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!
• The American Society of Magical Negroes (Focus)
  The "magical negro" trope in movies and television never goes away. It just seems to get more subtle. Usually. A white character is facing a life challenge... and along comes a Black character to make everything better. They're a guide or mentor or mystical figure who magically appears so they can help white people get on the correct path while having little-to-no story of their own. They exist solely for the benefit of the white character. And now we get a movie which hilariously flips the script and gives them that story. They're The American Society of Magical Negroes, and they are literally magical. And they exist to diffuse white people in crisis so it doesn't spill over onto Black lives. It's quite the commentary on our society all while being entertaining at the same time. I wish it was a bit more focused and savage because it stumbles into parody when it should be fully in satire... but still wort a watch.
• 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!

The videos have been good again this week... because a Very Special all new, all video Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Infinitly Watchable! Looking for your next watch? Black Doves on Netflix. Two episodes in and I didn't want it to end. If you like crazy spy thrillers, this is the one...

Ben Wishaw is genius in everything. Sarah Lancashire is good in everything. And Keira Knightley... here she is a revelation. She doesn't often get roles like this, but she should. This is contender for my favorite shows of 2024. UPDATE: I should mention that if you are playing "The Little Drummer Boy Challenge," you will lose if you watch the beginning of Episode 04.

   
• New Skeletons! Star Wars doesn't have to be just one thing. They can tell lots of kinds of stories within that universe. So if you don't like the latest series, Skeleton Crew, fine. If you can't accept that they are making "Goonies in Space," fine. If it's not "Real Star Wars" without Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker to you, fine. But for the love of God... can people stop shitting all over those who ARE enjoying it for what it is? Hate away if that's what you want, but other opinions exist. And I'm happy to see that the tide is turning on Skeleton Crew now that more and more people have seen the debut episodes and loved them. This is a darn good show and really good Star Wars to boot...

Usually I hate shows with kids because they're written to be whiny, annoying, and unwatchable. This series is different. Great characters that just happen to be kids. Worth a look if you've got Disney+!

   
• All My Love! At 99, Dick Van Dyke is in amazingly good health. Just look at this...

He's also got more marbles rattling around in his head than I do. Incredible.

   
• Woodworking! I loathe ASMR videos (but you do you, if that's your jam). This wonderful demonstration of craftsmanship is what I consider to be the ultimate destress stimulation...

And that's not the end!

Wonderful. I wish I'd happen upon several million dollars so I can retire and do stuff like this all day long.

   
• SQUEEEEEEE! Michelle Yeoh is delicious in this role. I love the movie already.

Of course, she's delicious in every role, so there's that.

   
• Smarty-Bird! Holy shit. Meanwhile, humans are eating paste, thinking the world is flat, and becoming anti-vaxers...

I, for one, welcome our new crow overlords.

   
• Business Partners! Your Sunday dose of happy...

That there are still people who think this is any less valid a love story than any other is kinda sad.

   
Until next week's bullets then...

There may be nothing good on television, but there's always something good on YouTube... because a very special All Video edition of Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• It's a Great Day! Running across sweet surprises like this on YouTube makes my entire day...

He couldn't have had a better reaction than that.

   
• Sweep! Ah yes... two guys can't say they're gay on television and traumatize the nation, so back then they were "business partners"...

And their marriage is still going strong, which is more than I can say for straight marriages, half of which end in divorce.

   
• Frog Pond! I just watched a video that's over an hour long of a guy transforming his back yard into a nature reserve frog pond. It's not just the construction that I found fascinating, it's his documentation of the wildlife that came to live there. If you don't have that kind of time, here's a seconds-long short video of the transformation...

If you do have that kind of time, here you go...

If I had the land for it, this is exactly the kind of thing I would love to do.

   
• The Worst! It's the Buffy commentary I've been waiting for. If you're a fan of the show... AND DETEST XANDER TO YOUR VERY CORE... this is an interesting take. But it's more than just the justifiable Xander hate. There's a few comments about many aspects of the show that I was nodding my head in agreement with.

So much of this video is spot-on.

   
• Grand! The fact that a Grandmaster is so encouraging and kind in her game is very cool. As of this writing, there have been 2082 Grandmasters of chess (1833 still living). Of those, only 42 have been women (all currently living).

The idea that a Grandmaster could infiltrate a chess tournament and be unrecognized is kinda silly, but this was fun to watch... even if you don't enjoy chess. There's some interesting things at play here. First of all, his Blitz Rating is pretty close to hers (~2200 vs. 2283) but, if I understand correctly, his Standard Rating is lower (~2100 vs. 2413) but, even so, he's no slouch when it comes to chess and did well for himself.

   
• Hoffman! It's strange how Philip Seymour Hoffman often gets overlooked when it comes to incredibly talented actors. But he really shouldn't be. The guy was a phenomenal talent who could blend into most any role seamlessly...

Taken far too soon.

   
And now back to the finalé of my weekend. Boo hoo.

Blessed as I am, it's easy to find things to be thankful for.

But there's a lot of baggage that comes with this American Day of Thanks. Personally for sure, but also as a country. That's something that all too often gets overlooked and it really shouldn't.

This remains my favorite take on it all...

The two Addams Family movies are genius. I don't know why we never got a third with that incredible cast.

I have less than zero desire to see Wicked: Part One because I am not a fan of musicals. Sure there are some I've managed to enjoy (Xanadu and Grease to name two?) but they're just not for me.

That being said... the technical breakdown of this scene is incredible...

I will likely see the movie on streaming just for the sets (which are real, not CGI!) and production values.

I infamously passed on seeing Hamilton with the original cast (I know, I know) but caught that on streaming, so... yeah... I can do Wicked.

I was happy to see that there was a new Thomas Flight on Film video released today. This time it's about one of my favorite aspects to the art of filmmaking: cinematography.

My favorite cinematographer is Roger Deakins. There are not enough words to describe my joy and love of his work. He used to be my #2 pick (the guy is an absolute legend, and movies like The Shawshank Redemption, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, No Country for Old Men, and numerous others is why), but then the James Bond flick, Skyfall, was released and he jumped to my #1 spot...

AND THEN a miracle happened. Blade Runner 2049 came along, the most beautiful movie I've ever seen, and it made me wish I could move him higher than #1... maybe he's #0 now?

Blade Runner 2049 is simply mindblowing in its beauty. Every shot is like a work of art from start to finish...

And, yes, Deakins made Flight's list. How could he not?

If you're into film, the video is worth a watch...

I'm betting Deakins makes a lot of movie fans' lists.

Snowy weather may have kept me from working in the yard today, but it didn't keep me from blogging... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Garbage! Remember how I was chuffed to bits that I managed to get everything in my garage put away so I have a dry place to park this Winter? This past Wednesday I realized that I forgot to leave room for my garbage can. In the Spring and Summer months I keep it outside because the heat makes it smell and I don't have to worry about trudging through snow to get to it. But now is when it's far smarter to have it inside, so I had to spend an hour rearranging all my junk so it would fit. WHY, LORD? WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?!?

   
• More Hallmark Than Hallmark! I lost access to Hallmark Channel, so I haven't seen any new movies in a while. Which is a wild adjustment for me to be making considering how I watched every new movie they ever released. But I can still enjoy the parodies, and this couple has some that are better than most...

This one is even more hilarious...

It's funny. But entirely accurate.

   
• XXX! I hate having my time wasted. And an increasing cause of time being wasted are companies adopting technology, then abandoning it without shutting it down. I bought a new Whirlpool oven. There's a Photoregister service where you can take a photo of a code and text it to register your product. But even though my photo is perfectly legible, I get the error "Sorry, we were unable to read that. Please reply with the code on the bottom of the camera icon."

I blurred out the number at the end because I don't know if having my serial number out there causes problems, but you can see how crisp and perfectly clear the number is in the image by the first three numbers

So I scream then enter the code manually, double-check I have it right, AND GET THE SAME FUCKING ERROR. Jesus. How is this useless fucking technology helping your customers? Just give me a fucking QR code for manually registering to begin with.

   
• Buggy Bugs! iPhone: You've Got Mail! Except when I click it tells me I don’t. This happens CONSTANTLY. It has been reported as a bug for years...

And yet Apple, with their billions of dollars, refuses to allot resources to fix it.

   
• Doon Episode Two! The money that HBO must be dumping into Dune: Prophecy is astounding. This series looks better than most movies. Everything from the sets to the costumes to the incredible special effects... it's so very cool that they're making sure the show has the budget it deserves. It's like they can feel that this has the potential to be their next Game of Thrones and they're doing what they can to make it happen. The preview for Episode 03 has me seriously bemoaning that we're only getting six episodes...

I choose to look at it as a very long movie instead of a short season. Here's hoping that they reeeeeally stick the landing on this one so we get a second season.

   
• WELP! Apple's "Apple Intelligence" ad campaign has been about the stupidest thing I've ever seen. It's not a tool to help you be more productive... it's a badly-implemented crutch for people who are lazy morons! This sums it up nicely...

Maybe eventually AI will become something I give a shit about, but from what we've got right now I'm more embarrassed than impressed.

   
• Start with Garbage, End with Garbage! And, speaking of AI, I can't believe that Adobe has their Stock Images defaulting to AI-Generated images being ON by default. If I wanted an AI-generated image, I'd go to a fucking AI-art generating tool. I wouldn't go to a stock art website. God this company has turned into the absolute fucking WORST. I just accidentally bought an AI-generated image because I didn't see the little "AI" tag they don't add until you hover over it. Well, sorry, I don't support that bullshit personally, and I certainly don't tie it to my place of employment where people would rightfully bash them for stealing photos and art. Lord. If you're going to sell this shit, default to it being OFF... and make the damn disclaimer tag be permanent and not turning off and on based on where your mouse is...

This isn't rocket science. Any guesses as to whether or not my excluding AI will stick and be permanent?

   
Back to watching the snow fall on this very snowy day.