Blade (1998)

Blade is a 1998 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Blade, a human with vampire strengths but not their weaknesses who fights against vampires. It is the first installment of the Blade franchise. The film stars Wesley Snipes as the title character with Stephen Dorff, Kris Kristofferson and N'Bushe Wright in supporting roles. Great fun. I've forgotten where I watched this one, and it no longer seems available on any of the services I have access to.

trailer:

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The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss (Hulu) is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron and starring Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. This one is worth watching, though some of the Cold War sub-plot is dated. I enjoyed it. It gets good reviews and won an Oscar.

from Wikipedia:

When an American submarine sinks in the Caribbean, a US search and recovery team works with an oil platform crew, racing against Soviet vessels to recover the boat. Deep in the ocean, they encounter something unexpected.

Trailer:

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The Invisible Guardian

The Invisible Guardian (Netflix) is a 2017 Spanish thriller film directed by Fernando González Molina based on the novel with the same name by Dolores Redondo. This one had atmosphere and much rain, but I confess I never got into it. I kept picking apart plot elements.

trailer:

*******

Songbird (2020 film)

Songbird (Hulu) is a 2020 dystopian science fiction thriller film based on the COVID-19 pandemic. I think its moment is over, but that may just be me. Professional critis hated it. I didn't finish it.

trailer:

*******

Kind of Blue

Kind of Blue:

a 1959 studio album by the American jazz trumpeter and composer Miles Davis, who died on this date in 1991 at the age of 65.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (DVD) is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful. Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway in 1979 and won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Olivier Award for Best New Musical. It has been revived in many productions as well as inspired a film adaptation. The video I saw starred Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett and George Hearn as Sweeney Todd. Angela Lansbury is one of those actors I watch for.

One of Lansbury's songs:

*******

They Cloned Tyrone

They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) is a 2023 science fiction comedy mystery film starring John Boyega, Teyonah Parris, and Jamie Foxx as an unlikely trio uncovering a shadow government cloning conspiracy. Hilarious! It has a definite 70s vibe. This gets great reviews.

trailer:

*******

The Feast (2021)

The Feast (Hulu) is a 2021 Welsh folk horror film. "Folk horror" isn't your typical horror but focuses on using elements of folklore to invoke foreboding. This film certainly does a good job of that.

trailer:

*******

Gloria (1980)

Gloria (Tubi) is a 1980 neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by John Cassavetes. It tells the story of a gangster's former girlfriend who goes on the run with a young boy who is being hunted by the mob after surving a hit on his whole family ordered because the dad was skimming and snitching to the FBI. It stars Gena Rowlands, which is why I watched it. She died recently at the age of 94. I'm not seeing what the big deal is, but it's well-reviewed and on several best-of lists.

free via YouTube:

*******

Golden Kamuy (2024 film)

Golden Kamuy (Netflix) is a 2024 Japanese movie based on the manga series of same name. It tells the story of a veteran of the early twentieth-century Russo-Japanese War and his quest to find a huge fortune of gold of the indigenous Ainu people, helped by a young Ainu girl. This is a huge disappointment. I just don't see much there.

trailer:

*******

The Furnace

The Furnace (Netflix) is a 2020 Australian adventure drama film set in the Western Australian outback during the goldrushes of the 1890s. The film's characters include "Afghan" cameleers, a white gold thief, and local Aboriginal people. Definitely different, I was happy to find this one. It gets positive reviews.

trailer:

*******

Logan (2017)

Logan (Disney+) is a 2017 superhero film starring Hugh Jackman as the title character. I enjoyed this well enough. It was late, I couldn't sleep, and this was entertaining. It gets great reviews. I can see re-watching it.

trailer:

*******

The Time of Their Lives (1946)

The Time of Their Lives is a 1946 fantasy comedy ghost story film starring the comedic duo Abbott and Costello. Hilarious. Perfect if you're looking for something light for Halloween.

via YouTube:

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Dual (2022)

Dual (Hulu) is a 2022 satirical science fiction thriller film starring Karen Gillan as a woman who finds out she is terminally ill and arranges for a clone to take her place once she's dead. Then she finds out she's not dying after all. Thought-provoking. Reviews are positive.

trailer:

The Promised Land (2023)

The Promised Land (Hulu) is an award-winning 2023 epic historical drama film, a joint Danish/German/Swedish co-production. It is based on the 2020 book The Captain and Ann Barbara by Ida Jessen. It stars Mads Mikkelsen. Well-reviewed, I'm glad I watched it, but it won't go in my re-watch rotation.

trailer:

*******

Jesus Mentioned

Jesus Mentioned:

by Warren Zevon, who died of mesothelioma on September 7, 2003, at the age of 56.

Lyric excerpt:

I'm going down to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
I'm going down to Graceland
Thinking about the King
Remembering him sing
'Bout those heavenly mansions
Jesus mentioned

Crazy Blues

Crazy Blues:

recorded by Mamie Smith, who died penniless on this date in 1946 at the age of 55. She was interred at Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on Staten Island, on ground which remained unmarked until 2013 when a monument was finally erected.

The Big Chill

The Big Chill (free at Xumo) is a 1983 comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring an ensemble cast consisting of Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. The plot focuses on a group of baby boomers who attended the University of Michigan, reuniting after 15 years when their friend Alex dies by suicide. I've seen this one three times now and probably won't return to it, but it is an interesting character study and perfectly cast. It's a generational touchstone for Baby Boomers or folks around that age. The soundtrack is wonderful.

trailer:

The Muppet Movie

The Muppet Movie (Disney+) is a 1979 musical road comedy film, the first theatrical film with the Muppets. It features cameo appearances by Bob Hope, Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Cloris Leachman, Richard Pryor, Telly Savalas, Edgar Bergen (in his final film appearance before his death), Orson Welles, Carol Kane, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks, among others. Delightful, a feel-good movie. I rewatch this every once in a while.

trailer:

*******

The Invitation (2022)

The Invitation (Hulu) is a 2022 horror/thriller vampire film inspired by but not based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. It follows a woman who, after her mother's death, meets long-lost family members and discovers the dark secrets they carry. I like vampire movies. That said, this isn't among the best of them.

trailer:

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