Movie Scratches 2023: Babylon-- M3gan-- Otto-- Avatar

Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched in the theater in 2023

1.  BABYLON--  Fox Lake--  1-9--  $6--  The rise and fall of Hollywood folks during the transition from silent to talkies.  The other side of "The Golden Age of Hollywood."  That was one bodacious party.

2.  M3GAN--  FOX LAKE--  1-20--  $6--  A lot prettier than Chuckie.  Not as funny, but every bit as dangerous.  Those creepy eyes.

3.  A MAN CALLED OTTO--  1-25--  $6--  You cried, you laughed.  Other than trying to die (and he wasn't very good at it).    I have had a similar experience when my wife of 49 years died in September.  This one should be up for an Academy Award.  (It wasn't.)

4.  AVATAR:  THE WAY OF WATER--  1-31--  $7--  Quite the epic and in 3D  Again, it is bad, meanie humans against the innocent and good Navee.  Loved the culture shock between the land dwellers and water folk.

--RoadDog

'A Man Called Otto,' Crossword Puzzles, Word Searches, Half-Times and Some Snow

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25

Saw one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, "A Man Called Otto."  Besides him being old and living in a world he doesn't much care for and the loss of his long-time wife six months earlier, I felt I had a lot in common with Tom Hanks' character.   

If this movie doesn't get Academy Award nominations for best movie, actor and actress there is something mighty wrong.

I completed a Tribune Crossword Puzzle (the one on the comics page) with no help.  This is the first time I've ever done this.  If you'd told me six years ago that I world be doing crossword puzzles, I would have told you you're out of your mind.  Both my mom and wife were big fans of those.  Plus, I have come to enjoy word searches.  

Who'd have ever "figgered."

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26

Went to Half-Times for their $1 pints of Lite and half price pizza and sandwiches and had another one of their great TBC (turkey, bacon & cheese) subs.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 27

Stayed home today as it snowed all day.  It has snowed 1 1/2 to 2 inches every day starting Wednesday.  All that snow we haven't been getting, we're starting to catch up.  I still can't get the snowblower started, but so far I have been able to easily shovel accumulation off.

--RoadPuzzle

I'm Not Even Going to Watch the Academy Awards Tonight

And, there is a clear reason for it.  I haven't seen any new movies since February 2020.  And, there is a reason for that, too.  Enough said.

Normally, I will have seen at least five or six of the movies nominated as well as the other Oscars.  It makes it more fun when you can cheer for "your" movie.  Not so much fun if you don't have "your" movie to cheer for.

However, even without you-know-what, it is getting more difficult to see the movies these days.  

My biggest problems are movies that are only shown on streaming services like Netflix and others and the fact that so many nominated movies were just limited release.  It's difficult to see a movie if it is only out for a week or less.

Thankfully, my two local theater chains, Classic Cinemas and Regal Cinemas are nice enough to show many nominees in the month leading up to the Academy Awards Show so I di get the chance to see them.  And, I pretty much always agree with the people who pick the finalists.  Those shows nominated are very good movies.

So, I am not going to watch the awards tonight.

--RoadNo

These Movies Moved Me

Well, maybe I didn't see four of the movies nominated for Best Picture, but, in my opinion, I have seen two movies that SHOULD have been nominated but weren't.

They were "Just Mercy" and "The Last Full Measure."

"Just Mercy" was about a man's unjust conviction for a horrible murder in Alabama.  "The  Last Full measure" was about the effort to secure  the Medal of Honor for a Vietnam Air Force pararescueman.

These movies really moved me.  I see many movies and am almost always entertained, but it is the rare one that moves me.

--RoadDog

TAX FACTS:  Taxes eat up 38.2% of the average family's income; that's more than for food, clothing and shelter combined.

About the Academy Awards: Just Couldn't Handle Those Subtitles

Well,I decided to go ahead and watch the Academy Awards show on Sunday, despite the fact I hadn't seen four of the movies nominated for Best Picture, nor but 2 of 5 Best Directors. one Best Actor, one Best Actress, none of the Best Supporting Actors and 3 of 5 Best Supporting Actress and just one of the five Best Animated Features.

I did not see Best Picture nominees:

The Irishman
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood
Parasite.

I wish I had seen "Parasite" as this foreign film did very well, winning Best Picture, Best Director and a whole bunch of others.  I think if they had had best Actors and Actresses as well as supporting ones, they would have won those as well.

And, I had an opportunity to see it this past week at my local theater, but decided against it as it was all subtitled and even a real little bit of those subtitles goes a long way with me.

But generally, I find that all the films nominated for Best Picture are good ones.

Congrats to "Parasite."  Maybe I'll get A  Chance to See It Some Time.  --RoadSite

TAX FACTS:  60% of taxpayers must hire a professional to get through their own return.

About the Academy Awards

I haven't made up my mind as to whether I'll watch the Academy Awards tonight and mostly because I will have seen so few nominees.

I've seen:

BEST PICTURE

1917
Ford v Ferrari
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women

BEST DIRECTOR

Sam Mendes   1917
Todd Phillips   Joker

BEST ACTOR

Joaquin Phoenix

BEST ACTRESS

Saoirse Ronan

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Nobody

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Florence Pugh   Little Women
Kathy Bates   Richard Jewell
Scarlet Johansson  Jojo Rabbit

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

How to Train Your Dragon:  The Hidden World

--RoadMovies

JSIS: Democrats Behaving Poorly-- Just Mercy-- Congrats Kansas City

JSIS--  Just Some Interesting Stuff

1.  DEMOCRATS BEHAVING POORLY--  I watched the Presidential State of the Union Address, or should we have called it, "Democrats Behaving Poorly."  They hit a new low.  A bunch of petulant children.  Had they been in my classroom, especially the one sitting behind the President, they or she would have been sent to the principal's office.  And, both Liz and I did not vote for Donald Trump in the last election.  Maybe not this year, and we'd really like to vote against him again.

2.  "JUST MERCY"--  I just saw this movie this week and in my opinion should have had Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor nominations.  This movie really moved me and perhaps there is something to Blacks saying they don't get proper credit in the film industry.

3.  CONGRATS KANSAS CITY CHIEFS--  What a game!  One of the best Super Bowls ever.  What a comeback!!  Liz and I were pulling for the Chiefs since they are Midwest and win about as often as Chicago.  Loved the Bill Murray Jeep commercial.  We also were pulling for the 49ers with the local connection of quarterback Tony Garappalo from local Arlington heights and EIU, Jimmie Ward from NIU and Robbie Gould from Da Bears.

Well Have to See.  --RoadDog

JSS: Last Week for Lin Brehmer's WXRT Morning Show-- "1917" and "Star Wars IX"-- Jo Jo Rabbit"

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  LAST WEEK FOR LIN BREHMER'S WXRT MORNING SHOW--  After a real long time, WXRT's Morning Show host, Lin Brehmer is leaving the show, but not going too far as he switches from his 5:30 to 10 am slot for the afternoon slot from 10 am to 2 pm.

Most every morning, I listen to him (and former co-host Mary Dixon) if I am not listening over the internet to Jim Morgan at the Surf 94.9 FM out of Myrtle Beach, S.C.).

I'll sure miss him in the morning, even though he had that really bad case of Cubitis,  a huge love of the Cubbies.  Bit, at least now he will be able to stay up to watch his favorite team when they have night games.

2.  "1917" AND "STAR WARS IX"--  Yesterday, I went to the Fox Lake Theatres and saw these two movies for the second time.  Movies like this need to be seen on the Big Screen and in that wonderful surround sound.  And, not just seen once, but twice.

A 70-inch screen is good, but no comparison to the Big Screen.

3.  "JO JO RABBIT"--  I went to see this because it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Scarlet Johansson for Best Supporting Actress.  This was an outstanding movie with humor, sadness and the horrors of Nazi Germany.  Well worth seeing.

--RoadDog

TAX FACTS:  Even the easiest form, the 1040E has 33 pages of instructions, and all of it is in FINE PRINT!!

I've Seen Just One Best Actor Nominee and No Best Actresses

This happens every Academy Awards show to me.  When the nominees are announced, I haven't seen many in any category.  This is usually because the movies weren't shown at my local theaters or were out for just a very short time.

As I said in a previous post, I only saw two of the Best Picture nominees:  "Ford v. Ferrari" and "Joker."

The only Best Actor nominee I saw was Joaquin Phoenix for "Joker."

***************************

BEST ACTOR NOMINEES

Antonio Banderas ""Pain and Glory"
Leonardo DiCaprio  "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood"
Adam Driver  "Marriage Story"
Joaquin Phoenix  "Joker"
Jonathan Pryce  "The Two Popes"

**************************

BEST ACTRESS NOMINEES

Cynthia Erivo  "Harriet"
Scarlett Johansson  "Marriage Story"
Saoirse Ronan  "Little Women"
Charlize Theron  "Bombshell"
Renee Zellweger  "Judy"

Hopefully, my local theaters will bring most of these back again.

--RoadDog

TAX FACTS:  There are at least 480 different tax forms, each with many pages of instructions.

Well, It's Oscar Time Again, and, As Usual I Haven't Seen Many Nominees

From the January 14, 2020, Chicago Sun-Times "Nominees in Top Categories."

Now, I know I only saw 38 movies at the theaters last year (and four so far this year) and that is considerably less than the 52 or more I usually see.  But, come on, I only saw TWO of the movies nominated for Best Picture.  And, there were nine movies nominated.

You'd think with 38 movies seen I might have seen more than two?

I only saw "Ford v. Ferrari" and "Joker."

The others nominated:

The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood
Parasite

Now, I get to play catch up as Classic Cinemas and Regal Cinemas start showing the nominees.  As a matter of fact, I expect to see "1917," "Parasite" and "Jojo Rabbit" this upcoming week.

How Come I Don't Get to See These Movies on Release?  --RoadDog

TAX FACTS:  (From the Orange Peel Gazette)  The Gettysburg Address is 269 words, the declaration of Independence is 1,337 words and the Holy Bible is only 773,000 words (depending upon version)  However, the tax law (code) has grown from 11,400 words in 1913 to 7 million wods today.

Movie Scratches: Holmes-- Sex-- Green-- Vice

Movie Scratches--  A Dog's-Eye view of today's movies  (Seen at the theater).  After title, date seen, where, cost.

1.  HOLMES & WATSON--  1-8--  Fox Lake, $5--  "No s**t Sherlock."  How Holmes got his hat.  This film owes a big thanks to Monty Python.

2.  ON THE BASIS OF SEX--  1-24--  Fox Lake, $6--  The life and times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  Should have gotten Academy nominations.  Quite a woman.  Before this I just thought of her as the strange-looking Supreme Court Justice.

3.  GREEN BOOK--  1-27--  Fox Lake, $6--  One of the best movies I've ever seen.  Sure glad it's not that way so much anymore.  A movie on many levels.  I'd be surprised if this one doesn't get Best Picture.

4.  VICE--  1-29--  Fox Lake, free--  The life and times of Dick Cheney  Going for ultimate power by a very scary guy.

Sure Glad Some Theaters Are Now Showing Nominated Movies.--  RoadDog

IN 50 YEARS OF LIVING YOU LEARN:  Nobody cares if you can't dance well.  Just get up and dance.

As Usual, I Picked Awards Poorly

Well, at least I did get to see every movie nominated for Best Picture.

BEST PICTURE--  I picked "Dunkirk."  Winner "The Shape of Water."

BEST DIRECTOR--  I picked Christopher Nolan for "Dunkirk.  Winner Guillermo del Toro "The Shape of Water.

BEST ACTOR--  I actually picked the winner.  Who's a thought?  Gary Oldman for "Darkest Hour."

BEST ACTRESS--  Actually picked right here as well.  Frances McDormand for "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Mo."

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR--  I picked Woody Harrelson in "Three Billboards."  Winner was Sam Rockwell in "Three Billboards."  Close on this one, though.

VEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS--  Here I picked Laurie Metcalf in "Lady Bird."  Winner Allsion Janney in "I, Tonya."

--RoadDog

My Picks for Academy Awards

Yesterday, I went to Regal Cinemas in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, and saw the ninth of the nominated movies for Best Picture, "Phantom Thread."  I sure appreciate Regal Cinemas for running the nominated movies as I had seen just four of them.

I also have seen the movies of all five directors, 4 of the 5 Beast Actors, 4 of the 5 Best Actresses, 3 of the 5 Best Supporting Actors and 3 of the Best Supporting Actresses.

My picks:

Best Picture:  "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Director:  Christopher Nolan for "Dunkirk"

Best Actor:  Gary Oldman in "Darkest Hour"

Best Actress:  Frances McDormand in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Supporting Actor:  Woody Harrelson in "Three Billbords Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

Best Supporting Actress:  Laurie Metcalf  in "Lady Bird."

Well, My Picks, Anyway.  --RoadCritic

JSS: Academy Awards-- Driftwood Problems-- Prince O-Whales

JSS--  Just Some Stuff


1.  ACADEMY AWARDS--  A big thanks to Regal Cinemas in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, for devoting screens to showing the movies nominated for Best Picture in the Academy Awards.  Of the nine nominated, I had only seen four of them (despite having been to theaters 55 times in 2017):  "Darkest Hour", "Dunkirk", "The Post" and "Three Billboards."

I have since seen "Call Me By Your Name", "Lady Bird" and "The Shape of Water".  I plan to see the other two  this week.

2.  DRIFTWOOD PROBLEMS--  I have actually been able to catch up on my blogs after having all sorts of problems while at Panama City Beach at the Driftwood Lodge, which would not accept my laptop and at one time we didn't have enough power to get on line.

3.  PRINCE O'WHALES--  Last week, Liz called me from the computer downstairs to watch the episode on NCIS: LA in which the bar Prince O'Whales near Los Angeles was blown up.  We'd visited the bar back in 2006 when we were looking for NTN sites to play trivia.  It was surely a dive bar then, but still stands as an area in the back specially constructed for the site was blown up.  They even had a "See Us Get Blown Up" party.

Love Those Dive Bars.  --RoadDog

LOVEMAKING TIPS FOR SENIORS:  Set timer for 3 minutes, in case you doze off in the middle.

Movie Scratches: Cars-- Pirates-- Dunkirk-- Apes

Movies I have seen at the theater this year.

41.  CARS 3--  July 13--  Fox Lake, $6--  Battling the new hot-shot, faster rookies and Lightning gives his all for the Hudson.

42.  PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN:  DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES--  July 20--  Round Lake Beach, free--  Capn' Jack gets the Pearl back, a crew and a monkey.  Goodbye Barbossa.

43.  DUNKIRK--  July 28--  Fox Lake, $6--  The lines, the ships and boats, the planes, the horrors.  Simply surviving an ordeal.  This should get an Academy award nomination for Best Picture.  Definitely a movie that needs to be seen twice on the big screen.

44.  WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES--  August 3--  Fox Lake, $6--  Caesar's quest to get the Colonel and save the Apes.

Expensive, Expensive Popcorn.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You don't even wait for the water to boil anymore.

Working On Those 2017 Academy Awards Nominations for Best Picture

Last year, I saw 65 movies at the theater.  And, you'd think that out of that many, I'd have seen more than one movie that received an Academy nomination for Best Picture.  But "Hacksaw Ridge" was the only one.

The others:

Arrival
Fences
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures

La La Land
Lion--
Manchester By the Sea
Moonlight

However, I have busy at work catching up and now have seen these since last week:  "Arrival," "Hidden Figures," "La La Land" and "Manchester By the Sea."

Hopefully, the local theaters will be bringing some of them back.  I like to see as many of the nominations as possible.

Sadly, many of these movies either weren't shown in our area or had very short runs.

Watching way Too many Movies.  -RoadDog

2016 Academy Awards

I also saw two of the Best Acror nominees: Matt Damon "The Martian" and Leonardo DiCaprio "The Revenant."  My pick of these two would be DiCaprio.

For Best Actress, I saw Saoirse Ronan "Brooklyn", Jennifer Lawrence "Joy" and Brie Larson "Room."  All three put in great performances, but I would go for Saoirse Ronan.

I saw all five Best Supporting Actor nominees:  "Mark Rylance "Bridge of Spies," Sylvester Stallone "Creed,: Mark Ruffalo "Spotlight," Christain Bale "The Big Short" and Tom Hardy "The Revenant."  My pick is Sylvester Stallone.

best Supporting Actress I just saw one, Rachel McAdams "Spotlight."

For Best Visual Effects I saw four of the five nominees:  "Mad Max: Fury Road,"  "Star Wars: The Force Awakens,"  "Martian" and "The Revenant."  I pick "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Pooping the Corn for the Show.  --RoadDog

KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST THINGS:

3rd grade teacher:  Willie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
Willie:  Me!!

And I Also Saw All the Best Director Nominees

Yesterday I wrote that I had seen all eight movies nominated for Best Picture.

I also saw all five movies where their directors were nominated for best.

George Miller--  Mad Max: Fury Road

Lenny Abrahamson--  Room

Tom McCarthy--  Spotlight

Adam McKay--  The Big Short

Alejandro G. Inarritu--  The Revenant

My pick:  "Mad Max: Fury Road."

--RoadDog

A First for Me, I Saw All Eight Movies Nominated for Best Picture

Usually, the most I see of the movies nominated for Academy award for Best Picture might be half, but for some reason, I saw all eight this year, thanks to Classic Cinemas bringing back "The Room" and "Brooklyn."

Besides those two, I also saw:

Bridge of Spies
Mad Max: Fury Road
Spotlight
The Big Short
The Martian
The Revenant.

All of them were great in one aspect or another, but, if I had to pick an absolute favorite, it would be "Brooklyn."

I still think the Academy awards should have two categories:  Movies People Have Seen and Movies People Haven't Seen.

--RoadDog

Movie Scratches 2015: Magic-- Imitation-- Sniper-- Everything

Movie Scratches--  A dog's eye view of today's movies.  This is my snooty-snob list as three of the movies were nominated for Academy Awards for best movie.

9.  STRANGE MAGIC--  1-27--  Fox Lake, $5--  As the song says, "Love Is Strange."  Just in time for Valentine's Day.

10.  IMITATION GAME--  1-31--  Woodstock, $6--  Academy Award Best Movie nominee.  Using crossword puzzles and math to break the Nazi Enigma Machine.

11.  AMERICAN SNIPER--  2-4--  Fox Lake, $4.50--  Academy Award Best Movie nominee.  If it's by Clint Eastwood, it's GOOD!!  Way too much swearing, but these are younger folks to whom they are no longer swear words, mostly adjectives.  Protecting his men.

12.  THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING--  2-9--  Fox Lake, $6--  Academy Award Best Movie nominee.  Brilliance overcoming terrible disease.

Like the Seasoning Selections At Classic Cinemas.  --RoadDog


Cheer's Norm Peterson's Best Quotes:  Whatcha up to, Norm?  "My ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall."