Dispatch from recent trips to the movies:

Toy Story 4: V. enjoyable! All the attention seems to be on Forky, who admittedly is a terrific invention, but I really dug what they did with Bo and Gabby Gabby. Also, I saw this movie on July 1st, aka The Canada Day, and ALL the Canada jokes re. Keanu Reeves' character (whom we proudly claim for our own) had me on the floor.

Yesterday: a cute enough rom-com that doesn't do much with its outlandish premise. MUCH more of a Richard Curtis (its writer) film than a Danny Boyle film.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum: So, I basically mainlined all 3 John Wick movies over 48h period (saw the first 2 on cable/on demand Friday night / Sat morning before going to see the 3rd in theater on Sunday). By the end of it, I was made of, like, 40% adrenaline and 60% bullet holes. Some of the set pieces were STAGGERING. The art installation climactic fight in Chapter 2! The Isle of Knives fight in Chinatown! The mini-boss fight in Chapter 3 (apparently with the Indonesian ass-kickers from Raid films, whom I mostly remember from the Rathtar scene from The Force Awakens)! THE PUPPIES. Particularly dug the steampunk aesthetic in some of the world-building background scenes. In short, preposterous as all get out and marvellous fun.

The new Spider-Man movie -- ehh, I guess that belongs in the Marvel thread.

The Last Black Man in San Francisco: a quiet, contemplative film about gentrification and the sense of displacement in black community who can no longer afford to live in the city of their birth. Really assured work by Joe Talbot, a first-time director. One would expect a gritty indie look for a story like this but no -- this is one of the most beautiful looking movies I've seen recently. Lyrically shot, scored with melancholic romanticism, it reminded me of films of Barry Jenkins. I liked it a lot.

Midsommar: WOOO BOY. The fucking thing is 2 1/2 hours long and moves like molasses, and it is not particularly scary. But it's got some hella disturbing imagery. Slowly builds to an ending that is both bonkers and feels inevitable. Acting, esp. by its lead, Florence Pugh, cinematography, detailed world-building, and score are all first rate. I... think I liked it? I found it much less viscerally upsetting than Hereditary, but it is quite gory. But not THAT gorier than, let's say, the goriest episodes of Hannibal.

If the folks at Next Picture Show podcast doesn't pair this with The Wicker Man, I'll eat my hat.

But not THAT gorier than, let's say, the goriest episodes of Hannibal.

So the gore probably will get a shrug from me, because at this point Hannibal is comfort viewing.

If the folks at Next Picture Show podcast doesn't pair this with The Wicker Man, I'll eat my hat.

I think we're planning on pairing them for the next episode of Don't Read The Latin as soon as all of us have seen Midsommar. Oh! How much will I freak people out if I wear a flower crown when I go see it?

So the gore probably will get a shrug from me, because at this point Hannibal is comfort viewing.

The most disturbing gore happens about half way into the movie. The rest is mostly dreadful by implication. I think you'll be fine.

How much will I freak people out if I wear a flower crown when I go see it?

Hahaha, not that much as long as you take it off once the movie starts so as not to obstruct anyone's view! ;)

Midsommar: WOOO BOY. The fucking thing is 2 1/2 hours long

I hadn't realized that. I think this one needs to fall under my 2-hour+ axe. Maybe I'll see it at home if it seems to have staying power in the general 2019 conversation.

We saw Spider Man tonight and saw trailers for a bunch of movies and I was pretty much "I want to see that" on every movie. There was Ford v Ferrari , Hobbs & Shaw, Terminator Dark Fate, 2 animated movies, Charlie's Angels, 21 Bridges and Jumanji sequel

I was really excited about the Terminator movie, Mostly because of Linda Hamilton! I want to see Hobbs & Shaw because it will be over the top ridiculous action and my expectations are pretty low for this in terms of plot coherence. I want good action sequences and fight scenes and as much Jason Stathom and Idris Elba as possible in the movie.

I haven't seen any of the Fast/Furious movies, but Hobbs & Shaw looks appropriately mindless and funny. I did not see a Terminator preview with Linda Hamilton! I am deprived!

One of the coolest things about Midsommar is all the artwork (many were specially commissioned for the film) peppered throughout the movie.

Here's a big version of the artwork that opens the movie: [link]

It's an unnerving and gorgeous piece of work without context, but revisiting it after seeing the movie makes it much more meaningful. My goodness, so much foreshadowing. If you wanna watch the movie completely unspoiled, I wouldn't recommend clicking on the link.

One of my younger co-workers thought that Caddyshack and Groundhog Day were the same movie. I mean, sure, they both feature Bill Murray and a groundhog, but wow.

Man, if that alarm had gone off with "I'm Alright" every morning instead of "I Got You Babe" it wouldn't have been nearly as tortuous!

Trailer for the upcoming horror comedy, Ready or Not: [link]

First of all, that looks like a blast. Secondly, the heroine is a long-lost sister of Margot Robbie. Thirdly, holy motherlode of Canadian actor bingo! You've got Kristian Bruun from Orphan Black, Melanie Scrofano from Wynonna Earp and of course, Henry Czerny, who has played all manner of sleazy villains, Canadian or not, in his storied 30+ year career.

Also, I'm pretty sure they filmed it at Casa Loma in Toronto.

While I'm on the theme of "crazy murderous rich people stuck in a mansion," the trailer for Rian Johnson's new movie, Knives Out: [link]

GOOD LORD that cast.