Thursday, August 8, 2024

Treasure My 50 Favorite Movies of All Time

 

By Mark Pukalo


It's been more than 50 years since I watched my first full movie. How about them apples?

Hundreds of films have touched me and created lasting memories since.

I've looked into the infinite abyss, screamed "I'm a Golden God," often raised my arms in triumph when I reached the top of long staircase and told everyone when it was pouring outside that the heavy stuff isn't coming down for a while.

I have been trying real hard to be a shepherd the last 10-15 years or so, giving my advice as an amateur film critic and hoping to capture the spirit of the thing in my blogs.

As I paired down my list of great movies to the final 50 that I have seen over parts of six decades, I realized that fat, drunk and stupid was no way to go through life. I know now I need to phone home more, learn to use my head before learning to use a sword, put a cover letter on my TPS reports and always double down on 11.

One day, I thought I'd be cool. I'm still waiting, but I don't do drugs and I know the only true currency in this world is what you share with someone else when you are uncool.

I grew up in Connecticut where I ran the picket fence on the basketball court in grade school and high school. I went to New York City many times where money never sleeps  I've been the Philadelphia where Rocky learned that women can sometimes weaken legs.

There were many trips to beautiful Cape Cod where I once fell to my knees on the beach and yelled, "They finally did it. ... Ahh Damn them, damn them all to Hell!" I have also enjoyed a Fresca.

I've never been to Vegas baby! But now I live in the Sunshine State where they always think it's time to burn some books and sometimes you see some Nattzis.

I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. Umm, wait, well, the other way around. But I'm still wondering what came first, the music or the misery and whether sacrificing a live chicken would have taken the curse off Bill Buckner's glove.

You may not be able to handle the truth, but I can. These are all great movies. Everyone has a different opinion on how good films rate. But there is something special about all of them.

I see you judging me. I never said I'm the hero. This is just an opinion.

Yes, some people like more classic movies from the 50s and 60s. I respect that. Those great works of art just don't move me like more modern films do. Life is truly like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get these days.

As a writer, it's sometimes easy to forget that we spend most of the time stumbling around in the dark. Suddenly, a light gets turned on. And then, "Oh, that's a bingo!"

Whether they made me laugh, cry, think or just entertained me - for some, all of the above - these 50 films will be with me forever.  They all have the right stuff.

These are movies I'd watch again. ... again. ... again. ... again. .......


THE TOP 50


A Few Good Men - Probably the movie I have watched the most in my life on television as it is constantly on late at night and never gets old. Rob Reiner directed Aaron Sorkin's screenplay about the coverup after a marine dies when he is disciplined within the unit. Jack Nicholson produced one of his best performances as the evil Colonel Jessup while Tom Cruise and Demi Moore make it fun.

Almost Famous - Cameron Crowe directed and won best original screenplay for what he termed was his "love letter to music" in 2000. The film was semi-autobiographical as William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is based on Crowe, who was a teenage reporter for Rolling Stone - covering the Eagles, Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers among others on the road. Kate Hudson brings the story together with her portrayal of "bandaid" Penny Lane while Jason Lee, Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman shine. It pulls at the heart strings and makes you laugh throughout with wonderful dialogue and music. It is my favorite film of all time.

American Fiction - A very sharp satire about a talented writer (Jeffrey Wright) frustrated by establishment profiting from minority entertainment sources with stereotypes. It's smart, funny, thought-provoking and has one heck of an apt and hilarious ending. The definition of a perfectly-made movie. The scene with Wright and Sterling K. Brown during the maid's wedding is so good.

Animal House - The 1978 classic comedy was directed by John Landis and turned into a tour de force for the late John Belushi, who had the majority of the best lines in the film. Every time I watch the movie, it brings back memories of college and fraternity fun at UConn. The best scenes and lines will live forever. "My advice to you is to start drinking heavily."

Back to the Future - In the first of the memorable series, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is transported back to 1955 where he must make his parents fall in love again after the time continuum is messed up. Marty has to fight off the advances of his mom, the bully Biff and he introduces the kids to some classic Chuck Berry music ahead of its time. Eric Stolz was supposed to be Marty, but the switch was made during filming.

The Big Chill - Director Lawrence Kasdan's 1983 comedy-drama brings together a group of college friends from the University of Michigan after one of the group suddenly commits suicide. Great music of the 60s and 70s is the backdrop for the film that features an amazing cast, led by Glenn Close and Kevin Kline. Kevin Costner was cast as the late Alex, but he was never shown in the movie.

The Big Short - Some people quibble with the facts or say they are exaggerated (NOT ME), but director Adam McKay (Anchorman) does a strong job turning Michael Lewis' book about the horror of the 2007-2008 financial crisis into an entertaining film. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt and Christian Bale earned high marks with their performances while telling the story of fund managers and a banker who predicted the collapse of a still fraudulent system.

The Big Sick - Kumail Nanjiani hits a home run with his sly humor "you're the Pakistani Sammy Sosa," playing himself in the true-to-life story. Zoe Kazan was the perfect casting as Emily "I don't date time nerds," but the big surprise was Ray Romano's perfect deadpan performance. Everything seems to come together perfectly for this film, which you can watch over and over and still smile throughout.

Braveheart - Mel Gibson directed and starred in the epic film based on William Wallace, a Scot who led the rebellion for freedom from the wicked King of England. The powerful story is about love, revenge, betrayal, loyalty, courage and the will to fight against tyranny. There is emotion in every scene and moments when you cheer or cry. There has never been a better war drama than the Best Picture of 1995.

Bull Durham - A comedy about minor league baseball turns into a unique love story. Kevin Costner could not have played Crash Davis, a minor-league veteran, any better as he grooms the hard-throwing bonus baby Nuke LaLoosh (Tim Robbins) and falls for the local gal (Susan Sarandon). The opening monologue is one of the best in film history.


Caddyshack - Golf was never the same after the 1980 comedy directed by the great Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. The epic battle between Rodney Dangerfield and Ted Knight is an all-timer while Chevy Chase produces his best performance in a movie. It is one of the top movies ever for producing lines that are used daily. "I don't think the real heavy stuff's going to come down for quite a while."

Clerks - It's crude, somewhat inappropriate, but Kevin Smith's film based on life along the Jersey shore is one of the most humorous of all time. The movie revolves around Dante (Brian O'Halloran), who "wasn't even supposed to be working today!" and his day running the Quick Stop as he juggles girlfriends. Jay and Silent Bob show up and Randal (Jeff Anderson) probably has the best lines while 37 becomes the operative number.

CODA -  Ruby (Emilia Jones) is an under-appreciated high school girl in a blue collar town with a wonderful singing voice who must find a balance between her burgeoning talent and a big role in the family fishing business that includes two deaf parents and a deaf brother. It is a special movie that more people should be able to see - not just Apple TV subscribers. I understand their rights, but let's hope you can buy it on video down the line.

Crazy Rich Asians - The romantic comedy based on a best-selling novel is fun and emotional from the first minute to the last. Constance Wu is dazzling as she takes on her fiance's snooty rich mother when the couple travels to Singapore for a friend's wedding. The best love story of 2018. One of the best of all time. Kina Grannis' version of "Can't Stop Falling in Love With You," at the wedding is breathtaking.

Die Hard - One of the best action movies of all time stars Bruce Willis as the charismatic New York cop John McClane, who springs into action when visiting his wife at a Christmas party in Los Angeles. The late, great Alan Rickman plays one of the best villains of all time - Hans Gruber - the leader of the bad guys. Not usually a fan of shoot 'em up movies, but this one has appeal. But is it a Christmas movie or not?

ET - Director Steven Spielberg's charming 1982 film is about a goofy-looking, abandoned extra-terrestrial who befriends a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). We were introduced to a tiny Drew Barrymore as Elliott's little sister in the epic movie that makes you laugh, cry and want to "phone home." It won four technical awards, but was beaten out for Best Picture by "Ghandi."

Ex Machina - A creepy rich recluse (Oscar Isaac), who owns a search company, recruits a programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) to his secluded mountain home to give the Turing test to his new creation - a beautiful AI. Alicia Vikander should have won the Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of the amazing Ava instead of  for "The Danish Girl." It is a fascinating, unique, science fiction film with one heck of a stunning ending.

Forrest Gump - Tom Hanks won Best Actor for his wonderful depiction of a slow, but sweet and big-hearted man who lives an amazing life after humble beginnings. The 1994 film is a history lesson following Gump through the Vietnam War, his athletic triumphs in football and ping pong, a successful shrimping business and Watergate before finding his grammar school sweetheart Jenny (Robin Wright) again.

Four Weddings and a Funeral - You might think this a little high, but the 1994 movie has always been special to me. It is four parts smart comedy with one part drama and is basically about love, family and friendship in jolly old England. Andie McDowell's acting is a bit awkward at times, but perhaps that is what her character was supposed to be - an American puzzle for Hugh Grant. The film was nominated for Best Picture and Richard Curtis' screenplay was also up for an Oscar.

Garden State - Zach Braff wrote and directed this 2004 quirky cult classic about a heavily-medicated young actor who returns to his hometown after his paraplegic mother dies. Andrew Largeman (Braff) re-unites with his old townie friends and meets a cheeky young epileptic woman named Sam (Natalie Portman), who he falls in love with. It is smart, hilarious at times, wacky and heartwarming all in one fun film.


The Godfather - The original and best in the series from 1972 stars Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone, the leader of a fictional crime family that is in the midst of a war during the 1940s and 50s. The epic film, which won Best Picture, follows the health demise of Vito, the murder of his son Sonny and the emergence of his youngest son Michael - who was supposed to be a senator. It is what all mafia movies are judged by.

Good Will Hunting - Robin Williams won Best Supporting Actor for his role as a therapist working with a damaged young man from South Boston, who is a mathematical genius working as a janitor at a prestigious school. Williams is brilliant in the 1997 film while battling an old colleague for control of the treatment for Will Hunting (Matt Damon). How do you like them apples?

High Fidelity - Had never seen a preview for this film before choosing it between the morning skate and a hockey game in New Jersey one day, then went to see it about four or five more times. John Cusack stars as a music store owner who can never settle down, but is driven to irrational behavior when his latest girlfriend (Iben Hjerjle) leaves him. It is based on a book by Nick Hornby, with the setting changed from London to Chicago where Lisa Bonet and Jack Black show up among others in the smart, hilarious movie.

Hoosiers - The 1986 film, inspired by tiny Milan High's run to the Indiana state basketball title in 1954, is an old-school, mystical movie that is well detailed and full of heart from start to finish. Gene Hackman plays a brilliant basketball coach with a dark, hidden past who gets one more chance in small-town Hickory and falls for the guarded local gal (Barbara Hershey). The best sports movie of all time ends with Jimmy Chitwood going one-on-one at the top of the key.

Inglourious Basterds - Director Quentin Tarantino tells the fantasy story of the triumphant attempts to assassinate Hitler by a group of Jewish American soldiers with wishful "alternative facts" and intense, intriguing dialogue. Brad Pitt plays the witty and deadly Lt. Aldo Raine while Christoph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for his depiction of the devilish German Colonel Landa. Melanie Laurent is also great as Shosanna/Emmanuelle, especially when she puts on her war paint to a David Bowie song.

JoJo Rabbit - A cheeky comedy-drama which both loudly and in subtle ways shows the lunacy of hate and fascism. Taika Waititi writes, directs and stars in the film while amazing 12-year-old Roman Griffin Davis plays the Hitler Youth "JoJo" Betzler, who must deal with finding out his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is a member of the resistance and is hiding a young Jewish woman (Thomasin McKenzie) in the wall at the end of World War II.

Lion - My pick for the best film of 2016 is a heartwarming true story that follows the journey of Saroo Brierley, who is trapped on a train that takes him hundreds of miles from his home in India when he is just 5-years-old. The amazing Sunny Pawar plays the young Saroo in the first hour of the film and Dev Patel takes over as the 25-year-old Saroo in the second half as he desperately tries to find his home. It is a movie about the power of family and I have never balled more during a final scene.

Lost in Translation - Sofia Coppola may have ruined The Godfather 3 as an actress, but she wrote and directed a masterpiece with this 2003 film. A washed up, lonely famous actor (Bill Murray) has a chance meeting with a confused, curious and beautiful young woman (Scarlett Johansson) in Tokyo and they develop a unique friendship far from home. It is subtle, simple, funny, bittersweet and smart.

Miracle - Kurt Russell steals the 2004 film with his strong portrayal of Herb Brooks, who coached a group of college kids to the gold medal in men's hockey at the 1980 Olympics against all odds. While it is difficult to re-create the action of the greatest upset in sports history, the story about how the team came together and Brooks' mad genius is told expertly. I love watching this movie again. ... and again. ... and again. ... and again ... and again.

Moneyball - The 2011 film is based on a book by the same name from Michael Lewis about the 2002 Oakland Athletics, who won 20 in a row, and their general manager Billy Beane. Brad Pitt provides one of his best performances as Beane, who tries a new style of scouting through statistics (sabermetrics) to help put together a competitive team with a limited budget while battling his manager and old-school scouts.


Nebraska - I'm still disappointed that Bruce Dern didn't win Best Actor (Matthew McConaughey did) for his work in this delightful, humorous slice of life that was directed by Alexander Payne. Dern plays a fading veteran who thinks he has won a million dollar sweepstakes and his son (Will Forte) decides to take him on a journey to Lincoln, Neb. despite knowing it is just a scam. The trip takes Woody through his old town before coming to a touching conclusion.

Notting Hill - The romantic comedy was written by Richard Curtis - his second of two brilliant screen plays in the 1990s. The film stars Hugh Grant as a small-time shop owner who enters into an on-again, off-again relationship after a chance meeting with a superstar actress played by Julia Roberts. She is "just a girl, asking a boy to love her" near the end of this masterpiece. It's smart, humorous, thought-provoking and heartwarming. The ending is one of the best ever for this genre.

Office Space - Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-Head) directed one good movie to add to his career resume and it is on the list of the best comedies of all time. Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) is a bored computer programmer stuck in a cubicle whose life changes when he is hypnotized into total relaxation, leading to a promotion, humor and chaos. Waitress Jennifer Anniston, who doesn't wear enough "flair," is Gibbons' dream girl and a printer gets justly tortured.

Past Lives - Two childhood friends from South Korea reconnect after 20 years and spend a week together in New York, where they talk of love, time and destiny. It is an intelligent, deep, emotional story about how it can be ultimately good for people to get closure so they can be the person they are supposed to be.

Planet of the Apes - The original and best of the epic science fiction series stars Charlton Heston as an astronaut who crash lands on a strange planet where intelligent apes rule over humans. The 1968 film holds up today and the apocalyptic story line comes to a close with Lady Liberty on the beach in one of the greatest scenes of all time. Chimp scientists Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) give the movie heart and Nova (Linda Harrison) adds beauty.

Promising Young Woman - Cassie (Carey Mulligan) carries out mental vengeance on manipulative men and others to avenge her best friend, who was sexually assaulted at a party when they were both in medical school. The best film of 2020 is gripping, humorous and smart. Mulligan will never be better in a role.

Pulp Fiction - Quentin Tarantino's pulsating black comedy burst on the scene in 1994 as it portrayed the criminal underground in Los Angeles with many intriguing, unique characters. John Travolta made a triumphant comeback as Vincent Vega, who is asked by the big boss (Ving Rhames) to take out his wife (Uma Thurman) in one of the best and weirdest scenes in movie history. Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Eric Stolz and Harvey Keitel also hit home runs in the crude, but fun, impeccably-written film.

Raiders of the Lost Ark - The 1981 epic adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg stars Harrison Ford as archaeologist Indiana Jones, one of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. Jones goes in search of the Ark of the Covenant, which held the Ten Commandments, and must fight Hitler and his army for it. The power of the Ark is unleashed in an amazing final scene.

The Right Stuff - The epic 1983 film, adapted from the best-selling book by Tom Wolfe, follows America's first test pilots whose courageous efforts led to the first manned spaceflights. The late Sam Shepard plays the most heroic of them all - Chuck Yeager - as he breaks the sound barrier, but never gets to become one of the first astronauts. The three-hour, 12-minute movie is powerful, entertaining and provides an interesting history lesson.

Rocky - Sylvester Stallone wrote and starred in the epic drama that led off the series, introducing one of the most iconic characters in movie history - Rocky Balboa, the small-time boxer from Philadelphia who takes on world champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). The movie won Best Picture in 1976 while Stallone and Talia Shire, who played his lovable geeky girlfriend Adrian, were both nominated along with Burgess Meredith and Burt Young. The final fight scene is as emotional as it gets.


Silver Linings Playbook - Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper star as two people going through different types of mental issues before forming a unique relationship. Robert DeNiro shows up as Cooper's gambling father, who is very superstitious about his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. Director David O. Russell (The Fighter, American Hustle, Joy) allows J-Law and Cooper to produce one of their career-best performances.

Slap Shot - The 1977 comedy about a wacky minor-league hockey team, with the great Paul Newman as its player-coach, still makes you laugh uncontrollably. The Charlestown Chiefs become a winner and draw big crowds when they change their style to violence - led by the lovable Hanson Brothers. The characters are rich, somewhat believable, and Dickie Dunn just "tried to capture the spirit of the thing."

The Social Network - David Fincher directed this film written by Aaron Sorkin based loosely on the making of facebook, with Jesse Eisenberg starring as Mark Zuckerberg. Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake add outstanding performances while Dakota Johnson and Rooney Mara steal their scenes. The film is more about entertainment than accuracy, but most are and it is fun to watch.

Spotlight - An impeccably directed (Tom McCarthy) and acted drama about the Boston Globe's investigation of child abuse by Catholic priests, which was covered up for decades in the area. It brings back memories of the reasons why I got into the journalism business, what it was like in the newsroom and what the profession can mean to a community. Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery and Rachel McAdams produce perfect performances in the Best Picture of 2015.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - The first in the epic series introduces Luke, Leia, Darth, Chewy, Han and the whole gang as the Rebellion takes on the Empire. The story begins at the end of spinoff  "Rogue One," as the Rebels have stolen the plans to destroy the Death Star. The characters are iconic and writer/director George Lucas reportedly mixed elements of myth and religion from Beowulf and King Arthur with Flash Gordon among other classics.

Stripes - The best pure comedy of all-time stars Bill Murray and Harold Ramis as two bumbling men who decide to join the army to introduce discipline to their lives. John Winger and Russell Ziskey add leadership to a group of sad-sack soldiers that includes the late John Candy, who has joined the military to lose a little weight and become a "lean, mean fighting machine." Some have said the second half of the movie ruins it, but Hansel, Gretel, calm down. It's still a classic, Uncle Hulka.

Swingers - Just minutes before watching this movie, the flimsy lid on my cup came off and soda flowed down the theater floor as my friends laughed at me. Then my night got much better as I watched this thoroughly enjoyable comedy-drama about young unemployed actors living life in Hollywood. Jon Favreau wrote and starred in the 1996 film as Mikey, who is "money," while Vince Vaughn broke through as the duo went to "Vegas baby!!" It is smart, hilarious and I could watch it every night.

Titanic - James Cameron's epic disaster drama/love story won Best Picture in 1997 with Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet providing memorable performances. It is a story about the haves and have nots who had the honor to board the great ship and the terror of the aftermath when an iceberg gets in the way. The scene where the row boat comes back too late to find most of the people frozen and dead is one of the most bone-chilling of all time.

Wall Street - Director and co-writer Oliver Stone's 1987 drama takes a look at greed in the stock market through the eyes of a young broker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) and corporate raider Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas). Douglas won Best Actor as one of the great villains in movie history and Sheen provided his best-ever performance. "Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment, man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss."

10 Things I Hate About You - The 1999 romantic high school comedy was reportedly written as a modern day version of Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew." The late, great Heath Ledger attempts to tame Julia Stiles and a young Joseph Gordon Levitt courts Stiles' cute, quirky sister Bianca. Larry Miller (the girls' father) has the best lines in the film. When Bianca whines, "It's just a party daddy." Miller retorts, "and Hell is just a sauna."


Other significant films worth noting outside my top 200

A Beautiful Mind, A League of Their Own, Air, American Beauty, Anchorman, Any Given Sunday, Apocalypse Now, Avatar, The Banshees of Inisherin, Barbie, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Batman Begins, Beyond the Lighted Stage, The Big Lebowski, Blackberry, Bridget Jones Diary, Broadcast News, Charlie Wilson's War, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Contact,  Dead Poet's Society, The Departed, Do the Right Thing, Dreamer, Dual, Dune, Edward Scissorhands, Election, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Field of Dreams, For the Love of the Game, Game 6, Gladiator, Goodfellas, Grindhouse, Grosse Pointe Blank, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, History of the Eagles, Jaws, JFK, The Last Days of Disco, Logan's Run, Midnight Express, Million Dollar Baby, Mo Better Blues, Mulholland Drive, Nomadland, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, One Night in Miami, Origin, Perfect Days, The Post, Primary Colors, Pushing Tin, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Risky Business, Room, Saving Private Ryan, Scarface, Secret of My Success, The Silence of the Lambs, Silent Running, The Sixth Sense, The Spectacular Now, Star Trek, Stars Wars III: Revenge of the Stith, Stars Wars VII: The Force Awakens, Talk to Me, Terms of Endearment, The Two Popes, The Usual Suspects, Vice, W, We Bought a Zoo, Whiplash, The Wizard of Oz.









Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Captain My Captain: Bolts Going Right Direction?

 

By Mark Pukalo


I understand. I really do 

The Tampa Bay Lightning needed to be freshened up with some changes to the lineup. They absolutely had to get better defensively. They had to make tough decisions. It seems, they do every year now. Such is the price of success.

General manager Julien Brisebois has never been scared to make difficult, even unpopular moves. Many of his trades looked shaky at first and turned into gold. Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, Brandon Hagel and, to a certain extent, Nick Paul were all questioned initially.

In the past, letting Ryan McDonagh, Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn go seemed destined because the Bolts were in salary cap jail. This summer, they really were not, and Brisebois decided to push his captain out of town.

Steven Stamkos is now in Nashville and - honestly - I don't think it was because they could not fit him in. We will never know for sure what Stammer would have settled for and what the actual offer from Brisebois was. But make no mistake, the captain would have signed for far less than he is getting in Smashville (four years, $32 million).

The rumor was that the Lightning offered $24 million for eight years. Perhaps there were some incentives that would raise that, but a cap hit of $3 mil. Many said they were $1.5 million apart. Would Stamkos have taken six years for $5 million per? Eight for $4.5?

I don't know. What do I think? Yes.

Would another $2 million on the cap have been too hard to work out? No. Trade Conor Sheary for future considerations or buy him out. Move Nick Perbix. Shave a tiny bit off J.J. Moser's deal?

Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe Stammer wanted more. But one person around the team told me the biggest goal in the offseason was to get better defensively and Stamkos had become somewhat of a liability on that end. 

We may never know. There have been few leaks. The Lightning brass rarely lets those types of things get to the press and Stamkos has moved on. The captain is too classy to air any sour grapes.

But all is history now. Time will tell if the fan base will forgive. More wins and a better outlook in the postseason would help.

Brisebois has a pretty darn good track record, but his first big failure was two years ago when he traded way, way too much for Tanner Jeannot. The power forward was a major disappointment, adding virtually nothing when he was healthy. Sheary didn't work out last season either and he has two years left.

But much of the rest of the 2024 offseason looks promising. Getting McDonagh back seemed a bit strange until Brisebois made the huge move of trading Mikhail Sergachev to Utah. Sergachev regressed this season before he was injured and moving on from his $9.5 million long-term deal may be a smart decision. Lots of talent, good guy, but inconsistent.

Not only do the Bolts improve defensively with McDonagh replacing Sergachev on the left side behind Victor Hedman, they brought in Moser and rookie center Conor Geekie. Moser can play either side and move the puck while Geekie was a first-round pick and could `be a future No. 2 or 3 center.

Zemgus Girgensons basically replaces Tyler Motte and former Canadien Jesse Ylonen could make the team up front. Look for Finnish rookie Niko Huuhtanen to challenge for a spot as well.

But the player the Lighting most wanted in the offseason was Jake Guentzel. He is better on the defensive end than Stamkos and has been a major point producer. He could play with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point on a powerful first line or with Anthony Cirelli on the second.

Guentzel and Stamkos should not be compared, though. That would be unfair. The only question many Bolts fans have, is why couldn't we have both?

It is over now. Nothing can be done. Tampa Bay fans will never forget their captain. But they will look forward if the team is more consistent in 2024-25. The lineup still has plenty of potential for success. The question marks lie on the right side of the second, third and fourth lines.

Prediction for early October

Guentzel-Point-Kucherov

Hagel-Cirelli-Atkinson

Eyssimont-Paul-Chaffee

Girgensons-Glendening-Sheary

Ylonen


Hedman-Moser

McDonagh-Cernak

Lilleberg-Crozier

Raddysh, Perbix


Vasilevskiy

Johansson

......

Like it?

The star power is still there. The defense can be much better. Andrei Vasilevskiy should be healthy, rested and determined between the pipes. Hedman takes over as captain?

Perhaps some cap space can be created if Sheary, and/or Perbix is moved. Perhaps Huuhtanen adapts to the NHL quickly or Geekie is ready ahead of schedule. Maybe there is another Mitchell Chaffee surprise on the horizon.

Many teams in the division and the Eastern Conference are getting better, too. That makes predictions difficult at this point. That makes reaching the playoffs far from easy.

Time will tell. But it will hurt for awhile to see Stamkos in that gaudy yellow uniform. Many think it didn't have to be that way.









      

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Life Moves Fast: If You Don't Look Around. ... Movie Greats 51-100


By Mark Pukalo


There is quite a bit of variety and plenty of quality in the next 50 films on my list of my favorites in movie history.

These are films I have watched at least a half dozen times or even in double figures. There is a large group of comedies, some classics, music-related films, thought-provoking stories, stunning documentaries and a few that brought me to tears.

The most emotion happened in scenes at the top of buildings in "Across the Universe" and "Sleepless in Seattle." Yes, Jim Sturgess, all you need is love. Yes, Meg Ryan, it was always him.

You have the biting political satire of "Bulworth" and "Don't Look Up," the goofy with "Airplane!" "Best in Show," "Mallrats" "Sixteen Candles," and "Theater Camp," along with the comedic stories of "Wedding Crashers," Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

"Bowling for Columbine" and "Hoop Dreams" are two of the best documentaries of all time while "Once," "Sing Street," and "The Commitments" are musical masterpieces.

Then, you have the classics like "2001: A Space Odyssey," Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi" "The Godfather II," "Malcolm X," "The Breakfast Club," and "Seabiscuit."

Next up will be the top 50. But these 50 films are amazing.


THE MIDDLE 50

Across the Universe - A young Irishman named Jude (Jim Sturgess) travels to America to find his US serviceman father and meets a diverse group of people, including the love of his life (Evan Rachel Wood). Director Julie Taymor's unique musical drama is told through Beatles songs and with a backdrop of the Vietnam War in the 1960s. While it veers off course a few times, it produces one of the best endings in movie history.

Airplane! - The wacky comedy parody still draws the same amount of laughs as it did when it first hit the big screen in 1980. Julie Hagerty and Robert Hays play the lead roles, but the automatic pilot steals the show. Kareem Abdul Jabbar puts forth his finest movie performance while Leslie Nielsen is hilarious with every line or facial expression as the doctor, and don't call him Shirley.

Apollo 13 - Tom Hanks plays astronaut Jim Lovell in the true story of a 1970 mission to the moon that had to be aborted, and the daring route home. One of director Ron Howard's strongest efforts was masterfully detailed and filled with tension, especially on re-entry, and earned a Best Picture nomination in 1995. "Houston, we have a problem."

Armageddon - No, you probably couldn't land a spacecraft on an asteroid, drill a hole, load a nuclear weapon in there and split it perfectly in two. But, heck, who cares? It's a movie and it is fun from start to finish as Bruce Willis leads a motley crew to try and save the world. The ending is quite emotional and Liv Tyler's pouting face gets me every time. "Permission to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I've ever met." Tears.

Avengers: End Game - Yeah, it's Marvel and it's about cartoonish superheroes, but this three-hour action film had more heart than most of the similar movies put together. It begins with our heroes splintered and beaten, and ends with an uprising to remember. The last scene is both heartbreaking and heartwarming.

Beautiful Girls - Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton) is going through a period of life issues when he decides to leave NYC to go home to the small Massachusetts town where he grew up. He meets an adorable 12-year-old Natalie Portman and Uma Thurman - two angels who both solve his problems in a way. It is a sweet, authentic and humorous story about relationships and small-town friendships that last forever.

Best in Show - Eugene Levy and Christopher Guest co-wrote this hilarious mockumentary of a national dog show with some crazy characters. The late Fred Willard makes the film go with his goofy commentary on the show and Levy shows off his two left feet, literally. Parker Posey also shines as the neurotic owner of a beautiful competitor in the show.

BlacKkKlansman - Director Spike Lee's powerful film based on the true story of a black cop, who infiltrates the KKK over the phone in Colorado. John David Washington is brilliant as the real Ron Stallworth and Flip (Adam Driver) shines as the fake Stallworth with the white supremacist fools.

The Bourne Identity - The first and best of the spy drama series with Matt Damon playing brainwashed soldier Jason Bourne, who must be eliminated after his black ops mission fails. Damon befriends a beautiful German woman (Franka Potente) and he uses his special talents to evade the bad guys. Bourne apologizing to the Neski girl is amazing scene.

Bowling for Columbine - While director Michael Moore can be polarizing and push the envelope at times, his portrayal of our country's baffling gun culture in his 2002 film was right on target. The Academy Award-winning documentary is chilling, sad - and occasionally humorous - as he tries to find answers to why many Americans live in constant fear for no reason. The Columbine footage is heartbreaking and shock rocker Marilyn Manson is one of the most sane people interviewed.


The Breakfast Club - John Hughes directed this memorable high school movie from 1985 about a group of five teenagers who spend Saturday detention together and form unlikely friendships. Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson and Emilio Estevez were apparently nicknamed the "Brat Pack," at the time.

Bulworth - Warren Beatty plays a burned-out California Senator (Jay Bulworth) who has planned to stage his own murder, but he changes his mind after meeting a young Halle Berry and discovering his talent for rap music. Bulworth finds his soul when he realizes honesty is the best policy. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians could all do that?

The Commitments - A young music fanatic Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) puts together a soul band with some diverse characters to play on the north side of Dublin. Imelda Quirke (Angeline Bell) and Natalie Murphy (Maria Doyle) grace the screen as part of the Commit-ettes and Joey "The Lips" Fagan (Johnny Murphy) gives the group cred. Joey says when the band breaks up abruptly, "Sure, we could have been famous and made albums and stuff. But that would have been predictable. This way, it's poetic."

Dances With Wolves - Kevin Costner starred and directed the beautiful and emotional 1990 film about a disconnected Union Army lieutenant who befriends an Indian tribe while alone on the American frontier. The movie won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and re-invigorated the Western genre. It is still a lesson in how people with different cultures can live together in peace, if effort is made. And what about the Tatanka?!

The Descendants - George Clooney produces his best career performance as a man dealing with an emotional roller coaster in Alexander Payne's film. Clooney's wife, who he finds out was cheating on him, is on her death bed after a boating accident.  Meanwhile, he must make a decision about whether to sell his large family's beautiful stretch of ocean land on Hawaii and deal with two young daughters. Shailene Woodley is outstanding as Clooney's oldest daughter.

Don't Look Up - It pains me that Bernie Bro leader David Sirota co-wrote this with Adam McKay, but I fully enjoyed the political and cultural satire. The scary thing is that this could happen if we have to endure another four years with Trump or someone like him (DeSantis) in the White House. The ensemble cast is brilliant, led by JenLaw.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Cameron Crowe wrote this 1982 classic California high school comedy which touched on many different issues while making us laugh. Sean Penn was Spicoli while Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and, yes, the great Phoebe Cates, were outstanding. Jackson Browne, Joe Walsh, Don Henley and others contribute to a strong soundtrack as well.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Bueller? Bueller? Bueller? Crafty Ferris (Matthew Broderick) skips school and sets off on a strange, fun journey through Chicago with his girlfriend (Mia Sara) and best buddy (Alan Ruck) in another great John Hughes film. "Life moves fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

The Godfather Part II - No doubt the greatest sequel - and prequel - in movie history, isn't it? You can make a case that it may be better than the original, but it is hard to match the intrigue and power of director Francis Ford Coppola's first epic film. This story moves from Italy to New York to Nevada to Cuba and all points in between, but ends on the Lake with poor Fredo.

Guardians of the Galaxy - The 2014 film from Marvel Studios is an action/comedy romp with a motley crew of superheroes, led by Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). Bradley Cooper provides the voice for the cheeky raccoon-like character Rocket, whose buddy "Groot" steals the film. It's just a load of fun and the sequel is almost as good.


The Hangover - The first and, by far, the best installment of the series follows a group of friends who take their bachelor party to Vegas where chaos reigns. A tiger, Mike Tyson, a stripper with a baby, a stolen police car, a satchel, a stun gun and a chicken (still haven't figured that one out) are all part of the fun. The "wolf pack" retraces their steps to try and find the lost groom.

The Hate U Give - Black Lives (do) Matter. This film does not scream that, but the sentiment is clear and it shows the temptations and the impossible decisions minority youths in the inner city have to make. I truly believe this movie should be watched and discussed in schools. Let's talk about how we treat each other and how the police can deal with minorities and situations better.

Hoop Dreams - The amazing 1994 documentary follows the journeys of William Gates and Arthur Agee - two African American youths recruited to play at a private, catholic school near Chicago to play basketball. It was originally supposed to be just a 30-minute short on PBS and it grew into a classic. Hard to beat as the best sports documentary of all time.

The Hunger Games - The first of four in the trilogy of adapted novels from Suzanne Collins is based in a post-apocalyptic society of the haves and have nots. Jennifer Lawrence shines as the heroic Katniss, who volunteers in the last-person-standing brutal contest in place of her younger sister. While the sequels are solid, the debut of the series was shocking, powerful and heartwarming.

Into the Wild - Sean Penn's gripping 2007 film follows the journey of Chris McCandless, who leaves his family and a normal life to travel across the country without a car on his way to the Alaskan wilderness. Emile Hirsch is outstanding as McCandless and Hal Holbrook earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination as one of the people he meets along the way. You go through many different emotions through this film and there's some great Eddie Vedder music as background.

Jerry Maguire - Cameron Crowe's 1996 romantic comedy stars Tom Cruise as a sports agent trying to do the right thing in a profession that has gone off the rails. Renee Zellweger is brilliant as the accountant that follows him out the door of his agency and makes him a better man. Cuba Gooding Jr. won Best Supporting Actor basically for one of the most iconic scenes of all time when he asks Cruise to "Show me the money!"

Magnolia - Paul Thomas Anderson's three-hour epic film pieces together several intertwining stories, primarily about the relationships between parents and children, with great Aimee Mann music as background. Tom Cruise provides his most powerful and controversial performance as a male supremacist with a dying father that he has not seen in many years and John C. Reilly is the conscience of the film as a cop who falls for a pretty drug addict (Melora Waters). This is a movie that is in the category where people love or hate it. Ebert and I loved it. Siskel didn't.

Major League - A bunch of rejects and has-beens lead the Cleveland Indians to the pennant in this lovable 1989 sports comedy. Charlie Sheen brings the Wild Thing to life and Tom Berenger plays the cliched heady catcher who leads the team. There were sequels that didn't match the humor and spirit of the original when the great Bob Uecker coined the phrase "jusssst a bit outside."

Malcolm X - Denzel Washington is extraordinary as the controversial Nation of Islam leader, evolving from small-time hustler to a powerful figure before his death in 1965 at the hands of some of the very people he led. The final scene in which he moves toward the site of his murder to Sam Cooke's brilliant song "A Change is Gonna Come" is breathtaking.

Mallrats - Love, smart and goofy comedy, bad language, Claire Forlani, a hidden sailboat and a Hartford Whalers victory. What more would you want in a movie? Jason Lee is at his crude best as he tries to repair a relationship with Shannen Doherty at the mall with a lot of things going on in Kevin Smith's film. Silent Bob's quote to remember: "Adventure, excitement, a Jedi craves not these things.


The Man With the Golden Gun - Bond films get rated vastly different by the critics, but this is my favorite as Roger Moore hunts down Francisco Scaramanga and battles him on a small secluded island in Chinese waters. You're not going to find many better Bond girls than Maud Adams and Swede beauty Britt Ekland, who plays the aptly-named agent Mary Goodnight. It is 007 fun from start to finish.

Once - Director John Carney's first of three brilliant films (also Begin Again and Sing Street) is about a Czech immigrant and an Irish street singer who meet by chance and make beautiful music together. Non-actors Glen Hansard and the gorgeous Marketa Irglova add authenticity to the story with outstanding performances. "Falling Slowly" won Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood - A movie about movies. That doesn't sound that great, but director Quentin Tarantino uses all his talent to create compelling characters who weave a story about a period of time in the Hotel California. Leonardo DiCaprio is actor Rick Dalton on the downside of his career, Brad Pitt is his driver and former stunt man Cliff Booth and Margot Robbie plays likable Sharon Tate - a real-life actress who was murdered by the Manson cult.

Point Break - The 1991 film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), has gotten more popular with age and fans can recite the best lines. "He's not coming back." Keanu Reeves stars as FBI agent Johnny Utah, a former college quarterback, who infiltrates a group of surfers/and adrenaline junkies led by Patrick Swayze that rob banks. Utah jumps out of a plane without a parachute, but gets the girl (Lori Petty) and his man.

Radio Days - "Sleeper" made me laugh while "Annie Hall" and "Hannah and Her Sisters" were memorable, but my favorite Woody Allen movie is this old-style classic. The 1987 film has a great cast and remembers the days when radio was king. Mia Farrow is strong as Sally White and Larry David even makes a cameo as a communist.

Remember the Titans - The 2000 film produced by Jerry Bruckheimer is based on the story of Herman Boone (Denzel Washington), who takes over as football coach at a recently-integrated high school in Alexandria, Va. Hayden Panettiere, Kate Bosworth and Ryan Gosling show up in supporting roles in this emotional story.

The Replacements - It might not be a masterpiece of cinema, but who hasn't watched this fun football farce about 100 times on late-night TV? Keanu Reeves' best two roles, in my opinion, are as washed up college quarterbacks who make good and he shines as Shane Falco, the leader of the motley crew. Pretty Brook Langton rocks as Falco's love interest and Gene Hackman as his heady coach.

Seabiscuit - The magical story about a banged up little horse who is turns into a great champion and provides Americans with something to feel good about during the Great Depression. Jeff Bridges is outstanding as the horse's owner and Chris Cooper as the unorthodox trainer. Jockey Red Pollard (Tobey Maguire) says to end the film, "You know, everyone thinks that we found this broken down horse and fixed him, but we didn't. He fixed us. Everyone of us. And I guess in a way, we kinda fixed each other, too."

Sixteen Candles - John Hughes wrote and directed this 1984 high school comedy that is most movie lovers' favorite of its genre. Molly Ringwald provides the best performance of her career as average high school sophomore Samantha Baker dealing with parents forgetting her 16th birthday and a major crush on heart-throb senior Jaaaaaaaake Ryan - played by Michael Schoeffling, who apparently beat out Viggo Mortensen. Anthony Michael Hall shines as the king of the geeks.

Sing Street - Director John Carney provides another enjoyable movie with music as the theme. A young Irish lad (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) puts a band together starting from scratch to impress a complicated, beautiful girl (Lucy Boynton). Mark McKenna is brilliant in a supporting role. It is fun, smart and heartwarming.


Sleepless in Seattle - OK, a little sentimental here, but director Nora Ephron co-wrote this appealing little romantic comedy starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Sam (Hanks) is a widower whose son Jonah (Ross Mallinger) calls a radio show to see if he can get help finding his dad a new wife and picks Annie (Ryan). The ending on the top of the Empire State Building still makes my eyes water. I can admit it.

Some Kind of Wonderful - The 1987 film was written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch, who later married the star (Lea Thompson) and the duo produced a good little actress named Zoey Deutch (Everybody Wants Some, Buffaloed). It's the story of an average student named Keith (Eric Stolz) as he dares to ask out the popular and newly-available Amanda Jones (Thompson). The rest is a smart, fun journey through high school life.

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - My second favorite in the Star Wars saga as it brings to a close the legacy of Darth Vader. Vader ends his life by departing the dark side to help his son Luke live on to lead the Jedi. The action scenes on Endor with the rebels and Ewoks fighting the Emperial forces are some of the best in the series.

The Sum of All Fears - The 2002 spy drama is based on a book from Tom Clancy by the same name. The story concerns a Neo-Nazi group attempting to start Nuclear War between the US and Russia while Jack Ryan (Ben Affleck) works to uncover the truth. Apparently the reviews for this film were not great overall, but I thought it was powerful and quite believable.

Theater Camp - One of the funniest movies in some years. Molly Gordon and Ben Platt are incredible as two long-time friends and teachers at a low-rent camp for "theater kids." The teachers are hilarious, the kids anxious, driven and eccentric and the storyline of the camp is heartwarming. 

Truth - Cate Blanchett plays Mary Mapes with vigor and Robert Redford portrays Dan Rather in a film about the controversy surrounding the 60 Minutes report on George W. Bush’s military service, which gets tangled in a web of corporate scum and partisan politics. Blanchett’s pulsating speech, defending journalism, at the end is one of my favorite scenes of all time. FEA!!

Wedding Crashers - Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn have fun crashing weddings and finally meet their matches at the ceremony for a congressman's daughter. Rachel McAdams and Isla Fisher draw the two goofs out of their fantasy world and make them better people, but there is plenty of comedy to be had along the way. Will Ferrell makes perhaps his best cameo performance as Chazz, who crashes funerals to meet women.

25th Hour - Director Spike Lee's best film stars Ed Norton as Monty Brogan, a broken man headed to prison after getting caught selling drugs for the Russian mafia. The story follows Monty as he spends the final day with his girlfriend, wonderfully named Natural Rivera (Rosario Dawson), along with long-time buddies. Monty calls out everyone in NYC to the mirror in a powerful, controversial scene (go see it on you tube), but the final finger is pointed at his greed.

500 Days of Summer - Director Marc Webb tells the story of boy meets girl - and both end up driving each other nuts - in a nonlinear fashion that works brilliantly. Summer (Zooey Deschanel) is the your basic appealing, but impossible-to-read young woman, while Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) cannot fight through his expectations and her conflicting signals despite the early proclamation that she "doesn't want anything serious." It all adds up to a fun, thought-provoking and unique film.

2001, A Space Odyssey - Director Stanley Kubrick's science fiction drama, based on a story by Arthur C. Clarke, is a psychological journey through the universe and the origins of humanity. The depiction of space travel in the 1970 film is way ahead of its time. You are forced to interpret the mysterious things that occur, including the mental breakdown of the unforgettable computer named Hal.




Thursday, July 18, 2024

Great Performances, Scenes In First 50 Films

 

By Mark Pukalo


Some movies are a very good one-time watch. Others can stick with you forever.

Whether it's a character you like, a scene that you can't get out of your head or an unforgettable and thoughtful story, the best are often in the eyes of the beholder.

I'm not a horror fan. It has to be interesting for me to like something from that genre, such as the surprise ending of The Sixth Sense or the recent Talk to Me and All of Us Strangers. I don't mind being scared and you will see many thrillers on my best-of lists. But I like thinking man's movies.

The first one on this next list is a perfect example. Many might see "Aftersun" as a bit too abstract, but I wanted to watch it three or four more times because I thought about it so much afterward. Same with the timely "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," about a minor's emotional abortion journey.

Others on this list are just fun like the goofy "Better off Dead," the unique "Birdman," the emotional "Elizabethtown," the quippy "Fletch," and the cringy-funny "Shiva Baby,"  - among others.

Then there are the important films like "Oppenheimer," "Philadelphia," "Platoon," "Shut up & Sing," "The Tillman Story," and "Wind River." 

One of the best lines among these 50 came in a forgotten little film called "Saved!" Jena Malone, a pregnant high schooler, arrives at her Catholic School prom with two suspended classmates, her gay former boyfriend and his friend. But they are told to leave. 

Jena replies: "If God wanted us to all be the same, why did he makes us all so different?

There are great performances in these first 50 films on my list, which is technically and roughly 101-150 all time for me. Many Oscars were won on these films. 

Denzel Washington, Michael Keaton, Burt Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Robert Forster, Cillian Murphy, Jeremy Renner, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Mickey Rourke are among the most notable efforts. 

If you don't like the list, "Argo Fuck Yourself." LOL. Sorry. 

If you see any of these on streaming services, give them a watch.


THE FIRST 50


Aftersun - A young woman looks back on the last days spent with her father when she was just 11 and unable to comprehend the mental pain he was in before his apparent suicide. Frankie Corio is adorable as Sophie, a smart mature little girl. It is both heartwarming and very sad.

The American President - Aaron Sorkin wrote the romantic comedy and Rob Reiner directed as a widowed president (Michael Douglas) - up for re-election - courts a beautiful lobbyist (Annette Bening). Bening plays Sydney Ellen Wade with grace and power while the film mixes plenty of humor with a little politics. You wonder what would happen if we had a single President.

Argo - The intense film is based on the escape of six US diplomats from Tehran during the Iran hostage crisis from 1979-81 and it won Best Picture at the 2012 Academy Awards. Ben Affleck plays CIA operative Tony Mendez, who helps get the people out with the help of the Canadian Embassy. While the final scene was not how it actually happened, it is spine-tingling. If you don't like the drama added, Argo Fuck yourself again!

Begin Again - A brilliant songwriter (Keira Knightley), about to head back to England after a breakup, and a down-on-his-luck record producer (Mark Ruffalo) meet by chance and make wonderful music together in New York. It is imperfect at times and the music is perfectly simple, but there are so many great heartfelt scenes.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes – Beneath was a strong follow up to the original classic as James Franciscus, Charlton Heston and the beautiful Nova (Linda Harrison) encounter an underground race of humans worshiping an atomic bomb. There is plenty of symbolism in this one and a strong plot that provides a powerful ending.

Better off Dead - Sure, it is somewhat formulaic and Siskel & Ebert hated it, but this zany 1985 romantic comedy still makes me laugh. John Cusack plays Lane Meyer, a man "who knows how to ski" but develops a death wish after his girlfriend Beth dumps him. French exchange student Monique (Diane Franklin) tries to save Lane, but can't help when the paperboy stalks him. Two Dollars!

Birdman - Former super hero star Riggan Thompson (Michael Keaton) tries to find legitimacy on the Broadway stage in this fast-moving, unique "black comedy" directed expertly by Alejandro Inarritu. It won Best Picture in 2014 and Keaton should have won Best Actor after his masterful effort, but Emma Stone and Edward Norton also make the movie go with their performances.

Black Panther - Marvel provides another unique and compelling super hero with Chadwick Boseman taking over as king of Wakanda - only to be challenged by his evil cousin. The story and the characters are rich.

Bohemian Rhapsody - The story of the historic rock group Queen and its amazing front man Freddie Mercury is hated by some critics, but it won Best Picture at the Golden Globes. I call it a beautiful mess. While it is far from perfect and some of the time line changes can annoy you, I was incredibly entertained for more than two hours.

Boogie Nights - Paul Thomas Anderson's 1997 film explores the porn industry of the 1970s through the eyes of young star Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg). Burt Reynolds provides the best performance of his career as a film maker who finds Dirk while Heather Graham, Don Cheadle, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore add to an amazing cast. The scene at the druggie's house with the young Asian setting off firecrackers is one the weirdest, intense scenes of all time.


Breaking Away - The 1979 film, based in Bloomington, Ind., follows a group of young townies who enter "The Little 500" bicycle race against the snooty college teams. Dennis Quaid is one of the kids and Dennis Christopher is the talented lead cyclist for the "Cutters" in this likable, humorous slice of life. The movie was nominated for Best Picture and won a Golden Globe.

Cha Cha Real Smooth - Cooper Raiff wrote, produced and starred in this story about a man trying to figure out where his life goes next after finishing college. Andrew falls for the single mother (Dakota Johnson) of an amazing autistic high school girl (Vanessa Burghardt), which both enriches and complicates his days. The slice of life is smart, heartwarming and sad.

Chasing Amy - Kevin Smith's off-beat film stars Ben Affleck as a comic book artist who falls in love with his lesbian friend (Joey Lauren Adams) and both go through soul-searching issues. Basically, it's just about how difficult love and relationships are. Some critics thought it was too stereotypical and narrow, but in my mind it was thought-provoking, unique - sometimes crude - and hilarious.

Da 5 Bloods - Spike Lee's latest joint came out on Netflix in 2020 and it had to be added to the list immediately. Four African-American Vietnam vets return to the place where their friend died in battle and a box of gold bars were buried some 40 or 50 years earlier.

Elizabethtown - Cameron Crowe's most under-rated film stars Orlando Bloom as a young man, embarrassed by a huge failure in business, who must deal with death in many different ways. His journey leads him to the realization of what life is all about. Kirsten Dunst has never been cuter as friendly stewardess Claire Colburn. Some think her character was not real, that she was supposed to be an angel that saves Bloom. So many great scenes.

Fever Pitch - The Farrelly Brothers' 2005 film is loosely based on Nick Hornby's book "Fever Pitch, A Fan's Life" about his time rooting for Arsenal in the English Premiership. The Farrellys adapted it to the life of "one of God's most pathetic creatures" - Boston Red Sox fans - with Jimmy Farrell in the lead role. The movie concludes with the end of the Curse of the Bambino. "Remember when Roger Moret went catatonic?"

Fletch - Chevy Chase reportedly said this was his favorite movie role as a crack investigative reporter for the LA Times working on a drug trafficking story before getting embroiled in a devious plot. Irwin Fletcher's witty remarks make the movie, especially in his romance with a millionaire criminal's wife (Dana Wheeler-Nicholson) at the club. Just charge your next bill to the Underhills' tab.

Ghostbusters - Scientists Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis get slimed while vacuuming up ghouls and ghosts in the 1984 classic comedy. The sequels never could reach the level of the original, but they are always fun.

The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti plays a grumpy teacher at a prep school, who must stay over through the holidays with students that can't go home. While all but a single student find another adventure, Giamatti is left with one boy battling family issues and a grieving mother who runs the kitchen  The three characters go on a amazing journey together and find peace.

The Hurricane - I was captivated by William Nack's amazing 1992 story on Rubin "Hurricane" Carter in Sports Illustrated and was anxious to see the movie in 1999. While some of the facts were fudged, as usual in the films such as this, it did not disappoint with Denzel Washington producing one of his best performances as a boxer who was wrongly-convicted of a triple murder. "Hate put me in this place. Love's gonna bust me out."


Independence Day - The science fiction film won an Academy Award for best visual effects in 1996, but it was ultimately just a fun ride with a great cast. Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum blow up and punch the nasty-looking creatures while Bill Pullman makes impossible decisions as President before a rousing final speech. The sequel was not good, but the original was one of the most entertaining of its genre.

Jackie Brown - Director Quentin Tarantino's third film is a crime caper about "colorful low-life characters" as Roger Ebert put it. Samuel L. Jackson uses flight attendant Jackie Brown (Pam Grier) to smuggle his money in from Mexico. Jackie outsmarts everyone by teaming with smitten veteran bail bondsman Max Cherry (Robert Forster), who was deservedly nominated for Best Supporting Actor. A just-out-of jail Robert DeNiro and a ditsy Bridget Fonda add humor..

Jersey Girl - Love this Kevin Smith film even though he apparently wasn't happy with the final product. Ben Affleck takes care of a their child after J-Lo dies and Liv Tyler's character ignites the movie, which has a heartwarming ending.

Jurassic Park - Developing a remote island with cloned dinosaurs from the DNA of very old frozen mosquitoes - what could go wrong? The 1993 Steven Spielberg film was the best of the series by far and won for sound and the amazing visual effects at the Academy Awards. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum lead a solid cast, who try to avoid those pesky raptors.

The Lookout - Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a young man dealing with the aftermath of a horrific accident that he caused and a head injury that allows people to take advantage of him. “I wake up. I get dressed. I take my meds.”

Lord of War - The under-rated 2005 film stars Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an illegal arms dealer from Brighton Beach who becomes a major player in the world. Orlov makes deals with horrible dictators, along with his drugged-out and conflicted brother (Jared Leto), while fooling his dream woman (Bridget Moynihan) into marrying him. An agent (Ethan Hawke) is constantly on his tail.

Love Actually - Several intertwining stories that all have a heart. Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Laura Linney, Colin Firth, Adam Rickman, Bill Nighy and Liam Neeson add spice to cast while Keira Knightley's smile in one all-time great scene caps it for me. A cult favorite, it has become a staple on Christmas.

Meet the Parents - Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) makes a comedy of errors in an attempt to impress his scary future father in law, played by Robert De Niro. Losing the beloved Jinxy and a fated pool volleyball spike don't help Focker join the "circle of trust." Naomi Watts was originally slated to play Pam, but Teri Polo proved perfect for the role - and in Playboy afterward.

Never Rarely Sometimes Always - An underappreciated 17-year-old high school student (Sidney Flanigan) travels from suburban Pennsylvania to NYC to abort an unwanted pregnancy with her loyal cousin (Talia Ryder). It shows, as director Eliza Hittman,says, "what it takes to stand in a woman's shoes." It is real, sad and gripping from start to finish.

Oppenheimer - An epic film about the father of the atomic bomb Robert Oppenheimer, how the Manhattan Project came together and how the main character was treated after the deed was done. Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr. and director Christopher Nolan won Oscars. The only thing it was missing for me was a little more time around the actual dropping of the bomb.


Parenthood - The 1989 comedy-drama tells the story of an extended family and how wonderful life can be despite the constant struggles. The cast, which incudes Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne West, Keanu Reeves and Rick Moranis, is brilliantly directed by Ron Howard.

Philadelphia - It's rare when a movie has the ability to adjust your philosophy on issues - even slightly - and late director Jonathan Demme's film about a man dying of Aids is one. Tom Hanks took Best Actor for his portrayal of Andrew Beckett, a gay man who is fired after his disease is discovered, and Denzel Washington provides one of his best performances as his lawyer. The movie is filled with powerful scenes and beautiful music.

Platoon - Oliver Stone's Vietnam War drama won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1986 and provided some incredible images along with strong performances. The story follows Charlie Sheen through his first tour of duty and the horrors he encounters while trying to stay sane. The scene where dead bodies are pushed into a hole by bulldozers is one of the most numbing few minutes in movie history.

Saved! - Mary (Jena Malone), who attends a devout Christian high school, gets pregnant after trying to "cure" her boyfriend of his gayness. Mandy Moore, Patrick Fugit and Macauley Calkin join a solid cast in this satirical comedy with a strong message.

School of Rock - Substitute Jack Black pushes aside the textbooks to teach his class rock and roll, and they warm to the task. It is funny, smart and has a great ending at a battle of the bands contest. "For those about to rock, I salute you."

Searching for Sugar Man - A fascinating documentary about Sixto Rodriguez, a sort of Latin Bob Dylan from the streets of Detroit who did not make it in America but became a superstar in Apartheid-infested South Africa without knowing it. Two fans from Cape Town attempt to unlock the mystery of Rodriguez and tell an incredible story that is sad and ultimately uplifting. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary of 2012.

Serendipity - Apparently it means "a fortunate accident." Talk about fortunate, how about having a choice between Bridget Moynihan and Kate Beckinsale? You...can't... lose. John Cusack has that tough decision in this likable romantic comedy. Jeremy Piven also plays a key role as Cusack's friend in the film that ends on the ice in New York City.

Shawshank Redemption - The 1994 film follows the story of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man wrongly-accused of a double murder who finds a way to cope with prison life and wins in the end. The movie was not a huge hit out of the gate, but became more popular as time went on. It might be higher on many lists, but I understand the power of the film and Morgan Freeman's performance is amazing. "Hope is a good thing."

Shiva Baby - Smart, cringy comedy about a recent college graduate Danielle (Rachel Sennot), who must endure several embarrassing issues at a reception following a Jewish funeral, including her sugar daddy showing up with a beautiful wife and baby.

Short Term 12 - A terrific cast that includes Brie Larson, Rami Malek, Kaitlyn Dever (she hasn't seemed to age since then) and John Gallagher Jr. weave an interesting story about a residential treatment center for young people.


Shut Up and Sing - Terrific 2006 documentary about how a portion of the American society over-reacted to a simple anti-war statement by Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks at a 2003 concert in London. The controversy led to death threats, a backlash from country radio stations and corporations, and spawned a powerful album with songs about the trio's ordeal called "Taking the Long Way."

The Tillman Story - The amazing, but disturbing, 2010 documentary follows the tragic death of Pat Tillman and the controversial aftermath. The former Arizona Cardinals defensive back, who gave up his NFL career to join the army, was found to be killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan - a fact that was originally covered up before his family helps to reveal it.

Top Gun - The iconic 1986 film was one of Tom Cruise’s first big roles as he plays Maverick, a reckless but talented Naval aviator. Cruise’s battles with Ice Man (Val Kilmer) and the forbidden courtship with teacher (Kelly McGillis) are classic. The music pushes the intensity of the movie, especially Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone.”

The Town - Director Ben Affleck co-wrote and stars in the 2010 crime drama based on Chuck Hogan's book "The Prince of Thieves." A group of long-time friends from Charlestown, Mass. rob banks in the area and Affleck falls for one of the managers (Rebecca Hall), who may be able to identify them. Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner are also terrific in their roles.

Up in the Air - George Clooney plays a man who lives his life on the road, working for businesses who don't have the guts to fire workers themselves. His regimented routine changes when he meets two different women (Anna Kendrick and Vera Farmiga). I enjoyed this movie and it also makes you think about what's most important in life.

War Games - The 1983 film stars Matthew Broderick as an innocent young hacker, who easily works his way into a government computer and plays a dangerous game. Every guy in my age group's crush Ally Sheedy plays Broderick's girlfriend as he rushes to save the world from "thermal nuclear war." Words to live by from computer Joshua - "A strange game. The only winning move is not to play."

While You Were Sleeping - Sandra Bullock in probably her best and most underappreciated role as subway token collector Lucy, who finds love in a roundabout way. Lucy is one of the most likable female characters of all time.

Wind River - Jeremy Renner should have been nominated for Best Actor in this 2017 movie as he plays a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent who finds an 18-year-old girl dead in the frozen tundra of an Indian Reservation in Wyoming. The mystery of her death takes several turns into a violent, but compelling and emotional ending.

The Wrestler - Mickey Rourke plays a past-his-prime wrestler named Randy "The Ram" Robinson, who is dealing with health and family issues as his standout career comes to an end. Rourke should have won Best Actor at the 2008 Academy Awards for his believable performance - over Sean Penn, who took the Oscar for "Milk." Marisa Tomei shines as a stripper.

50/50 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt, one of my favorite actors, plays a young man who is forced to deal with a rare form of cancer. Anna Kendrick is adorable as a young hospital therapist finding her way and Seth Rogan's humor does not screw up the movie, which was nominated for a Golden Globe. It is an emotional journey and the story is very intelligently told.






















Sunday, July 7, 2024

From Music To Sports To Movies

 


 By Mark Pukalo


Since I was a little kid, I have always enjoyed evaluating and analyzing things, putting them in order and then adjusting over time.

I've had a lot of time on my hands, I guess. Or, I just wanted my opinion heard.

First it was the local top 30 or Casey Kasem's top 40 songs on the radio. I would do my own each week. I found some of my top 100s for years in the 1970s in a folder recently. ("All by Myself "from Eric Carmen was No. 1 in 1976). I would have a different opinion now.. 

As time went on I was fascinated by the NBA and NFL drafts. Who is making the best picks? Who is going to be a star? Who is over-rated? It was a natural transition into sports writing. 

The first time I saw my name in print was when I mailed my preseason baseball picks to columnist Tom Winters of the Norwich Bulletin and he included it in his Sunday column. I seriously never considered doing anything else. Of course, unless I made the NBA. 

There was a chance to do a lot of evaluating in my job, covering high schools and colleges much of my career. I picked All-State teams, top players lists and wrote many draft stories as my main interest became hockey in the 90s. I watched several high schoolers who ended up having solid NHL careers. 

While I still love to watch the drafts, in the last 20 years or so I have slowly become a serious amateur movie critic. Or at least I like to call myself one. It's become an obsession. A good one. 

The first movie I probably saw outside of our small TV was a cartoon at the old Jewett City theater as a little tyke, but the first one I can remember was in 1972 at the Norwich Drive-In. The family went to see "Conquest of the Planet of Apes." 

I also remember going to the movies in Hyannis, Mass and seeing a film with Art Carney called "The Late Show," in the mid 70s. Then, there was my 8th grade trip to New York City in 1977. After a stop at the Statue of Liberty, and before the Rockettes show at Radio City Music Hall,, we viewed "Smokey and the Bandit." Not sure it was appropriate for 14-year-olds, but we loved it.

I think I became a big movie fan when I moved to the Hartford area. There were so many theaters to chose from and I started going more frequently. There were cheap second-run theaters to see good films. Later, my brother worked at a theater in Norwich and I got some free tickets.

While my favorite all-time film came out in 2000, I did not do my first "best of the year" list until 2007. I probably just posted them on facebook until 2011. It was then that I discovered blogger.com. 

Since then, it has been a yearly project that I enjoy. Streaming services have allowed me to see more films. A special thanks to brother AJ for helping me view even more important, odd and fun films each year. 

I have blogged a few times on my favorite movies of all time. The last blog was during the pandemic. This updated list will be different.

Instead of putting them in order, which is an impossible task, I will group them in three lists of 50 great films that made me laugh, cry and think. We will leave out 2024 for now, but I can update them every year like the English soccer leagues - relegating and moving up movies. 

My dream is to put together a website at some point and/or do a podcast like a few favorite critics of mine. Check out the Intercut Podcast. You can find it on Youtube, facebook and twitter. Amanda the Jedi is also a fun watch with her own videos or when she joins Zach and Arturo on Intercut.

Some day.

Until then, here's a list of films that almost made the first 50, which is basically 101-150 of all time for me in alphabetical order. The last few are always tough, but they can always change my mind with another viewing and move up - even two levels like Wrexham in the English Soccer League.

These are all great films with iconic actors, characters and scenes (Surrender Dorothy!!). All were worthy of the first 50, but it's a numbers game. Here we go..

The First 50 will run next week:

HONORABLE MENTION

After Hours, All the President's Men,  American History X, American Pie,  An Officer and a Gentleman, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Belfast, Bend it Like Beckham, Brian's Song, David Byrne's American Utopia, Deadpool, Divergent, Dodgeball, Everybody Wants Some!, Fried Green Tomatoes, Frost/Nixon, Go, Groundhog Day, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine, Iron Man, The Infiltrator, I Tonya, Life is Beautiful, Live and Let Die, Logan Lucky, The Martian, Midnight Run, Mumford, Mystery Alaska, National Lampoon's Vacation, One Good Cop, Ruby Sparks, Saturday Night Fever, Say Anything, She Said, Smokey and the Bandit, Sound of Metal, Spaceballs, Splash, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back, United 93, Vanilla Sky, The Way, Way Back, We Are Marshall, The Wedding Singer, The Whale, When Harry Met Sally, Zero Dark Thirty, 

Have never seen all the way through for some reason: Annie Hall, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Dirty Dancing, Harry Potter Trilogy, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, The Princess Bride, Road House, Rosemary's Baby, Sin City, Taxi Driver.

Recently Seen Many Years After Everyone Else - Fight Club, My Cousin Vinny, The Big Lebowski, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. (All of them good, but not great).










Friday, March 8, 2024

Past Lives Ends Up Where It Should Be

 


 By Mark Pukalo


   It was a year of big epic dramas, a special doll, some important thought-provoking ideas and a bit of a comeback for comedy. 

   The Oscar Year 2023 had a little of everything.

  While each critic had a different take on the best of the best, most landing on the major productions such as "Oppenheimer" or "Killers of the Flower Moon," the subtle, sweet, emotional and humorous films were just as entertaining.

   I viewed one film in the summer that I called "beautiful" at the time. I said it was simple, yet complex. I don't take that back, even though it might seem odd.

   Several great films came along afterward that made me think about sliding it out of the top spot. But as the main character in this emotional story of connections, life's journey and destiny said, "This is where I'm supposed to be."

    "Past Lives" was always going to be No. 1 for me in 2023. It might not be on Oscar night. But that's where it's supposed to be for this amateur critic.

     The story is basically about two childhood sweethearts in South Korea who are separated when one family moves to Canada. They are reconnected by social media many years later. Explaining too much about the plot just spoils the depth of the film for you to enjoy. 

    The concept, or Korean word "In-Yun." is invoked several times. Simply put, it is about fate and the relationships, connections, between people. Some things are just meant to be, whether in this life or the next.

    The script, the acting - especially by Greta Lee as Nora - are wonderful, and I hope that director/writer Celine Song gets recognition Sunday on Oscar night. If you are true movie lover, you can't not appreciate this film. Whether it hits you like it did me is hard to know.

    There is only a few lines of comedy in Past Lives, but there are plenty in several of the top 25 films on my list. 

     For several months, I thought I would end up making "Theater Camp" No. 1 for the year. I saw it as the back end of a double feature with "Barbie" leading off. I haven't laughed at the theater that much in years. It was hurt by coming out around the time of Barbenheimer. But if you just want some smart and goofy humor, check out Theater Camp on Hulu.

    "Tear stick is doping for actors. Do you want to be the Lance Armstrong of theater?"

    There was also the biting satire of "American Fiction," and "Asteroid City," the fun jaunt of "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3," the hilarious "Bottoms" and bits of comedy throughout the top films of 2023.

    I have a few movies on my top list like Theater Camp, A Good Person, Dumb Money and Sanctuary that are not on many top 20s for the year. To me, the best films are not always about structure. They are about how you feel after leaving the theater or getting up from the couch  All 25 of these films made a strong impression on me in some way.

   I have seen 312 movies from 2023. Unfortunately, I could not see every film major critics saw. - many of them being foreign films. I did not get to view Monster, About Dry Grasses, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Robot Dreams, Chicken for Linda!, Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre, The Delinquents, Afire, Totem, Return to Seoul, Revoir Paris, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, 20 Days in Mariupol, lo Capitano and The Beasts. I have yet to view the Beyonce concert movie. Sorry, Queen B. 

    But one foreign film I did see from 2023 - Perfect Days - had one of the best lines of the year and a thought for senior citizens like me.

   "Next time is Next time. Now is Now."

   Squeeze everything out of life each day. I want to do that. Now, is Now.

   Here's my top 25 for 2023. Hope you enjoy them.


25. Still, A Michael J. Fox Story - A very detailed and interesting documentary about the life of the great actor and his battle with Parkinson's Disease. Fox is incredibly honest and open about his mistakes and the pain he goes through.

24. Bottoms - Two lesbian high school students start an after-school fight club to meet other girls. It's hilarious, sometimes emotional and smart. Marshawn Lynch is funny in a supporting role as a fight teacher. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri strike again.

23. The Iron Claw - Based on a true story about the fated Von Erich wrestling family, Zac Efron provides a career-best performance as Kevin - the only brother who survived. Critics brought up some good points about the film's deficiencies (needed a little more emotion and why did they delete one brother?), but I still enjoyed it and some of the decisions made sense. 

22. Dreamin' Wild - Two brothers, who made an album when they were teenagers, deal with newfound fame after their work is rediscovered 30 years later. Casey Afleck is excellent as the more talented brother, who is filled with regret.

21. Asteroid City - Your typical odd-ball Wes Anderson film with plenty of laughs as a group of smart kids travel with their parents to a remote place for a contest, but chaos ensues after an alien visit. The humor is subtle and deadpan. The cast is amazing.


20. Anatomy of a Fall - Sandra Huller fully deserved the Academy Award nomination for her depiction of a wife, accused of murdering her husband after he fell from their attic. It examines relationships and makes you think throughout. Did she, or didn't she?

19. May December - Natalie Portman is terrific as a complicated actress traveling to examine a woman she will be playing in a film. That woman (Julianne Moore) had an affair with a 13-year-old boy, who she later married and had children with after a stint in jail.

18. Talk to Me - I don't like many horror films, but this one was quite unique, compelling and had one amazing ending. It's about a group of young people who figure out how to conjure spirits from an embalmed hand. Surprise. They shouldn't have.

17. Killers of the Flower Moon - Martin Scorsese's epic story of the Osage Nation, which suffered from many murders after discovering oil and riches on their land. Lily Gladstone is amazing, along with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro. It's long, but there is so much to it.

16. Barbie - I wondered what Greta Gerwig would do with this concept, but she could not have done better in making a thoughtful, bold and fun film about the doll. Margot Robbie showed her versatility and Ryan Gosling is funny as poor Ken.

15. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - The adaption of Judy Blume's book is fun and smart as young Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) deals with issues of a grade-school girl growing up. Rachel McAdams is outstanding as her mother.

14. Air - The story of how Nike signed Michael Jordan to a historic contract is done with detail and humor. Matt Damon and Viola Davis provide outstanding performances as the main characters in the film.

13. Dumb Money - Paul Dano strikes again as Keith Gill, whose youtube video was one of the inspirations of the short squeeze when small investors turned the tables on Wall Street with Game Stop stock. It is a lot of fun with a great cast, but it also makes you mad. If you're a class warrior like me or hate Wall Street greed, you will love it. Fuck Ken Griffin.

12. A Good Person - Florence Pugh is tremendous as a young woman trying to recover from a traumatic event, which has caused her to be addicted to drugs. Morgan Freeman provides his best performance in some time as a damaged, recovering drunk who tries to help her despite their connection. It is sad, but inspiring in a lot of ways.

11. How to Blow Up a Pipeline - Environmental activists, many of whom suffered losses from big business greed, band together to make a loud statement. The characters, played by lesser known actors, are all driven by anger and righteousness.


10. Sanctuary - A sexual drama with a powerful performance from emerging superstar Margaret Qualley, who is blazing a terrific - but different - path than her mom Andie McDowell. Qualley is a dominatrix, who won't let her rich client end their relationship.

 9. Perfect Days - A subtle and beautiful Japanese film about a middle-aged man enjoying the simple things in life with a job cleaning toilets in Tokyo. The back story about the man is not clearly revealed, but there are clues and - after some thought - that was the right thing to do.

8.. BlackBerry - Based on the story of the "first" smart phone, this film is compelling and humorous. Many of the facts are changed, but it probably makes the movie more fun. Glenn Howerton deserved an Academy Award nomination for his rollicking depiction of Jim Balsillie, who tried to move the Pittsburgh Penguins to Hamilton, Ontario while being CEO of RIM, which developed the Blackberry.

7. Origin - Director Ava DuVernay beautifully adapts Isabel Wilkerson's book "Caste: The Origins of Discontent." Whether you agree with every conclusion in the film, it is incredibly thought provoking while examining the reasons for people being marginalized around the world.

6. Oppenheimer - An epic film about the father of the atomic bomb Robert Oppenheimer, how the Manhattan Project came together and how the main character was treated after the deed was done. Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer), Robert Downey Jr. and director Christopher Nolan may win Oscars. The only thing it was missing for me was a little more time around the actual dropping of the bomb.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - The motley crew attempts to save the universe again and their friend Rocket, who is near death after an attack. It may be the best of the three or at least rivals the original. Britney Spears and Korn?

4. The Holdovers - Paul Giamatti plays a grumpy teacher at a prep school, who must stay over through the holidays with students that can't go home. While all but one of the students find another adventure, Giamatti is left with one boy battling family issues and a grieving mother who runs the kitchen  The three characters go on a amazing journey together and find peace.

3. Theater Camp - One of the funniest movies in some years. Molly Gordon and Ben Platt are incredible as two long-time friends and teachers at a low-rent camp for "theater kids." The teachers are hilarious, the kids anxious, driven and eccentric and the storyline of the camp is heartwarming. 

2. American Fiction - A very sharp satire about a talented writer (Jeffrey Wright) frustrated by establishment profiting from minority entertainment sources with stereotypes. It's smart, funny, thought-provoking and has one heck of an apt and hilarious ending.

1. Past Lives - Two childhood friends from South Korea reconnect after 20 years and spend a week together in New York, where they talk of love, time and destiny. It is an intelligent, deep, emotional story about how it can be ultimately good for people to get closure so they can be the person they are supposed to be.


PREVIOUS PICKS FOR BEST OF THE YEAR


2022: Cha Cha Real Smooth

2021: CODA

2020: Promising Young Woman

2019: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, JoJo Rabbit (tie)

2018:  The Hate U Give

2017 - The Big Sick

2016 - Lion

2015 - Spotlight

2014 - Birdman

2013 - Nebraska

2012  - Silver Linings Playbook

2011  - The Descendants

2010 - The Social Network

2009 - Inglourious Basterds

2008 - Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler (tie)

2007 - Once

Best of All Time - Almost Famous


Joe Lunardi's First Six out of the NCAA Tournament and my Top 25 movies of 2023

The Creator - A futuristic story about a war between humans and AI robots is the background as a soldier tries to save a child-like robot with special powers, built by his former lover. It is a strong science fiction drama with a big heart.

Ferrari - Adam Driver and Salma Hayek produced powerhouse performances in this story about the race car legend in Italy. It's more about people than racing, which is what it should have been.

Jesus Revolution - Based on a true story about the spiritual awakening of young people in the 70s with Kelsey Grammer as the preacher at a small church. It was inspiring, but sad. Why did it all end? Maybe we would not be where we are today.

Love at First Sight - Wonderful, touching little rom-com from Netflix with Ben Hardy and Haley Lu Richardson meeting by chance in an airport. I believe I have fallen for Richardson in every movie she's been in. But the script makes this more than your run-of-the-mill love story. Maybe a slightly better ending puts it in the top 25.

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One - Thought it would be just another action-filled, run-of-the-mill spy drama for Tom Cruise, but it was very compelling and fun. The action was extremely well done.

No Hard Feelings - Jen-Law is funny and sweet in this comedy based on Long Island. Lawrence tries to save her home by helping a young introverted boy of helicopter parents emerge from his shell. Milo the dog was also great.


Movies critics liked, but I was not able to view (Some may be coming out in 2024):

Huesera: The Bone Woman, Jethica, Please Don't Destroy Project, Dad & Step Dad, Handling the Undead, The Incal, La Chimera, Laughter in the Dark, Rothko, One Fine Morning, Full Time, Sam Now,  A Manual for Cleaning Women, The Artifice Girl, All These Sons, The Adults, Tori and Lokita, The Domino Revival; Back On the Strip; On Fire, Jawan, Monster, All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt, About Dry Grasses, Four Daughters, Paradise is Burning, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, Robot Dreams, Passages, Chicken for Linda!, Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre, The Beasts, The Delinquents, Afire, Totem, What We Do Next, Return to Seoul, Revoir Paris, What Rhymes with Reason, Rotting in the Sun, Pacifiction, I Like Movies, Joy Ride

Those I was uninterested to see:

About My Father, After Death, Ambush, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, The Blackening, The Blind, Divinity, Every Body, The Exorcist: Believer, Fear, His Only Son, Inspector Sun, Into the Weeds, It Lives Inside, Journey to Bethlehem, The Lost King, The Amazing Maurice, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, The Oath, The Outwater, Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie, Radical, Rally Road Racers, Roll With It, Saw X, The School of Magical Animals, Silent Night, Sisu, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Trolls Band Together, Mutant Mayhem, Twister.


High Honorable Mention (Could be in top 25 in other years. Recommended)

All of Us Strangers - It's not a gay love story or a ghost story. It's basically about a young man dealing with grief and regrets. The film is much closer to "The Sixth Sense" with a little touch of "Aftersun."

Anyone But You - A harmless, entertaining rom-com with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in the leads. Was pleasantly surprised. Thought it would be corny.

Beyond Utopia - Gut-wrenching documentary about families attempting to escape North Korea. You knew it was bad in that country, but somehow you finish this movie feeling like it is worse than you ever imagined.

The Color Purple - A strong adaption of the classic movie, which is turned into musical about the journey of two sisters in the deep south. I actually liked it much more than I thought I would.

Creed III  - Adonis is doing great with his career and family until a childhood friend brings back a bad memory, stress and a fight. It's probably better than Creed II. 

Dream Scenario - Nic Cage is very good as an average teacher who suddenly begins appearing in everyone's dreams. When the dreams become sinister, he must deal with the other side of his fame. It's a good examination of our viral culture.

The Equalizer 3 - Denzel Washington is living peacefully in Southern Italy when he see his friends being controlled by local mafia. He decides to use his skills and eliminate the bad guys.

Fair Play - An intense sexual drama, based in a cut-throat hedge fund office. Phoebe Dynevor is amazing as a woman who advances ahead of her lover at the firm and it changes the relationship. The ending is powerful.

Fallen Leaves - Short, sweet story about two lonely people in Finland who find each other and form a relationship through hardships. It is unique and sneaky funny.

Flora and Son - Director John Carney's fourth best movie out of four I have seen, but Once, Begin Again and Sing Street are three of my all-time favorites. Music is a key to the story again as a broken family and a criminal kid find peace in song.

Godzilla Minus One - Very creative story about the great beast terrorizing post-World War II Japan. It follows a disgraced Kamikaze pilot fighting his own war while meeting a likable, displaced woman with an orphaned child. 

Gran Turismo - The story of Jann Mardenborough, a sim driver who fights to become a big-time racer. David Harbour's performance, as Jann's coach, makes the surprisingly good film better.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - There were a lot of good things through the first three quarters of the Hunger Games prequel, led by Rachel Zegler. It lacked a clear and convincing resolution, though. 

John Wick: Chapter 4 - It's too long, but the action is terrific and the lead character very compelling as usual. The final scenes are very well done.

Little Richard: I am Everything - Terrific, detailed documentary about the under-appreciated artist and pioneer of rock and roll.

It Ain't Over - Documentary on the great Yogi Berra taught me a lot. The interviews and the editing are excellent.

Napoleon - Joaquin Phoenix does a great job with Ridley Scott's epic story about the French Emperor. I was there from start to finish on a film I had low expectations for.

Next Goal Wins - The feel-good story of the American Samoa men's soccer team is fun and inspiring. Michael Fassbender was a strange choice to play coach Thomas Rongen, but he does an admirable job.

Polite Society - Priya Kansara is both funny and smart as Ria Khan, who tries to save her sister from a dangerous marriage.

Poor Things - Emma Stone is amazing as Bella Baxter, a young woman brought back to life with a child's brain by a mad scientist (Wilem Dafoe) and finding herself in a cruel new world. I was not thrilled through much of the first hour, but it grew on me like Bella did. 

Priscilla - Cailee Spaeny is tremendous as the under-aged girl Elvis finds and marries. Sofia Coppola does a good job with a tough subject and I learned a lot while being entertained.

Renfield - Nicholas Hoult stars as the faithful, but tortured, servant of Dracula (Nic Cage), Awkwafina's appearance always makes a movie better.

Rye Lane - British film about two young people coming off failed relationships who meet by chance and spend the day getting to know each other. It gets better with every second.

Scrapper - Little Lola Campbell steals this under-appreciated movie about a girl lying to social services to live alone after her mother dies. Her estranged father shows up and changes her world. It is messy, low-rent, but sweet and honest. Georgie is one of the best characters of the year.

Shayda - Gripping story about an Iranian woman with her young daughter in Australia fighting for a divorce from her abusive husband. 

Spiderman: Across the Spider-verse - Miles Morales goes off on another journey with a wonderful sidekick in spider girl Gwen Stacy. It's long and fun, but I was not aware it was a part one. Wanted a conclusion.

A Still Small Voice - Beautiful documentary that follows a chaplain in training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, working with patients and families. It's very intimate, emotional and deep doc.

Suzume - A beautiful, mystical and somewhat quirky Japanese cartoon where a young girl attempts to save the world from disaster. Not sure what really happened at the end, but it made me cry.

Take Care of Maya - A stunning documentary about a hospital in St. Petersburg that totally screws up the care of a 10-year-old child and blames the parents for it. It makes you mad. That's what it's supposed to do.

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour - What a show. The director did an excellent job putting this together with the use of three different concerts at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood. Wish I could have been there.

The Teacher's Lounge - German film about the tangled web of office politics after a new teacher accuses a secretary of theft with a video. The ending was ok, but a better one could have put this in the top 25.

Wonka - Timothee Chalamet is terrific as the budding chocolate maker. It's fun, the songs are not annoying and the acting is very good, especially Chalamet and Calah Lane (Noodle). 

You're So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah - Adam Sandler's latest netflix film was charming, humorous and showcased his daughters talents. His youngest, Sunny, stole the movie and is gonna be a star.

80 for Brady - Lily, Jane, Sally and Rita help Tom bring the Patriots back to beat Atlanta in the Super Bowl. Who knew? Thought it was just bad time management by Atlanta. But seriously, it's a lot of fun and it works.


Medium Honorable Mention (Recommended if story suits you)

Ant Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - Scott Lang and wife are dragged into the Quantum Realm and try to get back, but family secrets rear their ugly head. It's fun. Nothing else.

A Thousand And One - Teyana Taylor provides an amazing performance as a young mother just out of prison trying to give her son a chance in the city. It's close to being  really good, but the twist in the script is not executed well enough.

Being Mary Tyler Moore - A nice documentary on one of the first big time female television stars. She was amazing in a lot of ways.

Bruiser - The father of a 14-year old returns to town and it causes major problems for his step dad and mother. Well-done feature.

The Burial - Tommy Lee Jones and Jamie Foxx star in this court case drama based on a true story. Foxx plays a flashy lawyer who helps a long-time Funeral Home owner fight the man.

Bill Russell: Legend of an Age - Interesting and informative documentary on one of the best basketball players and winners in sports history.

Black Ice - Interesting documentary about the evolution issues and racism black players faced in men's and women's hockey. Akim Aliu deserves his own doc, though.

Bank of Dave - Based on a true story of Dave Fishwick, who fought the cheating big banks n London to set up a very successful local establishment in Burnley. Fuck the big banks.

Boston Strangler - An interesting look at the mystery surrounding one of the biggest crimes of all time, with Keira Knightley killing it as reporter Loretta McLaughlin.

The Boys in the Boat - Just your average old-time sports movie where you know what's going to happen. The key is how interesting it is getting there and this movie wasn't quite compelling enough.

Cat Person - Emilia Jones (Coda) stars as a young woman pulled into a relationship with an older man that she later regrets. It is imperfect, but Jones is great and it makes you think.

Earth Mama - A pregnant single mother deals with decisions that are impossible to make. The director left out a back story, which I am 50/50 on. I wanted a little more.

Fingernails - Riz Ahmed and Jesse Buckley add plenty of spark to the interesting concept about compatibility. Marriages are failing and agencies are working on ways to match people in a futuristic society by testing fingernails. It did not quite reach its potential.

Great Photo, Lovely Life - A documentary done by the grand daughter of a man who committed several acts of sexual abuse against children that he mostly got away with. It's shocking and hard to watch, but holds your interest.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny - Harrison Ford's greatest character must go back in time to save the world from the Nazis. More fun than the last few in the series.

Infinity Pool - Creepy horror film about rich people inspired by committing violent crimes on a resort island while their clone pays for it. I ain't ever gonna mess with Mia Goth.

Joan Baez: I am Noise - Terrific documentary about the amazing singer and activist. It is very detailed and interesting.

Judy Blume Forever - Strong documentary about the great writer, who was targeted by the Moral Majority when Reagan was elected. She wrote the book that became a wonderful movie - "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."

Jules - I got a kick out of this one about three senior citizens befriending an alien who crash-landed in the backyard. Several big laughs and one of the best throwaway lines of the year. A lady cop, watching three senior citizens scooping up a dead cat off the road (to help fuel Jules' ship) and loading it in the back of their car says - ". ... the fuck."

The Killer - Director David Fincher uses Michael Fassbender as an expert contract killer, who must try to eliminate all loose ends after missing a target.

The League - An interesting documentary on the Negro Leagues. Learned a lot from the story and the interviews.

Leave the World Behind - This psychological drama about an attack that includes the loss of electronic and computer devices has some good moments, but thinks it's a little smarter than it is at times. The ending makes sense, though. I can say I have been thinking about it since, too.

Leo - The 74-year-old lizard is not quite as funny as Marcel, but he is a lot of fun when he escapes a school terrarium. The kids help save him in this very likable cartoon.

Love, Again - It is a bit of a formulaic rom-com at first, but it gets better as it goes along and I always love to see Priyanka Chopra.

Master Gardener - Joel Edgerton is outstanding as a horticulturist with an ugly past who helps a young woman escape the wrath of his mean rich boss (Sigourney Weaver).

The Monk and the Gun - Beautifully shot film about the country of Bhutan. It was said to satirize modernization and show the price of democracy. Unfortunately, Hulu did not have subtitles.

Nyad - Annette Bening produces a strong performance as the driven Diana Nyad, who swam from Cuba to Key West over the age of 60. Jodie Foster is also great as her friend/coach.

The Other Zoey - Josephine Langford in a better role than her dreadful "After" movies. It is predictable, a little disjointed at times, but its a harmless love story.

Palm Trees and Power Lines - A beautiful, but disoriented, young teenager (Lily McInerny) falls for a 34-year-old man because she feels he will solve all her problems. Surprise. She was wrong.

The Persian Version - The film examines a big Iranian family which emigrates to New Jersey with heart and humor. Layla Mohammedi is terrific as the lone girl in the family, who battles a strained relationship with her mother.

Reality - Re-enactment of the arrest of whistleblower Reality Winner after she leaked one document on Russian interference in the election. It's methodical and detailed while Sydney Sweeney does a good job. 

Rustin - Colman Domingo earned an Oscar nomination as Bayard Rustin, the engine behind the March on Washington for Civil Rights in 1963.

See You On Venus - Virginia Gardner is very good as a smart, young orphaned girl who coaxes a young man going through guilt for an accident to accompany her to find her birth mother in Europe.

She Came to Me - Peter Dinklage plays a struggling opera writer who is freed up after a chance meeting with a strange, but intriguing tugboat captain named Katrina (Marisa Tomei). There are competing plots in this odd little film, but it all comes together at the end.

Showing Up - Michelle Williams is brilliant as a talented, young sculptor dealing with her screwed-up family and life issues. Lizzy is one of my favorite characters of the year.

Somewhere in Queens - Ray Romano stars as a father trying too hard to make things happen for his high school son. It's an old-school Italian family story that is fun to watch.

Stand - Interesting documentary on the life of Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and how the NBA blackballed one of the greats simply because he wouldn't stand for the national anthem.

Story Ave - Coming of age story for a young graffiti artist going through tough times who is put on the right path by a man he tried to hold up.

The Sweet East - A smart, confused high school student named Lillian (Talia Ryder) embarks on a strange journey during a school trip to D.C. Ryder is tremendous in this odd little independent film which takes her to the strange under belly of America. Ryder is a star.

The Taste of Things - A nuanced love story between a renowned chef and his long-time cook and companion (Juliette Binoche). It is a nice French film with some incredible food. Oh, that chicken looked amazing!

Victim/Suspect - Documentary about the terrible habit some police departments have fallen into by charging victims of rape with lying. It's disgusting. FTP.

Wham! - Really good documentary on the successful, but short-lived, British duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgely.

Wildflower - Kiernan Shipka is pretty, but she is also a very solid actress with good comedy timing. She makes this average film about a young girl dealing with challenging parents quite likable

The Wrath of Becky - Critics panned this bloody black comedy about a teenage girl becoming a vengeful killer of bad guys. I got a kick out of it. It is what it is.

You Hurt My Feelings - A writer (Julia Louis-Dreyfuss) goes through anger after she overhears her husband bashing the latest book she wrote. It's a good movie, but not as funny as advertised.

The Zone of Interest - A film that depicts the casual evil of Germans who worked and lived around Auschwitz. It is worth watching, but I wanted more depth. Didn't understand the blank screens, either.


Low Honorable Mention (Enough good things for movie freaks)

American Symphony - Interesting documentary about composer/singer Jon Batiste, who is working on a jazz symphony while his wife battles cancer.

Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom - The warring half-brothers get together to try to save the world. It's really not that bad.

At Midnight - Monica Barbaro is stunningly gorgeous. That's all I got. Ok, it's a rom-com that is likable enough, but well short of being original.

Beau is Afraid - Joaquin Phoenix brilliantly plays an anxiety-riddled man who confronts his biggest fears after his mother's apparent death. It just gets too weird at times.

A Beautiful Life - A likeable Danish film about a orphaned fisherman who is gifted with a wonderful voice, but must deal with everything around quick stardom.

Beautiful Disaster - The beautiful Abby (Virginia Gardner) is a college freshman trying to escape her past as the daughter of a high-stakes gambler, and avoid the charms of the bad boy. It wasn't great, but Gardner makes you want to watch.

Biosphere - The two-man show is certainly unique. They live in a dome after some type of apocalyptic event and things start changing for the fish and one of them. We won't tell what. Could have been better.

Blueback - The daughter of an activist, who befriended a cool wild blue Grouper as a child, works to save the Australian coral reefs from destruction.

Blue Beetle - Expected worse from this new Marvel creation. It was cartoonish and harmless while Bruna Marquezine is an absolute stunner.

Blue Jean - A lesbian PE teacher in England tries to hide her sexual preference from her bosses, but a new student changes everything.

The Boy and the Heron - Very artfully done Japanese cartoon about a boy trying to find his dead mother in another world. It just didn't rise to a higher level with me.

Brother - Non-linear story about a pair of brothers that battle through life's obstacles in Scarborough, Ontario before tragedy.

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial - The trial for the second in command of a Navy ship, who replaced a flawed officer (Kiefer Sutherland) after a controversial decision has some intrigue.

Chevalier - Kevin Harrison Jr. is really good while Lucy Boynton and Samara Weaving are gorgeous, but the overall film about the mixed-race maestro did not grab me.

Cocaine Bear - Director Elizabeth Banks probably should have gone 100 percent comedy on this one instead of trying to do both, but it had enough humorous moments to avoid being bad.

The Comeback - Family drama with Taye Diggs is predictable and formulaic, but ultimately watchable. Austin Elle Fisher, the little girl, is really good.

Chupa - Cute story about family, a real mythical creature and wrestling in Mexico. Chupa is a cool little guy.

The Covenant - An Army sergeant (Jake Gyllenhaal) travels back to Afghanistan to try to save his interpreter from enemy forces.

The Deepest Breath - Documentary on fearless free divers, who risk death every day, centering on Italian world-record holder Alessia Zecchini. Much like climbers, they are nuts.

Down Low - A closeted, terminal gay man (Zachary Quinto) spends the crazy day with a young sex worker (Lukas Gage) who he hired for a happy ending. There's violence, surprises and laughs.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves - Chris Pine and his gang make an ordinary script fun enough. Sophia Lillis is very attractive.

The Eight Mountains - The story of a long friendship between two boys in the mountains of Italy, which underwent many twists, turns and regrets.

Eileen - A seemingly normal, unassuming small-town girl (Thomasin McKenzie) comes alive when a glamorous woman (Anne Hathaway) begins a friendship with her. It's very dark and it had me until a strange ending.

El Conde - Weird Black Comedy about a vampire who is finally ready to die after 2,000 years, but is thinking about another life.

Elemental - It's a cute cartoon where opposites attract - Wade and Ember. Leah Lewis - wonderful in "The Half of It" - is the voice of Ember, who is actually hot (LOL).

The End of Sex - Entertaining little film about a couple who are losing their passion for each other, but find it. Emily Hampshire (Schitt's Creek) and sultry Lily Gao shine.

Fast Charlie - Pierce Brosnan fights for his aging boss in an organized crime battle. It was James Caan's final movie before he died and Deadpool's girlfriend is Fast Charlie's love interest.

Fast X - Nothing much different about this one. Unrealistic stunts, some fun, beautiful women and not enough to join the top four levels.

Flamin' Hot - Likeable comedy/drama about a Mexican janitor who takes the initiative to help Frito Lay push a product to his community.

Four Daughters - A documentary with re-enacted scenes about a Tunisian mother who lost half of her daughters to the seduction of ISIS. It takes too long to get good.

Freelance - John Cena plays a retired special forces officer who takes a job as security for a reporter (Alison Brie) on a scheduled trip to interview a dictator. Had potential to be so much better. Script held it back.

Freud's Last Session - Anthony Hopkins provides his usual strong performance as Sigmund, but the entirety of the film is a bit dry and plodding.

Godland - A Danish priest goes on a mission to Iceland and stuff happens. I'll admit, I couldn't get subtitles for this one, but I still think critics over-rated it a bit.

Good Grief - Daniel Levy directs and stars in a film about a young man dealing with the death of is husband. Levy, Ruth Nessa and Himesh Patel make it watchable enough.

Happiness for Beginners - Likable Netflix film starring the adorable Ellie Kemper, most prominently from "The Office," as a woman getting over a divorce.

Heart of Stone - Gal Gadot in a somewhat confusing, but ultimately satisfying spy drama. She saves the world in stylish fashion.

Heist 88 - A career criminal pleads guilty, but has one more bank robbery job to do with a group of young people before going to jail.

Hidden Strike - Two former special forces soldiers attempt to transport civilians across the Highway of Death in Baghdad. It's compelling enough and John Cena is very good.

The Hill - The son of a devout preacher has bad legs, a gift for playing baseball, a gorgeous girlfriend and a dream. Predictable, but harmless enough.

Knock at the Cabin - M. Knight Shyamalan's latest is better than his previous two films "Glass" and "Old," but it does not necessarily deliver. The ending kind of makes sense when you think about it, but getting there wasn't all that interesting.

Kokomo City - A documentary about four black trans women, who are sex workers. Saw this on someone's top 10 list for the year, so I checked it out on Showtime. The women had some interesting things to say.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter - Dracula hides on a ship and terrorizes the crew. It was stylish and chilling enough, making it better than expected.

Linoleum - A failing TV scientist (Jim Gaffigan) is battling a mid-life crisis when an old space capsule falls in the backyard of his house. The film gets too mystical in the last half hour.

The Little Mermaid - Halle Bailey is sweet and does a nice job as the little mermaid. The story is fine. It just didn't hold my attention enough.

Love is in the Air - Predictable, formulaic love story between two opposites. But it's some harmless fun and you root for attractive Delta Goodrem.

The Meg 2: The Trench - Big, angry beasts terrorize people on the water. Didn't hate it. Didn't like it much.

M3Gan - They try to make the perfect robotic companion for a young woman. What could go wrong, eh? M3Gan is fierce, but more funny than scary.

Memory - Jessica Chastain plays a woman still dealing with bad childhood rape trauma, who befriends a man with Dementia after she first thinks he was a former attacker. I found it a bit illogical. But I guess that's life sometimes.

Migration - Sweet cartoon features a family of birds going on a journey south in the winter for the first time. It's cute enough.

Missing - Was not nearly as good as the original of these kinds of movies "Searching." A young woman uses all the social tools she can to find her missing mother.

Nimona - Interesting cartoon about a medieval kingdom, which tells the story of young girl whose shapeshifting ostracizes her. A common knight tries to save her. It will be too woke for some.

No One Will Save You - Kaitlyn Dever shines in this sci-fi horror film about a town invaded by aliens, as she battles a childhood trauma to survive.

Once Upon a Star - A travelling cinema group goes on a journey through Thailand to bring dubbed movies to the masses. Nuengthida Sophon, the only woman in the unit, is excellent.

Other People's Children - French film tells the story of a 40-year-old divorce woman caring for her boyfriend's child as she runs out of time to have her own. 

Pain Hustlers - Another story about the opioid epidemic, with Emily Blunt in the lead role. It's ok, I guess, and Blunt does the best she can in every way. Some scenes of the Tampa area.

Plane - Pilot Gerard Butler tries to save his passengers after the plane he is flying crash lands on an uncharted island in the middle of a war zone.

The Prisoner's Daughter - A released dying convict (Brian Cox) tries to reunite with his daughter (Kate Beckinsale) and grandson  It's predictable, but well acted.

Rebel Moon Part One: The Child of Fire - First installment of Zach Snyder's sci-fi story was stylish and had decent action, but did not grab me. Sofia Boutella is fierce and compelling, though.

Reptile - Benicio Del Toro is a flawed detective looking into a strange murder case. Justin Timberlake is the mystery boyfriend of the deceased.

Robots - Somewhat funny science fiction film about identical robots of an affluent couple falling in love. Two Shailene Woodleys are better than one.

Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken - A cute cartoon about a shy young girl who can transform into a giant creature. Harmless and sweet.

The Saint of Second Chances - Documentary about Mike Veeck and his Hall of Fame father Bill was somewhat interesting, but not earth-shattering.

Saltburn - Disappointed in director Emerald Fennell's follow up to "Promising Young Woman," but Barry Keoghan's performance as a smart, but mentally disturbed young man, is outstanding. It's ultimately just too weird for me.

Scream VI - Much better than the last few in the series. It all worked in the end, and it left some openings for the future with Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera - maybe..

Sick - A unique slasher film about parents who aim to avenge the young people who helped infect their dead son with Covid. Oops, spoiler alert.

Sly - Pretty solid documentary on Sylvester Stallone's career. I would have liked to see a few more minutes on the Creed series, but it was interesting.

Society of the Snow - The story of the crash of a Uruguayan plane in the Andes during the early 1970s. Amazingly, 16 of the 45 passengers survived in the harsh winter. I thought it was too long and over-rated, though.

Space Oddity - A depressed young man decides to go on a mission to Mars - although it may be a scam - to get away from his troubles, but finds love instead.

Stamped from the Beginning - Documentary about Racism. Thought it was a little harsh with its views at times, but well worth watching and debating.

The Starling Girl - A 17-year-old girl (Eliza Scanlen) struggles with life while growing up in a strict fundamentalist community. Scanlen is excellent. On the edge of being higher.

Strays - Plenty of humor from the stray dogs, but probably a few too many dick and fart jokes for my liking.

The Super Mario Brothers Movie - Cartoon story version of the famous game with Mario getting the job done on a grand stage.

Thanksgiving - A passable slasher film with a lot of gore and a rather surprising resolution. It starts with a humorous Black Friday scene.

They Cloned Tyrone - Along the lines of "Get Out," a sinister secret organization is cloning black men and controlling their minds. It is inventive, but did not thrill me overall. 

A Tourist's Guide to Love - Likable love story as Rachel Leigh Cook takes a trip to Vietnam after a breakup and falls for her tour guide. Rachel is still "All That."

Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine - Fascinating documentary about the Webb Hubble Telescope.

We Have a Ghost - Paranormal story about family, a crime and love. It's not special, but it is a very watchable netflix joint.

What Happens Later - Meg Ryan and David Duchovny, two former lovers, in a two-person show at a snowed-in airport. It gets better, but would probably be better as a play.

What's Love Got to Do With it?  - Devilishly cute Lily James stars as a documentary producer filming her childhood friend agreeing to an arranged marriage by his Pakistani parents. It has its moments, but is kind of convoluted and without clear direction.

Wingwomen - Melanie Laurent stars as one half of a talented badass female heist team, which aims to complete one more big job. It's a buddy movie.

The Year Between - Alex Heller is terrific as a college sophomore whose erratic behavior causes her to decide to move home for a year. Her manic issues continue, but she goes through a myriad of circumstances that force her to grow. 

You Are Not Alone: Chasing the Wolfpack - Documentary about the gang rape at a festival in Spain that sparked protests around the globe.

65 - A near miss of a science fiction drama. Not enough before the space travel and not the tearful, strong ending that it needed. Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt and the storyline were fine. Director error.


Watchable (Only if it's free and you watch tons of movies)

A Haunting in Venice - Kind of a snoozer, but it has some star power. Lost interest in this mystery early and did not really care "who done it" by the end.

American Cherry - Psycho drama about a young woman dealing with a difficult family life while dating a mentally unstable boy. It is a bit too strange.

Assassin - A man dies due to a secret military project gone wrong and his wife is used to find out what happened. Sharp twist at the end saves it from being in a lower category.

The Baker - Ron Perlman is a elderly baker with some special skills, who goes after bad guys to help save his cute grand daughter (Emma Ho). 

Big George Foreman - Story about the former Heavyweight Champion of the World is kinda Disney-like and ordinary. Probably would have been better as a documentary.

Book Club: The Next Chapter - Lots of fluff in this old girls go to Italy fling, but it had a pretty good ending.

Champions - Woody Harrelson coaches a team of down's syndrome basketball players and predictable things happen.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget - The chickens broke out in the last movie. They break into the farm this time to save their own. It's likable enough.

The Conference - Swedish slasher movie centering around a team-building trip for municipal employees.

Corner Office - Weird black comedy with Jon Hamm narrating his own strange office worker character. Reminded a bit of "Being John Malkovich," but not anywhere near as good.

Crypto Boy - Young man, estranged from his proud father, gets involved in a scheme around crypto currency.

Dicks: The Musical - So over-the-top goofy that it is quite humorous at times. I give them credit for the courage to make a comedy so crude and crazy.

Dog Gone - A father and son repair their relationship while searching for the family's beloved dog. It's afternoon special worthy and the dog is cool.

Emily - The story of Emily Bronte, the author of "Wuthering Heights," and her amazing imagination within her shy nature and sheltered upbringing.

Family Switch - Jennifer Garner and Ed Helms switch bodies with their kids for some mystical reason and it causes a few laughs, but not as many as you'd think.

Fear the Night - Some girls using a house for a bachelorette party are attacked by robbers. It's always fun watching Maggie Q kill nasty men, but not much of a movie.

The Flash - Not as bad as Morbius at least. It had a few fun moments, but this was not an enjoyable Marvel film.

Foe - Weird movie with two fine actors - Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal. A stranger shows up at the door of a couple and gives them an offer they literally can't refuse. It's about relationships, but it just gets too vague and confusing.

Fool's Paradise - Great cast, a few laughs, but not nearly enough to make it entertaining. Kate Beckinsale looks fabulous as usual, though.

Five Nights at Freddy's - A ludicrous story about abduction at an old fun house. Elizabeth Lail is the only bright light.

Golda - Helen Mirren is great as former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, but the movie is not super interesting as a history piece.

The Good Mother - Hillary Swank plays a mother dealing with the death of a her son. She figures out her other son - a cop - could have been part of why he was killed. It's not clear enough what is going on.

Happy Ending - A couple going through sexual issues decide to have a threesome with a spirited woman and it causes more problems. The characters are less interesting than the premise.

Haunted Mansion - Harmless Disney movie with a really good cast as a dream team tries to fix a ghost problem at Rosario Dawson's home.

House Party - Remix of the 90s classic is likable enough, but not particularly funny. It's cool they messed up LeBron's house, though.

Hypnotic - Mind-bending, somewhat confusing, story about a a rogue government agent using hypnotics to commit crimes. Ben Affleck is in the lead role with a twist.

Inside - Willem DaFoe's virtual one-man show as an art thief who gets locked into his victim's apartment and cannot get out. DaFoe is great, but it never really makes you care.

Kandahar - Recycled story line with Gerard Butler on the run, this time with the Middle East as a background.

Knights of the Zodiac - A passable fantasy adventure for a young man who tries to protect Athena while attempting to find his lost sister.

Left Behind: The Rise of the Antichrist - Heavy-handed religious film about the rapture and the people trying to take financial advantage of it before the end. 

Lewis Capaldi: How I'm Feeling Now - Documentary about the Scottish artist was not as good as his songs.

Maestro - Terrific acting and well-shot movie based on the life of composer Leonard Bernstein. It was kind of flat to me. There was nothing really compelling about it and Bradley Cooper overacts a bit.

Marlowe - Liam Neeson's 100th film is an old style mystery with some beautiful women, led by Diane Kruger, but not a lot of spark.

The Marsh King's Daughter - Your basic abduction film where the bad guy doesn't go away. Good to se Daisy Ridley, though.

The Marvels - Not the worst Marvel ever (umm, Morbius), but it is a confusing mess that is hard to focus in on despite likable characters individually.

Mercy - An Irish mob invades a hospital to find a colleague and a former Army doctor (Leah Gibson) goes Diehard to try and stop them. Would like to see Gibson in something better.

Mobland - The only reason for this movie might have been to put a cowboy hat on John Travolta, but the story of a botched robbery had a little value by the end.

Money Shot: The Pornhub Story - Documentary that tells a story you might not know, but wasn't as interesting as expected.

The Mother - Jennifer Lopez is an assassin trying to protect her daughter that she left due to circumstances many years earlier.

Murder Mystery 2 - Better than the original and a little more fun, but not by much. Melanie Laurent always makes things look better.

Narvik - Interesting account of the first lost battle by Hitler's German Army in the small Norwegian town. Kristine Hartgren is outstanding as the lead character.

NoWhere - A woman and her baby try to survive in a cargo compartment that has fallen off a ship on its way to Ireland. She and her husband attempted to escape Spain, but got separated. Far fetched.

The Nun II - A demon is on the loose in Europe and two nuns go out to try and stop her. It's not good, but I guess people who like these types of movies will find something in it.

Old Dads - Bill Burr stars as an older father, who goes through some things along with his two friends with young wives or girlfriends. It's potential was not realized.

On a Wing and a Prayer - Dennis Quaid and Heather Graham in a predictable airplane drama, but it was harmless enough.

Ordinary Men - Documentary about the German soldiers that carried out Nazi scum orders during the Holocaust. Hard to follow.

Paint - Owen Wilson plays a popular local artist with a TV show whose world changes when a more talented young artist arrives. It's predictable and mildly entertaining.

Paradise - In a futuristic society, years of life are sold. A connected man tries to save his wife, who has lost 40 years because she put it up as collateral and lost it.

The Pod Generation - Emilia Clarke stars in a futuristic film about a society where rich couples can have their babies developed in a pod outside the womb. The story had potential, but is ultimately a little flat.

Rare Objects - The story of a woman trying to put her life together after sexual trauma. Katie Holmes plays her rich friend, who ends up having worse problems. Script is not very good.

R.M.N. - A story of awful ethnic tensions in a small Transylvanian mountain town when a local business brings in workers from Southeast Asia.

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed - Somewhat interesting documentary about the great actor, who somehow hid his gay lifestyle.

The Royal Hotel - Two young Canadian women travel to Australia to get away, and take a job as bartenders in a remote location. Julia Garner should have passed on this mess.

Shazam: Fury of the Gods - The follow up to Shazam! finds the lead hero working with his adoptive family against very evil creatures. It's not as good as the original.

Sharper - Circular thriller about con men battling each other with a rather surprising ending, but it doesn't quite become compelling enough to me.

Sick of Myself - Norwegian film about a pretty young woman who is so depressed about her life that she takes a drug that makes her sick and gets her noticed. Poor film about bad people, but unique.

Simulant - AI revolution film on Hulu did not get very compelling. Always nice to see Jordana Brewster, though.

Skinamarink - Unique and inventive horror story that ultimately is way too vague to be scary and compelling in my opinion. You can't really see anything, but that was the plan.

Somebody I Used To Know - Your basic made for TV drama, but Allison Brie lights up the screen to make it watchable.

Sound of Freedom - This trafficking movie would have been fine if it was a fictional tale. However, since it was based on actual events glorifying an agent who had his own problems with sexual assault and QAnon leanings it falls kind of flat. 

Spinning Gold - Biopic about Neil Bogart and the rise and fall of Casablanca Records. Kiss and Donna Summer are prominent. It's just not real compelling or unique.

To Catch a Killer - Shailene Woodley plays a young cop who investigates a unique mass murder, which leads her to dangerous situations. Love Shailene, but it's not a good film.

Transformers: The Age of Beasts - Another chapter in the series of movies with Anthony Romano (In the Heights) taking the lead. 

True Spirit - Based on a true story of 16-year-old Jessica Watson, who attempts to circumvent the globe in a sailboat. It was fine, but didn't grab me.

The Tutor - Strange thriller about an everyday tutor with a beautiful girlfriend (Victoria Justice), who is pulled into a drama that reveals an ugly secret about his past. 

Vindicta - Your basic serial killer drama, but it has a twist that keeps it out of the bottom. Elena Kampouris absolutely lights up the screen as a young hero, too.

When You Finish Saving the World - Juliane Moore stars as an flawed mother trying to communicate with her awkward, coming-of-age son. It's basically about loading your expectations on others - a decent concept, but it just doesn't click completely.

Wish - Disney film with rehashed ideas about a mean king keeping wishes from his subjects to remain in power.

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar - Short Wes Anderson film about a man who could see without using his eyes. Good cast, a few laughs, nothing more.

You People - Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill and Julia Louis-Dreyfuss in a multi-cultural rom-com that has a nice ending.

Your Place or Mine - Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher in a mild rom-com for netflix that gets a little better as time goes on.

97 minutes - Your basic highjacked airplane action thriller, with a bit of a twist near the end and a pretty blonde (MyAnna Buring) landing the thing.


Barely Passable (Very, very few redeemable things)

AKA - An agent on an undercover mission, with some crooked bosses, helps the son and daughter of a man he is investigating. 

Aporia - A confusing, uninspiring time travel story as a wife (Judy Greer) tries to change history and bring back her husband.

Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom - Silly medieval comedy about two old friends who try to help a princess in China.

Baby Ruby - A woman deals with Post-Partum Depression. Kit Harrington (Jon Snow) is the baby daddy in this well-acted, but weird, confusing film.

Black Book - Nigerian crime drama with a minister trying to avenge the murder of his son by his former ruthless boss.

Blood & Gold - A young Jewish woman saves a deserting German soldier as Nazis try to find hidden gold in the area.

The Boogeyman - Your basic scare-em up film with a little family and school drama as a neat backdrop. Nothing new.

Cobweb - A young boy tries to investigate the knocking sounds inside the walls of his house, which unveils a sinister secret kept by his evil parents.

Good Burger 2 - A little slapstick goofiness aside, the Kenan Thompson comedy is not really worth the time it takes to watch it.

Insidious: The Red Door: Another in the series. Didn't see the others, but I'm sure they are all the same - bad demon, a past that keeps coming back. It has enough depth to stay out of the bottom.

The Last Kingdom: Seven Kings Must Die - You kind of needed to see the Last Kingdom TV series. The epic drama didn't move me.

The Lesson - Weird movie about a tutor who is hired by a rich family to work with their son. It was not compelling or unique at all.

Locked In - Didn't like this crime, mystery drama about some really bad people much at all. The only thing that made it watchable for a few moments is that Rose Williams is pretty. 

Luther: The Fallen Sun - Idris Alba is a damaged cop going after a serial killer. Storyline is just not good enough.

The Machine - A few laughs from comedian Bert Kreischer and Mark Hamill, but not many in this Russian mafia story.

Mafia Mamma - Toni Collette quickly moves from a regular woman to a mafia princess when she visits Italy for her grandfather's funeral. It's a mess.

Miranda's Victim - Based on a true story about the things a rape victim went through after her attack. Just a shabbily-done film about a serious subject.

Moving On - Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda fumble through a poor script which centers around two old friends attending a third's funeral.  

My Happy Ending - Love seeing Andie McDowell again, but the movie about a popular actress at a cancer hospital does not have much to it. In fact, it was annoyingly bad.

Of An Age - A disjointed gay love story. The characters aren't particularly believable.

The Old Way - Nic Cage in a substandard Western, but it had a few ok moments. Little Ryan Kiera Armstrong is cute in her role.

The Out-Laws - Criminal in-laws Ellen Barkin and Pierce Brosnan visit their daughter and her husband for the first time and there are few laughs.

The Pope's Exorcist - Russell Crowe's depiction of a different kind of exorcist saves this film from the bottom list.

The Retirement Plan - This is a real mess of a movie with Nic Cage as a former government assassin coming back to help his family survive against evil forces. The premise was good, but the execution was downright terrible.

The Ritual Killer - A serial killer is on the loose and Dr. Mackles (Morgan Freeman) tries to help the police. He doesn't really do it.

River Wild - Estranged brother and sister go on a rafting trip with a nasty guy and - surprise - bad things end up happening.

Run Rabbit Run - A fertility doctor must confront an ugly incident in her past when her daughter suddenly reminds her of it and unloosens a screw in her head.

Shotgun Wedding - Josh Duhamel and J-Lo in a disjointed wedding caper with a lot of violence and very little humor.

Supercell - Storm chaser story with Alec Baldwin and Anne Heche isn't particularly good, but is not next level awful.

Transfusion - An Iraq veteran battles PTSD and taking care of his son, who survived a crash that killed a wife and unborn child.


Dishonorable Mention : The Civil Dead (lack of humor in a ghost story), The Devil Conspiracy (mindless devil action), Gold Brick (Didn't get it), Jungle (Korean Sci-Fi story about AIs that was sort of hard to follow),  Noise (Netflix film about a young couple that moves into a family house before finding out a deep dark secret),, Suitable Flesh (Heather Graham in a confusing body-switching horror film).


WORST 10 of the Year

10. Enys Men  - Beautifully shot movie about nothing. I kept waiting for something to happen.

9. Maggie Moore(s) - Dumb murder/caper movie with a good cast, including Tina Fey and Jon Hamm. Hard to believe it could be this bad.

8. The Price We Pay - Awful crime drama with really, really bad people. Attractive Gigi Zumbado saves it from being in the top five.

7. Children of the Corn - Sinister kids in Iowa take over a town and try to kill all the elders. Heck, it could happen. I guess this film was re-issued. Didn't know. But it was in theaters in 2023.

6. Consecration - Another one of those religious horror films. This one was especially baffling. Even Jena Malone looking cute as ever couldn't help.

5. Magic Mike's Last Dance - Oh man, could not stay with this one. I mean, you get $60,000 to dance for Salma Hayek? Free from me. Sorry. 

4. The Strays - Two young African-American kids come back to terrorize their mother, who abandoned them years earlier to take on a new identity as a white person. Yes, really.

3. Evil Dead Rise - Don't understand the use for movies like this, but they keep making them and banking money, so I guess that's why. I tried, but I really couldn't even follow this one.

2. Nefarious - Laughable two-man show on death row. It was ultimately a God squad film. Who knew?

1. Sweetwater - A horribly-done depiction of Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton as he became the first black man to sign a contract in the NBA. The film is an embarrassment to basketball.