Last movie you watched......

Moonstruck. Mrs W and I realized that we both had never seen it. Utterly charming.

 

Just happened to catch "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" on television yesterday. (Sorry, I'm well behind on not-so-current events.)

The longer it went, the less I saw Tom Hanks and the more I saw Fred Rogers, unlike say, "Saving Mister Banks," where I just never bought into Walt Disney.

It's not a parody or caricature, and he fleshes out the man who really understood the importance of children and giving them a moral compass. It's fascinating to think about the slow, methodical pace of "Neighborhood" compared to the almost frenetic, in-your-face "Sesame Street" -- both reaching the same target audience but in very different ways.

I know it's loosely based on the Esquire article, and the transformation of Lloyd Vogel from cynic to softie was telegraphed right from the wedding brawl, Rhys conveyed it with enough conviction that it really didn't quite hit the sappy button. And it made me do a lot of Google searching about the original magazine piece, the relationship between Tom Junod and Fred Rogers, and why the program was so relatable to generations of kids.

Yeah, I took my own minute of silence to think about how I've gotten here. (And dang, I want to replay that scene in the restaurant where the original Neighborhood gang stops eating!)

And I'd pay to watch Chris Cooper eat spaghetti. I've loved him in everything from October Sky to The Bourne Identity. He nails a supporting role that makes you feel sorry for the guy, despite the fact that he's been an ass to his son and daughter his entire life.

 

"Beavis & Butt-Head Do The Universe."
A worthy sequel.

 

Jurassic whatever. Could've been worse. But not good.

 

Went and saw "Top Gun: Maverick" again, and liked it even better the second time around. Caught a couple of things I'd somehow missed the first time, and was struck even more by the emotions of the movie this time. Highly recommend it as just a good day at the movies.

 

Just watched it with my 14 year old and it was really good. Not quite sure why they needed wingmen given the mission but it wasn’t exactly a plausible movie before that.

 

Elvis. Pretty good. Tom Hanks was meh as Colonel Tom Parker, but Austin Butler was excellent as The King. And I’ve got Suspicious Minds stuck in my head now.

 

Butler will have a major role in the Dune sequel.

 

He was really good as Elvis. The movie was long, probably 2 1/2 hours, and Butler kept my attention the entire time.

 

Collateral. Hadn't seen it in years and years. Still really holds up: sleek, exciting, well-cast and surprisingly funny at times.

 

The Marksman. On a scale of one to five bodies I give it 2 1/2 bodies. Neeson is losing his touch.

 

You’re caught in a trap.