The Bat Cave

Movies – As I said in my last movie post, writing has become one of my bottom priorities and here we are three months since I last made a movie post. Oh well, here are the reviews and/or ratings for every movie I’ve seen over that time. I’ve been going to the theaters at least once a week and Dina has even jumped back on the movie theater going experience as we’ve started taking our niece and nephew to a movie every other weekend. This has been a pleasant surprise as I’ve been seeing movies in theaters mostly by myself for years now. I still seem to be reviewing only about 33% of the movies I watch. The best movie I watched that I’ve never seen was Captain Fantastic. It was just a complete joy to watch. I think it is still streaming on Netflix and if you happened to miss it like I did, it’s time to make up for that mistake. Also, I think horror fans should check out the Fear Street trilogy on Netflix. It’s based on the kids book series by R.L. Stine (which I never read — I was a “Goosebumps” kid though), but it’s actually a pretty hard-R experience. I admittedly did not like the first movie, but I always had my eyes on the second one anyway because it looked like an homage to 1980s campsite slasher flicks and that horror sub-genre will always have a special place in my heart. Of course, I enjoyed that one, but I was surprised to also like the third movie and I think the last entry makes the whole trilogy substantially more enjoyable as a whole. It almost made me want to re-watch the first one.

• Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (2021, Hulu)
• The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021, HBO Max)
• Fear Street: 1994 (2021, Netflix)
• Naomi Osaka (2021, Netflix)
• Old (2021, Theaters)
• Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (2021, Theaters)
• Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021, Theaters)
• Freaky (2020, HBO Max, re-watch)
• Dredd (2012, Hulu)
• Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009, Netflix)
• Mulholland Drive (2001, HBO Max, re-watch)
• Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993, HBO Max, re-watch)
• Jurassic Park (1993, re-watch)
• Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989, re-watch)
• Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988, re-watch)
• Fright Night (1985)

Movies I watched, but didn’t review:

• Allen v. Farrow (2021, HBO Max) – 7/10
• Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One (2021, Prime Rental) – 6/10
• Black Widow (2021, Theaters) – 6/10
• Fear Street: 1978 (2021, Netflix) – 6/10
• Fear Street: 1666 (2021, Netflix) – 6/10
• Luca (2021, Disney+) – 7/10
• Mitchells vs. The Machines, The (2021, Netflix) – 7/10
• Palmer (2021, Apple TV+) – 7/10
• Pig (2021, Theaters) – 8/10
• Quiet Place Part II (2021, Theaters) – 8/10
• Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021, Hulu) – 7/10
• Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021, HBO Max) – 6/10
• Zola (2021, Theaters) – 7/10
• The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020, Netflix) – 6/10
• Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017, Netflix) – 7/10
• Captain Fantastic (2019, Netflix) – 9/10
• Matchstick Men (2003, HBO Max) – 8/10
• Hero (2002, HBO Max, re-watch) – 7/10
• Audition (1999, tubi) – 7/10
• The Fly (1986, re-watch) – 8/10
• Stand by Me (1986, Hulu, re-watch) – 8/10

2021 Best Feature Films: My top 25 of 2021 through July
2020 Best Feature Films: My top 25 of 2020 through July 2021
2021 Best Documentaries/Docu-Series: My top documentary style films of the year
Focused Watchlist: A list of 30+ movies that are at the top of my watchlist with a breakdown of how I formulate my picks
August 2021 – New to Theaters and Streaming: Ranking new and old movies I want to see coming to streaming or theaters this month

I also went crazy and made a best films of the year list for every year from 2020 to 1982, the year I was born. I ranked 25 films for 2000 and later and 10 films for 1999 to 1982. I started fizzling out on my lists in the early 90s as I just haven’t seen most of the important films from those early years when I was a kid. I have all the lists on my blog here. Enjoy!

T.V. Shows (Ratings out of 5)

• Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt’s Creek Farewell (2021, Netflix) – 3.5
• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021, Netflix) – 3.5
• Friends: The Reunion (2021, HBO Max) – 3.5
• Invincible season 1 (2020, Amazon Prime) – 3.5
• Mare of Easttown (2021, HBO Max) – 4.5
• Mighty Ducks: Game Changers season 1 (2021, Disney+) – 3
• Schitt’s Creek season 6 (2020, Netflix) – 4

Currently watching:

• Better Call Saul season 5 (2020, FX)
• Big Shots season 1 (2021, Disney+)
• Dave season 2 (2021, Hulu/FX)
• Loki season 1 (2021, Disney+)
• Rick & Morty season 5 (2021, Adult Swim)
• The Sopranos season 1 (1999, HBO Max, re-watch)
• Ted Lasso season 2 (2021, Apple TV+)

Music

• The Notorious B.I.G. – Ready to Die (1994, Rap)