Monthly Archives: April 2019

Stuff not from my 2018 goals

Included here, this time, are movies found in my 2018 favorites list.

TV

Hadn’t seen before:

  • Daredevil (season 3)
  • Iron Fist (season 2)
  • Luke Cage (season 2)

Had seen before:

  • Angel (seasons 1 – 4)
  • Arrested Development (seasons 1 – 4)

Daredevil was just as compelling as the first two seasons.  Iron Fist was a marked improvement over season 1.  Luke Cage was not as great.  I don’t mind its cancellation, but I would have liked to see more Iron Fist and especially Daredevil.

As I mentioned elsewhere, in 2018 I showed Buffy the Vampire Slayer to my daughter (and occasionally my sons) for the first time.  I was going to skip Angel, but she wanted the full experience (and Angel is pretty good), so I bought the DVDs and we watched them intermixed with Buffy.

I rewatched Arrested Development in anticipation of season 5.  I enjoyed the recut episodes of season 4 more than the originals.  Seasons 1 – 3 remain the best.

Movies:

Hadn’t seen before:

  • Adam Sandler: 100% Fresh
  • Batman: Gotham by Gaslight
  • Batman Ninja
  • Daddy’s Home 2
  • The Death of Superman
  • The Hitman’s Bodyguard
  • Ingrid Goes West
  • Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
  • The LEGO Ninjago Movie
  • Logan Lucky
  • Magic Mike
  • A Quiet Place
  • Saludos Amigos
  • Se7en
  • The Spy Who Dumped Me
  • Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay
  • The Three Caballeros

Had seen before:

  • Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub Zero
  • Deadpool
  • The Hunger Games
  • The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
  • The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2
  • X-Men
  • X2: X-Men United
  • X-Men: The Last Stand
  • X-Men Origins: Wolverine
  • X-Men: First Class

With a few exceptions (Funny People, Bedtime Stories, Grown Ups) I haven’t seen any of Adam Sandler’s movies that have come out since 2005.  Somewhere around that time his films just stopped looking like something I wanted to watch (of course I still love “classic” Adam Sandler films like Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, etc.).  I decided to check out his new stand-up special, 100% Fresh, on Netflix.  It took 15 or 20 minutes to get going for me, but after that it was just hilarious.  The Chris Farley tribute song was very touching.

Of the new DC animated films that came out in 2018, I enjoyed Batman Ninja and The Death of Superman the most.  I’m usually a sucker for any Superman movie that isn’t Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, or Superman IV (though, faced with only those choices, I would pick Superman IV to watch any day of the week).  I want to watch Reign of the Supermen, but for some reason Netflix doesn’t have the disc, so I’ll have to wait for a potential Black Friday sale.

I saw Ingrid Goes West because I like Aubrey Plaza.  I also saw it described somewhere as a modern The Cable Guy.  I prefer the latter, but the former was a good one-time view.

I had heard about Se7en before, and finally decided to watch it one night on Netflix.  It was somewhat disturbing.

Continuing to watch movies with my daughter for the first time, we watched The Hunger Games series and began X-Men, since she loves Patrick Stewart so much after watching Star Trek: The Next Generation.  We’re both looking forward to seeing Dark Phoenix this summer.

Posted by grassmonk on 12 Apr 2019 in Goals | No Comments →

Goals for 2019

Books to Read

  • The Ender Quartet (Ender’s Game, Speaker for the Dead, Xenocide, Children of the Mind)
  • The First Formic War Trilogy (Earth Unaware, Earth Afire, Earth Awakens)
  • As many of the Discworld books as I can, particularly Raising Steam and The Shepherd’s Crown

TV Seasons to Watch

Haven’t seen before:

  • Cheers (seasons 10 – 11)
  • DuckTales (volume 4)
  • The Flintstones (seasons 2 – 6)
  • The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show (season 1)

Have seen before, but haven’t yet watched my BDs/DVDs:

  • Angel (season 5)
  • Mad About You (season 7)
  • NYPD Blue (seasons 5 – 9)

Have seen before:

  • NYPD Blue (seasons 1 – 4, 10 – 12)
  • Pinky and the Brain (volumes 1 – 3)

Currently airing/will air this year:

  • Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season 6)
  • Arrested Development (season 5)
  • The Big Bang Theory (season 12)
  • Brooklyn Nine-Nine (season 6)
  • Homeland (season 8)
  • Jessica Jones (season 3)
  • The Punisher (season 2)
  • Star Trek: Discovery (season 2)
  • Unbreakble Kimmy Schmidt (season 4)

Movies to Watch

From last year:

  • Aquaman
  • Ralph Breaks the Internet
  • Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  • Venom

From previous years, already seen or not:

  • Batman: Ninja
  • 007: Spectre
  • Deadpool 2
  • The Death of Superman
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
  • The Incredibles
  • Incredibles 2
  • The Journey of Natty Gann
  • Jumanji
  • Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
  • Mission: Impossible
  • Mission: Impossible – Fallout
  • Pixar Short Films Collection Vol. 3
  • Star Trek Beyond
  • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  • Star Wars: Solo
  • Star Wars: Rogue One
  • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
  • Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
  • Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
  • Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
  • Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
  • Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
  • The Wolverine
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past
  • X-Men: Apocalypse
  • Logan

New this year:

  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Batman: Hush
  • Captain Marvel
  • Frozen 2
  • How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  • Jumanji 3
  • Justice League vs. The Fatal Five
  • The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
  • The New Mutants
  • Reign of the Supermen
  • Shazam!
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home
  • Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
  • Toy Story 4
  • X-Men: Dark Phoenix

BDs/DVDs I [try to] watch at least once a year:

  • The Avengers
  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Batman Begins
  • The Dark Knight
  • The Dark Knight Rises
  • The Bourne Identity
  • The Bourne Supremacy
  • The Bourne Ultimatum
  • Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog
  • Firefly
  • Serenity
  • (500) Days of Summer
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  • The Matrix
  • The Matrix Reloaded
  • The Matrix Revolutions
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
  • Spider-Man
  • Spider-Man 2
  • Spider-Man 3
  • Superman Returns
  • The Truman Show

BDs/DVDs I [try to] watch at least once every other year:

  • Elf
  • The Fifth Element
  • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
  • The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
  • The Muppet Christmas Carol
  • Star Trek
  • Star Trek Into Darkness
  • Wonder Woman

BDs/DVDs I haven’t watched since 2015 or before:

  • The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
  • Aladdin
  • Back to the Future
  • Back to the Future Part II
  • Back to the Future Part III
  • Bandits
  • Batman
  • Batman Forever
  • Batman: Assault on Arkham
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
  • Batman: Gotham Knight
  • Batman: Under the Red Hood
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • Bewitched
  • Big Hero 6
  • Big Trouble
  • 007: The Living Daylights
  • 007: License to Kill
  • 007: Goldeneye
  • 007: Tomorrow Never Dies
  • 007: The World Is Not Enough
  • 007: Die Another Day
  • 007: Casino Royale
  • 007: Quantum of Solace
  • 007: Skyfall
  • A Bug’s Life
  • The Cable Guy
  • Chain Reaction
  • Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
  • Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2
  • Crazy, Stupid, Love.
  • Dinosaur
  • DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
  • Dumb and Dumber
  • Dumbo
  • Easy A
  • Elektra
  • Fantasia
  • Fantasia 2000
  • 50 First Dates
  • Flight of the Navigator
  • Follow That Bird
  • Fun and Fancy Free
  • Ghostbusters
  • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  • Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
  • Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
  • Hercules
  • Home on the Range
  • Horton Hears a Who!
  • Hot Rod
  • Howl’s Moving Castle
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas
  • How to Train Your Dragon
  • How to Train Your Dragon 2
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  • I Am Legend
  • I, Robot
  • The Italian Job
  • Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie
  • The Jungle Book
  • Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths
  • Justice League: Doom
  • Justice League: The New Frontier
  • Kermit’s Swamp Years
  • Kiki’s Delivery Service
  • Knight and Day
  • The LEGO Movie
  • The Lion King
  • The Majestic
  • Maleficent
  • Mary Poppins
  • The Animatrix
  • Les Miserables
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
  • The Muppet Movie
  • The Muppets
  • Muppets Most Wanted
  • Mystery Men
  • National Treasure
  • National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets
  • 101 Dalmatians
  • Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension
  • Piglet’s Big Movie
  • The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything
  • Pixar Short Films Collection Vol. 1
  • Pixar Short Films Collection Vol. 2
  • Pom Poko
  • Ponyo
  • Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
  • Pooh’s Heffalump Movie
  • Porco Rosso
  • The Princess and the Frog
  • The Princess Bride
  • Princess Mononoke
  • Puss in Boots
  • Ratatouille
  • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
  • Salt
  • Shrek
  • Shrek 2
  • Shrek the Third
  • Shrek Forever After
  • So I Married an Axe Murderer
  • The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
  • Speed Racer
  • Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
  • Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
  • Stranger Than Fiction
  • Superman: The Movie
  • Superman II
  • Superman III
  • All-Star Superman
  • Superman: Doomsday
  • Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
  • Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
  • Superman: Unbound
  • Super Mario Bros.
  • Tales from Earthsea
  • Tangled
  • Tarzan
  • The Three Musketeers
  • Toy Story
  • Toy Story 2
  • Toy Story 3
  • The Transformers: The Movie
  • Treasure Planet
  • Up
  • WALL-E
  • Wayne’s World
  • The Wind Rises
  • Wonder Woman
  • Wreck-It Ralph

Video Games to Play

First-time Plays:

  • Crash Bandicoot (N-Sane Trilogy edition)
  • Crash Bandicoot 2 (N-Sane Trilogy edition)
  • Crash Bandicoot 3 (N-Sane Trilogy edition)
  • Pokemon Let’s GO! Eevee

Replays:

  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Other

  • More poetism commentaries
  • More “Greatest Talks, Etc.” entries
Posted by grassmonk on 11 Apr 2019 in Goals | No Comments →

My favorite (and not) movies of 2018

Here included is the list of movies which fall into the dual categories of “favorite (and not),” and “I watched during 2018.”  Criteria also includes being released in 2018, or 2017 if I was too lazy to get to them until later on (and I can remember them well enough to say whether I liked them, and how much).  Order is, as always, ordered.

– My Favorites –

Avengers: Infinity War

I saw Infinity War three times at the theater.  The first was alone, so I could watch without anyone trying to talk to me during the show.  The second was the next day, with my family.  The third was for my son’s birthday.  Each time was great, and I can’t wait to see Avengers: Endgame in just a couple of weeks.

Deadpool 2

I was skeptical, but really liked Deadpool.  I liked Deadpool 2 more.  The focus on “family” was nice, and a-ha’s “Take on Me” is now nearly permanently stuck in my head, which I think everyone can agree is no bad thing.

Incredibles 2

As I recall, this year [2018] each of my children went to one movie with a parent, just the two of us (not counting Infinity War).  Incredibles 2 was the choice of my younger son, and while I don’t think it was as good as the original movie, we both enjoyed it greatly and had fun together.

Mission: Impossible – Fallout

My older son and I went to Fallout together.  I think we originally saw the trailer before Infinity War, and he immediately told me we had to see Fallout.  I am a fan of all of the Mission: Impossible movies except for the second one, and was glad to introduce him to them.  We watched 1, 3, 4, and 5 over the next couple of months, and we both loved Fallout.  When I watch a movie, I will get emotionally involved in the story and appreciate the action, but I don’t generally have physical reactions to, e.g. jump scares or plot reveals, etc.  There were several times in Fallout that had me on the edge of my seat, tensely awaiting the outcome of a scene.  It was probably my favorite entry in the series next to the original installment.

Plus, Superman’s missing mustache!

– Other movies I enjoyed –

Ant-Man and the Wasp

Paul Rudd is just fantastic in everything he is a part of.  That is all.

Black Panther

Black Panther was interesting to me.  It’s a movie that I probably would not have been interested in had it not been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that I am glad I saw.

Coco

From 2017.  Another pretty great Pixar entry.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle

Also from 2017, somewhere near the end.  I liked the original Jumanji as a kid, and I still enjoy watching it from time to time.  I wasn’t really expecting much from Welcome to the Jungle, and was very pleasantly surprised.  I’ll definitely check out the third installment.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

We saw Solo because, well, it’s a Star Wars movie.  And it was better than it had any right to be.

– Movies that made me say, “meh” –

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World did not do it for me, and I was surprised at how much money it made at the box office.  The sequel did not do it for me even more.  I love me some Chris Pratt, so there’s that, but the original Jurassic Park will always be my favorite.

– Movies that made me say, “Why on earth did I watch this?” –

This category is empty this year.  I’m either getting lazier or more discerning.

– 2018 movies I haven’t seen yet that I hope are good, or at least not terrible (except that it’s April now and I’ve actually seen them but I’m still going to pretend I did this in January or whatever OK?) –

Aquaman

The current DCEU has had 3 terrible movies, 1 generally OK one, and 1 really good one.  I wonder where Aquaman will fall.  I hope at least generally OK.

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Wreck-It Ralph was a fun movie, and the sequel looks fun, as well.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This is getting great reviews, and as a Spidey fan I really should have seen it by now.  Alas.

Venom

I really don’t have any hope for this movie, but I got the disc from Netflix, so I guess I’ll get to it soon enough.

Posted by grassmonk on 10 Apr 2019 in Media | No Comments →