March 2020
43 movies, finished 1 book and began another
Now, you might think that because we were quarantined in the middle of the month that I would revert to my old ways and start watching loads of movies...and you would be correct! Kristen and I got a stack of books from the library so I'm still focused on reading but I just can't resist the stacks of video games and movies I have in the immediate vicinity.
First movie of the month
The Spy Who Dumped Me - There are so many action comedies out there and they usually skimp on the action, this does not. Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis are hilarious as a pair of best friends who get roped into a globetrotting spy adventure. The fish out of water action story isn’t anything new but the movie is funny and the action is very impressive. There are plenty of laughs and several exciting action sequences that make this one of my favorite action comedies.
New on streaming
Spenser Confidential - I would have watched this in theaters. I enjoy less serious Mark Wahlberg movies and teaming him with Winston Duke and Alan Arkin to go up against corrupt cops made for a fun Netflix watch. Him and Peter Berg have made 5 movies together that vary in quality and critical appreciation and this is the lightest one so far, the rest have mostly been docu-dramas which I don't usually go for.
Rewatched
Raw Deal - Arnold proves he's not an ideal undercover cop in this Chicago mob action movie
The Rock - Cage and Connery take on bad guys on Alcatraz in this classic
The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot - thoughtful character study with Sam Elliot as the U.S. governments greatest and most secretive hunter
Act of Valor - Real life Navy SEALs do not make great actors but the action is exciting
Three Kings - Great cast in a great heist/anti war movie
The Kingdom - Jamie Foxx headlines an exciting Middle Eastern thriller
The Mask of Zorro - A fantastic adventure film with peak Banderas having a blast
Blood Father - over the hill Gibson as a guy no one likes caught in a drug war
Falcon Rising - Michael Jai White knows how to fight and proves it, repeatedly
EuroTrip - I will never not laugh at this
Hunt for the Wilderpeople - an instant classic adventure from Taika Waititi
St. Patrick's Day Viewing:
The Boondock Saints - offensive, ridiculous, violent and something I'll always enjoy
The Boondock Saints II: All Saint’s Day - more of the bad stuff, less of the good stuff
Last Man Standing - Irish mob v Italian mob v Bruce Willis
The Muppets - it ain't easy being green, but it sure is fun (might be a stretch as a St. Pats movie)
State of Grace - Irish mob movie that ends in a shoot out at a bar during St. Patrick's Day Parade
Series I watched
Universal Soldier - decent movie influenced by Robocop and Terminator
Universal Soldier: The Return - silly influenced by Robocop and Terminator
Universal Soldier: Regeneration - violent influenced by Robocop and Terminator
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning - amazing movie influenced by Robocop and Terminator
The Expendables - Dumb movie with famous action stars
The Expendables 2 - Fun movie with famous action stars
The Expendables 3 - Dumb fun movie with famous action stars
First time watching
Bedazzled - Peak Elizabeth Hurley and Brendan Fraser in a very funny and very 2000's comedy
The Reunion - John Cena leads a mediocre dysfunctional family action dramedy
Line of Duty - Remember Aaron Eckhart? He makes direct to video action movies now
Sister Act - funny, touching, music fueled movie with a lot of heart
Hunter Killer - a competently made throwback Gerard Butler action flick
Villains - clever indie home invasion thriller with a good cast
Blindspotting - awesome drama about gentrification with bursts of humor and music
The Brave - a mindless Netflix action movie made for people who like mindless action
Transcendence - dumb and boring movie with a big cast and big budget
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot - not the best of it's kind but still kind of fun
Traveller - lesser known but cool Mark Wahlberg and Bill Paxton grifter movie
Bad Samaritan - David Tennant is a fun bad guy in this bad movie
Double Tap - Remember Heather Locklear? She made a a bad action movie 23 years ago
Movies I own but haven't watched until now:
Outbreak - Watched this before things got real bad, it ends well! Hopefully this will too
The Big Chill - 30 years ago famous people did not practice social distancing
Hidden Assassin - Dolph Lundgren in a very dumb 90's European thriller
The Bad Pack - D list action stars in their own D list Expendables
Blast - one of the worst Die Hard knockoffs ever
It took me a while to finish but once I did, I thought it was great. It was quite the heady material for me to read while I was in the midst of a very stressful few weeks at work and on top of that there were growing fears of the Coronavirus. The book features an unreliable narrator who, through the organization known as Southern Reach, goes on a research expedition to investigate the mysterious Area X. She can’t trust the people or environment around her so I connected to the character with my own personal thoughts of ‘what the hell am I doing and what the hell is going on?!’
I began to read this before the quarantine was put into effect so I read a good amount of it on train rides into the city. Now, while at home, I can’t read more than a few pages before dozing off. I will finish it in a few days but it will be a restful few days. It picks up right after the events of Annihilation and we learn a bit about the mysterious Area X. The lead character is the new acting director of Southern Reach and is investigating the lead character from Annihilation. The mysteries deepen and the world gets more dangerous and confusing.
