Die Hard with a Vengeance

Third time's the charm? I liked Samuel Jackson in this. And some of the bit about the gold and how clever the bad guys were. John Maclane bugged me a bit. And he was a bit too super hero here and there - surviving the leap from the bridge to the ship for instance. I don't know. I did enjoy it overall. The first is still the best, but this is second. I still have one more to go. Yippee?

I chose this Italian DVD cover because it was the only one which had Samuel L. Jackson on it.

Die Harder

The second one. Wow, this one was completely forgettable. The inside of the airport luggage moving stuff was cool. And that was about it. Also, the guy who was in Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blues (Dennis Franz - did he stop making things?) had a decent roll as the head of Airport security. Snow, airport, good guys gone bad. Just not that great. But yes, I did have a little fun watching it. Guilty pleasure?

Die Hard

Yes, I broke down and bought the collection of Die Hard movies. I had fond memories of them. I am watching them in order. The first is still the best in many ways. Best Villain, best plot, best comedic lines, best pathos. A little slower than I remembered in place, but still worth a watch. I might just add this to my list of Christmas movies to watch each year. We'll see.

Allied

I remember seeing trailers for this. Brad Pitt looked really young in the movie. Isn't he like my age? I just looked, he is two years younger. Why do I keep forgetting that? Anyway, there are some good bits about this movie. First, it is a historical drama - set in WWII - a period that I always am interested in exploring. Perhaps because my parents lived through it and there were a lot of movies and TV shows about it as I was growing up. Hogan's Heroes anyone? Second, I do like Brad Pitt. He is like my generation's Robert Redford, don't you think? And third, it looked like it had something of an interesting plot. I was surprised by the graphical-ish sex scenes! Brad Pitt is a spy and falls in love with another spy who might be a German agent! Eeeek! If you like any of the above reasons, this is a decent movie to see! I saw it on Amazon Prime!

Cooties

A sort of Zombie movie starring Elijah Wood and Rainn Wilson. Fun but not great movie. And ends weirdly, I think - the world has ended apparently but our heroes drive off in the stoner van...Anyway, worth a watch if you are an Elijah Wood or Rainn Wilson fan.

Byzantium

I did not know what this movie was going to be having forgotten the trailer which made me think to add it to my list. It turned out to be a Vampire movie and a decent one at that. Two Vampires, mother and daughter, are doing their best to survive for 200+ years. Fun stuff, interesting rake on Vampires and overall and interesting movie. Not for everyone, but fans of the genre should like it ok. Or if you like any of the main actors.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

I never read TMNT as a kid. They were in my brain somehow, maybe because I saw ads for their cartoon on Saturdays? Anyway, I saw the earlier movie and enjoyed it, so thought I would try this one as well. It was fun. TMNT save New York and the world. With the help of Megan Fox who seemed to play a parody of herself. I would recommend this for anyone who likes them, likes super hero movies or enjoys action films.

Fireflies in the Garden

I will watch anything with Ryan Reynolds in it. I mean, I even watched a few episodes of Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. (Full disclsure, I had the name almost completely wrong...) (Who the heck is Richard Ruccolo?) This had a pretty good cast in addition to him. Family drama surrounding Reynold's and the relationship with his abusive father. I am not going to give away the ending, though I felt that it was not a good one. Overall, I enjoyed it, though.

The Driftless Area

This is a movie that I saw on Trailers and decided to get from Netflix. It stars Anton Yelchin, who ran himself over (how weird is that). I liked him. And Zooey Deschanel - who is still alive and who I still like. It is a weird movie about a woman who dies in an arsonist's fire and the boy who loves her (after she is dead) and does his best to avenge her. Overall, quirky and enjoyable.

Advantageous

I added this movie to my list a longish time ago and never watched it. So I finally pulled the trigger. I had added it because the graphic was intriguing - a woman with all sorts of fiber optic looking cables coming out of her head. Turns out it was a sort of dystopian story of a future where there isn't enough work to go around (sound familiar) and people, especially women, have to do everything they can to keep their jobs or to get a job. Some good thought provoking ideas here. If you are a fan of dystopian science fiction, this would be a good movie for you.

The Steps

This was supposed to be a feel good movie. And I guess it was in the end. Dad has gotten remarried and the kids are not thrilled. They are invited to a weekend at the new lake house that the couple has purchased to meet the whole family. Turns out that Dad has turned over a new leaf thanks to new mom and is trying to love everyone, including adopting a Chinese waif. Hilarity ensues. Ok, not so much hilarity. Jason Ritter plays the son and is part of the reason I decided to watch the film. The whole thing just felt forced to me. As if it were trying too hard. Only watch this if you are really, really, really bored or are a die hard fan of any of the actors.

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

I decided to watch Rogue Nation again because I enjoyed it the first time I saw it. I can’t recall if I saw it in a movie theatre or I rented it. Hmm. Anyway, despite Tom Cruise, I thought this was a fun entry in the Mission Impossible Universe. I was a huge fan of the show when it was on TV. And the movies done by TC although not really MI enough generally, do have high production values. One reason I like this entry is because ther is more Simon Pegg. Yay Simon Pegg!

Dear Eleanor

I guess that I saw this movie as a trailer on some other movie and decided it was cute enough to put on my list. Which it was. Barely. The story of two teens who take a road trip to meet Eleanor Rosevelt in 1962. Lots of adventures, no tragedies. A bit on the silly and light side, but fun.

Justice League

I saw this movie the same Weekend that I saw Thor: Ragnorok. Which left Justice League a little wanting. Still, it wasn't bad. I like Ben Affleck's older Batman. And I can never get enough of Gal Gadot doing anything. Amy Adams, always a favorite, does a nice little turn as well. Earth is threatened, Superman is dead, so Batman decides to get some other super heroes together to try to stop the threat. The humor wasn't as good as in Thor. Nor were the fight scenes all that great. Good, but not great is my overall evaluation.

Thor: Ragnorok

The latest offering from the Marvel Universe according to Disney. This was fairly light hearted, despite all the death and destruction. Most people don't realize that the Hulk has a lighter side. Anyway, Thor has to save the universe from his older sister, played well by Cate Blanchett. Loki returns which is always a good thing. I thought it was a good mixture of tongue in cheek humor and rocking action. Fun stuff, especially if you like Super Hero movies!

The Muse - Book

The second of three books that Alice gave me to read. This is by the same author as The Miniaturist. Also good. Completely different from the other book. This one has two time lines - one in the Thirties and one in the 60s. Both are well drawn and interesting. And there was a twist that I didn't think anyone would see coming (is that too much of a spoiler?). Anyway, if you like novels, historical novels, novels about Art and Creativity, then this might be a good read for you. I certainly enjoyed it!