured workers and tempts the lions to the abandoned building with animal parts and blood. When the lions fall for the trap, Remington and Patterson shoot at them; they flee and attack the new hospital, killing many patients and Hawthorne.
    Abdullah and the construction men leave, and only Patterson, Remington, and Samuel remain behind. Patterson and Remington locate the animals’ lair, discovering the bones of dozens of the lions’ victims. That night, Remington kills one of the pair by using Patterson and a baboon as bait. Patterson discovers that the remaining lion has dragged Remington from his tent and killed him; Patterson and Samuel cremate Remington’s corpse on a pyre at the spot where he died. Grief-stricken and desperate to end the carnage, the two men burn the tall grass surrounding the camp, driving the surviving lion toward the camp (and the ambush that they set there). The lion attacks them on the partially constructed bridge and after a lengthy fight, Patterson finally kills it. Abdullah and the construction workers return, and the bridge is completed on time.
    Cast[edit]
    Val Kilmer as Col. John Henry Patterson
    Michael Douglas as Charles Remington
    John Kani as Samuel
    Brian McCardie as Angus Starling
    Bernard Hill as Doctor David Hawthorne
    Tom Wilkinson as Sir Robert Beaumont
    Emily Mortimer as Helena Patterson
    Om Puri as Abdullah
    Henry Cele as Mahina
    Production[edit]
    The film is based upon The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Lieutenant Colonel John Henry Patterson, the man who actually killed both real lions.
    Screenplay[edit]
    William Goldman first heard about the story when travelling in Africa in 1984, and thought it would make a good script. In 1989 he pitched the story to Paramount as a cross between Lawrence of Arabia and Jaws, and they commissioned him to write a screenplay which he delivered in 1990.[5]
    “My particular feeling is that they were evil,” said Goldman of the lions. “I believe that for nine months, evil popped out of the ground at Tsavo.”[6]
    The script fictionalises Patterson’s account, introducing an American big game hunter called Charles Remington. The character was based on Anglo-Indian big game hunter Charles H. Ryall, superintendent of the Railway Police.[7] In original drafts the character was called Redbeard, and Goldman says his purpose in the story was to create an imposing character who could be killed by the lions and make Patterson seem more brave; Goldman says his ideal casting for the role would have been Burt Lancaster.[8]
    According to Goldman, Kevin Costner expressed interest in playing Patterson, but Paramount wanted to use Tom Cruise who ultimately declined. Work on the film slowed until Michael Douglas moved his producing unit with partner Steven Reuther, Constellation Films, to Paramount. Douglas read the script and loved it, calling it “an incredible thriller about events that actually took place.”[6] Douglas decided to produce and Stephen Hopkins was hired to direct.
    Val Kilmer, who had just made Batman Forever and was a frequent visitor to Africa then expressed enthusiasm for the script, which enabled the project to be financed.
    The part of Remington was originally offered to Sean Connery and Anthony Hopkins but both declined; the producers were considering asking Gérard Depardieu when Douglas decided to play the role himself. Stephen Hopkins later said he was unhappy about this.[9]
    In early drafts of the script, Remington was originally going to be an enigmatic figure but when Douglas chose to play him, the character’s role was expanded and was given a history. In Goldman’s book Which Lie Did I Tell?, the screenwriter argues that Douglas’ decision ruined the mystery of the character, making him a “wimp” and a “loser”.[10]
    Locations[edit]
    The film was shot mainly on location at Songimvelo Game Reserve in South Africa, rather than Kenya, due to tax laws. Many Maasai characters in the film were actually portrayed by South African actors, although the Maasai depicted during the hunt were portrayed by real Maasai warriors who were hired for the movie.
    Filming[edit]
    While the real man-eaters were, like all lions from the Tsavo region, a more aggressive, maneless variety, those used for filming were actually the least aggressive available, for both safety and aesthetic reasons. The film’s lions were two male lions with manes. They were brothers named Caesar and Bongo, who were residents of the Bowmanville Zoo in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, both of whom were also featured in George of the Jungle. The film also featured three other lions: two from France and one from the USA.
    Director Stephen Hopkins later said of the shoot:
    We had snake bites, scorpion bites, tick bite fever, people getting hit by lightning, floods, torrential rains and lightning storms, hippos chasing people through the water, cars getting swept into the water, and several deaths of crew members, including two drownings…. Val came to the set under the worst conditions imaginable. He was completely exhausted from doing The Island of Dr. Moreau; he was dealing with the unfavorable publicity from that set; he was going through a divorce; he barely had time to get his teeth into this role before we started; and he is in nearly every scene in this movie. But I worked him six or seven days a week for four months under really adverse conditions, and he really came through. He had a passion for this film.[6]
    Reception[edit]
    The film won the Academy Award for Best Sound Editing (Bruce Stambler) at the 69th Academy Awards. However, Val Kilmer was nominated for the Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor. Reviews were mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes giving it a 52% rating based on 46 reviews.[11] Roger Ebert said the film was so awful it “lacked the usual charm of being so bad it’s funny” adding it was “an African adventure that makes the Tarzan movies look subtle and realistic”.[12] Ebert would put the film on his list of the worst movies of 1997. Conversely, the late David R. Ellis listed this film at #8 on his “Top 10 Animal Horror Movies” countdown, a list he made to promote the release of Shark Night 3D.[13]
    Hopkins said in a 1998 interview that the film “was a mess… I haven’t been able to watch it.”[9]
    In India, the film was remade in Telugu as Mrugaraju and released in 2001.
    Home release[edit]
    The Ghost and the Darkness was released by Paramount Home Video on VHS on April 1, 1997. Later on, the film is available as a one-disc DVD. There are no special features besides a theatrical trailer for the film. The film was released on LaserDisc in 1997 as a one-disc, double-sided release featuring a Dolby Digital audio track.
    Historical accuracy[edit]

    The Tsavo Man-Eaters on display in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago
    Although Patterson claimed the lions were responsible for up to 135 deaths, the definitive peer-reviewed paper on man-eating lions and the circumstances surrounding this notorious event states that only about 28–31 killings can be verified (Kerbis Peterhans & Gnoske, 2001). (This figure does not take into account any people who may have been killed but not eaten by the animals.)[14]
    Patterson’s 1907 book itself states that “between them (the lions) no less than 28 Indian coolies, in addition to scores of unfortunate African natives of whom no official record was kept” were killed. This lesser number was confirmed in the definitive paper on man-eating behavior and the Tsavo lions by Kerbis Peterhans and Gnoske (2001)[15] and soon thereafter in Dr. Bruce Patterson’s definitive book The Lions of Tsavo: Exploring the Legacy of Africa’s Notorious Man-Eaters published by McGraw-Hill in 2004. Patterson wrote the book at the Field Museum in Chicago, where the lions are on display. Kerbis Peterhans & Gnoske showed that the greater toll attributed to the lions resulted from a pamphlet written by Col. Patterson in 1925, stating “these two ferocious brutes killed and devoured, under the most appalling circumstances, 135 Indian and African artisans and laborers employed in the construction of the Uganda Railway.”[16]
    The location where the bridge was built is now called Man-Eater’s Camp. It is in Tsavo East National Park, Kenya, about 125 kilometres (78 mi) east of Mount Kilimanjaro and 260 kilometres (160 mi) southeast of Nairobi, at 2.993558°S 38.461458°E

    Eraser

    Eraser_(movie_poster)
    Eraser_(movie_poster)

    Eraser is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Chuck Russell and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, James Coburn, Robert Pastorelli and Vanessa L. Williams. The film follows a U.S Marshal of WITSEC who protects a senior operative testifying about an illegal arms deal and is forced to fight his former allies when one of the players is revealed to be a mole inside WITSEC.
    The film was a commercial success, grossing over $242 million against a budget of $100 million. It received mixed reviews from critics, but they praised Schwarzenegger’s performance, the action sequences and the visual effects. It was released in the United States on June 21, 1996 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing in 1997.

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Development and casting
    3.2Design
    3.3Filming
    3.4Post production
    4Reception
    4.1Box office
    4.2Critical response
    5See also
    6References
    7External links
    Plot[edit]
    John Kruger – a top U.S. Marshal for the Witness Security Protection Program (WITSEC) – specializes in “erasing” high-profile witnesses: faking their deaths to protect them from anyone that might silence them. After erasing mob witness Johnny Casteleone, Kruger is given a new assignment by his boss, Chief Arthur Beller, to protect Lee Cullen, a senior executive at Cyrez Corporation, a defense contractor. Lee warned the FBI that top-level Cyrez executives covered up the creation of a top secret electromagnetic pulse rifle and plan to sell the weapon on the black market.
    In an FBI sting operation, Lee accesses the Cyrez mainframe and downloads data on the EM rifle onto two discs: one for the FBI and one for her own protection. Vice President William Donohue, her boss, detects Lee’s intrusion and orders her into his office. After finding Lee’s hidden camera and threatening her with a pistol, Donohue commits suicide in front of her. Lee delivers the disc to the FBI but, disillusioned by their broken promise to guarantee her safety, refuses Kruger’s protection offer. The FBI’s disc is replaced with a fake by a mole working for Undersecretary of Defense Daniel Harper, the conspiracy’s mastermind.
    That night, Lee’s house is attacked by a mercenary team led by J. Scar sent by Cyrez’ corrupt CEO, Morehart. Kruger rescues Lee and hides her in New York City, keeping her location secret even from WITSEC. Kruger learns from his mentor, Marshal Robert DeGuerin, that several witnesses have been murdered because a mole in WITSEC is leaking information and they must relocate their witnesses. Along with Agents Calderon and Schiff and newcomer Deputy Monroe, they raid a remote cabin and kill mercenaries holding DeGuerin’s witness hostage, but DeGuerin discreetly kills her when the mercenary leader reveals DeGuerin as the mole. Flying back to DC, Kruger, now suspicious of DeGuerin, warns Lee to relocate. DeGuerin drugs Kruger long enough to trace the warning call to NYC and kill Monroe using Kruger’s gun, framing him as the mole. Revealing he, Calderon, and Schiff are corrupt, DeGuerin explains he is the go-between for the black market buyer, and Kruger escapes from the plane to rescue Lee from DeGuerin’s mercenaries. Kruger saves Cullen from Scar at Central Park Zoo, who pursues them; Kruger releases several alligators that devour Scar. DeGuerin has Kruger and Lee branded as fugitives.
    Kruger and Lee enlist Casteleone’s help and penetrate the Cyrez building. Using a mainframe backdoor in Donohue’s terminal, they decrypt Lee’s second disc. It reveals that a huge shipment of EM rifles is at the Baltimore docks and will be delivered to Russian Mafia boss Sergei Ivanovich Petrofsky, who plans to sell the weapons overseas to terrorists. A Cyrez operative pinpoints their whereabouts and remotely destroys the disc; DeGuerin kidnaps Lee and takes her to the docks as the shipment is being loaded onto Petrofsky’s Russian freighter.
    Casteleone contacts his mobster cousin Tony Two-Toes and his two associates to help Kruger raid the docks. They kill Petrovsky, his henchmen, and DeGuerin’s mercenaries. In a struggle atop a shipping container, DeGuerin holds Lee hostage, but Kruger frees her and destroys the lock on the container crane, dropping DeGuerin and the container to the ground and exposing the presence of the EM rifles. Kruger rescues the critically wounded DeGuerin, leaving him to be detained by Beller and the authorities and proving his and Lee’s innocence.
    Weeks later, Kruger brings Lee to a hearing for DeGuerin, Harper, and Morehart, who are indicted for treason. With little confidence that her testimony could secure their convictions, Kruger and Lee publicly fake their deaths in a car explosion. In the back of a limo, DeGuerin congratulates Harper on their deaths and says that they should go back into black-market business as soon as possible, but looks astonished when Harper says that he assumed DeGuerin had killed them. The men are confused, then shocked as their limo stops on a train track and the driver – actually Casteleone – locks the doors and exits the vehicle. Kruger calls DeGuerin and tells him, “You’ve just been erased” as they see a train heading right for them. They can’t escape before the train slams into the limo, killing all three. Kruger waves goodbye to Casteleone and walks over to Lee in a waiting car, telling her “they caught a train.”
    Cast[edit]
    Arnold Schwarzenegger as US Marshal John Kruger
    James Caan as US Marshal Robert DeGuerin
    Vanessa L. Williams as Lee Cullen
    James Coburn as WITSEC Chief Arthur Beller
    Robert Pastorelli as Johnny Casteleone
    James Cromwell as William Donohue, Vice President of International Division at Cyrez and Cullen’s supervisor
    Danny Nucci as WITSEC Deputy Monroe
    Andy Romano as Undersecretary of Defense Daniel Harper
    Joe Viterelli as Tony Two-Toes
    Olek Krupa as Sergei Ivanovich Petrovsky
    Gerry Becker as Morehart
    Nick Chinlund as Agent Calderon
    Michael Papajohn as Agent Schiff
    K. Todd Freeman as Agent Dutton
    Mark Rolston as J. Scar
    John Slattery as Agent Corman
    Robert Miranda as Frediano
    Roma Maffia as Claire Isaacs
    Tony Longo as Little Mike
    John Snyder as Sal
    Rick Batalla as Kevin, the Bartender
    Skipp Sudduth as Watch Commander
    Sven-Ole Thorsen as one of Petrofsky’s guards
    Denis Forest as Cyrez’s system administrator
    Patrick Kilpatrick as James Haggerty, Head of Cyrez Security
    Production[edit]
    Development and casting[edit]
    Director Chuck Russell and star Arnold Schwarzenegger were originally working on another project together when Eraser was brought to their attention.[6] Russell was excited about the possibilities the film could bring between actor and the character: “I see Arnold the way a lot of people do — as a mythic, bigger-than-life character — and that’s who Kruger is. The character and the scenario are based firmly in reality, but I liked the mythic proportions of this man with a strong sense of duty, a strong sense of honor, who will literally do anything to protect a noble witness. I was excited about doing a film that had heroic proportions.”[6] Producer Arnold Kopelson was also keen to cast Schwarzenegger in the role of “The Eraser”, having talked with the actor about working on projects before.[6] Vanessa Williams would be cast as the lead female character, Lee Cullen, the key witness Eraser must protect. Williams came to the attention of the Kopelsons when Maria Shriver, the wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger, suggested her for the role.[6] To play the character of DeGuerin (Kruger’s mentor and the main sociopathic antagonist), the filmmakers wanted an actor who could “convey intelligence, skill and magnetism – a more mature version of the Kruger character”, they would cast James Caan in this role.[6] Before Caan was officially cast, Jonathan Pryce was also considered for the role.[7] The screenplay was initially the work of Tony Puryear, who had a background in advertising and rap videos. Writers Walon Green and Michael S. Chernuchin had previously worked together on the television drama Law & Order.[8] Extensive, uncredit rewrites were made by Frank Darabont and William Wisher Jr. (Terminator 2: Judgment Day).[4] Additional rewrites were made by John Milius as a favor to Schwarzenegger.[1][2][3]
    Design[edit]
    The “rail-gun”[9] featured in the film as a key plot device, Schwarzenegger talks on the subject: “We paid a lot of attention to making the audience feel the danger of this weapon, that anyone can be outside of your house, looking right through the walls. It really leaves you nowhere to hide,” he explains. “But, on top of that, we show the sophistication of the weapon in a lot of fun ways: you not only see through a building, you see a person’s skeleton and even their heart beating inside. There are some great visual effects there.”[6]
    Filming[edit]
    Eraser began principal photography in New York City, locations would include The Harlem Rail Yard in the South Bronx, Central Park’s Sheep Meadow and Chinatown.[6] Following shooting in New York production moved to Washington D.C.[6] For the action sequence which takes place in the Reptile House of New York City Zoo, interiors were built on the soundstages of the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California.[6] The screenplay went through numerous drafts with some of the most prominent screenwriters in the business, with a great deal of uncredited script-doctoring work being done by Graham Yost and William Wisher.
    One of the most demanding action sequences in the film featured the character of Kruger forced to flee from a jet speeding through the skies at 250 miles per hour. Speaking about this scene, director Russell says: “These things are jigsaw puzzle pieces not only within shooting sequence but within each shot. You had elements that were live action, elements that were miniature, sometimes computer-generated, and they’re all married together in the final processing.”[6] Some of the physical stunts were performed by Schwarzenegger himself. For the “aerial” stunt Arnold was required to fall 65 feet in vertical descent and perform a back flip in mid-flight. The shot took seven takes to get right. In the final film, Kruger appears to drop along the length of the fuselage and past the flaming engine of the Jet thanks to inventive camera angles and special effects.
    Post production[edit]
    The original name of the Cyrez corporations was “Cyrex”. However, Cyrix, a microprocessor corporation and rival of Intel, protested. The name was then changed digitally in any scenes where the name appeared in a fairly costly process for the time, and dialogue redubbed.[10] Some instances of the “Cyrex” logo are still visible in the finished film.
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    Eraser had an opening weekend of $24.5 million in the US during the summer season of 1996. The final US gross was $101.2 million and final worldwide gross was $242.3 million.[5]
    Critical response[edit]
    Based on 48 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an overall approval rating from critics of 35% and an average score of 5/10.[11]
    Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A-” on an A+ to F scale.[12]
    A more positive review came from Roger Ebert, who gave the film 3 stars out of a possible 4. He wrote that there were so many plot holes that “it helps to have a short attention span”, but that Eraser is nonetheless “actually good action fun, with spectacular stunts and special effects” and a spirited performance from Williams “running and jumping and fighting and shooting and kicking and screaming and being tied to chairs and smuggling computer discs and looking great.”[13]

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)

     

    movie poster girl with dragon tattoo
    girl with dragon tattoo movie posterattribution

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    This article is about the English-language film. For the Swedish-language film based on the same novel, see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009 film).

    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 psychological crime thriller film based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. This film adaptation was directed by David Fincher and written by Steven Zaillian. Starring Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, it tells the story of Blomkvist’s investigation to find out what happened to a woman from a wealthy family who disappeared 40 years prior. He recruits the help of Salander, a computer hacker.
    Sony Pictures Entertainment began development on the film in 2009. It took the company a few months to obtain the rights to the novel, while recruiting Zaillian and David Fincher. The casting process for the lead roles was exhaustive and intense; Craig faced scheduling conflicts, and a number of actresses were sought for the role of Lisbeth Salander. The script took over six months to write, which included three months of analyzing the novel.
    Critics gave the film favorable reviews, praising its bleak tone and lauding Craig and Mara’s performances. With a production budget of $90 million the film grossed $232.6 million worldwide. The film was chosen by National Board of Review as one of the top ten films of 2011 and was a candidate for numerous awards, winning, among others, the Academy Award for Best Film Editing,[3] while Mara’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.[4][5][6]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Conception and writing
    3.2Filming
    3.2.1Title sequence
    3.3Soundtrack
    4Release
    4.1Pre-release
    4.2Home media
    5Reception
    5.1Box office
    5.2Critical response
    5.3Accolades
    6Sequel
    7References
    8External links
    Plot[edit]
    In Stockholm, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist is recovering from the legal and professional fallout of a libel suit brought by the businessman Hans-Erik Wennerström, straining Blomkvist’s relationship with his business partner and lover, Erika Berger. Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but antisocial investigator and hacker, compiles an extensive background check on Blomkvist for the wealthy Henrik Vanger, who offers Blomkvist evidence against Wennerström in exchange for an unusual task: to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance and presumed murder of Henrik’s grandniece, Harriet. Blomkvist agrees, and moves onto the Vanger family estate on the island of Hedestad.
    Salander’s legal guardian, Holger Palmgren, suffers a stroke, and is replaced by Nils Bjurman, a sadist who controls Salander’s finances and extorts sexual favors from her. Unaware she is secretly recording their meeting, Bjurman brutally rapes her. At their next meeting, Salander incapacitates Bjurman with a stun gun, binds him to his bed, rapes him with a metallic dildo, brands him a “rapist pig” with a tattoo across his stomach, and blackmails him into securing her independence.
    Blomkvist explores the island and interviews members of the Vanger family, and uncovers a notebook containing a list of names and numbers. His daughter Pernilla visits and explains the list of Bible references. In need of a skilled researcher, Blomkvist hires Salander. She uncovers a connection between the list and a series of murders of young women from 1947 to 1967, indicating a serial killer still at large. One morning, Blomkvist finds the mutilated corpse of a cat at his doorstep. Another night he is shot at and narrowly escapes; Salander tends to his wounds, and they have sex. Blomkvist begins to suspect Martin, Harriet’s brother and operational head of the Vanger empire. Salander’s research uncovers evidence that Martin and his late father, Gottfried, committed the murders.
    Blomkvist breaks into Martin’s house to find more proof, but is caught by Martin and brought to his specially prepared basement. While torturing Blomkvist, Martin reveals his abusive indoctrination by his father, and brags of having killed women for decades but denies killing Harriet. As Martin prepares to kill Blomkvist, Salander arrives, forcing Martin to flee. Salander, on her motorcycle, pursues Martin in his SUV, who runs off the road and is killed when the car explodes. Salander nurses Blomkvist back to health and begins to open up to him. They deduce that Harriet is still alive; they travel to London and confront Harriet’s cousin, Anita, and realize she is Harriet herself. Harriet explains that her father and brother sexually abused her for years, and that Martin saw her kill their father in self-defense. Her cousin, Anita, smuggled her off the island and let her live under her identity in London. Finally free of her brother, she returns to Sweden and tearfully reunites with Henrik.
    As promised, Henrik gives Blomkvist information against Wennerström, but it proves worthless; Salander then hacks Wennerström’s accounts, finds Blomkvist the evidence he needs and, traveling to Switzerland in disguise, steals two billion euros of secret funds. She reveals to Palmgren that she has made a friend and is happy. On her way to give Blomkvist a Christmas present, Salander sees him together with Erika. Heartbroken, Salander discards the gift and rides away.
    Cast[edit]
    Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist:
    A co-owner for Swedish lifestyle magazine Millennium, Blomkvist is devoted to exposing the corruptions and malfeasance of government, attracting infamy for his tendency to “go too far”.[7] Craig competed with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Viggo Mortensen, and Johnny Depp as candidates for the role.[8][9] Initial concerns over schedule conflicts with the production of Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and Skyfall (2012) prompted Craig to postpone the casting process.[9][10] Given the uncertainty surrounding Skyfall following Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s bankruptcy, Sony Pictures Entertainment and DreamWorks worked out a schedule and Craig agreed to take the part.[10] The British actor was required to gain weight and adopted a neutral accent to befit Stockholm’s worldly cultural fabric. Having read the book amid its “initial craze”, Craig commented, “It’s one of those books you just don’t put down” […] There’s just this immediate feeling that bad things are going to happen and I think that’s part of why they’ve been so readable for people.”[7]
    Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander:
    Salander is a computer hacker who has survived severe emotional and sexual abuse. The character was a “vulnerable victim-turned-vigilante with the “take-no-prisoners” attitude of Lara Croft and the “cool, unsentimental intellect” of Spock. Fincher felt that Salander’s eccentric persona was enthralling, and stated, “there’s a kind of wish fulfillment to her in the way that she takes care of things, the way she will only put up with so much, but there are other sides to her as well.”[7] Casting was complicated by the raft of prominent candidates such as Natalie Portman, Ellen Page, Kristen Stewart, Emily Browning, Jennifer Lawrence, Keira Knightley, Anne Hathaway, Olivia Thirlby, Scarlett Johansson, Yolandi Visser, and Emma Watson.[11][12] Despite the hype, some eventually withdrew from consideration due to the time commitment and low pay.[13] Mara had worked with Fincher in his 2010 film The Social Network.[7][9] Fincher, while fond of the actress’ youthful appearance,[14] found it difficult at first to mold her to match Salander’s antisocial demeanor, which was a vast contrast from her earlier role as the submissive Erica.[9] Mara went through multiple changes in her appearance to become Salander. Her hair was dyed black and cut into various jagged points, giving the appearance that she cut it herself.[15][16] In addition to her transgressive appearance, which was described as a “mash-up of brazen Seventies punk and spooky Eighties goth with a dash of S&M temptress” by Lynn Hirschberg of W,[15] Mara participated in a formal screening and was filmed by Fincher on a subway in Los Angeles in an effort to persuade the executives of Sony Pictures that she was a credible choice.[9]
    Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger:
    Vanger is a wealthy businessman who launches an extensive investigation into his family’s affairs. Despite calling the Vanger family “dysfunctional”, Plummer said of the character: “I love the character of the old man, and I sympathize with him. He’s really the nicest old guy in the whole book. Everybody is a bit suspect, and still are at the end. Old Vanger has a nice straight line, and he gets his wish.”[17] Plummer wanted to imbue the character with irony, an element he found to be absent from the novel’s Henrik.[18] “I think that the old man would have it,” he opined, “because he’s a very sophisticated old guy […] used to a great deal of power. So in dealing with people, he would be very good […] he would be quite jokey, and know how to seduce them.”[18]
    Stellan Skarsgård as Martin Vanger:
    Martin is the current CEO of Vanger Industries. Skarsgård was allured by the character’s dual nature, and was fascinated that he got to portray him in “two totally different ways”.[19] In regards to Martin’s “very complex” and “complicated” personality, the Swedish actor said, “He can be extremely charming, but he also can seem to be a completely different person at different points in the film.”[7] While consulting with Fincher, the director wanted Skarsgård to play Martin without reference to the book.[19]
    Steven Berkoff as Dirch Frode, Head Legal Counsel for Vanger Industries
    Robin Wright as Erika Berger: Blomkvist’s business partner and editor-in-chief of Millennium magazine. She’s also Blomkvist’s occasional lover.
    Yorick van Wageningen as Nils Bjurman:
    As Salander’s legal guardian, he uses his position to sexually abuse and eventually rape her. Salander turns the tables on him, torturing him and branding him across the torso with the words I AM A RAPIST. Fincher wanted the character to be worse than a typical antagonist, although he did not want to emulate the stereotypical “mustache-twirling pervert”. The director considered Van Wageningen to be the embodiment of a versatile actor—one who was a “full-fledged human being” and a “brilliant” actor. “He was able to bring his performance from a logical place in Bjurman’s mind and find the seething morass of darkness inside,” Fincher stated. Bjurman’s multifaceted psyche was the main reason Van Wageningen wanted to play the role. The Dutch actor said, “This character goes through a lot and I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to go through all that. I started out half way between the elation of getting to work with David Fincher and the dread of this character, but I was able to use both of those things. We both thought the most interesting route would be for Bjurman to seem half affable. The challenge was not in finding the freak violence in the guy but finding the humanity of him.”[7]
    Joely Richardson as Harriet Vanger:
    Henrik’s long-lost grandniece who went into hiding posing as her cousin Anita. In performing her “tricky” character, Richardson recalled that Fincher wanted her to embrace a “darker, edgier” persona, without sugarcoating, and not “resolved or healed”. “Even if you were starting to move towards the direction of resolved or healed, he still wanted it edgy and dark. There are no straightforward emotions in the world of this film.”[7]
    Goran Višnjić as Dragan Armansky, head of Milton Security, Salander’s employer
    Donald Sumpter as Detective Morell
    Ulf Friberg as Hans-Erik Wennerström, CEO of the Wennerström Group
    Geraldine James as Cecilia Vanger
    Embeth Davidtz as Annika Giannini, Mikael’s sister and a lawyer
    Josefin Asplund as Pernilla Blomkvist, Mikael’s daughter
    Per Myrberg as Harald Vanger
    Tony Way as Plague, Salander’s hacker friend
    Fredrik Dolk as Bertil Camnermarker, Counsel for the Wennerström Group
    Alan Dale as Detective Isaksson
    Julian Sands as Young Henrik Vanger
    David Dencik as Young Morell
    Gustaf Hammarsten as Young Harald
    Leo Bill as Trinity, another of Salander’s hacker friends
    Élodie Yung as Miriam Wu, Salander’s occasional lover
    Joel Kinnaman as Christer Malm
    Production[edit]
    Conception and writing[edit]
    The success of Stieg Larsson’s novel created Hollywood interest in adapting the book, as became apparent in 2009, when Lynton and Pascal pursued the idea of developing an “American” version unrelated to the Swedish film adaptation released that year. By December, two major developments occurred for the project: Steven Zaillian, who had recently completed the script for Moneyball (2011), became the screenwriter, while producer Scott Rudin finalized a partnership allocating full copyrights to Sony.[9] Zaillian, who was unfamiliar with the novel, got a copy from Rudin. The screenwriter recalled, “They sent it to me and said, ‘We want to do this. We will think of it as one thing for now. It’s possible that it can be two and three, but let’s concentrate on this one.’”[20] After reading the book, the screenwriter did no research on the subject.[21] Fincher, who was requested with partner Cean Chaffin by Sony executives to read the novel,[9][22] was astounded by the series’ size and success. As they began to read, the duo noticed that it had a tendency to take “readers on a lot of side trips”—”from detailed explanations of surveillance techniques to angry attacks on corrupt Swedish industrialists,” professed The Hollywood Reporter’s Gregg Kilday. Fincher recalled of the encounter: “The ballistic, ripping-yarn thriller aspect of it is kind of a red herring in a weird way. It is the thing that throws Salander and Blomkvist together, but it is their relationship you keep coming back to. I was just wondering what 350 pages Zaillian would get rid of.” Because Zaillian was already cultivating the screenplay, the director avoided interfering. After a conversation, Fincher was comfortable “they were headed in the same direction”.[9]
    “I imagined someone who could move through the streets of Stockholm almost invisibly even though she looks the way she looks … it’s almost like a forcefield”
    —Steven Zaillian[23]
    The writing process consumed approximately six months, including three months creating notes and analyzing the novel.[20] Zaillian noted that as time progressed, the writing accelerated. “As soon as you start making decisions,” he explained, “you start cutting off all of the other possibilities of things that could happen. So with every decision that you make you are removing a whole bunch of other possibilities of where that story can go or what that character can do.”[20] Given the book’s sizable length, Zaillian deleted elements to match Fincher’s desired running time.[20] Even so, Zaillan took significant departures from the book.[23] To Zaillian, there was always a “low-grade” anxiety, “but I was never doing anything specifically to please or displease,” he continued. “I was simply trying to tell the story the best way I could, and push that out of my mind. I didn’t change anything just for the sake of changing it. There’s a lot right about the book, but that part, I thought we could do it a different way, and it could be a nice surprise for the people that have read it.”[23]
    Zaillian discussed many of the themes in Larsson’s Millennium series with Fincher, taking the pair deeper into the novel’s darker subjects, such as the psychological dissimilarities between rapists and murderers.[23] Fincher was familiar with the concept, from projects such as Seven (1995) and Zodiac (2007). Zaillian commented, “A rapist, or at least our rapist, is about exercising his power over somebody. A serial killer is about destruction; they get off on destroying something. It’s not about having power over something, it’s about eliminating it. What thrills them is slightly different.”[23] The duo wanted to expose the novels’ pivotal themes, particularly misogyny. “We were committed to the tack that this is a movie about violence against women about specific kinds of degradation, and you can’t shy away from that. But at the same time you have to walk a razor thin line so that the audience can viscerally feel the need for revenge but also see the power of the ideas being expressed.”[7] Instead of the typical three-act structure, they reluctantly chose a five-act structure, which Fincher pointed out is “very similar to a lot of TV cop dramas.”[24]
    Filming[edit]

    Stockholm, Sweden provided for much of the setting of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
    Fincher and Zaillian’s central objective was to maintain the novel’s setting. To portray Larsson’s vision of Sweden, and the interaction of light on its landscape, Fincher cooperated with an artistic team that included cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth and production designer Donald Graham Burt. The film was wholly shot using Red Digital Cinema Camera Company’s RED MX digital camera, chosen to help evoke Larsson’s tone. The idea, according to Cronenweth, was to employ unorthodox light sources and maintain a realistic perspective. “So there may be shadows, there may be flaws, but it’s reality. You allow silhouettes and darkness, but at the same time we also wanted shots to counter that, so it would not all be one continuous dramatic image.”[7] Sweden’s climate was a crucial element in enhancing the mood. Cronenweth commented, “It’s always an element in the background and it was very important that you feel it as an audience member. The winter becomes like a silent character in the film giving everything a low, cool-colored light that is super soft and non-direct.”[7] To get acquainted with Swedish culture, Burt set out on a month-long expedition across the country. He said of the process, “It takes time to start really taking in the nuances of a culture, to start seeing the themes that recur in the architecture, the landscape, the layouts of the cities and the habits of the people. I felt I had to really integrate myself into this world to develop a true sense of place for the film. It was not just about understanding the physicality of the locations, but the metaphysics of them, and how the way people live comes out through design.”[7]
    Principal photography began in Stockholm, Sweden in September 2010.[25] Production mostly took place at multiple locations in the city’s central business district, including at the Stockholm Court House.[26] One challenge was realizing the Vanger estate. They picked an eighteenth-century French architecture mansion Hofsta located approximately 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Stockholm. Filmmakers wanted to use a typical “manor from Småland” that was solemn, formal, and “very Old Money”. “The Swedish are very good at the modern and the minimal but they also have these wonderful country homes that can be juxtaposed against the modern city—yet both speak to money.”[7] Principal photography relocated in October to Uppsala. On Queen Street, the facade of the area was renovated to mimic the Hotel Alder, after an old photograph of a building obtained by Fincher.[27] From December onward, production moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where locations were established at Dolder Grand Hotel and the Zurich Airport.[28] Because of the “beautiful” environment of the city, Fincher found it difficult to film in the area.[29] Principal photography concluded in Oslo, Norway, where production took place at Oslo Airport, Gardermoen. Recorded for over fifteen hours, twelve extras were sought for background roles.[30] Filming also took place in the United Kingdom and the United States.[citation needed]
    In one sequence the character Martin Vanger plays the song “Orinoco Flow” by Enya before beginning his torture of Mikael Blomkvist. David Fincher, the director, said that he believed that Martin “doesn’t like to kill, he doesn’t like to hear the screams, without hearing his favorite music” so therefore the character should play a song during the scene.[31]Daniel Craig, the actor who played Blomkvist, selected “Orinoco Flow” on his iPod as a candidate song. Fincher said “And we all almost pissed ourselves, we were laughing so hard. No, actually, it’s worse than that. He said, ‘Orinoco Flow!’ Everybody looked at each other, like, what is he talking about? And he said, ‘You know, “Sail away, sail away…”’ And I thought, this guy is going to make Blomkvist as metro as we need.”[31]
    Title sequence[edit]

    In the “Hot Hands” vignette, the rough, gnarled hands caressing Salander’s face represents all that is bad in men.
    Tim Miller, creative director for the title sequence, wanted to develop an abstract narrative that reflected the pivotal moments in the novel, as well as the character development of Lisbeth Salander. It was arduous for Miller to conceptualize the sequence abstractly, given that Salander’s occupation was a distinctive part of her personality. His initial ideas were modeled after a keyboard. “We were going to treat the keyboard like this giant city with massive fingers pressing down on the keys,” Miller explained, “Then we transitioned to the liquid going through the giant obelisks of the keys.”[32] Among Miller’s many vignettes was “The Hacker Inside”, which revealed the character’s inner disposition and melted them away. The futuristic qualities in the original designs provided for a much more cyberpunk appearance than the final product. In creating the “cyber” look for Salander, Miller said, “Every time I would show David a design he would say, ‘More Tandy!’ It’s the shitty little computers from Radio Shack, the Tandy computers. They probably had vacuum tubes in them, really old technology. And David would go ‘More Tandy’, until we ended up with something that looked like we glued a bunch of computer parts found at a junkyard together.”[32]
    Fincher wanted the vignette to be a “personal nightmare” for Salander, replaying her darkest moments. “Early on, we knew it was supposed to feel like a nightmare,” Miller professed, who commented that early on in the process, Fincher wanted to use an artwork as a template for the sequence. After browsing through various paintings to no avail, Fincher chose a painting that depicted the artist, covered in black paint, standing in the middle of a gallery. Many of Miller’s sketches contained a liquid-like component, and were rewritten to produce the “gooey” element that was so desired. “David said let’s just put liquid in all of them and it will be this primordial dream ooze that’s a part of every vignette,” Miller recalled. “It ties everything together other than the black on black.”[32]
    The title sequence includes abundant references to the novel, and exposes several political themes. Salander’s tattoos, such as her phoenix and dragon tattoos, were incorporated. The multiple flower representations signified the biological life cycle, as well as Henrik, who received a pressed flower each year on his birthday. “One had flowers coming out of this black ooze,” said Fincher, “it blossoms, and then it dies. And then a different flower, as that one is dying is rising from the middle of it. It was supposed to represent this cycle of the killer sending flowers.”[32] Ultimately, the vignette becomes very conceptual because Miller and his team took “a whole thought, and cut it up into multiple different shots that are mixed in with other shots”. In one instance, Blomkvist is strangled by strips of newspaper, a metaphor for the establishment squelching his exposes.[32]
    In the “Hot Hands” vignette, a pair of rough, distorted hands that embrace Salander’s face and melt it represent all that’s bad in men. The hands that embrace Blomkvist’s face and shatter it, represent wealth and power.[32] Themes of domestic violence become apparent as a woman’s face shatters after a merciless beating; this also ties in the brutal beating of Salander’s mother by her father, an event revealed in the sequel, The Girl Who Played with Fire (2006).[32]
    A cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” (1970) plays throughout the title sequence. The rendition was produced by soundtrack composers Atticus Ross and Nine Inch Nailsmember Trent Reznor, and features vocals from Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead singer Karen O.[33] Fincher suggested the song, but Reznor agreed only at his request.[34] Led Zeppelin licensed the song only for use in the film’s trailer and title sequence. Fincher stated that he sees title sequences as an opportunity to set the stage for the film, or to get an audience to let go of its preconceptions.[35]
    Software packages that were primarily used are 3ds Max (for modeling, lighting, rendering), Softimage (for rigging and animation), Digital Fusion (for compositing), Real Flow (for fluid dynamics), Sony Vegas (for editorial), Zbrush and Mudbox (for organic modeling), and VRAY (for rendering).[36]
    Soundtrack[edit]
    Main article: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (soundtrack)
    “[The instrumental sounds are] processed and stretched and manipulated into a setting where it may sound harmonically familiar, but if you tune into it, it’s not behaving in a way that you’re accustomed to that type of sound behaving. I find experimenting around in that is an interesting place to work.”
    —Trent Reznor[37]
    Fincher recruited Reznor and Ross to produce the score; aside from their successful collaboration on The Social Network, the duo had worked together on albums from Nine Inch Nails’ later discography.[37][38] They dedicated much of the year to work on the film, as they felt it would appeal to a broad audience.[39] Akin to his efforts in The Social Network, Reznor experiments with acoustics and blends them with elements of electronic music, resulting in a forbidding atmosphere. “We wanted to create the sound of coldness—emotionally and also physically,” he asserted, “We wanted to take lots of acoustic instruments […] and transplant them into a very inorganic setting, and dress the set around them with electronics.”[37]
    Even before viewing the script, Reznor and Ross opted to use a redolent approach to creating the film’s score. After discussing with Fincher the varying soundscapes and emotions, the duo spent six weeks composing. “We composed music we felt might belong,” stated the Nine Inch Nails lead vocalist, “and then we’d run it by Fincher, to see where his head’s at and he responded positively. He was filming at this time last year and assembling rough edits of scenes to see what it feels like, and he was inserting our music at that point, rather than using temp music, which is how it usually takes place, apparently.” Finding a structure for the soundtrack was arguably the most strenuous task. “We weren’t working on a finished thing, so everything keeps moving around, scenes are changing in length, and even the order of things are shuffled around, and that can get pretty frustrating when you get precious about your work. It was a lesson we learned pretty quickly of, ‘Everything is in flux, and approach it as such. Hopefully it’ll work out in the end.’”[39]
    Release[edit]
    Pre-release[edit]

    Mara, Craig, and Fincher at the French premiere of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in Paris.
    A screening for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo took place on November 28, 2011, as part of a critics-only event hosted by the New York Film Critics Circle. Commentators at the event predicted that while the film would become a contender for several accolades, it would likely not become a forerunner in the pursuit for Academy Award nominations.[40] A promotional campaign commenced thereafter, including a Lisbeth Salander-inspired collection, designed by Trish Summerville for H&M.[41][42] The worldwide premiere was at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on December 12, 2011,[43] followed by the American opening at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City on December 14 and Stockholm the next day.[44][45] Sony’s target demographics were men and women over the age of 25 and 17–34.[46] The film went into general release in North America on December 21, at 2,700 theaters,[47] expanding to 2,974 theaters on its second day.[47] The United Kingdom release was on December 26,[48] Russia on January 1, 2012,[49] and Japan on February 13.[50] India and Vietnam releases were abandoned due to censorship concerns.[51][52] A press statement from the Central Board of Film Certification stated: “Sony Pictures will not be releasing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in India. The censor board has judged the film unsuitable for public viewing in its unaltered form and, while we are committed to maintaining and protecting the vision of the director, we will, as always, respect the guidelines set by the board.”[52] In contrast, the National Film Board of Vietnam insisted that the film’s withdrawal had no relation to rigid censorship guidelines, as it had not been reviewed by the committee.[51]
    Home media[edit]
    Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released the film in a DVD and Blu-ray disc combo pack in the United States on March 20, 2012.[53] Bonus features include a commentary from Fincher, featurettes on Blomkvist, Salander, the sets and locations, etc.[54] The disc artwork for the DVD version of the film resembles a Sony brand DVD-R, a reference to the hacker Lisbeth Salander. This caused a bit of confusion in the marketplace with consumers thinking they had obtained a bootleg copy.[55][56] The release sold 644,000 copies in its first week, in third place behind The Muppets and Hop.[57] The following week, the film sold an additional 144,000 copies generating $2.59 million in gross revenue.[58] As of January 2014, 1,478,230 units had been sold, grossing $22,195,069.[59]
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    Fincher’s film grossed $232.6 million during its theatrical run.[2] The film’s American release grossed $1.6 million from its Tuesday night screenings,[47] a figure that increased to $3.5 million by the end of its first day of general release.[60] It maintained momentum into its opening weekend, accumulating $13 million for a total of $21 million in domestic revenue.[61]The film’s debut figures fell below media expectations.[62][63][64] Aided by positive word of mouth,[65] its commercial performance remained steady into the second week, posting $19 million from 2,914 theaters.[66] The third week saw box office drop 24% to $11.3 million, totaling $76.8 million. The number of theaters slightly increased to 2,950.[67] By the fifth week, the number of theaters shrank to 1,907, and grosses to $3.7 million, though it remained within the national top ten.[68] The film completed its North American theatrical run on March 22, 2012, earning over $102.5 million.[2]
    The international debut was in six Scandinavian markets on December 19–25, 2011, securing $1.6 million from 480 venues.[69] In Sweden the film opened in 194 theaters to strong results, accounting for more than half of international revenue at the time ($950,000).[69] The first full week in the United Kingdom collected $6.7 million from 920 theaters.[48] By the weekend of January 6–8, 2012, the film grossed $12.2 million for a total of $29 million; this included its expansion into Hong Kong, where it topped the box office, earning $470,000 from thirty-six establishments. The film similarly led the field in South Africa. It accumulated $6.6 million from an estimated 600 theaters over a seven-day period in Russia, placing fifth.[49] The expansion continued into the following week, opening in nine markets. The week of January 13–15 saw the film yield $16.1 million from 3,910 locations in over forty-three territories, thus propelling the international gross to $49.3 million.[70] It debuted at second place in Austria and Germany, where in the latter, it pulled $2.9 million from 525 locations.[70] Similar results were achieved in Australia, where it reached 252 theaters.[70] The film’s momentum continued throughout the month, and by January 22, it had hit ten additional markets, including France and Mexico, from which it drew $3.25 million from 540 venues and $1.25 million from 540 theaters, respectively.[71] In its second week in France it descended to number three, with a total gross of $5.8 million.[72]
    The next major international release came in Japan on February 13, where it opened in first place with $3.68 million (¥288 million)[50] in 431 theaters.[73] By the weekend of February 17–19, the film had scooped up $119.5 million from international markets.[74] The total international gross for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was $130.1 million.[2] MGM, one of the studios involved in the production, posted a “modest loss” and declared that they had expected the film to gross at least 10% more.[75]
    Critical response[edit]

    Mara’s portrayal of Lisbeth Salander attracted critical acclaim from commentators.
    The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo received positive reviews from critics, with particular note to the cast, tone, score and cinematography. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 86%, based on 236 reviews, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The site’s consensus states, “Brutal yet captivating, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the result of David Fincher working at his lurid best with total role commitment from star Rooney Mara.”[76] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized score, the film received an average score of 71 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[77]
    David Denby of The New Yorker asserted that the austere, but captivating installment presented a “glancing, chilled view” of a world where succinct moments of loyalty coexisted with constant trials of betrayal.[78] To USA Today columnist Claudia Puig, Fincher captures the “menace and grim despair in the frosty Scandinavian landscape” by carefully approaching its most gruesome features.[79] Puig noted a surfeit of “stylistic flourishes” and “intriguing” changes in the narrative, compared to the original film.[79] In his three-and-a-half star review, Chris Knight of the National Post argued that it epitomized a so-called “paradoxical position” that was both “immensely enjoyable and completely unnecessary”.[80] Rene Rodriguez of The Miami Herald said that the “fabulously sinister entertainment” surpassed the original film “in every way”.[81] The film took two and a half stars from Rolling Stone commentator Peter Travers, who concluded: “Fincher’s Girl is gloriously rendered but too impersonal to leave a mark.”[82] A. O. Scott, writing for The New York Times, admired the moments of “brilliantly orchestrated” anxiety and confusion, but felt that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was vulnerable to the “lumbering proceduralism” that he saw in its literary counterpart, as evident with the “long stretches of drab, hackneyed exposition that flatten the atmosphere”.[83] The Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstern praised Cronenweth’s cinematography, which he thought provided for glossy alterations in the film’s darkness; “Stockholm glitters in nighttime exteriors, and its subway shines in a spectacular spasm of action involving a backpack.”[84] Rex Reed of The New York Observer professed that despite its occasional incomprehensibility, the movie was “technically superb” and “superbly acted”.[85] In contrast, Kyle Smith of New York Post censured the film, calling it “rubbish” and further commenting that it “demonstrates merely that masses will thrill to an unaffecting, badly written, psychologically shallow and deeply unlikely pulp story so long as you allow them to feel sanctified by the occasional meaningless reference to feminism or Nazis.”[86]
    The performances were a frequent topic in the critiques. Mara’s performance, in particular, was admired by commentators. A revelation in the eyes of Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman, he proclaimed that her character was more important than “her ability to solve a crime”.[87] Her “hypnotic” portrayal was noted by Justin Chang of Variety,[88] as well as Salon critic Andrew O’Hehir, who wrote, “Rooney Mara is a revelation as Lisbeth Salander, the damaged, aggressive computer geek and feminist revenge angel, playing the character as far more feral and vulnerable than Noomi Rapace’s borderline-stereotype sexpot Goth girl.”[89] Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club enjoyed the chemistry between Mara and Craig,[90] as did David Germain of the Associated Press; “Mara and Craig make an indomitable screen pair, he nominally leading their intense search into decades-old serial killings, she surging ahead, plowing through obstacles with flashes of phenomenal intellect and eruptions of physical fury.”[91] Although Puig found Mara inferior to Rapace in playing Salander, with regard to Craig’s performance, he said that the actor shone.[79] This was supported by Morgenstern, who avouched that Craig “nonetheless finds welcome humor in Mikael’s impassive affect”.[84] In his 2016 assessment of Craig’s career for Taste of Cinema, Eoghan Lyng ranked this portrayal as one of his best.[92] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said the film was given a more assured quality than the original because of Fincher’s direction and the lead performances, although he believed this did not always work to the film’s advantage, preferring the original version’s “less confident surface” where “emotions were closer to the surface.”[93]
    Accolades[edit]
    In addition to numerous awards, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was included on several year-end lists by film commentators and publications. It was named the best film of 2011 by MTV and James Berardinelli of ReelViews.[94][95] The former wrote, “The director follows up the excellent Social Network with another tour de force, injecting the murder mystery that introduces us to outcast hacker Lisbeth Salander […] and embattled journalist […] with style, intensity and relentless suspense. Mara is a revelation, and the film’s daunting 160-minute runtime breezes by thanks to one heart-racing scene after the next. Dark and tough to watch at times, but a triumph all around.”[94] The film came second in indieWire’s list of “Drew Taylor’s Favorite Films Of 2011”,[96] while reaching the top ten of seven other publications,[97] including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,[98] San Francisco Chronicle,[99] and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.[100] The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was declared one of the best films of the year by the American Film Institute,[101] as well as the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures.[102]

    Sequel[edit]
    Main article: The Girl in the Spider’s Web (film)
    In December 2011, Fincher stated that the creative team involved planned to film the sequels The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, “back to back.”[124] There was an announced release date of 2013 for a film version of The Girl Who Played with Fire, although by August 2012 it was delayed due to changes being being done to the script, being written by Steven Zaillian.[125][126] By July 2013, Andrew Kevin Walker was hired to re-write the script.[127] The following year, Fincher stated that a script for The Girl that Played with Fire had been written and that it was “extremely different from the book,” and that despite the long delay, he was confident that the film would be made given that the studio had “already has spent millions of dollars on the rights and the script”.[128] Mara was less optimistic about the production of the sequels, though she stated that she was still contractually signed on to reprise the lead role.[129][130][131][132]
    By November 2015, it was announced that Sony was considering rebooting the franchise, before settling on continuing the film series with an adaptation of The Girl in the Spider’s Web. The story is based on a 2015 novel by David Lagercrantz that was a continuation of the original Millennium trilogy after series creator Stieg Larsson died in 2004.[133] Looking for a new lead in the series, Alicia Vikander was considered by the studio.[134] The following year, Fede Álvarez was announced by Sony as director, as well as co-screenwriter with Steven Knight and Jay Basu.[135][136] The Girl in the Spider’s Web was notably the first adaptation of an installment in the book series to be produced into an English-language film upon its initial release.[137] By March 2017, Álvarez announced that the film would have an entirely new cast, as he wanted the entire film to be his interpretation of the story.[138][139]
    In September of the same year, Claire Foy was cast as Lisbeth Salander, replacing Mara. The film released in the U.S. on November 9, 2018.[140]
    References
    Look for Girl who Played with Fire, Girl who Kicked the Hornets Nest, Girl in the Spiders Web,

    Chunhyang (2000 film)

    chunhyang film poster
    Chunhyang_film_poster

    Chunhyang (Hangul: 춘향뎐; RR: Chunhyangjeon) is a Korean Pansori film directed by Im Kwon-taek, with a screenplay by Kang Hye-yeon and Kim Myung-gon. Distributed by CJ Entertainment, the film was released on January 29, 2000 in South Korea. Lee Hyo-jeong and Cho Seung-woo played Chunhyang and Mongryong, respectively.
    To date, there have been more than sixteen works based on this narrative, including three North Korean films. Im Kwon-taek’s Chunhyang presents a new interpretation of this oral tradition but it is created for a more global audience.”[2] It is the first Chunhyang movie that lyrics of Pansori became part of the screenplay. Therefore, the contents of the Pansori reappear as scenes in the movie. The film uses the framing device of a present-day narrator who, accompanied by a drummer, sings the story of Chunhyang in front of a responsive audience. The film flashes back and forth between the singer’s presentation and scenes of Mongryong.
    It was entered into the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.[3] The film is the first Korean film which was presented at the 2000 Telluride Film Festival.[4] At the 2000 Asia Pacific Film Festival, it won a Special Jury Award.[5] It also won an award for Best Narrative at the Hawaii International Film Festival in 2000.[6]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Critical reception
    4Awards and nominations
    5References
    6External links
    Plot[edit]
    The film is told through pansori, a traditional Korean form of storytelling that seeks to narrate through song. It is based on Chunhyangga, a traditional Korean folktale and is set in 18th century Korea.
    Lee Mongryong, a governor’s son, falls in love and marries a beautiful girl Chunhyang Sung, the daughter of a courtesan. Their marriage is kept a secret from the governor who would immediately disown Lee if he found that his son married beneath him. The governor gets posted to Seoul and Mongryong is forced to leave his young wife behind, promising to come back for her when he passes the official exam.
    After Mongryong leaves Namwon where Mongryong and Chunhyang first meets, new governor, Byun Hakdo, comes and wants Chunhyang for himself. When she refuses, stating that she already has a husband and will forever remain faithful to her beloved, the governor punishes her by flogging. Meanwhile, back in Seoul, Lee passes the test with the highest score and becomes an officer. Three years have passed and Lee Mongryong returns to the town on the King’s mission. There, he finds out that his wife is to be beaten to death on the governor’s birthday as a punishment for disobeying his lust. The governor, very corrupted and greedy, is arrested by Mongryong. The two lovers are finally united.[7]
    Cast[edit]
    Lee Hyo-jeong – Chunhyang
    Cho Seung-woo – Mongryong
    Kim Sung-nyeo – Wolmae
    Lee Jung-hun – Governor Byun
    Kim Hak-yong – Bangja
    Choi Jin-young – Governor Lee
    Hong Kyung-yeun – kisaeng leader
    Cho Sang-hyun – pansori singer
    Kim Myung-hwan – pansori drummer
    Lee Hae-ryong – Lord of Soonchun
    Gok Jun-hwam – Lord of Okgwa
    Yoon Keun-mo – Lord of Goksung
    Lee Hye-eun – Hyangdan
    Critical reception[edit]
    According to Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times, “Instead the story is freshened through the use of a Korean singing storyteller, a pansori singer, to provide a narration, belting out the song from a stage in front of an audience. The pansori, or song, is performed under a proscenium arch to highlight the ritual elements of folk tales. Even though much of what the pansori tells us unfolds before the cameras at the same moment, the forcefulness of the performance lends another layer of feeling to the picture.”[8]
    Awards and nominations[edit]

    The Assassin (2015 film)

    the assassins
    the assassins

    For the British film directed by J. K. Amalou, see Assassin (2015 film).

    The Assassin (Chinese: 刺客聶隱娘; pinyin: Cìkè Niè Yǐnniáng; or: The Assassin Niè Yǐnniáng) is a 2015 wuxia film directed by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien. A Taiwan/Mainland China/Hong Kong co-production,[3][7] it was an official selection in the main competition section at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[8][9] At Cannes, Hou won the award for Best Director.[10][11] It was released in Mainland and Hong Kong, China on 27 August, and a day later in Taiwan on 28 August 2015.[12] It was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 88th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.[13][14]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    4Release
    4.1Home media
    5Reception
    5.1Box office
    5.2Critical response
    5.3Accolades
    6See also
    7References
    8External links
    Plot[edit]
    The Assassin is loosely based on the late ninth-century martial arts story “Nie Yinniang” by Pei Xing, a core text in Chinese swordsmanship and wuxia fiction.[15][16]
    The film is set in ninth-century China during last years of the Tang Dynasty.[17][18] The film centers on Nie Yinniang (played by Shu Qi), an assassin who is directed to slay corrupt government officials by her master, Jiaxin, a nun who raised her from the age of ten. When Yinniang displays mercy by failing to kill during her duties, Jiaxin punishes her with a ruthless assignment designed to test Yinniang’s resolve: she is sent to the distant province/circuit of Weibo in northern China to kill its military governor, her cousin Tian Ji’an. Eventually, Yinniang concludes that killing Tian while his sons are young would plunge Weibo into chaos and instead protects him on the journey where she was supposed to kill him. The film concludes with Yinniang leaving behind the strictures of Jiaxin and the high politics of Weibo, instead joining a young mirror-polisher on a journey as his guardian.
    Cast[edit]
    Shu Qi (Lin Li-Hui) as Nie Yinniang (聶隱娘),[19] the eponymous assassin
    Chang Chen as Tian Ji’an (田季安), cousin to Nie Yinniang, formerly betrothed to her, and military governor (Jiedushi), ruling Weibo Circuit.
    Zhou Yun as Lady Tian, Tian Ji’an’s wife (田元氏/精精兒).
    Satoshi Tsumabuki as the mirror polisher (磨鏡少年)
    Ethan Juan as Xia Jing (夏靖), Tian Ji’an’s bodyguard
    Hsieh Hsin-Ying as Huji (瑚姬), Tian Ji’an’s concubine and a dancer
    Ni Dahong as Nie Feng (聶鋒), Nie Yinniang’s father and Tian Ji’an’s provost
    Yong Mei as Nie Tian (聶田氏)
    Fang-Yi Sheu as Princess Jiacheng and her twin sister, the princess Jiaxin turned Taoist nun (嘉誠公主/道姑/嘉信公主)
    Lei Zhenyu as Tian Xing (田興)
    Jacques Picoux as Kong Kong (空空兒)
    Production[edit]
    “I haven’t shot a movie in six or seven years. It’s really a whole new world for me because the market is now so big, because of China. So the scale is much bigger, and that makes every detail different, so now even I have to adjust my scale.”
    —Hou Hsiao-hsien[17]
    The film received several subsidies from the Taiwanese government: in 2005 of NT$15 million (US$501,000), in 2008 of NT$80 million (US$2.67 million) and in 2010 of NT$20 million (US$668,000).[20][21] However, over the production, Hou encountered various budget problems; thus more than half of the film’s final budget came from China, a first for Hou.[4] As of September 2012, its budget was CN¥90 million (US$14.9 million).[4]
    The film was filmed in several places in China, mainly in Hubei province, Inner Mongolia and north-eastern China.[22] Hou recalled that he was “blown away” when he saw “those silver birch forests and lakes: it was like being transported into a Chinese classical painting.”[22]
    Release[edit]
    The first press conference of The Assassin since its Cannes premiere was held in Shanghai on 16 June 2015, where Hou and the film’s cast discussed their Cannes experience and their upcoming promotional activities for the film.[23]
    The film premiered in Beijing on 23 August 2015, ahead of its nationwide release on 27 August 2015.[24] For its American release, the film’s distribution rights were acquired by independent distribution company Well Go USA Entertainment on 11 May 2015, and the film was released on 16 October 2015.[25][26]
    Home media[edit]
    The Assassin was released on Blu-ray and DVD in Hong Kong on 20 December 2015. The North American release was 26 January 2016 and included four behind-the-scenes featurettes regarding the film.[27]
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    The film earned CN¥61.385 million at the Chinese box office.[5] Worldwide box office is around U.S. $12 million.[6]
    Critical response[edit]

    Shu Qi promoting the film at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival
    The Assassin opened to critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 80% “Certified Fresh” rating, based on 102 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The site’s consensus states: “The Assassin’s thrilling visuals mark a fresh highlight for director Hsiao-hsien Hou, even if its glacial pace may keep some viewers at arm’s length.”[28] Metacritic reports an 80 out of 100 rating, based on 28 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”.[29] Sight & Sound magazine ranked The Assassin as the best film of 2015 based on a poll of 168 critics from around the world.[30] The Online Film Critics Society awarded the film as the best foreign language film of 2015.[31] It also ranked 50th in a 2016 BBC poll of the 21st century’s greatest films.[32]
    New York Times co-chief film critic Manohla Dargis called the film “staggeringly lovely” at Cannes, describing it as having “held the Wednesday-night audience in rapturous silence until the closing credits, when thunderous applause and booming bravos swept through the auditorium like a wave.”[33] Variety’s chief film critic Justin Chang highly praises the film, saying “The sheer depth of its formal artistry places The Assassin in a rather more rarefied realm…. Hou implicitly grasps the expressive power of stillness and reserve, the ways in which silence can build tension and heighten interest. Above all, he never loses sight of the fact that the bodies he moves so fluidly and intuitively through space are human, and remain so even in death. … Hou Hsiao-hsien proves himself to be not just the creator of this assassin but an unmistakably kindred spirit.”[34] On Film Business Asia, Derek Elley gave it a 9 out of 10, saying that “Hou Hsiao-hsien’s first wuxiamasterfully blends the genre’s essence and his own style”.[7] Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter said: “Hou Hsiao-hsien brings a pure, idiosyncratic vision to the martial arts genre”.[35] Ignatiy Vishnevetsky of The A.V. Club describes the “enigmatic and often mesmerizing” Assassin as “one of the most flat-out beautiful movies of the last decade, and also one of the most puzzling.” He states, “Mood is key here…[the film is] all muted and subsumed by a poetic atmosphere that’s radical even by Hou’s standards…It’s a movie most will be intoxicated by, but few will be able to confidently say that they understand—which may be the point, part and parcel with its conception of a world of gestures and values so absolute as to be nearly unknowable.”[36]
    John Esther of UR Chicago gave the film a more mixed review, saying “the real strength (and strain) of The Assassin is the mise-en-scène by Hou and director of photographer Mark Lee Ping Bing (In the Mood for Love; Renoir)” but criticized the film’s glossy depiction of the environment, “The costumes, the people, the woods, the art, and the interiors are relentlessly pretty. Other than human nature, The Assassin suggests there was nothing ugly to witness during this period in time.”[37]
    Sarah Cronin of the British magazine Electric Sheep writes “The intricacies of the story are bewildering, with the ‘who’ and the ‘why’ only obliquely revealed as the film lingers on. But rather than lending The Assassin an air of intrigue, these mysteries seem pointlessly and frustratingly obtuse, with the most potent symbolism left to be teased out of a broken piece of jade, while not enough is done to bring the characters to life, to make them whole. Hou Hsiao-hsien deliberately avoids giving its audience any of the pleasures of wuxia, but its take on the genre offers little, and feels like a pale shadow of fellow auteur Wong Kar Wai’s Ashes of Time. It looks gorgeous, but there’s a shallowness to its beauty. The Assassin, unfortunately, is more still life than cinema.”[38]
    Accolades[edit]

    Operation Chromite (film)

    Operation_Chromite_(film)_poster
    Operation_Chromite_(film)_poster

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to navigationJump to search

    Operation Chromite (Hangul: 인천상륙작전; Hanja: 仁川上陸作戰; RR: Incheon Sangryuk Jakjeon) is a 2016 South Korean wardrama film directed by John H. Lee and based on the real-life events of the Battle of Inchon,[4][5] although it presents a fictionalized version of the historical CIA/US military intelligence operation “Trudy Jackson”, conducted before the actual landing operation. It was released on 27 July 2016 in South Korea.[6]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Reception
    4Sequel
    5Awards and nominations
    6References
    7External links
    Plot[edit]
    In 1950, just a few months after North Korean forces have overrun most of South Korea, an American-led UN coalition is deployed to Korea to aid the struggling South Koreans. General Douglas MacArthur devises a secret plan to attack behind enemy lines at the port city of Incheon. The risky strategy is opposed by leaders of the other military branches, forcing MacArthur to devise a clandestine operation to gather essential information from within occupied Incheon by coordinating a weeklong South Korean intelligence operation known as “X-Ray”.
    The linchpin of this top-secret incursion, Captain Jang Hak-Soo of the South Korean navy Intelligence Unit (a former North Korean army officer who defected to South Korea after seeing his father executed in front of him by his fellow communist officers), and seven members of the X-Ray unit disguise themselves as a North Korean inspection unit and infiltrate the North Korean army command center in Incheon, coordinated by Soviet-trained Commander Lim Gye-Jin, a protégé of the North Korean leader, Kim Il-Sung. Their prime objective is to determine the placement of North Korean defenses (such as mines and artillery) and the tactical characteristics of the Incheon harbor, notorious for swift currents and major tidal surges and secure a lighthouse crucial to the landing’s success.
    Immediately suspicious of Jang’s “inspection mission”, Lim attempts to impede his comrade’s investigation and orders his staff to monitor the new arrivals closely. The U.S. command relays MacArthur’s orders to obtain navigation charts showing naval mine placements in the harbor and prepare a strategy to assist the coalition forces with landing an amphibious assault in a narrow two-hour window between tides. When contacts within the South Korean military intelligence unit known as KLO (Korean Liaison Office, predecessor to current day South Korean Headquarters of Intelligence Detachment, or HID) warn Jang that time is running out to successfully complete the mission, he pushes his group to extremes. Meanwhile in Tokyo, MacArthur prepares Operation Chromite, an invasion force of 75,000 UN troops and over 200 warships to imminently depart for the Korean Peninsula. [7]
    Cast[edit]
    Lee Jung-jae as Jang Hak-soo
    Lee Beom-soo as Lim Gye-jin
    Liam Neeson as General Douglas MacArthur[8][9]
    Jin Se-yeon as Han Chae-seon
    Jung Joon-ho as Seo Jin-chul
    Kim Byeong-ok as Choi Suk-joong
    Park Chul-min as Nam Ki-sung
    Jon Gries as Hoyt Vandenberg
    Gil Geum-sung as Chun Dal-joong
    Shin Soo-hang as Kang Bong-po
    Kim Hee-jin as Ryu Jang-choon
    Jung Min-ji as Ok Gil-ryun
    Naya as Yeo Ga-soo
    Lee Choong-goo as Hwa-gyoon
    Sung Hyuk as Song Sang-deuk
    Go Yoon as commando
    Jang Joon-hak as Yang Pan-dong
    Sean Richard Dulake as Lt. Col. Edward L. Rowny
    Justin Rupple as Alexander Haig
    Jin Yong-ok as Jo In-gook
    Park Jung-won as Ri Kyung-shik
    Yang Bum as Ham Kwang-suk
    Lee Hae-joon as Ji Jin-pyo
    Josie Bissett as Jean MacArthur
    Yoon Suk-jin as Do Hong-gyoo
    Kim Joong-hee as Joo Hyun-pil
    Yun Da-yeong as Gye Eun-sook
    Kim Se-jung as Uhm Gi-soon
    Park Sung-woong as Park Nam-chul (cameo)
    Kim Sun-a as Kim Hwa-young (cameo)
    Kim Young-ae as Na Jung-nim (cameo)
    Choo Sung-hoon as Baek San (cameo)
    Lee Won-jong as Kim Il-sung (cameo)
    Jung Kyung-soon as Jung Sun-sil (cameo)
    Reception[edit]
    The film was number-one on its opening at the South Korean box office, grossing US$18.47 million.[6] with around seven million tickets sold as of 5 December 2016. It grossed US$50 million worldwide.[2]
    It received 33% approval with an average rating of 49 percent from 18 reviews on movie review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[10]
    Sequel[edit]
    A second installment of the film, The Battle of Jangsari 9.15 set to be released in 2019.[11] The film has already entered pre-production stage, with Megan Fox and Kim Myung-minhas confirmed joining the cast. The film will be following the a similar plot-line as its predecessor.[12]
    Awards and nominations[edit]

    The Rite (2011 film)

    The_rite_2011_film_poster
    The_rite_2011_film_poster

    The Rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by Mikael Håfström and written by Michael Petroni.[3] It is loosely based on Matt Baglio’s book The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist,[4] which itself is based on real events as witnessed and recounted by American then-exorcist-in-training Father Gary Thomas and his experiences from being sent to Rome to be trained and work daily with veteran clergy of the practice.[5]
    The film stars Anthony Hopkins, Colin O’Donoghue, Alice Braga, Ciarán Hinds, and Rutger Hauer.[6] Shot in Rome, Budapest,[7] and Blue Island, it was released on January 28, 2011 and grossed $32 million domestically.

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Background
    4Release
    4.1Reception
    5See also
    6References
    7External links
    Plot[edit]
    Michael Kovak (Colin O’Donoghue) is the son of a successful funeral home owner and businessman, Istvan (Rutger Hauer). Disillusioned with his past job as a mortician, Michael decides to enter a seminary school and renounce his vows upon completion, thereby getting a free college degree. Four years have passed, and Michael is being ordained to the rank of deacon at the seminary. After his ordination, he writes a letter of resignation to his superior, Father Matthew, citing a lack of faith. Father Matthew (Toby Jones), apparently wanting to talk to Michael, attempts to catch up to him on the street. He trips as he steps over a curb, causing a cyclist to swerve into the path of an oncoming van. The young cyclist, Sandra (Marija Karan), is critically injured. Seeing Michael’s clerical garb, she asks him for absolution before her last breath. Initially hesitant, Michael is unable to refuse, comforting her and performing a blessing ritual to absolve her of her sins. Seeing how calmly Michael handled the situation, Father Matthew tells Michael that he is called to be a priest despite his resignation. He also tells Michael that with the rise in demonic possessions every year, the Church needs more exorcists and says that he has the potential to become one. Father Matthew decides to send him to the Vatican in Rome, so he can attend an exorcism class taught by his friend Father Xavier (Ciarán Hinds). Michael finally accepts after Father Matthew tells him that the Church might convert his scholarship into a student loan that would cost $100,000 if his immediate resignation stood. If Michael attends the exorcism class and still wants to resign afterwards, then they will discuss matters (hinting that he may be free to leave).
    During classes, he meets a young woman, Angelina (Alice Braga), who is also taking the course. He soon learns that she is a reporter who has been asked to cover the course for an article in a newspaper. Dominican Father Xavier, realizing Michael is a skeptic and very tentative in his faith, asks Michael to see a friend of his, a renowned Welsh Jesuit exorcist named Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins). Michael agrees and meets Father Lucas at his home, where he also meets one of the priest’s patients: a pregnant sixteen-year-old girl named Rosaria. It is later revealed that she had been raped by her father, which led to her possession. However, Michael remains skeptical, even after witnessing several preternatural events, such as the girl coughing up three long nails, acting unnaturally, and speaking English fluently. She pointedly reminds Michael of the last patient he anointed and of his loathing for his own father. He later speaks again with Angelina, who asks him to relay any information he gets from Father Lucas to her, as she has tried for an interview with him many times but has been refused. Michael declines. Meanwhile, Rosaria’s condition worsens, to the extent that she tries to drown herself, prompting Father Lucas and Michael to have her hospitalized for further care. In the hospital, Father Lucas performs another exorcism on her while Michael observes. Still in doubt Michael leaves while Father Lucas stays overnight outside the girl’s room. Late that night, she miscarries; the baby dies from cardiac arrest, and the mother from blood loss from major hemorrhaging. Disheartened, Father Lucas feels he has failed her. When Michael sees this he decides to confer with Angelina.
    After the young woman’s death, Father Lucas begins behaving strangely, exhibiting signs of demonic possession, like slapping a child, looking confused, and restless. Michael and Angelina later find him sitting outside his house in the rain. Father Lucas takes them into his house and, knowing himself to be possessed, requests that Michael find Father Xavier to perform the exorcism. Angelina and Michael try desperately to contact and find Father Xavier; they learn, however, that he is out of contact for three days. Learning this, Michael decides to perform the exorcism himself, with Angelina present. After constant rebuking by the demon and a long, drawn-out fight, Michael regains his lost faith and is able to force the demon to reveal its name, Baal. He completes the exorcism, saying that he believes the demon and he believes God as well. The powerful demon leaves Father Lucas. Successful, Michael leaves Rome, returning to the United States and to his life.
    The final scene of the film shows Michael, now Father Michael Kovak, entering a confessional and beginning to hear a girl’s confession.
    Cast[edit]
    Anthony Hopkins as Father Lucas Trevant[8]
    Colin O’Donoghue as Michael Kovak[9]
    Alice Braga as Angelina Vargas[10]
    Ciarán Hinds[11] as Father Xavier
    Rutger Hauer as Istvan Kovak
    Marta Gastini as Rosaria
    Maria Grazia Cucinotta as Aunt Andria
    Toby Jones[12] as Father Matthew
    Chris Marquette as Eddie
    Marija Karan as Sandra
    Torrey DeVitto as Nina
    Production[edit]
    Mikael Håfström began working on the exorcism thriller in February 2010.[13] Håfström began casting in March for the lead roles of Father Lucas and Michael Kovak, deciding on Anthony Hopkins and Colin O’Donoghue.[14] The film was produced by Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) under their Contrafilm Studios company.[13][15]
    Background[edit]
    The film is based on the book The Making of a Modern Exorcist by Rome-based Matt Baglio, which was published in 2009. To research the book, Baglio participated in a seminar[16]on exorcism by the Vatican-sponsored Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum[17][18] where he met Father Gary Thomas, a parish priest from Sacred Heart Church in Saratoga, California, who was tasked by the local bishop in San Jose, California to become an exorcist for the diocese.[19] Initially skeptical and reluctant, Father Gary becomes an “apprentice” to a Rome-based exorcist and his skepticism is soon replaced by the cold reality of evil and the ways it sometimes takes the form of demonic possession.[20][21] The book traces Father Gary’s life prior to and subsequent to their acquaintance in 2005 which involved Baglio observing over twenty exorcisms performed by Father Gary. Baglio indicates that the experience in writing the book “was just a very spiritual process and in a lot of ways, it helped me reconnect to the Church and understand the value of faith. This isn’t something that is silly and prayer, it’s very important.”[22]
    While Baglio was still researching his book, producers Tripp Vinson and Beau Flynn (who had already produced The Exorcism of Emily Rose) learned about Baglio’s book proposal and decided to purchase the movie rights. The producers contacted Michael Petroni (who was one of the writers for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader) to write the screenplay. Petroni, a practicing Catholic, coordinated the development of his screenplay with Baglio, who was now writing the book at about the same time.[23]
    Director Håfström was invited to direct the film “intrigued by the fact that he would be working from facts, not just someone’s imagination.” While the film is focused on demonic possession and exorcism, Håfström also believes that “this story is about a young man finding himself and finding his way.” In preparation for the film, Håfström attended some exorcisms in Rome although never being present in the actual room, he could hear what was taking place.[23][24] Father Gary Thomas served as a consultant on the set of “The Rite”[25][26] and indicated that the exorcisms in the film were “very accurate” with some “expected licenses” taken.[27]
    Further information: Exorcism in Christianity
    Release[edit]
    Warner Bros. released the film on January 28, 2011.[1]
    Reception[edit]
    The film was generally well received within the Catholic community although questioning its classification as “horror”.[28][29][30][31][32] The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops noted: “Though shaky on a few details, director Mikael Håfström’s conversion tale resoundingly affirms faith and the value of priestly ministry. Yet the effort to showcase the main character’s spiritual journey as an old-fashioned chillfest weakens its ultimate impact.”[33]
    It received negative reviews from mainstream critics, where it has a 21% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 158 reviews stating that while “Anthony Hopkins is as excellent as ever, but he is no match for The Rite’s dawdling pace and lack of chills, as well as Colin O’Donoghue’s tentative performance in the leading role.”
    Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and said, “I admire The Rite because while it delivers what I suppose should be called horror, it is atmospheric, its cinematography is eerie and evocative, and the actors enrich it.”[34]

    First Men in the Moon (1964 film)

    FirstMenontheMoon
    FirstMenontheMoon

    See also: Le voyage dans la lune, The First Men in the Moon (1919 film), and The First Men in the Moon (2010 film)

    First Men in the Moon is a 1964 British Technicolor science fiction film produced by Charles H. Schneer, directed by Nathan Juran, starring Edward Judd, Martha Hyer and Lionel Jeffries. It is an adaptation by science fiction scriptwriter Nigel Kneale of H. G. Wells’ 1901 novel The First Men in the Moon. Ray Harryhausen provided the stop-motion animation effects, which include the Selenites, giant caterpillar-like “Moon Cows”, and the big-brained Prime Lunar.[3]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Spacesuits used
    4Critical reception
    5Comic book adaptation
    6References
    7External links
    Plot[edit]
    In 1964, the United Nations (UN) has launched a rocket flight to the Moon. A multi-national group of astronauts in the UN spacecraft land on the Moon, believing themselves to be the first lunar explorers. However, they discover a Union Jack flag on the surface and a note mentioning Katherine Callender, which claims the Moon for Queen Victoria. Attempting to trace Callender, UN authorities find she has died but that her husband Arnold Bedford is still living, and resides in an old people’s home. The nursing home staff do not let him watch television reports of the expedition because, according to the matron, it “excites him”, and dismiss his claims to have been on the Moon as an insane delusion. The UN representatives question him about the Moon and he tells them his story. The rest of the film, as a flashback, shows what Bedford and Professor Cavor did in the 1890s.
    In 1899, Arnold Bedford and his fiancée Katherine Callender – known as Kate – meet an inventor, Joseph Cavor, who has invented Cavorite, a substance that will let anything it is applied to or made of deflect the force of gravity and which he plans to use to travel to the Moon. Cavor has already built a spherical spaceship for this purpose, taking Arnold and (accidentally) Kate with him. While exploring the Moon, Bedford and Cavor fall down a vertical shaft and discover to their amazement an insectoid population, the Selenites, living beneath the surface. (Cavor coins this name for the creatures after the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene). Bedford attacks a group of Selenites in fear — killing several, despite Cavor’s horrified protests. After escaping from the Selenites back to the surface, they discover that their ship, still containing Kate (who stayed behind because Cavor had brought only two spacesuits), has been dragged into their underground city.
    The two, following the drag trail, find and enter the city. The city holds a breathable atmosphere, so they remove and leave their spacesuit helmets. Upon finding the living quarters, they are attacked by a giant caterpillar-like “moon bull” which pursues them until the Selenites find out and are able to kill it with their tesla coil-like electrical stun ray gun. Cavor and Bedford see the city’s power station, powered by sunlight. In the end, they reach their ship underground. The Selenites quickly learn English and interrogate Cavor, who believes they wish to exchange scientific knowledge; this also leads up to Cavor having a discussion with the “Grand Lunar”, the ruling entity of the Selenites. Bedford, however, upon entering the chamber just as the Grand Lunar voices his concerns over human aggressiveness, makes the assumption that Cavor, and presumably all humanity, is on trial, attempts to kill the Grand Lunar with an elephant gun — failing due to Cavor’s attempts to stop him. Running for their lives, Bedford manages to find the sphere and escape, but Cavor stays voluntarily on the Moon.
    Bedford, along with Kate, flies the ship up a vertical shaft, shattering the window cover at the top, and back to Earth. The aged Bedford concludes his story by mentioning that the ship came down in the sea off Zanzibar, and sank, but he and Kate managed to swim ashore. Cavor’s ultimate fate remained unknown.
    Back in the present day, Bedford, the UN party and newspaper reporters watch on television the latest events on the Moon, where the UN astronauts have broken into the Selenite city and find it deserted and decaying. Moments later, the ruined city starts to crumble and collapse, forcing the landing crew to retreat hastily, and seconds later the city — and all of its history — is completely destroyed. Bedford realizes that the Selenites must have been killed off by Cavor’s common cold viruses to which they had no immunity.
    Cast[edit]

    The 1890s expedition claim the Moon for Queen Victoria

    The 1960s astronauts find Cavor’s party’s flag
    Edward Judd as Bedford
    Martha Hyer as Kate
    Lionel Jeffries as Cavor
    Miles Malleson as Dymchurch registrar
    Norman Bird as Stuart
    Gladys Henson as nursing home matron
    Hugh McDermott as Richard Challis, UN Space Agency
    Betty McDowall as Margaret Hoy, UN Space Agency
    Huw Thomas* as announcer
    Erik Chitty* as Gibbs
    Peter Finch* as bailiff’s man
    Marne Maitland* as Dr. Tok, UN Space Agency
    * Not credited on-screen.
    Production[edit]
    Spacesuits used[edit]

    See also: Spacesuits in fiction
    Two types of space suits are featured. During the main events of the story, which take place in the 1890s, the film’s Victorian-era astronauts are outfitted in standard diving dresses (each fitted with a 1960s-type aqualung cylinder worn as a backpack), as spacesuits. Their suits are neither pressurised nor heated or cooled, and they do not wear protective gloves despite the vacuum of space and extreme cold and heat of the lunar surface. There are other technical issues confronting the Victorian explorerers: even with heating and cooling provided, using rubber-lined diving suits on the Moon is impractical. Even before the space age began, the 1948 science fiction short story, “Gentlemen, Be Seated!” by Robert A. Heinlein, deftly describes the brittleness of rubber once it is exposed to the vacuum of space.
    Cavor and Bedford have no radio and must make their helmets touch each other to talk in the vacuum (although the filmmakers violate this rule several times). It is not clear whether the Selenites have radio. The history of radio was only just starting when the 1890s events were set. Wireless communication from Cavor in the Moon appears in H. G. Wells’s novel.
    The spacesuit worn by the UN Astronauts is actually the Windak high-altitude pressure suit,[4] developed for the Royal Air Force (here each fitted with a 1960s-type aqualung cylinder worn backpack). These pressure suits would also be used in two Doctor Who stories: William Hartnell’s final story “The Tenth Planet” and the Patrick Troughton-era “The Wheel in Space”. They also appear in the original Star Wars trilogy as the costumes for Bossk and Bo Shek.
    Critical reception[edit]
    Among contemporary reviews, Variety wrote, “Ray Harryhausen and his special effects men have another high old time in this piece of science-fiction hokum filmed in Dynamation,” adding that “Wells’ novel and has been neatly updated,” and concluding that “The three principals play second fiddle to the special effects and art work, which are impressive in color, construction and animation”;[5] however, The New York Times wrote, “Only the most indulgent youngsters should derive much stimulation – let alone fun – from the tedious, heavyhanded science-fiction vehicle that arrived yesterday from England”;[6] but more recently, TV Guide called it “An enjoyable science fiction film.”[7] and Blu-ray.com highly recommended “a fun and exciting viewing experience.”[8]

    Curse of the Golden Flower

    Curseofgoldenflower
    Curseofgoldenflower

    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Jump to navigationJump to search
    For the Jay Chou extended play album, see Curse of the Golden Flower (EP).

    Movie Review: Indie Sci-Fi Thriller ‘Alien Code’ Talky but Engaging
    MOVIE REVIEWS, ★★½
    In the opening scene of the new indie thriller Alien Code, Kyle Gallner’s Alex walks into his suburban home to find an unsettling sight: a dead body on his living room floor.
    But Alex is even more disturbed when he flips over the body to find… (queue Twilight Zone music)… yes, himself dead on the floor in front of him. He’s holding a note that says ‘watch me’ and an envelope with a flash drive containing a recorded message.
    That startling sequence, which unfolds over Alien Code’s opening credits, immediately hooks us in and creates a lot of good will: piecing together exactly what is going on here accounts for most of the interest in the early scenes of Alien Code.
    In the video on the USB, a gaunt-looking Alex who claims to be from the future is sending the past version of himself a message. He narrates the film we are about to watch, which begins with a knock at the door and a surprising job offer.
    It’s from the mysterious Rebecca (Mary McCormack), who claims to be working with a NSA-supported organization called ARIST and arrives at Alex’s door with a pair of MiB heavies. She needs the help of Alex – an expert cryptographer down on his luck – to work on a project she can’t give any details about until he signs a non-disclosure agreement.
    Alex is incredulous but intrigued – especially with the $50,000 immediately transferred into his account just for signing the NDA. Soon he’s sedated and driven to a remote facility, where he wakes up the lone decoder on a top-secret project.
    The project: a satellite retrieved from orbit and purportedly sent… from the future! It contains a message than cannot be decoded, which is where Alex comes in. And for the next five weeks, he works on it in isolation.
    We’re merely twenty minutes through Alien Code, and things only get nuttier from there at a fever dream-like pitch: mysterious blueprints, brain tumors, and visions of strange, featureless Slenderman-like creatures, including a giant that visits Alex by his bedroom window.
    This is fun for awhile, but Alien Code can’t quite sustain itself during a second half that sags under the weight of exposition and a script that tries to explain itself out of a rich sci-fi scenario. Alex eventually meets up with prior decoders Beth (Azura Skye) and later Miles Driscoll (Richard Schiff), who both suffer from the same hallucinations. But are they really hallucinations? Or visitors from another dimension?
    The answers to these questions lay not in on-screen action, but in mounds of dialogue and lengthy exposition that explains this world and events not unlike the much-derided climactic scenes of The Matrix Reloaded.
    For a low budget indie production, however, Alien Code deserves a lot of credit. Interest wanes as more and more gets explained, but for a good while this is an intriguing ride that keeps you glued to the screen to figure out the intricate puzzle that lies at the heart of the movie. Only in climactic scenes do budget constraints become apparent; sets and costumes could have used an upgrade in an otherworldly finale.
    Written and directed by Michael G. Cooney (though the on-screen director is credited as Sam Havenhurst), Alien Code isn’t quite Primer but it is fun and diverting and even has a nice sense of humor about itself. Gallner, alone on the screen for much of the movie, is especially impressive as the progressively freaked-out protagonist.
    Michael G. Cooney, Kyle Gallner, Mary McCormack, Azura Skye, Richard Schiff, Aaron Behr, Graham Hamilton, Noah .

    Point B (II) (2013)

     

    point b jpg
    point b jpg

    Full Cast & Crew
    Directed by

    Writing Credits (in alphabetical order)

    Cast (in credits order)

    Produced by

    Music by

    Cinematography by

    Film Editing by

    Production Design by

    Art Direction by

    Production Management

    Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

    Sound Department

    Visual Effects by

    Camera and Electrical Department

    Editorial Department

    Music Department

    Thanks

    See also
    Point B

    Genesis

    Genesis_2018_Canadian_poster
    Genesis_2018_Canadian_poster

    Directors:
    Freddie Hutton-Mills, Bart Ruspoli
    Writers:
    Freddie Hutton-Mills, Bart Ruspoli
    Stars:
    Olivia Grant, Chiké Okonkwo, John Hannah | See full cast & crew
    Directors:
    Freddie Hutton-Mills, Bart Ruspoli
    Writers:
    Freddie Hutton-Mills, Bart Ruspoli
    Stars:
    Olivia Grant, Chiké Okonkwo, John Hannah | See full cast & crew
    In a post-apocalyptic society, living underground as protection from pollution, the main concern is getting enough food and finding other survivors. A pollution-resistant android with A.I. is developed to help obtain this.
    —Scott Filtenborg
    ‘Genesis’ is the third feature from British writing and directing duo Bart Ruspoli & Freddie Hutton-Mills. The first in a sci-fi trilogy, ‘Genesis’ explores the nature of free will and what it means to be human, against a post apocalyptic backdrop where the remnants of mankind attempt to create A.I. to save them from extinction. The film stars John Hannah (The Mummy trilogy, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Olivia Grant (Stardust, Indian Summers), Warren Brown (Strike Back, Luther) and Chike Okonkwo (The Birth of a Nation, Being Mary Jane).

    Shada (Doctor Who)

    Shada_(Doctor_Who_serial)
    Shada_(Doctor_Who_serial)

    This article is about the Doctor Who serial. For the United States Navy ship, see USS Shada (SP-580). For the Arabic emphasis sign, see Shadda. For the village in Azerbaijan, see Şada.

    Shada is an unaired serial of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was intended as the final serial of the 1979–80 season (season 17) but was never completed, owing to strike action at the BBC during filming.
    The BBC released a completed version of Shada in 2017, with missing dialogue newly recorded by the original cast, using the same audio equipment employed in the initial shoot, and animated by the team that undertook the animated version of the 1966 serial The Power of the Daleks.[1][2]
    Previous attempts to present the story include a narrated reconstruction for BBC Video; a re-imagined audio play by Big Finish Productions, also offered with basic Flash imagery on BBCi and the BBC Doctor Who website; and a novelisation by Gareth Roberts, based on the latest shooting scripts, with the author’s own additions.[3]

    Contents
    1Synopsis
    2Production
    2.1Cast notes
    3Reconstruction
    3.11992 VHS reconstruction
    3.22017 animated restoration
    4Other adaptations
    4.1Big Finish audio play and web animation (2003)
    4.1.1Production
    4.1.2Outside references
    4.2Ian Levine animated version (2011)
    4.3Novelisation and audio book (2012)
    4.3.1Audio book
    5Reviews
    6References
    7Bibliography
    8External links
    8.1Fan novelisation
    8.2Webcast
    Synopsis[edit]
    The Doctor answers a distress signal from Professor Chronotis, a Time Lord posing as a professor at St. Cedd’s College, Cambridgewho loaned a Gallifreyan tome to his student Chris Parsons. The Doctor retrieves the book while Chronotis dies after his mind was extracted by the sphere of a mad scientist named Skagra, living long enough to warn Romana, Parsons, and K9 of them and Shada. The Doctor locates Skagra’s cloaked spacecraft, only for his companions to be captured while Skagra has his sphere extract the Doctor’s mind to decode the book before taking Romana in the TARDIS to his carrier ship and Krarg creations. But the Doctor survived his ordeal with his mind intact and has ship’s computer release Chris and K9 and take them to a space station Skagra previously occupied. The group find Skagra’s discarded colleagues and learn he is after a Time Lord named Salyavin.
    Back on Earth, Clare Keightley accidentally revives Chronotis whose chambers are revealed as a TARDIS, the Professor explaining the book is a key to the prison planet Shada where Salyavin is held. Chronotis and Clare repair the TARDIS to reach Skagra’s carrier, saving the Doctor and Chris after Skagra decoded the book and reveals his intent to absorb Salyavin’s mind and use its telepathy to unite all life into a single Universal Mind. The group reach Shada as Skagra releases the prisoners, Chronotis revealed as Salyavin with Skagra extracting his mind and turning the prisoners and Chris into his thralls. Reminded that the Universal Mind contains a copy of his brain, the Doctor builds a telepathy helmet to wrestle control from Skagra while the Krarg are destroyed. Skagra ends up a prisoner in his own ship while the Doctor returns the restored prisoners to Shada and parts ways with Chronotis, musing over Chronotis’ exploits being exaggerated while expecting a similar treatment within two centuries.
    Production[edit]
    Originally, writer Douglas Adams presented a wholly different idea for the season’s six-part finale, involving the Doctor’s retirement from adventuring. Facing resistance from producer Graham Williams, Adams chose to avoid work on a replacement, under the expectation that time pressures would eventually force the producer’s hand and allow his idea to be used. Ultimately, however, Williams forced Adams to conceive a new story as a last-minute replacement, which became Shada.
    Under its original remit, Graham Williams intended the story as a discussion about the death penalty, specifically how a civilisation like the Time Lords would deal with the issue, and treat its prisoners.[citation needed]
    As composed by Adams, the story was scheduled to span six 25-minute episodes. Location filming in Cambridge and the first of three studio sessions at BBC Television Centre were completed as scheduled;[3] however, when the scheduled second studio block was due to start, it fell foul of a long-running technicians’ dispute at the BBC.[4] The strike was over by the onset of rehearsals for the third recording session, but ultimately the studio time was redirected to other higher-priority Christmas programming, leaving the serial incomplete.[5]
    Following the departure of Graham Williams from the producer role, attempts were made by new producer John Nathan-Turner to remount the story; for various reasons, however, this never transpired. Consequently, in June 1980, the production was formally dropped. It is estimated that only 50% of the story was filmed.[3]
    After the production halt, Adams expressed a low opinion of the script and was content to let it remain obscure, turning down offers to adapt the story in various forms. He once claimed that when he had signed the contract allowing the script’s 1992 release (accompanying the serial’s VHS reconstruction), it had been amongst a pile of papers sent over by his agent, and that he was unaware of what he was agreeing to.[6]
    In 1983, clips from Shada were used in The Five Doctors, the 20th-anniversary special. Tom Baker, the fourth actor to play the Doctor, had declined to appear in the special, and the plot was reworked to explain the events in the clips.[4]
    Cast notes[edit]
    Denis Carey was subsequently cast as the eponymous Keeper in Tom Baker’s penultimate story, The Keeper of Traken (1981), and also appeared as the Borad’s avatar in Timelash(1985).
    Reconstruction[edit]
    1992 VHS reconstruction[edit]
    A decade after the serial’s abandonment, John Nathan-Turner set out to complete the story in a fashion, by commissioning new effects shots and a score, and having Tom Baker record linking material to cover the missing scenes. The resulting shortened episodes (of between 14 and 22 minutes each) received a 111-minute VHS release in 1992. In its UK edition, the VHS was accompanied by a facsimile of a version of Douglas Adams’s script.[3] The release was discontinued in the UK in 1996.
    This VHS reconstruction, the 2003 BBCi/Big Finish adaptation and the 1994 documentary More Than Thirty Years in the TARDIS,[7], were re-released together on DVD on 7 January 2013, as The Legacy Collection (UK) or simply Shada (North America).

    2017 animated restoration[edit]
    On 24 November 2017, an effort to complete the serial officially, using newly recorded dialogue from the original cast (using the serial’s original recording engineer and audio equipment), and new animated footage to complete the missing segments, was released as a digital download; DVD and Blu-ray releases followed on 4 December 2017 in Region 2.[9] The new sequences were animated by the same team that undertook the 2016 animated edition of the 1966 serial The Power of the Daleks,[10] including director Charles Norton, with lead character art by Martin Geraghty, character shading by Adrian Salmon, props by Mike Collins, and background art by Daryl Joyce.[11]
    A 2-disc region 1 DVD release was originally set to be made available on 9 January 2018; this was later postponed in the U.S. and Canada to 4 September 2018.[12][13] The serial was released on 10 January 2018 in Region 4.[14]
    This version received its U.S. broadcast debut 19 July 2018, on BBC America, with guide data giving the episode title as “The Lost Episode” rather than “Shada”.[15]
    Other adaptations[edit]

    Big Finish audio play and web animation (2003)[edit]
    In 2003, the BBC commissioned Big Finish Productions to remake Shada as an audio play which was then webcast[3][16] in six episodic segments, accompanied by limited Flash animation, on the BBC website using illustrations provided by comic strip artist Lee Sullivan.[17] The play starred Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor and Lalla Ward as Romana. The audio play was also broadcast on digital radio station BBC7, on 10 December 2005 (as a 2​1⁄2-hour omnibus), and was repeated in six parts as the opening story to the Eighth Doctor’s summer season, which began on 16 July 2006.
    The webcast version (originally broadcast via BBCi’s “Red Button”) remains available from the BBC Doctor Who “classic series” website, and an expanded audio-only version is available for purchase on CD from Big Finish. This expanded version was the one broadcast on BBC7.
    Production[edit]
    Tom Baker was originally approached to reprise the role of the Doctor, but declined. The Eighth Doctor was then substituted and the story reworked accordingly.
    Portions of the Big Finish version were reworked by Gary Russell to make the story fit into Doctor Who continuity. This included a new introduction, and a new explanation for the Fourth Doctor and Romana being “taken out of time” during the events of The Five Doctors; the Eighth Doctor has come to collect Romana and K9 because he has begun to have a feeling that there was something they should have done at that time.[citation needed]
    When Skagra is investigating the Doctor, clips from three other Big Finish productions can be heard, exclusively on the CD version – The Fires of Vulcan, The Marian Conspiracy and Phantasmagoria. The original serial was to have used clips from The Pirate Planet(1978), The Power of Kroll (1978–79), The Creature from the Pit (1979), The Androids of Tara (1978), Destiny of the Daleks (1979), and City of Death (1979).[citation needed]
    Outside references[edit]
    In Episode 2 of the webcast version, when Chris is in his lab showing Clare the book, a vending machine-like object in the background is labelled “Nutrimat”, a reference to a similar device in Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Two other references are a sequence where Skagra steals a Ford Prefect and when images of Hitchhiker’s Guide characters appear as inmates on Shada itself.
    Ian Levine animated version (2011)[edit]
    In 2010, Ian Levine funded an unofficial project to complete the original Shada story using animation and the original voice actors, minus Tom Baker and David Brierley, to complete the parts of the story that were never filmed. John Leeson would replace Brierley as the voice of K9, and Paul Jones (better known as a studio carpenter)[18] would replace Tom Baker as the Doctor.[3] The completed story was finished in late 2011 and announced by Levine, via his Twitter account, on 8 September 2011.[3][19] J. R. Southall, writer for the science fiction magazine Starburst, reviewed Levine’s completed version and scored it 10 out of 10 in an article published on 15 September 2011.[20] The completed Levine version appeared on torrent sites over two years later, on 12 October 2013.
    Novelisation and audio book (2012)[edit]

    Elements of the story were reused by Douglas Adams for his novel Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, in particular the character of Professor Chronotis who possesses a time machine. Adams did not allow Shada, or any of his other Doctor Who stories, to be novelised by Target Books. It is, therefore, one of only five serials from the 1963–1989 series not to be novelised by Target – along with Adams’ other stories The Pirate Planet and City of Death, plus Eric Saward’s two Dalek stories (Resurrection of the Daleks and Revelation of the Daleks).
    A six-part adaptation of the story by Jonathan V Way appeared in issues 13–18 of Cosmic Masque, the Doctor Who Appreciation Society’s fiction magazine. Adams granted permission for the adaptation on condition that it was never published in collected form.[21]
    BBC Books published a novelisation of this serial on 15 March 2012, written by Gareth Roberts. Roberts drew on the latest versions of the scripts available, as well as adding new material of his own to “fix” various plotholes and unanswered questions.[22] Nicholas Pegg, in his review of the book for Doctor Who Magazine heartily praised it, calling it a “successful duet”.[23]
    Audio book[edit]
    Lalla Ward delivered an 11hr 30min unabridged reading of the Gareth Roberts novelisation for AudioGo; joining her, voicing K9, was John Leeson. The audio recording was released on 15 March 2012, and is available for download or on 10 CDs (CD ISBN 978-1-4458-6763-2, Download ISBN 9781445867656).[24] Vanessa Bishop reviewed it favourably for Doctor Who Magazine, singling out Simon E Power’s sound design for special praise.[25]
    Reviews[edit]
    Paul Cornell, Martin Day, and Keith Topping gave the serial (at the time in the form of the 1992 VHS reconstruction) a mixed review in The Discontinuity Guide (1995), saying;

    Patrick Mulkern reviewed the 2017 partially reconstructed version for Radio Times. Mulkern thought that despite “pockets of magic to enjoy” it was a “sprawling but far-from-epic serial.” The humour was repetitive and fell flat and the action pedestrian. Mulkern recommended Gareth Roberts’ novelisation as a superior alternative.[27]

    Glass (2019 film)

    Glass_(2019_poster)
    Glass_(2019_poster)

    Glass is a 2019 American superhero thriller film[6] written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film is a sequel to Shyamalan’s previous films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016), cumulatively forming the Eastrail 177 Trilogy.[7] Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard reprise their Unbreakable roles, while James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joyreturn as their Split characters,[8] with Sarah Paulson, Adam David Thompson, and Luke Kirby joining the cast. In the film, David Dunngets locked in a mental hospital alongside his once-rival Mr. Glass, as well as the multi-personality “The Horde,” and must escape from a psychiatrist who is out to prove the trio do not actually possess super-human abilities.
    While there was interest in creating a sequel to Unbreakable following its release, Touchstone Pictures opted not to finance one at that time despite the film’s solid box office performance. Shyamalan set out to write Split using a character he had written for Unbreakablebut pulled from the script due to balance issues. Shyamalan realized the opportunity he had to create a trilogy of works, and adapted the ending of Split to establish the film as within the Unbreakable narrative. This included securing the rights to use Willis’s Unbreakable character from Walt Disney Studios, with the promise of including them within the production and distribution of this third film alongside Universal Pictures, should it be made. Split was a financial and critical success, and by April 2017, Shyamalan announced that he had started the production process for Glass.
    The film was released on January 18, 2019, by Universal Pictures in the United States and by Buena Vista International in international territories. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some finding it underwhelming and lamenting the climax, although the performances and the entertainment value of the first half were praised.[9][10]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Development
    3.2Casting
    3.3Filming
    3.4Music
    4Marketing
    5Release
    6Reception
    6.1Box office
    6.2Critical response
    7References
    8External links
    Plot[edit]
    Three weeks after the events of Split, David Dunn, working with his now-adult son Joseph, is using his superhuman abilities to protect people from criminals under a new alias known as “The Overseer”. David learns from Joseph that Kevin Wendell Crumb, who suffers from dissociative identity disorder which provides his moniker “The Horde”, has a group of cheerleaders held hostage in a warehouse. David goes to free them but encounters one of Kevin’s personalities known as “The Beast,” and the ensuing fight spills out into the streets, leading to the eventual capture of both David and Kevin by the authorities. The two are sent to a mental institution where Elijah Price, David’s sworn enemy known as “Mr. Glass”, is being held.
    Dr. Ellie Staple, the head doctor of the mental institution, works with patients who claim to have special powers. In order to have them suppress those thoughts, Staple tries to persuade them that there is no such thing as superhuman powers and that they actually have mental illness. Meanwhile, Elijah is secretly working with Kevin to unleash “The Beast” and expose the world to the existence of superheroes. With the help of “The Beast,” Elijah escapes but he is soon pursued by David, who again battles Kevin on the institution’s grounds.
    Staple arrives with armed men and explains that she has spent the majority of her career preventing superheroes from exposing themselves to the world and it turns out both Ellie and the armed men are part of a secret anti-superhuman society. The men capture David and kill him by drowning him in a pothole, while Kevin kills Elijah after he learns that Elijah orchestrated the train crash that killed his father, the same train wreck that Elijah caused to find David. After his father died, his abusive mother began torturing him, thus leading to the creation of Kevin’s multiple personalities. Eventually, Kevin is also killed by Staple’s men after Casey Cooke, a former hostage of his, puts Kevin himself back to the light, destroying the Horde and making him vulnerable to gunfire.
    Unbeknownst to Staple, the cameras around the mental institution had previously been hacked by Elijah, and the footage is released to the world, exposing the existence of those with superhuman abilities. Staple is shocked and furious that the public is now aware of superheroes and villains, which she fought to hide, and her plans and those of the secret society are destroyed.
    Meanwhile, while overseeing Philadelphia, Mrs. Price tells Joseph and Casey that it is “the beginning of a universe” as people and possibly other “superhumans” now know of their co-existence.
    Cast[edit]
    James McAvoy as Kevin Wendell Crumb / The Horde: A former Philadelphia Zoo employee with 23 different personalities whose body chemistry changes with each personality, resulting in a 24th personality known as “The Beast.” Kevin’s personalities include Jade (a foul-mouthed teenage girl), Orwell (an introverted man), Barry (the original dominant personality), Patricia (an orderly, sophisticated woman), Hedwig (a nine-year-old boy), Mary Reynolds (a spoiled English girl), Dennis (a perverted man with OCD), Norma, B.T. (a hyperactive surfer), Mr. Pritchard (a posh-talking man), Jelin, and Samuel (a Spanish-speaking individual).[11]
    Bruce Willis as David Dunn / The Overseer: A security guard with superhuman strength, stamina, and invulnerability as well as an extrasensory ability to see the crimes people have committed by touching them. In the film, Dunn goes by a new alias named “The Overseer.”[12]
    Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price / Mr. Glass: A highly intelligent mass murderer and comic book theorist with Type I osteogenesis imperfecta who was institutionalized after Dunn discovered the extent of his crimes.
    Sarah Paulson as Dr. Ellie Staple: A psychiatrist specializing in delusions of grandeur who treats patients convinced they are superhuman beings.
    Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke: A teenage girl with a history of self-harm who was kidnapped by one of Kevin’s personalities as a potential sacrifice to “The Beast” but managed to survive.
    Spencer Treat Clark as Joseph Dunn: David’s son who has believed in his father’s abilities since he was a child and sees him as a real-life superhero.
    Charlayne Woodard as Mrs. Price: Elijah’s mother who took great care of her son and always told him he was special no matter what others said.
    Adam David Thompson as Daryl, an employee at the psych ward.[13]
    Luke Kirby as Pierce, one of Mr. Glass’ caretakers at the facility.[14]
    M. Night Shyamalan reprises his cameo role of Jai, the security guard from Dr. Fletcher’s apartment building in Split who hints to David Dunn that he was the same man he confronted about selling drugs at the university stadium in Unbreakable.
    Production[edit]
    Development[edit]
    After Unbreakable’s release in 2000, rumors of possible sequels began circulating in different interviews and in film fansites. In 2000, Bruce Willis was quoted as hoping for an Unbreakable trilogy.[15] In December 2000, director/writer M. Night Shyamalan denied rumors he wrote Unbreakable as the first installment of a trilogy, saying he was not even thinking about it.[15] In August 2001, Shyamalan stated that, because of successful DVD sales, he had approached Touchstone Pictures about an Unbreakable sequel, an idea Shyamalan said the studio originally turned down because of the film’s disappointing box office performance.[16] In a September 2008 article, Shyamalan and Samuel L. Jackson said there was some discussion of a sequel when the film was being made, but that it mostly died with the disappointing box office. Jackson said he was still interested in a sequel but Shyamalan was non-committal.[17] In February 2010, Willis said that Shyamalan was “still thinking about doing the fight movie between me and Sam that we were going to do”, and stated that as long as Jackson was able to participate he would be “up for it.”[18]
    Shyamalan continued to work on other films following Unbreakable, and in 2016 he released Split. Split’s principal antagonist is Kevin Wendell Crumb, played by James McAvoy, a person suffering from dissociative identity disorder which affects his body chemistry, adapting the mannerisms of each of the separate personas. One of these personalities is “The Beast,” which causes Crumb’s body to transform into a feral superhuman state, with the desire to consume those that have not had a traumatic situation in their lives – those it does not consider “broken.” Crumb had been written in the script for Unbreakable, but Shyamalan felt there were balancing issues with his inclusion, and removed him from the story; Splitwas effectively rewritten from some of the scenes he had planned for Crumb expanded out into a standalone picture.[19]
    The final scene for Split includes the appearance of David Dunn, played by Willis. Shyamalan included Dunn here to connect Split to Unbreakable, with Dunn on learning about the escape of “The Beast,” realizing that there are other superhumans in the world, as predicted by Mr. Glass (Jackson).[20] By including this scene, he realized there may be a possibility of completing a trilogy of films. Shyamalan stated “I hope [a third Unbreakable film happens]. The answer is yes. I’m just such a wimp sometimes. I don’t know what’s going to happen when I go off in my room, a week after this film opens, to write the script. But I’m going to start writing. [I have] a really robust outline, which is pretty intricate. But now the standards for my outlines are higher. I need to know I’ve won already. I’m almost there but I’m not quite there.”[21] Unbreakable had been produced under Touchstone, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, while Split was produced through Universal Pictures. Shyamalan had to get permission from Disney to reuse Dunn. Shyamalan met with Sean Bailey, President of the Walt Disney Studios, about the use of the character; they came to a gentlemen’s agreement where Bailey agreed to allow the use of the character in the film without a fee and Shyamalan promised that Disney would be involved in a sequel, if developed.[22]
    Split was met with critical and financial success, and in February 2017, Shyamalan affirmed his next film would be the third work in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy.[23][24][25][26] Shyamalan finished the script by April 2017, announcing that it would be called Glass and with a target release date of January 18, 2019.[27][28][29][30] Universal will distribute the film in the United States and Disney will distribute the film internationally through its Buena Vista International label.[1][31]
    Casting[edit]
    The cast will include returning actors from both films: Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, Spencer Treat Clark, and Charlayne Woodard from Unbreakable and James McAvoy and Anya Taylor-Joy from Split will all reprise their respective roles in Glass.[28][32] Sarah Paulson has also joined the cast as a new character.[33][34] In November 2017, Adam David Thompson joined the cast in an undisclosed role.[13]
    Filming[edit]
    Principal photography on the film began on October 2, 2017 in Philadelphia, following a week of rehearsals.[35] Shyamalan planned for a 39-day shoot in this period.[36] On October 31, 2017 it was reported that Shyamalan was filming at the Allentown State Hospital for the film and would be filming there for a few weeks.[37] On December 12, Shyamalan revealed that 4 scenes are being planned to be shot in January 2018, stating he’d have to travel for those.[38] On February 16, 2018, a scene was filmed at Bryn Mawr College in the athletic center. On July 12, 2018, the first official photographs from production were released, including shots of Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, and James McAvoy.[39] Deleted scenes from Unbreakable were also used as flashback sequences in the film.
    Music[edit]
    West Dylan Thordson returned to score the film after his collaboration with the director on Split. He used themes from the score of Unbreakable by James Newton Howard, alongside those of Split, into this score. The score will be distributed digitally by Back Lot Music on January 18, 2019.
    Marketing[edit]
    On April 25, 2018, the film was featured at CinemaCon, with Shyamalan in attendance. He presented footage from the film, along with the first official image, featuring Willis, Jackson and McAvoy in character. He also expressed his intention with the film saying, “The worlds of Unbreakable and Split finally collide in Glass. What if these real life superheroes and super-villains are somehow locked up together? What could go wrong?” He considered it to be the “first truly grounded comic book movie”.[40]
    On July 12, 2018, the first official photographs from production were released, including shots of Samuel L. Jackson, Sarah Paulson, and James McAvoy.[39] On July 20, 2018, the film was promoted at San Diego Comic-Con, with Shyamalan, Willis, Jackson, Taylor-Joy and Paulson attending a panel, where the film’s first trailer premiered.[41]
    Release[edit]
    Glass was theatrically released on January 18, 2019 in the United States by Universal Pictures and in international territories by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the Buena Vista International label. The first screening for Glass occured on January 12, 2019, at 25 Alamo Drafthouse Cinema locations.[3]
    Reception[edit]
    Box office[edit]
    In the United States and Canada, Glass is projected to make $50–75 million from 3,841 theaters over its four-day MLK Day opening weekend.[42] It made $16 million on its first day, including $3.7 million from Thursday night previews, marking the best amount of Shyamalan’s career.[43]
    Internationally the film is expected to gross $45–50 million in its first weekend, for a total of global opening of $105–120 million.[44]
    Critical response[edit]
    On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 35% based on 235 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Glass displays a few glimmers of M. Night Shyamalan at his twisty world-building best, but ultimately disappoints as the conclusion to the writer-director’s long-gestating trilogy.”[45]On Metacritic, which assigns normalized ratings to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 42 out of 100, based on 47 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[46]Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “B” on an A+ to F scale, down from Split’s “B+” but up from Unbreakable’s “C”, while those at PostTrak gave it an average 3.5 out of 5 stars and a “definite recommend” of 49%.[43]
    David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a “C–” and called it the biggest disappointment of Shyamalan’s career, writing: “The trouble with Glass isn’t that its creator sees his own reflection at every turn, or that he goes so far out of his way to contort the film into a clear parable for the many stages of his turbulent career; the trouble with Glass is that its mildly intriguing meta-textual narrative is so much richer and more compelling than the asinine story that Shyamalan tells on its surface.”[47] Writing for Rolling Stone, David Fear gave the film 3/5 stars, writing: “Glass is not the flaming flop some folks have already suggested it is, nor is it the movie you want in terms of tying ambitious, highfalutin notions together about how we process our pulp mythos. In a world in which all movies are now either genocide or ice cream, it’s a grand gesture characterized by a sense of ambivalence about what you’ve just seen—which may in and of itself be a sign of failure.”[48] Laura Di Girolamo of Exclaim! scored the film 6/10, writing, “by virtue of being a followup to two films that have very little to do with each other, Glass struggles the most when it tries to be an effective finale to a trilogy we never realized was one”[49]
    Owen Gleiberman of Variety said: “It’s good to see Shyamalan back (to a degree) in form, to the extent that he’s recovered his basic mojo as a yarn spinner. But Glass occupies us without haunting us; it’s more busy than it is stirring or exciting. Maybe that’s because revisiting this material feels a touch opportunistic, and maybe it’s because the deluge of comic-book movies that now threatens to engulf us on a daily basis has leeched what’s left of the mystery out of comics.”[50]
    Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film “an underwhelming, half-baked, slightly sour and even off-putting finale.” [51] while Joshua Rivera of GQ said that “The timeline is barely comprehensible, with twists so openly telegraphed they’d have saved the Titanic.” [52]

    Aquaman (film)

    Aquaman_poster
    Aquaman_poster

    Aquaman is a 2018 American superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sixth installment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). Directed by James Wan, with a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, from a story by Geoff Johns, Wan and Beall, it stars Jason Momoa as the title character, with Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Patrick Wilson, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Nicole Kidman in supporting roles. It is the third live-action theatrical film featuring Aquaman, following Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) and Justice League (2017), and the first full-length feature film centered around the character. In Aquaman, Arthur Curry, the heir to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, must step forward to lead his people against his half-brother, Orm, who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms against the surface world.
    Development of an Aquaman film began in 2004, with several plans falling through over the years. In August 2014, Beall and Kurt Johnstad were hired to write two competing scripts and the film was officially announced in October 2014. Wan signed on as director in April 2015 and in July 2016 it was announced the film would move forward with Beall’s screenplay, although Wan, Johnstad, Johns and Johnson-McGoldrick all performed various rewrites. The main cast was confirmed throughout 2016 and early 2017. Principal photography began in Australia on May 2, 2017. Most of the film was shot at Village Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast, Queensland, with production also held in Canada, Italy and Morocco. Filming wrapped on October 21, 2017.
    Aquaman had its world premiere in London on November 26, 2018, and was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures in Real D 3D, Dolby Cinema, IMAX and IMAX 3D on December 21, 2018. The film has grossed over $1 billion worldwide; it is the highest-grossing installment of the DCEU and the fifth highest-grossing film of 2018, as well as the 29th highest-grossing film of all-time. It received praise for its tone, direction, and cinematography, but criticism for the plot, dialogue, and runtime.[8]

    Contents
    1Plot
    2Cast
    3Production
    3.1Development
    3.2Casting
    3.3Filming
    3.4Post-production
    3.5Visual Effects
    4Music
    5Marketing
    6Release
    7Reception
    7.1Box office
    7.1.1Domestically
    7.1.2Other territories
    7.2Critical response
    7.3Accolades
    8Future
    9Note
    10References
    11External links
    Plot
    In 1985 Maine, lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry rescues Atlanna, the princess of the underwater nation of Atlantis, during a storm. They eventually fall in love and have a son named Arthur, who is born with the power to communicate with marine lifeforms. Atlanna is forced to abandon her family and return to Atlantis, entrusting to her advisor, Nuidis Vulko, the mission of training Arthur. Under Vulko’s guidance, Arthur becomes a skilled warrior but rejects Atlantis upon learning that Atlanna was executed for having a half-breed son.
    In the present, one year after Steppenwolf’s invasion,[N 1] Arthur confronts a group of pirates attempting to hijack a Russian Navalnuclear submarine. Their leader, Jesse Kane, dies during the confrontation while his son, David, vows revenge. David later targets Atlantis at the behest of Orm, Arthur’s younger half-brother and Atlantis’ incumbent monarch who uses the attack as a pretext to declare war on the surface world. King Nereus of Xebel swears allegiance to Orm’s cause, but his daughter Mera, who has been betrothed to Orm, refuses to aid them and journeys to the surface to ask Arthur for help, earning his trust by saving Thomas from a tidal wave sent by Orm. Arthur reluctantly accompanies Mera to a rendezvous with Vulko, who urges Arthur to find the Trident of Atlan, a magic artifact that once belonged to Atlantis’ first ruler in order to reclaim his rightful place as king. They are ambushed by Orm’s men and Mera and Vulko escape without having been seen, while Arthur is captured.
    Orm visits Arthur in captivity and blames him and the surface for Atlanna’s death. He offers Arthur an opportunity to leave forever, but Arthur instead challenges him to a duel in a ring of underwater lava. Orm gains the upper hand and nearly kills Arthur before Mera rescues him. Together, Arthur and Mera journey to the Sahara desert where the trident was forged and unlock a holographic message that leads them to Sicily, Italy, where they retrieve the trident’s coordinates. Meanwhile, Orm provides David with a prototype Atlantean battle suit to kill Arthur, imprisons Vulko upon learning of his betrayal, and coerces the remaining kingdoms of Atlantis to pledge their allegiance to him and his campaign against the surface.
    After modifying Orm’s technology, a fully armored David rechristens himself as Black Manta and ambushes Arthur and Mera in Sicily, injuring Arthur before being thrown off a cliff to his apparent death. Mera nurses Arthur’s wounds as they journey to the trident’s whereabouts, and encourages him to embrace his destiny as a hero. Arriving at their destination, Arthur and Mera are attacked by a legion of amphibious monsters known as The Trench, but manage to fend them off and reach a wormhole that transports them to an uncharted sea located at the center of the Earth. There, they are unexpectedly reunited with Atlanna, who was sacrificed to the Trench for her crimes but managed to escape and reach the uncharted sea, where she has been stranded ever since.
    Arthur faces Karathen, the mythical leviathan that guards the trident, and voices his determination to protect both Atlantis and the surface, proving his worth and reclaiming the trident, which grants him control over the seven seas. Orm and his allies lead an army against the crustacean forces of the Kingdom of the Brine with the intent of completing Orm’s surface battle preparations. As Orm declares himself Ocean Master, Arthur, and Mera, with the assistance of Karathen and the Trench, intervene and lead an army of marine creatures in a battle against him. Orm’s followers renounce their obedience to him and embrace Arthur as the true king upon learning he wields the trident. Arthur defeats Orm in combat but chooses to spare his life and Orm accepts his fate after discovering Arthur has found and rescued Atlanna. Atlanna returns to the surface to reunite with Thomas while Arthur ascends to the throne with Mera by his side.
    In a mid-credits scene, David is rescued by Dr. Stephen Shin, a scientist obsessed with finding Atlantis, and agrees to lead Shin there in exchange for his help in his revenge on Arthur.
    Cast
    Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry / Aquaman:
    A half-Atlantean/half-human who is reluctant to be king of the undersea nation of Atlantis. He has the ability to manipulate the tides of the ocean, communicate with other aquatic life, and swim at supersonic speeds, and possesses superhuman strength. A younger Arthur Curry is portrayed by various actors including an uncredited infant, Tainu and Tamor Kirkwood at age 3, Kaan Guldur at age 9, Otis Dhanji at age 13, and Kekoa Kekumano at age 16.[9]
    Amber Heard as Mera:
    Arthur Curry’s love interest, a warrior and daughter of King Nereus. She was raised by Queen Atlanna and groomed to become queen. Mera possesses hydrokinetic and telepathic powers that allow her to control her aquatic environment and communicate with other Atlanteans.[10]
    Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko:
    Atlantis’ counselor, who was a mentor of Arthur Curry when he was young. He trained him to fight as well.[11][12]
    Patrick Wilson as Orm Marius / Ocean Master:
    Arthur Curry’s Atlantean half-brother and ruler of Atlantis, who seeks to unite the seven underwater kingdoms to declare war on the surface world out of the belief that humanity polluted the seas.[13][14]
    Dolph Lundgren as Nereus:
    The king of the Atlantean tribe of Xebel and Mera’s father, who allies with Orm.[15][16]
    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Kane / Black Manta:
    A ruthless pirate and a high-seas mercenary with a flair for creating deadly technological innovations.[17][18]
    Nicole Kidman as Atlanna:
    The Queen of Atlantis, mother of Arthur Curry and Orm.[19]
    Additionally, Temuera Morrison portrays Thomas Curry, a lighthouse keeper who is Arthur Curry’s father;[20] Ludi Lin portrays Murk, the Captain of the Men-of-War, the frontline army of Atlantis;[21] Randall Park portrays Dr. Stephen Shin, a marine biologist obsessed with finding the lost city of Atlantis;[22] Graham McTavish portrays Atlan, the first king of Atlantis and the ancestor of Atlanna, Orm, and Arthur;[23] and Michael Beach portrays Jesse Kane, a member of a group of pirates and David Kane’s father.[24]
    Djimon Hounsou, Natalia Safran, and Sophia Forrest play the Fisherman King Nicou, the Fisherman Queen, and the Fisherman Princess respectively, whom Orm creates an alliance with as part of his plan to unite the seven kingdoms of the sea where the former provided the voice of King Nicou.[25] Julie Andrews provides the voice of Karathen, a mythical leviathan that allies with Aquaman.[26] While Andrew Crawford provides the motion-capture of King Nicou, he also provides the motion-capture of the Brine King, who is voiced by John Rhys-Davies.[27] Leigh Whannell, Wan’s long time collaborator, appears in the film as a plane pilot.[28]
    Production
    Development
    In 2004, FilmJerk.com reported that Sunrise Entertainment’s Alan and Peter Riche planned to bring Aquaman to the big screen for Warner Bros., with Robert Ben Garant writing the screenplay.[29] However, the film fell through. In July 2009, it was reported that Aquaman was in development at Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, and Warner chairman and CEO Barry Meyer said that the Aquaman film was in development.[30] After Man of Steel’s release in 2013, a source from Warner Bros. told The Wrap that they were discussing future films, with the mention of more Man of Steel movies as well as a Superman/Batman film, a Wonder Woman film, and an Aquaman film.[31][32][33] Geoff Johns told Variety that Aquaman is a priority character for the company.[34] It was announced on August 12, 2014, that Warner Bros. had hired screenwriters Will Beall and Kurt Johnstad to pen two separate scripts for an Aquaman film. The film was being developed on dual tracks, meaning that one script was being by Beall and one by Johnstad, but only the better version would move forward.[35]
    On April 10, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter reported that James Wan was the frontrunner to direct the film.[36] In June 2015, Wan was confirmed to direct, and overlook the screenplay by Johnstad.[37] On November 12, 2015, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick was hired to write the script, however it was unclear whether he would be writing a separate script or working with Wan.[38] It was then revealed that previous script plans had been scrapped and that both Wan and Johns planned to move forward with a new script written by Beall.[39] Later, Johnson-McGoldrick was brought back to the project to work on a rewrite of Beall’s script.[40][41]
    On March 2016, it was announced that the events of Aquaman will be set after Justice League.[42][43] Wan confirmed later on Twitter that cinematographer Don Burgess, who had previously worked with Wan on The Conjuring 2, would serve as cinematographer for Aquaman.[44] Pre-production began in Australia in late November 2016.[45][46]
    Casting

    Jason Momoa at 2017 San Diego Comic-Con International
    In October 2014, Warner Bros. announced Aquaman as a part of the DC Extended Universe, with Jason Momoa starring.[47] On October 20, 2014, in an interview with ComicBook.com, Momoa revealed that he was preparing for a Justice League film, and that he did not know if a solo Aquaman film would come before or after Justice League. He thought it might be an origin story of where Aquaman came from.[48] In December 2014, it was revealed that Momoa had signed a four-picture deal with the studio and DC, and he wanted Zack Snyder to direct the solo Aquaman film.[49]
    On January 13, 2016, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Amber Heard had entered negotiations to play the female lead role of Mera, Aquaman’s love interest;[10] her casting was confirmed two months later.[50] In April 2016, Willem Dafoe was cast in an undisclosed role,[11] later revealed to be Nuidis Vulko.[12] On December 12, 2016 it was confirmed that Patrick Wilson would play the villainous Ocean Master, the half-brother of Aquaman.[13] On January 31, 2017, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was added to the cast as Black Manta, Aquaman’s archenemy in the comics.[17] That same day, press reports noted that Nicole Kidman had entered talks to play Queen Atlanna.[51] Two months later, Kidman confirmed her participation in the film.[52]
    By February 2017, New Zealand actor Temuera Morrison had entered talks to play Thomas Curry, Aquaman’s human father.[20] On April 12, Dolph Lundgren was cast to play Nereus, king of Xebel.[53] Ludi Lin was cast in the film on May 15, 2017.[54] Almost two weeks later, Michael Beach, who voiced Devil Ray, a character loosely based on Black Manta in Justice League Unlimited, was cast as Black Manta’s father.[24] In October 2017, Graham McTavish revealed that he has a role in the film.[23] In April 2018, Randall Park was cast as Dr. Stephen Shin,[22] and in July, Djimon Hounsou, Natalia Safran and Sophia Forrest were cast as the Fisherman King, Fisherman Queen and the Fisherman Princess, respectively.[25] In November 2018, it was revealed that Julie Andrews has a voice role in the film.[26]
    Filming
    Principal photography began in Australia on May 2, 2017, under the working title Ahab.[55] A majority of the film was shot at Village Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast, Queensland, with production also held in Newfoundland, Canada, as well as in Sicily and Morocco.[56] Between May and August 2017, production also took place on location around a number of places on the Australian Gold Coast, including Main Beach, Coomera, Southport and Amity Point in North Stradbroke Island, Queensland,[57] as well as Hastings Point in New South Wales.[58] On filming underwater sequences, Wan stated that “the underwater world is super complicated” and “it’s not an easy shoot.”[59]
    Filming began on the Arthur Curry Lighthouse set at Hastings Point on August 11, 2017, and ended later that month.[60] In September, during an interview with Kiss Radio, actor Ludi Lin described Wan’s vision for the film as “Star Wars underwater.”[61] That same month, filming took place in Newfoundland and Labrador.[62] Willem Dafoe finished up his part by late September.[63] On October 13, James Wan announced that Patrick Wilson wrapped on the film.[64] Filming on location took place in the deserts of Morocco by mid-October, which included the cities of Merzouga and Erfoud.[65] Principal photography wrapped on October 21, 2017.[66]
    Post-production

    James Wan’s five-time collaborator Kirk Morri served as the editor for Aquaman. Two-time Academy Award winner Charles Gibson (Babe and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest), and Kelvin McIlwain (The Fast and the Furious franchise), served as overall visual effects supervisors.[67]
    Visual Effects
    Altogether there are 2,300 visual effects shots in the movie completed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Rodeo FX, Scanline VFX, DNEG, Moving Picture Company (MPC), Method Studios, and Digital Domain[68][69] On November 3, 2018, Wan announced that post-production on the film was complete.[70]
    Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
    ILM was the lead VFX vendor and worked on creating Atlantis and all its CG animals, the Karathen and the final battle of the film. Jeff White served as the VFX supervisor for ILM on Aquaman.For the underwater sequences the actors were shot dry for wet on special tuning fork rigs designed by the FX team and later the bodies of the actors were replaced with digital boubles in post production.For creating Atlantis the team relied on the designs provided by the art department. ILM’s environment team created over 200 buildings, including the signature jellyfish buildings and laid over 7000 buildings in districts covering almost 600 sq miles for the action to travel through.The underwater ships were modeled off organic creatures and designed to move that way. For the entrance to Atlantis sequence the team built over 150,000 ships to fill the traffic lanes leading into Atlantis . All the animals including the Karathen were built by ILM and animated using keyframe animation
    Approximately 700 shots in the film required high detail hair simulaions. ILM had to significantly improve their hair simulation software due to the unique aspects of hair flowing underwater. Normally hair simulations use guide strands to define or influence the movement of groups of hair strands. This did not provide a satisfying look for underwater simulation, so ultimately ILM simulated strands individually, which resulted in heavy computations. Additionally, Wan wanted to be able to direct the hair when the physically accurate simulation resulted in undesirable results.ILM delivered 670 shots for the film[71][72]
    DNEG
    Additionally,DNEG worked on digitally de-ageing Willem Dafoe for the scene where his character Nudris Vulko trains the young Arthur Curry.[72]
    Digital Domain
    Jay Barton served as the VFX supervisor for Digital Domain. They worked on creating the Dead King’s Island environment.For the sequence the actors were shot in a pool of water against blue screen backgrounds with Digital Domain adding CG extentions,waterfalls, mountains and dinosaurs in post production.Most of the waterfalls that appear in the scene were created using Houdini while some were created using practical elements of things such as pouring salt and glass beads.They also built an extensive library of shot FX elements. The dinosaurs were animated using keyframe animation. Digital Domain delivered 19-20 shots for the movie.[73]
    Method Studios
    David Nelson and Craig Wentworth served as VFX supervisors for Method Studios.Method handled the Sicily fight sequence between Arthur, Mera and Black Manta;Arthur’s encounter with the Karathen in the Well of the Souls and his acquisition of Atlan’s Trident. For the Sicily fight sequence the team built the main square of the Italian village and terracotta tiled roof set pieces that were backed with blue screen. A completely CG village was also created based on scans and documentation of the real village.[71] For the Well of the Souls sequence Momoa was filmed dry-for-wet and captured on set in rigs that simulated underwater movements but they ultimately felt restrictive so artists replaced the majority of his performance with a digital body double and added the CG environment, Karathen and Arthur’s free-flowing locks. A specially designed 700 fps shot was used in the scene where the camera travels through Arthur’s eyes.[74]
    Rodeo FX
    Rodeo FX worked on two key sequences for the film, with Sebastien Moreau leading as VFX Supervisor for the film. For the aquarium that young Arthur Curry visits near the beginning of the film, Rodeo FX made used a large volume of simulations as well as algorithms for the fish behavior. They created hard and soft corals by developing a colonization growth system, along with procedural stem and tentacle generation tools. They also created the environments for the Atlantis ruins below the desert.Artists used a lego-type approach to layer the environment with a large amount of sand, dust and rocks, all of which would realistically give way to the characters’ interactions. From there, they sculpted ruined buildings, bridges, towers, statues and temples, which textured and shaded to add depth to the ruined city.[75][76]
    Scanline VFX
    Scanline VFX delivered 450 shots for the movie.Bryan Hirota served as VFX supervisor for scanline.The main sequences produced by them are: The lighthouse and it’s surround environment, the “Aquaman” title card that follows the Boston aquarium, Aquaman pushing the submarine to the surface and rescuing the sailors inside, Orm’s tidal wave that sweeps away Arthur and Tom including the rescue and aftermath, Black Manta being paid by Orm for the submarine’s delivery and Arthur and Mera’s visit to the Kingdom of the Trench. For the creation of the film’s title card the team relied on Rodeo’s work on the aquarium sequence and simulated up to 60,000 fish. The tidal wave sequence was realized with a large-scale simulated wave, which was integrated with a combination of day for night footage, blue screen shots for the actors in truck interiors, a truck on a rotisserie rig, an interior cabin in a water tank, and VFX simulations for debris.For creating the lighthouse a full-size house with the base of the lighthouse tower constructed by the FX team.Additional house and dock sets were built on sound stages. A digital build-out was done to complete the lighthouse tower and extend the dock fully out to sea. For the sequence where the camera pushes into a toy snowglobe with a tiny lighthouse inside a CG transition was created from the lighthouse’s living room set to a fully CG winter coastline.For creating the trench creatures motion capture was done on set by stunt performers.[77]
    Music
    Main article: Aquaman (soundtrack)
    On March 7, 2018, Rupert Gregson-Williams was announced as the composer for Aquaman. Gregson-Williams previously wrote the score for Wonder Woman, the fourth film in the DC Extended Universe.[78] The soundtrack was released by WaterTower Music on December 14, 2018.[79][80] The album features an original song by American musician Skylar Greyentitled “Everything I Need”, written by Grey and Elliott Taylor.[81] The second trailer featured a piece called “Sidewinder” from composer Phil Lober of Ghostwriter Music.[82]
    Marketing
    In March 2017, prior to filming, a first look at Aquaman was shown during the CinemaCon convention in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Momoa introducing a video of director James Wan displaying a concept art sizzle reel for the film.[83] Later, on July 22, the film’s first footage made its debut at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2017 with a teaser presented by Momoa during the Warner Bros. panel at Hall H; director Wan presented the footage, stating that “in a lot of ways, this is an origin story,” referring to the film.[84] In April 2018, another teaser, with new rough footage, was shown by Wan and Momoa at CinemaCon, joined by Amber Heard, Patrick Wilson and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on stage.[85] In an interview with Entertainment Weekly during the event, Wan teased the conflict between Arthur Curry and his half-brother and main antagonist in the film, Orm / Ocean Master, stating that “it’s almost a very classic Shakespearean story about brother from another world vs. brother from another world. And it really is a classic story of sibling rivalry.”[86]
    Cast and director of Aquaman at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con. From left to right: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Patrick Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and James Wan
    On June 11, 2018, the film’s first trailer was previewed at the European exhibitors’ conference CineEurope in Barcelona, Spain.[87] A first look at Black Manta, Ocean Master, Queen Atlanna and Nuidis Vulko was revealed by Entertainment Weekly on June 14, 2018.[88][89] On July 16, 2018, an official teaser poster was released.[90] On July 21, 2018, the first trailer was released at the SDCC 2018, being considered the best received trailer during the international convention;[91] it was later attached to theatrical showings of Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, The Meg, The Predator, and Venom.[92] The cast also appeared as guests on the late-night talk show Conan with Conan O’Brien during SDCC, on Sunday, July 22.[93] By late August of the same year, the studio held early test screenings, with mixed to positive reactions shared in social media, describing the film as good but not great.[94][95] On October 5, 2018, a 5-minute Extended Video was released by Warner Bros.[96] It received positive reactions from audiences, with praise directed towards the special effects, action, cinematography, and faithfulness to the comic book.[97][98][99] The first official TV spot for the film was released by the studio on October 16, 2018,[100] followed by a second on November 1, 2018.[101]The same month, character posters were released for Aquaman, Mera, Black Manta, Ocean Master, King Nereus, Queen Atlanna and Nuidis Vulko.[102]
    On November 7, 2018, the studio announced the schedule for the worldwide promotion tour, taking place during the months of November and December, with fan events, screenings and premieres in major cities around the globe, including Beijing, London, New York City, Manila, Los Angeles, Miami, Gold Coast, Sydney, and Hawaii.[103] Additionally, it was announced that the film would be screened on December 7, 2018, during Brazil Comic Con (CCXP) in São Paulo.[104] The following week, an official behind the scenes featurette was released, which included footage not seen before in the mainstream trailers.[105] Two days later, the film’s two main posters were released, with Aquaman and Mera showing off their comic-accurate suits.[106] On November 19, 2018, the final trailer for the film was released, alongside the announcement of the beginning of ticket sales.[107] The same day, 30 minutes of footage was shown in China during the first stop of the film’s promotion tour, generating rave reactions among attendees.[108]
    The financial success of the film has been attributed to the studio’s marketing plan, attracting a wide range of demographics (particularly women) through advertising, social media and promotional partners worldwide.[109]
    Release
    Aquaman had its world premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London on November 26, 2018.[110] It was released in the United States by Warner Bros. Pictures in RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, IMAX and IMAX 3D on December 21, 2018.[111] It had previously been set for July 27, 2018, and was then moved to October 5, 2018, before settling on its December release date.[47][112][113] On November 19, 2018, Atom Tickets announced that Amazon Prime members in the United States would have early access to tickets for a December 15 screening of the film at select Regal, National Amusements, ArcLight Cinemas, and AMC theaters.[114]
    Internationally, the film was released in China on December 7, 2018,[115] in the United Kingdom on December 12, 2018,[116][117] in Argentina, Brazil and Russia on December 13, 2018,[118][119] and in India on December 14, 2018.[120]
    Reception
    Box office
    As of January 18, 2019, Aquaman has grossed $296.5 million in the United States and Canada, and $743.9 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $1.040 billion.[7]
    Domestically
    The day after announcing the early Amazon screenings, Aquaman’s first 24-hour pre-sale totals became the highest in the history of Atom Tickets, beating out Avengers: Infinity War, as well as outpacing Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, another film Amazon Prime offered early to subscribers, the previous December.[121][122] The film made $2.9 million from the Amazon preview screenings at 1,225 theaters, higher than the $1.86 million made by Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.[123] In the United States and Canada, Aquaman was released alongside Bumblebee, Second Act, and Welcome to Marwen, and was projected to gross $65–70 million in its opening weekend, and $120 million over its first five days (with some tracking figures going as high as $150 million).[6] The film made $28 million on its first day, including $9 million from Thursday night previews (a total of $13.7 million including the Amazon screenings and a Wednesday preview). It went on to debut to $67.9 million ($73.2 million including all early showings), topping the box office but marking the lowest opening of the DCEU.[124] It then made $11 million on Monday and $22.1 million on Christmas Day, one of six films to ever gross over $20 million on the holiday; its five-day total opening was $105.7 million.[125] The film made $52.1 million in its second weekend, a drop of 23%, as well as $10.1 million on New Year’s Eve and $16.8 million on New Year’s Day.[126][8] The film then remained in first for a third consecutive weekend, grossing $31 million.[127] The film made $17.4 million in its fourth weekend of release but was upset by The Upside, which exceeded expectations to debut to $20.4 million and dethrone Aquaman atop the box office.[128]
    Other territories
    In China, where the film was released two weeks prior to its US debut, the film made $24.6 million (¥169.5 million) on its first day, representing 86% of the market share and setting a Warner Bros. opening day record in the country. It went on to debut to $93.6 million (¥644.8 million), marking the best-ever opening for the DCEU, Warner Bros. and a December release in the country. It also overtook the entire lifetime gross of Wonder Woman there in just three days.[129] The film grossed $12.99 million on Monday, thus crossing $100 million ($107.7 million).[130] By Thursday, its fifth day of release, the film had made $135.3 million, surpassing the lifetime totals of every solo Marvel Cinematic Universe film.[131] As of January 14, 2019, the film has grossed $293.70 million in China.[132]
    Critical response
    On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 64% based on 316 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “Aquaman swims with its entertainingly ludicrous tide, offering up CGI superhero spectacle that delivers energetic action with an emphasis on good old-fashioned fun.”[133] Metacriticsurveyed 49 critics’ reviews and assessed 22 as positive, 21 as mixed and 6 as negative; the website assigned an aggregate score of 55 out of 100, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.[134] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A−” on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an 82% overall positive score and a 69% “definite recommend”.[125]
    Peter Debruge of Variety criticized the dialogue but praised Wan’s direction, the production design, and the final act, writing, “The biggest surprise here is how, after the running time of a standard-length film has elapsed, Aquaman suddenly kicks the movie up a level for the finale. At just the moment this critic’s eyes tend to glaze over in superhero movies—typically, as the villain goes nuclear and a portal to another dimension opens, threatening to destroy the planet—Wan unleashes a massive deep-sea battle on par with The Lord of the Rings.”[135] Germain Lussier of io9 wrote “Aquaman is all about spectacle. It’s filled with ambition. It’s always about trying to put the coolest, most imaginative sequence on screen at every single turn of the story, no matter what the cost.”[136] Writing for TheWrap, William Bibbiani called the film “a weird and wonderful superhero adventure that strives—and almost succeeds—to be the most epic superhero movie ever made.”[137]
    Writing for Rolling Stone, Peter Travers gave the film 2.5/5 stars, praising Wan’s ambition and Momoa’s performance but criticizing the plot and dialogue, writing: “Aquaman is a mess of clashing tones and shameless silliness, but a relief after all the franchise’s recent superhero gloom.”[138] Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly graded the film a C−, writing, “It can’t decide if it wants to be silly or serious—a superhero movie or a parody of one…Unfortunately, the bloated, waterlogged film is loaded with crummy CGI, cheesy costumes, and groaner dialogue delivered by actors who are too good to traffic in such nonsense”.[139] For the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4, criticizing the film’s script and Wan’s direction, saying, “Watching this movie is like spending two hours and 27 minutes staring at a gigantic aquarium full of digital sea creatures and actors on wires, pretending to swim.”[140]
    Accolades

    Future
    In December 2018, The Hollywood Reporter announced via Warner Brothers Pictures chairman Toby Emmerich that the studio is developing a sequel.[147] Discussions of a followup film began during post-production, when director James Wan stated to TotalFilm that the first film leaves room for further stories.[148] Jason Momoa told SyfyWire that he has the beginning for a sequel written, and that after he pitched it to the studio through Emmerich and Safran, they were receptive and enthusiastic about his ideas.[148]
    Note

    Memories of the Alhambra

    Memories of the Alhambra[5] (Korean: 알함브라 궁전의 추억; RR: Alhambeura gungjeonui chueok)

    Memories_of_the_Alhambra
    Memories_of_the_Alhambra

    This article is about the South Korean TV series. For the guitar composition whose name is rendered in English as Memories of the Alhambra, see Recuerdos de la Alhambra.

    Memories of the Alhambra[5] (Hangul: 알함브라 궁전의 추억; RR: Alhambeura Goongjeonui Chooeok) is an ongoing 2018 South Korean television series starring Hyun Bin, Park Shin-hye and Park Hoon.[6] The series premiered on cable network tvN on December 1, 2018.[7][8][1][9][10] The series is also aired via Netflix.[11]
    The drama is one of the highest rated Korean dramas in cable television history.

    Contents
    1Synopsis
    2Cast
    2.1Main
    2.2Supporting
    2.2.1J One Holdings
    2.2.2People around Hee-joo
    2.2.3People around Hyung-seok
    2.2.4Others
    2.3Special appearance
    3Production
    4Reception
    5Original soundtrack
    5.1Part 1
    5.2Part 2
    5.3Part 3
    5.4Part 4
    5.5Part 5
    5.6Part 6
    6Ratings
    7International broadcast
    8References
    9External links
    Synopsis[edit]
    After receiving an email regarding a groundbreaking AR game about medieval battles in Alhambra, Yoo Jin-woo (Hyun Bin), CEO of an investment company that specializes in optical devices, travels to Granada, Spain to meet the creator of the game, Jung Se-joo (Park Chan-yeol). However, Se-joo is missing and there, he meets his sister Jung Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye), owner of the hostel he stays in and a former guitarist. Both get entangled in a mysterious incident, and the border between the real world and the AR world built by Se-joo begins to blur.[2]
    Cast[edit]
    Main[edit]
    Hyun Bin as Yoo Jin-woo[12][13]
    Chief executive officer of investment company J One Holdings; Doctor of Engineering who is talented at developing games. He is fearless, adventurous and cynical.
    Park Shin-hye as Jung Hee-joo / Emma[14]
    Lee Chae-yoon as young Jee Hee-joo
    Jung Hee-joo: Owner of Bonita hostel. A former classic guitarist who came to Spain for further studies, but took on several jobs there to sustain livelihood following the death of her parents. She has artistic sensibility but zero financial sense.
    Emma: An NPC character in the AR game created by Se-joo.[15]
    Park Hoon as Cha Hyung-seok[16]
    CEO of IT company Neword; Doctor of Engineering. Jin-woo’s college friend and co-founder of J One Holdings; who later betrayed him and became his biggest rival. He is proud and competitive.
    Supporting[edit]
    J One Holdings[edit]
    Lee Seung-joon as Park Son-ho[17]
    Business Strategy Director of J One Holdings. Jin-woo’s college senior.
    Min Jin-woong as Seo Jung-hoon[18]
    Jin-woo’s secretary.
    Jo Hyun-chul as Choi Yang-joo[19]
    Head of R&D Center Research Team of J One Holdings.
    People around Hee-joo[edit]
    Kim Yong-rim as Oh Young-shim[20]
    Hee-joo’s grandmother.
    Park Chan-yeol as Jung Se-joo[21][22]
    Kim Jun-eui as young Jung Se-joo
    Hee-joo’s younger brother. A genius reclusive programmer who develops an intricate augmented reality game.
    Lee Re as Jung Min-joo[23]
    Hee-joo’s younger sister. She dreams of becoming a girl group member.
    Lee Hak-joo as Kim Sang-bum[24]
    A classic guitarist and international student at Spain. He is close to Hee-joo and cares for her, but often oversteps his boundaries.
    People around Hyung-seok[edit]
    Lee Si-won as Lee Soo-jin[25]
    Jin-woo’s first ex-wife; Hyung-seok’s current wife. A pediatrician.
    Kim Eui-sung as Cha Byung-jun[26]
    Hyung-seok’s father. Professor of Business Administration at Korea University. A selfish and ambitious man.
    Ryu Abel as Lee Soo-kyung[20]
    Soo-jin’s sister. A florist.
    Others[edit]
    Han Bo-reum as Ko Yoo-ra[27]
    Jin-woo’s second ex-wife. A celebrity who is vain and impulsive.
    Lee Jae-wook as Marco Han[28]
    A programmer and hacker who is affiliated to Se-joo.
    Park Jin-woo as Noh Yong-jun[20]
    Yoo-ra’s manager and ex-boyfriend.
    Kim Do-yeon[29]
    A medical student that stays at Hee-joo’s hostel.
    Han Da-sol[30]
    Jung Min-sung as Hee-joo’s father
    Choi Yoo-song as Hee-joo’s mother
    Kim Hyun-mook as Game company employee[31]
    Special appearance[edit]
    Park Hae-soo as A[32]
    A detective who collects intelligence for Jin-woo.
    Park Seul-gi as Entertainment News Reporter
    Park Jong-jin as News Reporter
    Anh Sung-sup as News Reporter
    Production[edit]
    The series is helmed by director Ahn Gil-ho, who directed Stranger and writer Song Jae-jung whose previous works include W and Queen In-hyun’s Man.[33]
    Touted as Korea’s first augmented reality-gaming drama, Memories of the Alhambra was revealed to be inspired by tech mogul Elon Musk and the Pokemon Go game.[34][35]
    The first script reading took place in May 2018.[36][37][38]
    Overseas filming took place in several cities in Spain, such as Granada, Barcelona (Terrassa) and Girona from late May to June.[39][40][41][42] In early August, the cast started filming in Budapest, Hungary and Slovenia.[43][44] The script for the last episode was completed on December 19, 2018 and filming wrapped up on December 29, 2018.[45][46]
    A preview screening event was held at CGV theaters on November 28, 2018 prior to the airing of the first episode.[47][48]
    Reception[edit]
    Memories of the Alhambra was a commercial success, consistently topping the cable television viewership ratings in its timeslot. Its 14th episode recorded a 10.025% nationwide audience share according to Nielsen paid platform, making it as one of the highest rated in Korean cable television history.[49]
    The drama has attracted attention for its unique theme of augmented reality; and earned praise for as its high-end computer graphics, cinematography and fast-paced storytelling.Critic Jeong Seok-hee praised the drama for its mysterious and captivating plot that held viewers’ attention until the very end, and that it “has the potential to become one of the very best TV dramas we have seen in years”.[10][50][51] However later on, it received criticism for its confusing development and slow development of plot,[52] and its excessive product placement.[53]
    According to the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, the series is receiving favorable reviews and popularity in China for its actors’ performance, cinematography and fresh story.[54][55]
    Original soundtrack[edit]

    Part 1[edit]

    Part 2[edit]

    Part 3[edit]

    Part 4[edit]

    Part 5[edit]

    Part 6[edit]

    Ratings[edit]
    In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
    N/A denotes that the rating is not known.

    This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC and EBS).
    International broadcast[edit]
    Memories of the Alhambra will be broadcast on Netflix in Asia and English-speaking territories an hour after its broadcast in Korea. In Japan, the drama will broadcast on December 2, while in Europe, South America and the rest of the world, it will be launch starting December 11.[70]

    Buster Scruggs

    The_Ballad_of_Buster_Scruggs_(2018_poster)
    The_Ballad_of_Buster_Scruggs_(2018_poster)

    Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen
Nominations: (3) Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Original Song
    Would this have worked as a Netflix series? Did packaging it as an anthology movie give Scruggs the jolt of mystique necessary to let viewers overlook the long, boring stretches, or the ending that doesn’t go anywhere (uh, literally), or the very loose theme of “death … in the Old West”? Scruggs has its moments, and it certainly has its fans, but I ain’t one of ’em.
    Stream The Ballad of Buster Scruggs on Netflix.

    30. Avengers: Infinity War
    Directed by: Joe and Anthony Russo
Nominations: (1) Best Visual Effects
    The films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have always been more self-contained than they’ve been given credit for, telling complete stories that one could plausibly enjoy without having consumed the entire epic series. Not so with Infinity War, which plays less like a story and more like that thing where you’re a kid and you smash all your action figures together. Not that that doesn’t make for the kinds of wonderful character crossovers fans have been waiting years for (I was particularly partial to the trio of Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Okoye wrecking shit on the battlefield), but it’s definitely the first MCU movie that felt purely like a cog.

    Avengers_Infinity_War_poster
    Avengers_Infinity_War_poster

     

    Avengers_Infinity_War_poster

     

     

     

     

     

    3. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

    Can_You_Ever_Forgive_Me_
    Can_You_Ever_Forgive_Me_

    Directed by: Marielle Heller
Nominations: (3) Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay
    To call Lee Israel, as played to utter perfection by Melissa McCarthy, abrasive would be an insult to Brillo Pads. The semi-unsuccessful celebrity biographer stalks the New York City of the early ’90s, hopping from daytime bar to bookstore to nighttime bar to her crappy apartment, leaving a trail of invective in her wake. And then one day, she stumbles upon the idea to start forging original correspondence from the notable figures she’s been writing about. Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a scammer’s movie, yes, but it’s also a movie about dealing with failure in New York; about the value of queer friendships (enter the sublime Richard E. Grant); and about feeling like less of a fraud, even when you’re being fraudulent, because at least you’re using your talents. One of the true, pure pleasures of awards season.

    50 top movies of the 21st Century so Far

     

    50. Mystic River (2003)

    The performances of Sean Penn and Tim Robbins loom large over Clint Eastwood’s powerful “Mystic River.” They dig into the shattered souls of men who take different paths from childhood to adulthood. But regardless of who got in that car, their lives can’t help but intersect.

    (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

    49. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

    With “Black Panther” scoring big with critics and audiences, it reminds us of the movie that previously held the title of best film based on a Marvel character. The blueprint for the modern, mainstream superhero movie film lies with “Spider-Man 2,” from the strong female lead to the flawed superhero we see ourselves in. There may never be a better Spider-Man than Toby Maguire in terms of portraying a young man struggling with accepting the burden of greatness.

    (Photo: Universal Pictures)

    48. Bridesmaids (2011)

    The past 10 years have featured an abundance of raunchy bro comedies. But Kristen Wiig topped them all in terms of showmanship with “Bridesmaids” by crafting an amazing script and assembling one of the best female-driven casts of all time.

    Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

    47. Get Out (2017)

    Jordan Peele’s original ending for “Get Out” had the main character getting arrested for the murder of the white family that intended to steal his brain. The change gives humor to a film with several twist and turns that prove haunting. Could it really happen? Probably not. Probably.

    (Photo: Newmarket Films)

    46. Donnie Darko (2001)

    “Donnie Darko” is a weird movie that’s hard to classify. But that’s why it continues to resonate. It’s a science fiction film filled with teenage troubles and battles with moralities. “Donnie Darko” accomplishes with an immense amount of tension driven by the first great performance of Jake Gyllenhaal’s career.

    (Photo: DreamWorks)

    45. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

    Will Ferrell created one of the most iconic film characters of the past two decades in Ron Burgundy. It’s an over the top, laugh out loud performance aided by several supporting turns, the best of which is Steve Carell’s Brick, who “loves lamp.”

    (Photo: Universal PIctures)

    44. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

    During the mid-2000s, every studio wanted a “Bourne” style film. Most tried, but few succeeded in even coming close to measuring up to Matt Damon led franchise, whose peak comes with “The Bourne Ultimatum,” an absolute thrill ride that never stops.

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)

    43. Her (2013)

    “Her” is a movie that may always be ahead of its time. Spike Jonze’s story redefines the concept of love, as a lovable man (Joaquin Phoenix) falls in love with his operating system. It sounds nuts. But Jonze, along with Phoenix and Scarlett Johansson’s voice, pieces together a perfect love story of the future.

    (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

    42. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

    Danny Boyle is been great at taking films focused on certain cultures and giving them a mainstream, international appeal. The best example of that is “Slumdog Millionaire,” an exciting and heartfelt film with a satisfying ending Oscar voters couldn’t help but embrace.

    Andrew Cooper

    41. Apocalypto (2006)

    Even after the controversial release of “Passion of the Christ” and his own personal problems, there was no denying Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto” as the epic piece of filmmaking that it was. With very few words uttered, he tells a story of survival and family that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

    Warner Bros.

    40. The Artist (2011)

    There’s an understating beauty and brilliance that comes with Best Picture winner “The Artist.” Thus is the case for a silent movie that serves as a lover letter for old-school Hollywood. But don’t let the cheesiness fool you. This is pure art with performances worthy of the awards they received.

    (Photo: Universal Pictures)

    39. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)

    “40 Year-Old Virgin” takes what would become director Judd Apatow’s go-to premise – a down on his luck loser looking to land a hot girl – and rides it to perfection. Steve Carell is the most endearing of Apatow’s leading men, surrounded by the hilarious trio of Paul Rudd, Romany Malco and Seth Rogen.

    (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

    38. 28 Days Later (2002)

    The most riveting horror film of the past 15 years, “28 Days Later” defies the rules of the zombie apocalypse. The “infected” are fast and menacing. But it gives Danny Boyle’s picture bite (pun intended), while examining the social and political dismay that’s bound to come when the world falls apart.

    (Photo: Universal Pictures)

    37. Traffic (2000)

    “Traffic” was a bit too dark and real for Academy voters in 2001, earning four awards, but somehow not Best Picture. Looking back, “Traffic” plays like the best ensemble piece of its era with precise editing that ties together harsh stories about the drug trade and mesmerizing performances from Benecio Del Toro, Don Cheadle and Catherine Zeta- Jones.

    Universal Pictures

    36. Munich (2005)

    It was easy to gloss over Steven Spielberg’s “Munich” when it was released for two reasons. 1) In some ways, it felt more like an action film than an examination of the 1972 Olympics tragedy. 2) That sex scene at the film’s end is cringe-worthy. In retrospect this is a movie that moves you through intensity and thrilling scenes, only to realize that vengeance or even justice can’t cloud the fact that violence brings about more violence.

    (Photo: Open Road)

    35. Spotlight (2015)

    The 2016 Best Picture winner accomplishes a small movie miracle. Thanks to restraint and brilliant performances, “Spotlight” takes a subject few want to rehash – the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church – and makes a stunning, moving and watchable film out of it.

    (Photo: Summit Entertainment)

    34. The Hurt Locker (2008)

    There’s more to making a war film than brutal action. “The Hurt Locker” has some of that, but focuses more on the psychology of an adrenaline junkie (the fantastic Jeremy Renner) who finds his only sense of purpose in what most would consider a death wish.

    (Photo: Miramax)

    33. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and 2 (2003-2004)

    It’s hard to choose between Quentin Tarantino’s two-part martial arts epic. It’s also hard to separate them. “Kill Bill” is a revenge piece dressed up in style, creating a mesmerizing art piece with a high replay factor. It’s also the last time Tarantino’s vision seemed as precise as his 1990s classics.

     

    32. Whiplash (2014)

    There’s a fine line between genius and psychopath, something magnified in the student/teacher relationship showcased in “Whiplash.” The performances of Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons are top-notch in a movie with one of the best end scenes you will ever see.

    (Photo: Marvel)

    31. Black Panther (2018)

    You had a feeling “Black Panther” would be good. But not THIS good. The film rates as one of the best superhero movies of all time and one that served as a game-changer for Marvel. The amazing cast, story and larger worldview is one of the best winning combinations in cinema of the past few years.

    (Photo: New Line Productions)

    30. A History of Violence (2005)

    Based on a graphic novel of the same name, David Cronenberg’s thrilling “A History of Violence” plays out like a coiled spring that explodes. It’s smart and powerful with performances that delight, from the mysterious Viggo Mortensen to the stunning wit of William Hurt.

    (Photo: Pixar)

    29. Toy Story 3 (2010)

    Pixar’s greatest film brings not only a story to its proper evolution, but also showcases how far the studio has come. “Toy Story” is Pixar’s richest film in terms of storytelling and packs the biggest emotional punch, as the lovable toys realize, like their owner, that childhood and innocence can’t last forever.

    (Photo: FilmDistrict)

    28. Drive (2011)

    Ryan Gosling’s character never gets an actual name in “Drive.” That’s on purpose, as he’s supposed to function like an unemotional vehicle. But that changes when he meets Carey Mulligan’s Irene and their chemistry radiates off the screen. “Drive” is a modish film that has a tremendous cool factor. You’ll want to watch it again and again.

    (Photo: The Weinstein Co.)

    27. The Master (2012)

    You can’t watch “The Master” just once. That wouldn’t do Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic justice. Nor would it allow you to fully grasp this dark and cunning story of Scientology (though that word is never uttered). The performances of an overpowering Philip Seymour Hoffman and a completely vulnerable Joaquin Phoenix serve as a master class in acting.

    (Photo: Universal Pictures)

    26. Mulholland Drive (2001)

    A film as unique as they come, David Lynch’s neo-noir masterpiece keeps you on the edge of your seat while it slowly ties together various storylines into one thrilling end game. “Mulholland Drive” is strange, sexual, stylish and engaging in the best ways possible.

    (Photo: Sony Pictures Classics)

    25. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

    It shouldn’t surprise anyone that, 16 years later, we’re finally getting a sequel to Ang Lee’s gorgeous martial arts film. It’s a visual masterwork that easily stands the test of time, elevating its genre into something that equals cinematic art.

    (Photo: Newmarket)

    24. Memento (2000)

    It wasn’t enough for Christopher Nolan to play with the way in which a film reveals its story. He had to give us the shocking ending as well. By the time “Memento,” one of the best psychological thrillers ever made, gets to its conclusion, you realize the unthinkable – you’ve been rooting for the wrong man all along.

    (Photo: Picturehouse)

    23. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

    There’s a reason people get excited when they see Guillermo del Toro’s name attached to a project. He has a few stellar films to his credit, but “Pan’s Labyrinth” is the one that will leave you in awe. It’s a monster movie with immense beauty; a creepy version of “Alice in Wonderland;” a poetic masterpiece.

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)

    22. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

    In a world of CGI and special effects, George Miller decided it was time to go old school. He spent months upon months building vehicles and choreographing stunts that would make “Mad Max: Fury Road” seem unlike any other film of today. Mission accomplished.

    (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

    21. The Wrestler (2008)

    “The Wrestler” is the simplest move of stylish director Darren Aronofsky’s career. It’s also his most sincere. Mickey Rourke gives the performance of a lifetime, both physically and emotionally, as a professional wrestler who can only find happiness abusing his body in the ring. Your heart breaks for him.

    (Photo: DreamWorks)

    20. Almost Famous (2000)

    Director Cameron Crowe puts his love of music on full display in “Almost Famous,” one of the easiest movies to fall for. Everyone brings his or her A-game, in an ensemble movie where the chemistry is through the roof. It’s a touching love letter to the joy of music that will hit you right in the heart.

    (Photo: Pixar)

    19. Wall-E (2008)

    Pixar’s most visually impressive film operates, for the most part, without the need for words. The most impressive thing “Wall-E” accomplishes is making you fall in love with a trash compactor with a heart of gold. Perhaps no film showcases the magic of Pixar more.

    (Photo: Focus Features)

    18. Lost in Translation (2003)

    Even with all his fantastic comedies, “Lost in Translation” is Bill Murray’s greatest performance. Sure, there’s humor. But Sofia Coppola’s film paints a portrait of loneliness in a crowded world. And Murray scores with it, bringing a worthy Scarlett Johansson up to his level of poignant acting.

    (Photo: Focus Features)

    17. Far from Heaven (2002)

    Todd Haynes’ “Far from Heaven” is a period piece that carries a timeless vibe. The cinematography is fantastic and the performances are dead on. It’s a film that examines the societal restraints of race, gender, sex and classism in ways that they still resonate today.

    (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

    16. Sideways (2004)

    Crafting a brilliantly written dramedy around the concept of wine, Alexander Payne scored a tasty result with “Sideways.” The film is as hilarious as it is touching, anchored by Paul Giamatti’s character, who brings an unprecedented level of humanity to his role.

    (Photo: Miramax)

    15. There Will Be Blood (2007)

    The first part of Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” functions, in a way, as a silent film. But the magnitude of what you’re watching never escapes you. The cinematography is out of this world, while Daniel Day Lewis gives an acting performance that’s beyond staggering. Altogether, “There Will Be Blood” functions like Anderson’s own modern day “Citizen Kane.”

    (Photo: Artisan Entertainment)

    14. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

    The power of Darren Aronofsky’s “Requiem for a Dream” makes itself known in so many different ways. There’s the acting (led by an Oscar-nominated Ellen Burstyn). There are the visuals, as Aronofsky puts his full mind-bending arsenal on display. There’s the haunting score and the overall ambition of a director to make a drug film that will scare the living daylights out of you.

    Mary Cybulski

    13. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

    Upon its release, Martin Scorsese’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” felt like a bloated body of work that could have been trimmed. Upon repeat viewings, you don’t want to miss a second. It’s a film about the American economy and greed that’s as entertaining as it is eye-popping. And it’s all anchored by Leonardo DiCaprio in what might be the greatest performance of his career.

    (Photo: Fox Searchlight)

    12. 12 Years a Slave (2013)

    “12 Years a Slave” is an agonizing movie, whose pain can be felt even after its antagonist escapes captivity. The performances of Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong’o are of the highest caliber. But the true power of the film lies in Chiwetel Ejiofor’s unrelenting eyes. It’s a movie of hope and heartache coexisting in a cruel world.

    (Photo: Focus Features)

    11. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

    The backbone of “Brokeback Mountain” isn’t the stunning cinematography or its groundbreaking status as a romantic drama featuring two of Hollywood’s biggest male stars. It’s the performance of its cast, led by Heath Ledger, who holds his face like a tightly clenched fist, until its heartbreaking ending that stays with you.

    (Photo: Columbia Pictures)

    10. The Social Network (2010)

    It’s probably the ultimate movie for Millennials – a sensationalized story about the creation of Facebook. David Fincher’s “The Social Network,” written by Aaron Sorkin, isn’t just about new technology. It’s about how struggles with loneliness and longing for friendship can drive people to the fine line that exists between genius and self-destruction.

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)

    9. Inception (2010)

    Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” is one of the most intricate films you’ll see, centered on the idea that you can alter someone’s reality while inside their dreams. It comes with a mesmerizing score, solid performances and amazing visuals in a film that seems to never stop moving.

    (Photo: Miramax)

    8. City of God (2002)

    If you’ve never “City of God,” brace yourself for a crime drama of epic proportions. The film takes on the journey of a group of young people trying to survive and, for some, thrive in the drug land of Rio de Janeiro. It’s a well-polished film that at times, feels almost too real to believe.

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)

    7. The Departed (2006)

    Martin Scorsese finally earned his Academy Award for Best Picture with “The Departed,” an acting showcase where many of the actors deliver career best performances. “The Departed” is a remake of the Hong Kong film “Infernal Affairs” (which could have easily be on this list), but gives the story a charismatic vibe that redefines the concept of good and bad.

    (Photo: Focus Features)

    6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

    Love is something that can’t be controlled. That’s the message writer Charlie Kaufman delivers with “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” a mesmerizing love story for the ages. Director Michel Gondry’s surrounds Kaufman’s story with visuals to marvel at, while Jim Carrey (never better) and Kate Winslet make you feel every ounce of their angst. Love isn’t meant to be perfect and battling it is futile. I can’t think of anything about this film I don’t like about it.

    (Photo: Universial Pictures)

    5. Children of Men (2006)

    Generally, films that touch on the end of the world tend to be sensationalized. But Alfonso Cuaron’s amazing “Children of Men” accomplished something far more daring. He crafted a movie and a scenario (where babies have become extinct) that could terrifyingly happen. It’s about the struggle for humanity to live on, a battle you find yourself swept up in.

    (Photo: Miramax)

    4. No Country for Old Men (2007)

    Based on a great novel by Cormac McCarthy, “No Country for Old Men” is the Coen Brothers’ take on man’s desire to overcome his destiny. Set in 1980 Texas, the movie’s structural simplicities make way for thrilling performances, the best of which comes from Javier Bardem who basically plays the devil.

    (Photo: New Line Cinema)

    3. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)

    Take your pick as to which is the best “The Lord of the Rings” film. Separate, each film would make its way onto this list. But together, they make for one of the greatest film epics in history. The story was already timeless before Peter Jackson got his hands on it. But the ambition visual production added an oomph that would create an escape for millions of moviegoers.

    (Photo: Warner Bros.)

    2. The Dark Knight (2008)

    The centerpiece of Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy” is more than just a superhero movie. In its most basic sense, “The Dark Knight” is about good versus evil. But it’s also about one man reaching his limits and being forced to trust in the people he’s chosen to protect. Mixed within that is arguably the best acting performance in two decades with Heath Ledger’s incomparable Joker.

    1. Moonlight (2016)

    Sometimes movies can catch you off guard and be so subtly powerful they leave you sitting there for minutes after trying to comprehend the emotions you’re feeling. “Moonlight” is one of those movies. The performances are flawless. But what stands out most about the coming of age tale that examines sexual identity and cultural understanding is that it’s a stunning piece of African American filmmaking where racism isn’t the centerpiece. It’s a all-time great and critically acclaimed movie that just so happens to be about black characters.

     

    the End

     

  • Movies Watched During 2018

    Movies Watched During 2018

    movie night poster
    night at the movies

    Jake’s Cosmos Aller’s Movies Watched During 2018.

    Like my book list, I have been keeping a list of movies and TV shows watched during the year. Here is my list of movies watched during 2018.

    I saw 76 movies/TV shows during the year. Many of them I saw while flying to and from Asia four times this year – I almost always watch five movies enroute as I can’t sleep very well on planes.

    re TV shows, I enjoyed “Better Call Saul”, “Enterprise”, “Discovery”, “Once Upon a Time”, “Mr. Sunshine”,
    “the Expanse” and “Travelers”.

    the worst movie of the year for me was “Rage”, the best was “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Manchurian Candidate,” the original movie.

    The best series was “Once Upon a Time” and “Mr. Sunshine”.

    Would love to see what my friends have watched. For the first time I tried to grade the movie/show. I have been binge watching a lot of shows as well as movies of course. Most were English movies, but I did see some Korean movies as well.

    For 2019 I hope to see a lot more movies as a megabox theater opened about one mile from my house. It has a great shabu shabu restaurant, will soon have a sauna and a bowling ally. I can see spending a lot of time there! saw Bohemian Rhapsody there on Christmas day.

    hope to hear from you regarding your own favorite movies of the year.

    Jake Cosmos Aller

    here’s the list of Movies Watched During 2018

    1. Once Upon a Time ABC mini-series a
    2. Taken Earth c
    3. Alice Through the Looking Glass b
    4. The Vault c too scary a movie
    5. GORA Turkish SF comedy c
    6. Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales b
    7. Cowboys Vs Dinosaurs b
    8. Enterprise complete season b
    9. Frequency series b
    10. Coverdale Paradox d

    On plane

    11. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (on plane) b
    12. Kong Island of Skulls (on plane) c
    13. GeoStorm (on plane) c

    Korea

    14. Lost and Found
    15. Beatriz at Dinner
    16. The Expanse Netflix Original b
    17. Discovery Netflix b
    18. Drone Wars c
    19. Prometheus Trap c
    20. Backway c
    21. The Mermaid b
    22. The Great Wall c
    23. Gold c
    24. King Arthur c
    25. The Legend of Zoro c
    26. Jumper c
     
    On Plane

    27. The Kingsman Golden Circle b
    28. King Arthur 2016 b
    29. The Black Panther a
    30. The Death Cure b

    In Korea

    31. Guardian of the Tomb 2018 Netflix c
    32. Timeless Series three seasons Netflix b

    On Plane

    33. Atomic Blond c
    34. Central Intelligence Agency b
    35. All the Money in the World b
    36. Molly’s Game b

    DC

    37. Erased b
    38. Bad Lieutenant c
    39. Bangkok Dangerous c
    40. Bodies of Lies b
    41. Princess Diary b
    42. Phenomenon a
    43. Do Over c

    On Plane

    44. Going Out in Style b
    45. Nice Guys b

    In Oregon

    46. Extinction b
    47. Beyond Skyline c
    48. Secret City one episode is enough
    49. Ripped c
    50. A Series of Unfortunate Events b
    51. Hamlet OSF A
    52. Revolutionary Road b
    53. The experimenter b
    54. Rage c
    55. Wild Oats c
    56. Jurassic Park Fallen Kingdom Eastern Market Cinema b
    57. Stasis b

    On Plane

    58. Han Solo b
    59. Rampage c
    60. Wrinkle in Time b
    61. Manchurian Candidate A

    Back in Korea

    62. Better Call Saul A
    63. Tau b
    64. Earth’s Final Hour c
    65. Get Out A
    66. Prometheus Trap b
    67. The Postman b
    68. Doc Holliday’s Revenge b
    69. The Horseman b
    70. Young Gun b
    71. Ballade of Buster Scruggs b
    72. Mr. Sunshine Korean TV mini-series A
    73. Travelers all three seasons b
    75. Bohemian Rhapsody Theater A
    76. The Happening 2008 movie b

    rotten tomatoes best movies of 2018