Movies the giraffe watched in 2022: January

First viewing - Jan. 1st

I kicked off 2021 by spending New Year's Day at the theatre, and managed to catch three films I really wanted to see, with only a break for dinner between the 2nd and 3rd films. And thus I began the year on a high note.

I foresee this film earning a ton of awards nominations in 2022. The visual style is striking & impressive, the minimal approach yields excellent results, & the cast is outstanding. I especially love this incarnation of the witches, portrayed by Kathryn Hunter. While I can't claim to have seen every production of Macbeth, I can say that of what I've seen this might be the best (though Throne of Blood would also be in the running). The only complaint I have is with Shakespeare's words which tend to lose me...I generally get what he means, but the language is so convoluted at times it takes extra attention to make sense of it. Ah, but some of these monologues are so memorable & well-delivered that it's not a persistent issue.

First viewing - Jan. 1st

Sean Baker delivers yet another great time with memorable characters. Red Rocket is often hilarious, & I dig the fact it's set against the 2016 election to really highlight its themes. I'm not entirely sure what to take away from its final shot, but everything else is so well done that I suspect I'll figure that out with repeat viewings.

First viewing - Jan. 29th

Been hearing positive things about Flee, which is how it landed on my radar, & took the chance to see it on the big screen. It was totally worth the trip, though sadly there was only one other person in the theatre with me on its opening weekend. The story is moving, & it was refreshing to experience a documentary that's mostly animated. Amin is a compelling person, which makes the story all the more interesting. This is a great film & I'll gladly return to it.

First viewing - Jan. 12th

Apes Wednesdays

I was pleasantly surprised how well this film was crafted in the wake of its predecessor. It takes the original story idea & flips it on its head, then uses the premise to explore how humans treat things they fear mixed with the arc of celebrity. The cast is fantastic, & I was mildly amused to see a certain soap opera actor in a prominent role. This time around they do a better job of exploring & fleshing out the characters, especially with regard to the apes. I've always liked Zira & Cornelius, & over the course of this one they endeared themselves even further. It's got humor & darkness, & it was more heartfelt than I'd expected too. I mostly loved it, & now I'm kinda glad the film before was such a mixed bag so that this one could redeem the series for me. Plus I'm even more curious about the next two films.

Left HBO Max Jan. 31

First viewing - Jan. 1st

It's been far too long since I genuinely enjoyed one of PTA's films. Once again he's exploring the forces that bring two people together & bind them, creating a believable world full of believable characters. Alana Haim is especially impressive as she holds her own with the rest of the cast. I like how it moves forward through time, though it's occasionally unclear how much time passes between some events. I liked spending time with the characters & would gladly sit through this one again. My only issue was with the endpoints to some of the stories within, but otherwise it's a rewarding watch.

First viewing - Jan. 15th

Ever since I walked away after seeing Scream 2, I've been reluctant to watch any other sequels in this franchise. And I was originally going to skip this one for a while too. But then I heard it was directed by the team behind Ready or Not, & then the initial wave of feedback was positive, so I figured I'd give it a chance after all. And I was pleasantly surprised that it was genuinely worth watching.

I love that they mostly focus on new characters & flesh them out until I cared about a good chunk of them. It manages to serve as a new reflection of the original, made with love & respect for it. It also ups the ante, especially in the kills department & it's better for it. And of course there's plenty of meta commentary as you'd expect. Overall it's the closest any entry in the franchise has come to reaching the heights of the original, & it surprises me to admit that if we get a direct sequel to this one I'll definitely show up again.

First viewing - Jan. 22nd

Belle is a visual feast, and that alone would make it worth seeing. My daughter & I caught it in the theatre, which was really ideal. It's got some moments that are really well done, but the trouble is there are too many narrative threads & ideas to the point the film can't satisfactorily tie them all up. And for a film that partly strives to be a fresh reimagining of Beauty & the Beast, it ultimately felt like that was incorporated late to help sell the film rather than something thematically necessary. As a result I couldn't get too deeply invested in it. But at least it looks & sounds great.

First viewing - Jan. 29th

I've been checking the AMC app weekly in anticipation of this film arriving there, and the moment it finally popped up for me to get a ticket I jumped on it. As luck would have it I was even able to catch two films I've been anticipating on this day, with a break for dinner between them.

Overall it did not disappoint. Penelope Cruz delivers another outstanding performance, & the supporting cast is as strong as I've come to expect from one of Almodovar's films. I figured out early on where it was headed, but the journey to get there was worthwhile. I'm not sure the motherhood narrative dovetails with the historical one very well, as the latter failed to resonate with me as strongly. But clearly there's a personal investment from Almodovar, even if it didn't bring me in fully.

First viewing - Jan. 2nd

Epix Now
This was the final film I wanted to watch via Epix Now, added to their service on the first of the year. I needed to get it out of the way so I could drop the service before the end of my trial, which is why it leads my home viewings for the new year. Most of what was on the service I've been able to find elsewhere, and I didn't care much for the way their app is structured overall, so I felt like there wasn't much value to it. Nice if you can pick up a trial on the cheap, but far from necessary.

I love the more creative use of the displayed dialogue inserts throughout this film, & the overall gothic atmosphere. The mystery is pretty well handled & the characters are fine. As often happens with silent films though I struggled to stay awake, which meant I had to go back & watch parts over because I'd dozed off. I think that's more a me problem than the film's fault. I've wanted to watch this for a while now, & I'm glad I finally could. But I doubt I'd need to sit through it a second time.

First viewing - Jan. 2nd

Paramount+
I've seen Bo's other specials (What, Make Happy & Inside), but hadn't seen this one yet. It's on par with his other live performances, & fairly impressive given he was 19 when he recorded it. The show already feels fully formed, though he's grown as a songwriter over time. It's not as great as Inside, but I really enjoyed it & would watch it again.

First viewing - Jan. 3rd

Paramount+
I came to Reno 911 as a fan of The State, & have been a fan ever since, so they could do anything & I'd watch it. Heck, I signed up for Quibi (for free) just to watch what they released to that platform, & signed up for a free month of Paramount+ mainly to see this (I'd also hoped they had the newest season, but apparently that's on Roku). The opening sequence had me rolling on my couch with laughter, & there were some other hilarious moments throughout. They got some guest stars which are best left unspoiled, & there's a musical routine which was pretty good. Nice to see them get the opportunity to do some different things & go all in on it. It's not great, but it's fun enough & absolutely worthwhile if you're a fan like I am.

First viewing - Jan. 6th

Paramount+

Voorhees Thursdays

I've long been reluctant to watch any films in this series past 4, but Paramount+ currently has 5-8 so I figure I'll just give them a look. New Beginning is pretty stupid & not very well put together. If you're here for the kills, there's maybe 2 good ones. A lot of them are either cut away from so you don't get the full effect, or they're just uninspired. It also doesn't help matters that there's no attempt at building suspense around any of them, which means it's lacking in scares too. And the plot opts to avoid an ideal scenario in favor of one that barely makes sense, only to circle back & make what should've happened the ending. The cast is OK for being mostly nobodies, but the dialogue is pretty banal. Overall it doesn't give me much hope for my decision to run through these being a good one. At least it's not the worst horror film I've sat through.

Re-watch - Jan. 8th

HBO Max
It's been a long time since I last watched The Mummy, probably not since just before the abysmal 3rd Mummy film dropped. I figured my daughter would enjoy it, which gave me an excuse to revisit it. And she had a good time with it for the most part, though she kept laughing and/or pointing out how bad the CGI is. And yeah, it's not aging well, but given the film came out in '99 it could be a lot worse.

Thanks to the diminishing returns of the franchise I'd forgotten how well-told the story is. Sure it's similar to previous incarnations, but Evelyn is a big leap forward from the usual main female characters which is refreshing. Rachel Weisz is the MVP of the film, & she has great chemistry with Brendan Fraser. The rest of the cast is pretty solid, with some memorable characters like Beni & Jonathan. The film would benefit from better representation though, as there are far too many white people playing Middle Eastern characters. And my other issue is that it's fairly predictable which characters will get bumped off along the way. Still, it's a fun film overall & I'm glad I was able to watch it with the kiddo. I doubt we'll watch any sequels, but if so I'm not going past the 2nd film.

First viewing - Jan. 9th

Shudder
Been seeing some love for Slaxx, but I was skeptical given the premise. Thankfully it delivered. It's a fun time with enough social commentary to prevent it from just being mindless. The cast is solid & the run time keeps it from overstaying its welcome. There's also one scene that had me laughing & cheering at the same time. I'll give it bonus points for making it worth sitting through its credits too. I wouldn't go so far as to call it great, but I enjoyed it enough that I'll gladly watch it again.

First viewing - Jan. 10th

Paramount+
If it wasn't for the excellent zombie make-up & effects, I'd probably rate this one lower. The acting is mediocre & some parts of the plot make no sense. And yes, I need to qualify that the zombie make-up is good because there are times when the human cast looks deathly pale for no reason, only to look closer to normal in the next scene. Unsure why the inconsistency. Overall the film is entertaining in a mindless way that kept me from itching to shut it off, but it wasn't necessary.

First viewing - Jan. 13th

Paramount+

Voorhees Thursdays

I love how this one starts off by realizing New Beginning sucked & opts to ignore it & pretend it doesn't exist. Then they step it up by embracing humor & keeping it fun, from the nods to some names in horror to quips to hilarious kills. The cast is solid, which is surprising for a 6th entry, & there were a few times where I was like "hey, it's that guy". Plus it's got some decent Alice Cooper tunes to boot. It's nothing great, but I enjoyed watching it & would gladly sit through it again.

First viewing - Jan. 14th

Shudder
I keep seeing people online dropping the title of this film in recommendations and/or among their favorite horrors of 2021. And that's all you need to know going into it too. It's absolutely worth a look & McCarthy proves to be a filmmaker to keep our eyes on.

Re-watch - Jan. 15th

On Demand rental
A few years ago I finally got around to watching Scream 4, but wound up forgetting I'd seen it by the end of the month. And as time moved along I completely forgot every detail of the plot, which isn't a great sign. Thus I figured I'd watch it again before catching the 5th entry, & lest history repeat itself I'm logging it the same day I revisited it.

I'd put this one above 2 & 3, though of course it's not as good as the original. Like its predecessors the cast is a notch above your usual horror sequels, & the story is better crafted than it has any right to be. I especially appreciate some of the humor & the ways it engages with tropes & expectations (though given it's a Scream film, that's also to be expected). The multi-layered opening scene is a really nice touch, & some of the kills are pretty good. As it turned out I did wind up recalling some details as it rolled along, & while I still think there have been more sequels than necessary this earns the distinction of being one I'd watch again...whether it'll stick with me this time, however, remains to be seen.

First viewing - Jan. 16th

Shudder
Sometimes I just want to watch Barbara Crampton in a horror movie, no matter how big her role is. This one was entertaining enough, even though it was obvious from the start where it was headed. I liked the cast & thought overall it was well put together. It's nothing great, but it delivered more or less what I wanted from it.

First viewing - Jan. 17th

Paramount+
As much as I love Vincent Price, I wasn't much impressed with this one. All 3 stories were pretty average, and somewhat predictable. They do a great job of capturing the time period, & the cast does a solid job. But by the time the last story came along I was losing interest & even dozed off briefly. It's fine, just nothing essential.

First viewing - Jan. 17th

Shudder
Def by Temptation freaking rocks. Great cast, great soundtrack, dug the story, & really well done for a low budget film. Some of the fashion choices might be a little dated but that didn't bother me. I don't know that it quite achieved greatness but I'd totally watch it again.

Re-watch - Jan. 20th

HBO Max
The kiddo had not seen this yet, so I watched it with her. Can't recall the last time I sat through it, but it was more or less just what I remembered. It's interesting to see a movie aimed at kids dealing with gambling, orphans, murder, & the afterlife so openly. But that was Don Bluth for you...dude was never afraid to go to darker places within his animated films. The songs are just OK (Burt Reynolds isn't known for his singing talents) & it never reaches greatness, but it's entertaining enough & my daughter enjoyed it for what it is.

First viewing - Jan. 21st

HBO Max
This was cute. I liked the central friendship & there are some fun moments. It could maybe go a little harder on some of its ideas about technology/social media, but at least it acknowledges there are downsides to placing too much importance on it. And given its primary audience is clearly children, that's a necessary reminder even if it didn't explore it as much as I'd prefer. Overall the film is nothing great, but my daughter & I enjoyed it for what it is.

First viewing - Jan. 23rd

I hadn't planned on catching Something in the Dirt via Sundance, but I wound up having to take my daughter back to her mom on this Sunday morning & that opened a window of opportunity. So I forked over my $20 just to be among the first to see it. And it was worth it.

Once again Benson & Moorhead deliver an intelligent, unique & entertaining film, this time on a scale comparable to Resolution. It's quite fascinating watching their characters dive headlong down a rabbit hole that affects their fledgling friendship. It also holds up a mirror to pandemic life without directly acknowledging it, which is what I prefer from art right now. My initial impression is that it was really good but not quite great, though I'll gladly see it again a few times to see if my opinion changes.

First viewing - Jan. 23rd

HBO Max
A Clockwork Orange is one of my top ten films, so I was curious to check out this documentary about the film being initially banned in Spain. It was interesting learning the history and hearing from some of the people involved in the local cinemas from that time period. I also dug that they got Malcolm McDowell to narrate the whole thing. By the end of it I wanted to revisit the film again, but alas sleep won out. Perhaps soon. But yes, if you're a fan of the film thus is worth a look.

First viewing - Jan. 24th

Paramount+
I really love the way this film fleshes out who Henry is, with all these details communicated through his interactions with those around him. We're given a clear impression of what does & doesn't matter to him, & what kind of person he is, & it just makes his journey throughout the rest of the film that much more impactful & resonant. Ford leads a wonderful cast, & Bening & Bill Nunn are great as usual. I'm glad I finally gave this a look, as it's ultimately a heartwarming story & one I would not have appreciated as much before I became a father.

First viewing - Jan. 25th

Paramount+
Spotted this among the titles on Paramount+ & figured I'd give it a look. It's fine. I was mostly amused by seeing all the old cars even though I'm not really a car guy. The story is your typical guy on the run kidnaps a woman who falls for him deal, which I've seen plenty of times & done better. Thanks to the short run-time it's over before you can get too bored with it, & the cast is decent for a bunch of people I don't recognize. Not bad for a low budget film, but also nothing I'd need to watch again.

First viewing - Jan. 27th

Paramount+

Voorhees Thursdays

I'd hoped for better from this one after really enjoying part 6. Part 7 kicks off with a recap of past events (including the ending of 6) before introducing our protagonist, who looks like Carol Ann from Poltergeist but isn't. Somehow she had a childhood home built next to the pier Jason is stuck near, & we go from her childhood trauma to about 10 years later when she's about 18 & yet we're still clearly in the '80s judging by the hair & fashion. Weird. She returns home & resurrects Jason by accident, & then gets surprised when he starts killing people. Unsure how she missed such a major local legend. All of this is just a portion of the plot details that make no sense whatsoever. Add to that a bunch of generic characters & a mixed bag of kills & you get a barely average entry in the series. I guess the telekinesis is a unique touch, though I wanted a little more from that angle. It's still better than 5, but that's not saying much.

First viewing - Jan. 27th

Paramount+

Voorhees Thursdays

More like Jason takes a slow boat to Manhattan. I know this film is generally considered a weak entry in the franchise, & that's not wrong but I did have more fun with this one than 5 & 7. It's pretty stupid, but the ludicrous plot allowed me to cut them some slack. Suddenly Jason is a ninja or something, constantly popping up ahead of his victims despite never running, which had me chuckling. Kind of an odd choice to not let him go bonkers in Manhattan, but I guess they figured he should only kill people with a connection to Crystal Lake unless someone gets in his way. Still seems like a missed opportunity though. At least the trip does yield one of my favorite moments in the franchise, which comes after he upsets some teens by smashing their boombox. And it is kinda nice to get a change of scenery. But I can understand why people would hate it.

Now I've just got X left to watch & I'll have seen all of the original run.

First viewing - Jan. 28th

Shudder
Since I'm crossing sequels off my list this month, I figured I'd throw this into the mix. It's tonally nothing like its predecessor, & thus stands on its own. The effects are really impressive, & the design of the guitar is pretty sweet. There are welcome nods to other horror franchises along the way, & the music throughout is mostly good. Too bad it goes too far off the rails in its finale & can't decide how to actually end the story. As the credits rolled all I could do was wonder what the point was, which is a shame as there was potential for it to be something meaningful.

First viewing - Jan. 30th

Paramount+
Once again my belief is validated that Vincent Price & Poe adaptations are perfectly suited for one another. This one earns bonus points for incorporating ideas from one of Lovecraft's stories too, & overall the narrative comes together nicely. Plus we get Lon Chaney Jr. as a creepy caretaker. The sets & visuals are wonderful, & I can't think of a single issue I had with it. It may not be my favorite of these Poe adaptations, but I'd gladly watch it again.

First viewing - Jan. 30th

Paramount+
This was an entertaining little B movie. I thought the costumes & sets & use of color was all visually appealing, if a bit cheesy-looking at times. The cast is fine & the story is all right. I was entertained enough by it overall, & were it not for a wicked little ending I might not have liked it nearly as much. Don't know that I'd need to sit through it again, but it was worth a look.

First viewing - Jan. 5th

Apes Wednesdays

HBO Max is dropping the entire original run of Apes films from their service on Jan. 31st, so I've decided to run through all the sequels every Wednesday this month. This one is kind of a mess & I'm curious given the way it plays out how they'll justify the next film. I was initially worried because it begins by replaying the ending of the original film before rolling the opening credits (as if anyone who saw Planet of the Apes could ever forget the ending). Some of the effects are laughably bad, especially the shots of a crowd of apes where several are so shoddily costumed they don't even have eyeballs. The story somewhat makes up for its flaws though, with some social commentary & ruminations on the horrors of warlike men. The plot moves along at a decent enough pace so there's little opportunity to get too bored with it, even though the slapdash production keeps it from being anything great. Then that ending comes along & mostly makes it all worthwhile. Overall it doesn't give me much confidence going into the next 3 films, but hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

First viewing - Jan. 16th

Not surprisingly, Michael Keaton gives a great performance that makes this film worthwhile. The rest of the cast is excellent too, especially Kathy Baker. I've never been an addict myself, but I'm best friends with one & from what I've learned from our friendship over the years a lot of the details here feel accurate enough. It's often agonizing watching this guy struggle to find sobriety & then try to put his life together again post-rehab. I also appreciated that the film treats the subject respectfully. I'm glad I was finally able to see this, & while I probably don't need to see it again I wouldn't mind watching it with someone who hasn't seen it.

First viewing - Jan. 16th

Cloud Atlas is kind of a tangled mess that requires a lot of patience to get through. I'm glad I stuck with it, however, because it wound up delivering some ideas & messages that really resonated with me on a personal level. And getting this kind of philosophy from a big budget production is fairly impressive. Visually the film also impresses at times while consistently looking good even with a reliance on CG. I did have a couple of issues though.

First was the structure, as the film often jumps between a handful of stories in different timelines, alternating between spending enough time to invest me in the moment to hopping in & out so quickly it's almost disorienting. It eventually feels like something better adapted as a series than a single film, & I would hope the book does a better job of weaving it all together. This approach also meant that I cared more about some stories than others, and the ultimate cumulative effect was walking away feeling like the film is just fine rather than something I fully connected with.

My other issue was with regard to seeing some of the cast altered to look like they were from a different race. All of the major names in the cast wind up playing multiple roles, which matches up thematically. Thankfully none of it is used to be offensive, but I couldn't help being kicked out of the moment briefly knowing that I was seeing what Hugo Weaving looks like as a Korean man, for example. Representation matters, & while they do a decent job of transforming the cast I'm not sure it was really a better approach than finding other actors who could play the roles naturally.

Overall it was worth a look & I'm glad I finally gave it a fair shot. Perhaps I'll pick the book up at some point & see how it compares.

First viewing - Jan. 19th

Apes Wednesdays

I was initially unsure about the premise here, jumping ahead 20 years from the previous film. I feel like a bigger jump would've been better, but it is what it is I guess. I appreciated the social commentary though, and while I would've liked a little more depth from the story it mostly kept me entertained. I was a little disappointed with the look of the apes, as this time it's obvious with some of them that it's a mask & costume, but at least it's better than some of what I saw in Escape. Overall it's worth a look, but definitely could be better.

First viewing - Jan. 26th

Apes Wednesdays

Based on this film's reputation I went into it with lowered expectations. And I'm not here to say it's better than I was led to believe. Once again we jump forward in time, though if it said how far I missed it (apart from the year for the frame for the overall story). Caesar has a son in this one, but he & MacDonald look the same age as before which is mildly confusing. Add to that the fact that it's post-bombing & all the apes can talk now & who knows when we are. There were, however, some aspects I appreciated. Paul Williams as Virgil was a highlight, & his character wound up being my favorite. I also really liked the orangutan in charge of the armory, & thought there were some good messages here & there. Everything else was just mediocre though. I wasn't bored by the story, but also wasn't deeply invested in it. It definitely ends the original run on a week note, but also could've been far worse.

Re-watch - Jan. 31st

I'd kinda forgotten how well plotted this story is, having not seen it in about 20 years. It sets up clues from the start & just moves from one point to the next. I kept marveling at the way the narrative works, which made revisiting it so rewarding. The cast is excellent, & I still enjoy seeing Ford & Jones play off one another. My favorite small detail I picked up though is when they go from a shot of Kimball waiting for a train, which shows up with Kimball listed as a destination, then they cut to an aerial shot with a Harrison hotel. Pretty amusing. I definitely need to watch this more often as it was even better than I'd recalled.