A couple weeks ago, I started blogging 4-5 posts ahead, scheduling everything in advance to post at 7:00am each morning. The reason I did this was because I had a work project I was trying to finish, and knew I might have to skip a day or two here and there. I care like that.

On the 27th of February I re-scheduled the post that was due to publish so I could recognize Gene Hackman dying, and my blog apparently did not like this. My post never published. No subsequent posts published. Everything was broken somehow.

Now, over a week later, I finally had the time to re-install WordPress, copy my database from backup, and verify that everything is working again.

Except I lost all the posts I wrote in advance, because they weren't in the backup I had.

Lovely.

Rather than going back and trying to remember what I was talking about in those posts, I decided to just start over again from today.

By recognizing the passing of Gene Hackman.

The guy is one of my all-time favorite actors. I had likely seen him before he played Lex Luthor in Superman: The Movie (probably in The Poseidon Adventure) but it was his Lex Luthor that made me remember his name...

He was absolutely brilliant in the role. Menacing but not overly-scary for a comic book villain. His delivery of his every line was crafted to push his character forward, and I loved him for it. In the sequel he was no longer the main villain, but managed to steal absolutely every scene he was in.

But that was true for most all his movies. He was so compelling an actor that playing opposite him was a daunting prospect. You knew you were getting eclipsed.

The first headlining role I recall him having was in Hoosiers, which I've seen a ridiculous number of times because it's such a great movie and he's great in it. But the film that made me most appreciate his flexibility is the Kevin Costner classic No Way Out. He has a critical, but relatively small role that cemented him as one of my all-time favorite actors. From there he just kept rolling through all these memorable roles where he killed it every time... Unforgiven, The Firm, Wyatt Earp, and Crimson Tide.

And then came the back-to-back brilliance of his finest comedic works... Get Shorty and The Birdcage. He played a lot of villains, but his comedy chops never faltered (the movie Heartbreakers, which isn't a great film, had his most hysterical role).

Mr. Hackman's final film was Welcome to Mooseport from 20 years ago, which I didn't care for... but before that he worked with one of my heroes, director Wes Anderson, on The Royal Tenenbaums and had a great part in the very good adaptation of John Grisham's Runaway Jury. Not a bad way to end a prestigious career.

When it comes to actors, Gene Hackman will very much be missed. Rest in Peace, sir.

It's a rainy post-vacation weekend, but we're all good... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Jack is Back! God how I love Reacher. The third season just started on Amazon Prime. Alan Ritchson was born to play the part. And the fact that Amazon.com Prime Video puts the money into adapting the stories, and casting good actors, and making it look like a million bucks... well... the show is perfect. If you like action serials, you need to be checking it out...

I am beyond elated that they've already renewed the show for a fourth season. I really wish that they would shoot two series back-to-back each year and get them backlogged so we could get as many of the books shot as possible before Ritchson wants to reture from such a punishing role. Heaven only knows that Amazon can afford it. They're blowing a billion dollars on the gut-wrenchingly awful prequel series to Lord of the Rings travesty.

   
• Short Round! If you don't adore Ke Huy Quan and find joy in his renewed success after watching this, then I don't know what to say to you...

The guy just released a new movie and has four more coming up, so I guess everybody does adore him.

   
• LIES! If you know me, you know I LOVE a good advertisement. This one featuring the main three characters from The Californians (Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, andFred Armisen) from SNL is absolutely perfect...

But it gets better... the leading comment on the video is "STOP SPREADING LIES SNL! The PCH is closed at Santa Monica due to the fires. Stuart would need to take the 5 to the 405 to the 101 then exit Kanan to reconnect to the PCH to get to Point Dume where this is filmed. WUUUUHT ERRRRR YOUUUUU DOOOING?" — Priceless. I still think the Betty White appearance at the SNL 40th Anniversary is my favorite The Californians sketches with its stacked cameos...

How awesome would it be if this was an actual limited series? Peacock needs to make it happen.

   
• Death to Pennies! President Trump has been doing a lot of heinous shit (I mean, my God), but amongst all that he said we're going to stop making pennies, which is something that should have happened over a decade ago, so okay then...

Here's CGP Grey's original video from 13 years ago on the subject, which brought me onboard killing the penny...

Now if he can do away with changing the fucking clocks twice a year and either make Daylight Saving Time permanent or, ideally, split the difference and have us Spring Forward or Fall Back a half hour... that would be great.

   
• Good Bye Miss Yvonne! Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for her role as "Miss Yvonne" on Pee-Wee's Playhouse and "Bonnie" on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died...

My favorite thing she's done, however, is this hilarious guest appearance on SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie's series Go-Go Boy Interrupted...

Rest in Peace... you made us laugh, and that's a gift that will never pass.

   
• Carr Ride! Look, I know that Jimmy Carr is highly problematic. That's his entire brand. You know what you're getting into when you tune in because he's never not offensive to somebody. He works hard to be offensive! That being said, the guy is a brilliant comedian if you get what he's trying to do. His latest "Heckle Amnesty" video is amazing...

What gets me is that Jimmy isn't just finding comedy at the expense others... he goes out of his way to find comedy at the expense of himself. Which is why I find him funny. No, I don't think he's as talented as people who are able to find comedy without punching down on anybody at all (Nate Bargatze is the current king in my book). But this kid is doing alright...

I gotta say... with all the punching down on the trans community by comedians, it's refreshing to find those doing the work to be inclusive. This is what laughing with a person instead of at a person looks like. Yeah, he struggles a bit to get those jokes formed because it's a new situation for him... but he's trying his best to adapt without bigotry and, to me, it seems as though he's succeeding.

   
• TransAmerican! I am trying my best to take a seat and renew my efforts to listen to what marginalized communities are facing day-to-day. I have a couple trans friends who mean a lot to me, so I've been subscribing to some trans video channels to help me to understand their lives better. In the Year of Our Lord 2025 in these United States of America, I don't get why people who contribute to society, pay their taxes, and live their life the best they can with the cards they were dealt, are actively persecuted just for existing. A lot of lies and misinformation gets peddled against trans persons, and it makes no sense to me. I guess sending unwarranted hate to others makes a good distraction to keep people from looking at what you're doing? I dunno. In any event, this is a good video to watch if you're wondering what a small group of your fellow Americans are dealing with right now...

I wish I understood how we got to where we're at.

   
Onwards and upwards...

I detest watching shows on ad-laden HBO Max.

Because I know I'm going to have to endure those shitty "HAVE A LITTLE FUN!" Volkswagen ads over and over and over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. This is clearly HBO ripping off Volkswagen by saying "GIVE US LOTS OF MONEY BECAUSE WE DISPLAYED YOUR AD A MILLION TIMES LAST NIGHT!" without telling Volkswagen that those million ads were served to only 50 people. I have nothing against Volkswagen, per se. But the way HBO abuses their advertising has me on the verge of HATING Volkswagen.

I'd walk into one of their dealerships, hear that song in my head, then walk right back out the door.

The movie I am watching... again... is Taking Chance.

Years ago it was mentioned as a good film to watch so as to understand why Dover Air Force Base should be open to the media to cover fallen soldiers returning home. And so I watched it. I was not prepared. I don't think you ever could be prepared to watch it. But it's such an important film that's so beautifully crafted that I think everybody should watch it...

I make a point to see it every couple years when I want to be more emotionally devastated than I already am.

Which is most days, lately.

Finally. FINALLY... after twenty years of attempts to bring the Fantastic Four to film... the actual Fantastic Four from the comics is landing. The Thing finally looks like The Thing. The core concept of the book that is based on a CLOSE FAMILY who are EXPLORERS that go on INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES together has been embraced. And having their story begin on an alternate earth from the 1960's which will differentiate the movie from all the other super-hero movies is absolute genius..

H.E.R.B.I.E.!

THE FANTASTICAR!

THE BAXTER BUILDING!

GALACTUS!

And how flawless is that casting?

Wait... I take it back... The Incredibles was a brilliant adaptation of The Fantastic Four. By far the most accurate, even though it wasn't actually The Fantastic Four. Yet they managed to capture who The Fantastic Four are better than any of the movies with the name did.

The marketing is phenomenal...

My mind is reeling over how the team will be brought to the Marvel Cinematic Universe proper. Will their earth be eaten by Galactus but they're able to cross over to the MCU to try and save our earth from Galactus? Who knows! But I'm dying to find out!

Awww, man. In many ways, David Lynch is a genius who cannot be touched. Between Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, and even Dune... WHICH I ARGUE WAS A FANTASTIC ADAPTATION FOR THE DAY... I admire his work so much, and was sad to hear that he had died.

YouTube is not letting me embed an awesome video where David Lynch is talking about the time he met George Lucas because Lucas wanted him to direct Return of the Jedi. But it's awesome so I am giving you the link right here. Everything I love about David Lynch is encapsulated in this story. You MUST watch it. Even if you're not a fan and don't understand his work. Especially then, because it will explain why so many people are fans of his, and how it translates to what he does.

Rest in Peace, sir.

I'm just a boy. Standing in front of the blogosphere. Asking it to love him... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Well Hello Hello! YouTube's algorithm has found me some really cool content over the years. But sometimes it comes too late. This small channel of blacksmithing videos was being shut down. The two guys who created it could never seem to get any traction, as they were continuously buried by the algorithm. But then? YouTube promoted their final video. And it finally took off. They ballooned to 15,000 subscribers, and a lot of people who would have watched had they only known about it, commented as such. And so here they are... coming back...

Kinda a happy ending for everybody. I hope they can keep growing their channel. If you want to take a look, it's pretty cool.

   
• Future Dutch! So there I was taking a phone call after putting my television on pause. Eventually the Google screensaver engaged, and I came very close to saying WHAT THE BLADE RUNNER ALTERNATE FUTURE IS THIS SHIT?! And noted that the title of the photo included "Vinkeveen" from the Netherlands. So I looked it up and Google Maps and, sure enough...

© Google Maps

© Google Maps

© Google Maps

That is very cool, isn't it?

   
• Oh, Grand! Just a reminder to everybody who hasn't already used a VPN to watch the new Wallace & Gromit movie on the BBC (they've had it since Christmas)... Netflix finally got off their asses and has it available for streaming in the USA. I'll be watching it again just to show Netflix that this is the kind of awesome content I want to see... not another pile of shit that Zack Snyder crapped out his ass...

The movie is just amazingly well-done and well worth your valuable time.

   
• The Prologue and the Promise! I recently watched a video on the history of Walt Disney World's Epcot. That lead me to a video on one of the earliest pavilions in Future World called Horizons. I always thought it was a bit shit to two times I visited before they closed, but there was a giant mural inside that I loved. Never really knew who painted it until I watched this video. Apparently some genius at Disney thought to hire renowned futurist painter and celebrated "space" artist Robert McCall to create it. And it is stunning...

© Disney and McCall Studios

© Disney and McCall Studios

You can read more about this amazing work (plus see many others) on the artist's website here.

   
• Mixbox! WELP! Looks like somebody finally solved the thing I hate most about painting digitally... pigments never work as they should. Programs like Photoshop and Procreate use an additive model which turns everything into a muddy mess. But now a company has come up with a model which simulates actual pigments. This is incredible...

I hope that the Mixbox technology is added to mainstream apps very soon now... it's amazing to me that it's taken this long to get here.

   
• IT'S THE FOG! The Mystery Government Fog is out to get us! DEFEAT THE FOG 2025! (here's a link in case TikTok is being a dick).

FINALLY! The threat of alien spores is being taken seriously by the health care community! Thanks, Dr. Eric!

   
• Unsurprised! My grievances against PayPal are well documented. They stole money from me. They said that a customer didn't get merchandise I sold to them and reversed the money. I provided USPS tracking showing the delivery. I provided an email from the customer saying that they received their order and that they didn't receive a refund. PayPal didn't give a single fucking shit. They kept the money. And since they are not governed by banking regulations, there's NOTHING I CAN DO ABOUT IT. After pestering them for months, they simply stopped responding. So I closed down the Artificial Duck store and was done. I never made a single dollar profit on the shop, sold everything at cost and exact shipping, and did it for the fun of it all. There's no way I could continue and take a loss because payments are revoked over a total lie.

And now it comes out that these heinous fucking assholes at PayPal are just as bad as we knew they were. They've been fucking over their advertisers and their customers with their "Honey" service. Get a load of this...

Nothing would make me happier than PayPal being sued out of existence and shut down. But that will never happen. They get protection from shitty fucking laws that our government creates because our government is too busy sucking Big Business dicks to give a shit about protecting the citizens that elect them. Welcome to the hellscape that it The United States of America.

   
Alrighty then. Until next Sunday then!

And here we go... my annual wrap-up of my favorite films of the year! Or, to be more accurate, my favorite films that I actually saw. Which has been hampered severely by my unwillingness to go to the theater. The experience is absolute shit in a day-and-age where people are inconsiderate assholes, and I am just not doing it. And so I am stuck to streaming services where I sometimes miss movies because I rotate through all of them rather than paying the stupid prices they charge. Oh well. Still love movies though.

THE TWELVE BEST...
These are my favorite movies from this year that I managed to see.

#1 Dune: Part Two (Legendary/Warner Bros.)
If Villeneuve's Dune: Part One was a masterpiece, then Dune: Part Two is whatever word is beyond a "masterpiece." It's the grand payoff that the first film sets up, and every second of it looks stunning. Based on one of my favorite novels of all time, the second installment continues the story of Paul Atreides as he forges ahead towards becoming the Fremen messiah. Once again his enemies are all around, headed by the evil Harkonnens and the Emperor himself. While Villeneuve made a few choices I didn't care for (Thufir Hawat was short-changed in the first film... and he was nowhere to be found in this one?) but the vast majority of his approach to the material is interesting and flawlessly executed. Especially when you consider how rich, dense, and impossible to adapt the book is. Overall a stunning cinematic achievement that's my favorite movie of 2024... and has me anticipating Villeneuve's finale to the trilogy with Dune Messiah when he gets around to it.

#2 The Fall Guy (Universal)
Well, well, well, color me shocked. An old TV show turned into a film that doesn't suck? Will wonders never cease. And not only does the film not suck, it's actually very darn good. Ryan Gosling playing stunt man Colt Seavers knocks it out of the park yet again in a story that has a perfect blend of action, twists, mystery, and humor to make it a great watch from beginning to end. Add in Emily Blunt, Hannah Waddingham, and a few surprises and, well, it's unapologetically my #2 film of 2024.

#3 The Wild Robot (Dreamworks)
Chris Sanders created my favorite Disney film of all time, Lilo & Stitch... plus had his hand in loads of other classics like Aladdin, The Lion King, and How to Train Your Dragon. It should come as absolutely no surprise that his take on a beloved children's book would be aces... and it is. Beyond gorgeous in execution, every frame is a work of art, and the story unfolds in a way that is the very definition of "heartwarming." The film was so well-received that a sequel is already in the works, and I can't wait to see it.

#4 The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (Starz/Amazon)
Inspired by Winston Churchill's declassified files, Guy Richie unleashes his cinematic genius in WWII a film that doesn't reach his past heights, but was still entirely great and worth my valuable time. Henry Cavill and Alan Ritchson lead a team that excels at stylized violence with a comedic edge. And if you love nothing more than watching Nazis getting slaughtered by the hundreds while witty banter ensues, this is your film.

#5 The Beekeeper (MGM)
After wasting away in The Expendables, The Meg, and Fast & Furious franchises, Jason Statham is finally back in true form for the first time I can think of since 2016's The Mechanic sequel. And it's a glorious action-revenge flick that has some of the best Statham action beats I've seen in a long time. A former "Beekeeper"... one of a mysterious group of assassins with government ties... Statham is out for blood after his landlord is scammed out of charity money and commits suicide. It's a fantastic ride which features... Jeremy Irons? And is one of my favorite flicks of 2024.

#6 Deadpool & Wolverine (Marvel Studios)
I've watched the first two Deadpool films more times than I'd ever admit because they're just so hilariously entertaining. The third film was sure to be a slam-dunk for me, but didn't really live up to my lofty expectations. Not because I'm tired of the character or think the film was bad, but because the franchise swerved from where it seemed to be heading. Wolverine was great fun and handled well... and the action was great, but the whole diversion into the multiverse of Deadpools was boring Fortunately there was a slew of awesome guest appearances and Emma Corrin's deliciously wicked Cassandra Nova to make it all worthwhile.

#7 Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)
This is what it looks like when somebody takes their time to make sure a project is perfect before starting in as opposed to throwing something together just because you want to release something. A sequel to The Wrong Trousers, infamous criminal Feathers McGraw is back to wreck vengeance on our favorite clay duo for ruining his plans to steal The Blue Diamond and getting him jailed. Hilarity ensues. This is a stunningly beautiful animated feature which uses traditional clay-based characters and physical sets instead of CGI. Really hope that Aardman is not done with the characters yet, because this was gold from start to finish.

#8 Nowhere Special (Lucky Red)
A 2020 film that didn't make it to the USA (or streaming) until 2024, this is a slow, methodical character piece that will destroy you with its exceptional performances. Inspired by a true story(!), a window washer in Ireland finds out he doesn't have long to live and tries to find a home for his young son who's his entire world. And while James Norton adds a depth to his character which is remarkable to watch... it's Daniel Lamont as the kid that will crush you. The majority of the time I find child actors insufferable with their artificial delivery and stiff presentation, but when you get a child actor who just... works... it's gold. Do not go in expecting anything more than a touching observation on love and letting go, and you'll be rewarded. That's all the film is.

#9 Robot Dreams (B-Team/Wild Bunch)
To be honest, this could have easily gone in my #1 spot. It is an amazing film with an emotional core so devastating that it's more than a little hard to wrap your head around. What helps is the simple animation style for a simple story that has something much, much deeper going on beneath the surface, because it's relatable in a very human way. Which is ironic considering it's about animals and robots. That it manages to communicate so much with no dialogue is just icing on the cake.

#10 Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (Warner Bros.)
Despite the fact that I was pissed off Charlize Theron was not reprising her amazing turn as the titular character, I tuned in because the critical acclaim was too good to ignore. Turns out it was justified. While not as good as the first film, the prequel has an awful lot going for it, providing back-story for a character that needed to be told. Action-packed with brilliant performances by Anya Taylor-Joy and an unhinged Chris Hemsworth, I'm pretty bummed that it wasn't a much bigger success because I want to see more of George Miller's post-apocalyptic saga.

#11 Alien: Romulus (20th Century)
The Alien movies started with the mind-blowing space-horror original from Ridley Scott that seemed impossible to follow. Then James Cameron said "hold my beer" and proceeded to take things in a fresh direction while honoring every frame of the original. From there it's been a futile series of attempts at continuing the franchise which have moments of brilliance mired in stories that were ultimately forgettable. Fortunately, the curse has been broken with Romulus, which is slick, stylish, scary, and smartly told. No, it's not perfect (resurrecting deceased actors will never feel right), but it's got enough going for it that I was happy to have a new Alien movie.

#12 Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (Netflix)
Yeah, I know. This is just another retread of an old movie that is banking on nostalgia in order to sell the entire movie. But here's the thing. It works. Eddie Murphy is back as Axel Foley and everything else is secondary. While not the fresh take on the character you'd hope for, it's still funny in the right ways.

HONORABLE MENTION

• Conclave (Focus)
  Ralph Fiennes gives us one of his best performances out of a slew of great performances in this story of the internal Catholic politics behind how a new Pope gets elected. You'd think that a movie like this wouldn't have many surprises, but you'd be wrong. There's a twist which hits you upside the head in a good way. As if that wasn't enough, it's gorgeously filmed and has terrific visuals which keep things interesting.
• Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros.)
  It's a love letter to a beloved actor whose most famous role is still revered as the best possible representation of Superman.
• Fly Me To The Moon (Apple/Columbia)
  Given the absurd number of people who think that humans didn't go to the moon when the evidence is overwhelming, a movie like this should be mocking them from start to finish. Instead it takes a more subtle tact with a fictional account of people who were challenged with faking the moon landing in case it failed. The editing could have been much tigter, but overall I enjoyed the movie and all the actors bringing it to life.
• Longlegs (Neon)
  It probably helps that I'm a massive Nicholas Cage fan, but the entire cast was delicious to watch in this atmospheric horror film.
• Ghostbusters Frozen Empire (Sony Pictures Releasing)
  The previous installment, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, dipped heavy into nostalgia because it was the only way to move forward after the death of Harold Ramis. The real test was the film after that. And here we are with Frozen Empire. I enjoyed it, but felt it really didn't know where to go. It lacks the comedy the franchise was built on and meandered through characters without any real commitment to doing anything interesting with them. Even so, it was still Ghostbusters and had enough story to make me like it. If they do another one, I seriously hope that they come up with more than that.
• Spaceman (Netflix)
  I'm not sure why this film resonated with me. Adam Sandler's performance was fine. The story was good. The cinematography was interesting. The special effects were serviceable. But too much of it was a slog that didn't really go anywhere overly interesting, which is a real blow to anything science-fiction-related.
• Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
  Corruption and injustice are on full display in this suspenseful thriller with action beats that don't let up. But the real star are the stars, which aren't phoning in anything, but giving their all to every scene.
• Argylle (Apple/Universal)
  Okay. It went on too long, needed to consolidate two of the final sequences into one (and made it far less stupid), plus not sacrifice clarity for surprises... but I ultimately liked it! Big dumb fun!
• Hit Man (Netflix)
  This Glen Powell vehicle was sure to have an ending so obvious that I almost didn't watch. And indeed you do get that ending... at an hour in. Then the movie snowballs to the real ending which, I gotta say, was not what I expected. With a tighter script this could have been a great movie instead of a good movie. As it is, there are parts that drag so badly that you have to wonder how it got greenlit in this state. They really, really needed to take another pass on the story to make it more exciting in those dead zones which try to sabotage it.
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony Pictures Releasing)
  What can I say? It's more of the nonsensical same. You either like the movies because you can remove critical thinking and enjoy them for what they are... or you can't.
• Will & Harper (Netflix)
  Will Ferrell and his longtime friend Harper Steele hit the road after Steele comes out as a trans woman. Interesting and full of heart, this is a feel-good "documentary" which feels staged and sanitized at every step, but is still an important story to be told.
• Role Play (Amazon MGM)
  Look, all these movies trying to be the next Mr. & Mrs. Smith inevitably fail because they just can't be as interesting as that film was at that moment in time. But there are films that are still entertaining despite it all. Role Play is not a great film. But it doesn't aspire to be. It's just a fun flick where a woman has a secret life as an assassin which her husband and kids no nothing... and her secrets come back to haunt her in a predictable, but still entertaining way.

DISAPPOINTING

• Borderlands (Lionsgate)
  After the brilliant hob that Amazon did with Fallout, I was primed for a killer videogame adaptation that featured the excellent Borderlands series. And once the cast was revealed, my expectations were through the roof. Alas, the movie was a complete mess and made me wish that they hadn't bothered. Everybody involved would have been better off putting their time into something that was worth their talents.
• Trap (Warner Bros.)
  M. Night Shyamalan is truly a mixed bag. Sometimes you get brilliant films with amazing twists. Sometimes you get a pile of shit. And sometimes a movie lands somewhere in-between. Like this one. The concept of a serial killer getting trapped at a concert in lockdown is good. The cast is mostly good. The music is very good. But the way it's all put together is stupid and sloppy. Especially in the final act, which needed a few more passes to nail down. Shyamalan cast his daughter as pop star "Lady Raven" and she has no trouble pulling off the musical performances, but struggles to hit the acting beats the role demands of her.

WORST

• Madame Webb (Sony)
  It's like Sony is determined to exploit its license for Spider-Man-adjacent films using characters that nobody outside comic book gives a shit about... then saddling them to truly awful stories... just for kicks. Because it certainly isn't for money. And this is the worst so far (which is saying a lot considering Morbius was the previous installment). Gut-wrenchingly awful and nonsensical, I can't figure out how this was ever greenlit. Hopefully between Morbius, this, and Kraven all tanking we're finally done with Sony's shitty movies that do nothing but contribute to super-hero fatigue.
• Atlas (Netflix)
  Artificial Intelligence gone bad and a big robot. What more could you ask for? Well, a good script would be nice. Or, at the bare minimum, a story that has something new to say. I went in blind only knowing that Jennifer Lopez and Simu Liu, two actors I like, were in it. I wish I had avoided it instead.
• Uglies (Netflix)
  I am told that the book is pretty good. I wouldn't know. What I do know is that this movie was an absolute shitshow. Nothing makes sense. And I do mean nothing. The entire time it was playing I was trying to understand what the logic was behind any of it. I never got there.
• Rebel Moon: Part 2 (Netflix)
  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP GIVING ZACK SNYDER MONEY TO MAKE THESE SHITTY FUCKING FILMS! I ended up fast-forwarding through half of this mess because it was inexplicably even worse than Part 1. Where do you go after gut-wrenchingly fucking awful? Here's your answer.
• Unfrosted (Netflix)
  Long, boring, unfunny, and a waste of the talent involved. I think that everybody just did this as a favor to Jerry Seinfeld, even though he was doing them no favors with this crap material.
• Megalopolis (Lionsgate)
  I was ready to defend Francis Ford Coppola against the criticism for this film. Surely people were just not understanding his genius! And then I saw it. What in the hell was he thinking? This was a pretentious embarrassment that was supposed to explore the fall of Rome as projected on modern New York... but then injects some magical time-altering bullshit for deus ex machina taken to entirely new levels.

DIDN'T SEE, MIGHT HAVE MADE MY LIST

• Straume (Flow) (Janus)
  I don't recall ever putting a movie on my list that was released the previous year, but I didn't get to see it until the current year. Sounds like something I'd do if the movie was amazing enough. Based on the trailers and word-of-mouth, this may be one of those films. I am dying to see it, and will no doubt buy it the minute it gets released to home video.
• Nickel Boys (Amazon/MGM)
  Inspired by actual events around a place that really existed, two young Black men are sent to a heinously abusive reform school. Their story, which originated in a critically-lauded book of the same name, unfolds as one of injustice and tragedy. And it's an important story to be told.
• Better Man (Paramount)
  I have no idea what to make of the trailer that documents the life and times of Robbie Williams, but it certainly looks intriguing.
• Piece By Piece (Focus)
  What may be an even more intriguing concept for a documentary of a popular musician may be this one... the life and times of Pharrell Williams AS TOLD IN LEGO FORM! Something I absolutely want to see.
• Nosferatu (Focus)
  A remake of the 1922 classic that's been getting rave reviews. And has Willem Dafoe.
• Saturday Night (Sony Pictures Releasing)
  A comedy and drama about the debut of Saturday Night Live back in 1975, which has GOT to be a good story.
• Gladiator II (Paramount)
  The first film was a fantastic revenge story that was as riveting as it gets. And it had a conclusion that didn't need a sequel. Probably doesn't want a sequel. But we got one and I'm sure Ridley Scott made it a spectacle to behold.
• Heretic (A24)
  Hugh Grant is a criminally under-appreciated actor. Sure he's famous, but I really don't think he gets the credit he's due. From the sound of things, he is getting raves for his performance as a real asshole villain, which I have no doubt is worth a watch.
• Moana 2 (Disney)
  I loved the first film. Not only does it have a compelling story that's beautifully rendered... but it also has great characters and incredible music (Shiny is probably my favorite Disney movie song of all time). The fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda is absent from the sequel has diminished my hopes a bit, but I'm still excited to see it.
• Shirley (Netflix)
  Regina King plays Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress who subsequently ran for president. This was released alllll the way back in March, but I only discovered it recently when I ran across a Regina King interview where it was mentioned.

DIDN'T SEE, MOST CERTAINLY SHIT

• Kraven The Hunter (Sony)
  I was almost willing to give this film the benefit of doubt... even after Morbius and Madame Web turned out to be shit. But then the reviews dropped and it's like NOPE! Just more of the same idiotic shit that Sony is crapping out with characters nobody cares about outside of comic book nerds who will demand a faithful adaptation. Which this is apparently not.
• Joker: Folie a Deux (Warner Bros.)
  I didn't watch the first film because the trailer and reviews made it sound like it wasn't the least bit faithful to the character. It got good reviews and made major bank even so. Then the sequel dropped and was trashed so utterly thoroughly that I was relieved I clearly wasn't missing anything.

Ho Ho Ho! Christmas may be around the corner, but the gift that keeps on giving is here, because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Not so flat as we were lead to believe! NEWSFLASH: Flat Earthers realize 'they are wrong' after traveling to Antarctica to prove the Earth isn’t round in hilarious footage. And yet it won't move the needle much (if at all) because flerfers are so accustomed to ignoring painfully obvious empirical evidence in order for their deranged worldview to work that they'll just come up with even more deranged ideas to explain it. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

   
• Selfish Cow! I laughed way too long at this...

But can you blame me?

   
• Swap! The SNL tradition that never disappoints...

   
• Sad Milk! NEWSFLASH: Infectious Bird Flu Can Linger in Refrigerated Raw Milk for 5 Days. I wish I understood the whole raw milk movement. It makes zero sense to me. And the fact that people are getting really fucked up (or dead) after drinking it, yet people are still drinking it? That makes even less than zero sense.

If only those who developed the first Disney units could see where Imagineers are now.

   
• Cravin' No More Kraven! The latest super-hero movie fiasco, Kraven The Hunter, is struggling to make $30 million on its likely $120+ million budget. And that's =chef's kiss= because it probably needs at least $250 million to break even. Between this abomination, Madame Web, and Morbius, you have to ask yourself if our Sony Pictures Spider-nightmare is finally over. Lord I hope so. We're already at peak super-hero movie fatigue, we don't need complete shit like this making it worse. Why doesn't Sony sell their Spider-rights back to Marvel Studios and just stop with this nonsense. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... PLEASE STOP!!!

   
• Data Broken! I finally went with one of those data-finder services to scrub as much personal information about me from the Internet as possible. Every time they send a new report, I'm dumbfounded at the number of places I've been popping up. These data brokers are absolute parasites that should shut down. No wonder I get shitloads of spam and spam texts... there's companies working overtime to make it happen. If you want to take a look at the service I picked, DeleteMe, here's my link for 20% off. If you don't want my link, that's okay... you can visit the site without it here.

   
Only one more set of bullets left in 2024.

Today is my mom's birthday. Between this and Mother's Day, it's the worst two days of the year for me. Thankfully, my cats were being entitled little shits this morning, so I was well-distracted from thinking about what crap it is that mom would have turned 80 years old today had she not passed six years ago.

Something else that helped distract me from reality? The teaser trailer for Superman dropped today!

I just want the comic books.

I don't want some crappy dark "interpretation" of Superman. I just want comic book Superman on the big screen. There's so much amazing material to draw from. Take the best bits from all of the iterations. Give us All-Star Superman in an amazing story with plenty of action and some heart.

That's it. That's all I need.

All the comic-bookey stuff that makes the character so great is what the movie should be about. Like the first two Richard Donner Superman films managed to do.

But at this point with the mess that the "Snyderverse" became, I don't even care about the story so much as being able to geek out over having a movie that honors the source material and has cool stuff from the comics. But since it's James Gunn, I know we're getting both cool comic book stuff and a good story. I mean, he took frickin' Guardians of the Galaxy and made it compelling to all audiences! I have confidence he'll do the same with Superman.

I mean... just LOOK at what we're getting! Guy Gardner (complete with his horrible haircut)! Mr. Terrific! Hawkgirl! AND KRYPTO!?! ZOMG! That's just beyond my expectations...

Copyright ©2024 DC Comics / Warner Bros.

Copyright ©2024 DC Comics / Warner Bros.

Copyright ©2024 DC Comics / Warner Bros.

It's frickin' Krypto! He's got the cape and everything? Isn't that just the absolute best?

And is that Metamorpho in there too? Plus amazing action and a Lex Luthor that actually looks menacing? THIS IS ALL I EVER WANTED! No joke... the first three times I watched the trailer it was pretty hard to hold it together.

This is looking like the best Superman movie since Superman II from 1981. NINETEEN EIGHTY-ONE! Everything that followed was pretty much crap... including Bryan Singer's Superman Returns (with the exception of that ONE SCENE with Martha Kent waiting outside the hospital to find out if her son is dead in a crowd of people like she's nobody)... and most definitely the Zack Snyder crap which was gut-wrenchingly awful (and that really hurt because Henry Cavill was an amazing choice).

Bring on the Justice League! The REAL Justice League!

Today Giant Freakin' Robot released a video today titled How A 90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Was Kneecapped By The Matrix and I immediately knew they were going to drag out Dark City because A) The plots of the movies have similarities, B) The Matrix came out just a year later, C) The Matrix shot on some of the same sets, and D) Because of A-C, a lot of people have lumped them together so they could comment on how The Matrix was so much more successful.

I remember when I saw Dark City very well. A friend and I were in Seattle for some kind of morning event and went over the night before. We wanted to kill time after dinner so we went to a theater nearby and just picked the most interesting movie. Which happened to be Dark City. We knew nothing about it and neither of us had even saw a trailer.

Needless to say, it was a mind-blowing experience.

This is one mind-blowing film.

So of course I had to watch it for the hundredth time tonight. Just as good as it ever was. That ending reveal they came up with is pretty epic.

And here's the video I was talking about...

I've heard more than a couple times over the decades that they were planning on a sequel or television series or something new to do with Dark City. The last time was back in 2021 when director Alex Proyas said a series was in development (and said he hopes that Kiefer Sutherland will return for it). Not sure where they can go with a sequel after what happened, but I'd absolutely tune in to find out!