Parasite

Meet the Park Family: the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim Family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist, to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide “indispensable” luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks.  Parasite is a peculiar tale about two families who are worlds apart yet somewhat alike, portraying a striking reality of the world we live in. The film stars Lee Sun-Kyun (A Hard Day), Cho Yeo-Jeong (Obsessed), Choi Woo-Shik (Okja), Park So-Dam (The Priests), and Chang Hyae-Jin (Poetry).

Holy crap!   Talk about mind blown.  Completely mind blown.  If you were to ever tell me that I would watch a North Korean movie with subtitles and be completely hooked on a ton of different levels and that even thought it was already cruising to a top 10 list for 2019 would have me yelling holy shit over and over again for the last 20 minutes - I would tell you to get out of my face and stop being a fool.  But that just happened.  This movie is absolutely amazing on so many levels.  I am stunned.  I want to watch it again.

I would 100% recommend people checking this out.  Outside of a mega-franchise coming to a close, this would be the best movie of the year hands down.

Terminator: Dark Fate

James Cameron and Tim Miller are treating the new movie as a direct sequel to Cameron’s "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." “We’re starting a search for an 18-something woman to be the new centerpiece of the new story,” Cameron said. “We still fold time. We will have characters from the future and the present. There will be mostly new characters, but we’ll have Arnold and Linda’s characters to anchor it.”

I'm not going to say that this movie was awesome because it is what it is.  But I will say that I very surprisingly enjoyed this movie.  I will also say that this is the best Terminator since T2.  Granted that is not saying much but still.  The action was cool.  The pacing was cool.  The new characters were well introduced.  The old characters were mixed in well.  I never in a million years thought I would but I really enjoyed this movie.

I would actually recommend people checking this out.  Still can't believe I'm writing that because I gave up them doing any more worthwhile Terminator films but I really liked it.

Motherless Brooklyn

St. Vincent’s Home for Boys, Brooklyn, early 1970s. For Lionel Essrog, a.k.a. The Human Freakshow, a victim of Tourette’s syndrome (an uncontrollable urge to shout out nonsense, touch every surface in reach, rearrange objects), Frank Minna is a savior. A local tough guy and fixer, Minna shows up to take Lionel and three of his fellow orphans on mysterious errands: they empty a store of stereos as the owner watches; destroy a small amusement park; visit old Italian men. The four grow up to be the Minna Men, a fly-by-night detective agency-cum-limo service, and their days and nights revolve around Frank, the prince of Brooklyn, who glides through life on street smarts, attitude, and secret knowledge. Then one dreadful night, Frank is knifed and thrown into a Dumpster, and Lionel must become a real detective. As Lionel struggles to find Frank’s killer–without letting his Tourette’s get in the way–he’s forced to delve into the complex, shadowy web of relationships, threats, and favors that make up the Brooklyn world he thought he knew so well. No one–not Frank, not Frank’s bitter wife, Julia, not the other Minna Men–is who they seem. Not even The Human Freakshow.

This was a decent watch.  Kind of long.  Definitely dragged at times when it very much did not need to.  But it hooked you and kept your attention.  The cast was awesome and Edward Norton was amazing as always.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It's a decent watch with good performances if you have the time.

Harriet

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, Harriet tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

I was kind of disappointed by this movie.  I have always been attached to the story of Harriet Tubman because when in college for elementary education I built an entire semester around curriculum having to do with her.  And I won't say this movie was bad because it wasn't.  It just didn't have the necessary hook to get you angry like you should when watching a movie about slavery.  I felt like a lot of heartstrings and punches were avoided and if they weren't this could have been an awesome movie.

I would somewhat recommend people checking this out.  Its not a bad watch by any means.  I just think it could have been so much better and more powerful like it should have been.

Zombieland: Double Tap

Set in a zombie post-apocalypse and filtered through a darkly comic lens, the original "Zombieland" hit theaters in 2009 and stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin as survivors attempting to outlast the living dead.

This is basically more of the same from the first.  Great cast.  10 years later.  They mock how much zombie stuff has happened since then.  They mock themselves and that it took 10 years to make the sequel.  They took some shots at The Walking Dead.   And there were lots of laughs from beginning to end.

I would absolutely recommend anyone who enjoyed the first one.  This is a textbook more of the same sequel that was lots of fun.

The Addams Family

Get ready to snap your fingers! The Addams Family is back on the big screen in the first animated comedy about the kookiest family on the block. Funny, outlandish, and completely iconic, the Addams Family redefines what it means to be a good neighbor.

A cute enough family film with really great voice casting.  Its the same characters that we have known for years and have been reinvented over and over again but this time its animated for kids.  Parents are able to enjoy it along with the kids so it's not just a money grab.

I would recommend families checking this out.  Its a good Columbus Day weekend release to kill some time together.

Black And Blue

Black and Blue follows a rookie cop in New Orleans who accidentally stumbles on some fellow officers murdering a drug dealer, an incident captured by the body cam on her uniform. When they then fail to execute her she escapes and is hunted throughout the night by the narcs who are desperate to destroy the incriminating footage.

This movie was 100% what you would expect it to be from the trailer.  It's a PSA type of movie showing people how they should be.  Exposes bad cops that can't be trusted.  Exposes society for being wrong at times and shows how both should be by the actions of the two leads.  Still a very watchable movie regardless though.

I would lukewarmly recommend people checking this movie out.  It is not a must watch by any means but I didn't hate watching it.

Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil

A fantasy adventure that picks up several years after Maleficent, in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora, Maleficent II continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.

This was a very enjoyable fantasy movie.  Angelina Jolie was excellent again as Maleficent.  The action was good, the pacing was good and everything built up to a huge payoff fantasy creatures battle.  Was there a lot of substance to it?  Not really.  But was a fun ride at the movie theater?  Yes!

I would recommend people checking this out.  It was not a must see by any means but it was a very enjoyable ride type of a movie.

Gemini Man

"Gemini Man" is an innovative action thriller starring Will Smith as Henry Brogan, an elite assassin, who is suddenly targeted and pursued by a mysterious young operative that seemingly can predict his every move.

This movie was a decent watch.  Honestly can't complain about it.  Come on - its TWO Will Smiths.  The action was great.  The pacing was good.  The only thing is that there was not a major hook that really got you.  It was watchable and enjoyable but I will forget about this movie in less than a week.

I would kind of recommend people checking this out.  It is not by any means a must watch.

Joker

Director Todd Phillips’ original, standalone origin story “Joker” explores the world of—and according to—Arthur Fleck. Indelibly portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix, Arthur is a man facing the cruelty and outright scorn of society, along with the indifference of a system that allows him to spiral from vulnerability into depravity. A clown-for-hire by day, he strives to be a stand-up comic at night…but finds that the joke always seems to be on him. He’s out of tune with everyone around him, as evidenced by his uncontrollable, inappropriate laughter, which gains momentum as he attempts to contain it, exposing him to further ridicule—and even violence. Arthur, who devotes himself to caring for his fragile mother, seeks out every father figure he’s never had, from wealthy businessman Thomas Wayne to TV host Murray Franklin. Caught in a cyclical existence teetering on the precipice of reality and madness, one bad decision brings about a chain reaction of escalating, ultimately deadly, events.

Okay.  This one was rough.  IF this was a movie about someone struggling with their mental health and their downward spiral into being psychotic, this would be one of the best movies of the year with a lock for Best Actor for Phoenix.  Like my best friend said - they could have even called it Clown if they wanted and had him paint his face as part of his act or whatever - still awesome.  Perhaps if it was even advertised as an artistic character drama - still all good.  But as an origin story of Joker - this fails on pretty much every level.  This should never have been tied to a known entity much less several known entities because they will go nowhere with it moving forward PLUS its a totally different origin than we have been shown more times than I can could already.  Imagine watching a new Spider-Man but he gets stung by a bee instead.  Like that is how this felt.  It basically annoyed the hell out of me that this was tied to a known character and essentially prevented me from liking it.

Whether I recommend it or not really doesn't matter.  If you want to see this you are still seeing this.  It is just MASSIVELY falsely advertised and 100% should not have been about Joker.

The Lighthouse

From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern horror masterpiece The Witch, comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.

What the hell did I just watch?  Like . . . . . . . . . . . what!?!  I get it.  This is one of those very well filmed movies from a directorial standpoint but what the actual hell did I watch?  So weird.  So random.  This movie was like a tough to make it through two man play that was turned into a movie for some reason.  Yet - it will have critics oohing and aaaahhing because of the style of it.

I would absolutely not recommend anyone bothering with this.  It's a giant waste of time while you try to hold out for a payoff.