The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Unforgiven - 2022 Edition

It is that time of year, and this has been a long ass year. I've been a bit M.I.A.... and more on that in a post soon.

For those who are not aware of this post, here is a reminder:

The Good is my favorite movie of the year. Simple.

The Bad is my least favorite movie of the year. Also simple.

The Ugly is my surprise of the year. Always a positive, but it doesn't have to be a movie. It could be a performance, it could be an actor/actress over multiple projects.

The Unforgiven is the opposite of The Ugly. A disappointment in the year.

So... are we ready? Let's get to it!

THE GOOD for 2022 was a bit difficult for me. I had a few movies that I can say that I didn't just love, but were epic in multiple ways. After some back and forth, I can declare THE GOOD for 2022 is... Bullet Train! A murder mystery wrapped in a Deadpool movie. It was fun. It was entertaining. The performances were amazing. The action was smooth. Brad Pitt nailed the goofiness. Nothing was out of place. I had a few MUST sees in 2022, but this one takes the prize. Watch it, if you haven't already.

Honorable Mentions: The Batman(I know... something beat Batman), Sonic the Hedgehog 2(a sequel to an awesome video game movie that was equally as awesome... it deserves the praise)

THE BAD of 2022 was also difficult, I had seen any that were inherently bad... until I saw one. And that movie was... Amsterdam. Stellar cast, including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington... we even had Robert DeNiro! Also... supposedly based on a true story, but if this was true, they were all on drugs. The movie didn't feel like it had any direction. And if it had any, that was EVERYWHERE. It couldn't commit to any one kind of movie. And I wasn't that I couldn't follow it... I didn't WANT to. It just wasn't good. I finished the movie, but all the hope I had for it dissipated. Some might like it, but I didn't. And I really wanted to.

Dishonorable Mention: Resident Evil: Welcome To Raccoon City(released Nov 2021, but I didn't watch it until this year)

THE UGLY of 2022 was ALSO difficult. Might be the most difficult of the categories this year. There were a few awesome Surprises. And I've decided to highlight 2 of them. The first is a movie... a Christmas movie. Violent Night is such a fun movie. The storyline is okay for what it was, with a weird second story arc(if you know, you know). But it was a very adult Home Alone type movie mixed with John Wick. And DAMMIT was it fun! David Harbour got an awesome role... and speaking of awesome roles... the second Ugly is Austin Butler as Elvis IN Elvis. The Elvis movie was pretty good, but Austin Butler was perfect as Elvis. Doing some of his own singing in the role, got the mannerisms down... he was Elvis in this movie. Even though I thought they got the production and presentation switched up on the film, Austin Butler deserves an Oscar Nom at VERY LEAST.

Honorable Mentions: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story(Al wrote an autobiopic that wasn't about his life, but a parody of biopics), Everything Everywhere All At Once(the other Multiverse flick this year)

Special Mention: Jared Leto as Morbius(the movie wasn't good... but it was the best character development in a Comic book movie in a long time. Kudos to Jared Leto)

And now... THE UNFORGIVEN of 2022. And that is easy... Sony Pictures over Morbius. As I just mentioned, Jared Leto did great as Morbius, and Matt Smith was pretty good as "Milo". But the rest of the film was terrible. And then they got baited into releasing it again, where it became the first film to flop twice. The Sony Pictures Venom movies were great... and Morbius had potential, but Sony failed with it... and they have more projects coming. I shudder just thinking about it.

Dishonorable Mention: Firestarter(the original is legendary due to Drew Barrymore... this remake wasn't left in the oven long enough)

And a final Special Mention: Spirited is a Christmas Musical starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell about the spirits in the afterlife giving one unlucky soul the Christmas Carol treatment each year. I'm not a fan of musicals. Just not my genres. But this one worked so well for me... the story was muddied by the singing... and it swerved me TWICE during the film(looking back at it, there is plenty of foreshadowing, just... pay attention). It was a wonderful movie... watch it... and then add it to your yearly watchlist. The reasons this gets a special mention only... one, I waited to watch it... two, limited theater release and on Apple TV+. Hard to watch if you don't have that.

There they are... The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Unforgiven of 2022.

It was a decent year of movies! Hopefully 2023 is better!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Black Adam

Copyright goes to DC Comics and Warner Bros Discovery

Black Adam

Starring Dwayne Johnson

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

Concept: Story of Shazam's biggest rival, and current anti-hero of the DC Universe.

Execution

Here we go...

Characters: So... this was the biggest let down. Let me explain. We have Black Adam. We have the Justice Society and 4 of the members. And some support characters. Plus a criminal organization with little explanation. Black Adam get PLENTY of backstory, or course, it is HIS movie. The JSA members were cool, but they barely got any backstory. Very very little. And I still get it... it is Black Adam's movie. And the main villain of the movie, Sabbac, was done very well. Waiting until the best point to introduce what he was... I give credit there. Score: 12/20

Presentation: Fight scenes... action... lightning... super powers... CGI... it was a run of the mill of the DC Superhero flick. Some of the CG was off. But nothing that feels like it didn't fit... just needed more polish. And not Transformers 2 level bad. And most of it dealing with Dr. Fate's magic... so... you can say it was magical. Score: 18/20

Chronicle: As mentioned before, the characters didn't get the backstory they all deserved, but the story around Black Adam was pretty good. Especially since they slightly CHANGED his backstory. That twist made this version of the story pretty good. Still sad that Hawkman and Dr. Fate didn't get a bit more story, but that it okay. The overall story was pretty good, even with lackluster support for the JS and Intergang. Almost felt like Intergang was thrown in, but they deserve another story. Score: 20/30

Impact: There are questions about whether or not Black Adam shifts the power in the DC Movie Universe. And so many say no. And... I slightly agree. But it is became a game changer in other ways. We got Henry Cavill back in the saddle as Superman. The Justice Society got established, and I would take a JS movie or series on HBO Max. And we got to see Dwayne Johnson finally do the passion project that took the better part of 15 years to get done. And... it works. The power might not have shifted, but it absolutely sets the tone for the new direction we are heading in for DC Movies. And I think it is a good thing. Score: 18/20

Extra Oomph: Because of the cameos of Superman and Harcourt(from Peacemaker), this movie established a canon connection between the Snyderverse that was, and the James Gunnverse that we are about to enter. Making Black Adam a very interesting linchpin in that transition. Score: 10/10

Final Score: 78/100

Final Grade: C+

Conclusion: It is a fun movie. And if you like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, then you will like this movie. Not perfect, but entertaining.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: I say... go see it. Watch it. Again, it has flaws, but it is still entertaining. But it is also a passion project. The Rock could've abandoned the idea at any time, but he followed through. And that should be appreciated and supported. So go see it. If you wanna pass in the theater, then buy or rent it. It is worth it.

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There you go... Black Adam has gotten a 78!!!

Not as good as I hoped, but it was still worth seeing.

Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Excited for the next phase of DC Films with Cavill back... and James Gunn at the helm?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 15 - October Holiday Month

We just passed through two Dump Months. And now it is time for the Holiday season.

When you think of October, you think of Halloween... horror films... and Slasher Icons! But the movie industry doesn't always follow that. Sure, some great horror and slasher films end up in October... but quite a few end up in February. Must want to compete with Valentine's Day? Who knows.

As you are about to see, October is very diverse when it comes to movie releases.

Let's kick it off with the Top 6 at the Box Office(you'll see why).

1. Joker (10/4/2019) $335m

2. Gravity (10/4/2013) $274m

3. The Martian (10/2/2025) $228m

4. A Star Is Born (10/5/2018) $215m

5. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (10/5/2018) $213.55m

6. Venom (10/1/2018) $213.51m

A Star Is Born and Venom: Let There Be Carnage were released at the same time and they both made the top 5. And the different between Venom and it's sequel was less than $40,000. So... Venom had to be included!

Now... what about MY list? I had a large pool, so... expanded list!!!

Top 15 Movies Released In October

Here we go...

HM The Marine (10/13/2006): WWE Studio produced film starring John Cena pre-Hollywood attempt. A generic action film, but a good one. And sparks of the AWESOME actor Cena is now.

HM The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (10/11/1974): The OG Leatherface tale. So many version, sequels, retellings. The original is still the best of the best.

HM Wes Craven's A New Nightmare (10/14/1994): My favorite of the Freddy Krueger outings. Meta in that Freddy was after the ACTRESS who played Nancy. Freddy was most sinister in this movie. Less camp, more attempting to kill Langencamp

15. Look Who's Talking (10/13/1989): Bruce Willis as the inner voice of a baby. I mean... it writes itself. And it was pretty funny too.

14. The Beverly Hillbillies (10/15/1993): It is difficult to beat the Original with Buddy Epsen... so they didn't. We had Ernest himself, Jim Varney, as the patriarch Jed Clampett and one of the first times I remember seeing Dietrich Bader(playing Jethro) making me laugh. This was a great adaptation.

13. First Blood (10/22/1982): The Debut of John Rambo. A role as synonymous with Sylvester Stallone as Rocky is... and should be studied as what PTSD can do to people.

12. Candyman (10/16/1992): Recently had a sequel/revival. This is the original. And the lore behind this slasher film is pretty tragic. Plus... this is movie that led to be having cold chills hearing the voice of Tony Todd.

11. The Terminator (10/26/1984): Time traveling robot coming back to cause a pre-conception abortion so his robot brethren can win their war. Ha! You know the movie.

10. Dracula Untold (10/10/2014): What was supposed to be the start of a new Universal Monsters Universe, Luke Evans brought to life a new type of Dracula, mixing the lore of the fictional vampire and the real life monster it was based off of. Extremely underrated Dracula movie.

9. Demolition Man (10/8/1993): Stallone and Wesley Snipes in a "perfect" future getting into Cops and Robbers shenanigans. But... I have to point something out... this was an era in Sandra Bullock's career where she was sweet, innocent, endearing...... why was she just SO DAMN CUTE in this movie?! Answer me dammit!!!

8. Thir13en Ghosts (10/26/2001): A Remake with modern horror tendencies. Tony Shaloub does a great job, but in my opinion, this was Matthew Lillard's breakout role. And... a wonderful movie to boot.

7. Blade Runner 2049 (10/6/2017): One of the GREATEST Legacyquels of all time. It brings a little bit of closure to Deckard's story from the original... while throwing another twist in the universe. Don't make us wait 30+ years for the 3rd movie.

6. Halloween (10/27/1978) & Halloween (10/19/2018) & Halloween Kills (10/15/2021): No. I haven't done a review for either of the new ones, but both are quality. Halloween is the best Horror Erasequel is history. And Kills lived up to the name. Going to do an article after seeing all 3(with Ends just around the corner). And of course, the original is just a masterpiece. One of the greatest slow build suspenseful horror films of all time.

5. What Dreams May Come (10/2/1998): If you know me, I don't get into the whole religiosity stuff. But... this has Robin Williams. This has STUNNING visuals. And an interesting story about life after death... love after death... and the lengths someone would go for both. This is classic in every sense of the word.

4. Joker (10/4/2019): Batman's nemesis gets his own gangster noir style movie, and damn it was so good. Joaquin Phoenix DESERVED the Oscar for this performance.

3. Dune Chapter 1 (10/22/2021): I have been waiting for Dune to be adapted properly, and even though the 1984 movie... happened... and is a cult classic... it didn't do the job. This one DID. And split into 2 parts, I can't wait for Part 2...

2. John Wick (10/24/2014): One of the greatest stylistic action films I've EVER seen. So good, we are about to get a 4th one next year. This movie is responsible for giving Keanu Reeves NEW life in his action star career. Because of John Wick, we got another Matrix... another Bill & Ted... and they announced another Constantine movie. John Wick change the game... and gave us another Keanulution.

And the Number One movie release in October is...

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas (10/29/1993): WHAT ELSE WAS IT GOING TO BE!?! This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Not just for October. I know the songs by heart. I know the lines by heart. This is my movie. I love this movie. So damn much.

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Were you surprised by any of them? Any I missed? What do you think of what I included?

Comment down below. And share this thing!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - Legacyquels

Time for another regular Renewed Top 10!

This time, I will be highlighting what I think are the BEST Legacyquels in cinema history.

For those that never saw the original post for the Term, a Legacyquel is a sequel that came out YEARS after the last installment. There are 2 types: A Minor Legacyquel is one that came out 10-19 years after the last entry and a Major Legacyquel is one that cane out 20+ years after. Those that DID read the original, I did adjust the range by 1, as to include 10 years in the Minor, and so 20 became a Major. The main difference between a Minor and a Major is reason. The Minor could just be delayed. But a Major is usually just for Nostalgia purposes.

You'll get it, if you don't already.

So let's do it...

Top 10 Legacyquels

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: Clerks 2(12 years): Clerks launched Kevin Smith's career, and the View Askewniverse took off. It was nice to see Dante and Randall come back in a great follow up.

Honorable Mention 2: The Odd Couple 2(30 years): The original Odd Couple, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthieu. After doing two Grumpy Old Men movies, they finally did a sequel to their movie that spawned a TV series. Sadly, this was the last movie they shared screen time on.

Honorable Mention 3: Scream(11 years): Scream returning to form(no, I didn't do a review... gonna watch it again before I decide to). It was great to see a passing of the torch for the franchise. Wes Craven would be proud.

Honorable Mention 4: The Godfather Part 3(16 years): The original Godfather got Marlon Brando an Oscar. Part 2 got Robert DeNiro an Oscar. Part 3 rounds out the story. And rounds out the best Mafia trilogy in fill history.

10. Blade Runner 2049(35 years): The Original Blade Runner was legendary. Never did I think they would make a proper sequel. It answered some questions from the original, but it also opened up new ones. I need another, it set up for another. I hope it doesn't take another 35 years.

9. Finding Dory(13 years): Finding Nemo was a classic. So why not a sequel based on a supporting character? The Disney thing to do... right? Dory was one of the fan favorite characters in Nemo. So it made sense. And we got Ed O'Neill as a voice too.

8. Split(16 years) or Glass(19 years): I am listing both as Legacyquels to Unbreakable. Why? Unbreakable was M. Night Shyamalan's Superhero movie. And Split was a thriller about a killer with multiple personalities. You didn't know it was a "sequel" until the end, and it felt like an after thought. But Glass is a sequel to both. So... this entry counts them both based on whether you think Split is a sequel or not. And...... I don't. Split feels like a spinoff.

7. Mad Max: Fury Road(30 years): Mad Max Fury Road was the latest installment from a series that helped make Mel Gibson famous... without Mel Gibson. Why? Well Max is still around the same-ish age. And... Mel Gibson is not. But Tom Hardy carried this into the modern era, and I hope they can do more somehow.

6. Bill & Ted Face The Music(29 years): Bill & Ted. The movies that put Keanu Reeves on the map... and then turned Alex Winter into a director/producer. Poor guy. Excellent!!! Well, decades later, we finally got the 3rd movie, and they passed the torch to their kids.

5. The Matrix Resurrections(18 years): Bill & Ted put Keanu Reeves on the map. The Matrix was the franchise that turned him into a Mega Star. Innovative. So... going back into the Matrix and using the original trilogy as a backdrop. Can't reveal too much. Because that makes The Matrix series awesome.

4. Halloween(40 years): Michael Myers stalking Jamie Lee Curtis. Again. This one is the LONGEST stretch in between on this list, and while it doesn't feel like it because the original had so many sequels... but... it is because this Legacyquel was ALSO an Erasequel. This was a direct sequel to the original, ignoring ALL of the others. Also making Halloween the only Erasequel on this list!!

3. Superman Returns(19 years): I know what you are thinking... How? Superman Returns is a sequel to Superman IV The Quest For Peace. How? Kevin Spacey was easily the Gene Hackman Lex Luthor. Kate Bosworth was easily the Margot Kidder Lois Lane. And Brandon Routh... he LOOKS like a young Christopher Reeve... this was on PURPOSE to be the unacknowledged Superman 5!

2. Doctor Sleep(39 years): Sequel one my favorite horror films of all time, The Shining. And... yes there is a Stephen King book. This was as much an adaptation of the book as it was a sequel to the Stanley Kubrick film. All the way down to Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall lookalikes. A wonderful film!!!

And the Number 1 Legacyquel is...

1. Ghostbusters Afterlife(32 years): Answer the Call isn't a sequel. It is a parallel universe movie. Because of that, Afterlife is the sequel to Ghostbuster 2(yes, the Ghostbusters game is the unofficial 3rd movie... as it was based off the original 3rd script... but it wasn't a movie). Captured the imagination of the first 2 movies, and treated the passing of Egon with dignity and respect. It felt like a kid again watching this movie. And ANY Ghostbusters fan should be proud of this film. Ivan Reitman was proud of enough of it that he passed known it was good enough to BE a Ghostbusters movie.

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Some big gaps in some of those Legacyquels!!!

What did you all think? Any Legacyquel or Legacy Sequel did you think was awesome and did the previous entry justice?

Drop it in the comments.

And share this post!!!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - September Dump Month

Time for the September Dump Month List!!!!

You've been following along... so you get the whole Blockbuster/Dump Month idea. So let's get into September.

Starting with the Top 5 Domestic 

1. IT(9/8/2017) $328m

2. Shang-Chi(9/3/2021) $224m

3. IT Chapter 2(9/6/2019) $211m

4. Crocodile Dundee(9/26/1986) $174m

5. Hotel Transylvania 2(9/25/2015) $169m

Now let's get into my September list. This one was FUN!!!

Top 10 Movies Released In September

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: Hellraiser(9/18/1987): The original Hellraiser, based on Clive Barker's novella. Getting some attention because of the reboot coming up. It ALMOST made the list, but a different horror film deserved the spot.

Honorable Mention 2: 50/50(9/30/2011): Seth Rogen movie based on the life of a friend of his who was hit with a life changing cancer diagnoses. Seth Rogen playing himself(technically). Joseph Gordon Levitt playing the cancer stricken friend. And it was a great movie.

10. Tenet(9/3/2020): John David Washington showing he is as smooth as his daddy, Denzel. A movie about a unique take on time travel. A bit confusion at times... but worth it. Also felt like Robert Pattinson's Batman audition.

9. Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs(9/18/2009): Cute animated movie about a genius who creates a machine that turns water into food, and it gets out of hand. Bill Hader... that is really all you need. But Anna Faris, Andy Samberg, and Mr. T all make this movie Great With A Chance Of Awesome.

8. The Good Son(9/24/1993): Macaulay Culkin playing a little psychopath trying to kill a little Elijah Wood. We get it... Frodo must die. But this was also in the era of Home Alone and Uncle Buck... and Culkin comes out swinging in this thriller. Child stardom can be cruel. Think of how Culkin would've turned out if he and the drugs hadn't found each other...

7. Rush Hour(9/18/1998): Jackie Chan is an action comedy legend. So pair him with the annoyingly voiced Chris Tucker. What would happen? Well... this was the start of an EPIC trilogy/franchise.

6. The Prophecy(9/1/1995): Christopher Walken as the Archangel Gabriel. Start of a franchise centered around an Angelic War. Elias Koteas as the detective caught in the middle of it. And Viggo Mortensen(pre-LOTR) as The Devil. THIS is the horror film that kept Hellraiser out as an Honorable Mention.

5. Dredd(9/21/2012): Reboot of the earlier Stallone movie. Karl Urban coming in as a younger Joseph Dredd. Never took his helmet off. Stayed true to the 2000 AD comics. And GORY!!! Not for the faint of Stomach. And I loved every bit of it.

4. To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar(9/8/1995): When you think of Wesley Snipes, you probably think of Blade. When you think of Patrick Swayze, you probably think of his kicking ass in Road House. When you think of John Leguizamo, you probably think of The Pest or Super Mario Bros or Ice Age. But what about the 3 of them together in a movie AS NYC drag queens driving across country to Hollywood for a "Miss Drag Queen of America" Pageant. Yeah. It is as funny as it sounds. Swayze and Leguizamo both got Golden Globe nominations for this movie. The perfect joke... but not implied.

3. The Last of the Mohicans(9/25/1992): I loved James Fenimore Cooper books when I was younger. They were big... they were interesting. And this is a pretty damn good adaptation. Plus, it introduced me to Daniel Day Lewis... and he may have won an Oscar or two.

2. IT(9/8/2017) & IT Chapter 2(9/6/2019): Remake of the classic Stephen King tryst. And I know not everyone agrees with me, but I like this version better. Solified Bill Hader as a star, showed the potential of Finn Wolfhard as a future star(playing the same character), shows that Andy Muschietti is careful with his work, and Bill Skarsgård can be whatever he wants to be in Hollywood(including The Crow, apparently).

And the Number 1 Movie Released In September Is...

1. Se7en(9/22/1995): A LEGENDARY film. One of Brad Pitt's best films. One of Morgan Freeman's best films. One of Kevin Spacey's best films. About an anonymous killer basing his murders on the seven deadly sins. One of the greatest thrillers in cinema history.

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Three Movies from September 1995!!!! Can you believe it?

What did you all think? Any movie that should've made the list?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Bullet Train

Bullet Train

Directed by David Leitch

Starring Brad Pitt and many many more

Concept: A man doing a job involving stealing a briefcase filled with $10mil gets caught up in SO much more.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: This a perfectly cast ensemble. Brad Pitt, Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny(yes, that Bad Bunny), Zazee Beets. And not a single wasted casting. Score: 20/20

Presentation: A very Japanese movie, which is the point. It takes place on a Bullet Train. Includes a few famous songs translated into Japanese. Best thing about the atmosphere is that is takes place on a bullet train. And each car is vastly different. One environment... but many sub-environments. Score: 20/20

Chronicle: The story starts very slow. And that is to subvert expectations. What you think the move is from the trailer... that is how the movie starts. Then you go into the meat of the movie. Plenty of exposition. But each exposit scene is fun. And the 3rd act makes up for whatever slowness the beginning of the movie has. Balanced with all the sub stories going on, and all of them connected, paired with all of the stylistic violence that ALSO tells a story. Like Murder on the Orient Express if Hercule Poirot was played by Deadpool(not Ryan Reynolds... the character DEADPOOL). Score: 28/30

Impact: Based on a book, and you know how book adaptation are: either spot on or not even close. This makes a few small changes, and one big one that just... works better. It shows just how good adaptations can be in the 2 hour movie format. The action sequences prove that the small scale, controlled action of John Wick can work with different mediums AND can work with comedy. The impact of the movie is weighed less from this movie, and more on the John Wick series. It really was the first attempt outside of John Wick to use this style of action. And I'm going to give you a new Term of Entertainment Endearment(which I am going to make a post about): Intimate Combat. Because of that... Score: 22/20

Extra Oomph: The cast... I could talk about bigger parts the whole post, but I am going to highlight 2 small ones. First... I watched this movie twice already. It was until the SECOND watch through that I noticed Karen Fukuhara was the cute snack cart girl. Don't know the name? Katana in Suicide Squad and Kimiko in The Boys. THAT Karen Fukuhara. Yeah. It was a small role, but it was cool that I couldn't tell at first. The second small role... Bad Bunny. Bad Bunny plays The Wolf. An assassin. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the big fight scene. But the small character backstory exposition, the fight scene itself, and a bit of situational comedy(you'll know what I mean)... I fully believe Bad Bunny could be a GREAT actor if he wanted to be. And I fan cast him in a reboot for Desperado already. Cast Karen in more stuffs... and get Bad Bunny on his movie star track... now. Score: 10/10

FINAL SCORE: 100/100

FINAL GRADE: A++

Conclusion: Yes, Bullet Train does start a little slow with ZERO exposition on Ladybug's behalf. But if your attention span is long enough to get past the small slow opening... this one of the BEST movies I've seen in quite awhile.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Go watch it... a few times... and then buy it on disc and/or streaming. And then get a back up copy.

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There is folks... Bullet Train gets a PERFECT score. And it deserves it.

Have you seen it? What do you think? Plan on seeing it?

Comment and share!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 15 - August Dump Month

It is that time again. Time for the monthly post, and according to Hollywood, Blockbuster seasin is over... so... now it is time for our second set of Dump months.

If you checked the title, you will see a Top 15, and that is because since it is the late Summer Dump month, I wanted you to see the Diversity with movies I love from the month of August.

I almost didn't number the list, because there are a handful on the list that could be interchangeable based on mood. But I settled on the list you are about it see... and... you are about to see a FIRST for this series. What is it? You'll see.

So... let's start with the Box Office Top 5.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy $333m

2. Suicide Squad $325m

3. The Sixth Sense $293m

4. Signs $227m

5. The Bourne Ultimatum $224m

Already some diversity. So what about my list?

Well...

Top 15 August Movies

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: Unforgiven(8/7/1992): I'm not the biggest fan of westerns, but this later in life classic with Clint Eastwood was pretty damn good.

Honorable Mention 2: Flatliners(8/10/1990): Not to be confused with the subpar remake, this movie had a STELLAR cast and a great premise with medical students trying to force near death experiences and dealing with the consequences.

Honorable Mention 3: Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back(8/24/2001): Make no mistake, I love this extremely Meta Kevin Smith film. The reason I kept it off the list is... I don't remember it being released to theaters. I know it was, I think. But I just don't remember it being in theaters. Granted... my life was really weird during that time frame, but it wouldn't surprise me if it didn't get released only to select theaters.

15. Collateral(8/6/2004): Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in a wonder dynamic film about a cabbie taken hostage by a hitman as he is during jobs around the city. Proof of how good Tom Cruise is... proof of how good Jamie Foxx was going to be.

14. Halloween(8/31/2007)/Halloween 2(8/28/2009): Included both, and if you are keeping score, these are the Rob Zombie films. Now, that we have the continuation of the original series, this one isn't as important anymore. But it is fun revisionist take on the Michael Myers tale.

13. Jack(8/9/1996): I love Robin Williams. And this movie about a 10 year old with a rare condition that makes him age 4 times as fast(so he looks 40). And his best adventure yet... public school. It has plenty of tropes you would expect... and it is a very Robin Williams movie.

12. Bambi(8/21/1942): A Disney Classic. And was my first movie I remember seeing as a kid. One of the rereleases of it, and it was at the Crump. If you know... you know 

11. Don't Breathe(8/26/2016): Steven Lang in a very anxiety inducing thriller. I've seen many horror films... I've seen many thrillers. And this is still the most anxious I've ever been watching a movie.

10. Mortal Kombat(8/18/1995): Yes, the original. It isn't a great movie... it doesn't hold up. But it is still an enjoyable movie for those who grew up with the games.

9. Fast Times at Ridgemont High(8/13/1982): The Quintessential High Schooler movie. Still makes me think of Sean Penn as an airhead, even after all the other work he has done.

8. Scott Pilgrim vs The World(8/13/2010): The movie based on a book series basically set in a video game world... that eventually became a video game. Fun fact: the ending is different than the books because the books weren't done yet. Un-fun fact: Michael Cera really just plays himself.

7. The Expendables(8/13/2010): Classic Action Stars kicking major ass and blowing shit up. That is what this movie is. Don't watch it for the plot. Because it is paper thin.

6. The Fly(8/15/1986): Science experiment gone wrong that turns a scientist into a Fly creature... and somehow turned Jeff Goldblum into a sex symbol.

5. The Sixth Sense(8/6/1999): M. Night's Twisty Magnum Opus about a kid who sees dead people and counselor who wished he didn't.

4. Desperado(8/25/1995): Story of a mariachi singer with a guitar case full of guns. This is the movie that introduced me to both Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. And... damn. This movie is STILL legendary. The "Okay... it's me." scene is one of my favorites of all time.

3. Uncle Buck(8/16/1989): John Candy. The Car. The GIANT Pancakes. And Macaulay Culkin. This was such a great film. John Candy... you are SO missed.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy(8/1/2014): One of my favorite MCU movies. It represents one of the biggest risks the MCU have taken. A team that casual fans would never have heard of is now a household name. All because of James Gunn and a STELLAR cast.

And now... the Number 1 movie released in August is...

1. Bullet Train(8/6/2022): YES! For the first time, a movie from THIS year on one of these lists, and the number one spot!!! Like Murder on The Orient Express crossed with Deadpool and John Wick. So much fun. And shows you how adapting a book to the big screen can be more enjoyable than you expect!!!(review up soon)

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What did you think of this month's list? I had a large pool to choose from this month, and I represented my likes... but wow the diversity!!!

This was the first dump month after the string of Blockbuster movies. Hopefully you see what that really means now. And September is a dump month too. So... we will see how this month goes!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - Famous Actors In Video Games

Time for a new Renewed Top 10. And this one gets credited to Mr. Bob Garlen!

We are about to highlight Famous Actors that have does voiceovers or even face captures for video games.

Simple rule... if they are MORE known for voice acting, they are not qualified for this list. Also... I need to have played it the game for it to qualify.

Along with the name of the actor, I will also cite the name of the game or game series they are featured in. And... you might only see one game/series per name, unless there is a reason I decide on. You'll get it.

So... how about it?

Top 10 Famous Actors In Video Games

Here we go...

Honorable Mention: Mark Hamill - Batman Arkham Series: So... Mark Hamill is Luke Skywalker. But he has also been the main voice for the Joker since Batman The Animated Series. So... while it counts, it also doesn't count.

10. Seth Green - Mass Effect Trilogy: Seth Green does alot of voice work. But he also does plenty of acting gigs. The reason this is getting mentioned is because his work as Joker(unrelated) was one of the best non-Seth Greeny roles he has done. If you know, you know.

9. Keifer Sutherland - Metal Gear Solid V: Simple here. Keifer Sutherland has a history of playing badasses. So... why not hire him to voice Solid Snake in MGS5? It worked so well. I hope he gets another shot at it.

8. Samuel L. Jackson - Grand Theft Auto San Andreas: Sam Jackson as the villain cop? Yeah, it's GTA. So... of course.

7. Jack Black- Brütal Legend: Jack Black plays a roadie turned into a fantasy level heavy metal hero. And you can't have Heavy Metal fantasy with legends of Metal... so, Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy Kilmister, Lita Ford are all in it as well.

6. Martin Sheen - Mass Effect Trilogy: I know... 2 from Mass Effect. But as a cinephile, it was awesome to hear Martin Sheen voice the Illusive Man!!!

5. Ray Liotta - Grand Theft Auto Vice City: The late great Ray Liotta. He was know as a mobster actor(well, again... if you know, you know). So, it made since to turn him into a video game mobster.

4. Keanu Reeves - Cyberpunk 2077: This game has had a horrible reputation due to all of the bugs. But... it is now a playable, amazing game. And at the core of the game's marketing is that Keanu Reeves was a main character. You don't get to play as him all that much, but think of him a douchebag holographic Jiminy Cricket.

3. Rami Malek - Until Dawn: I would like to point out that Rami Malek isn't the only big actor in this horror/thriller game, it also features Hayden Panettiere and Peter Stormare. But can either of them say they have an Oscar? Rami Malek can.

2. Elijah Wood - Legend of Spyro Trilogy: Spyro went through a reboot phase, and who did they get to voice Spyro? Frodo... Baggins!!! And just as a surprise, they got Gary Oldman to do the trilogy as well! And... honestly... it was more shocking to see Elijah Wood do it more than Gary Oldman... because Gary would do... anything.

And the number one famous actor in a video game...

1. Sir Patrick Stewart - Castlevania Lords of Shadow and Elders Scroll IV Oblivion: Let's start with Oblivion, because it is... brief. Stewart voices Uriel Septim VII, the emperor that is killed at the beginning of Oblivion. But... Castlevania Lords of Shadow, Sir Patrick Stewart voices Zobek, friend of Gabriel Belmont and ultimately the main antagonist of the first game(though you don't know that until it is revealed). He returns in the second game to with a warning to Gabriel(now Dracula) about Satan's return. Now... side note... both games ALSO include the great Robert Carlyle as Gabriel and Jason Issacs as Satan... but I chose to highlight Patrick Stewart because... it is SIR PATRICK STEWART. Also... he also voice Charles Xavier in the X-Men tie-in games AND the X-Men Legends action RPG games.

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Any that you have played with famous actors in them?

Share with us!!!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Thor: Love and Thunder

Copyright by Disney/Marvel

Thor: Love and Thunder

Director: Taika Waititi

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Christian Bale

Concept: Taika's go with Thor, a sequel to Ragnarok. And the 4th in the series. And this one... we get introduced to Mighty Thor, aka Dr. Jane Foster!!!

Slightly Spoilery. That is your warning.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: Hemsworth Thors it up again. You know it. Tessa Thompson with a great support role. Natalie Portman did a great job as the hero. But the highlight of the movie is Christian Bale. His Gorr the God Butcher was amazing. Creepy. The other 3 brought their A game, but Bale brought his A+ game. Score: 18/20

Presentation: Rockin' soundtrack. Bright and colorful. But... equally depressing and dark. And one of the most depressing starts to an MCU movie do far. Straight to the heartstrings. And set a tone that permeates the whole movie. But... the humor, while expected, did take away from the movie a little bit. It wasn't OVERLY funny, like Ragnarok was. But the timing of some of it was out of place. Korg... isn't necessary anymore. Score: 17/20

Chronicle: this is movie with two stories: one for the heroes(Thor, Jane, Valkyrie) and one for the villain(Gorr). The hero story was... happy, positive with a tragic ending. The villain story was dark, depressing with a somewhat peaceful ending. And... that yin yang type works... just know, they feel like two different movies melted together. Not a bad thing... most of the time. And in this case it does, for the most part. The hero side of the story was filled with so many clichés and tropes(but not the one I expected), but it also turned one around(fridging into a hero's death). The villain side... once again, the villain's motivation was justified. But... justified in both sides(the God he worshipped personally... and then the Gods Thor went to for help). The audience understood why. But... methods are what made him a true villain. So... understandable motivations... but despicable actions. A well developed character, portrayed by one of the best actors. Yay to well developed villains. Boo to cramming in too many clichés. Score: 26/30

Impact: Taika Waititi is the first director to repeat in the Thor franchise. And... I was worried going in that Taika would fall into his own trope: overly funny until a serious tone shift. That DIDN'T happen this time. Yes... some of the jokes weren't necessary. But a few were pretty damn good.

"Call the Axe."

"You need to call the dentist." That... worked so well. But the tone was split. Colorful with happy/dark with dreary. And setting up the concept for a sequel. Taika isn't one of favorites when it comes to directors, but because he DID subvert by negative expectations, he is my only choice for the next movie. Score: 20/20

Extra Oomph: Let's address the negative. And then the positives. The negative... TOO MANY CLICHÉS AND TROPES IN THIS MOVIE. It was a love letter to the 80s action/adventure films. But... that means all the crap with it. And it CAN work. Just don't fill a 1 lb sausage casing with 2 lbs of sausage. It doesn't all fit. And shouldn't. It was cool. But might be too much cool. Make sense? Does to me. But... one tired trope got turned on its head. Fridging. Fridging is a trope where someone dies(usually female)to motivate the hero(like in Deadpool 2). Jane Foster dies in this movie. The power of Thor is accelerating her cancer. She chooses the let the power take the last of her strength so she could help Thor defeat Gorr. She died a hero instead of the motivation(and post credits show he joining Heimdall in Valhalla for it). And that was a great touch. And lastly, I can't say enough about how great Christian Bale was. Easily top 5 role for him(because he has so many great ones). Helps me forgive the movie for the clichés, but doesn't eraae them. Score: 8/10

FINAL SCORE: 89/100

FINAL GRADE: B+

Conclusion: The duality of the movie makes this one a bit different than the other MCU movies. And both sides are equally understandable and tragic. Overstuffed with 80s tropes without being an overly 80s movie, but balanced enough that it doesn't matter as much.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: Thor Love and Thunder is a pretty good movie with a decently woven story to tell. I was pleasantly surprised. And it is absolutely one of Christian Bale's best roles. As for the movie, I do recommend seeing it, just like most of the other MCU movies. It isn't a top 10 MCU movie, but it is one of the better Thor movies...

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There you have it folks! Thor: Love and Thunder has gotten......... an 89!!!!

Did you see it? What did you think? What would have changed about Jane's death? What would you have done about Gorr's story?

Comment and share!!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - July Blockbuster Month

It is that time again. July is the final of the Blockbuster months before the next Dump Months. So... let's get to it.

Here are the top 5 Grossing for July

1. The Lion King Live action (7/19/2019) $543m

2. The Dark Knight (7/18/2008) $533m

3. The Dark Knight Rises (7/20/2012) $448m

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (7/7/2006) $423m

5. Spider-Man Far From Home (7/2/2019) $390m

Now... let's get to MY list.

Top 10 Movies Release In July

Here we go...

Honorable Mention 1: Ant-Man(7/17/2015): In my opinion, the better MCU movies are the ones that don't follow the typical MCU Superhero formula. And so far, Neither Ant-Man movie has. The first one was a Heist movie, the second one was a prison break movie.

Honorable Mention 2: Inception(7/16/2010): Christopher Nolan. Leo. Dream inside a dream inside a dream. One of more innovative movies of the last few decades.

Honorable Mention 3: Legend of Tarzan(7/1/2016): Spirtual sequel to one of my favorite movies of all time(Greystoke). And instead of Christopher Lambert playing the Ape-Man... it is Alexander Skarsgård. With supporting cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, and Christoph Waltz... it surprised me.

10. Blair Witch Project(7/30/1999): No longer unique. Made the "Found Footage" movie a thing... and still one of the best to do it. I knew it was fiction... but I remember watching it the first time thinking it wasn't. And it still sticks with me.

9. The Wolverine(7/26/2013): A handful of sources talk about Logan being the first time we got to see Wolverine at his most visceral. And... while it was gory, The Wolverine was still violent... action packed... and captured who the character really was. This movie is underrated. And it deserves more love.

8. National Lampoon's Vacation(7/29/1983): The Griswold Family. After so many "Vacations", the original is still my favorite. And the theme is still awesome.

7. Forrest Gump(7/6/1994): Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise with some of their BEST work. I remember seeing this movie with my Mom in the local theater... and it was the FIRST time I had ever been to a movie that not only had every seat filled, it was standing room only. And... it is the reason I feel like the movie theater is my safe place, my sanctuary. Because there were so many people packed in there to watch this movie... people I didn't know... but we were all there for one reason. To watch this movie. And it just felt... good.

6. Back To The Future(7/3/1985): Michael J. Fox... Christopher Lloyd... Time Machine... Time Travel... and almost incest. You know this movie.

5. Die Hard(7/20/1988): The CHRISTMAS movie that put Bruce Willis through a tower of pain vs Hans Gruber and his gang. Never forget.

4. The Mask(7/29/1994): Jim Carrey was already know for being Rubber Faced... so... why not cast him as a Rubber Faced Anti-Hero? Oh... and don't forget about Cameron Diaz!!!! Damn.

3. Terminator 2 Judgment Day(7/3/1991): The best of the Terminator franchise. Arnold went from antagonist to protagonist. And the T-1000 was introduced. We had this on VHS, and we watched it every year. It was a staple.

2. Robocop(7/17/1987): Yes... Robocop OVER Terminator. I remember when I was little, the scene with the murder of Murphy grossed me out. But eventually, I got over that. And Robocop became one of my favorite movies, and favorite franchises of all time. Quotable. Memorable. Brutal. So good.

And the Number One Released in the Month of July...

1. The Dark Knight(7/18/2008): The Best of the Nolan Batman Trilogy. An Oscar for Heath Ledger... amazing performances out of Bale, Eckhart, Oldman, Freeman. For a director that if also known for extraordinary premises like in Inception and Tenet, his Batman was quite rooted in things that could actually happen in reality. And The Dark Knight was the best example of that.

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What did you all think? Any July movies I missed?

Comment and share!

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Top 10 - June Blockbuster Month

This is my first official post back... hopefully back. Going to try and get it going again.

Bear with me.

I missed out on June. So let's make sure it gets represented. And like always, let's start with the highest grossing movies for the Month of June.

1. Jurassic World(6/12/2015) $652m

2. Incredibles 2(6/15/2018) $608m

3. Finding Dory(6/17/2016) $486m

4. E.T.(6/11/1982) $435m

5. Toy Story 4(6/21/2019) $434m

6. The Lion King(6/24/1994) $421m

Now... on to MY list.

Top 10 Movies Released In June

Here we go

Honorable Mention 1: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie(6/30/1995): Power Rangers are still a part of my fandom even now. And as cheesy as this movie was, it was the West's first real attempt at their own Power Rangers entity.

Honorable Mention 2: Lilo & Stitch(6/21/2002): One of the best Disney movies of the 2000s. And dammit, this is the better sister movie(looking at you, Frozen).

Honorable Mention 3: Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban(6/4/2004): My favorite Harry Potter movie. When the series started getting dark. Plus... Gary Oldman. So... yes. My favorite Potter movie.

10. Jurassic Park(6/11/1993): Michael Crichton's novel come to life. The practical effects are still some of the best I've seen.

9. Man of Steel(6/14/2013): Zack Snyder leaning into Superman being a biblical type being. And Henry Cavill killed this role. He deserves more. He... deserves more.

8. Toy Story 3(6/18/2010): My favorite of the Toy Story movies. A full fledged villain in Lotso... and... a full fledged villain in Andy growing up.

7. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?(6/22/1988): Warner Bros and Disney shaking hands with live action with some Bob Hoskins and Christopher Lloyd. Such a great story disguised as a goofy, silly animated movie meets live action.

6. Spider-Man 2(6/30/2004): Still one of the best Spider-Man movies. Best story structure. Very well done, layered, understandable villain.

5. The Lion King(6/24/1994): Disney Animation's Magnum Opus. You know what this movie is.

4. The Truman Show(6/5/1998): Jim Carrey's showing he doesn't always have to be funny. One his best works.

3. Ghostbusters(6/8/1984): Who you gonna call? The movie that launched a franchise... a phenomena... one that is still beloved today.

2. Batman(6/23/1989): Tim Burton looked at the haters and said "Michael Keaton is perfect as Batman". And now... Michael Keaton has been one of the BEST to ever put on the suit. Influenced the character ever since.

And my number one movie for the month of June...

1. Pixar's Inside Out(6/19/2015): I've said it. This is my favorite movie. It is the BEST depiction if depression I've ever seen, and in a way that kids can understand what the feeling is. The way emotion are personified... I love this movie. And I understand it now more than ever.

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There you go. Not quite back to form. But it works. A bitter sweet month given that it is the birthday month for 3 people I dearly miss(my uncle, my grandmother, and now my mother)... and my own birthday.

Hopefully I still got enough of my heart in it.

Any movie for June that I didn't list that you love? Comment and share this thing!

July post coming post-haste.

Until then...

Don't forget...

The New Review - Elvis

Copyright by Warner Bros

Elvis

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hanks

Concept: Stylized Elvis Presley Biopic. Enough said.

Execution

Here we go...

Cast: So, there are really only 2 important cast members in this movie. Austin Butler as Elvis. Tom Hanks as Col Tom Parker. Everyone else is moot. And it was on purpose. It was exactly Elvis's story, it was Parker's. And... it was a weird obsession he had with Elvis. It makes good on the influences Elvis had. So the other characters are important, but not forefront. Tom Hanks was a bit weak compared to what he CAN do, but he made a great villain. And Austin Butler slayed at Elvis, including singing AS Elvis. That was him(for the most part... later in life Elvis had the real thing mixed in with Butler to make him sound older). And everything else that made Elvis the King... Butler deserves at least an Oscar nom. Score: 16/20

Presentation: Let's get this out of the way... Austin Butler was amazing singing as Elvis. Like spectacular. But... the rest of the soundtrack was too modern. TOO modern. And visually... Elvis was an extravagant, flashy individual. So it makes sense for his movie to be... but it felt OVER produced in the first half... and UNDER produced in the second half. Where it needed it, it didn't. Where it didn't need it, it did it anyway. And...... that first half... it almost lost me. It was prevented through the eyes of Tom Parker... and imagine a villain seeing his meal ticket through dollar signs. And... it took me out of that. Score: 10/20

Chronicle: It's the story of Elvis through the eyes of Tom Parker trying to make himself out to not be the villain of the story. Even though it was clear he was the villain of the story. And this twist to it makes the story we know about even more interesting. I learned things I never knew about Parker... that I never knew about Elvis. And... the story had to be engaging, seeing how the mismatched presentation started to lose me. Score: 27/30

Impact: Baz Luhrmann is responsible for writing and directing Moulin Rouge, Australia, Romeo + Juliet, and The Great Gatsby. Out of those 4 movies, I only enjoyed one, and that was Gatsby. And now... add Elvis to that list. But... I still don't think he should've done a biopic. The pieces of the movie(cast and story) were amazing. But it was like watching chess pieces on a flashing LED Chinese Checkers board. This movie helps Luhrmann's portfolio. And I hate that it does. Score: 15/20

Extra Oomph: I'm going back to Austin Butler. Dude... deserves at least an Oscar nom. With the fact that he did his own signing... he was able to encapsulate what made Elvis so special. A one of a kind role... made for a one of a kind piece of Rock and Roll history. No one else could've done this movie. No× one else could've played Elvis in this way. And it redeems the film in a major way. Score: 15/10

Final Score: 83/100

Final Grade: B-

Conclusion: Austin Butler shines. Tom Hanks is creepy. But there are two different halves to this movie. Up to you to determine whether it feels like it is Performance/Presentation or if it was Prime/Pre-Prime.

It's all a matter of opinion: I cannot stress enough that THIS is MY opinion, you can either agree with me or not. I don't have to justify my opinion, because *clears throat* that's what this blog is about. Whether I like it or not doesn't mean you have to or not...... I'ts just my justification behind MY recommendation... Which leads me to my FINAL JUDGMENT...

FINAL JUDGMENT: If you are an Elvis stan, go see this. If you are an Austin Butler or Tom Hanks stan, go see this. If you are neither, I recommend seeing it, but wait for disc or digital. Will I watch it again? Yes. But... only because of how great Austin Butler was as Elvis.

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There you go, Folks. Elvis gets an... 83!!!!

If you've seen it, what did you think?

Did I mention how great Austin Butler was in this?

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Renewed Musings - Personal Update

The last post I had was a tribute to my Mom.

And a temporary suspension of posts.

So I thought I would update you all.

The saga dealing with the aftermath with Mom's passing has a trying time. Breaking me down. But I'm starting to feel a bit better about the whole situation.

And... I admit I miss do my posts.

I do have some comedian posts I want to finish. But I'm not exactly in a funny mood. So, eventually those will get finished, but I don't have a timeline for those.

But I have do have some movie posts I would like to get out there. I have a June Blockbuster post, but it will be late. And a July Blockbuster post to go with it. Also, will be seeing both Elvis and Thor Love and Thunder as soon as possible, so reviews will be coming(and I have to go back and review Uncharted). I also thought about doing a couple of lists as tribute to my Mom(one for movies about Moms or focused on them, and one maybe highlighting some of her wonderful movie tastes). And I was thinking about some wrestling related posts. And some gaming posts.

So... ideas ARE brewing. And I just have to get them out of my head and into posts.

It will be a process. And thank you for understanding.

I lost so much in a month's time. I felt like I lost almost everything. And... I know there are pieces of me that are just gone. But I discovered that I still have so much left around me. And maybe I can repair some of those broken pieces... maybe I can find some of those piece I thought were gone... and maybe... I can find new pieces to redesign myself.

Bear with me... readers... friends... and family. While I figure out what that is. What it is going to be. And know that I will be here soon... slowly getting back to some of the stuff that I love.

I am going to highlight my favorite movie. Disney Pixar's Inside Out. It is one of the BEST depictions of Depression I've ever seen in a movie. So many people are like "Depression is just being super sad. Stop being sad." But... it isn't. Depression is the absence of sad. The absence of being happy. They just aren't there. If I could be sad... I could get it out. If I could be happy... I could heal it. But they just aren't hanging around. But I have been seeing them... they are visiting. And I'm starting to feel better.

So... all of you. I'm getting there.

And... thank you.

Thank you.

"Comedy can be a cathartic way to deal with personal trauma."

"Comedy is acting out optimism."

"If Heaven exists, to know that there's laughter, that would be a great thing."

All of those by Robin Williams.

I'm ready to laugh again. For real.

Tragedy Plus Time Equals Comedy

I wanted to post something. I have plenty of feelings going out... many thoughts going through my head. And I need to share them.

So... let's start.

On Sunday, May 29th, I lost my Mother unexpectedly. She was one of my heroes. A nurse for over 25 years. She helped so many people. And honestly, I feel lost without her. I'm going to miss her smile. I'm going to miss her hugs. I'm going to miss the memories we still had yet to make. I'm going to miss her chili. I'm going to miss... her. I already do. And... no... I'm not religious. But... I believe she is looking over us.

I realize... now more than ever how important family is. And... that family has a much broader definition than what you know...

Proudly... I am a Lowe, I am a Parrigin, I am a Ballard, I am an Adams. But I'm also a Smith. I'm also a bit of a Garlen and a bit of Eva. A bit of Hayes. And I'm also a bit of Best Buy Blue... and T-Mobile Magenta. Those are my families. In some way, shape, or form. They all are.

We are all sums of those parts, whether we believe it... whether we know it... whether we understand it. It is true.

And I'm grateful for my family.

I need to do better showing it.

To my "family" that reads these blogs, I am temporarily suspending my posts. I need to. More so because my mind is very jumbled. And I have to get my mind right. But I will return. Mom would want me to do it. And I don't want to let her down.

I need time to get my heart back in it. To get the words back in it. I will get there.

Hopefully, the equation works. Tragedy Plus Time Equals Comedy. And we need to be funny again.

Until then, hold on to your family. Love them. Because you just never know.

To quote Sting(wrestler, not musician).

"This isn't Goodbye, it's just see you later."

And you will see me again.

Thank you for supporting me on here. And thank you for your understanding.

Renewed Sad 10 - Comedians Gone Too Soon

Life is cruel. Sometimes it can be more cruel than you expected. And in this case, Comedy and Tragedy go hand in hand in a much more sumber way.

Whether it be poor health, natural causes, an unfortunate accident, drug usage, or depression...... some comedians are like watching a wonderful, beautiful sunset... at Noon(stole that line from ERB... but it fits.)

Here are some of my favorite funny peoples that didn't see their potential reached because Tragedy struck.

Top 10 Comedians That Were Gone Too Soon

Here we go.

Special Mention: Robin Williams: So... Robin Williams deserves a Special Mention. Why only that? Yes... it is a Tragedy. And yes, he shouldn't have left us. But to say he had a full career is an understatement. And this list is dedicated to those that I feel... didn't get that opportunity. So... don't get this wrong. I love and miss Robin. He was my hero after all. I acknowledge he had more he COULD'VE done, but he gave us so much.

Honorable Mention 1: The Amazing Jonathon: The Amazing Jonathon took the idea of Carrot Top/Gallagher's prop comedy and mixed it with a bit of Penn & Teller's magic. And we got... a crazy comedy magician with a loud assistant/partner. One comedy hour special with Comedy Central, and it is Legendary. We lost him this year due to his long battle with Heart Disease.

Honorable Mention 2: Richard Jeni: So... you've seen Richard Jeni. I know you have. Where? He was Stanley's putz friend/co-worker in The Mask. Yeah, that Mask. He had a WONDERFUL stand up special. And his delivery was on Point. He took his own life in 2007. 

Honorable Mention 3: Andy Kaufman: Andy was weird... Andy was annoying... Andy was a genius. Such untapped potential, and thankfully Jim Carrey helped us relive some of that magic with the movie Man On The Moon. Lung Cancer took Andy Kaufman at age 35. I wonder how HUGE of a sitcom star he could've been.

Bonus! 11. Greg Giraldo: One of the SMARTEST stand up comics I got the chance to see/hear. Must have been the fact he passed THE BAR and had a Law Degree. Most famous for his participation in the Comedy Central roasts. And mainly went first or near the beginning. Which sucked for EVERYONE that had to follow him. Sadly, we lost Greg to accidental overdose... after years of battling and BEATING alcoholism.

10. John Pinette: John Pinette... the eaters comic. Sad to say it that way, but he was. Joking about being big... and trying to get into shape... food... and his disdain for waiting in line. Pulmonary Embolism took John from us. But... if you have a copy of Thomas Jane's The Punisher, Bumpo lives on.

9. Sam Kinison: The Man Who Gave Us Rage Comedy. Yelling his punchlines... yelling just to yell. But it made him stand out, even since then, no one has matched that rage comedy at that level. If you know, you know. We lost Sam at the PEAK of his career in 1992 to a 17 year old drunk driver. Poetic... because that would be a Sam Kinison way to go out.

8. Gilda Radner: One of the original 7 "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" thar started Saturday Night Live. Roseanne Roseannadanna, Baba Wawa, and parodies of Lucille Ball and Patti Smith earned her an Emmy in 1978. One of the greatest performers in SNL history. We lost her to Ovarian Cancer in 1989... but her impact is still felt on SNL today.

7. John Ritter: So, in my special mention, I noted that I didn't put Robin on the list due to him having given us so much. A similar thing can be said about John Ritter. Stand out star if the Sitcom Three's Company... Dad in the Problem Child franchise... Adult Ben in the origina IT miniseries. So... why does John make the list and Robin doesn't? 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter. It was a SECOND prime for John. Losing John Ritter to that heart attack WHILE 8 Simple Rules was still killing it(sorry)... would've been like Robin dying before his stand up Resurgence.

6. John Candy: A member of the Toronto branch of The Second City Troupe and member of the SCTV cast, John Candy went on to have a SUCCESSFUL movie career. Uncle Buck, Cool Runnings, improv cameo in Home Alone, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and the only TRUE Thanksgiving movie ever made... Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Dying of a Heart Attack at Age 43... you wonder just how much bigger his career would've gotten.

5. Phil Hartman: One of the greatest voices in comedy. SNL legend. Simpsons legend. You may also know him as the voice of Henry Mitchell and Mr. Wilson in the 90s Dennis the Menace Cartoon. We lost him when he was shot by his wife at age 49.

4. Chris Farley: Chris Farley had this energy. On SNL. In his movies. He just had something. He was able to make being a fat white ninja work... he was able to lift up David Spade(and vice versa). And the Lunch Lady song skit is one of the greatest SNL skits off all time...... and so was the Chippendales skit with Patrick Swayze... and Living in a "Van Down By The River". He was on a different level. He was his generation's John Belushi. Sadly... that other level was Cocaine. Which he died of an overdose of(and morphine) at the age of 33. A Speedball.

3. John Belushi: Speaking of John Belushi, another of the original SNL cast, one of the Seven "Not Ready For Prime Time Players". Samurai Futaba, Henry Kissinger, Beethoven, James T. Kirk, Joe Cocker... and of course, one half of the Blues Brothers. Bluto in Animal House... and then... we lost him. He was fired from his drug usage... and then overdose of cocaine and heroin, Speedball. At the time of his death, he had SEVERAL film projects he was in the talks for. Sadly... he never got to.

2. Patrice O'Neal: Patrice O'Neal had been doing stand up since 1992, but didn't get his one hour on Comedy Central until 2010. Sometimes, it is difficult to get your big break. But Patrice had finally got it(along with an HBO half hour in 2005). Elephant in the Room was an amazing special. He had this gentle-giant appeal to him. And his comedy was smart. His only Comedy Central roast appearance... Charlie Sheen roast in 2011. Patrice went on last. And... they HAD to. No one could've followed that. And 2 months after it aired, he passed due to Stroke. One Comedy Hour special... yet... it is one of the best.

(Here is where the celebratory lead in for number 1 would go.)

1. Mitch Hedberg: Mitch Hedberg was special. And... we knew it. Always looked down during his sets, like he was timid/shy. But his observational humor showed just how smart he was. "An escalator cannot break. It can only become stairs." Which is... right. But his delivery made it sound like it was the greatest joke ever. George Carlin's comedy was based around words...... and if you ever sat down and listened to the "Bits" section, the one liners(or read them in his books)... it is almost like they combined to manifest Mitch Hedberg. And yeah... coming from me... that is HIGH praise. And... for the 3rd time in the top 4 entries... we have another death from a Speedball.

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Is there anyone I missed? I admit... this one mad me pretty sad typing these out. Almost cried typing Gilda Radner's out. And that was pretty early in the post.

What did you think? Could I have done these amazing comedians any more justice?

Comment and share.

Until next time...

Don't forget...

Or at least try to after this tearjerker.

Renewed Top 10 - Comedians As Talk Show Hosts

Talk Shows. A staple of Talk Shows is the funny host that comes out and delivers that monologue, and offers levity in the interviews.

I'm going to preface this with... I don't know how many of these Talk Show Hosts have had separate Stand-Up Careers... at least before I started researching these hosts. So... this list is FULLY based on how I like these Comedians as Hosts.

So... let's get into it.

Top 10 Comedians As Talk Show Hosts

Here we go...

Special Mention: Johnny Carson: Johnny Carson is THE legend. But honestly, I didn't get much exposure to him until much later with reruns, and commericals of his run on the Tonight Show. I know he is legendary. I just didn't live in that era.

Honorable Mention 1: Jay Leno: The Squeaky Voiced Jay Leno. I admit... I have issues with how he got the Tonight Show over Letterman... and with how he screw Conan out of the Tonight Show. But... Headlines was one of my favorite bits. Glad... only on Monday.

Honorable Mention 2: Jimmy Kimmel: So... Jimmy Kimmel has always been... "funny". Co-Host of the Man Show, he was the better of the 2(the other being Adam Carolla). And then co-hosting Win Ben Stein's Money... I didn't know how Kimmel would work out on his own. And he has proven that he CAN do it. Too bad he has 2 BETTER shows to contend with in that time slot.

10. Jimmy Fallon: Speaking of Time Slot. Jimmy Fallon. A stand out from SNL, he got the job AFTER Conan/Jay. And eventually got the Tonight Show. And... while I loved him for so long, his show has gotten... bland. The games are still great, but the interviews are not. The monologue is lacking. But... status quo is still pretty good.

9. Craig Ferguson: Over 2000 Episodes of the Late Late Show... and he got away with plenty of innuendo. If there was ever a Late Night host that could command a crowd without effort. And... that Scottish accent just made everything else funny.

8. Dennis Miller: SNL Alum that has Weekend Update. What if he turned that into a show? That is what HBO did for him in the 90s, and dammit, if it wasn't good. I don't always agree with his politics, but you could tell he was smart with his opening monologue. Dammit... he was so good.

7. John Oliver: One of "Stewart's Kids". The Brit who is now a US Citizen. And he went from being a part of the Daily Show to hosting his own show on HBO called "Last Week Tonight". Instead of a nightly show, he covers the previous week on Sunday. And... of all the talk shows HBO has ever come up with, this is the best. John Oliver has an even brighter future ahead of him.

6. George Lopez: TBS featured this Latin sensation on his own Talk Show. And... airing after Midnight... he was able to break so many late night TV tropes. Everything I said about Craig Ferguson applies here, except for the Scottish Accent. Lopez is a phenomenal stand up... and it showed through.

5. Conan O'Brien: Conan. So funny... funny enough to graduate from Late Night to the Tonight Show. Funny enough to make Jay Leno jealous. Funny enough for TBS. And he caught fire a SECOND time. Team CoCo!!!

4. Graham Norton: Graham Norton had a decently successful Talk Show in the states, but back home, on the BBC, changed the game. Instead of what feels like interviews, all the guests sit on the same couch, and it feels like a conversation. And... it is pretty damn cool. Must be a Brit thing, because James Corden brough that over when it took over the Late Late Show.

3. Stephen Colbert: Another of "Stewart's Kids". Originally a member of the Second City Troupe, he had bits every now and then on SNL(did you know Colbert and Carell voiced Ace & Gary in the Ambiguously Gay Duo cartoons?). He joined the Daily Show as a correspondent... eventually getting his own show called "The Colbert Report", where he played satirical fake Conservative doing the news. And... it was SO GOOD enough that when David Letterman retired, Colbert got the job. And... he deserved it. And he changed the tired game/format. For so long... 1 main guest, 1 secondary guest, 1 famous music act. Colbert... sometimes he will only have 1 guest and then music. Sometimes, 2 guests and no music. Sometimes, only music. And... it doesn't have to be mainstream music. The night he had the Legend of Zelda Orchestra as the music guests, I knew we had something different brewing. And... Fallon might have a Grammy winning band... but Colbert has a Oscar winning band leader. Take that, Fallon!

2. David Letterman: Speaking of David Letterman, here is the reason that I only watched Leno on Monday. David Letterman was my Late Night host growing up. Solid monologue, the Top Ten Lists(meta here), and not afraid of messing with his guests, not afraid of tackling them head on. The Crispin Freeman incident, Lawyer slapping Kaufman, Drew Barrymore flashing Dave on TV, the infamous Joaquin Phoenix interview, and making the post prison Paris Hilton about Prison when she apparently she was told it wouldn't be that way. Funnier than Leno. Presentation better than Leno. And... a Native Hoosier!

And the Number 1 Talk Show Host Comedian is...

1. Jon Stewart: I mentioned "Stewart's Kids" a couple of times. Well, here is why. Jon Stewart and The Daily Show was the closest to news I ever wanted to get to. And... Jon Stewart was the ever present professional. Yes, it was a comedy show. But when he needed to be funny, he was. When he needed to be serious, he was. When he needed to be sincere, he was. And even though, I know he is liberal, he didn't hold back against either side. He burned both sides when it deserved. Now... what about Stewart's Kids? Steven Colbert, Steve Carell, Samantha Bee, John Oliver, Wyatt Cenac, Rob Riggle, Ed Helms, Rob Corddry, Al Madrigal, Mo Rocca, Jason Jones, even current Daily Show host Trevor Noah. All... students of Jon Stewart. No matter what they did before The Daily Show, I fully believe their time with Jon Stewart made them better. Some went on to host their own shows, Ed Helms became a big movie star. Steve Carell... well... you know who Steve Carell. Mo Rocca is even the host of CBS Sunday Morning. Jon Stewart wasn't just an era's "Funny News Guy"... he fostered an era of humor.

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What do you think? Anyone I missed? What do you think of Talk Shows hosted by comedians?

Did I miss any?

Comment below. Share this thing.

Until next time...

Don't forget...