My Salinger Year (2020) this movie is like Devil Wears Prada but with less conflict and less drama. Actually, there is almost no conflict in this. The movie ends with the protagonist leaving her lucrative job to become a poet - as if being a poet is a job. I mean it's so stupid that you can't even laugh at it.

It made me appreciate Woody Allen (even more) as how he could make interesting movies set in Manhattan, a place that seems to be populated with the most boring people on Earth - according to movies set there for the last 25 years.

Then I also remember that "Seinfeld" and "Friends" were set in Manhattan and they were fun shows with interesting characters. So what happened?

The Trial of the Chicago Seven (2020). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trial_..._Chicago_7

I mostly enjoyed this legal procedural about the aftermath of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. The storytelling begins with each of the principals departing for the protests. Each has a different motive - to end the war, to protest the draft, to protest Nixon, to give a speech, to advance Democratic ideals, to stir things up politically. I credit Sacha Cohen for attempting a Worcester, MA accent, but he comes off more Rhode Islandish at times (I grew up in the same neighborhood as Abbie Hoffman, albeit in the 1980s, and the accent is distinct) but that's a local's beef.

Frank Langella's performance as Judge Hoffman is over the top, but by all accounts the real Hoffman was pretty much a lunatic. Michael Keaton shines, and the stars of the show are Joseph Gordon Leavett and Mark Rylance, who play opposing counsel. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II give a memorable performance as well.

I'm a fan of a well executed procedural and this one delivers. Worth a watch.

An American Carol (2008)



Or at least I tried watching it. I mean you know what kind of a movie you are getting into when its cast is Paris Hilton, Kevin Sorbo, James Woods, Robert Davi, and Kelsey Grammer.

It's supposed to be a parody of Michael Moore's movies done by the famous parodist who made the movie "Airplane". So the way to parody Moore's movies would be, I guess, to recreate some of the scenes from his movies, and TV shows, and make fun of them, but no. They did that for one scene in one of the three beginnings this movie has, but then they went on to make fun of how Moore eats a lot of junk food, how he smells, that he's horny all the time, and how he apparently loves Hitler.

I mean when you yell at someone that he is fat and smelly you are not making a comedy, you are just angry.

Then they go on to criticize "the Left" and its apparent love of Hitler. Which is rather curious from today's perspective. In this movie's universe, Hollywood is making copies of Leni Riefenstahl movies and awards them with Oscars.

They claim that the Left doesn't know history, so General Patton gives Moore a history lesson on how politics of trying to negotiate with evil dictators is futile. They show us how Neville Chamberlain was weak to think he could negotiate with Hitler who was just laughing behind his back. Yeah. I only wish that the makers of this movie (Davi, Woods, Sorbo, and Grammer) remembered this lesson before they all went to support the Orange fascist (who is fat, eats a lot of junk food, smells, is horny all the time, and loves Hitler) who is being openly laughed at by Putin as he tries to surrender to him in his ridiculous peace propositions as he cowardly pretends that The Budapest Memorandum doesn't exist.

To Have And Have Not (1944). Bogart and an absolutely scrumptious 20 year old Lauren Bacall.

Boru

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life.


It probably would have been more engaging if I had actually been paying attention. Then again, maybe not.

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_Ston...ead_(film)

A documentary about the National Lampoon as told by those who created, worked at, and rode the wave of the Lampoon. The Lampoon was before my time but the irreverence still rings true. Speaking truth to power with satire and humor never goes out of style.

(August 4, 2025 at 7:59 am)Nanny Wrote: Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drunk_Ston...ead_(film)

A documentary about the National Lampoon as told by those who created, worked at, and rode the wave of the Lampoon. The Lampoon was before my time but the irreverence still rings true. Speaking truth to power with satire and humor never goes out of style.

One of my all time favourite parody novels is Bored of the Rings, by Henry Beard and Douglas Kenny, who would later found National Lampoon.

Boru

Sonic 2. I like Jim Carry as an actor but the directors really ruined the films by writing Robotnik's roles for him. It comes off as a simplistic movie for kids that adults can't take seriously. As a counterpoint. Super Mario Bros did a much better job making the film entertaining for all ages.