Hellraiser (2022)

Hellraiser (Hulu) is a 2022 supernatural horror film, a reboot of the Hellraiser franchise, the eleventh installment overall, and a second adaptation of the 1986 novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, which was adapted into the 1987 film Hellraiser. It gets mostly positive reviews, and I liked it, but given a choice I'd re-watch the original.

trailer:

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I'm loving being a granny☺️. I haven't turned on my computer since I got here, and for some reason I have trouble leaving comments via my cell phone. I don't know how long my daughter will want me to stay with her, but until I leave my blog access will be limited. 

Happy Birthday, Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie turns 83 years old today. On August 3, 2023, Saint-Marie issued a statement announcing her retirement from live performances, due to health concerns.

Universal Soldier:

Some things never change. And on that depressing note, please join me at the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering, where we'll share a drink and visit.

Mission Impossible 3 and 4

Yes, we're going to go ahead and watch them all. In for a penny, in for a pound as the saying goes. They are much alike, and I'm out of town with limited online access, so I'm just gonna leave it at that. Is this a lazy post, or what?

Mission Impossible: 2

Mission Impossible: 2 (Amazon Prime) is a 2000 action spy film starring Tom Cruise. It is the sequel to Mission: Impossible (1996) and the second installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. I felt betrayed by the first one and only watched this one because a family member wanted to watch it. Reviews on this one are mixed, and I'm not one of the ones who like it. Action scenes are much too long, car chases are much too long... and I say that as someone who generally enjoys action films. I don't think there's enough plot to further the 2+ hour length. There are plenty of fans out there, though, so you may well like this one.

trailer:

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Rebel Moon

Rebel Moon (Netflix) is a science fiction/space opera film that was pitched to the Star Wars folks who rejected it. They changed the names and made it outside the Star Wars universe, but its origin shows. Part two won't be available until April, and I'll wait to judge this one 'til I've seen the second part. I want to like it.

trailer:

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Doctor Sleep (2019)

Doctor Sleep is a 2019 supernatural horror film based on the novel by Stephen King. It is a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining. The film stars Ewan McGregor as Dan Torrance, a man with psychic abilities and a drinking problem, who struggles with childhood trauma caused by the horrors at the Overlook Hotel. I've forgotten now where I watched it but don't see it currently streaming anywhere. That's a real shame. It's definitely worth watching. The used DVD is available at Amazon for about $3.

trailer:

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The Universe in a Cup of Coffee

The Universe in a Cup of Coffee:

from the YouTube page:

The chemistry of the universe is, in a way, in your morning cup of coffee — from the evolution of caffeine as a defensive chemical weapon in plants to the swirling eddies of milk and coffee fueled by diffusion, Brownian motion and other phenomena. After watching the video, you’ll never look at coffee the same way again.

I only drink coffee in the mornings, and I drink it black and without any sweetening. I don't usually ponder weighty matters then, spending that time catching up on news stories, social media, and email newsletters. This morning I'll try to engage a different part of my brain.

Please join us at the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering.

Tropical Malady

Tropical Malady is an award-winning 2004 Thai romantic psychological drama art film. I found this in one of my watchlists but can't remember how I came across it. I probably was looking for movies that had won a particular award. This is a powerful film but painful to watch in parts.

via YouTube:



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North of the Rio Grande (1937)

North of the Rio Grande (Tubi) is a 1937 Hopalong Cassidy Western film starring William Boyd, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Russell Hayden. This is Lee J. Cobb's first film role and is posted today because it's the anniversary of his death.

via YouTube:

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An Angel at My Table (film)

An Angel at My Table (Max) is an award-winning 1990 biographical drama film directed by Jane Campion. The film is based on Janet Frame's autobiographies and and is divided into three parts. It follows Frame beginning with her years growing up in a poor family, through her years in a mental institution, and into her writing years afterwards. I tend to avoid films based on true stories, but for some reason I watched this one. It's one of those movies I wish I'd seen years earlier. That said, her life was horrifying, and this film is hard to watch. There were times I cried and some times I had to look awawy. I'm glad it ended well for her, but what it took for her to get there will break your heart.

trailer:

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her (2013)

her (Max) is a 2013 science-fiction romantic drama film. It's an interesting exploration of modern relationships.

from Wikipedia:

The film follows Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix), a man who develops a relationship with Samantha (Scarlett Johansson), an artificially intelligent virtual assistant personified through a female voice. The film also stars Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and Chris Pratt.

trailer:

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I am out of town visiting my first grandchild and don't have ready access to my computer. I'm having great fun learning all the new ways parents do things these days. I am loving being Granny! 🥰

Shin Masked Rider

Shin Masked Rider (Amazon Prime) is a 2023 Japanese superhero film about a man who is kidnapped by the Sustainable Happiness Organization with Computational Knowledge Embedded Remodeling (SHOCKER), a sinister organization that transforms humans into brainwashed synthetic animal hybrids known as Augments, or Augs. Hongo is transformed into Grasshopper-Aug. I just happened across it late one night. It's quite different from other superhero movies I've seen. It gets mostly positive reviews, but I'm not likely to watch more like it.

trailer:

The Lawnmower Man

The Lawnmower Man (not available except on premium streaming services like Starz) is a 1992 science fiction horror film starring Jeff Fahey as Jobe Smith, an intellectually disabled gardener, and Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Angelo, a scientist who decides to experiment on him in an effort to give him greater intelligence. I had never seen this before, and it's a fine enough little time waster (to borrow a phrase from CJ), but I won't watch it again and am not interested in the sequels.

trailer:

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Her Scents of Pu Er

Her Scents of Pu Er:

Her Scents of Pu Er from Aeon Video on Vimeo.

"For a Chinese tea master, each sip is a rich expression of memory

For Yu Hui Tseng, drinking tea isn’t simply a daily habit or a cultural norm, but a spiritual practice at the very core of her being."

Please share your own drink-related post and join us for the T Stands for Tuesday blogger gathering.

Nimona

Nimona (Netflix) is a 2023 animated fantasy adventure comedy drama film based on the 2015 graphic novel of the same name by ND Stevenson. Well reviewed, I watched it because it has been nominated for an Academy Award. It might look like a children's movie, but I wouldn't recommend it for the younger crowd. Teens or at least older pre-teens I would think, but YMMV.

trailer:

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The Whales of August

The Whales of August (Amazon Prime and free on Tubi) is a 1987 drama film starring Bette Davis and Lillian Gish (in her last film) as elderly sisters. Also here are Ann Sothern as one of their friends, and Vincent Price as a peripheral member of the former Russian aristocracy. A wonderful movie, I wish I had watched it sooner instead of letting it languish in my watchlist while I watched horror movies and big splashy action movies and re-watched classic Doctor Who episodes, but there ya go. I've seen it now, which is what counts.

trailer:

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The Name of the Rose (film)

The Name of the Rose (Amazon Prime and free on Tubi) is a 1986 award-winning historical mystery film based on the 1980 novel of the same name by Umberto Eco. It stars Sean Connery and Christian Slater. F. Murray Abraham, Michael Lonsdale, and Ron Perlman are also in this. The book is good, and the film does it justice.

trailer:

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Ebenezer

We got out this little puzzle toy not long ago. It was always fun when the kids were young. We started looking online and can't find anything about it. It doesn't seem to be available at all now. What a shame.

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Ocean's 11 (1960)

Ocean's 11 (DVD) is a 1960 heist film starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Angie Dickinson, Richard Conte, Cesar Romero, Patrice Wymore, Joey Bishop, Akim Tamiroff, and Henry Silva, with Norman Fell and Cesar Romero, and with cameos by George Raft, Red Skelton, and Shirley McClaine. I hadn't seen it before and can't remember now what caused me to look for it now. Fun, though.

trailer:

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