Thor: Love and Thunder

broderic on July 22, 2022

Taikiki Waititi returns to direct the fourth movie starring the Norse god of thunder, Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder. In his previous Norse god movie the really, really good, Thor Ragnarok, he revived the character and the Thor films. In the fourth installment, he went a bridge too far. It sort of reminds me of the third Spiderman film — ambitious.

Doesn’t it feel like the MCU is spinning its wheels? Like where is the Big Bad who will make these films and movie shows worth it? What is the point of it all?

Anyhow, Thor the character is still great. The return of Natalie Portman and her character is welcome addition. Valkyrie is still very cool. But even then it fell short of being a fine superhero film. It is what is is.

3 of 5 stars.

Bookstore Haul: The Store is Closing

broderic on July 2, 2022

Might as well get to the bookstore for the last time that I’ll see the Criterion Collection on sale to browse. I feel that in its next form it won’t have a movie and music section. I went all out and did get some BluRays. I may go back before the sale ends to see what they may still have. But for now enjoy this list of Criterion BluRays.

Sadly many of these I had on DVD. Damn you technology!

Macross Frontier: The False Songstress

broderic on July 2, 2022

Macross Frontier is my favorite Macross, because the legs of the love triangle have two of my favorite idol singers in the Macross saga, Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee. Throughout the series, these two had really great songs to sing. Is there anything better than Diamond Crevasse?

Macross Frontier: The False Songstress is the film that came out just after the anime series. It was released way back in 2008 and was part one to a two part series to wrap up the Macross F saga. This was the film that sort of summed up the series. It did not do a great job at it. In fact, if you never saw the series, then you would be lost. It took all the story points of the series and condensed them. It took a few minutes from every episode, sliced them to form an incoherent movie, and let it run for about two hours.

I was really looking forward to this, but I was sorely disappointed. It wasn’t helped that the showing started with 10 minutes of a blank screen. Seriously, it was a mess.

1 of 5 stars.

25% Off All Items

broderic on June 26, 2022

I wandered over to my local book store as is my wont on a Sunday afternoon and I found signs signifying the closing of the store — 25% off of everything. It’s not really closing. It’s moving to a new, smaller location. Downsizing because book selling in the digital age is a challenge.

They also definitely going to change the format. From one suited to browsing aisles to that of the best sellers. It’s going to be highly similar to an Amazon brick and mortar book store. Only the highlights and not a deep catalog. I only think this to be true, because of the smaller storefront where they have the signs up for the move. Parking is also going to be an issue in that it will share their lot with Trader Joe’s who are notorious for choosing small spaces.

This has been my bookstore for the past ten years. I hope it will still stay. But seeing the signs up, and even knowing of the move, I was bummed out about it that I bought $100 worth of merchandise discounted to $83 with tax.

Link of the Day [6.08.22]

broderic on June 8, 2022

Gonna post this the day before so that you have enough time to prepare. Yet, I don’t think one day is enough. So anyway, get your Bill and Ted on as tomorrow is a day to celebrate this pair.

I want to ziggy-piggy a large sundae, do some jazzercise, and head to the nearest Circle K.

But I want you to be excellent to everyone and to party on!

https://www.billandtedday.com

Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

broderic on June 4, 2022

If you need to watch one multiverse movie this year make it Everything Everywhere All at Once. But if you need one from the Marvel Cinematic Universe then I guess Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fits the bill. The former is the better movie. The latter is just okay.

To be honest, I should’ve written this review a while ago, so I don’t really know what to say as my memory of it is hazy. I guess I should’ve also watched the Scarlet Witch series to get how much her grief has done to her. It’s really so long ago that Everything Everywhere All at Once is just about to be released on video and streaming services.

Anyhow. Be a completionist and watch this film to piece together the next phase of the MCU. And go watch Everything Everywhere All at once because it is that damn good.

3 of 5 stars.

Well Regulated

broderic on May 24, 2022

Damn. Again.

Once more? Once not enough? Once is too much.

Another school shooting happened today and it makes me sick. It shouldn’t happen, but it does.

And we can’t find the cojones to do something about it.

Oh. We do. We’ll just give everyone more guns.

Is it too much to ask if this is all we can do?

Everything Everywhere All at Once

broderic on April 10, 2022

With a title like Everything Everywhere All at Once, the movie better be epic. Yes, it certainly was, but also quite strange that it was at once intimate in scope. It went from multi-verse spanning to personal and family dynamics. All of it big and all of it small.

The movie stars Michelle Yeoh as a Chinese immigrant owner of a laundry mat. She’s got business trouble — the IRS is auditing her business records. She’s also got family trouble — a disappointed father, a weak husband, a daughter she barely understands. Worlds collide with lots of fun, weird, thrilling moments occuring. It turns out she is the One who can bring about peace among the multi-verse. Her husband is at turns suave, strong, engaging, besides his passive self, and wants to activate her power. Her daughter she still can’t figure out. They are all there to either save or destroy all universes and to either save or destroy their family.

The movie wants to reckon with the current situation of the world. Lots of disagreement. Lots of misunderstandings. It wants to reckon with a family’s disfunction. Much disagreement. Much misunderstandings. This movie is about both big and small things.

The way it all comes together is amazing. Kung fu action pieces. Hilarious alternate universes — hot dog hands and a raccoon version of Ratatouille. It’s the multiverse movie to watch.

Too be honest I teared up. It was really that good. Also, the return of Shortround, Ke Huy Quan, moved me. Where has he been? He was really good in this. Went from being Jackie Chan to being Tony Leung. For this 80’s kid, it was great seeing his face on the silver screen once again.

I am glad I went to see this film. I went in not really knowing much, which only increased my surprise to how good it was. It’s been a couple years since really wanting to see a film in the theater. I’m happy to have seen this one.

5 of 5 stars.