Welcome to Zama

Welcome to Zama (Amazon Prime, Roku) is a 2018 film. "Set in a remote hamlet cut off from the modern world, one man's journey, from childhood to old age, is seen through a unique cinematic narrative where the past, present and future intertwine to show the life of a character living through time." You can watch a trailer at Vimeo or at the Amazon Prime page for this film. I wish I could find a trailer I could embed here.

This is a thought-provoking film that would reward re-watching. Fascinating. Highly recommended.

Blithe Spirit (1945)

Blithe Spirit (Max, Amazon Prime, Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, or embedded below via YouTube) is a 1945 supernatural black comedy film directed by David Lean and starring Rex Harrison, Constance Cummings, Kay Hammond, and Margaret Rutherford. There's a talent pool worth watching! I've been looking for this movie online for years and had given up, and then there it was suggested for me on Amazon Prime. Sweet!

via YouTube:

*******

Made (2001)

Made is a 2001 comedy crime film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, and Peter Falk. I watched it for Peter Falk, but that wasn't enough to keep me watching. I didn't finish this one. The characters are just so completely stupid in their choices it's not even funny. YMMV. Most reviews were positive.

trailer:

*******

Queen of Paradis

Queen of Paradis (Tubi) is a 2020 documentary described by IMDb this way:

After the success of artist Reine Paradis' breakout photo series 'Jungle', filmmaker Carl Lindstrom follows her on a surreal journey across the United States as she works to complete her highly anticipated second series 'Midnight'.

This is another movie outside my typical fare, as I tend to avoid documemtaries and biographical films, but this is absolutely delightful. I had been unaware of Paradis and enjoyed this introduction. It is well-reviewed.

trailer:

*******

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Amazon Prime) is a 2015 action spy movie (5th in the series) starring Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames, Alec Baldwin, and Rebecca Ferguson. I hated the first one, and it's a wonder I ever watched any of the rest of them, but they've grown on me over time.

trailer:

*******

Mad God

Mad God (Shudder free trial) is a 2021 stop-motion adult animated experimental horror film. Completed in 2021, the film was produced over a period of thirty years. The film received critical acclaim upon its release. We took advantage of the 7-day free trial of Shudder, looked up lists of the best movies available on that service, and I started watching the ones I hadn't already seen. This is quite the surprise, like nothing I'd seen before. I admit that if there's a plot I didn't discern it, but it's visually remarkable. I'm glad I've seen it.

trailer:

*******

It Can be Done Amigo

It Can be Done Amigo (Tubi, Pluto TV, Plex, or embedded below via YouTube) is a 1972 Spanish/Italian/French spaghetti western starring Bud Spencer and Jack Palance. I enjoy the spaghetti westerns, and this is a fun one. Bud Spencer is always watchable, and you can't go wrong with Jack Palance.

*******

Ivan's Childhood

Ivan's Childhood (YouTube, Plex) is a 1962 award-winning (including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival) Soviet war drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky in his first feature film. It is about Ivan, an orphaned 12 year old boy, whose parents were killed by the invading German forces, and his experiences during World War II. Ingmar Bergman praised it, saying it was influential in his own work. I tend to avoid war movies, but the fact that Tarkovsky directed it and that it receives universal acclaim has me stepping out of my comfort zone to watch it. Tarkovsky is a genius.

via YouTube (but age-restricted for some reason, so you'll have to go to YouTube's website to watch it):

*******

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (We bought the DVD. What can I say; we couldn't wait.) is a 2024 monster movie, the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and the fifth film in the Monsterverse franchise, also serving as the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and 13th in the King Kong franchise. Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and Kaylee Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite again with Godzilla to stop the tyrannical Skar King and the powerful, frost-breathing Shimo from invading the Earth's surface. I'm continuing to enjoy the new Godzilla and King Kong films as they come out.

trailer:

*******

Stand by Me

Stand by Me is a 1986 coming-of-age drama film directed by Rob Reiner based on Stephen King's 1982 novella The Body. It stars Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell as four boys who set out to find the dead body of a missing boy. It is well respected, considered by many to be one of the most influential films of the 1980s as well as one of the greatest films of all time. The Golden Globes website says, "Almost four decades after its release, Stand by Me – based on true events in Stephen King’s life – remains one of the most poignant Summer coming-of-age films." I had never heard of it but came across it somehow. Coming of age drama films aren't ever a genre I seek out, but this is a powerful film well worth my wandering off my beaten track to watch.

via Internet Archive:



*******

Atlas (2024)

Atlas (Netflix) is a 2024 science fiction film about issues that arise in a bleak future when the AI robots decide they know best. This grew on me while I watched it.

trailer:

*******

They Called Us Enemy

image from Wikipedia

They Called Us Enemy is an award-winning 2019 graphic novel, George Takei's memoir of his time in an internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War 2. You can read it online (borrow it from the Internet Archive here). I read it for my church women's reading group. This is an important reminder for those of us who know this history and an excellent introduction for those who don't or who only know part of what happened.

Takei reads one section of it, using illustrations from the book:

*******

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy

Frankenstein vs. The Mummy (2015) is a 2015 horror film. The title is self-explanatory. I may be the only person who will watch these monster movies whenever I come across them... This one takes place in modern times. It got mixed reviews, but what were they expecting? Fine art it ain't, but fun it is. Wikipedia has a chronological list of Frankenstein movies at this link. There's a list of Mummy movies here. There's a lot of fun to be had watching the movies in those lists.

trailer:

*******

I offer this movie poster for the film for Nicole's Friday Face Off:

Quantum Cowboys

Quantum Cowboys (Tubi, Hoopla) is a 2022 animated comedy science fiction western. This is not just fun but thought-provoking. Highly enjoyable and definitely rewatchable. From the IMDb:

Two hapless drifters, Frank and Bruno, team up with Linde to recover her land and trek across 1870's Southern Arizona to find an elusive frontier musician. The complex quantum time theory is blended with philosophical musings about art as the way we understand our history and memories, with gunfights, horses, dance halls, cacti, and saloons.

trailer:

*******

The Three Musketeers (2023)

The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers: Milady are parts one and two of an epic adaptation of the book by Dumas. It's a closer adaptation than is usual, and I appreciated that, though some of the changes are strange. The notable actor for us is Eva Green.

trailer to part 1:

trailer to part 2:

*******

We couldn't find it available on any of the services we already had. We discovered it was available on Hoopla, which is a media site offered through public libraries. Sadly, our library didn't offer it. Exploring a bit further afield, we saw that a few of the nearby suburban systems offer this service and let you get a non-resident card for a price. That gives you full access to Hoopla, which gives you 10 checkouts each month. We drove 30 minutes north to the Millington library, paid our $30 for an annual non-resident card, came home and signed up with Hoopla, and watched the first movie on our TV. Easy. I highly recommend it if your library (or a nearby one) offers Hoopla.

Under Paris

Under Paris (Netflix) is especially fun to watch given the upcoming Olympics. It is a 2024 French action-horror disaster film about a grieving marine biologist who is forced to face her tragic past in order to save Paris from a bloodbath when a giant shark appears in the Seine. This one satisfies. You're not under any suspician that they're setting you up for sequels. There's an actual ending that makes sense. I like this one. Let's hope Paris doesn't get giant, mutating sharks before the Olympics.

trailer:

*******

Inheritance (2024)

Inheritance (Netflix) is a 2024 Polish comedy film about an estranged family who gathers at the mansion of the rich uncle, to try and make sure they're included in the will. Cute. Funny. I won't watch it again, but I enjoyed watching it this time. I can't find a trailer, which is highly unusual, and the reviews I've seen give too much away. It's worth checking out if you have Netflix. I mean the worst that can happen is you decide you don't like it and turn it off, right?

image from Netflix

*******

Asoka (2001)

Asoka is a 2001 critically acclaimed award-winning Indian Hindi-language epic historical drama film, a dramatized version of the early life of emperor Asoka, of the Maurya Empire, who ruled most of the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE. This makes yet another Indian film I've liked. My track record with this is such that I watch every Indian movie I come across.

trailer:

*******

The Boys from Brazil

The Boys from Brazil (Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, Pluto TV) is a 1978 thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier and featuring James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen, Anne Meara, Denholm Elliott, and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles. It is based on the 1976 novel of the same title by Ira Levin. It is about Nazi hunters and a plot set in motion by Josef Mengele. I remember when this came out but had forgotten it til I saw it mentioned on one of those movie lists I'm such a sucker for. James Mason is always worth watching, but the film itself is worth watching.

trailer:

*******

Renfield

Renfield (Amazon Prime) is a 2023 action comedy horror film directed by Chris McKay. Inspired by characters from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and focusing on the particular character of Renfield (which is obvious from the movie title), the film stars Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, and Nicolas Cage (as Dracula). This is a very silly take on the Dracula story, so it's not one I will watch again. I prefer my vampires to be serious, though there are exceptions.

trailer:

*******
This image of a poster from Wikipedia is my offering for Nicole's Friday Face Off:

*******

Jodhaa Akbar

Jodhaa Akbar (Netflix and embedded below via YouTube) is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language epic historical romantic drama film. Set in the 16th century, the film shows the life and love between the Muslim Emperor Akbar of Mughal Empire and a Hindu Princess Jodhaa Bai of Amber, and their political marriage. I don't tend to watch biographical films or romances, but I loved this. I do tend to like Indian films.

via YouTube:

*******

Tommy (1975)

Tommy is a 1975 British musical fantasy drama film written and directed by Ken Russell and based on The Who's 1969 rock opera album Tommy. It's about a "psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind" boy who becomes a pinball champion and religious leader. I'd never seen it before and saw it listed as "leaving soon" on one of the streaming services I subscribe to. It's no longer available free anywhere. It's such a dated work that I'm not sure it's watchable unless you were a young adult in the late '60s-early '70s. Unless you watch it for the cast, that is. The cast is priceless. The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast, including the band members themselves (most notably, lead singer Roger Daltrey, who plays the title role), Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Elton John, Robert Powell and Jack Nicholson.

trailer:

*******

Mortal Engines

Mortal Engines (Netflix) is a 2018 post-apocalyptic steampunk film starring Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, and Stephen Lang. Set more than a thousand years in the future following a cataclysmic conflict known as the Sixty Minute War, the remnants of mankind regroup and form mobile cities, called "Traction Cities". Under a philosophy known as "Municipal Darwinism", larger "predator" cities hunt and absorb smaller settlements in the "Great Hunting Ground", which includes Great Britain and Continental Europe. In opposition, settlements of the "Anti-Traction League" have developed an alternative civilization consisting of "static settlements" (traditional, non-mobile cities) in Asia led by Shan Guo (formerly China), protected by the "Shield Wall". Relics of 21st-century technology such as toasters, computers, and smartphones are valued by historians as "Old-Tech." It won an award for visual effects, and the movie is a treat to watch. I liked it.

trailer:

*******

Wilde

Wilde (Amazon Prime) is a 1997 British biographical romantic drama film about the turmoil in Wilde's life after he discovers he is homosexual. It stars Stephen Fry in the title role, with Jude Law, Vanessa Redgrave, Jennifer Ehle, Gemma Jones, Judy Parfitt, Michael Sheen, Zoë Wanamaker, and Tom Wilkinson in supporting roles. It's difficult to watch. I don't tend to watch historical or biographical or romance movies anyway, so this is way out of my viewing preference, but I gave it a try for Pride Month. What a tragic waste to treat people this way. Words fail me.

trailer:

*******

Pulgasari

Pulgasari is a 1985 North Korean kaiju film directed by South Korean filmmaker Shin Sang-ok. It is based on the legend of Pulgasari, a metal-eating creature in Korean folklore, and is loosely based on the lost 1962 South Korean film of the same subject, Bulgasari. Shin directed the film under the orders of Kim Jong Il (then-heir apparent) and Shin's wife stars -this after Shin and his wife were kidnapped in 1978 by North Korean intelligence. Pulgasari was the last of several films he made in North Korea before escaping to the United States in 1986. After finding out that his credit was removed from the movie, Shin Sang-ok wrote a remake called The Adventures of Galgameth in 1996. The story behind this movie was reason enough for me to watch it.

via Youtube:

*******

City Hunter

City Hunter (Netflix) is a 2024 live action adaptation of a Japanese manga series that was serialized in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1985 to 1991. IMDb says this: "An exceptional marksman and hopeless playboy, private eye Ryo Saeba reluctantly forms an alliance with his late partner's sister to investigate his death." This was fun, though a bit on the silly side.

trailer:

*******

Slayers

Slayers (Hulu) is a 2022 comedy horror film about modern-day vampires. Cute, mindless, casual viewing, not winning any awards.

trailer:

*******

I'm joing Nicole's Friday Face Off with this movie poster from Wikipedia:

*******

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins (Disney+) is an award-winning 1964 musical fantasy comedy film based on P. L. Travers's book series Mary Poppins. The film, which combines live-action and animation, stars Julie Andrews in her feature film debut as Mary Poppins. Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson, and Glynis Johns have supporting roles. Dick Van Dyke's accent is much ridiculed, but it's a kids' movie from the 1960s; give him a break. I remember when this movie came out and saw it first run in the theater. It's a real treasure, and I've always enjoyed it. The books are great fun, too.

trailer:

My absolute favorite song from this film is Sister Suffragette, with Glynnis Johns:

especially in these days when women are having rights revoked and Republicans are openly advocating against women's suffrage.

I've also always liked Feed the Birds:

Nomadland

Nomadland (Hulu) is an award-winning 2020 drama film based on the 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century. It stars Frances McDormand (who is one of my favorites) as a widow who leaves her life in Nevada after she loses her job because the plant closes down, leaving the town a ghost town. She travels around the United States in her van as a nomad. A number of real-life nomads appear as fictionalized versions of themselves. A fascinating study of a life I didn't know existed. Most reviews are positive.

trailer:

*******

Apocalypse Now

Apocalypse Now (Amazon Prime) is an award-winning 1979 epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, with the setting changed from late 19th-century Congo to the Vietnam War. The film follows a river journey from South Vietnam into Cambodia undertaken by Captain Willard (Martin Sheen), who is on a secret mission to assassinate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a renegade Special Forces officer who is accused of murder and presumed insane. The ensemble cast also features Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest, Albert Hall, Sam Bottoms, Laurence Fishburne, Dennis Hopper, and Harrison Ford. I had heard of this film, of course, and was familiar with quotes from it, but I had never seen it. I don't tend to like war movies, but I do try to keep an open mind. I see why it's considered one of the greatest films ever made.

trailer:

*******

Blue Jean

Blue Jean (Hulu) is an award-winning 2022 British drama film about a closeted lesbian gym teacher in the 1980s. Reviews are positive. It must have been a difficult and stressful life. I hope the environment continues to improve. There were a number of films the various streaming services were recommending for Pride Month, and I've been watching some of them. There are more than I expected.

trailer:

*******