Thursday, February 29, 2024

media update: February

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

When applicable, this page will be published as a work in progress and continually updated so I can provide timely feedback for advance reader copies.  Receiving an ARC does not affect my reviews in any way.


FICTION

1. Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli:  Rune Winters comes across as a ditzy socialite who turned her witch grandmother in to authorities for execution, but at night she's the Crimson Moth, a vigilante who rescues witches and sends them away to freedom.

2. Piglet by Lottie Hazell:  Piglet, as pretty much everyone calls her, finds her carefully curated world falling apart when her fiance confesses a secret (never shared with the reader, though one can certainly guess) to her.

3. The Burning by Linda Castillo:  Police chief Kate Burkholder investigates the murder of a recently excommunicated Amish man, only to discover secrets that could threaten her own life. I've been reading this series from the beginning and enjoyed them all; this was no exception.  It's a quick and engrossing read, and Kate is a terrific protagonist.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!  The book will be published on July 9th.

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  12


NONFICTION

1. Keanu Reeves Is Not in Love with You* by Becky Holmes:  A look inside the world of online romance scammers, who frequently pretend to be celebrities...hence the title.  (You wouldn't think people would fall for it, but a quick peek at the scams subreddit proves otherwise.)  It's often hysterically funny, because the author loves to mess with the scammers and provides screenshots of her conversations with them, but it's also deeply empathetic towards the victims.

2. The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards by Jessica Waite:  After her husband Sean's unexpected death, the author discovered several unpleasant truths about him that hindered her ability to grieve and heal.  Bracing and candid.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!  The book comes out on July 30th.

3. Splinters* by Leslie Jamison:  A searing memoir about the end of the author's marriage and raising her baby daughter mostly alone.  I don't ordinarily do this, but I highlighted numerous passages in my Kindle edition because they hit so hard.  (Not that I've ever been divorced or had a baby, but some of her expressions of loss just rang so true.)

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  5


MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. Sorry I Ruined Your Childhood by Ben Zaehringer

2. All You Want, Whenever You Want by Omayu

3. The Way of the Househusband* vol. 11 by Kousuke Oono

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  4


MOVIES

1. Expend4bles:  The stylized title tells you all you need to know.  It's stupid and loud, and the dialogue is incomprehensible half the time, but it has Jason Statham and some fun action.  Pound some cans of White Claw Surge, as we did, and give in to the dumb.

2. Five Nights at Freddy's:  An overnight security guard (Josh Hutcherson) at a decrepit pizza place discovers that the animatronic mascots aren't as friendly as they seem.

3. Orion and the Dark:  Orion is scared of many things, but especially the dark, until the embodiment of darkness takes him on a night journey.  I really wanted to love this because it was written by Charlie Kaufman (yes, the same guy who wrote Adaptation), but it was like a subpar Pixar movie.

4. A Haunting in Venice:  Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is now living in Venice nd refusing to take new cases, but he winds up involved in a murder at a seance.

5. The Marvels:  Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Maria Rambeau work together to save the universe.  Far better than I was expecting.

6. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes:  In this prequel to the Hunger Games series, Coriolanus Snow is assigned a contestant to mentor...and promptly falls in love with her.  A bit overlong, but I enjoyed it.

7. The Iron Claw:  A biopic about the Von Erich brothers, who rose to fame in professional wrestling but endured heartbreak worthy of a Greek tragedy.  Great performances, especially by Zac Efron as oldest brother Kevin and Holt McCallany as the domineering patriarch.

8. Thanksgiving*:  One year after a stampede kills several people at a Thanksgiving sale, a masked killer sets out to punish the people they deem responsible.  I think it should have been a period piece to really lean into the 80s slasher feel of the fake Grindhouse trailer, but it was still gory fun.  Bonus points for allowing a cat to live (an unfortunate rarity in horror movies)!

9. Infinity Pool:  A dream vacation turns into a surreal nightmare in this movie that G aptly called "a Black Mirror episode directed by Ari Aster".

10. Suzume*:  An absolutely gorgeous animated movie about a teenage girl who tries to prevent a series of disasters with the help of a mysterious man.  Tissues mandatory.

11. Sixty Minutes:   A martial artist makes some powerful enemies when he ditches a fight to get to his daughter's birthday party.  Fun action and a cute kitten...how can you go wrong?

12. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom:  Aquaman (Jason Momoa) teams up with his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) to stop Black Manta from going through with a deadly plot. There's some fun banter between Aquaman and Orm, but mostly this movie plays out like it was written by ChatGPT.

2024 TOTAL SO FAR:  17















Wednesday, January 31, 2024

media update: January

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

When applicable, this page will be published as a work in progress and continually updated so I can provide timely feedback for advance reader copies.  Receiving an ARC does not affect my reviews in any way.


FICTION

1. Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody:  After her father dies by suicide, Teddy takes up his obsession with finding out the truth behind her sister's disappearance.  Disappointing, not least of all because it contains three separate graphic instances of animal death, only one of which has any bearing on the story (and that one is especially awful).

2. The Ghost Orchid by Jonathan Kellerman:  Dr. Alex Delaware and his police lieutenant friend Milo Sturgis investigate the double homicide of a playboy and his married lover. Like all of Kellerman's books, it's a quick and satisfying read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC!  The book will be released on February 6th.

3. Interesting Facts About Space* by Emily Austin:  Enid is obsessed with space, true crime, and the persistent belief that she's a bad person.  Quirky and sad, but ultimately hopeful.

4. Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham:  Still reeling from the death of her best friend Eliza, Margot goes away to college only to meet an enigmatic young woman who draws Margot into her dangerous orbit.

5. Where You End by Abbot Kahler:  Kat wakes up from a coma with memories of her twin sister Jude and nothing else.  Jude promises to take care of Kat and help her regain her memories, but she has a reason for Kat to stay in the dark.

6. Margo's Got Money Troubles* by Rufi Thorpe:  After getting pregnant by her professor, Margo drops out of college to care for her son.  When she loses her waitressing job due to calling in too often and two of her roommates move out, she finds herself in a serious financial bind.  Enter two unlikely saviors: her estranged ex-wrestler father and OnlyFans.  By turns hilarious, hopeful, and heartbreaking, it's a fantastic read.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC!  The book officially comes out on June 11th.

7. The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean:  Detective Chelsey Calhoun is stunned when Ellie Black, who has been missing for two years, is found alive.  Ellie is strangely hesitant to share details of her captivity, but Chelsey is determined to get to the truth.  Pacy and shocking; the last fifty or so pages are wild.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!  The book officially comes out on May 7th.

8. One of the Good Guys* by Araminta Hall:  Cole is a self-proclaimed nice guy, living in an isolated cottage after his marriage ends.  Then two young women on a walk to raise awareness of gendered violence disappear, and I won't say anything else because this book is full of surprises that you deserve to discover yourself. 

9. Safe and Sound* by Laura McHugh:  Sisters Amelia and Kylee try to find out the truth behind the disappearance of their cousin Grace.  I've enjoyed all of this author's previous books, and this captivating novel was no exception.  In addition to being an engrossing mystery, it also has trenchant points to make about poverty and intergenerational trauma.  Bonus points for not being the typical "woman returns to hometown to investigate a crime"; the sisters stay in town!  

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!  The book officially comes out on April 23rd.


NONFICTION

1. Only Say Good Things by Crystal Hefner:  Hugh Hefner's much, MUCH younger widow talks about her time at the Playboy Mansion, both before and after she became Hugh's wife.  Spoiler alert: it mostly sucked and Hugh Hefner was a gross asshole.  It's pretty interesting, though.

2. Toxic: Women, Fame, and the Tabloid 2000s by Sarah Ditum:  An incisive analysis of tabloid culture in the early aughts, focusing on nine women (including Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan) who were especially targeted.


MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. We're New at This vol. 15 by Ren Kawahara


MOVIES

1. The Equalizer 3:  Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), now living in Italy, springs into action when local crime lords terrorize the residents of his small town.

2. Cobweb:  A lonely young boy with overprotective parents (Lizzy Kaplan and Antony Starr, only slightly less threatening in this role than Homelander) hears strange noises from behind his wall.  Decently creepy.

3. The Creator:  In the war against artificial intelligence, an ex-soldier (John David Washington) is tasked with tracking down the "Creator", who has made a child with the ability to end the war.  It looks absolutely stunning, but I never felt emotionally invested until the very end.

4.  Lift:  A thief (Kevin Hart) and his team are recruited by an Interpol agent to pull off a daring heist.

5. The Holdovers*:  A cranky prep school teacher (Paul Giamatti) is forced to stay on campus over the holidays to supervise the students who have nowhere else to go in this bittersweet, occasionally funny film.













Saturday, December 16, 2023

media update: December

Happy New Year!  Well, close enough.  This year was mostly good with the very notable exceptions of my MIL's bad fall, someone hit my parked car and didn't leave a note, and my dad temporarily going off the radar in Costa Rica and scaring the absolute shit out of us.

My wishes for 2024:  a well-paying WFH job and health and happiness for myself, my family, and my friends!  Manifesting like crazy and sending it out to the universe.

Asterisks denote something I particularly enjoyed or found especially worthy of my time; double asterisks are reserved for the creme de la creme.  As always, your mileage may vary.

When applicable, this page will be published as a work in progress and continually updated so I can provide timely feedback for advance reader copies.  Receiving an ARC does not affect my reviews in any way.

(Oh, and I can't figure out how to change the date of this post so...sorry)

FICTION

1. The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen:  A dark alternate version of The Nutcracker.  I've never seen the original (G is jealous, having been dragged to it numerous times as a kid), but I'm pretty sure it didn't include a flesh pit!

2. Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear:  Ellen's perfectly curated life begins to fall apart when she receives a threatening letter, and five bad deeds in her past point to the potential suspects.

3. In a Dark Mirror by Kat Davis:  When she was 12 years old, Maddie and her best friend Lana committed an awful crime, believing that doing so would please a supernatural figure they called Him.  After her release, Maddie tries to rebuild her life but discovers a message board where other people claim to have seen Him...and they're planning a crime of their own.  I thought it would be a mystery or thriller, but it's just straight up fiction.  I liked it fine, but I was expecting something a little different, which is probably on me.  A real corker of a final chapter, though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!  The book will be officially released on June 18th, 2024.

4. The Instruments of Darkness* by John Connolly:  When a woman is accused of murdering her little boy, lawyer Moxie Castin asks private investigator Charlie Parker for help.  Of course, because Charlie's involved, it means things are much more sinister than they seem.

I've been a huge fan of John Connolly's since randomly picking up Dark Hollow (still in my top ten favorite novels of all time), so I was super excited to be approved for this ARC.  Full of tension, fan favorites (I'll forever be ride or die for gay hitmen Angel and Louis and the gigantic but gentle---if they like you!---Fulci brothers), and moments of exquisite sorrow.  In my opinion, it's his best book in years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for the ARC!  The book will be officially released on May 7th, 2024.

5. Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver:  Two serial killers (think the Dexter kind, not the Ted Bundy kind) have a yearly competition to see who can take out a mutually agreed upon target first, and they wind up falling in love.  I couldn't wait to read it based on the premise, but it was disappointing.

2023 TOTAL: 51


NONFICTION

Nothing this month.

2023 TOTAL: 5


MANGA/GRAPHIC NOVELS

1. A Kiss That Stains the Innocence by Emu Soutome

2. Snow Fairy by Tomo Serizawa

3. Blood on the Tracks vol. 15 by Shuzo Oshimi

2023 TOTAL:  75 volumes of manga and 6 graphic novels


MOVIES

1. The Last Voyage of the Demeter:  The story of the doomed boat that accidentally brought Dracula to London.  Not as good as I was led to expect, but it was decent and I love Liam Cunningham (Ser Davos in Game of Thrones).

2. May December:  An actress (Natalie Portman) visits a notorious tabloid couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton), infamous for starting their relationship when she was in her thirties and he was 13, in preparation for starring in a movie about their lives.  I'm not sure how to categorize this; it had some funny moments, but it was the kind of laughter where you feel a bit queasy.  It's well done, and I expect Oscar nominations for the three leads.

3. The Blackening:  A group of friends meet up at a cabin in the woods for Juneteenth and find themselves in the crosshairs of a twisted killer.

4. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny:  The famous archeologist (Harrison Ford, of course) sets out to find a legendary dial that can turn back time.  I was going to give it a star until some last act goofiness, but it was a lot more fun than the bad reviews and poor box office led me to believe.  Go in with an open mind and you might enjoy it!

5. Prey:  Naru, a young Comanche woman, must protect her people from an alien predator.  Yes, THAT predator.

6. Priscilla:  A biopic of Priscilla Presley (Cailee Spaeny, who's fantastic), who was wooed (or, to be more precise, groomed) by Elvis Presley (Jacob Elordi) when she was only 14.  Directed by Sofia Coppola, so it's absolutely gorgeous to look at.

7. Barbie*:  The iconic doll (Margot Robbie) has an existential crisis and goes to the real world to find her purpose.  Despite its incredible box office success, I didn't think this movie could possibly work...yet somehow it did.  It's funny, the costumes and set design are great, the cast (which also includes Ryan Gosling as Ken) is terrific and I cried more than once.  Props to Mattel for allowing such a subversive, unapologetically feminist take on one of its most valuable properties.

8. Leave the World Behind:  A couple (Ethan Hawke and Julia Roberts) and their children rent a home for the weekend, only for the owner (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter to show up in the middle of the night claiming the country is under attack.  Gripping and tense, but the music is absolutely jarring...possibly intentionally so, but it really took me out of some scenes.

9. Saltburn*:  A college student (Barry Keoghan, who should get an Oscar nomination) with lofty goals tries to fit in with his very rich friend's family at the titular estate.  It took a bit of time to get its claws into me, but once it did, they were stuck until the very last frame.  A movie so psychologically dark you'll need a flashlight.

10. Morbius:  Dr. Michael Morbius tries to cure himself of a rare blood disease, but he accidentally turns himself into a vampire instead.  Only half a bottle of sangria made this dud even remotely tolerable.

11. Silent Night:  In this aptly named movie---there's hardly any dialogue and the main character never speaks---a man (Joel Kinnaman) sets out on a bloody rampage to avenge the death of his little boy.

12. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines:  A mediocre prequel to the Stephen King classic.

13. Murder Mystery 2:  Nick and Audrey Spitz (Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston) try to solve the kidnapping of their friend.  It was actually pretty funny, though that may have been the prosecco talking.

 2023 TOTAL: 87


















Sunday, December 10, 2023

best of 2023: animation

- Not all of these were first released in 2023, but that's when I first watched them.

- These are in random order, though I did make note of my favorite.

- We watched all of these on Netflix except for #1 and #5, which we watched on Crunchyroll.

-  All of these are anime except for #2, which is actually hanguk aeni (Korean).

- As always, your mileage may vary.


1. Chainsaw Man:  Denji is a broke young man whose best friend is a demon dog named Pochita.  When Denji is on the brink of death, Pochita fuses with his heart to save his life, meaning Denji can now transform into, you guessed it, Chainsaw Man!  He's recruited to fight devils using his new ability, leading to buckets of blood and gore.

2. Lookism:  A plain-looking high school student suddenly develops the ability to switch into a new, super hot body.

3. Darwin's Game:  Kaname Sudou gets an invitation to play a mobile game (no prizes for guessing its name!) that turns out to be an actual game of life or death.

4. Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead:  Akira Tendo is completely exhausted and on the brink of a nervous breakdown thanks to his job.  When a zombie outbreak ravages Tokyo, he's positively gleeful because it means he doesn't have to go to work anymore!  He resolves to take advantage of the situation and complete his bucket list.

5. Spy x Family:  Loid Folger is an elite spy who's ordered to build a family to serve as cover for his mission.  He adopts a little girl named Anya and marries an office worker named Yor, but he doesn't know that Yor is actually an assassin and Anya can read minds.

To be honest, the first two episodes didn't bowl us over, but we decided to stick with it, and we're glad we did!  It starts to find its groove in episode 3.  The characters are fun (especially Anya), the animation is beautiful, and it's delightful.  It's my favorite anime of the year.

Thursday, December 07, 2023

best of 2023: video games

- Not all of these were first released in 2023, but that's when I first played them.

- Because this list is so short, these are in preferential order.

- Some of these may be available on multiple platforms, but I played the first two on the PS4 and the last one on my Kindle Fire (Android OS).

- As always, your mileage may vary.


1. Yakuza: Like A Dragon:  Despite my overwhelming love for the Yakuza series, I was really skeptical about playing this when I heard it was an RPG.  I mean, sure, I have a couple of RPGs in my top twenty (Persona 4 and 5), but in general it's not my favorite type of game.  Besides, I figured why fix it if it ain't broke?  The Yakuza series is practically perfect, and who was this bushy-haired pretender to the throne that Kiryu Kazuma has rightfully held all this time?

Well, his name is Ichiban Kasuga, a friendly fellow who's just gotten out of prison after taking the fall for someone else.  He gets shot shortly after release, and a homeless man named Nanba patches him up.  Nanba will become your first party member, eventually joined by a group of absolute ride or die friends who will stop at nothing to help Ichiban uncover the truth.

Look, I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong (usually) (sometimes).  I didn't think I'd like this game as much as I did, but it's an absolute BLAST.  There's pathos, humor, fantastic side quests, exciting battles, cameos from fan favorites, and excellent voice acting (we played with the English dub). If you like the Yakuza formula, there's just no way you won't love the shit out of this.  

2. Lost Judgment:  Judgment is my favorite of the Yakuza games (well, it's a spin-off; if we're only counting proper Yakuza games, then Yakuza 0 is my favorite), so I was super excited to play the sequel.  Our favorite lawyer turned PI is back, along with his buddies, to investigate the absolutely brutal murder of a teacher.  The usual plaudits apply as above.  I didn't love it as much as its predecessor, largely because of some side stories I found tiresome (fortunately, G loved the mechanics involved and was happy to take over for those), but damn, it still ate practically every waking moment until the credits rolled.  The DLC, which includes new love interests (none of whom are sexy thief Sugiura, unfortunately), additional side stories, a hoverboard that makes traveling around the huge map much easier, and a meaty story-based campaign for Kaito, is a must.

3. Meow Tower:  I enjoy nonograms (grid-based puzzles where you fill in cells to reveal a hidden picture), so when I heard there was one with cute cats, I knew I had to download it.  After meeting the first cat, whose name was Momo (also the name of our little guy), I knew I'd love it...and I do!  I whomped through the first thousand plus puzzles in a matter of weeks, and I'm currently happily going through the new update.  An enjoyable way to pass the time and exercise your mind.






Tuesday, December 05, 2023

best of 2023: TV

A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2023, but that's when I first watched them.

- I haven't finished some of these series, but I've watched enough episodes to put them on this list.

- I posted where to watch them after the review.

- Anime will get its own post later. 

- These are in random order; I couldn't really pick a favorite!

- And as always, your mileage may vary.


1. Andor:  The backstory of Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the Rebel spy featured in Rogue One, which is in my opinion by far the best Star Wars film since the original trilogy.  It's done by the same people who did Rogue One, too, and it shows.  There are plenty of awesome special effects, fun action, and great set design, but it's the mature, thoughtful writing that really shines.  (Disney+)

2. The Bear:  A chef (Jeremy Allen White) named Carmy leaves the fine dining world to take over his family's restaurant after his brother's suicide.  I'm going to sound like a real sappy asshole here, but I had a hard time watching the first season, as great as it was, because I just felt so BAD for Carmy!  Things kept going wrong, his big blue eyes would well up, and my empathy gland got squeezed so hard it hurt.  Season 2 was more hopeful for the most part, and I was glad for the reprieve.  Fantastic writing---the dialogue is the most natural since The Wire---and terrific acting from the entire cast.  (Hulu)

3. The Last of Us:  Joel (Pedro Pascal) is a gruff man trying to get by in a world overrun by clickers, which are very fast, vicious humans mutated by cordyceps.  He's tasked with getting a miraculously immune young girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country so researchers can create a cure.  The two video games are in my top five of all time, so believe me when I say this is a damn near perfect adaptation.  (Max)

4. She-Hulk:  Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) accidentally gets exposed to Hulk blood and now must figure out how to balance her career as an attorney with her new identity as a gigantic green superhero.  I saw some clips and GIFs of this show and did NOT think I'd like it; boy, was I wrong!  Tatiana Maslany is great and it's funny as hell. (Disney+)

5. Bloodhounds:  A kindly moneylender recruits two boxers to take down a predatory loan shark in this exciting Korean drama. (Netflix)

6. Cobra Kai:  Johnny Lawrence, the bully from The Karate Kid, is down on his luck, so he decides to reopen the Cobra Kai dojo.  However, he finds himself facing opposition from Daniel LaRusso, his former (and now very successful) punching bag.  It's a lot of fun---watching Johnny try to cope with modern times is a blast---and I love that they managed to get William Zabka and Ralph Macchio (as well as some other characters I won't spoil) back too.  (Netflix)

7. The Devil's Plan:  In this clever and engrossing reality show, contestants (most of whom are Korean celebrities, though the only one I'd heard of was Seungkwan from the idol group Seventeen) face off in numerous games of strategy and skill over the course of a week.  (Netflix)

8. Reacher:  Jack Reacher, the hero of Lee Child's novels, is 6'5" and super muscular...so he was played by Tom Cruise in the movie.  Uh, okay?  Fortunately, the TV series rectified that error and cast Alan Ritchson, who more than adequately fills Reacher's very large shoes.  Reacher is an ex-soldier and drifter who goes to a small Georgia town in search of his brother.  He's falsely arrested for murder, and when he's released, he teams up with two cops to uncover a conspiracy.  Lots of great, bone crunching action, and whooo Reacher is fun to look at.  Plus he's very protective, and I would be lying if I said watching a huge handsome dude punch an animal abuser didn't give me a wetty.  (Amazon Prime)

9. Gen V:  A college for superheroes has dark secrets, and some of the students are determined to bring them to light.  It's a spin-off of The Boys, so you know what THAT means:  graphic sex, foul language, and enough gore to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  (Amazon Prime)

10. Squid Game: The Challenge:  This game show is based on the Korean drama that pretty much everyone watched in 2021, but fortunately nobody gets killed!  456 contestants start out, and as they're eliminated, money is added to the pot until one person is left with a $4.56 million prize.  Most of the games are based on ones from the original, but there are a few new twists too.  The finale airs tomorrow, so I'll be curious to see who wins!  (Netflix)




Sunday, December 03, 2023

best of 2023: movies

And now it's time for my favorite movies of 2023!  A few notes before I begin:

- Not all of these were first released in 2023, but that's when I watched them.

- These are in random order, though I did make note of my absolute favorite.

- G and I watch a LOT of movies, so if we watch something between now and the end of the year that belongs here, I'll update accordingly.

- And, as always, your mileage may vary.

EDIT:  On 12/22, I replaced Totally Killer with Saltburn.


1. The Menu:  A group of very wealthy people go to an exclusive restaurant on an isolated island, where they discover the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared an unusual experience.  A deliciously sly treat; try to know as little as possible going in.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:  The Guardians fight to save Rocket in the bittersweet final (allegedly) installment of the series.  Definitely the best GotG movie in my opinion, and the best Marvel movie in quite some time too.

3. Extraction 2:  A commando (Chris Hemsworth) embarks on a dangerous mission to rescue a gangster's family.  Super exciting, especially a one-shot sequence that lasts twenty minutes.  (I mean, I'm sure there was some camera trickery, but it wasn't obvious to a layperson, or at least this one.)

4. Four Lions:  A group of British Muslims decide to become suicide bombers...and would you believe this is a comedy?  A very dark one to be sure, but there are some really damn funny scenes in this; one involving an argument about a "bear" had me in hysterics.  Major caveat: we watched this on DVD and the only subtitles were in Spanish, which neither of us speak, so if you need subtitles due to hearing impairments or because you have a hard time understanding the accents, like us, you might find it tough going.  

5. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse:  In order to avoid spoilers, I don't want to go into plot details.  I'll just say it's an absolute visual feast and the most fun I've had watching a movie in a very long time.  It's definitely my favorite movie of the year!

6. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One:  Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), his team, and a thief (a charming Hayley Atwell) try to track down a key that could stop a rogue AI system.  Exceptionally entertaining, with lots of great action sequences.

7. M3GAN:  After gaining custody of her niece Cady, engineer Gemma (Allison Williams) creates a robotic friend for her that quickly gains sentience and is determined to protect Cady by any means necessary.  Campy fun.

8. Nimona:  Ballister Boldheart (voiced by Riz Ahmed) is about to be knighted when a tragedy occurs.  Wrongfully accused of the crime, he goes on the run and meets a curious new ally in the form of Nimona (voiced by Chloe Grace Moretz), a cheerfully anarchic shapeshifter.  The animation is serviceable but nothing special; however, the movie more than makes up for it with excellent queer rep, heart, and humor.

9. Triangle of Sadness:  Rich people on a luxury cruise have a very bad time in this deliciously pitch black comedy.  Warning:  absolutely not for emetophobes!

10. Saltburn:  A college student (Barry Keoghan, who should get an Oscar nomination) with lofty goals tries to fit in with his very rich friend's family at the titular estate.  It took a bit of time to get its claws into me, but once it did, they were stuck until the very last frame.  A movie so psychologically dark you'll need a flashlight.

MADE ME CRY (OR AT LEAST TEAR UP):  Ticket to Paradise; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; The Sea Beast; Clerks III; M3GAN; Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves; Avatar: The Way of Water; Creed III; Nimona; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3; Elemental; Totally Killer; Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse; Barbie

MADE ME SOB SO HARD THE CAT NUZZLED MY FACE IN CONSTERNATION:  The Whale

SEEN IN THE THEATER:  Nothing.  Honestly, with an excellent audio/video system at home and several streaming platforms at our disposal, I don't foresee going back to the theater any time soon.  The theater is too expensive, people are rude, and I can't pause for my pee breaks.