Last Movies of 2024
My tv and movie viewing has been sort of erratic since my husband left his job. It was only part-time, but it did give me a break. Such is life. December at least picked up.
MOVIES WATCHED IN OCTOBER
Oct 5, 13 - American Historia: The Untold Story of Latinos (2024)
John Leguizamo travels through Mexico and the U.S., visiting historical sites and interviewing figures to uncover known and lesser-known Latino history, inspired by his Broadway show's exploration of underrepresented Americas narratives.
Creators: Ben DeJesus, John Leguizamo
Star: John Leguizamo
Not as good as his Latin History for Morons, but still pretty informative. Not as humorous, either.
Oct 9 - Origin (2023)
It is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson as she writes the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Over the course of the film, Wilkerson travels throughout Germany, India, and the United States to research the caste systems in each country's history.
Director: Ava DuVernay
Stars: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash
A really interesting look at what it takes to bring a book together, especially one that covers such an intriguing subject. I’d read the book, which is nonfiction, so I was really looking forward to seeing the movie.
Oct 10 - Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
An American World War I soldier whose disfigured face is reconstructed by Austrian plastic surgeons returns home after 20 years, but no one recognizes him, his widow is married to another man, and his son is a grown young man.
Director: Irving Pichel
Stars: Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, George Brent, Richard Long, Natalie Wood
They did an excellent job on Welles, so it was conceivable that his wife (Colbert) wouldn’t recognize him. All the major players were excellent.
Oct 28 - Lost In America (1985)
A husband and wife in their 30s decide to quit their jobs, live as free spirits and cruise America in a Winnebago.
Director: Albert Brooks
Stars: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty, Sylvia Farrel
Not exactly the subject I’d pick for a comedy. The movie was a downer. Brooks was good, as usual, but I don’t think it was enough to make the movie enjoyable.
MOVIES WATCHED IN NOVEMBER
Nov 5 - Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Reeve's rise to becoming a film star follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Directors: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Will Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Johnson. Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg, John Kerry
Reeve will always be my Superman, so I very much wanted to see this documentary. It’s very well done, with lots of clips that had never been shown before. Sad, of course, but also inspiring.
Nov 6 - Wolfs (2024)
Two rival fixers cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Over one explosive night, they'll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan
I expected more from a movie with Clooney and Pitt, but it sort of fell flat. Amusing in some places, but mostly a disappointment. And way too much action.
Nov 7 - The Instigators (2024)
Follows two robbers who must go on the run with the help of one of their therapists after a theft doesn't go as planned.
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman
Now this is more like it. Funny, lots of action, but not too much action. I loved the Damon and Affleck characters. Highly recommended.
Nov 10 - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter's life is threatened for a family reunion that includes old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy.
Director: Mark Molloy
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Kevin Bacon
I like Murphy, so had high hopes for this one. While not bad, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. Still, it was entertaining enough.
Nov 23 - David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023)
A coming-of-age documentary of Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt double David Holmes, whose close friendship endures a life-changing accident.
Director: Dan Hartley
Stars: David Holmes, Sue Holmes, Andy Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe
A friend recommended this after we talked about the Reeve documentary. In one respect it was worse, because Holmes was so young. Yet he was lucky, if one could use that word in this situation, in that it wasn’t his entire body that was paralyzed. An excellent documentary.
MOVIES WATCHED IN DECEMBER
Dec 5 - In Search for Edgar Allen Poe (2024)
This documentary tells the poignant story of the poet, short story writer, and critic Edgar Allan Poe. It recounts how he invented the detective story, pioneered science fiction, and shaped the horror tale yet was beset by personal demons.
Director: Andrew D. Kaplan
Stars: Paul Synowiec, Stephen Shore
Kind of dull. I’ve seen much better documentaries about Poe.
Dec 15 - RKO 281 (1999)
Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst.
Director: Benjamin Ross
Stars: Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Roy Scheider
Yikes, Welles comes off as a real asshole. To the point that one can’t help but feel sympathy for Hearst. Part of that may have been the excellent job Cromwell did with the role.
Dec 21 - Dear Santa (2024)
When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays.
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Stars: Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Keegan-Michael Key
Crude, but still funny at times. Not one I’ll watch again, though.
Dec 23 - Bad Santa (2003)
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Now this one was crude but not funny. Take a pass.
Dec 24 - Scrooged (1988)
A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.
Director: Richard Donner
Stars: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, Michael J. Pollard, Jamie Farr, Robert Joulet, Buddy Hackett, Lee Majors
I’d heard a lot about this movie, mostly good. But I found it dull and not very funny.
Dec 25 - Candy Cane Lane (2023)
A man is determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win--and the elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings unexpected chaos to town.
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Nick Offerman
Not bad. Often funny, but it doesn’t always work. I think I found it better the first time for some reason.
Dec 25 - A Christmas Story (1983)
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark
Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
The quintessential Christmas movie. McGavin steals the show.
Dec 25 - Red One (2024)
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Will most likely watch it again next year.
Dec 26-28 - Tsunami: Race Against Time (2024)
A documentary series exploring the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that affected 14 countries, offering a comprehensive look at the heart-stopping events.
A lot more information than I’d seen before. I hadn’t realized just how many countries were affected. Highly recommended.
Dec 28 - Carry-On (2024)
A mysterious traveler blackmails a young TSA agent into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Eve flight.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson
Bateman is delightfully creepy in this. Lots of twists and turns in this action packed movie.
Dec 29-31 - No Good Deed (2024)
It tells the story of three very different families vying to buy the very same 1920s Spanish style villa that they think will solve all their problems.
Creator: Liz Feldman
Stars: Linda Cardellini, O-T Fagbenle, Abbi Jacobson, Lisa Kudrow, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Luke Wilson, Linda Lavin
Romano and Leary were especially good in this limited series. And a mystery with a surprise ending. Recommended.
MOVIES WATCHED IN OCTOBER
Oct 5, 13 - American Historia: The Untold Story of Latinos (2024)
John Leguizamo travels through Mexico and the U.S., visiting historical sites and interviewing figures to uncover known and lesser-known Latino history, inspired by his Broadway show's exploration of underrepresented Americas narratives.
Creators: Ben DeJesus, John Leguizamo
Star: John Leguizamo
Not as good as his Latin History for Morons, but still pretty informative. Not as humorous, either.
Oct 9 - Origin (2023)
It is based on the life of Isabel Wilkerson as she writes the book Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Over the course of the film, Wilkerson travels throughout Germany, India, and the United States to research the caste systems in each country's history.
Director: Ava DuVernay
Stars: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Niecy Nash
A really interesting look at what it takes to bring a book together, especially one that covers such an intriguing subject. I’d read the book, which is nonfiction, so I was really looking forward to seeing the movie.
Oct 10 - Tomorrow Is Forever (1946)
An American World War I soldier whose disfigured face is reconstructed by Austrian plastic surgeons returns home after 20 years, but no one recognizes him, his widow is married to another man, and his son is a grown young man.
Director: Irving Pichel
Stars: Claudette Colbert, Orson Welles, George Brent, Richard Long, Natalie Wood
They did an excellent job on Welles, so it was conceivable that his wife (Colbert) wouldn’t recognize him. All the major players were excellent.
Oct 28 - Lost In America (1985)
A husband and wife in their 30s decide to quit their jobs, live as free spirits and cruise America in a Winnebago.
Director: Albert Brooks
Stars: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty, Sylvia Farrel
Not exactly the subject I’d pick for a comedy. The movie was a downer. Brooks was good, as usual, but I don’t think it was enough to make the movie enjoyable.
MOVIES WATCHED IN NOVEMBER
Nov 5 - Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Reeve's rise to becoming a film star follows with a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After the accident, he became an activist for spinal cord injury treatments and disability rights.
Directors: Ian Bonhôte, Peter Ettedgui
Stars: Christopher Reeve, Will Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Johnson. Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg, John Kerry
Reeve will always be my Superman, so I very much wanted to see this documentary. It’s very well done, with lots of clips that had never been shown before. Sad, of course, but also inspiring.
Nov 6 - Wolfs (2024)
Two rival fixers cross paths when they're both called in to help cover up a prominent New York official's misstep. Over one explosive night, they'll have to set aside their petty grievances and their egos to finish the job.
Director: Jon Watts
Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Amy Ryan
I expected more from a movie with Clooney and Pitt, but it sort of fell flat. Amusing in some places, but mostly a disappointment. And way too much action.
Nov 7 - The Instigators (2024)
Follows two robbers who must go on the run with the help of one of their therapists after a theft doesn't go as planned.
Director: Doug Liman
Stars: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Alfred Molina, Ron Perlman
Now this is more like it. Funny, lots of action, but not too much action. I loved the Damon and Affleck characters. Highly recommended.
Nov 10 - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Axel Foley returns to Beverly Hills after his daughter's life is threatened for a family reunion that includes old pals John Taggart and Billy Rosewood to uncover a conspiracy.
Director: Mark Molloy
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylour Paige, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot, Kevin Bacon
I like Murphy, so had high hopes for this one. While not bad, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. Still, it was entertaining enough.
Nov 23 - David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023)
A coming-of-age documentary of Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt double David Holmes, whose close friendship endures a life-changing accident.
Director: Dan Hartley
Stars: David Holmes, Sue Holmes, Andy Holmes, Daniel Radcliffe
A friend recommended this after we talked about the Reeve documentary. In one respect it was worse, because Holmes was so young. Yet he was lucky, if one could use that word in this situation, in that it wasn’t his entire body that was paralyzed. An excellent documentary.
MOVIES WATCHED IN DECEMBER
Dec 5 - In Search for Edgar Allen Poe (2024)
This documentary tells the poignant story of the poet, short story writer, and critic Edgar Allan Poe. It recounts how he invented the detective story, pioneered science fiction, and shaped the horror tale yet was beset by personal demons.
Director: Andrew D. Kaplan
Stars: Paul Synowiec, Stephen Shore
Kind of dull. I’ve seen much better documentaries about Poe.
Dec 15 - RKO 281 (1999)
Orson Welles produces his greatest film, Citizen Kane (1941), despite the opposition of the film's de facto subject, William Randolph Hearst.
Director: Benjamin Ross
Stars: Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, John Malkovich, Roy Scheider
Yikes, Welles comes off as a real asshole. To the point that one can’t help but feel sympathy for Hearst. Part of that may have been the excellent job Cromwell did with the role.
Dec 21 - Dear Santa (2024)
When a young boy mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial spelling error, a devilish Jack Black arrives to wreak havoc on the holidays.
Director: Bobby Farrelly
Stars: Jack Black, Robert Timothy Smith, Keegan-Michael Key
Crude, but still funny at times. Not one I’ll watch again, though.
Dec 23 - Bad Santa (2003)
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Director: Terry Zwigoff
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Now this one was crude but not funny. Take a pass.
Dec 24 - Scrooged (1988)
A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.
Director: Richard Donner
Stars: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum, Michael J. Pollard, Jamie Farr, Robert Joulet, Buddy Hackett, Lee Majors
I’d heard a lot about this movie, mostly good. But I found it dull and not very funny.
Dec 25 - Candy Cane Lane (2023)
A man is determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest. He makes a pact with an elf to help him win--and the elf casts a spell that brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, which brings unexpected chaos to town.
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jillian Bell, Nick Offerman
Not bad. Often funny, but it doesn’t always work. I think I found it better the first time for some reason.
Dec 25 - A Christmas Story (1983)
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark
Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin
The quintessential Christmas movie. McGavin steals the show.
Dec 25 - Red One (2024)
After Santa Claus is kidnapped, the North Pole's Head of Security must team up with a notorious hacker in a globe-trotting, action-packed mission to save Christmas.
Director: Jake Kasdan
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt
I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Will most likely watch it again next year.
Dec 26-28 - Tsunami: Race Against Time (2024)
A documentary series exploring the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that affected 14 countries, offering a comprehensive look at the heart-stopping events.
A lot more information than I’d seen before. I hadn’t realized just how many countries were affected. Highly recommended.
Dec 28 - Carry-On (2024)
A mysterious traveler blackmails a young TSA agent into letting a dangerous package slip through security and onto a Christmas Eve flight.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Stars: Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, Sofia Carson
Bateman is delightfully creepy in this. Lots of twists and turns in this action packed movie.
Dec 29-31 - No Good Deed (2024)
It tells the story of three very different families vying to buy the very same 1920s Spanish style villa that they think will solve all their problems.
Creator: Liz Feldman
Stars: Linda Cardellini, O-T Fagbenle, Abbi Jacobson, Lisa Kudrow, Denis Leary, Ray Romano, Luke Wilson, Linda Lavin
Romano and Leary were especially good in this limited series. And a mystery with a surprise ending. Recommended.