Wild Card

I like Jason Statham. And yes, I will watch him in most anything. I wonder if he is half as cool in real life as all the cool characters he plays. I think I did see one movie where he had to be uncool (angry) all the time that was pretty good. Anyway, this was supposed to be a character driven fight movie. And it was. There was a decent story. Lots of great actors. So, I enjoyed it. And I think, despite a few gratuitous minutes of seemingly pointless photography here and there, others might enjoy it too: If you like Jason Statham, or a decent script or any of the characters who have little bits. Nope, not an island movie.

Trolls

Yup, I watched this movie. And I am glad I did. I like animated movies. I like (some)(many?) kids movies. And Anna Kendrick was the lead. What's not to like? It wasn't as full of songs (or at least it didn't feel as full of songs) as some other kids animated films. The story was passable. Glad I watched it! Would I watch it again? If bribed, possibly. Not an island movie

Mississippi Grind

I enjoyed this movie. It was a combination road movie, buddy movie and gambling movie. Starring Ryan Reynolds and some Australian actor who did an awesome midwest accent. There were a couple other people in it as well, most notably Sienna Miller, who I haven't seen nearly enough of yet. I am glad I saw this and would happily watch it again. Twice might be my limit, though, so no island for this movie.

half nelson

By the same people that did Mississippi Grind. Which I watched before this one. I like Ryan Gosling, generally. In this movie I thought his character was a little hard to like. Good story, good acting, good movie.

Maggie's Plan

Cute. That is the best I can say about this movie. Ok, not the best. Personally, I am not a huge Ethan Hawke fan. I like him sometimes and not so much other times. The lead was new to me and I thought she did well. I thought Julianne Moore's accent was distracting and didn't add much, if anything, to the movie. For a weird Rom/Com it was dandy. Glad I saw it, enjoyed it and would only watch it again if someone really, really, really wanted me to watch it with them. Note the three "really's."

Ghost in the Shell

Scarjo! Need I say more? Perfect role for her as she acts a little robotically. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to see anything she does. This was a science fiction story based on a Japanese Anime I have never seen. It was a bit disjointed and inconsistent feeling. The action was pretty good, but there are lots of movies with better. The story wasn't all that compelling in my view. Ok but not great. No island for this movie either. But I would watch it again with someone who was excited to see it.

Hello, My Name is Doris

Sally Fields hams it up good (well) in this coming of age story - coming of age at around 60. This movie hit uncomfortably close to home. The lead took care of her mom her whole life. Her mom was a bit of a hoarder (not the worst I have heard about, worse than my mom, a bit). And when her mom dies, Doris is left a little up in the air - having not really developed much of a life of her own for the past forty years or so. There are a few good moments in the film. Probably not enough to justify a second watching. No island movie here. Still, glad I saw it. Despite the bit of extra heartache I had when watching the movie.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

I really enjoyed this movie. And I would like to see it again. Island movie? Doubtful, but close. I love costume dramas. I love romantic comedies. I like action films. So, what was there not to like about this movie? Not a whole lot. And I won't try to dig anything up. I enjoyed all of the leads. The costumes were great. The action was fun. And the take on Zombies was pretty straight forward. Very true to what I recall from Jane Austen's book. I may actually watch this again one day if I can find someone willing to watch it with me.

Blood of Heroes

How the heck did I get this movie? I do like post apocalytic sorts of stories generally...This one had some good bits. I loved how they kept time during the matches - some person throwing stones at a metal thing. The fight scenes were ok. The story was ok. But it just felt off somehow. Glad I watched it. Happy I won't have to watch it again. No island for you!

The Newsroom

I really like Aaron Sorkin's work. Really. Truly. I wouldn't lie about something like that...I have seen most of the shows that I know he has been associated. And almost all of each of those. I guess I need to find Sports Night and watch it completely to round out my Sorkin experience. Anyway, I had heard about this show and really wanted to watch it. Not enough to fork out money for HBO, but badly enough. Then a friend, Mary, mentioned watching an episode. Since I was on my library Video kick, I decided to see if the show was available. Lo and behold, it was! Huzzuh! Three Seasons. Which I watched in truly bingeful fashion. Great stuff. I liked the actors, I liked the stories. I liked the long arc of the whole series. I would, if someone wanted to watch them with me, watch the series again. There were a few irskome bits here and there - nothing too terrible - an actor who wasn't my favorite, a few Sorkin-esque signature bits of dialogue here and there, but nothing to turn me off. I have become a huge Olivia Munn fan - and need to go to IMDB and farm her profile for movies. So, would it make it to the island? Probably not - Studio 60 is more likely than The Newsroom - but it would definitely make it to the boat.

Warrior

Ended up on the list for some reason. Good cast. Sadly it was a fighting film. With a bit more attempt at story than just the fighting. I couldn't, though, figure out who to root for. Which might have been the point of the movie. I don't know. I do know that this movie won't be making it onto the island. But if you like fighting movies - or any of the lead actors, it wouldn't make a bad watch.

Kong: Skull Island

I so wanted to like this movie. I didn't hate it - it was just not very good. The special effects were decent. I liked a bunch of the actors. But the script wasn't all that great. Oh well. Worth a watch if you like Kong, but others need not bother.

A Most Wanted Man

This move looked more exciting in the previews. It was very slow paced. Enjoyable, well crafted, good acting - Philip Seymour Hoffman was great - Rachel McAdams didn't detract. If you like spy movies and don't mind the pacing, you just might want to add this movie to your list of movies to watch when you get around to it.

Wrath of the Titans

Of all the movies I have watched very recently (in the past few days) this was the best. Definitely not great, but at least it had a little bit of a plot. And good special effects. It had a lot of decent actors in it - like Liam again - and Rosamund Pike who made a dandy Andromeda. All in all, glad I watched it, though will most likely never watch it again. So, no island for you.

Heist

Again, not a great movie. A couple of interesting plot twists. It felt like everyone was phoning it in. Not a lot of passion. And a bunch of lame stuff as well. But it kept my interest, which is a good thing. If you like the lead, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, then you might really like this film. I can't recall anything that he has been in, so...Oh, he is in The Walking Dead, which I have never seen. I am waiting until it is over before watching it. Definitely not an island movie, but not a terrible thing to watch.

Run All Night

Having just watched I am Wrath, I appreciate this movie so much more. Very similar ideas for films. Tough guy's family is in danger, so tough guy takes all the bad guys out (sorry for the spoiler). Don't get me wrong, I didn't think this was a great movie by any stretch of the imagination. It was decent at best. But way better than I am Wrath. This is a good watch for Liam fans - or people who like the whole lone badass tears up a lot of other badass wannabes.

I am Wrath

Wow, what an awful movie. I can't really think of one redeeming feature. John Travolta, not good. Rebecca DeMornay - always good but was only in the movie for about 10 minutes. The buddy was one of the cops from Law and Order. The script was terrible. The action was not very exciting. The humor was on again off again. My goodness, I would hope I would be able to create something better with this with whatever budget they had. Please, believe the lack of stars on IMDB (Average is under six - it ought to be under 4...). This movie is something I can never unsee.

Being There

I hadn't seen this movie in a long while - probably since it first came out. I remembered it vaguely. And the ending always perplexed me a little. It still does. I thought Peter Sellers did a great job with the role. And the movie as a whole was pretty smoothly done. Shirley MacLaine was a little (ok a lot) over the top. Other than that, the acting was good. I am glad that I re-saw this after all these years. And if anyone has some thoughts on the ending, please let me know.

Rules Don't Apply

I think the reason I rented this in the first place was because of Lily Collins. Though I didn't recognize her as I watched the movie. I know, I might have EOAD. Well, not too early, since I am in my latish 50s. I also rented it because of Warren Beatty, for whom I have had a soft spot since Bonnie and Clyde. And I love period pieces - and the time frame for this movie was the late 50s, early 60s. All in all, I enjoyed the movie. Great cast. Enjoyable script, good cinematography. It wasn't perfect, but it was good. Nope, not an island movie. Someday, my ship will come in...

The Runaways

I think I rented this because of Dakota Fanning. Maybe it was because it was about Joan Jett. I don't know. In any case, it was an interesting, enjoyable film. I love films that show the 70s, since I grew up at that time. Hmm, I wonder how old Joan Jett is. Ah, 3 years older than I am. Cool. If you like rock movies. If you like movies with music. If you like either of the leads - Kristen Stewart (who is not my favorite) or Dakota Fanning, this is a good film for you to watch. Or if you like movies set in the 70s. Still not a desert island movie...

A conspiracy of kings

The fourth book in The Thief series. This one focuses on a character from the first book who was alluded to in the other two books. This one catches us up on what happened in Sounis and then brings the Sounis arc to a conclusion. There is one more book, that I know of, that I have requested from the library system. Hopefully this one will tie up the last loose end. I wonder who the focus of the book will be. I think the books have improved as they have gone along. Definitely happy to have fond this series. If anyone wants to suggest other series(es?) for me to read, yay!

Scrappy Little Nobody

Anna Kendrick's book about her self - I can't really call it a Memoir since she isn't all that old. Or an autobiography. I am not sure what to call it. Anyway, I went through a phase of having a huge crush on her. Went through IMDB and rented a lot of movies that she had been in. Bought a couple of the Pitch Perfect movies. Yup. I was besotted. Ok, not besotted - mildly obsessed. Or are those the same thing? In any case, though I still like her, I am over the crush. As for the book, I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining it was. She seemed pretty candid. Which is good. Definitely someone I would have a beer with. If you aren't a fan, though, I don't know that you oguht to run out and buy the book. Oh, I didn't buy it either, I borrowed it from the library! Yay libraries!

Moana

I laughed, I cried, I probably wouldn't buy the t-shirt. The latest (I think) Disney animated movie musical thingy about Pacific Islanders was darn good. Well worth a watch on Netflix before Disney starts charging people a bazillion dollars a month to access their stuff online. Even though it is good and it is about islands, if I only get five movies, this one doesn't make it.

The Office (British)(Original)

I have now watched all of the Office episodes from both the UK and the US. To me, it was interesting to see the similarities and the dissimilarities between the two shows. It kind of felt to me like the first four seasons on the US version were basically a retelling of the first 12 episodes of the UK version, plus a little more. Very glad to have seen them. Not island material, though.

The King of Attolia

Warning - this is a book review

I finished The Queen of Attolia at about 1 in the morning I think. I liked the book so much, I started reading the second. And didn't stop until I have finished. At six in the morning! Sigh. Very good. Even better in some ways than the first and second books. And there is a fourth book! Huzzuh!

The Queen of Attolia

Warning, this is a book review!

This was the follow-up to The Thief. Personally, I think it is even better than the first book. Follows the same main characters and starts off with a bang and then follows that with a huge twist. Good stuff. The third book is The King of Attolia.

The Thief

Warning, this is a book review!

I got a link to a list of three Fantasy Authors and their books that purported to be good, though not heard of by a lot of people. I tried to find them in my local library and have only been successful (so far) in finding this series by Megan Whalen Turner. I am glad I did - though I have lost a bit of sleep because of it. I read the first one in a day. The story had some good twists and turns, interesting characters, interesting world. Good for fantasy readers of course. Or even sword and sorcery readers. It actually reminded me just a little of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser a teeny bit - in a good way. The second book is The Queen of Attolia.

Sicario

Good cast. Good script. Well filmed. A little bit of over acting here and there, true, but that can be said of most movies. A little depressing. Still not an island keeper.

Slipstream

So close to being a good movie. Ok, really, not that close. The script had a few good ideas - maybe a few too many good ideas. And a great cast! But it felt like it was done on a shoestring budget. And it looks like it was done in the 70s when it was actually done in the late 80s. Wow. Glad I saw it. And would recommend it to anyone who is really devoted to science fiction or to any of the actors in the film. Everyone else, um, no. Guess what, no island for you, Slipstream.

Entourage (The Movie)

I saw a few episodes of Entourage on TV for some reason. Traveling, I think. And the places I stayed had whatever cable channel it was on. I enjoyed them. Enough so that when I saw that there was a movie, I added it to my list. This movie was good fun. Lots of eye candy for everyone. A simple plot that is easy to follow (and mostly predict). Likeable cast and lots and lots and lots of cameos. I thought at least 20 that I recognized. Though there were undoubtedly lots more. If you are interested in some fairly brainless, feel good movie watching, I would recommend this movie. If you don't like Hollywood, probably not a good film for you. And no, it isn't an island movie for me.

The Marc Pease Experience

Wow, unless you love one of the leads (or even a second lead) do not see this movie. I am not a Ben Stiller Fan. Nor a Jason Schwartzman fan. I am, though, a fan of Anna Kendrick. At one point, I was on a huge Anna Kendrick kick. I even thought of buying her book. Oh, I will see if it is in the library. I wonder if there is an audio book with her reading it. Hmm. Anyway, that is why this movie made it onto my list. Anna. Kendrick. Anna Kendrick. BTW, my crush has dissipated quite a bit at this point. She really wasn't in the movie that much. It is supposed to be another coming of age/doofus becomes redeemed sort of movie. And I guess it was. But only barely. Really, stay away. No wonder it wasn't in the library system. Definitely not an island movie. (Though Perfect Pitch might be...)

Jimmy's Hall

I was going to write that this would be a good movie to watch soon after watching The Wind that Shakes the Barley as they are both Irish and have to do with the Irish Civil strife in the 20s and 30s. Turns out that they were done by the same team! I liked this movie a bit better - though it wasn't also wasn't a feel good movie. But I don't want to give out spoilers. Another movie set in Ireland, this time in the 30s with flashbacks to the 20s. Good cast and good production. Worth a watch. Still not going to make it to the island, though.

Paper Towns

Must have been a "preview movie" (a movie that I decided to add to my list because I saw a preview). Regardless, it was a pleasant film - a coming of age sort of film. Gee, that seems to be a popular genre. Or maybe it is just popular with me. Hmm. Anyway, decent acting, decent story. And I relearned something: paper towns are fake towns that map makers put on their maps to help them know if their maps have been copied illegally. What a cool idea. (There was an interesting use of that idea on Doctor Who.) All in all, a decent watch! Still not an island movie. Maybe a peninsula movie?

The movie showed an odd behavior in my VCR. It played all of the trailers and then when it was supposed to show the screen where one can choose to play the movie or look at other stuff on the disk, the tv was blank. I popped it out twice since I thought it was a bad disk. Then the third time, just for giggles, I tried hitting play and the movie played. Weird?

The Office (American)

I just finished watching all 9 seasons of The Office (American Version). I am sure that it doesn't compare to The Office (British Original Version) because, come on, Ricky Gervais is a genius. Steve Carrell is good and everything. As is the rest of the cast. Having not (yet) watched TOBOV, I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the first three seasons of TOAV are pretty similar in tone and uncomfortableness to it's British Counterpart. After that, the tone shifts a little bit (or a lot) and the show became more about finding everyone's sparks of humanity inside their caricatures. And there is the whole Pam and Jim love story angle. Anyway, I am glad I watched it! Not quite desert island material, but definitely on the boat!

Just found out that Netflix has The Office (British). Yay! My next binge is destermined!

Jeeves and Wooster

For some reason, I have been calling it Wooster and Jeeves. Anyway, again, my pea brain can't recall where I first heard about this show - based on books by PG Wodehouse. But I added it to my Netflix list - and then, when I had the epiphany about the Library System and movie borrowing, I looked for it there - and lo, there appeared the complete series! Huzzuh!

This show was great fun. I feel like saying "What Ho!" to everyone I meet now. It was a bit formulaic, but one expects that of Sit-Com like series. Hugh Laurie was great as the vapid aristocrat. I never did figure out just who he was. Maybe a royal of some kind? Steven Frye was great as the valet with the brain of gold (to mix a metaphor). The series got a little ridiculous towards the end. I guess this means I might need to read the books. Sigh.

Also, it is a period piece - so people who like costume dramas or the 20s will enjoy it. Pip Pip.

Not quite a desert island selection, but it might make it into the life boat...

The Bronze

Melissa Rauch, Bernadette on Big Bang Theory, stars in this film. I was pleasantly surprised overall. A little raunchier than I had thought it would be. Still, mostly sticks to the anti-hero becomes heroic story line. Worth a few minutes of your time if that sort of movie appeals. Or is Melissa does. Not nearly a desert island movie, though.

Laid in America

I have no idea why I watched this movie. It was terrible. Bad script, bad acting. Just plain bad. Sigh. Please, save yourselves! Don't watch this movie. I must have been in a severely altered state to decide to add this movie to my movie list. Ptooey. I kept hoping it would redeem itself somehow and it didn't. Not in the least. Wow. Stinky-poo. Definitely not a desert island movie!!

The Wind that Shakes the Barley

I do like historical dramas. And this one was no exception. Though at times the Irish accents were a bit difficult to decipher, I liked the characters I could understand. It is certainly not a "feel good" movie. If you like history, especially Irish history, you will probably enjoy this movie. Not a desert island movie for me, though.