Watching - December 2022

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

After revisiting Pretty in Pink so disappointingly a couple of days ago, I had to watch probably my favourite John Hughes film. The soundtrack here isn't quite as good and it doesn't contain Molly Ringwald, but the story is better, the characters are more developed and the ending is the right one!

Disenchanted (2022)

Enchanted is a bit of a family favourite so this was always going to be a watch together - which is what we did, albeit with B remotely and without K for some reason. Capturing the same whimsical yet tongue-in-cheek spirit as the original was always going to be difficult and if the sequel doesn't quite manage, it's not for want of trying or for want of fairy tale clichés to cram in.

Classic Albums: A Night at the Opera (2006)

For some reason TVDB only knows about a feature film length version of this, but that's not what I saw on Prime, which was about 45 minutes long and interesting enough but a little light on detail (and contained nothing about "The Prophet's Song" for some reason). Always amazing to watch (Sir!) Brian May playing though - just a genius.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

A candidate for one of the best sequels ever? William Goldman said that sequels are whore's movies - it's all about the money - but given that Cruise could have made a sequel decades earlier if he really was interested in cashing in, maybe this exists because he really wanted to tell the next story. Just as preposterous as the first film but better filmed and possibly a better story and, dare we say it, possibly a better film. I ordered this on DVD the day after we watched it in the cinema and I don't regret that at all.

Martin and Martin: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (2018)

An odd two-hander, in which Steve Martin gets to play a little banjo, Martin Short gets to do some comedy-vaudeville and both get to trade mock insults with obvious affection and much show business affectation (particularly so in Short's case). I wouldn't normally bother with this kind of thing, but it passed about an hour, had some laugh-out-loud moments and was generally pleasant enough.

Runaway Jury (2003)

Apparently the trial's subject was changed from tobacco to guns fairly late, following the release of The Insider. On the one hand, it makes little difference which legal product kills someone, but on the other, it makes a lot: tobacco isn't protected by the constitution. However, instead of this being an interesting discussion about the US's weird cultural gun fetish, this is just a story of a jury being swung. Most of the interesting parts of the book are lost and in particular, we get no idea how John Cusack's character sways the jury - which makes it all a bit implausible. Passes the time but not particularly good.

24 Hour Party People (2002)

I don't have many claims to fame, but this is one of them: I was a student in Manchester when Madchester was kicking off and the Hacienda was the coolest nightclub in the country. Except I wasn't actually there: I was at the alternative clubs and the Poly bop, listening to The Velvet Underground and The Stooges, Mudhoney and The Wonder Stuff, not any of this dance crap. I think we know who was proved correct. Nevertheless I was aware of enough of it - and learned enough in the next few years - for this film to be an interesting trip down memory lane. Very entertaining in many ways (albeit I suspect off-puttingly confusing for anyone who doesn't already know the subject matter), but badly unbalanced by having Tony Wilson played by Steve Coogan, who, through no real fault of his own, just makes every character he plays sound like Alan Partridge.

Only Murders in the Building (2021)

I found this via reading about Martin & Martin (above), only to later discover that it's part of a resurgence of interest in whodunnits (with films like Knives Out), which makes me very on trend or something. Allegedly. Anyway, this series is great fun, with loads of twists and turns before the murderer is revealed and a amusing sense of self-awareness. Martin Short in particular is hilarious as a washed-up theatre producer who insists in giving delivery notes to just about anyone. Perhaps a slightly shorter series would have been a bit more focussed and if the stunt-casting episode with Sting was a bit misjudged, at least they took the micky out of themselves later for doing it. There's a second series too, but I'll have to see if I can be bothered once I don't have a whole holiday season to watch it!

Knives Out (2019)

Once I got past Daniel Craig's American accent - and not just a generic US one but a full-blown southern drawl - this turned out to be a very entertaining whodunnit, a clear successor to Christie's drawing room mysteries. Great fun and much better than the badly off-target Branagh version of Poirot.

Watching - November 2022

She's All That (1999)

I'm not sure why I chose this, other than I had it vaguely at the back of my mind as a well-known romcom that I hadn't watched yet. Now, having done so, I'm not really sure I can explain its  apparent popularity. The story feel like it has major gaps in it, or at least substantially unexplained motivations. Why isn't Laney more suspicious of Zach's motives? Why does Zach suddenly turn into a nice guy after clearly being a jerk jock? Anyway, that, and the terrible transformation of Rachel Leigh Cooke from "ugly" (actually very pretty) to "beautiful" (stereotypically Hollywood "sexy"), make this a slightly tedious and unbelievable watch.

Bros: After the Screaming Stops (2018)

Matt Goss popped up on Strictly Come Dancing this year and seemed like a humble, thoughtful person, as perhaps befits someone who's been through the pop mill (although we were never allowed to forget his "record-breaking Vegas residency"). So what with that, and having just finished Nick Duerden's Exit Stage Left, I thought I'd catch up on this documentary. Unfortunately, in this, he comes across worse: self-centred and too lost in showbiz to realise it, for all his new age "be kind" speak. Luke Goss seems better, as someone who has had to deal with being "the other one" and consequently had to make his own life. They reconcile, they hug and argue, tell each other "I love you, but ..." and finally emerge victorious (against an industry who "never supported them", apparently) at a reunion concert. I'm still left with an overall sense of "so what?" about it all though. And what about the actual "other one", Craig Logan? Mentioned exactly zero times, almost airbrushed out of existence (and not part of the reunion, by choice) - but by some measures, actually the most successful of the three - and probably the most interesting.

The Blues Brothers (1980)

I first saw The Blues Brothers in 1982, at a real, genuine American drive-in, in a double-feature with Rocky. Obviously now a classic but at the time probably just doing the rounds a year or two after its release, I don't remember what I thought of it at the time, but I've seen it so many times since that I just know I like it now. This time I watched it with Z and it was great to introduce him to it. He particularly liked the massed ridiculousness at the end. Apparently at the time this held the record for the most number of cars wrecked in the making of a film - 103!

Ghosts (season 4, 2022)

Still amusing and an excellent family watch (although I can't get into binge watching like my kids - I prefer an episode per night), but perhaps slight diminishing returns.

I, Robot (2004)

For anyone who's a fan of Isaac Asimov's seminal Robot short stories and novels, this isn't just a disappointment but an utter perversion of everything the good doctor wrote. Instead of a thought-provoking piece about how robots might fit into society, a few of Asimov's classic characters are borrowed - in name only - and a couple of his stories adapted, and all shoe-horned into an unimaginative, blockbuster-by-numbers piece of Hollywood Frankenstein schlock. And the egregious and unnecessary product placement really grates too.

David Baddiel: Jews Don't Count (2022)

This is the documentary of the book and makes the same main points - that is, that anti-Semitism isn't considered "real" racism - albeit in less detail, as there's only an hour. It does give Baddiel the opportunity to speak to a number of well-known Jewish people, mostly in entertainment, about how they feel about the subject, and (unsurprisingly) they feel the same. To me, as a Jew, the points made are all obvious (and sometimes painfully so), but it's interesting to see them made nonetheless. I hope that more than just Jewish people watch the programme.

Cousins (1989)

This is a long-time favourite of mine, a gentle, sweet romance about two people married to the wrong people but who find each other. Interestingly, though, I lent it a friend a while back and it came back about two days later with a complaint that I'd given them a horrible film full of people cheating on each other. I can kind of see that point of view, but the film is at pains to make Isabella Rosselini and Ted Danson's characters nice, honest people, while making their spouses (William Peterson and Sean Young) horrible, self-obsessed idiots. It's more a slice of real life with real consequences than other films perhaps. But I like that.

Forrest Gump (1994)

Almost thirty years old now (which would be why Tom Hanks looks so young!), and obviously a classic. Moving in places, very sentimental in others (which I'm a bit of a sucker for anyway), in some ways an American Dream cliché and in others a social critique (there's a lot of presidents being shot), all in one improbably popular film. Great to see it again.

Pretty in Pink (1986)

This, on the other hand, I should have left firmly in the nostalgia bin. I haven't seen it in decades and it's not at all what I remember. Other than some great moments (Jon Cryer throwing himself around to Otis Redding, just about every scene with Annie Potts in it), some superb music choices (New Order must surely be very thankful to John Hughes), and, well, Molly Ringwald (my number one crush as a teenager <sigh>), it's ... awful. Little logic, context-free dramatic moments that flair up out of nothing and an ending which just makes no sense at all. It always annoyed me that Andie doesn't end up with Duckie, which is why my friend George recommended Some Kind of Wonderful to me - the film that this should have been.

Watching - October 2022

Stewart Lee: Tornado (2022)

The companion piece to Snowflake wasn't as funny. Lee's show is basically about himself - or about his character, "Stewart Lee", anyway - and although there's plenty of amusement, I mostly chuckled rather than anything else.

Death on the Nile (2022)

A sumptuously filmed, expensively cast, melodramatic mess. The bare bones of the original, elegant plot are buried underneath a hodgepodge of unnecessary characters, needless activity and pointless scenery. Poirot is barely recognisable as Christie's "little Belgian", as all his original characteristics are presumably considered the antithesis of a real detective (which was actually kind of the point) and therefore removed, and we're left with a cliched star vehicle for Kenneth Branagh, who runs around, shouts, broods and accuses everyone, but exhibits no sense of discovery or intellect, merely a magician's reveal at the end that comes out of nowhere. Since any film is a massive team effort, it seems unfair to blame Branagh for this hopeless misreading, but since he's the director and star, that's what I'm going to do. Other than that though, it's not a completely awful film, just generic and a bit dull.

Gattaca (1997)

A striking, stylish piece of sci-fi that has stayed with me for a long time. The setup is pretty straightforward but then it's combined with a murder mystery that gives the story some structure. As always, some of the minor plot points don't bear thinking about too much, but it doesn't spoil things, and the score is superbly evocative.

Turning Red (2022)

The female members of my household think this film's headline metaphor is offensive ("so you're saying that when a girl starts her period, she literally turns into a red monster??"), which I can kind of understand. But having actually watched it, I think it's a little more nuanced than that: I think it's an allegory about how it feels to start adolescence and puberty, rather than menstruation specifically or solely. And, as such, I found it funny and relatable. It's not a Disney or Pixar classic but it's perfectly decent, it's good to see female central characters, and the animation is superb, of course. And the 4*TOWN songs are very good!

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

Watched with Z, who seemed to enjoy it.

Wimbledon (2004)

Comfort viewing.

The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)

I've been meaning to watch this for a while, as it's supposed to be a valuable historical artefact that documents the US west coast's punk scene at the turn of the 80s. I'm pleased I watched it, and it's a chance to see footage of some of the iconic bands of the time (notably Black Flag, The Germs and X). The music is a disappointment though. It's crude, but to some extent that was point of punk and perhaps they improved (much as, say, The Clash did) - and if it sounds clichéd, well perhaps it didn't at the time. Now, however, this is as dated as 50s rock and less interesting.

Watching - September 2022

Miss Americana (2020)

I came across Taylor Swift's Tiny Desk Concert while browsing for more music, and enjoyed it very much, and in reading around the subject (as I tend to), I saw reviews for Miss Americana. I enjoyed it a great deal: I liked the way it managed to compress a view of the madness of celebrity at that kind of scale with a view of the human at the centre of it. Inevitably there's a slight feel of artifice, because do people really film themselves at random moments, and how do we know that wasn't the fifth take? But I don't know how you'd avoid that, and it seemed genuine and heartfelt to me. Towards the end she says that she's very conscious of the saying that famous people get frozen at the age they become famous, and how she's trying to ensure she avoids that. I can't imagine how hard it must be to grow up in that kind of spotlight, just like I can't comprehend the kind of drive it takes to achieve what she has. I'm kind of in awe of it, to be honest.

He's Just Not That Into You (2009)

I read the book back in 2014 (iirc I found it at the book exchange at work - not an obvious book to be found in a very male-dominated environment) and thought it was amusing but over-simplistic, like an attempt to view life as if it was a romcom. And lo and behold, they made a romcom out of it! It's a ensemble cast with multiple stories intertwining and no, not all of them are happy-ever-after, but the overall message still seems simplistic. And if some of the scenes are moving, some are just cringey. Passes the time well enough though.

Working Girl (1988)

Possibly one of the archetypal 80s films, capturing that decade's aspirational sense of destiny and empowerment, plus a whole load of hairspray and shoulder pads. Sigourney Weaver is superb, Melanie Griffith does the Pygmalion-style transformation pretty well (also she's gorgeous, in a very 80s way, which perhaps says something about my age), and Joan Cusack is wonderfully Noo Yoik. And the opening combination of the Staten Island ferry crossing to the New York skyline with Carly Simon's amazing modern day hymn "Let the River Run" playing is just wonderful. Very enjoyable. (Also, I discovered Radio 4's Soul Music via its episode on the song)

Paddington (2014)

Showing on BBC1 while we were having dinner, and natural family viewing. I hadn't seen it for a while. I love the stylised, highly coloured version of London (although it is clearly a fantasy), and also the way the film makes clear that Paddington is an allegory for all immigrants - although I believe Michael Bond's original inspiration were the Jewish Kindertransport children from Germany rather than the Windrush generation that the film implies with its use of calypso music.

Bringing Up Baby (1938)

I do love a good romcom and the genre dates back a long time - and if Rotten Tomatoes is to be believed, many of the earliest were the best. I'm not so sure there isn't a certain amount of rose-tinted spectacles going on here though, as I was distinctly underwhelmed by this. It's silly and far-fetched and I couldn't really get past the one-dimensional characters either. Still, I can say I've seen it now.

Stewart Lee: Snowflake (2022)

Judging by a thread on the guitar forum I frequent, Stewart Lee can be a bit divisive. I personally think he can be hilarious and tedious at different times. There's a point in this where he keeps saying "for example, this actually happened" that had me in tears. Then later he's showing Ricky Gervais attempting to "say the unsayable" where I was hoping it would end soon. My understanding of what he's doing - which isn't "just jokes" - was enhanced considerably by reading his books. Anyway, this was funny.

Broadcast News (1987)

Another classic romcom, it says here, although this is a little less obviously rom or com than I expected, and more of a drama - but a very good one. The script and performances are nicely nuanced - for example, I like the way that it would have been easy to portray Tom (William Hurt's character) as just a handsome simpleton, but it slowly becomes apparent that he has his own skills. Holly Hunter is the centre of the film and spectacular with it, which makes me wonder why she wasn't a huge star after this. But the film does raise other questions: what's romantic about a film where no-one actually gets together? And is Joan Cusack in every eighties film?

The Sure Thing (1985)

More eighties romcoms, in this case one of my favourites and starring John Cusack this time, instead of his older sister. It's funny, so sweet and, yes, romantic. Cusack looks very young (he would have been about 18 or 19 at the time) but his personality and style are already coming through, and Daphne Zuniga is perfect as a slightly uptight, bookish girl who learns to relax a bit. The clichés are fairly abundant but it doesn't spoil the film for me as Cusack is so cool and Zuniga so cute. Although the dreadful saxophone-laden ballad at the end might just count as the most eighties thing ever.

Watching - August 2022

The Railway Children (1970)

Presumably on iPlayer following Bernard Cribbins' sad recent death, and mentioned a fair amount in his autobiography, so it seemed a nice thing to watch on an afternoon off, as it's a classic I've never seen before. Sweet and sentimental, dated and clunky, and old-fashioned when it was made, no doubt, it was nevertheless a nice film to pass the time with.

You've Got Mail (1998)

Sweet but a little unbalanced, mainly because Meg Ryan's character goes from finding Tom Hanks really annoying to falling in love with him in too short a time, compared with how long she is annoyed with him. But there's lot's of sentimental moments and a nice ending.

Watching - July 2022

The Proposal (2009)

As predictable as the sun rising, but nice with it. Sandra Bullock is as convincing as she can be, given the somewhat preposterous plot, as a career woman who rediscovers her emotions and falls in love with both Ryan Reynolds and his family. What he sees in her is less obvious, unless he's always secretly been in love with her and just needs to accidentally see her naked to push him over the edge. Still, Reynolds is as engaging as you'd expect, albeit more convincing when he's being a smart-ass than when he's doing sincere. An acceptable way to spend a couple of hours one afternoon.

Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

I must have watched this originally on TV (and we had a copy that was recorded off TV), as now I watch on DVD there are significant chunks that I do not remember at all - and fairly important parts too. The plot's decent, and if the special effects look a bit clunky now, well, that's because it's over thirty years old!

Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995)

I remember going to see this with C in High Wycombe Odeon when it was released. We'd decided we wanted to watch something fairly undemanding but "with some big bangs" - which, if you know the start of this film, certainly matches up! It's aged reasonably well, although I think the sandwich board incident at the beginning would almost certainly not get included these days, and you'd hope they'd manage at least one or two better female roles. Preposterous but good clean fun.

My Life as a Rolling Stone (2022)

The Rolling Stones - as you've seen them many times before!

High School Musical (2006)

Slightly unexpectedly, High School Musical is probably our favourite film as a family. It's a combination of engaging characters, cheesy plot and songs that are much better than they have a right to be. We can watch it and make fun of it while still enjoying it.

Rock Family Trees: The Rise of Cool Britannia (2022)

Notwithstanding the title, this was a programme about Suede and how they started Britpop and then grew out of it. (Do they have a new album out soon, by any chance?) It wasn't really a proper rock family tree - of the claimed "three biggest bands of the 90s", only Suede and Elastica are linked and all that makes is a flat shrub, rather than a tree - and it only featured a few of the players of the time: no Bernard Butler, none of Blur, Pulp, Oasis or other more minor players. I was also irritated by the programme's lazy characterisation of prime Britpop as some sort of cheeky, end-of-pier, Carry On style of music. Sure, you had songs like "Parklife" and Supergrass's "Alright", but you didn't have to go far beyond the singles to find more depth, even on the same albums (try "This is a Low" or "She's So Loose"), let alone later ones. I guess it suits Suede to position themselves as perennial outsiders. Still, it was fun to relive the times (I recall Suede's first single launch gig in the basement of Rough Trade in Neil's Yard with much fondness) and Justine Frischman was a great interviewee, unlike Brett Anderson and Matt Osman who looked awkward and self-conscious. I suspect that might be because she has nothing to sell and no image to maintain.

Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)

Enjoyable outing with the family to a Sunday matinee showing at the cinema (now much more affordable, thanks to Vue's pricing). The film isn't going to win any prizes for plot or subtlety, but it has many very funny moments and a great soundtrack (thanks to Jack Antonoff of Bleachers, who I am going to see in September).

Hello Quo (2012)

Status Quo is a band I knew little about, bar the obvious singles, until a Fretboard forum listening party for Blue For You (1976). The album's not bad at all and a lot more varied than I expected. So I was interested to see this history of the band. I loved finding out that their future direction was set in the late 60s by seeing The Doors performing "Roadhouse Blues" live - as soon as Francis Rossi mentioned it, I could hear the link between them exactly. There's plenty of footage here (and all over YouTube) to show how tight and effective they were as a band, something that's harder than you'd think. Unpretentious music, workmanlike sometimes but at its best a real rock force (and as an aside, this picture of them, from the mid-70s, is superb)

The Martian (2015)

Having read the book, I had to watch the film. It skips some details but is marvellously visualised. The main character isn't quite such a smart-arse as in the book, which is a shame as this was the characteristic I found most attractive. There's a few film cliché moments inserted into the plot and an unnecessary coda, but otherwise it's surprisingly true to the source material. Very enjoyable.

My Life as a Rolling Stone

BBC, 2022

The Rolling Stones - as you've seen them many times before!

The Word magazine used to have a question on their web site when you signed up: "Beatles or Stones?" (there was also a third option, "actually I preferred The Monkees". It was that kind of humour - I really miss The Word magazine.) But for me, there's never been a question about it: The Beatles released a dizzying array of music in less than ten years, whereas the Stones ... well, put it like this, when I was compiling my favourite songs of the sixties recently, I could add almost all of every Beatles album, but only a song or two at most from each Stones album. 

Now don't get me wrong, there's some classics there - but also an awful lot of dross, frankly. They've produced little music of interest since the early seventies, and nothing at all in the last forty years, something I think they're very well aware of, as a brief look at their set lists over the last few years shows. But somehow this hasn't stopped them becoming the "greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world".

What has always distinguished The Rolling Stones, to my mind, is the incredibly effective way they've publicised themselves. From the very beginning, when Andrew Loog Oldham deliberately set them up as the opposite of those nice, clean Beatles, through to right now and this impeccably stage-managed documentary series, they've always had superb control over their public image, which in many ways has defined the "rock rebel" stereotype.

The format - one episode for each of Mick, Keith, Ronnie and Charlie - manages to cover a lot of history, but it's a curiously incomplete picture. You could count the number of times Bill Wyman was mentioned on the fingers of one foot. Sure, he's not been in the band since 1993, but he was there for all the important moments. A complete history would include him, but this wasn't it. There was maybe five minutes in total featuring Brian Jones, and a minute including Mick Taylor (easily the best guitarist to be a member of the band).

Maybe this wasn't the point, and the idea was tell the individuals' stories. You could be forgiven for feeling that they were being pretty candid - after all, their history is pretty well known and Keith and Ronnie, in particularly, are well known for being rowdy rock 'n' roll bad boys. Conveniently, that means that the documentary can talk fairly freely about their well-known drug use, because that doesn't actually harm their image at all. But what about the women? We don't hear so much about that.

This was an enjoyable series and worth a bit of time to watch, but felt more like a very extended advertisement for The Rolling Stones and their latest tour than a real documentary. There was little new here and nothing that made me want to revisit any of their music. But then perhaps it's not aimed at me.

Watching - June 2022

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

I'm not quite sure why I chose this, which I have already seen, over any number of other films, but it is a superbly over-the-top example of the heist movie, as explained so succinctly by Mark Kermode. The plan is way too complicated, there's too many people involved, there are some moments when it looks like it will all put in jeopardy and yet it all works. Great fun though (if you leave aside the whole moral issue of making crime look so glamorous), George Clooney is masterful and Brad Pitt cheeky. Shame Julia Roberts has so little to do other than look pretty, but I suppose that was kind of why Ocean's Eight was made. I'd quite like to watch the original now though.

The Good Liar (2019)

Not my usual sort of thing, a suspense/thriller. Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen are excellent, as would be expected, and although it was obvious there was going to be some sort of twist where Mirren's character wasn't who we thought, I didn't predict what it was. Unfortunately, what it actually was, was not particularly believable. Kept my attention though and was very involving, although there were a couple of scenes I could have done without - but then, this isn't my usual sort of thing, as I said.

The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)

Still full of good ideas and fun moments, even if the moralising and message is a little bit more obvious. Nice to watch with the family

The Big Short (2015)

Probably even more simplified than the book (which I can't remember much about, as I read it over eight years ago), but still depressing. The story is told in a very stylish way, in a pseudo-docudrama format with multiple breaking of the fourth wall, and kept me gripped until the end, when it becomes apparent that all the main characters will have a) made a ton of money, and b) realised how broken the system is. The real scandal, of course, is that not only did no-one get prosecuted, but that it's being done all over again.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Melodramatic and overly fond of the big scenery, in an attempt to dress up what is essentially a very static locked room mystery. Perhaps the people making it thought that a faithful retelling would be too boring. And so they force poor Poirot to become an action man of sorts, chasing after someone, getting shot (conveniently in the upper arm, which doesn't bother him at all after about two minutes) and going for a classic Branagh Oscar nomination scene at the end (although Michelle Pfeiffer's almost matches it). Still, an entertaining couple of hours. And a cute lead-in to the next film (Death on the Nile, recently released I believe), which presumably was already planned.

Who Do You Think You Are: Matt Lucas (2022)

I don't like Matt Lucas's comedy much (Little Britain was awful, I thought), but as a person he seems very nice, and although I don't actually know him, there is a connection: he was at school with a girl I knew through summer camp, a long, long time ago. Karen Morris very sadly died of leukaemia in her early twenties, and her parents set up the Karen Morris Memorial Trust to continue the fund-raising she started in her last year; Matt Lucas is one of the charity's patrons. And his background is very similar to mine: a north London Jew, his grandmother came to the UK in the 30s from Germany, just like mine. So I was interested to watch this. It wasn't easy viewing - nothing concerning the Holocaust is - but it was a sobering reminder that, for so many of us, for every relative that escaped the Nazis, there were four or more that didn't.

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The boys (B & Z) and I went to see this at our local Vue - prices much reduced from what they were pre-pandemic means it's very good value (the same can't be said for the popcorn ...) I told them to watch Top Gun first but they didn't; it does work as a stand-alone film but all the nods to the first one are fun to spot. Most of all though, even though it's clearly a preposterous plot, it's easy to get involved with and I found myself thoroughly engrossed and even a little teary at times (although I'm a sentimental old fool so this isn't hard). The action scenes are incredible, Tom Cruise is superb and I'm reminded of how watchable he is. Great fun.

Watching - April 2022

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

A very enjoyable romcom, enhanced by Ryan Reynolds doing, well, himself, and an element of mystery during the story. The only slightly jarring note is that there is no big reconciliation at the end, which seems more realistic but less commercial.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Iconic, classic and unclassifiable. Just brilliant in all respects. Even the behind the scenes footage (in the making of featurette) of Mary Elizabeth Winstead practicing her big-eyed anime looks to camera doesn't spoil the magic.

Musical Elitism - Why it is EVERYWHERE (2022)

A long form YouTube video, suggested to me by B. The slightly click-bait-y title is a bit misleading, because what I think this is actually complaining about is that "classical" music is seen as elitist, and that that's wrong. But music changes, music tastes change and evolve and isn't necessarily a bad thing - as Tantacrul (the guy who made this) points out very entertainingly in another video. So people don't want to play or hear classical music as much any more? Music making itself has never been more accessible. That's the main thing, surely. (He's spot on about the ludicrous over-adulation accorded to successful rock and pop musicians though. Bob Dylan, "genius"? ffs)

The Wrecking Crew (2008)

I've wanted to watch this for ages, but actually it turned out to be a bit disappointing. The Wrecking Crew were musical legends, but there's very little here of them actually playing music - plenty about the songs they played on, some stories about who they worked with, but almost nothing of how they worked together. Perhaps this is because it's not a documentary for musicians, it's for a more mainstream audience, about musicians, which is why it spends so long going on about how unknown these people were. Given that I already knew who they were, this was a bit redundant for me. (as an aside, having been unable to find this to watch anywhere for years, I finally watched a hooky upload on YouTube, which I feel a smidge guilty about.)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2022)

Well-made and hits all the obvious marks, but possibly a little predictable. I find the Marvel films a bit formulaic these days, but Tom Holland is engaging and the whole thing with the three separate Spider-Men was cool - in fact, I could have done with more of that. The ending was a bit sad, so obviously a set up for the next one. Watched with the family, and only slightly spoiled by teenagers snickering through the more emotional scenes.

Watching - February 2022

The Good Place (Season 1, 2016)

B told us to watch this - specifically not to look up anything to do with it, just watch it. I'm pleased we didn't get any spoilers or even an idea of what it was about, as this seems to be a show that thrives on plot twists. Accordingly, I won't spoil it for you either, except to say that it's a series well worth watching  - very imaginative and amusing, and not too heavy on time commitment either.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010)

I've known and enjoyed Rush's 1981 album Moving Pictures since my teens, I believe, but only occasionally ventured into other parts of their back catalogue - to my shame. It's a bit like only listening to A Night At The Opera or Led Zep 4 - only knowing a band's most well-known album. I thought I'd see if this documentary inspired me to listen beyond this. It's a really interesting film, always engaging, and it's nice to see three people that were only interested in making good music, not in any of the excess or stupidity associated with rock. It also highlights how varied their music has been over the forty-odd years of their existence. I think their 70s output is probably less to my taste, but I'll be looking into the other 80s and 90s albums.

The Good Place (Season 2, 2017)

The big surprise at the end of season 1 seems to have inspired the writers, as this season is more full of twists than a Chubby Checker convention. As a result, although it's entertaining, it's a bit breathless and disjointed us. It's very compelling though, and the cliff-hangers at the end of each episode really keep you skipping to the next (not that Netflix gives you much time to decide otherwise). We started season 3 straight away and we're all watching it together. Which is nice.

Red Notice (2021)

If they've missed any action/buddy/heist movie clichés in making this, I didn't notice. All somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as befits the presence of Ryan Reynolds (who is why I watched this in the first place), with some knowing nods to the ridiculousness of it all, some cute lines ("What are we looking for?" - "A box labelled 'Macguffin'?") and a plot twist at the end that I didn't see coming - although in fairness, I never see them coming. Anyway, not 100% sure why I persevered with it but it passed a Sunday afternoon well enough.

The Good Place (Season 3, 2018)

I rarely, if every, binge watch anything, because it's a massive time sink and I always end up feeling that I could have done something more productive with my time. As David Hepworth says: "[...] they're clever enough to keep me watching but not substantial enough to make me glad I did". However, I've made an exception for The Good Place, as we've all watched it together, the episodes and seasons are actually quite short - and it's entertaining. I have been drawing the line at more than three episodes in one go though.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Season 1, 2013)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine is a series that had completely escaped me until my kids starting going on about it last year, describing it as "like Scrubs set in a police department" - which is a good recommendation in my book. Inevitably, they've already ground their way through all eight series or whatever, whereas I've been watching it only occasionally, so it's taken me a few months to finish the first season. I'm glad to keep coming back to it though. It's obviously not in the least bit serious or realistic, but it's very well-written and funny, and the characters are entertaining (although I could mostly do without Gina). 

Ode To Joy (2019)

Once I got past Martin Freeman doing an American accent, this was very sweet; a bit more complex than a standard romcom, but not a lot really. Nevertheless, it was nice to see reasonably believable characters, not least Freeman, who has always does an everyman role to perfection. It's nice to see a happy ending for someone with an unusual medical condition, even if, when you start to think about it, it seems more and more unlikely that it would actually work the way it does in the film (see also 50 First Dates). Still, a nice enough film. 

Watching - January 2022

A Life in Ten Pictures: John Lennon (2021)

I like the idea of this series (I've watched the Freddie Mercury episode too), but with the proviso that it can't be a telling of the whole life story of someone, merely an illustration of specific points in time. A picture tells a story, but the interpretation of the story is another thing, and, knowing a little about John Lennon's life, I think some of the interpretations here are not giving the whole, er, picture. Anyway, some of the photographs are new to me and some of the stories told new also, so interesting. I do wish they'd credit the pictures in the programme itself though.

Williams: Formula 1 In The Blood (2017)

A touching and moving documentary about Frank Williams, but also about his wife, Virginia. He comes across as someone who, if he hadn't had the kind of success he did, would be considered a very odd man. Funny how successful people are "driven", while perhaps less success would result in being called "obsessed". In this case, the latter seems much more appropriate. Nevertheless, fascinating.

Christmas at Dollywood (2019)

Possibly the cheesiest Christmas film yet - and the last until next December, I promise! (OK, maybe October ...). Very romance-by-numbers, so if nothing else it proves the resilience of the formula, as I enjoyed it despite it being entirely predictable every step of the way. Having Dolly Parton in it (briefly) raised it a smidge - maybe - although the presence of the "queen of Hallmark movies" herself, Danica McKellar, is more of a draw for me personally.

Living With Yourself (2019)

An amusing (and short, thankfully - I don't have time for seasons with 20-something, one hour episodes!) series on Netflix, based on the simple idea: what would happen if you were cloned, and there were two of you? Some of the ideas aren't particularly well developed, and the ending is unconvincing; there's an uneasy mix of  simple lessons (appreciate what you have, look after yourself etc) and more surreal comedy. It's like it can't quite decide whether to be a morality tale or a darker comedy. But Paul Rudd and Aisling Bea are good, and I enjoyed watching it.

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019)

Following our mini-marathon last week, we ordered the third film on DVD (it's about £1 more than "renting" it on Youtube or Prime). It's a bit disconnected but the story keeps moving at a reasonable pace, and it kept the family entertained. Also on the DVD are the short films Bilby and Bird Karma - both mildly entertaining, but not as good as the Pixar shorts and probably won't be watched again.

Isn't It Romantic (2019)

K knows how much I like my romcoms and so she recommended this. It's a funny idea - Rebel Wilson is a woman who hates romcoms, gets hit on the head and wakes up in a romcom - and very similar to a couple of episodes of Scrubs that played on similar ideas ("My Life In Four Cameras" and "My Musical"). And in fact, that's probably about the right length for the material here. There's plenty of fun taking the piss out of romcom clichés (I thought it was funny when any non-PG13 moments get "bleeped" out by passing cars), but it gets a bit repetitive. Amusing, and Rebel Wilson is very good, but overall the story is a bit lacking. (As a side note: I spent the whole film trying to figure out why Chris Hemsworth looked slightly odd, until looking at the credits afterwards and realising it was Liam Hemsworth.)

All The Stations - The Documentary (2018)

I wouldn't normally write about the shit I watch on YouTube, but this is a full-length, albeit obviously home-made, documentary. Now part of a series, the original here was an undertaking  by Geoff Marshall and Vicki Pipe to visit all 2,563 stations on the National Rail network in Great Britain. They published daily updates and videos while doing it, but this is a summary and reflection upon their adventures. Unassuming, sweet and engaging, it makes a gentle point about the state of the railways without lecturing: you can get so many places on the railway, and perhaps we should have more of them because they are an important public service.

Vivo (2021)

Lin-Manuel Miranda seems to have been everywhere recently, and the kids are big fans of Moana and Encanto (Z listens to the latter soundtrack constantly at the moment). However, no-one was bothered by this, and we didn't actually make it more than about half an hour through before, by consensus, we switched off.