Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

Early press for this second Fantastic Beasts film was not particularly kind, so I went in with lowered expectations, which ironically paid off because this was better then I had thought it would be. For the first two quarters of the film I was "nah", the 3rd quarter "well maybe", and the final "didn't see that coming". Not as enjoyable over all as the first film (which I wish I had watched again shortly before seeing this to bring me back up to speed), this movie defiantly grew one me though it was only at the end that I could appreciate the surprisingly subtle set up of its close. ***

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)

The notorious Star Wars Holiday Special, well for its 40th anniversary this year I finally watched it. One can understand on an intellectual level from its reputation that this is bad, but you can never know just how bad until you watch it. Surprisingly long non subtitled stretches of Wookie speak, Harvey Korman in drag, Bea Arthur singing, it's all there, including the three leads of the original film just trying to get the dang thing over with. Most remarkable of all is that having seen it, CBS still elected to put it on in prime time. If you like Star Wars, or if you like 1970's variety television, you will still probably not like The Star Wars Holiday Special. * 1/2 (the half star being for the shear ludicrous novelty of it.)

Slap Shot (1977)

A take on the inspiring sports movie, or more exactly a twisted, and rather entertaining satire on it. Slap Shot stars Paul Newman as Reggie 'Reg' Dunlop aging coach/ player on the Charlestown Chiefs, a losing rust belt minor league hockey team. When the local mill announces that it is closing 'Reg' decides he must do whatever it takes to up the Chiefs win record in the hopes that its mysterious owner will sell them rather then fold it. 'Reg' misleads his players, taunts other teams into misbehaver, and gets his side to engage in a lot of fighting and unethical play, and it turns out the worse they behave the better they do. In the end they do not so much inspire their hard luck town, as they give it an outlet for its rage. Funny, and very profane for its time, so much so I would be curious about watching a TV edit of this to see how it works. "The Hansen Brothers" are a unique contribution to film. Directed quite capably by the great George Roy Hill, who also helmed some of Newman's biggest hits like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting. Interestingly the ruckus male centered screenplay was written by a woman, Nancy Dowd. ***1/2

Eddie the Eagle (2016)

A sort of companion peace to Cool Running's which tells another quirky underdog story from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Michael "Eddie" Edwards was not the most natural of athletes, but he was persistent, and through shear effort, and the exploitation of holes in the British rules, became the first person in the UK to compete in Olympic ski jumping since 1928. Taron Egerton plays Eddie as a likable odd duck, and Hugh Jackman plays his coach, and that performance is fictionalized so much that the film makers don't feel comfortable using the mans real name. This movie has most of the bench marks of an inspiring family sports film, though I couldn't help but notice an unusual amount of sex humor, but rendered vague enough that younger viewers shouldn't pick up on it. ***

The Canon podcast

Club MST3k

Creed II (2018)

In Creed II aka Rocky VIII Adonis Creed goes up against Viktor Drago, son of Ivan Drago who killed Creed's pops in Rocky IV. You'd think we'd be well beyond the saturation point on these movies by now but dang it the formula still works, our hero must battles his demons outside the ring to win within it, and it feels good when he does. I really like Tessa Thompson, she is one of the most welcome new faces on film in the last five years. Sylvester Stallone can also still bring on the charm. All that being said I don't think there is any pressing need for a Creed III, I feel Adonis' arc is mostly closed, but maybe wait a decade and there might be more to say. ***