Category: Uncategorized

Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West, RBG highlights the road to Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s 1993 Supreme Court Appointment and the recent “fandemonium” surrounding this living, historic figure. The film features clips from Gisburg’s hearings, many pictures and video of her personal life, as well as commentary from family, friends, former colleagues and associates.

Ginsburg’s life plays out like a divine plan specifically designed for her in order to lead her to sit on the highest Court in the Land. There are some people for whom life simply works out and Ginsburg appears to be one of these people.  Not that her life was without adversity, but everything that she experienced throughout the course of her personal life and career, including heartache and rejection, seemed to happen to serve a larger purpose. Ginsburg’s life is the perfect demonstration of the saying that success is where preparation meets opportunity, and when the opportunity arose, this woman was prepared.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg is dynamic and tough as nails without being loud, bossy, assuming or overbearing. She operates with such composure and drive, it is impossible she not be dubbed a hero after watching this film. Given her quiet demeanor, to attend and emerge from law school at a time when women becoming lawyers wasn’t even a consideration, and then go on and accomplish all she has accomplished, is praiseworthy, to say the least.

The thing I admire most about Ginsburg is the same thing I admire most about my own daughter; what I call her “charmed” work ethic. If I’ve never mentioned it (and I find it very hard to believe I haven’t up until now because I tell every person I meet, pretty much; at the supermarket, on the subway, at social events, at work, on the street, to acquaintances and random strangers alike… Give me an opening and I will slip it right into the conversation as casually as most people discuss the weather), I have a double Ivy Leaguer at home – Yale undergrad, Harvard Law School grad, about to take the bar exam next week! (No “luck” need be wished for the exam. Similarly to Ruth, this woman was built for this!). The thing I admire most and why I refer to the work ethic as “charmed” is because she achieves great things that most people consider daunting and makes them look effortless, despite there being much work behind the accomplishments.

RBG shows many elements and facets of Ginsburg’s life, her childhood and youth, her marriage, her parenting style from her children’s perspective, her drive and the adjustments she had to make throughout her education and career, her relationship with her granddaughter, her professional relationships, etc.; so, we get an in-depth picture of who Ruth is in all these different roles. Her most meaningful relationship with her late-husband is a love story for the ages. Every person should have such a powerful, unselfish support system. And you have not lived until you see an (then) 84 year old Ruth Bader Ginsburg working out!

The least interesting thing about this documentary for me was the entire “phenomenon” that has taken place in recent years with younger fans dubbing Ginsburg “The RBG”. I’m all for anything that sparks anyone’s interest in the law, politics and government, whether they be young or old, but these kids get just a tad annoying while acting as if they’ve discovered something new every time they find out about something that’s been around for what seems like forever, that they didn’t know about. (Do I sound old??? Oh well…) It was cute and all, and I understand clearly that this new-found fan base is what sparked the entire documentary. I get it. But I think Ruth’s story is certainly strong enough to stand on its own and I would have liked to have heard even more about her and from her. At an hour and 38 minutes, perhaps some filler was needed to get the film up to “feature film” length.

RBG earned 9 bloops out of 10.  If you have an interest in the law or politics or have a budding lawyer or politician in your life, RBG is a must see. Even if you have no interest at all in any of the aforementioned, RBG is a great movie that is worth a watch due to her historical place in and impact on society. Ginsburg’s story is inspirational and gives great insight into the life of a woman who is worthy of much admiration.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Blindspotting – I snagged late preview tickets to see this Wednesday, so the review will be published by Thursday evening
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again  – I really can’t believe I’m going to see this. Enjoyed the first one and they could have left it at that. It better be good!
Eighth Grade – I’ve already seen it and I can tell you right now, I didn’t love it as much as “the critics” or Rotten Tomato users seem to have. Who are these people?

Other Reviews

Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You
Superfly
Hereditary
Book Club
Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Directed by Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom), Won’t You Be My Neighbor is a documentary featuring the revolutionary Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, the beloved children’s show which ran for 33 years (1968-2001). On the show Fred Rogers explored various topics with young viewers through presentations and music in his Neighborhood and in the Land of Make-Believe. The film features clips from the show as well as commentary about Rogers from those who were closest to him.

I know that the word “revolutionary” isn’t one readily associated with Mr. Rogers. He was known as this laid back, genteel, gentle, boring, bland, vanilla, straight-laced, gentleman; but Rogers was, in his own special way, bad ass! Outside of being “Mr. Rogers,” I knew nothing about Fred Rogers before seeing this documentary, but I learned so much and his story is quite inspirational.

Personally, while growing up I never cared for the program Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. Even as a small child I could not help but wonder what was wrong with this man who played with these odd looking puppets and wasn’t a ventriloquist but cornily voiced some of them as if he were. Also, that King Friday the 13th was mean and scary to me. I did enjoy when there were real people on the show, but I wasn’t willing to sit through those nightmare-inducing puppets to get to the good parts. And, I suspiciously wondered, why the hell does this grown man like small children so much?… Yes, that is how my 3 and 4 year-old mind worked, so you could imagine the mess it is today! 😊

I’m here to tell you, I am a fan now! Not so much of the show (I still don’t think I could sit through those puppets, although it’s been many, many years since I’ve tried), but definitely of the man. What an exceptional human being.  This man was a visionary and pioneer in children’s television programming, the likes of which hadn’t been seen before or since, and may never be seen again. If you aren’t familiar with my personal background (here’s my Welcome message), I have a masters degree in school psychology, so Rogers’ love of children and the concern for their feelings and reactions really touched me. Most adults don’t realize the importance of acknowledge children’s feelings, much less take time to examine, validate, understand or explain them to the child. Due to his own childhood traumas Rogers was able to remember what it was like to be a child full of fear, hope, anger, joy, pain, questions and love. What a gift to still remember that vulnerability and  those feelings into adulthood, and have the ability to draw those emotions out in children and help them deal with them appropriately.

He also had/has plenty of lessons to teach adults, including reminders about kindness, unity, cooperation, civility, manners, friendship, self control, acceptance and love. Concepts that too many of today’s adults seem to have forgotten about or simply abandoned. If you don’t believe me, and I have stated this in previous posts, go on Facebook and look at a the comments under any post with even a hint of political undertones and see the nasty, name-calling rudeness, childish remarks, insults, tantrums, and crudeness. People even bring politics into apolitical posts just to get the fight started. This documentary could not be more timely as there are many examples of Rogers just being a decent human, consistently leading by example on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood and in his personal life.

If anyone told me this was going to happen, I would never have believed them. (It has only happened a very few times since I’ve been blogging about movies for the past two years. Moonlight, Miss Sharon Jones, The Lobster (these are the links to my reviews) in 2016, and although I  waited on it and we came so very close it never happened once last year (good thing I wasn’t holding my breath!), but Won’t You Be My Neighbor earned 10 out of 10 bloops. I absolutely loved it. I even want to see it again! It is a beautiful, well made, well organized, focused documentary that stands out and pays an outstanding tribute to a man who richly deserves it.

Even though it’s very early and award season is not upon us yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if Won’t You Be My Neighbor is nominated for Best Documentary, and it will be difficult to beat. If you are that person who goes to the movies once in a blue moon, whether you’re a fan of the man or the show or not, do yourself a favor and go see this one. You may not enjoy it as thoroughly as I did, but you will not be disappointed.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Eighth Grade – I’ve already seen it and I can tell you right now, I didn’t love it as much as “the critics” or Rotten Tomato users seem to have. Who are these people?
Blindspotting – I snagged late preview tickets to see this Wednesday, so the review will be published by Thursday evening
Mama Mia! Here We Go Again

Other Reviews

Sorry to Bother You
Superfly
Hereditary
Book Club
Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Written and directed by Boots Riley and starring Lakeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson, the comedy/fantasy/sci-fi film Sorry to Bother You is set in an alternate, present-day Oakland, where telemarketer Cassius Green (Stanfield) discovers the key to professional success. While the key opens doors he never imagined, it also puts him smack dab in the middle of a very controversial and dangerous  situation.

This film is complex, with many, many, many, many themes. The story is more about class than race. The owner versus the employee, the one who holds the purse strings vs. the one in need of money, the 99% vs. the 1%, etc. The under educated and disadvantaged, vs. the privileged. Those who have acquired some measure of success and/or wealth vs. those still struggling to do so. The Powers that Be vs. the rest of us. The racial issues were obvious and credible and were still directly related to classism. In this way, this is a very smartly written film.

Sorry to Bother You feels uncomfortable at times, because along with the funny moments there are moments where you question whether you should be laughing. It has this element of pure horror/science fiction that feels ridiculous on one hand, but on the other hand is not so far-fetched that one couldn’t believe that something similar might actually happen. The depiction of this near-future or alternate present day, semi-dystopian society is an exaggeration of where we (as a society) are headed and it’s not very far off from where our society is right now in terms of the things that hold our attention and the things we ignore and let slide.

The acting is solid. It is sometimes intentionally over the top, comical and alarming – at times, all at once. Lakeith Stanfield is so steady it’s always a pleasure to watch him. I’d love to see him play a different type of character for a change of pace – but I won’t knock the man for getting in where he fits in. The supporting cast did a great job, and since I didn’t watch one trailer and had no idea who else was in this movie I got a lot of fun surprises.

While the somewhat original story (I can think of a book it mirrors somewhat, but believe me, you’ll figure it out for yourself when you see it. We’ve all read it, if not at least heard of it and know what the book is about.) is very interesting, Sorry to Bother You is not without problems. Most noticeably, there is one major plot hole I can’t get over which really brought the caliber of the movie down quite a few pegs because there was no explanation as to how this event came about. There were times when Sorry to Bother You tries too hard and feels force. Also, there are so many themes that the story feels as if it needed to be reeled-in in some instances and fleshed out more in others.

Sorry to Bother You earned 8.0 out of 10 bloops. It is not everybody’s cup of tea, for certain. It is weird. But for those of you who like this type of film it is a great movie that shouldn’t be missed. After thinking about it (and you will think about it after watching), it is one of those movies that needs to be watched at least twice to get the full breadth of it, but I don’t think I want to watch it again; at least no time soon. Sometimes a disturbing or thought provoking movie merits a second watch, like The Shape of Water or Get Out or The Lobster (my reviews for each may be found in the links). While Sorry to Bother You may be semi-original, interesting and enjoyable with plenty of depth, it fails to provoke my thoughts enough that I feel that need for a second watch. It’s a great accomplishment for Riley’s first feature film and he certainly started off with a bang. I’m looking forward to seeing more from him.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Too many to name. I’ll be at the movies all weekend!

Other Reviews

Superfly
Hereditary
Book Club
Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Starring Trevor Jackson, Jason Mitchell and Lex Scott Davis, SuperFly (2018) is a remake of Super Fly (1972). It’s a story about a pimp and drug dealer trying to get out of “the game” alive.

I can’t compare this version to the original because I haven’t watched Super Fly (1972) in 40 years or so. Okay? I’m not a person who loves blaxploitation films, and I damn sure wasn’t gonna watch it again now for this review. I mean, I love my blog and everything, but let’s be serious. From what I remember of the plot the remake follows the original fairly closely with some twists and a few changes here and there, while attempting to modernize it. The main thing that has remained with me and those of my generation (and following generations) from Super Fly is, of course, Curtis Mayfield‘s awesome soundtrack.

What flew in 1972,1982, 1992, 2002 or even 2012 doesn’t really fly today. The glorification of the black man as drug dealer, gang banger, pimp, womanizing masochist, woman abuser, etc. needs to be put to rest unless there is some unique perspective or extraordinary story to tell behind it that hasn’t been told yet (i.e., Straight Outta Compton). The entire concept is tired, it’s old, we’ve seen it, we’ve done it, and I can only speak for myself, but I would rather not have to see it any more unless someone is going to do more work than warm up leftovers. Put some heart and purpose and soul and love and work into the project that the audience can feel and see and hear, and maybe, just maybe, something great could come of it. Otherwise, leave this genre in the past where it belongs. I am here for everyone having their stories told and getting work in Hollywood. What I am not here for is weak, tepid, lazy, storytelling; and I don’t care what ethnicity the cast or director or whoever is.

I would have rather seen a straight up remake that went for it – with the 70’s style music, cars, clothes, hairdos, streets, lingo, etc., or a total disassociation where the movie were named anything else, and let the audience pick up on what movie it is attempting to mimic. That would have been a much more interesting way to approach this project. Could have just called it Priest and let those in the know have the light bulb go off.

The action is okay, but how wrong can you go with evil characters, big guns, rival gangs, and one pretty great car chase scene that gets ruined somehow in the end with talking. Shut up and stop over-writing and over-directing! It was one of two blown opportunities for Scott Davis’s character to shine. If we’re modernizing, stop allowing the woman to play the helpless victim who knows her place and needs protection and give her some back bone!

As far as the music goes, the best song in SuperFly (2018) is one of Curtis’s from the original. Musically, there are very few scores composed by one person that can compare to Super Fly (1972). It is one of the few soundtracks in history that grossed more than the movie itself. That would be difficult, if not impossible to replicate, and no one here even tried.

SuperFly (2018) earned 5 out of 10 bloops. It’s Super Fly (1972)-lite without the great music. If kids have zero knowledge of the first movie, perhaps it can draw an audience that enjoys watching stereotypical roles, with stale story lines, serving up the same old-same old, attempting to make what is old, new again. Meh!

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom – Already seen it. Review pending.

Ocean’s Eight – Already seen it. Review pending.

Other Reviews

Hereditary
Book Club
Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Written and directed by Ari Aster and starring Toni Collette, Alex Wolf, Milly Shapiro and Gabriel Byrne, I can’t even really tell you what Hereditary was supposed to be about. What I can tell you is, whatever this movie was attempting missed the mark. Here’s how it is described on IMDB (2018): “When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.” So we’ll just go with this description, I guess.

I kid when I say I don’t know what it was about. I fully understood what happened in this movie, but the execution of that idea is weak and long-winded. With that being said, let’s get into it, shall we?

The horror here is expertly executed and is by far the strongest element of the film. The special effects, camera work, set design, make up, etc. are glorious for those who know good gore. The problem is that there is zero suspense in too many of the scenes in between the horrific moments. The pacing is off and even stagnant at times. Overall, I wasn’t afraid, creeped out or anxious. I was, however, on the edge of my seat a couple of times (and had one helluva jump where I yelped and cussed out loud! You know, that good kind of jump that shocks and leaves you with your mouth hanging open in disbelief! Yeah, it was one of those.) but that feeling was extremely inconsistent and when that feeling wasn’t present, Hereditary felt like some sort of “slice of life” film.

The drama is kind of interesting, until it isn’t, because it takes so very painfully and tediously long to get to the point and the story is soooo long winded. I turned my phone back on to check the time and see how much more of this I had to endure. I was one hour in and I debated whether or not to walk out. I figured I was already invested so I may as well get through it. This is not how one should feel whilst watching a movie.

The mystery is so convoluted it plays like a mystery inside of a riddle inside of who gives a hoot anymore because the story of the mystery is not very well told to begin with. Sure, I enjoy a film that doesn’t hold me by my hand and spell every little thing out for me, with that big “AHA! moment near the end; but along with all of that, there has to be enough explanation of the facts to get the audience to the AHA! (I don’t know how many times I have to write that before anyone pays attention.) Important things that should have been expounded upon were glossed over and unnecessary events could have been cut out. In this way, Hereditary reminded me of Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! (here’s my review), but a “lite,” less good, less well made, mess of a movie, version. And at least while watching Mother, even though it was crazy and self-indulgent, I was invested throughout most of it and wanted to see what crazy thing would happen next.

Along with those long, exhaustive spans of suspense-free time that wore me out, there were times when the audience just had to laugh (at times quite inappropriately), because any type of reaction was better than the “nothing” we were feeling. (I will speak for the audience here. The theater was filled to capacity. Don’t you hate that? But the boredom was palpable.) We also laughed quite a bit because some of the dialogue was so strangely written in places. There were several “Who says that!?” moments.

Hereditary earned a sad 4.5 out of 10 bloops. The storytelling is convoluted, too long, too boring at times, and some scenes are just poorly written. The horror is splendid, particularly for a movie that is lacking in suspense. It pains me to pan a movie because I understand the creativity and work that goes in to making one and people were so looking forward to this one, but Toni Collette’s and Ann Dowd’s talents were wasted here.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

I’m so far behind I don’t know where to begin! I haven’t been to the movies in a full month due to circumstances beyond my control, and I, along with this blog, have been slowly dying!!! I haven’t even seen Deadpool! So, bear with me while I catch up. In the meantime, I still have to see what is upcoming and keep up there as well. Such is blog life…

Ocean’s Eight – Which, by the way, if I didn’t have this blog I would have zero interest in seeing and I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised. While I cared for each of the stars of the original Ocean’s Eleven (1960), I didn’t care for Oceans 11 because it was simply a chance for a bunch of rich guys who happened to be friends to get together and goof off on screen. It is for the same reason I did not care for the 2001 remake and have never watched any of its subsequent installments.

Plus I have a few older reviews on ice I’ll be putting out whether the movie is still in the theater or not. It’s gotta come out on blue ray/dvd and start streaming sometime, so I might be able to help you save a couple of hours of your life doing something more constructive than watching a bad movie. You’re welcome..

Other Reviews

Book Club
Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starring Jane Fonda (80), Candice Bergen (72), Diane Keaton (72) and Mary Steenburgen (65), Book Club tells the story of four best friends who rediscover themselves while reading the Fifty Shades (of Gray, Darker and Freed) trilogy in the book club they started 40 years earlier.

I list the ages of the actresses because it is important to do so since the movie is about aging and humorously challenges the audiences’ ageist ideas. Written/directed by Bill Holderman and co-writer Erin Simms, Book Club does a good job of looking at aging from different perspectives, under different circumstances, with individual outcomes. Book Club never gets too heavy while delivering a message to empower seniors and educate those who hope to become seniors one day; that message being, the labels “Older” and “Old” do not have to be synonymous with “lifeless.”

Book Club vaguely reminded me of The Golden Girls. There is a reason why everyone loved/loves The Golden Girls so much. That show shocked us by shattering our collective ageist stereotypes like no other show before it. Any time this is attempted in the post-Golden Girls era, it creates an endearing nostalgia in me for those who were not only the first, but the best to ever do it. I’m all for any project which further destroys the outdated images of older women being “dried up” and sexually disinterested.

This movie is super cute. How could it not be? Look who’s in it! Four women who have held themselves together pretty well over the years (of course, keeping in mind that they are rich, which arguably makes it easier to do). I must say, Diane Keaton makes me want to make her some cheese grits with pork chops and gravy. She is (a phrase I thought I would never use in this lifetime) too thin. Those beautiful, stylish, often-times voluminous clothes that are her trademark now wrap around her too much and dwarf her, making already slight figure look frail and poor at times. Love her though, but Dear Diane, please put on 10 pounds. It’s okay now! She delivers in true Keaton fashion, doing what she does in the way only she can. Jane Fonda can do no wrong on a screen as far as I’m concerned. Candice Bergen looks great and even pokes fun at her weight. Steenburgen’s voice is just comic gold here.

I laughed out loud a couple of times, but the humor in Book Club is subtle, mature and well balanced. It’s like a coming of age story for the older generation. And this is not just another “chick flick.” Don Johnson (68 and still hot by the way), Ed Begley. Jr. (68) Andy Garcia (62 who looks better than he ever did before) and Craig T. Nelson (74) play the male counterparts to these ladies and do a great job. So there is a realistic male perspective to this story as well.

Book Club earned 7.5 out of 10 bloops. It is a good movie that shouldn’t be missed, but I’ll stop short of declaring it “great”. It is an enjoyable movie that will appeal to all ages, from the older crowd, to Fonda’s new found fans from Grace and Frankie, male and female alike.  Book Club helps to debunk stereotypes about older people, and allows older actors and actresses to shine. Go see it with your girls or drag your old man or your old lady. I think you’ll all enjoy it.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

I’m so far behind I don’t know where to begin! I haven’t been to the movies in a full month due to circumstances beyond my control, and I, along with this blog, have been slowly dying!!! I haven’t even seen Deadpool! So, bear with me while I catch up. In the meantime, I still have to see what is upcoming and keep up there as well. Such is blog life…

Ocean’s Eight – Which, by the way, if I didn’t have this blog I would have zero interest in seeing and I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised. While I cared for each of the stars of the original Ocean’s Eleven (1960), I didn’t care for Oceans 11 because it was simply a chance for a bunch of rich guys who happened to be friends to get together and goof off on screen. It is for the same reason I did not care for the 2001 remake and have never watched any of its subsequent installments.

Hereditary – I’m not certain how good this movie will be or what it’s supposed to be about, but I am there for anything starring Toni Collette,

Plus I have a few older reviews on ice I’ll be putting out whether the movie is still in the theater or not. It’s gotta come out on blue ray/dvd and start streaming sometime, so I might be able to help you save a couple of hours of your life doing something more constructive than watching a bad movie. You’re welcome..
Past Reviews

Avengers: Infinity War
You Were Never Really Here

Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Starring almost anyone you could name and far too many to name because I don’t want to be sitting here creating hyperlinks all day, Avengers: Infinity War features the The Avengers and their allies sacrificing all in an attempt to defeat the all-powerful Thanos before he puts an end to not just the world, but the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War is a technical masterpiece. I opted for 2D since I saw it at 8 a.m. at Alamo Drafthouse (and there were absolutely no cocktails involved, although they were being served. I guess it was 5 p.m. somewhere…). I wasn’t in a 3D mood at that hour of the morning. Not today. It is stunning to look at and I would imagine the 3D to be a more immersive experience. The CGI and other special effects are literally awesome. The set design, costumes, props, sound, lighting, editing – everything about Infinity War is a visual treat. The choreography and technical aspects and logistics of the fight and battle scenes were most enjoyable. And the weapons were aaah-mazing!

Okay. Let’s cut to the chase. Changing the narrative from “save the world” to “save the universe” didn’t make this movie feel any more fresh than any other movie where a superhero or superheroes work to save the world. The “save the world” story line is tired. At least I’m tired of it (and have been for a long time), so Infinity War wasn’t as much of a life changing experience for me as it might be for you if you are a super fan of the genre, obviously.

If a two hour 29 minute movie can sustain itself using only two cuss words, it can sustain itself cuss free. Just make a PG movie and skip the cuss words, as these couple of words are the only reason the -13 is added on. I am a cussing machine in real life. Ask almost anyone who has ever met me and they can tell you all about it. But this tactic of using cuss words as jokes, movie, after movie, after movie, after movie, is stale. Admittedly, those words get the same audience response every time, but now it feels as though people have somehow almost been programmed to laugh out loud.

And why 2 hours and 29 minutes? Huh? The length of the movie does not directly correlate to its quality. Do studios feel the audience believe the longer the film the more satisfied they will be with the product? There were definite lulls here, times where I shifted in my seat, rolled my eyes and checked the time, as did others around me. Never during the action sequences, of course; but there were times. And that stay until the end of the never ending credits is ridiculous. I don’t look at this hostage situation as the treat super fans seem to perceive it to be. After 2 hours 29 minutes, I’m ready to go. I don’t know about you, but I have things to do… It was bad enough I had to leave home at 7:30 to catch the damn movie in the first place. (Sorry, not sorry. I’m tired.)

The acting, as usual, is what it is. There are no Academy Award winning performances here and there will be no quibbling about anyone being snubbed next year. I must admit that it felt epic to see all these characters in one film. Problem was, at times the movie felt choppy as we shifted back and forth between sets of characters, from location to location to location, and back again. Infinity War has a lot of moving parts that don’t always mesh together so seamlessly.

Avengers: Infinity War earned 8 out of 10 bloops. It’s not a perfect movie, but it is undeniably, technically great. The technical greatness making it better than an average popcorn movie, and one that is without a doubt worth seeing on the big screen. I would recommend 3D if you’re into it and can handle the cost. Try not to sit too close to the front if you can get in at all this weekend without having purchased advanced tickets. Good luck with that!

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

I’m too tired to say. Right now, I’m going to take a nap!

Past Reviews

You Were Never Really Here
Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Based on Jonathan Ames‘ 2013 novel, You Were Never Really Here stars Joaquin Phoenix as an underworld contract employee who rescues trafficked girls. Joe (Phoenix) is a traumatized American war veteran whose profession validates him while at the same time helping to traumatizes him further. When a job that seems simple enough spins out of control, Joe is pushed beyond his limits as he pieces together who is responsible for the ensuing carnage.

It takes a good deal of time before the audience learns what is going on in this movie. I started to walk out after checking my phone at 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes in…  in anticipation that it wasn’t going to get much better. But, I hung in there and was pleasantly surprised at times. I am glad I finished it by the end.

The editing, camera work, cinematography, make up, lighting and set design, are all very well done. Technically, You Were Never Really There is an interesting watch with a lot of small details that command attention. The music (by Johnny Greenwood) provides an almost too perfectly eerie backdrop to the subject matter and action. Due to Greenwood’s music, things get “horror movie” creepy at times, providing an almost palpable and nearly physically repulsive intensity to the plot. You may never look at some seemingly innocent standards the same again.

Phoenix, as usual, gives an intense and outstanding performance as this traumatized vet living a double life as a “bad guy” at work and “good guy” – dare I say, a great guy, or. rather, guy being the best he can – at home. Joe vacillates between brutality and tenderness as easily as a light switch can be flicked on and off. And he is bad-ass with it! You feel for him, you root for him, you want him to win at all cost, in spite of any moral issues that may exist, and there are many. Joe is the consummate anti-hero. I had a semi-difficult time finding out the name of the young lady who starred as the child in need of rescue who is at the core of the plot. I found it, but will not publish it because the plot deals with trafficking and pedophilia, so I will assume this is an effort to somehow protect her identity. The identities of many of the other young girls featured in this film are published without pictures. Sadly, there are a lot of sick people in the world, so this is understandable and commendable. The young star did excellent work as this traumatized child and I look forward to seeing her future projects. I cannot even imagine the psychological effects of playing such a role, even though I’m sure You Were Never Really Here was shot and edited in a way to shield her from much, if not all, of the featured violence and the extreme gravity of the subject matter.

You Were Never Really Here, while at times suspenseful and somewhat well paced, comes across as a muddled, disjointed piece. It uses many flashbacks to explain too much of the present. The flashbacks interrupt the pace of the film too often and are not fully explained, leaving the audience to put together just a bit too much of the puzzle of Joe and his current issues, which include hyper suicidal ideation and fixation, PTSD, social emotional issues and how they play into the personal and professional relationships in his current life, what is going on and who is responsible, etc.  This is both the beauty and the flaw in You Were Never Really Here.

There is too little character development of the major players in this job-gone-wrong to satisfy. I enjoy a movie that has moving parts that somehow come together at the end and this is a movie that forces you to think, but the convoluted story line isn’t cohesive enough for the audience to satisfactorily arrive to the climax. (Full disclosure, which I always give – I’ve not read the book, so perhaps the format of the film was meant to mimic the format of the book, similarly to The Girl on a Train, which was the failing of that film. (Here’s my review). You Were Never Really Here opens strong, then takes far too long to get to the point of it all. I’m not sure how much of this can be attributed to direction or screenplay writing, both done by Lynn Ramsey.  So either way, the onus falls on Ramsey. The result is a deflated “aha” moment that could have and should have had much greater impact. The moments of revelation feel weak and full of missed opportunity.

You Were Never Really Here earned 7.5 out of 10 bloops. The acting, score and suspense put it over the top. Phoenix and his co-stars (honorable mention to Judith Roberts) give fantastic performances in a movie that simply over-directed  and too , muddled to come together cohesively.  It is otherwise technically beautiful and worth a watch.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Chappaquiddick
Truth or Dare
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami

Past Reviews

Rampage
A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Rampage, starring Dwayne Johnson and Naomi Harris, tells the story of the aftermath of a failed genetic experiment which takes place in space. Following an explosion, debris from the destruction of the spacecraft on which the experiment was being conducted falls to earth and causes a few animals to become contaminated by pathogens that make them super sized, super strong, super fast and super aggressive. The military, other government forces, and The Rock, try to figure out ways to stop these super beasts and the potential destruction they may cause to the city of Chicago. In the meantime, the evil corporate power responsible for the experiment races to get their hands on these super beasts in the name of profit.

I opted not to see Rampage in 3D, so I can’t say whether it’s worth the extra money or not. I just wasn’t in a “3D type of mood” today. The set design, action and cinematography are wonderful, so I could see it being worth a 3D viewing, perhaps. The effects are fine. And any time there is a fight among giant beast on the big screen is a good time as far as I’m concerned.

The acting is fine with some humor and much intensity and urgency. I mean, we’re trying to save the world here people, but there’s always time for a little joke. Right? If you’re a fan of Dwayne Johnson, you pretty much know what you get with him. He can probably perform these roles in his sleep at this point. Here he delivers more of the same, which is not necessarily a bad thing. He is consistent, and knows how to pick roles that suit him. Big dude saves the day. Again. The end. Jeffrey Dean Morgan  does a great job in his role as the agent who works for the “other” government agency. Naomi Harris is an excellent actress, but there was zero chemistry between these two lead characters. I understand that a check is a check and the opportunity to be in a movie with The Rock is significant, but I don’t think she really “fit” here.

The main problem with Rampage is the writing. Rampage is like a mixture of King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Jurassic Park, Godzilla, with a touch of Planet of the Apes and a few other movies we’ve all seen before. Animal lovers should enjoy it very much because George, the featured ape, will steal your heart. At times unexpected things occur. I had one really effective scare. It is suspenseful in a sense, but on the same token, it is also boilerplate, with some very predictable scenes that could have been better thought out and more creatively choreographed. There is the same beckoning the “monster” to distract it, continuously shooting at this thing with absolutely no possibility of stopping it with fire power from guns, luring one creature to attack another, one person in charge not taking the good advice, leading to potentially catastrophe results, etc., etc., etc. There just isn’t enough originality here to make Rampage stand out from similar movies that have been done before, and been done better.

Rampage earned 6.5 out of 10 bloops. It’s not bad, but it certainly could have been much better, and falls short of being what I would call “good.” Visually, it is definitely worth a big screen watch (I would recommend you turn off the water on the 4XD chair, unless you enjoy the spray.). Less jaded movie goers, a/k/a the youngsters, will probably enjoy Rampage more than I. Be forewarned, it is PG-13, and not because of foul language, but foul gestures, which are meant to be humorous. If you’re looking for a movie to kill a bit of time over the weekend you could do worse, but I’m sure you could do better.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Chappaquiddick
Truth or Dare
Beruit
Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami

Past Reviews

A Quiet Place
Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt star as husband and wife, Evelyn and Lee Abbott, in A Quiet Place. The Abbotts live in silence with their children, as they try to hide from creatures that hunt by sound. The smallest peep could be the difference between life and death. Millicent Simmonds (Regan) and Noah Jupe (Marcus) round out the cast as the Abbott children.

Written by Bryan Woods and Scott Beck, A Quiet Place is unique because it is a horror film with close-to-zero dialogue, yet it manages to sustain its intrigue throughout with the use of music, suspense, jump scares, an interesting premise and plot, and some fine camerawork, makeup and special effects. I can’t say one more thing or it will all be ruined. Go see it. It is terrific.

The entire cast did some really great, heart-felt acting, even during the one or two forgivable times where the plot was predictable. Simmonds and Jupe are absolutely amazing as these children living under the most stressful conditions imaginable in this post-apocalyptic world. The ability to convey such emotion, terror, fear, joy, etc. without uttering a word at such a young age, is nothing short of remarkable. Blunt and Krasinski give great performances; perhaps better than I have ever seen from each of them and at the least, certainly departures from their previous roles. And who knew John Krasinski had sex appeal? Certainly not I! Keep in mind, Krasinski starred in, directed and wrote the screenplay to this thing, so this is his baby and he took great care with it. Kudos Krasinski! Kudos!!!

This movie is nearly everything one wants in a movie, particularly a horror movie, when leaving the comforts of one’s home to pay to sit in a theater and watch. The premise is semi-unique (replace “hunt by sound” with hunt by movement (any zombie movie, but Train to Busan comes to mind, here’s my review), or hunt by breathing (Don’t Breathe comes to mind, here’s my review), or by light, or by body temperature, or whatever – and you can come up with a similar premise that has been done before), but the nearly silent execution of this one is still very, very well done and very, very cool.

A Quiet Place is not without faults, but they are minimal(ish) and I can’t even go into those without ruining it all for those who haven’t seen it yet, so I won’t. You’re probably saying, “What kind of ridiculous review is this?!!” Trust me, don’t read any spoilers, or any reviews where spoilers are mentioned.  If you haven’t seen a trailer, don’t watch one. Just go and enjoy this movie if you’re a fan of the genre. You may not like it as much as I did, but I can very nearly promise that you won’t hate it. That’s the best I’ve got folks. Okay… I will say, people make some really ridiculous life decisions at the most preposterous times. And A Quiet Place could have used more plot twists. Not that there is anything wrong with straight forward story-telling, but I really longed for (particularly since the movie was basically a silent film) something that made the entire audience say, “OOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!!!” You know what I mean?!!! That never happened, and it would have been great if it had.

A Quiet Place earned 8 out of 10 bloops. It’s a great movie, that is worth the price of admission and seeing in a theater just for the atmosphere and to see the masterful way silence is used as a terror tactic. The acting elevates the film. The effects, gore and makeup aren’t overdone. And for some reason I assumed it was rated R rather than PG-13. Thinking about it further, there were a couple of people who saw it with children who were about 8 years old and it gave me pause. But it is a good film to take a tween/teen or any adult to see to give them a lesson in going without a cell phone or social media, and silence. It forces one to engaging in the world, or rather, the experience of the movie without modern day distractions. Not that anyone longs to engage with other-worldly creatures in a life or death scenario, or anything; but the silence in the film requires a commitment to attention that may be beneficial to us all.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll down, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1 

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Love, Simon – for some reason this review is taking me for.ever. to write. I’m almost done though and when it is done I will post it.

Blockers

The Miracle Season

Chappaquiddick

Past Reviews

Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time
Lady Bird
I, Tonya
The Florida Project
Black Panther
Molly’s Game
The Post
Phantom Thread
Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World
Coco
The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist
Call Me By Your Name
Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri
The Shape of Water
Marshall
The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul
Thor: Ragnarok
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!
It
Good Time
Atomic Blonde
Dunkirk
Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Big Sick
Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me 
It Comes at Night 
The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman
Everything, everything
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw
Kong: Skull Island
Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts
A Cure for Wellness 
Get Out
Hidden Figures
Fences
Moonlight
Hell or High Water
Loving
La La Land
Lion
Manchester by the Sea
Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge
Nocturnal Animals
Captain Fantastic
Elle
Jackie
I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster