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@5 and @6: It really does feel like if the "Shaun's Mum" scene was an entire movie, and I mean that in the best way.
@2: I think Destiny is calling you to write some, chum!
@3: That did NOT help with the bawling. Totally worth it, though.
@13: yes, you're right! I got it jangled in my mind - Jimmy Stewart grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, and I know they based Bedford Falls a little on that, so I always forget and move the town there. Thanks for the catch!
And if you're looking for a copy of AMOLAD, Criterion Collection released it on DVD and Blu-Ray in a new 4K digital restoration! It's very purty and includes some extras. I'm hoping that if they're able to launch their streaming service (R.I.P. Filmstruck) they'll add the whole Powell & Pressburger filmography - it's all incredible.
@3: That's also my favorite bit! And I will die on the hill that the naturally curly red hair is intentional. :)
@MaGnUS: Sure! I'm glad you want to feature it. :) And @Almuric: I'm taking your reading as canon in spite of Coop's parentage, because that's GREAT.
I love this list, but I can't help but notice a troubling lack of Messrs. Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo.
Oh, I'm not sure! Usually my DVR lists it as an hour, as well, but I'm not finding any info about whether Syfy's decided to air it without commercials.
@4: To answer your question I'll need to spoil something, so here's your answer, whited out: one character refuses the aliens' advances, which is treated as a big, climactic moment - they seem to be coming out as asexual, but they also only seem to be doing it as a response to being mistreated by various partners. So I was unsure if they're supposed to be identifying as asexual as an orientation, or if the movie is conflating "asexual" with "giving up on love." Which I found a bit dodgy. But I could also be overthinking the whole thing, as that's been known to happen.
@4: That's what I'm assuming! It was just too neat, especially with the technician able to immediately tell the entire room that it was basically the SecGen's fault - undermining his authority even more.
@1: Oops, thanks for the correction! My typing tends to get ahead of my spelling. :) "IFF" stands for "Identification, friend or foe" - I'll add that into the review.
@ 1, 2, and 4: That was always my assumption as well! Poor Simon. :(
@14: I actually saw that skit before I ever saw the movie! And apparently it was a huge issue that Potter didn't get any comeuppance - under the Hayes Code bad guys were supposed to be punished onscreen - and I know they shot at least one scene of Potter being confronted about the money, but I couldn't find any quotes from Capra about how he got around including it in the final cut. Research never ends. :)
Oh, sorry - I think I was just unclear! Canticle for Leibowitz is a post-apocalyptic novel by Walter Miller Jr., published in 1960, that follows a post-nuclear-disaster religious sect. It's a great book - hilarious in an incredibly dark way - and also really thoughtful and weird. The Road is Cormac McCarthy's take on a post-apocalypse, published in 2006. It follows a father and son who try to survive in a Cormac McCarthy book terrifying wasteland, and it's just relentlessly dark. I'll edit the piece to make that clearer for everyone! :)
@1: I'll make a note of that - when I was researching the medications it seemed like both were in use in Europe but not the U.S. The first half of The Tick's first season is up on Amazon Prime, and Dirk Gently airs on BBC America. Thanks for the correction!
I agree about Billy - I definitely felt like there was more going on in the scenes with Steve, and that both actors were throwing that energy out there to give us a hint of Billy's conflicted emotions. I wanted to see more of him, to get a sense of depth the way we did with Steve, rather than him filling the "scary jock/bully" slot, and delving more into his sexuality would have done that...but obviously this is small town 1980s America, so if the writers do go in that direction, they'll need way more time to dig into that in a way that's both realistic to the time, and sensitive to the character. And I think if Mike and El had talked to Max during that dance that would have fixed my discomfort with the pair-ups - it just felt to me like the kids were being rushed into couples much too abruptly, and then that was the note we ended on. But I loved the use of Time After Time and The Police. :)
@2: Thanks for pointing out those errors! I'll go in and fix them - I think I was remembering Marcus' mother being Irish. And I'm not sure how "Susan" got in there!
Early spring certainly used to be a dead zone for movies, but I think that cycle has ended now that there are so many on-demand services and video games nibbling at film profits. A Wrinkle in Time is coming out in early March, too, and I know that's already being pushed as a big, prestige film as well - I think early 2018 is looking like a great time, cinematically speaking. :)
@Matt Dovey: You are completely correct - it was a really insensitive term for me to use there. I apologize for using it, and I thank you for taking the time to point it out.
@Kate: Oh, of course teenagers (especially) used posters to decorate! Sorry if that wasn't clear. My quibble is more that I don't believe a poor high school student in Indiana would find a pristine poster for an obscure horror movie that was only just building up a video cult following in the early 80s. I also think Bill is coded as being a bit more middle class than the Byers family, so he'd have more spending money than Jonathan does.
And to be fair to the show, I think Stranger Things gets a lot of stuff exactly right - but it's interesting to contrast the two, since there's such a conversation between Stephen King and the Duffers. IT has made me even more excited for Season 2. :)
Yeah, that was definitely a frustration I had with the film - Alvin ends up being pretty one-note, to the point that it's unclear whether he's attacking Bev because he's being controlled by IT, or if he's just finally gone that far into his own abusiveness. I really wish that we could have had at least one good scene with the two of them, as well as at least a little bit with Richie and Ben's families, to balance out some of the horror.
@3-RDBetz: Agreed on the awesomeness of the original comics! Personally I love the lighter tone of the cartoon, but that first Tick run was fantastic in its own right.
Good point, Ghostly1 - didn't mean to inadvertently create a dystopia with that headline.
There should be a new Ghibli Rewatch essay in two weeks. I'm changing the format slightly so that I can talk about thematic elements in the films rather than doing a traditional recap - I can't wait to share it and discuss it with all of you!
Yes to the new music! I didn't want to give that away in the post, but I also teared up at that bit. :)
Thank you for giving us more information, Fred Patten - I had no idea Streamline was trying to bring Studio Ghibli films to the U.S. for so long. I appreciate your team's effort to bring the films over uncut!
Wow, thank you for all these informative comments! Thank, Robotech_Master for the Blu-ray suggestion - I'm adding it to my wishlist - and thanks Reed Nelson for confirming the Fujiko/April O'Neill hypothesis! April was a great inspiration to a small, career-minded Leah, so the knowledge that Fujiko is basically her mom is fantastic. And Fred Patten, thank you for fighting for the quiet moments in the film. I noticed those scenes more on this watch, since I just re-watched a bunch of the television episodes as I prepped this piece. It really helps Miyazaki's version of Lupin stand out as a more thoughtful character.
I might be able to cover Miyazaki and Takahata's TV work a little bit (especially Future Boy Conan - I've never seen it and that synopsis sounds fascinating) but I think we are going to focus more on the movies, since they're easier to access, and people can watch along. Speaking of which, next up is Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, so I hope you can all join me again! :)
We're doing alllll of Ghibli! And I haven't watched Pom Poko in years, so I'm especially excited for that one. :)
Yeah, the more I think about the scene the more I'm on the side of just loving it. I'm so impressed with the way they stayed with it, and I agree with you, Politeruin - this was such a better ending for Miller's arc! Also a better ending for Julie, since she didn't simply end up being a Space Damsel.
@1: Thanks for pointing out the typo! As much as I'd love to visit a wharf that celebrates language, I want to make sure that Benjamin Lee Whorf gets the proper credit. :)
Fixed! Thanks for pointing it out.
@4: You're totally right! I got my denominational wires crossed - Schulz was a Methodist Sunday School teacher, not a Presbyterian - I'll go fix it in the post. And we welcome glasses-pushing here, so thank you for pointing it out! :)
@11: That sounds fantastic! Thanks for telling us, I'll definitely add that one in when we update the post.
@8: I didn't remember that! Clearly I need to rewatch Monkeybone.
...that's not a sentence I ever expected to type.
@ Marla J: They're Ayo and Aneka, two members of the Dora Milaje, an elite squad of bodyguard who protect T'Challa. (If you saw Captain America: Civil War, the woman who said, "Move, or you will be moved" to Black Widow was with the Dora Milaje.) Ayo and Aneka figured prominently in Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther series that came out last spring - in that panel, Ayo's wearing "Midnight Angel" armor to break Aneka out of prison.
@ChrisG: Noted and fixed! And that would indeed be a sweet deal. :)
@Sammael: Yeah, I decided to restrict myself to live-action (mostly U.S. productions as well) because otherwise these ranking posts get unwieldy. Although I do need to find an excuse to watch Ghost in the Shell again...
@hoopmanjh: You're thinking of Tank Girl! Ice-T plays a kangaroo person named T-Saint - the man has had an extraordinary acting career.
@Marie: Good call, thanks! I updated the post to make that clear.
@11: Thanks for pointing out that the video disappeared! I've replaced the link, and I highly recommend it.
@ 6 & 7: Yes! I knew I recognized him, but I couldn't remember which plot thread he was from.
@5, Thanks for pointing Good Omens out! Neverwhere was an adaptation of a screenplay, Stardust was an adaptation of a comic, and Good Omens was a collaboration, so American Gods was Gaiman's first original solo novel. (Which is weird to think about, since his career was already so huge by the time it came out.) I'll edit the post to make it clearer. :)
@3: Oh yeah, ORE! Thank you, I didn't think "oil" made sense, but once I heard oil I couldn't unhear it. I'll fix it in the post.
I haven't read the books (which I'm sure is showing in my recaps) but I've been loving the characters, and the show did a great job of making the naming of the Rocinante an important scene even for someone new to this world. :)
@1: I'd definitely read this after Sandman's main arc ends with The Wake. I think the characters will make more sense, and the allusions will add more to your reading experience, where they might just be confusing if you're new to the story.
Nothing about Iron Fist, unfortunately! People kept chanting his name, but Loeb didn't say anything about the show - he stuck to DD, JJ, and a very slight mention that Luke Cage was filming now.
@1: We fixed it! Dr. Fu Manchu has been thwarted once again.
Thanks for the link, LilMissMuddy! That's some great work. :)
@1: So it is! The location has been updated - thanks for pointing it out.
The woman on the far end is San from Mononoke Hime, and she is the best!
I'm also not sure about the armored woman next to Ripley - anyone else recognize her?
The bolt-cutters are the BEST. Yeah, there's really no need to see Max's movies in order, because I think George Miller sees these films more as loosely organized folktales that just all happen to have Max in them as a character. That's part of why recasting Max doesn't cause a problem - he's more of a James Bond-type character, who could theoretically keep having adventures far into our dystopian future, whether or not Mel Gibson, Tom Hardy, or even Miller himself are involved.
@1: The "Oh What A Lovely Day!" guy is a warboy, and I can say that his role is freaking awesome without spoiling anything!
@2 The more I think about it the more I tease out themes and references! Not just to the original MM trilogy but also to Blade Runner and, weirdly, The Dark Crystal? And Huntingdon-Whitely is brilliant as Angharad. Personally I was OK with the spartan dialogue, probably because I just rewatched the original trilogy, and I felt like they overstated the themes of Beyond Thunderdome so much that Fury Road felt even more refreshing. Plus Tom Hardy manages some really evocative grunts. :)
@2: Maybe the floor lava got her? It's the one thing that consistently bugs me, especially in light of the other characters' obvious growth. Plus I just want them to give Gillian Jacobs cool stuff to do, cause she's amazing.
@2: It should work now. Thanks for letting us know!
I'm assuming that the books were also holograms, and that they needed to keep the fenestella plugged in so they could come and read them when they were needed. That doesn't explain how humans would be able to handle holographic books... but this episode left many things unexplained.
@MByerly, Caroline is worth a thousand Calvins! I shall never forget her. But at least Calvin is better than Hawley.
@AwesomeAud: Quite right, thanks for pointing that out! I've fixed the link.
@12: Cool, thanks Sarpong! I really hope they keep using Grace Dixon's journal as a resource for their magic...
@10: Thank you for catching that! I had two links I meant to put in, but they both got lost when I posted. The Akanian theory I saw is from
headsofsleepyhollowers, so I definitely don't want to take credit for it! :)
Primer! So, so good. I actually haven't seen Europa Report yet - I'll need to add that one to my list...
@8: NG mentioned the story in a few interviews, but the best quote is from Hy Bender's Sandman Companion. Bender asked about the story of Adam's three wives in "The Parliament of Rooks", and Gaiman answers, "That's a story which has haunted me since age twelve, when Cantor Meir Lev taught it to me during my bar mitzvah lessons. The cantor happened to be an expert on Jewish Talmudic, Mishnaic, and Midrashic apocrypha, and I found it all fascinating and pumped him for information; so by the age of thirteen, I knew more arcane Jewish lore than most adults."
I really love the image of Li'l Gaiman arguing Midrash with his rabbi, so I made sure to mention it!
@19: You're thinking of "Halloween is Grinch Night!"
My take was that the curse was carried down through the bloodline rather than the family name, which was why Sarah and her aunt were both taken, but that the adopted sons would be safe? I'm also assuming that most of the old-school families in Sleepy Hollow are at least slightly related...
@4: There were so many more JCS quotes in the original draft, Bridget. I'm frankly astonished at my own restraint. :) And I second the need for a Belafonte sing-along.
@5: Didn't Hawley say he wanted to find the other 29 pieces of silver, to sell them as a matched set? Or was I just making that up because I want a spinoff where he and Jenny travel the country together scouring antique markets?
@2: It's fixed now - thanks for letting us know!
@11: Yes! I was really hoping that this show would give John Cho the role he deserves, and let him be more of a "dashing leading man" type... and I do think both actors are doing the best they can with the script. But instead the show undermines every bit of chemistry they mange to generate. And it would be pretty terrible if Selfie ends up failing and being blamed for a lack of Asian-American leading men!
@4: Thanks!!! I love recapping this show. Any creative work with this kind of commitment to insanity is OK by me, and I'm hoping it goes on forever. Or at least three more seasons.
The math link should work now! Commence fun math.
Perhaps we will finally meet Diego's sister!
See? How are today's authors supposed to live up to that!?
True, @hihosilver28 – the near-future society is pretty dystopian, and there are a lot of SFF elements, but it's also a pretty dense experimental novel. I will say that the ending was cathartic for me, but that might have just been because I finally finished the sucker...
Aw, crap. Aeryl, you're right, and now I'm crying.
@3: Whoa! Yeah, I missed that one... and I love Shatner and all, but Betty White is WAAAAAY out of his league.
Chinderwear. Because where there's shame, there's a need.
@1: Thanks for catching that! We've added a link to the original post.
@2: I have attended many a wedding in my life, and I've learned that Weird Al will immediately bring the right kind of people to the dancefloor. :)
@1: A "stinger" is a post-credits sequence - I think the term was popularized by Mystery Science Theater 3000? This is one of the few summer movies that doesn't include one... However, there is some amazing concept art, so everyone should still stay for the credits!
@2: Thanks for pointing that out! It's fixed now, so everyone can enjoy Luigi's death stare.