2024 Movie Scratches: Dolls-- Panda-- Arthur-- Things

These are movies I saw in the theater this year.

17.  DRIVE AWAY DOLLS--  2-29--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Two gay women go on quite a road trip.  Best movie line ever?  "You're a day late and a dick short."

18.  KUNG FU PANDA 4--  3-12--  Woodstock--  $6--  The Dragon Warrior battles the Chameleon Lady and finds a successor.

19.  ARTHUR THE KING--  3-19--  Fox Lake--  $6--  An unexpected treat  One of those feel-good movies.  And you thought the triathalon was hard.

20.  POOR THINGS--  3-20--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Frankenstein meets nudity.  Lots of unique characters in this one.

--RoadMovie

2024 Movie Scratches: Dune-- Lisa-- Bad-- Marley

Movies I saw at the theater.

13.  DUNE--2-12--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Very confusing sci-fi movie, but I hadn't seen this when it came out and now part 2 is coming.

14.  LISA FRANKENSTEIN--  2-20--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A love story of a different sort.  A misfit girl falls for a dead beau from the 1800s and Bobbetized a guy.

15.  LAND OF BAD--  2-20--  Fox Lake--  $5--  All the action and high yech you could ever want.  Lots of folks got killed.

16.  BOB MARLEY:  ONE LOVE--  2-27--  Woodstock--  $6--  Great story, and of course, all that great reggae music.

--RoadMovie

2024 Movie Scratches: Anyone-- Fiction--- Godzilla-- Argyle

Movies I saw at the theater in 2024:

9.  ANYONE BUT YOU--  1-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  And they both meant it, but not really.  Hilarious situations in this rom-com.

10.  AMERICAN FICTION--  2-1--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Here's to you "wokers.  I'd vote for this as Best Picture.

11.  GODZILLA MINUS ONE--  2-1--  Fox Lake--  In black and white.  A throw-back on those 1950s Japanese Godzilla movies.  In Japanese.

12.  ARGYLE--  2-8--Fox Lake--  $7--  So, what's real and what's not.  One way to write a book.

--RoadDog

2024 Movie Scratches: Boat-- Migration-- Swim-- Beekeeper

These are movies I saw in the theater this year.

1.  THE BOYS ON THE BOAT--  1-8--  $7--  Fox Lake--  Against all odds, the Davids beat the Goliaths and go on to win Gold in the 1936 Olympics.  Adolph was not happy.

2.  MIGRATION--  1-8--  $7--  Fox Lake--  Fox Lake--  Overcoming huge obstacles to get to Jamaica for a family of mallard ducks.

3.  NIGHT SWIM--  1-11--  FREE--  There is something wrong with our swimming pool.  A life for a life.  Beware flickering lights and the toy boat.

4.  THE BEEKEEPER--  1-11--   $7--  A guy you'd best not get on the wrong side of.  Rambo would be proud of this guy.  Protecting the hive and killing with politeness.

I am aiming to see 52 movies at the theater.

--RoadDog

Movie Scratches 2023: Groundhog-- Brady--Plane-- 65

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in the theater in 2023.

5.  GROUNDHOG DAY--  2-5--  Woodstock--  $2--  There wasn't one today.  What if there is no tomorrow.  Nothing like seeing this great flick on the big screen and in a theatre that was actually in the movie.

6.  80 FOR BRADY--  2-10--  Super Brady fans  What those ol' gals got into?  Four lasses on the loose and their "particular" skills that avoided disaster.

7.  PLANE--  2-10--  All the action you could possibly want from a storm, lightning strike, jungle landing and those mean old rebels.

8.  65-   3-31--  Fox Lake--  $7--  Earth 65 million years ago was not a friendly place.  If the dinosaurs don't get you, that big ol' asteroid thing will.

--RoadDog

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

2022 Movie Scratches: Amsterdam-- Devotion-- Black Panther-- Father Stu-- Violent Night

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater.  I did not go to any movies between when Liz died on September 23 and December.

21.  AMSTERDAM--  9-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A very historic who-dun-it.

22.  DEVOTION--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be there for me and his wingman certainly was, including crash landing his plane to save him.

23.  BLACK PANTHER--  12-9--  Fox Lake--  $6--  It's the Wakandans vs. the blue-skinned underwater-living descendants of the Mayans.

24.  FATHER STU--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--  A ne-er-do-well finds his true calling as a priest then has his ultimate test of faith.

25.  VIOLENT NIGHT--  12-13--  Fox Lake--  $5--What did Santa do on the barmaid.  One wild and crazy Santa.  All the blood and gore you could possibly want in a Christmas movie.

--RoadDog

POINTS TO PONDER:  Why is it called hamburger when it is made of BEEF?

2022 Movie Scratches: Minions-- Pets-- Bullet-- Invitation

2022 Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in the theater in 2022.

17.  MINIONS:  THE RISE OF GRU--  8-9--  Woodstock--  $5--  How Gru got so despicable.    Hard to teach a Minion kung fu.  

18.  D.C. LEAGUE OF SUPER PETS--  8-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Talk about your motley  crews of pets with super powers and how the rest of the D.C. Superheroes got their pets.

19.  BULLET TRAIN--  8-30--  Fox Lake--  $5--  Brad Pitt sure isn't James Bond.  Talk about your  fickle hand of fate.  One of the best movies I've seen.

20.  THE INVITATION--  9-8--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Be very selective if invited to strangers' parties.  Quite proper English and mean old Victoria.

Like I Said Before.  Good To be Back At The Movies.  --RoadDog

2022 Movie Scratches: Thor-- Elvis-- Crawdads-- Nope

Movie Scratches for 2022--  Movies I saw in the theater.

13.  THOR:  LOVE AND THUNDER--   7-21--  Fox Lake--  $6--  A love story of a different sort.  An Zeus is a real codger.

14.  ELVIS--  7-28--  Fox Lake, $6--  As bad as the Colonel was, Elvis wouldn't have been as big without him.  I didn't see the whole movie the first time as I started coughing a lot and that's just not the thing to do these days.

15.  WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING--  8-4--  Fox Lake-- $6--  Now I understand about all those praying mantis mentions.   A real hard life for the Marsh Girl.

16.  NOPE--  8-8--  Fox Lake--  $6--  A real "One-Eyed, One Horned Flying Purple People Eater."   Horses and a mad chimp.  So, that's why all those balloon men. 

--RoadDog

2022 Movie Scratches: Bob's-- Maverick-- Elvis-- Dominion

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater in 2022.

9.  BOB'S BURGERS MOVIE--  6-14-- Woodstock--   $5--   Love the characters, especially frequent diner Teddy.  But do they have to sing about everything?  It gets annoying.

10.  TOP GUN MAVERICK--  6-27--  Fox Lake--  $6--   "You told me not to think!"   The Mav and Goose's son make up.

11.  ELVIS--  7-12--  Woodstock--  $5--   The Colonel was certainly a Flim-Flam man.  Was the Colonel a good guy or a bad guy.  Tim Hanks for Best Actor Oscar.  Great music.

12.  JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION--  7-14--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Bringing back the old cast (well, at least the ones not eaten).  Barbasol Shaving Cream and spittinig dinosaurs.  Dinosaurs and humans living together in a Ghostbusters thing as Bill Murray can tell you.

$6 Matinees at Classic Cinemas.  $5 on Tuesdays.  --RoadMovie

2022 Movie Scratches: Ambulance-- Lost-- Strange-- Beasts

Movie Scratches for 2022--  Movies I saw at the theater this year.

5.  AMBULANCE--  4-21-  Fox Lake--  $6--  All that screen action will wear you out.  Has there ever been  a better chase?  And so many funny moments.

6.  LOST CITY--  4-28--  Fox Lake--  $6--  When fiction becomes the real thing.What has happened to our Harry Potter?

7.  DOCTOR  STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS--  5-10--  Woodstock--  $5--  The good doctor can sure take a beating, but keeps on ticking like the old commercial used to say.  And, of course, there's that third eye.

8.  FANTASTIC BEASTS:  THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE--  5-13--  Fox Lake--  $6--  That Creedence sure reminds me of Professor Snape.  What?  No Depp?  Still, like the Niffler and Bowtruckles.

--RoadFlick

2022 Movie Scratches: Godfather-- Batman-- Morbius-- Uncharted

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw at the theater in 2022.

The last movie I had seen at a theater was in February 2020 and then, COVID-19!!  I finally went back to see my first movie since then on March 24 of this year.  Before that, I had been trying to see 50-60 movies a year.

And, what better movie to get back into a theater than the 50th anniversary of that great movie "The Godfather."  I show the date I saw it, where and how much.

1.  THE GODFATHER--  3-24--  Fox Lake--  $6--  Still making those offers which can't be refused fifty years later.  What a way to return to the movies after that virus thing.   The last movie I had seen in a theater was on February 28, 2020, when I saw "Birds of Prey."

2.  THE BATMAN--  3-31--  Fox Lake--  $6--  You've sure got a lot of cats.  That Riddler was pretty deep.

3.  MORBIUS--  4-12--  Woodstock--  $5--  Watch out for the cure's side effects.  All batty.  A vampire with a conscious.

4.  UNCHARTED--  4-14--  Fox Lake--  $6--    Feed the cat. Where'd they hide the gold?  A cross between Indiana Jones and National Treasure.

Good To be Back.  --RoadMovie

2020 Movie Scratches: Dolittle-- Prey

Movie Scratches--  A Dog's Eye View of movies I saw at the theater in 2020.

Little did I know at the time, but when I saw Birds of Prey at the Fox Lake Theater in Fox Lake, Illinois, on February 28, that that would be the last movie I saw for 2020.  And, here in January 2021, I still haven't been back to the theater and there is a good reason for it.  Something spelled virus.

Hopefully this year I will be able to go back into a theater.  I'm chomping at the bit so hard to see one, I will even buy that super expensive popcorn as well.

I'm just hoping the virus doesn't (or didn't) put the local chain, Classic Cinema, out of business.

For 2020, them, I saw a total of 14 movies.  I usually see at least 40 a year and often 50-60 movies a year.

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

13.  DOLITTLE--  2-18--  What an animal menagerie.  I especially liked the cowardly gorilla.  The dragon goes on an armor and bagpipe free diet.

14.  BIRDS OF PREY--  2-28--  Harley gets over her breakup with the Joker.  Dodges person wishing her ill health.  Does a lot of kicking.  Gotta love Harley.

So Much for 2020.  --RoadGottaSeeMoreMovies

Past Movie Scratches (See If You Can Guess These Movies): Crusade-- Vacation-- Express-- Scrooged-- McPhee-- Feet

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.  Sure going to have a lot of these for 2020 because of you-know-what.

A Dog's Eye View of the movies.

97.  INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE--  12-3--  "Don't call me Junior."  "Nazis, I hate those guys."  "X" doesn't mark the spot.

98.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  12-4--  Just imagine living next door to Clark Griswold.   Even if you're not a snooty yuppy.

99.  POLAR EXPRESS--  12-6--  "We're on a tight schedule" and what a ticket punch.  You've got to believe to hear that bell. 

100.  SCROOGED--  12-8--  Loved the Ghost of Christmas Past and Christmas Present.  Christmas Present could really hurt you, but Christmas Future scared me.

101.  NANCY McPHEE--  12-9--  "I did knock."  A "government nanny?"  Squares the kids up with the 5 Lessons and then there were the facial changes.

102.  HAPPY FEET--  12-10--  I can't stop dancing.  Great music and the choreography of those animated penguins!!    Mumbles couldn't sing, but sure saved the day.

"Christmas Vacation" Is My Second Favorite Christmas Movie.  --RoadLights

THINGS TO PONDER:  Why do we drive on parkways and park in driveways?

Past Movie Scratches: Vacation-- European-- Gremlin-- Christmas-- Vegas-- Azkaban

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw on TV in 2019.

85.  VACATION--  11-25-- Hitting the road in the family Truxter (Truckster?).  But, poor Aunt Edna and her little doggie don't make it all he way.   "How much you got?"

86.  EUROPEAN VACATION--  11-11-25--  Clark pretty well destroys Europe, unintentionally, of course.  Goodbye Stonehenge and the riot at Oktoberfest.

87.  GREMLIN--  11-25--  Those Gremlins were having way too much fun in that bar.

88.  CHRISTMAS VACATION--  11-26--  If anything can go wrong with Clark's good old-fashioned family Christmas, it does.

89.  VEGAS VACATION--  11-26--  It's Clark vs. the blackjack dealer while the rest of the family does well.  Clark, not so well.

90.  HARRY POTTER:  PRISONER OF AZKABAN--  11-28--  Sirius Black is on Harry's side and was a good friend of his parents.  Meet the Dementors.  All those flying witches or whatever they are and their bad sucking attitudes.

Waiting for the Commercial Breaks.  --RoadDog

TRIVIA:  What Texas band had a hit with 1984's "Legs?"  

ZZ Top

Past Movie Scratches: Country-- Joyful-- Awakens-- Minions-- Mummy-- Jurassic

Past Movie Scratches--  Movies I watched on TV in 2019.

37.  PURE COUNTRY--  2-16--  Great music, but George should definitely keep his day job.

38.  JOYFUL NOISE--  2-17--  Singing through the hard times.

39.  STAR WARS:  THE FORCE AWAKENS--  Sure gonna miss Han.  Imagine getting killed by your son.

40.  MINIONS-- 2-23--  How they began and how they found Gru.  "No laughing in the dungeon!!"

41.  THE MUMMY--  2-24--  "Bugs.  I hate BUGS."  Especially those little scarab flesh-eating ones.

42.  JURASSIC WORLD--  2-24--  Those pesky assets.  It's corporate greed vs. the dinosaurs.  The dinosaurs win.

But, At Least Jimmy Buffett Didn't Drop His Margarita During the Bird Attack.  --RoadDog


LAUGHTER'S A GOOD WAY TO DEAL WITH THE "V":  To the tune of "Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover."

"Don't visit your Gran, Jan
Wipe down every toy, Roy
Don't horde all the food, dude
Please buy sensibly."

Movie Scratches: Women-- Mercy-- Measure-- Downhill

Movie Scratches--  A Dogs-Eye view of the movies at the theaters.

9.  LITTLE WOMEN--  1-30--  Round Lake Beach, $7--  Growing up with four sisters during the Civil War, each with their own talents, including the one who wrote the story.

10.  JUST MERCY--  2-5--  Fox Lake, $5--  Something mighty wrong with Southern justice when something like this happens.  Should have been nominated for Best Picture at least.

11.  THE LAST FULL MEASURE--  2-12--  Fox Lake, Free--  All the horrors and blunders of the Vietnam War.  A well-deserved Medal of Honor.

12.  DOWNHILL--  2-18--  Fox Lake, $5--  That avalanche forced everyone to re-evaluate each other and in the case of the parents, each other.  One of those black comedies.

Love Those New Classic Cinema Seats in Fox Lake.  --RoadDog

LAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE "V":  "Shaking hands is just nature's way of spreading germs and killing off friendly people."

Movie Scratches: 1917-- Rabbit-- 1917-- Skywalker

Movie Scratches--  Movies I Have Seen At the Theater This Year.

5.  1917--  1-23--  Fox Lake, $6--  Trenches, rats, planes, snipers and the horrors of war.  What more could a guy want?

6.  JOJO RABBIT-- 1-27--  Fox Lake, $6--  A unique movie set in the waning days of Nazi Germany.  Humorous, sad and horrible at the same time.  And, the pretend Hitler.

7.  1917--  1-28--  A day in the life and what a day.  What a way to deliver the mail.  Gives new credence to that old saying about the mailmen and delivery.  One of those movies you just have to see on the big screen twice.

8.  STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER--  1-28--  Fox Lake, $5--  "Rea, I am your grandfather.  You are a Palpatine Sith.  YUCK!!!

Love Those New Seats in the Classic Cinemas Fox Lake Theatre.  --RoadDog


RANDOM ANIMAL THOUGHTS ( From the Orange Peel Gazette) DOG::  "They keep putting the lid down on the big water bowl."

Movie Scratches: Jewel-- Skywalker-- Spies-- Ronstadt

Movie Scratches--  A Dog's Eye View of movies I saw in the theater.

1.  RICHARD JEWEL--  1-6--  Fox Lake, $6--   From hero to terrorist thanks to the FBI and the media.

2.  STAR WARS:  THE RISE OF SKYWALKER--  1-7--  Fox Lake, $5--  "Rey, I am your grandpa."  Sorry, Emperor Palpatine, her name is Rey Skywalker.  The end of the Sith.

3.  SPIES IN DISGUISE--  1-7--  Fox Lake, $5--  Learning to be a pigeon.  Pigeons aren't so bad.

4.  LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE--  1-13--   My all-time favorite female singer.   What a cutie!!!  And that voice!!!

Beware Seats With Plastic Covers.  --RoadDog

TAX FACTS:  The IRS sends out 8 billion pages of forms and instructions each year.  Laid end-to-end, they would stretch 28 times around the earth.

Movie Scratches: Wonderful-- Frozen-- Jumanji

Movie Scratches--  Movies I saw in theaters in 2019.

I always try for 52 movies a year; one a week.

This year I didn't make that number.

36.  IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE--  12-18--  Fox Lake, $5--  My third favorite Christmas movie on the big screen.  Thanks Classic Cinemas.

37.  FROZEN II--  12-19--  Fox Lake, $6--  One of those great animated movies these days but sure could have used a lot less Olav the snow man and all that singing.  The girls finding out some less than wonderful things their ancestors had done.

38.  JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL--  12-19--  Extremely hard to keep up with who was who, but lots of funny situations.

I Don't Go to the Movies During Christmas Break.  Way Too Many People.  --RoadFlick

DID YOU KNOW:  The letters KGB stand for Komitel Gosudarstvenoy Bezopasnosti.