What’s up guys? It’s been a while. Yes, my Sundays have been interrupted the past couple of months, meaning I have taken a brief hiatus from the “What I Watched, What You Watched” series. However, I’m back, refreshed, and ready to continue one of my favorite articles. This week was something of a mixed bag, as I saw a combination of the great movies currently in theaters and the garbage that will round out my bottom ten list. Of those films, three are up for review, and you can read Detroit’s and A Ghost Story’s here and here, respectively. The third, for War on Everyone, will be out later this week.
As for the week of drek, the two names you’ll likely be hearing at the end of the year are A Cure For Wellness and The Circle. I have a bit of begrudging respect for A Cure For Wellness, as it was trying to be a Lovecraftian epic horror that movies don’t really try to be anymore. However, just because I respect its efforts doesn’t make it an overall great film. Still, at least it’s better than The Circle. Look, every actor in The Circle is trying their best (or at least most of them), and it’s not incompetently directed, but the film is so clumsy and so dumb, there’s nothing salvageable. However, not everything I expected to hate ended up being bad. Both Table 19 and A Dog’s Purpose have some of the lower reviews out there right now, and I’m sure some (wrong) people will put them on their bottom ten lists. However, I ended up appreciating their earnest optimism, and while both were flawed and clichéd, I enjoyed myself more than I expected, and I can’t muster the anger to bash them. And in terms of older movies, I watched both In the Name of the Father and Julius Caesar. In the Name of the Father is an entirely exciting film, filled with wonderful direction and editing, and centered by great performances by Daniel Day-Lewis and Pete Postlethwaite. Meanwhile, Caesar is a bit dull in direction, but there really isn’t anything like watching great actors read the Bard’s dialogue. Hell, I actually dislike Shakespeare and I loved this rendition. James Mason is a solid Brutus, John Gielgud solidifies himself as one of the best Shakespearean actors as Cassius, and man, does Brando bring the house down as Mark Antony. I’d recommend both films to anyone trying to expand their film knowledge.
It’s been a bit of a dry spell for television, as the summer is a dead zone for the medium. I have been watching Game of Thrones, because at this point, who isn’t? I’m also excited to announce that Rick and Morty is back, and while the premiere isn’t quite as strong as the last two seasons, I can’t help but enjoy the antics of the hapless Morty and the nihilistic Rick. I’ve fallen behind on The Bachelorette, but I’ve watched enough to fall in love with Adam, Jr., although I’m already tired of “Whaboom.” And if you are looking for something to wind your week down with, look to ABC or Fox on Thursday, with the latter presenting pure entertaining garbage in Beat Shazam and Love Connection, while the former tries to live in the late eighties with their trio of Boy Band (hot trash), Battle of the Network Stars (old, entertaining trash), and The Gong Show (LOL what even is this). And on Friday, the Disney Channel gives us the nostalgic return of Raven-Symoné on Raven’s Home, the That’s So Raven sequel we’ve always wanted. Look, the show is not as strong as Girl Meets World, but Raven was always a better child actor than Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel combined, and the base level the show has established is still strong. I can endorse it.
Oh, and musically, I’m hoping to write reviews of the two best albums of the year right now, Pure Comedy and Melodrama, by Father John Misty and Lorde, respectively. You can listen to them alongside the real Song of the Summer (piss off, “Despacito”), “Cut to the Feeling.”
What about you? What have you been watching and listening to recently? Did you miss this segment? Is there anything you wish I’d do differently? Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll see you all next week!
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