Spiderman: Far from Home

In this Peter Parker goes on a trip to Europe with his classmates and some attacks are made from creatures known as the Elementals. Peter has a crush on Zendaya. It's interesting how she is made out to be plain here when she is really a gorgeous actress.Jake Gyllenhaal plays one good villain here. He used to be an employee for Tony Stark so he's kind of disgruntled. I love how the italian diva Mina is featured on a track here.

Spiderman: Homecoming

I'm watching all of the Tom Holland Spiderman movies so I can watch the new one in the theatres. In this one Peter Parker is under the guidance of Tony Stark (Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr.) He's immature though and new to the game. Michael Keaton plays the bad guy and he does the job well. He sells dangerous weapons and there comes a conflict when Peter realizes he is related to the girl he currently has a crush on. I think Michael Keaton's character is more complex than the usual villain. This was a good beginning to the trilogy.

Project Hail Mary

This was the best movie I saw in the theatres this year. Ryan Gosling is one of the most handsome talented male actors in the industry today. This is about a junior high teacher who is trapped alone on a space mission. He meets an alien he calls Rocky who is facing his own problems. The two become pals. Their friendship is cute and so is in the ending. This should get a lot of Academy award nominations and I hope it's not forgotten just because it was early in the year.

Masters of the Universe

This was a fun movie to see in theatres. I thought the movie started out boring with having He-Man's childhood showed in Eternia. After that was over it got fun. I enjoyed He-Man trying to explain his past life to his friends and them all thinking he was delusional. Eventually the discovery of a sword helps him back in Eternia. He rescues the people from the evil Skeletor and I could tell that Jared Leto had fun playing this role. In The Sheep Detectives, the actor Nicholas Galitzine played a plain looking guy. He is far from being plain in his role as He-Man. So he is versatile and I imagine that he will have a long career in Hollywood. I've never watched the cartoon show He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. That is now on my list of shows to watch. I hope this gets a sequel as some things weren't resolved but it bombed at the box office.

Supergirl

This wasn't great but I don't think it's as bad as people say it is. It was a good popcorn movie. Also it's annoying to see people on the internet call Milly Alcock ugly because she is far from that. I read a couple of Supergirl comics from the 1950s in my early 20's. She was a wholesome character. It's interesting how she has changed into a drunk over time. In this movie she helps a girl who wants to seek venegeance on the people who killed her family. The movie is just as much about her as supergirl. It's intriguing to see how much Jason Momoa has changed from Baywatch. He plays tough guys now. This is the type of movie better to be seen on the screen.

Never open that door

I watched a movie recently from Argentine director Carlos Hugo Christensen If I should die before I wake. I decided to watch another of his. Again he based his movie on the writings of noir writer Cornell Woolrich. In this movie there are two stories. In one a man's sister is a gambler and is being harassed. After she kills herself, he takes matters into his own hands. In the second story a blind mother must come to terms with the fact that the son who she hasn't seen in a while is a criminal. She has to debate whether it is best to turn him in or not. Argentine cinema is rarely discussed for some reason. It's a shame and there are so few movies subtitled from them too.

The man who had his hair cut short

This Belgian film made it on someone's 1001 Films you must see before you die list. I thought it was ok but it wouldn't be on my list. It's about a schoolteacher who obsesses over a student so much that he changes professions. He runs into her years later and she asks him to shoot her. Later he spirals down so much he in put in a mental hospital. I think this is a good movie about obsession how it can mess with the reality of life and particularly of the person of your obsession. The girl he had a crush on isn't innocent at all. In fact she is connected to a corpse he saw just a few days before meeting her again. I think there are many European gems that were made in the past that have gotten lost in time. Thank goodness for youtube.

Toy Story 5

I thought Toy Story 4 was mediocre but Hollywood has redeemed itself. This is cute. It's about a new tablet called Lilypad that comes into Bonnie's life. Soon she and the other kids in the neighborhood aren't playing with their toys anymore. In the end the toys are remembered again and Bonnie has made a new friend even though there were bumps on the way. This movie was funny and sweet. I welcome Toy Story 6 if it is made.

Disclosure Day

This was one of Steven Spielberg's worst. It was good to watch with popcorn though. Most of it is a chase movie. A meterologist and a hacker are on the run because they have information that proves aliens are for real. Colin Firth plays a bad guy well but this is really Emily Blunt's movie. She does a fantastic job. The ending was unintentionally funny as it got over the top. My sister and I laughed in the theatres.

Minions and Monsters

This was ok. I think I watched only one movie in the franchise but I was able to catch up ok. The first half of the movie deals with the minions trying to find an evil leader to be followers to. Then the minions make it in the silents but then sound comes and they decide to do a monster movie. I liked the homage to silent movies. The characters are one dimensional though so there was only so much that I could invest emotionally in them. This is more for the kids than the adults. One parent said online that it was worst than Scary Movie. It wasn't that bad. It fits the PG rating.

Toy Story 4

This was passable but but I felt like it was unnecessary since Toy Story 3 had the perfect conclusion. There is barely a plot here. The toys new owner Bonnie makes a new toy Forky in school. He's pretty cute. Eventually they end up in an antique store with some scary toys. Bo Peep is back. She wasn't in the third one and it's nice to see her return. It's worth a watch just so you get caught up and can watch Toy Story 5 which was much better.

Toy Story 3

This would have been the perfect ending to the Toy Story movies but Hollywood felt it should go on. Andy is moving on to college. He tells his mother to put the toys in the attic but she gives them to a daycare instead. The daycare turns out to be horrific and has one awesome scary villain. The ending was very touching as Andy has moved on but the toys know that they had a place in his heart.

The Stranger In Between (The Hunted)1952

This is a pretty good British noir. It's about a kid in an an abusive household who has just set the curtains on fire. He's on the run and so is a murderer (Dick Bogarde). The two become friends. Dick can't leave the boy even when the hunt for him gets more complicated. He would be better solo but a bond has grown between them two. It had a good ending. I've been watching Dick Bogarde movies lately and I've always been impressed by him. He was a great actor who picked interesting roles.

Las Furias (The Furies)

This was an Argentine film from 1960. It is about a household of women. Their lives revolve around the man of the household who never shows up in the movie. There's a pretty girl who always get the dates. The best scene was when the repressed spinister stole the pretty girl's dress. She steals something else from the girl. I didn't it coming. This was from a female director. I wonder why cinema from Argentina isn't better known.

If I should die before I wake

This is a 1950s noir from Argentina about a child murderer. The female friend of a boy goes missing. She was seeing a strange man and she had made the boy promise to keep it a secret. I like how the movie goes into how vital childhood promises are. To an adult it would be very obvious that you need to speak up. But when another female friend goes missing the boy can't be quiet anymore. But it's useless as no one will listen to him. His father is part of the police. It's up to him to leave clues for his father and to track the killer down himself. This was based on a Cornell Woolrich short story who was an amazing noir writer. This was a good short noir.

The Sheep Detectives

This was a cute original quirky movie starring Hugh Jackman as a shepherd who reads mysteries to his sheeps every day. When he dies, the sheep take it upon themselves to find out the murderer was. Along the way you meet the eccentrics of the town. I didn't guess who the murderer was. However, that's also probably because I don't read mysteries. Bryan Cranston and Patrick Stewart do voice work.

Omkara

This is an Indian version of Othello. I like the actors Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. I can't recommend the movie despite the acclaim it received. I read Shakespeare's play and liked it but I found this long and dull.

Invention for Destruction (aka The Fabulous World of Jules Verne)

This Czech movie is based on a work by Jules Verne. It's about a professor who gets kidnapped by a pirate and his invention is misused by the pirate. The real reason to watch this is for the visuals. It's a piece of artwork in itself. Some people think it inspired the Steampunk movement. This movie was ahead of its time.

The Devil wears Prada 2

The original cast reunites twenty years later. It was cute but unnecessary. I liked the ending of the original and felt it was resolved. Also Anne's love interest was underdeveloped. It could have easily been taken out of the movie. This was the worst movie I've seen in the theatres this year.

Michael (2026)

I know the critics hated it but I found it to be an entertaining popcorn movie. The movie starts whith the success of the Jackson 5. The main trial in this movie is Michael's break from his abusive father. It shows the colossal success of Thriller and ends with him singing Bad. The time period of the movie was before the allegations came into play. Apparently there is going to be a sequel. The lead is played by Michael's nephew and he does a good job. La Toya and Jermaine Jackson were executive producers.

Circumstantial Evidence

This was a so so noir about a guy convicted of a murder with no eyewitnesses. His best friends tries to prove him innocent. This movie may have come from the 1940s but it seemed more like something from the early 1930s to me. Unless you're a huge noir fan you're not missing anything.

The Dream Lady

A girl starts a fortunetelling business. Along the way she comes across a crooked guy and meets the man of her dreams. I thought the most interesting thing about the movie is she adopts a girl. So for a while in the movie she is a single mother. This silent movie is only an hour. It was ok. I've seen better silent movies to call it a lost gem.

Isabelita

This is a cute 1940s film from Argentina. It's about a rich woman who takes up another identity as a maid and falls in love with a poor guy. Her rich friends discover her position as a maid and laugh at her. Will true love win the day? I know little about cinema from Argentina. I think it's because people don't bother to subtitle them but I hope to find some more gems at youtube.

Billie Eilish Hit me hard and soft: The Tour

James Cameron's concert film is all right. I'm a fan of Billie Eilish but there aren't enough interviews here. I didn't get to learn about her favorite artists. I wanted to find out more about how she got into the business. For a concert film it worked but I was hoping for more of a documentary.

Banketten (The Banquet) 1948

Ever since I watched Girl with Hyacinths I've been a fan of the Swedish actress Eva Henning. In this she plays an adulteress but you can't blame her because her husband is manipulative and creepy. She has an affair with a medical student but it ends in tragedy for most of the characters involved. The movie can be found on this website https://rarefilmm.com/.

A Lady to Love

Edward G. Robinson puts an ad up for a wife with the photo of his much better looking friend. Vilma Banky answers and is disappointed. She marries him but falls for the better looking guy. Eventually she turns around. Vilma Banky didn't really have a talkie career because of her thick Hungarian accent. I don't know why as Greta Garbo's accent was pretty thick too. Edward G. Robinson was miscast. This is different from his usual gangster role.

It always rains on Sunday

This was an ok 1940s British noir. A woman hides her old boyfriend from the law. Of course she gets caught and learns that she made a serious mistake. She lets her old feelings for him get in the way of rational thinking. British noir is pretty much a subject I know nothing about. I bought The British Film Noir Guide by Michael F. Keaney so I have a lot to catch up on.

Wharf Angel

Two guys talk to each about a swell girl they know. They don't realize that they are in love with the same prostitute. The actress Dorothy Dell in this died shortly after. So it's kind of sad seeing a promising career cut short. But this isn't the best precode I've seen. At least it's only 65 minutes.

Blanche Fury

This was an ok costume drama about a wealthy woman who has an affair with the stable boy. He wants to inherit and his desire is so bad that he would even hurt a little girl. With that the woman gives up on the man and things don't end happy with him. Valerie Hobson and Stewart Granger give good performances.

The Thief La Voleuse

This looks like it would be a good movie. It's written by Marguerite Duras and stars Romy Schneider but it was pretty boring. It's about a woman who decides to get custody of her boy she left at birth. It's busy easy since the family didn't take the time to adopt the boy. But the father has a huge mental breakdown. Romy Schneider is the only good thing about this movie. She gives a good performance as the desperate mother looking for meaning in her life along with a troubled marriage. It was apparently based on a true story. But there's better Romy Schneider movies, better Marguerite Duras movies too. I only recommend watching this movie if you know what you're getting yourself into.

The Curse of Nostradamus

A vampire seeks revenge on the people who murdered his father. This wasn't that good. The only reason to watch this Mexican movie is because Carlos Enrique Taboada co-wrote it. He's one of my favorite directors. He was a writer before he made it as a director. He wrote The Witch's Mirror which I thought was amazing. I would watch that and pass on this one.

La Bien Pagada (The Well-Paid Woman)

This was an ok Mexican soap opera about an adultress who learns a lesson. A wealthy man expects his beautiful wife of cheating and no surprise he catches her in the act. A few years later he finds out she has become a dancer. He becomes one of her visitors. She feels guilty. She was no saint but I felt like he was manipulative and mean towards her, let her move on with her life. He falls in love with her saintly sister but I didn't feel he was worthy of her. Alberto Gout would later make the classic Aventurera, a much better movie. If anything this is worth a watch to see the promise he had before he made a masterpiece of Mexican cinema.

Much Too Shy

This was an ok George Formby movie. I like Feather your Nest a lot more and that one had better songs. This is a commentary on the art community. George Formby tries to get art lessons. He's drawn a picture of some of the heads of women in the town but doesn't know how to draw the body. Someone draws the bodies nude and before he knows it it's an ad in the newspaper which gets him in a lot of trouble. It was entirely predictable because some of the reactions from the women were different than what I expected. I'll be watching more George Formby movies.

The Long Haul

This British noir stars the lovely Diana Dors. It is about a driver played by Victor Mature. He falls for one of the criminal's girlfriend Diana Dors. The problem is he has a wife at home who didn't want him to take an initial job elsewhere. Although he has a relationship with Dors, his wife hasn't been entirely honest with him either. This was ok. It wasn't amazing but I like Diana so it was worth the watch.

The Beautiful Fantastic

This was a cute British independent movie about a librarian who dreams of becoming a children's writer. She becomes friends with the cranky neighbor next door and steals his helper from him. She also falls in love with an inventor. The only bad thing about this movie was that it was trying to be too quirky but I appreciate that it was a clean movie and that's not something you see much nowadays.

The Green Cockatoo

This is another movie starring Hayley Mills' dad. John Mills was an established actor though in his own right. A girl receives the blame for a murder she didn't commit. Along the way she runs into his brother and he agrees to protect her and uncover who really did it. This was just ok. At least it was only around an hour.

John and Irene (John og Irene)

This is a Danish film noir so it's one of its kind. Two travelling dancers are met with despair when they find out the girl is pregnant. John accidentally kills a man in his desperation to get money for them. The rest of the movie is his conscience eating at him and the inevitable consequences that follow. This was ok, not my favorite noir but one I won't forget.

Red Fish

This was a good 1950s Spanish movie. A man has been lying about the existence of having a son for years. In order to get some money he claims the kid is missing. Pretty soon he finds he is a suspect in his imaginary son's death. Not only that his girlfriend would rather date this wealthy son instead of him. Everyone likes the imaginary son more than him and things start to unravel. I thought it had an interesting plot. There was a remake but I'm not interested in seeing it.

The Other (La Otra)

Imdb.com says that Dolores Del Rio plays twins one bad one good but I think they both were awful. A girls kills her sister jealous of her wealth. She takes over her sister's life. Only she finds that her life was better before. She had a good man and not only that she blows through her sister's money. She also finds out her sister has some secrets of her own. This was a pretty good performance from Dolores Del Rio and it's an interesting Mexican noir.

Ahí viene Martín Corona

Pedro Infante plays a Robin Hood sort that helps the downtrodden. I have to admit I didn't really care for this Mexican western. I watched it because I'm a fan of Sara Montiel and she sang a couple of numbers. To be honest I was just thrilled that someone bothered to translate another one of her movies. It's best just to watch La violetera, the other Sara Montiel movie that someone bothered to translate. It's a better movie. Ahi viene Martin Corona is on tubi.

Marisol, llámame Pepa (Marisol call me Pepa)

I was thrilled to learn that someone made a documentary about the Spanish actress/singer. What was even more surprising to me was the fact that someone actually subtitled it. I've been a fan of Marisol for twenty years. I haven't been able to watch the movies that she made in her childhood since nobody has bothered to translate them. I've simply been listening to her music. The documentary starts from when she discovered as a child prodigy until her retirement at only 35 years old. She was exploited and barely had a childhood. Later on she got involved in communism and did movies that were more controversial than the ones she did as a child. My sister was surprised at how political her later music became. A lot of times I find myself not liking a celebrity after watching a documentary about them. Luckily this wasn't the case. After her husband cheated on her and a movie flopped she said goodbye to the industry altogether. She refuses to even do small interviews. The movie shows her daughters picking up her trophy at a lifetime achievement award. Marisol has become something of a myth. You need an all region player for this one since it's in PAL format. I wish that someone would bother to translate a lot of Spain's musicals from the 1960s that had actresses like Pili and Mili, Rocio Durcal, and Marisol. I can't be the only one who wants to watch them.

La Tia Alejandra

This was an ok Mexican horror movie about an elderly aunt who moves into a household. Once she does people in the family start dying. It isn't long until the parents break and the aunt gets what's coming to her. Some people online think that the old woman wasn't a witch. I disagree. The misfortunes in the household are too coincidental. I found it with subtitles on youtube.

Hum Aapke Hain Koun

This movie was three hours and thirty minutes. It didn't have a plot until the last forty minutes because of that I can't recommend it. It took too long to get interested in it. If it was like the last forty minutes I would recommend it. The last of the movie concerns a woman having to marry her departed sister's husband to take care of the baby. But she is really in love with Salman Kahn. The only good thing I can say about it is that it has an attractive cast. It was a box office hit at the time.