caught up on a lot of movies.  no time to devote full diatribes – so quick hitz!

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

Skywalker works because it wasn’t The Last Jedi.  You really screwed the pooch Rian Johnson.  Can’t blame J.J. for trying to right/write the ship when he was handed a mess and a mop and bucket, and had the impossible task of moving on with Princess Leia, when you don’t really have her.  Kudos to you J.J.  I knew this would work when early in the film they were like, hey Rose, wanna join us on this adventure, and she was like, sorry, I need to stay back and be thrown in character jail.  I literally cheered out loud when that happened.

When did servicing fans become a bad thing?  This is a continued trilogy of the original trilogy.  We want more of the same.  Save different fom the next non-Skywalker trilogy

Only REAL misfire?  Lando was underused and basically a waste.  Still, he’s one smooth muther fcuker!

Verdictgo: Jeepers Mos Def Worth A Peepers

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Hustlers

This movie is a piece of garbage.  You’d think a movie with endless beautiful actresses barely wearing anything, and riding on poles and crotches for almost two hours would be something watchable.  It’s not.  You count down the seconds until these ‘hustlers’ are caught and the credits roll.  Jo-L deserves a Razzie more than a nomination for any actual award of merit.  She’s a talented entertainer, but not even remotely a talented actress.  Cardi B was no better, but I will admit, I enjoyed seeing her Cardi DD ‘talents’ out on display.  Stay away and just read the original article it’s based on.  It’s enuff to get you off

Verdictgo: Slit Your Eyes Out Repoopulous

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Parasite (기생충)

If a foreign language movie can keep my attention and grab it (on home viewing) – it’s a success, and Parasite is way more than a success.  It’s like Us, but actually well done and meaningful.

Also, it’s two crazed movies within one.  The first half is a melancholy comedic grifter flick, and then when we go into the basement, it becomes a psychological horror show that’s real horrorshow!

Also, that house should get an award for best movie house!

Verdictgo: Breast In Show

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The Last Black Man in San Francisco

I love movies that are soulful postcards of cities.  My Winnipeg comes to mind as one of the best I’ve seen this century. Last Black Man in San Francisco isn’t the best, but it has soul, and the postcard is really damn pretty.  Plus, Emile Mosseri’s score is one of the best scores I’ve heard since Michael Nyman’s for Wonderland.  SCORE!

Verdictgo: Jeepers Mos Def Worth A Peepers

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Knives Out

Big stars and a whole lot of big nothing. I’m late to the game here but I don’t see what the big deal is.  Sure, we all like large group Agatha Christie whodunits, but this whodidn’t.  It wishes it was clever.  It wishes it was Clue.  It has a nice title treatment, and Ana de Armas is nice to look it.  The rest??? Blow me Rian Johnson.  Wait, blow yourself.  You can tell he had already been doing so with his ‘snappy’ and ‘witty’ script

Verdictgo: Whatever – it’s not Clue

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stay tuned.  more to pun

Uncut Gems
Sterling, Sharp
Official Site | Trailers & Mo
R | 134 min

This isn’t one of those Adam Sandler movies where he gets hit in the balls for laughs.  It’s the kind where he gets his balls stomped on. YOU GO SANDLER!!!  YOU GO GET YOUR BALLS STOMPED ON!!!  Why don’t you go to that balls stomped on place more often?  Maybe all Adam’s ever needed was to have them Safdie Bros turn his softie-self into the hardie he always needed to be.  Uncut Gems finds the Safdie’s picking up where they left off with their last feature – GoodTime – but ramp up the intensity and insanity a notch here + adding some unlikely excellent supporting work by Kevin Garnett, and even Mike Francesa(???!!!!). Fun, and wrenching throughout, but you may just be a bit too on edge by the time the insanity jumps of the cliff at the very end.  Balls to the wall Sandler!  Stomp on!

Verdictgo: Jeepers Mos Def Worth A Peepers

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A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Better Off Fred
Official Site | Trailers & Mo
PG | 109 min

See the MOS EGGSALAD doc Won’t You Be My Neighbor? instead – and pass on this movie altogether, which uses Mister Rogers and his show as a vehicle for a journalist’s journey of self-discovery and therapy for cleaning up his life.  The problem?  The journalist is sorta real, but his life story is wholly fictionalized, and not even that interesting to begin with.  Still, Hanks IS incredible and you MUSS see his performance, but wait til it hits Blockbuster Video, and just FFwd to all his WONDERFUL parts

Verdictgo: Sum Merit But No Stinkin Badgers

Gems gleams and Neighboorhood needs some new neighbors, currently at a theater near jews and white nationlists 

and until next thyme the balcony is clothed…

1933 – 2019