It's that time of year again and this year looks really crappy so far. I have seen 6 of the best picture contenders and not been overly impressed by any. But, with three to go (not even counting Avatar 2 as a real entrant here), I may still find one worth watching. On to the ratings:
Everything, Everywhere All at Once
So, I'm going to start by saying something I never thought I would say. I'm actually thinking a Russos brothers movie could win best picture. Granted, this film has some big flaws. The first and most major is that it was about 45 minutes too long. They could have cut out the middle 45 minutes and literally not changed one single thing.
The premise is that a Chinese-American middle aged Mom is the only one who can save the world by traveling through many different mutil-verses and eventually finding the right one to save the world or something like that. Honestly, that part didn't even matter. What does matter is that her daughter is slowly revealed to be her arch-nemisis (much like her life on Earth where her teenager is, like most teenagers, the most worrisome part of her life.) After about an hour and a half of non-stop karate/ multiverse jumping/ find out your daughter is an evil emperor nonsense, the film gets to the final scene; a birthday party in the family laundromat. The redeeming part of the movie occurs in the final few scenes where Mom and daughter finally reconcile and realize how lucky they are to be related. Without giving too much away, the final 15 minutes rescued this film and somehow, has it in the lead for me as I pass the halfway point. Again, I'm talking about the Russo brothers winning an Oscar- not sure which part of the multiverse I got switched into but this isn't Earth for sure...
Overall Rating 3.0
All Quiet on the Western Front
This remake of the classic World War I film told from the perspective of a German soldier was good. Not great, not groundbreaking and frankly, I'm not sure the remake was much better than the original- other then the filmmaking quality and special effects etc. A decent movie but definitely not best-picture worthy in my book. If you have never seen the original, watch this one. If you have seen the original, I would encourage you to think carefully before committing to watching a redo that really didn't need to be redone.
Overall Rating 2.5
Top Gun: Maverick
If this doesn't show what an awful year this was for films, I don't know what does. If you would have tried to get me to bet on a Trifecta that included Jerry Bruckheimer, the Russo Brothers, and James Cameron all being nominated for best picture in the same year, I wouldn't have taken 10 million to 1 odds. In fact, there are no odds even imagined that could have lured me into that bet. Yet, here we are. In what could be the worst movie ever nominated for best picture, this cookie cutter remake of the original is about as realistic as the aforementioned bet was- until five days ago when nominations came out and I started to wonder about my place in the multiverse.
This movie was similar to the first one in plot and pacing with the requisite twists: Tom Cruise is the only teacher who can train for a specific against all odds mission- Goose's son is part of the possible flight team, there is a new girlfriend at the same old bar- etc etc. EXCEPT, the beach volleyball scene has been changed!!! To beach football. That's about the biggest deviation in the film.
I will give credit- as all Bruckheimer films are, the craftsmanship was beautiful; the shots were stunning, the dogfighting was superb. But the special effects and CGI can't cover the glaring canyons where the plot and dialogue should have been. My 14 year old was convinced that I had already seen the movie after the third or fourth time I said the upcoming line before the actor.
Overall Rating: 1(For technical effects only)
Elvis
OK. So some disclaimers before I write this review. 1. I'm not an Elvis fan. Never have been. Before my time and just never saw the big deal. I think he was a generational thing more than a musical thing. 2. I HATE Baz Luhrmann. He butchered two of my favorite stories; Gatsby and Romeo and Juliet. Never saw Moulin Rouge because it was from him. Not my favorite director at all- not even close.
On to the film. I would say it was bad at best. Why he chose to tell an Elvis story from the perspective of Elvis' manager instead of Priscilla or maybe ELVIS is a mystery to me. I got the feeling about half way through that Tom Hanks knew what a piece of crap this was and mailed it in. The only redeeming piece of this movie was Elvis himself, Austin Butler, who was charismatic and carried the movie from start to finish. The rest of the movie was extremely mediocre; including Tom Hanks which I don't say very often.
Overall Rating: 1
TAR
So I had really high hopes for this one. The world of conducting classical music is a mystery to me and I assumed that Lydia Tar was a real person who had a compelling story- I'm thinking about recent films like tick, tick boom and others. Little did I know that Lydia Tar is fictional and the story is too. That being said, I was still open-minded and thought that it could still be pretty good. With the exception of the acting of Cate Blanchett, I was mostly disappointed. The plot was nothing new. It was basically a lesbian Harvey Weinstein movie but not with movies; with classical music. But people in charge using their power to persuade others to have sex with them and then one day, someone commits suicide and it all blows up. Not very original at all at this point in time. And while Cate Blanchett was very good in her role, I think the overall general dislikability as a character will hurt her in the race for best actress.
The movie was beautifully shot, well executed in every way (the music was outstanding as you would imagine) and really educated me on some of the finer details of both conducting an orchestra and also classical music in general. But that, like Top Gun, doesn't paper over the cracks (or canyons) in the unoriginal script and dialogue. Very disappointed overall.
Overall Rating 1.5
The Banshees of Inishiren
I heard good things about this film but didn't realize it was an allegory for Britian/ Ireland or Ireland by itslef (I'm not even sure what the allegory is) until after I had seen it. Which really hurt my opinion of the film. I was asking myself why would these characters behave in such irrational ways so when I found out it was an allegory, it made more sense. That being said, without the allegory, the film was weird. Cutting off your own guitar playing finger because your friend won't leave you alone makes zero sense.
Admittedly, I don't know the English/Irish history well enough to know exactly which events correspond to cutting off one's own finger and removing what little pleasure you have from an otherwise seemingly miserable life. I do know that the idea is off the charts ridiculous. But. I am assuming that either Ireland or England pulled some sort of politically assinine move that the screenplay writer felt was in line with cutting off your own finger so I can see it that way.
So the choice is to judge the movie on face value or as an allegory for the British/ Irish thing which I don't know well enough to do without going and reading a ton of stuff on the events of history. And I'm not sure I want to do that so I'm saying that on face value, this movie was OK; scenery and acting were great; fantastic cinematography but plot was obtuse at best. This movie really needed some sort of political thread to base the allegory on as the movie played out or at least a warning at the beginning that something else was going on. But the either "know it yourself" or you miss the whole point thing didn't work for me as a best picture nominee.
Overall Rating 2.0
Monday, January 30, 2023
2023 Oscars
Monday, December 20, 2021
2022 Oscars
So, as I started the 2021 post the other day, I figured I would start the 2022 early to compensate for the 2021 tardiness. The best thing that the pandemic brought was movies released to streaming services at the same time they hit theatres. So, for now, here are my thoughts on films that may or may not have an impact or at least be in the conversation at Oscar time.
King Richard
This retelling of the Williams sisters journey to greatness was a confirmation that Richard Williams (their Dad- played by a soon to be nominated Will Smith) was either a genius or a total lunatic- and probably a little of each if truth were told. Starting when Venus was about 10, the film chronicles her time as a amatuer in California through her declaration as a professional when she turned 14. Watching her Dad take her to the crappy Compton courts all the way to her first professional tennis tournament was a testament to his belief that his daughters would succeed.
Richard Williams was a walking contradiction. He refused to let his daughters brag about their own victories but told everyone he knew how good his daughters were. He preached sticking to the plan but had no problem changing things at a minute's notice without consulting anyone. He argued with his daughter's coaches minutes after telling them how good they were. The one constant thing in his life was his devotion to his daughters and their pursuit of greatness.
The film was very well made. The adult acting was superb. Will Smith, Anjanue Ellis, and Jon Bernthal were fantastic. Will Smith should be nominated for best actor. He was fantastic. He brought out both sides of Richard Williams equally- he was a genius who formulated a plan to make his daughters into world class athletes and then followed through. But he was extremely gruff with others and alienated a lot of people along the way.
Overall, I would recommend this movie to everyone- if for nothing else than to see Will Smith bring this incredibly complex man to life.
Rating 3.75/5
CODA
"Child of a Deaf Adult" is the title of this film and that is exactly what the film is about. The protagonist, a child born of deaf parents has one brother who is also deaf. She is the only one in the house that can hear anything. Predictably, the family depends on her for a lot of help in dealing with the real world and as she nears the end of high school, the story centers around her struggle to gain independence without feeling guilty about leaving.
Without giving anything away, there were a few moments in the film that really made you empathize will all parties involved. The family was scared to death to be without their daughter (and the inability to communicate associated with her absence) and the daughter, Ruby, waned to live her own life and not be tied to her family forever.
Overall, this is one of the best films from this year. There were a few scenes that I thought were brilliant. Coming a year after "Sound of Metal" would seemingly hurt this film as both dealt with the perils of being deaf. But CODA's center around a character who can hear helps to eliminate the similarities and stand on its own two feet. I would highly recommend seeing this film if you haven't.
Rating 4.25/ 5
The Power of the Dog
I had heard a lot of positives before seeing this film and it did not disappoint. Brilliant everything from script to acting, to set design to cinematography make this one of the year's best films. Benedict Cumberbatch, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Kirsten Dunst could all be nominated for acting awards. Jane Campion will be nominated for directing and the film will be up for a few more awards as well.
The story of two pretty much polar opposite brothers who own and run a ranch in the west just after the frontier was settled is compelling but the relationship changes when one marries and brings his new bride and step-son home to the ranch. The twist at the end of the film is what makes it work so well and I truly didn't see it coming at all.
Check this one out on Netflix asap if you haven't seen it yet.
Rating 4.4/5
Dune
So, going into this I have never read the book or seen the original version. I knew the previous movie had negative reviews and that the story was supposed to be too big to fit into one film. Other than that, I knew nothing. Given the penchant for science fiction adaptions to fall flat, I wasn't expecting much. To say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. State of the art CGI combined with the visionary film-making of Denis Villenueve produced a believable world that I fell into without doubting a scene. Fantastic acting across the board made the transition seamless.
After watching, I am excited for the second half of the movie (the story was too big to fit into one film- even one almost three hours long) and after watching Euphoria on HBO while I had COVID last week, anything with Zendaya in it is OK by me. This is a science fiction story with substance to it and I am hoping for franchise installments that continue to improve like Lord of the Rings or Batman did. The second film may be the one that drags me back to the theatres after not going for the last ten years or so. The fact that I'm even considering a return says a lot about this film.
Rating 4/5
Don't Look Up
This film parodied the previous presidential administration's absolute incompetency in the midst of a global pandemic while also warning us of the damages of our current environmental practices. The plot is that a scientist and a student (Leonardo DeCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence respectively) discover an asteroid/ comet hurtling straight toward earth and it is big enough to wipe out the planet when it hits. The current president (Meryl Streep) and her chief of staff (Johan Hill- who also happens to be her son and clearly knows nothing about politics) refuse to deal with the impending Armageddon based on politics. They tell the public there is nothing to worry about- the asteroid isn't real. It is made up and since they don't want to deal with it, they just "Don't Look Up."
As the movie very much pokes fun at the idiot Trumpies who refuse to vaccinate based on the president's bogus claims (which have been adopted by the entire Republican party of idiots), the asteroid continues to hurtle straight toward space just as the scientists predict it will.
About 2/3 of the way through the film, I was not sure that the film was going to turn out to be anything special. At that point, it looked like it was going to be just a satire/ parody of the political situation we find ourselves strangled by today. Then the comedy/ satire stopped and the film became very real when the comet was close to hitting and the film zeroes in on DeCaprio and Lawrence and their family/ friends who have gathered for the end of the world. As the very real asteroid hits and the very real consequences are felt, we see the very real tragedy unfold before our eyes. Director Adam McKay shoots a brilliant ending that shows us the stakes to this are very real and what will happen if we continue to follow these idiots who care nothing for mankind or America.
After the devastation on Earth, we join back up with the President and her crew who have taken a space shuttle to another habitable planet where they are promptly eaten by the native dinosaur creatures. As we see, they have no idea what the hell they were doing all along and their arrogance and belief in divine right means nothing at all.
Overall, this film takes a while to finally get to its main point but it was a masterful end to a film that will make you sick to your stomach when you realize that the plot is exactly what has happened with COVID and to a certain extent, environmental issues. If you aren't a Trumpie, you already know how dumb he and the Republican party are. If you are a Trumpie, you have no chance of getting anything from this film anyway because you weren't smart enough to figure it out in real life so don't even waste your time watching "the liberal (or truthful- at this point they are synonymous) media."
Overall Rating 3.5/5
Nightmare Alley
This film by Guillermo Del Toro (The Shape of Water) has somehow been nominated ahead of The Tragedy of Macbeth and Tick, Tick, Boom. Both of those films were substantially better then this one. I am not sure why the voters like his films so much; they aren't good. This one starred Bradley Cooper, as a Carnival con-man who intends to rip off anyone who is dumb enough to fall for his amazingly quickly picked- up tricks. I can say the performances were great in this movie; Cooper was fine, Cate Blanchett was good, Richard Straitharn was excellent as always and down the line.
My problem with the film was that it was unbelievable in many spots, the plot was uninteresting at best, and the director relies too much on scary characters and gimmicks to be considered a film with any emotional depth. Assuming you somehow end up caring for any of these people, the story falls flat. The ending comes full circle and leaves you wondering why you wasted two hours on this to have nothing happen in the end.
After finding Shape of Water to be wholly overrated and one of the worst Best Picture Winners in history, I do find comfort in knowing this has no shot to repeat. That being said, including this instead of Tick, Tick, Boom or The Tragedy of Macbeth will go down in history as a bad mistake for the academy again.
Overall Rating 1/5 for quality of performances alone. The movie itself sucked.
Belfast
This film was set in Belfast in 1969 and 1970 and centers around the fighting between the Protestants and the Catholics which caused so much violence and bloodshed at the time. The story is centered around a 6 or 7 year old boy who is based on Kenneth Branaugh as a child. This semi-autobiography shows the strain this conflict put on families, neighborhoods, and the entire nation. The constant news in the background tells the story that the boy and his family are living.
This film was technically perfect. Straight-forward camera angles coupled with the use of spaces available in row houses (think long, thin hallways for scenes where the parents discussed being trapped in their own country) combined with shooting in black and white to echo the time period when things were (and should have remained) much simpler help us to transport back to late 60's Ireland and drop into the middle of the conflict.
The acting was superb. Catriona Balfe was ROBBED when she was overlooked by the academy. Judi Dench (nominated for supporting actress) was excellent as always but Balfe's (not nominated) performance as the mother is what really hinged the movie together. The academy has gotten a couple of things wrong this year and this is by far, the biggest I have seen so far.
Overall, this film was very good. Clocking in at just over 90 minutes, it is short, curt, to the point, and tells a family story that will interest most everyone. See this one if you can.
Overall Rating 4.5/5
AND THE REST OF THE FILMS THAT WERE NOT NOMINATED FOR BEST PICTURE
The Tragedy of Macbeth (The Tragedy is that this wasn't nominated for best picture).
Now that Ethan has retired and Joel is running the show by himself, this Cohen directed film looked quite a bit different than earlier films like Fargo or No Country For old Men. Following the Shakespeare script exactly, it was filmed to look much like a play. One cut scenes, very little movement, and sets that looked like they were erected in about 4 hours mimicked the look and feel of a play. After I figured out what he was doing with the setting and shots, I actually liked it more.
The interpretation of the play intrigued me. I had always read MacBeth as a female driven play. I thought Lady MacBeth coerced Macbeth into killing the king and the rest of the play was Macbeth dealing with the guilt of being coerced into doing something that he maybe didn't want to. But as I watched this film, I thought the blame for the murder was much more evenly spread. Macbeth (played in what may be an oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington- who ironically is part of my other favorite Shakespeare play/ movie adaption Much Ado About Nothing) seemingly was just as committed as Lady Macbeth before and after the murder. It was an interesting take on the language of the play and either I am wrong about my interpretation of the play or Cohen wanted to shake things up a bit when he produced his version.
Every part of this film was excellent. The acting was top notch and I learned more about the language through Denzel's acting than I did from reading it about 20 different times. Frances McDormand was good as usual but I think the subdued take on her character's involvement cost the audience a chance to see her truly shine. The sets were perfect, the lighting was terrific, everything was good. This will be a heavy hitter during awards season. If you can get past the Shakespearean language, it is well worth it.
Rating 4/5
Tick Tick Boom (The best one of the year)
This musical starring Andrew Garfield as Jonathan Larson, the writer of the plays Tick, Tick, Boom and also Rent was surprisingly good. I knew nothing about Larson before watching so I had no frame of reference at all. This film tells the story of him struggling to get his plays read and produced. It also highlights the AIDS epidemic as several of his friends were gay. Set in the 80's/ 90's in New York, the lack of help these people got with their medical issue was disheartening at best.
Combining a compelling dramatic storyline with songs from his musical, Tick, Tick, Boom was a musical movie that I enjoyed and could rewatch. Andrew Garfield should go toe to toe with Denzel for the best actor nod this year. Contrasting their performances and picking a winner makes me glad I don't have to place Oscar votes. Even if you aren't a fan of musicals, watch this film. I promise you will like it.
Rating 4.5/ 5
The Tender Bar
Set in Long Island, NY, starting in 1973, this film tells the story of a boy who wants to become a writer. Based on a memoir by J.R. Moehringer, the boy is basically abandoned by his father and is rasied by his mother and his extended family; an uncle in particular who is a surrogate father. Played brilliantly by Ben Affleck, the uncle dispenses wisdom at his bar, the Dickens (as in Charles) and inspires his nephew to become a writer.
Meanwhile, Mom is insisting that J.R. attend Harvard or Yale despite the family's lack of money and social standing. With the help of his uncle, his Mom's persistence, and a lot of hard work; J.R. is able to attend a good college and meets a girl who he falls in love with despite the tremendous socioeconomic gap between the families. As life often goes, J.R. wins some and loses some. Regardless of the situation, the two constants he can count on are his mother and his uncle who are there regardless of the situation or outcome.
The true star of this movie is Ben Affleck who turns in a performance to remember. His New York bravado combined with his fun-loving, wisdom dispensing, go-lucky attitude is a joy to watch. Hopefully, It will take a monumental performance to wrestle the Best Supporting Actor from him this year.
Rating 4/5
Being The Ricardos
This film chronicled Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez during the week Lucille Ball was accused of being a communist in Hollywood during the height of McCartyism. Nicole Kidman was flawless as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem, as usual, was equally good as Arnez. Having never seen an episode of "I Love Lucy", I had no frame of reference for this story or the actual show. Seeing the behind the scenes production made me realize how talented these people are as they ad-lib and rehearse.
Seeing the impact of McCarthyism in real time combined with the rocky relationship Ball and Arnez had made for an interesting intertwining of plot lines that carried my attention through the entire film. The effect the McCarthyism had was frightening and you, again, are reminded how an unchecked government can abuse their power.
As the Oscars near, I expect Kidman to be nominated for best actress and Bardem may get a nod at supporting as well. The rest of the film was at a minimum, adequate. While nothing stood out to me, I noticed nothing that detracted from the film as well. My guess is that this gets nominations for the actors and that is it.
Rating 3.5/5
The Harder They Fall
I was, to be frank, expecting a lot more from this film. The film's opening title was "These. People. Existed." I assumed we were going to get a look at the hardships that African American cowboys experienced in contrast to the typical all-white cowboy movies we grew up on. Instead, we got an all-white American cowboy movie plot; it just had black actors and contemporary African-American language. To say I was disappointed was an understatement.
After the first 20 minutes or so, and I had discovered this film would be just another western revenge story (like almost all Westerns), I was mildly amused by it. I am a huge fan of both Idris Elba (Stringer Bell to me) and Regina King so teaming them up as the bad guys made this much more interesting for me. That being said, nothing else stood out during the film; the action scenes were predictable; the ending, even with the plot twist, was almost cookie cutter shaped. The scenery, the score, everything except the more gratuitous violence and African American dialogue/ slang, was just a recycled western film from 30 years ago.
If you are really bored or really like Westerns, watch this one. If they aren't your thing or you don't really want to see 2 1/2 hours of recycled material, don't waste your time with this one.
Overall Rating: 2/5
The Last Duel
This film starring Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, and Adam Driver looked promising. Until I saw it was a Ridley Scott film and then the wind was let out of my sails. After watching, I don't have much to say other then if you want a wholly predictable film with a cool fight in it (given the title is "The Last Duel" I don't think I'm giving too much away here), then this is for you. If you are looking for something you haven't seen 12 times before, I would look elsewhere.
Rating 1/5
Spencer
This story told an imagined version of what Princess Diana could have been like over a Christmas Holiday after Prince Charles left her for Camilla. The film itself was interesting and Kristin Stewart's performance as Diana was nominated for best actress. I found her constant whispering and throaty dialogue a bit much and more importantly, super annoying and unintelligible. So much so that we turned the subtitles on after the first 15 minutes or so. After getting past Stewart's speech, the movie actually was fairly entertaining- even for someone like me who never followed the Royals and didn't even know who Camilla was until after the movie.
So, I would recommend watching the movie IF... you care about the royal family or Princess Diana AND don't mind watching movies in English with subtitles. As for Stewart's performance as Diana, she has no chance to win the Oscar.
Overall Rating 3
The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Kristin Stewart has no chance to win the Oscar because Jessica Chastain has it in the bag. She was perfect as Tammy Faye Bakker; wife of televangelist and super thief, Jim Bakker. I hated these scumbags when they were on TV (before they got busted, it didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out they weren't going to stay out of jail for very long) so my view of Tammy Faye was JADED to say the least. By the end of the film, her innocence (while probably exaggerated for poetic license's sake) will make most viewers at least question their pre-conceived notions of her. She was a small-town, poor, lonely, innocent teen-ager who wanted to help other people through her ministry. What she turned into was a little more complex and Chastain does brilliantly bringing it to life. In my opinion, there is no way she loses this one although I haven't seem two of the other nominated films yet.
As for the actual movie, you know these scumbags are scummy and no amount of Awwwww Schucks country charm can hide the fact that they willingly stole from millions of people who thought their money was going to be used for good. While there is certainly no excuse for believing in televangelists- now or then- these people perfected the art of stealing from the poor every Sunday morning on national TV. And, as we have seen with the 2016 election, roughly 33% of our country will believe anything that anyone says so long as they wear a cross or say they are conservative so at this point, people should know better- but they don't and probably won't ever.
The film itself was technically fine- nothing stood out good or bad. I would say watch it for Chastain's performance alone. She carried this movie and deserves the best Actress award.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5.
The House of Gucci
My wife wanted to watch this and I had heard so much about Lady Gaga and Jared Leto's performances that I wanted to watch it as well. I knew nothing of the Gucci family history so this story was shocking to say the least.
Before I continue, I need to address the elephant in the room... the accents from just about everyone in this film were some of the worst in recorded history. My 21 year old walked in during the film and immediately asked, "What is wrong with Al Pacino?" Jared Leto sounded exactly like the voice actors in a Donkey Kong game. And good God, Adam Driver as Mr. Gucci himself. Think Kylo Ren goes to Italy and is trying to order a pizza in an Italian accent on a dare. Who cast him? These were some of the worst casting decisions ever. I love all three of them but there is no way they should ever play anyone outside of the eastern half of the USA again.
Sorry. Had to get that out there. The film itself was OK- Lady Gaga was OK. People were upset that she wasn't nominated and I think her portrayal of characters we intensely root for has clouded our judgement of her acting abilities. Just like in "A Star is Born" the fact that we totally are on her character's side during the entire movie clouds our thinking onto believing she deserves an award. Don't get me wrong. I loved her in both films- but she shouldn't be winning any Oscars for her acting.
The real story here is the story. The actual facts coming to light are what is amazing about this film. I won't give anything away but it's not what I was expecting for sure. See it just to learn about the Guccis.
Overall Rating 3/5
MOVIES LEFT FOR ME TO SEE
West Side Story
Drive My Car
Licorice Pizza
The Lost Daughter
Parallel Mothers
The Worst Person in the World
I will amend these as I see other films and/ or the actual nominations come out but from what I have seen so far (missing most noticeably Belfast), here are my very fluid predictions:
Best Picture: Tick Tick Boom but since it wasn't nominated somehow, I'll pick Belfast.
Best Director: Campion for The Power of the Dog
Best Actor: Will Smith for King Richard although this could easily go to Denzel or Andrew Garfield
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain for Eyes of Tammy Faye
Best Supporting Actor: Ciaran Hinds for Belfast- although I loved Affleck in The Tender Bar.
Best Supporting Actress: Dunst for The Power of the Dog
Director: Campion for Power of the Dog
Original Screenplay: Belfast
Adapted Screenplay: The Power of the Dog
Friday, December 17, 2021
2021 Oscars
OK. So this is way late I know. But, with COVID, and several other factors, films haven't been made available as in the past. Since I refuse to "rent" (stream once) a movie for $20 on pay per view, I am just now able to watch the last few films from last year. Since I already know the winners, you will have to trust my picks aren't made factoring in said outcome.
Without further ado, here are my reviews for the films of 2020; the 2021 Oscars. I will review them in roughly the order I saw them.
Sound of Metal: This film followed a drummer in a punk/ metal/ hardcore band as his hearing gives way due to the destruction his eardrums take night after night while on tour. Riz Ahmed plays the drummer flawlessly and you really feel his emotions as he goes through the trauma of hearing loss. His bandmate/ girlfriend checks him into what is essentially hearing loss rehab where Ahmed's character (a former addict) must go through a basic 12 step program to learn to live without being depressed or angry all the time (and possibly relapse). The guru of the program, played by Paul Rici, eventually convinces Ahmed's Ruben to slow down and enjoy life as a deaf person; but not before Ruben tries to earn money back so he can get a surgery to restore his hearing and get back on the road.
After Ruben learns that his dream of playing music again probably isn't going to happen, he is faced with the task of adjusting to life as a deaf person. He eventually does and tracks down his old girlfriend. Finding the years since they saw each other too much to overcome, he leaves and the movie ends.
As a fan of movies that require empathy, this movie was right up my alley. The experience of going deaf was brought to life completely and the overwhelming loneliness that must go along with it was brought to the forefront as well.
Overall, I enjoyed this movie; Riz Ahmed was amazing; Paul Raci was very good as well. See this if you haven't already.
Rating 4/5.
The Trial of the Chicago Seven: This film tells the story of the violence in Chicago in 1968 at the Democratic National Convention and the trial of the 7 alleged organizers of the violence. With a screenplay penned by Aaron Sorkin (who also directed), the story is engrossing from beginning to end.
The ensemble cast is impeccable and the standout, Sacha Baron Cohen, was nominated for best actor. The technical aspects of the film were flawless as well. The pacing was good, camera work was excellent. This film was just about perfect... until the last scene which fell apart. In an effort to give us a happy ending, Sorkin films the sentencing of Eddie Redmayne's character, Tom Hayden, as a Twisted Sister video. Remember the "We're Not Gonna Take It" video where the old guy was running around yelling and spitting everywhere? That's who the judge (who before this scene had taken nothing from anyone) turned into at the end of the movie as the people in court ran amok and it turned into a circus. As I watched that, it felt so contrived and forced that I was disappointed with the film overall. What a shame.
Overall rating minus the last scene would have been a 4.75. Up to that point, it was my no-doubt best picture. After the ending, I'm going a 4/5 with all points removed for the last scene going off the rails.
Mank: This film follows the Orson Wells/ Herman Mankiewiecz story as the screenplay for Citizen Kane was being finished. Critically acclaimed as a serious best picture contender, I couldn't get into this. It took me several tries to make it through and by that point, I couldn't follow the story or get into any part of it. I realize I've never been to Hollywood nor am I a historian of the film industry so maybe I was missing the prerequisite knowledge to appreciate this film. That being said, if you aren't a Hollywood historian or a huge Orson Wells fan, you could skip this film and not miss a thing.
Overall Rating: 1/5
Nomadland: As you know, this story about an older single woman selling her home and living out of a trailer on the road full time won Best Picture last year. Frances' McDormand's portrayal of a widow who was unable to find full time employment in her home town portrays life in America as a nomad who goes from job to job and locale to locale with her new trailer.
She makes friends along the way and is pursued by a man she meets in a few different places but she chooses to live out her days single and alone on the road. While I found this film interesting, I didn't find it to be a compelling story that was head and shoulders above the rest of the films this year. McDormand was outstanding as usual and David Straitharn was fantastic as usual in the role of her friend and possible romantic partner.
Technically, the film is outstanding. Great cinematography and set design are highlights of the film. The score is just enough to remind you that McDormand is all alone.
See this one if you haven't. It isn't my best picture of the year but it is worth watching for sure.
Rating 3.5/5
Promising Young Woman:
After hearing so much hype about this movie, I was excited to finally get to watch it. Carey Mulligan plays a young woman who's best friend was raped while they were in school. We don't know the details but her friend is now deceased. Mulligan's character, Cassie, sets out to avenge the wrongs done to her friend and her method is somewhat questionable. She pretends to be superdrunk until a guy inevitably tried to take her home. After it becomes obvious the man wants to have sex with her despite her lack of permission, she lets them know she is stone cold sober and they could be charged with attempted rape at that point. She keeps track of her "kills" in a notebook at home.
After seeing in several scenes how addicted to this behavior and how miserable it makes her, she arranges to pose as a dancer at the men's bachelor party that raped her friend. I won't give the ending away but it has more twists and turns than a bowl of spaghetti.
While my hopes were high for this film, I was slightly disappointed at the ending. I understand the impact it has and that the message is that revenge won't make the original sin disappear, yet it seemed to be a crappy way for it to end. I can't say anything else without spoiling so we will have to continue to discuss after you see it.
Rating 3.75/ 5
Judas and the Black Messiah:
This film tells the in-septh story about the assassination of Fred Hampton, leader of the Black Panthers in Chicago at the end of the 60's. This story also was included in the Trial of the Chicago 7 which happened at the same time as this film did.
Technically, the film was excellent. The screenplay, acting, and direction were top notch. This film won the Oscar for Best original song. The production design and cinematography were all flawless as well. It was a deserving nomination for best picture. LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya were excellent in the two main roles and the supporting cast was superb.
If you have any interest in this story, watch this film. It more accurately potrays what the Black Panthers were about and their anti-establishment attitude is justified after seeing how the Government treated Mr. Hampton.
Rating 4/5
Minari: This film follows a Korean immigrant family who decided to buy a farm in Arkansas and try to grow Korean vegetables to supply Korean grocery stores in the midwest. They move their because the father wants to start something he can be proud of and call his own. The film chronicles their problems making this happen including marital issues, a mother in law who has a stroke, and the usual farming issues.
Taking this film as an allegory for Korean immigrants' struggle as a whole was a little hard for me to swallow as I doubt the majority of Korean immigrants A. went to Arkansas, or B. bought a farm anywhere. So, I approached the film from a singular point of view which raised many issues as well. Digging a well by hand in today's day and age seemed somewhat out of touch. Burning trash in the middle of a drought within 20 feet of the house seemed quite questionable as well. Either these were the world's dumbest farmers or this movie took a lot of liberties in order to prove a point. I am assuming the latter was the case which lead to the payoff. Did the family turn out OK? Were they able to reconcile their differences and earn a living? The film ending leaves this open to interpretation although they lean toward the outcome we are supposed to favor. Relying heavily on symbolism to answer the end questions, I found it a little foggy on the first watch through and until I rewatched the last 15 minutes again, I wasn't sure of the outcome.
What I haven't mentioned yet was the fantastic acting from the children and grandmother. Their dynamic held this film together and kept my interest. The grandson and grandma's interactions represented modern society conflicting with the grandmother's old school upbringing and showed the humor between the two. But beyond their dynamic, their relationship made me hope for the family's success because by the time the movie was 3/4 over, I wanted the Mom and Dad to go to divorce court, sign the papers, and move 12 states apart so I wouldn't have to watch anymore.
Overall, this movie was flawed in many places but had redeeming qualities as well. Your interest and opinion will probably be heavily influenced by which had the bigger impact on you.
Overall Rating 2.5
The Father (Haven't Seen Yet)
Friday, January 31, 2020
2020 Oscars
Film #1
The Irishman
I watched this on Netflix the day it came out. Scorsese's version (albeit- not authoritatively) of what happened to Jimmy Hoffa was technically perfect, well acted, and thoroughly entertaining. With a run time of 3 1/2 hours, some people who saw it said it was too long. I absolutely disagree. I could have watched three more hours of Pacino playing Hoffa; who somehow made Jimmy Hoffa's larger then life personality even more larger then life. He was excellent as usual.
As for the actual film, it reminded me of the Cuba scenes during the Godfather part II. The whole mob/ teamster/ casino angle combined with the seemingly non-stop warm weather during the film brought me back to those scenes in part II. I half expected Hyman Roth to come strolling by or to be seated at a table across the restaurant. Nostalgia withstanding, the film was a very good addition to the Scorsese portfolio and we got to see the band get back together one last time.
Overall Rating 4.0
Film #2
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
At this point, I look forward to each Quentin Tarantino film like I look forward to getting off school for the summer. The anticipation builds as it approaches and the first few days are glorious. No getting up at 6am, no responsibility; just me and the whole day to do what I please. Then the wife gives me my first task, then the kids start fighting. By July 4th, I'm wondering how long summer lasts. By August first, I'm ready to get back to work so I can relax a little bit. Tarantno's last few films have followed the same path. Super excited to watch, the beginning is great, by the middle I'm glancing at my clock and checking to see how much time is left; by the end, I just want it to end so I can go to bed.
While Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is better then Tarantino's last few (Hateful Eight and Django come to mind), it still fails in the end. Back in 1994 when Pulp Fiction came out, it was retro and cool when Tarantino used the fake background for the driving montages. It was also cool and different when he had the crazy "Bring on the Gimp" scene. We had never seen anything like that before and it was a 180 degree change from the other late 80's and early 90's movies. It was cool because it was edgy and new. Watching the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood feels like a repeat of Pulp Fiction. The plot completely goes off the rails (why did Manson's crew attack them instead of Sharon Tate? Since it was seemingly random, did Manson have anything to do with it? Did they just go to the wrong house? Wouldn't someone have at least cased the house beforehand to see who would be home? Etc.) After the attackers start to attack, Brad Pitt literally doesn't break a sweat taking them down. His pit bull (were they really house pets in the 60's?) tears one of the girls apart. The violence is over the top, gratuitous, and overdone. Really, it flies in the face of what was an otherwise really good movie up to that point. At this point in time, I don't think Tarantino can get out of his own way and just let the camera do the talking. He is so concerned with thumbing his nose at the rest of the industry that he loses sight of what makes a good film.
I really analyzed the end of this film after watching. It seems like Tarantino can't shake his whole :comic books are cool" phase that we saw in the early to mid 90's. Undoubtedly, Tarantino changed the film industry with Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. As the film industry evolved over the next 25 years, unfortunately, Tarantino didn't. It's a shame because Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was really good until the end.
Overall Rating 3.0 (Was a legit best picture contender until the last 15 minutes)
Film #3
Marriage Story
This Netflix film, written and directed by Noah Baumbach was outstanding. Both Adam Driver and Scarlett Johanssen were fabulous. Driver plays a self-absorbed play director who, despite his character flaws, seems to be the protagonist of the movie as Scarjo's character hires an attorney and sends the divorce proceedings on a much nastier path. We watch as Driver's character is raked over the coals by Scarjo's lawyer until he fights back and gets his own equally nasty divorce attorney who will sling buckets of mud right back. The whole process devolves into a giant mess with their boy stuck in between The film beautifully depicts the ridiculousness of divorce proceedings and the nature of the legal process.
The acting by Driver and Johanssen was perfect. They come across as real people with real faults, real feelings, and we can identify and understand both of their action as we progress through the film. Ultimately, they both turn out to be victims; of their own failings as marriage partners, of the lawyers, and the legal process in general. Watching this film makes you understand the pitfalls and negativity associated with divorcing your spouse.
My prediction is that Scarjo has a very real shot at best actress, the screenplay is a serious contender, and Laura Dern will have a shot at best supporting actress as well. See this film. It is worth it.
Overall rating 4.25.
Film #4
Joker
My main reaction to this film after watching it was confusion. I couldn't decide if it was a comic book movie that tried to present itself as not a comic book OR if it was a movie about mental illness that just happened to be set in a comic book world? Either way, this movie did not fit into the traditional "comic book" genre with the Avengers or the spiderman movies or any of those. Even compared to the Nolan batman movies (which I think are close to perfect by the way), this was more gritty and realistic then those. After analyzing this movie for days, I have decided to approach it with the idea that it is more of the second interpretation.
As a teacher in a program where we see the effects of trauma, watching this movie really illustrated what some people go through and the effects it can have on them. As we see all of the different reasons Alfred Fleck has to go crazy (the state stops his medication, his mother was not actually his mother, his "mom's" mental illness) etc, we painfully realize why Arthur becomes the Joker. I thought the film did a great job of making you realize that the Joker wasn't supposed to be funny or a gimmick. He was very sick and a victim of the society that he ends up terrorizing.
To the actual film, hands down, no contest, Joaquin Phoenix wins best actor for his portrayal. Amazing job at playing a man having a serious mental breakdown as the film progresses. His not over the top, believable demise into mental illness is acting perfection. His performance elevated this movie. When I think back on Joaquin's career (Commidus in Gladiator, Johnny Cash in Walk the Line, and Theodore in Her) are all A list performances which lead up to the Oscar winning performance.
Other standout parts of this film were the score which I thought mirrored Alfred Fleck's mental demise perfectly. In addition to that, I think the production design was outstanding as well and is a heavy contender for that Oscar.
The violence in this film is tragic. Without it, we don't understand the epic shift that Arthur Fleck has gone through. A lot of people thought it was too much but I think director Todd Phillips (of Hangover trilogy and Wedding Crashers fame) got it right. It is realistic and not cartoonish just as the mental illness of our antihero clearly is. Speaking of Phillips, in what appears to be a direct homage to Martin Scorcese, his film was beautifully shot and perfectly crafted.
Overall Rating: 4.5
Film #5
1917
So, after I saw that Sam Mendes did a war movie, I had really high hopes. I figured that Jughead didn't exactly kill it so he would be wanting to make up for that one. I was right to be excited in some aspects. The technical end of this film was perfect. The production design was top notch. What surprised me was all of the things a director can't control were less then stellar.
Upon seeing the film, I realize that Mendes probably took the script because it allowed him the ability to shoot in one continuous take; much like Innarutu did with Birdman a few years ago. That being said, the idea of following one character across Europe during WWI was less than exciting. Missing all of the huge, immersive battle scenes from Saving Private Ryan or other war movies made this feel like you were watching the first battle in Lord of the Rings; this is cool but compared to others, you haven't seen anything yet. I kept waiting for the grand finale but it never came.
As disappointed as I was with the script and story, the acting was fine and the other portions of the film were adequate. To me the production design and the camerawork stole the show in this film.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the rest of the film presented too big a hurdle to overcome.
Overall rating: 3.5
Film #6
Ford Vs. Ferrari
Another technical masterpiece, the filmmakers did a great job placing you in the seat with Ken Miles; the Ford driver who beat the mighty Italians of Ferrari at the 24 hours of LeMans. The racing scenes were riveting and you were gripping the seat with every curve. The story did an adequate job of seeing what a pain it was to build a car fast enough to win. The acting was superb with Christian Bale playing Ken Miles and Matt Damon playing Carroll Shelby who designed the car (Shelby Mustang anyone?)
The sound mixing and editing was perfect. They both should win. They have a very strong shot at the editing category as well. The script falls short in the ending though. Seeing Ken Miles blow up on a practice track about 1000 yards away seems a little bit brusque after spending 1/2 the movie in the cockpit with him. I think it is the ending that will keep it from having a legitimate shot at Best Picture.
Overall Rating 3.5
Film #7
JoJo Rabbit
Watching the first half of this film made me think of watching a kid's movie back in the 70's. Some of the themes were a little too advanced for kids but it still seemed cute and harmless as it progressed. And then Scar Jo's character was hanged in the town square and her son found her. The film took a decidedly adult turn and I realized this was not a kid's movie.
Up to that point, we know the boy's Mom is part of the resistance but it is hinted at; not really shown. It is almost as if we see the same thing the boy sees- just hints that something isn't right and she might be doing something she shouldn't. The obvious exception to that is Scar Jo's character has a Jewish girl hiding in the attic. But she explains it away as a favor and doesn't really make any political statements to her son. So we wonder of it's really that big of a deal. Predictably, the son's imaginary friend, Adolph Hitler, tries to convince the boy that he should fear and loathe the Jewish girl in the attic. Predictably, he tries but eventually develops a crush on her after realizing there is nothing bad or sinister about her. Unpredictably, the Mom is killed which leaves the two of them to fend for themselves as the war (and Allied victory) approach the city they live in.
The acting and technical parts of the film were all good; nothing great except perhaps ScarJo and the Jewish girl. They were both excellent. The rest of the film was adequate but not outstanding and I don't see it winning anything on Oscar night. Overall a film worth watching but not a Best Picture winner.
Overall rating: 3.75.
Film #8
Parasite
As I watched this film, I had very mixed feelings about it. One, the economic situation the family was in was at part to blame for their actions. The writer wanted us to feel that. Unarguably the motivation for their despicable behavior was monetary but not monetary for greed's sake; it was for survival and having enough food on the table to eat at night.
The basic plot was the boy of the family gets a job (dishonestly) tutoring a daughter of a rich family even though he has never been to college and has no business tutoring anyone. Then, he gets his sister hired as an art therapist for the younger brother- again she has no credentials whatsoever. Then, they make up a lie about the family's driver so the Dad can get hired. Finally, they fake an illness so the housekeeper becomes sick and the Mom can take over. All is going fine until the housekeeper shows up and tells them that she has hidden her husband in a safe room that the family doesn't know about. Her husband has lived there for years because they don't have the money to support him elsewhere. Conflict ensues and they compete to see who is more despicable.
As the film reaches conclusion, a great rainstorm floods the underground apartment the family lives in and they are literally swimming in their own backed-up sewage. Not a very subtle metaphor to be sure. As the poor people lose their homes and belongings, the rich family worries about the son who is spending the night in a tent in the back yard. Not quite the same world.
After the storm ends, the family has to go back to work for the son's birthday party the next day. Smelling of sewage, the patriarch declares that he smells "a poor man's smell." This one statement incenses the father of the poor family who goes on to murder several of the people present and he disappears before the police arrive. Predictably, the man hides out in the house where the other man lived; trapped in a different world again.
I have a big problem with this ending though. I cannot believe that after the entire family lied and sank to remote depths to secure this very valuable employment only to see the father destroy it all because of one insult- an innocuous one at that. I realize the director had to lock him in the basement somehow to get his point across but this seemed quite far-fetched to me. After all, if you are that desperate to gain employment, what little pride you had left could easily be swallowed, right?
Technically, the film was decent; nothing outstanding. I see it as a middle of the pack film in this year's race unless the Academy decides to prop it up as a hat- tip to diversity.
Overall rating 3.0.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Blog from the Lake!
We have some heavy hitters tonight. First up is a 10% barleywine.
Beer Name: Sucaba
Brewer: Firestone Walker
Beer Style: Barleywine
Price: ?
Aroma: Caramel, toffee, maple, pancakes, anything that smells delicious.
Appearance: Light brown, clear,
Mouthfeel: Dan says smooth. thick, syrupy.
Taste: Boozy, toffee, caramel, s=very sweet. This is a heavy hitter for sure.
Overall Rating: Lonnie says a 4, Dan says a 4, John says a 3.75, Chris says a 4, I say 4.5. It is delicious but is super heavy. I'm glad they sold it in a 12 ounce bottle and not a huge bottle.
Beer #2
Beer Name: A Wee Bit Foggy
Brewer: Mark Twain
Beer Style: Scotch Ale
Price: Can't Remember- I bought it in 17.
Aroma: Slight hint of caramel maybe; maybe malt.
Appearance: Very clear, amberish in color (although we are outside in the dark)
Mouthfeel: Very smooth, almost watery.
Taste: Not much, Caramely, malty and then bitter says Dan. He also gets burnt caramel.
Overall rating: I say 3.5, Chris says a 3.25, John says 2.5, Lonnie says 3, and Dan says a 3.25.
Switching gears to a couple IPAS.
Beer #3
Beer Name: Mango Milkshake IPA
Brewer: Bur Oak
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: Lonnie says it smells like ass. Dan says an ice cream shop. Very fruity, cirtusy.
Appearance: Very light in color. not quite clear.
Mouthfeel: Very light, crisp, not much there really.
Taste: Sweet creamy mango with bitter bite at the end. Not a huge milkshake taste to it though. I had a six pack of this about a month ago and it was awful. I think it was bad.
Overall rating; Chris says a 3.5, Dan says 3, Lonnie says 3, Lohn says a 3, I'm going to go a 3.5 when you consider the price. This is a drinkable IPA for about $10 a six pack. Not too shabby.
Beer #4
Beer Name: Dino Smores
Brewer: Off Color
Beer Style: Stout
Price: About $12
Aroma: Licorice, Graham Crackers, a hint of chocolate.
Appearance: Dark, rather clear for a stout.
Mouthfeel: Very dry, light and smooth.
Taste: You can taste chocolate, graham crackers, and licorice for starters. This is a delicious beer and a heavy hitter at 10.3%.
Overall Rating: I say a 4.75, Chris says a 4.675, Dan says 4.5, John says a 4, Lonnie says a 4.5.
Beer #5
Beer Name: Madagascar Maple
Brewer: 4 Hands
Beer Style: Stout
Price: $27 a bottle and worth every penny.
Aroma: Maple, maple, maple. Vanilla, bourbon.
Appearance: Looks like stout.
Mouthfeel: Heavy. but smooth.
Taste: Holy crap this is better then it was on opening day. It's delicious. Maple, vanilla, bourbon, stout. This is a great combination.
Overall rating: 5's across the board.
Beer #6
Beer Name:
Friday, July 5, 2019
JUSTIN IS BACK IN TOWN!
Beer #1
Brewer: Dry Dock
Beer Name: Apricot Blonde
Beer Style: Blonde Ale
Price: ?
Aroma: Smells like a beach bum's ballsack on a sandy ocean in North Carolina says Justin. And off we go. For me, it has a slight aroma of apricot.
Appearance: Hazy, golden ale.
Mouthfeel: Rather watery. Not a lot happening here.
Taste: Everyone says it tastes better then it smells. It is good. Very light, crisp, apricot ale.
Overall Rating: Justin says 3.75. John says 3.25. I'll split the difference. 3.5 for me.
Beer #2
Brewer: Dry Dock
Beer Name: Sour Apricot
Beer Style: Sour
Price: $
Aroma: Very tart. Lemony.
Appearance: Very hazy golden color. Slightly darker then the blonde.
Mouthfeel: A little tingle on the tongue here.
Taste: Taste is pretty tart. A lot of lemon to me. It's too much.
Overall Rating: A little too tart for me. I say 2.5. John says 3.5. Michelle says 3.75. She likes it.
Beer #3
Brewer: Narrow Gauge
Beer Name: Peach OJ Run
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $20 for a 4 pack of cans.
Aroma: Pineapple, fresh squeezed OJ, peaches, fruit in general.
Appearance: Hazy, juicy, looks like a glass of OJ.
Mouthfeel: Very rough through the drink. A strong, rough feel as it goes down.
Taste: A delicious take on the OJ Run. This one has added peaches which just makes it juicier. If you like the NE IPA's, this one will be right up your alley.
Overall Rating: Justin says 4.0. John says 3.75. I'll go 4 as well. Not my absolute favorite Narrow Gauge but it's still very good.
Beer #4
Brewer: Stone
Beer Name: Revengeful Spirit
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: Dank with a slight hint of fruit. Maybe a mango?
Appearance: Pee yellow and not clear. Not a hazy like the Narrow Gauge but you can't see through at all.
Mouthfeel: Slight tingle on the front but not much else. Very light for an 8.1.
Taste: Suprisingly fruity for a Stone. Not bad at all. I could drink this although I would not pick it over a Narrow Gauge for sure. Justin says he tastes the booze.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.5. Justin says 3.5. I'll go 3.25.
Beer #5
Brewer: Grains and Taps
Beer Name: Yuppies in Blazers
Beer Style: Milkshake IPA
Price: $12 for the crowler
Aroma: Tangerine milkshake vanilla goodness.
Appearance: Super hazy. Orangey.
Mouthfeel: Tingly, somewhat heavy.
Taste: Justin nailed it when he said it tastes like a melted orange sherbet. It's fricking fantastic. It's orange sherbet with IPA at the end. Delicious. Justin says a near death experience only topped by a Decadent Tropical Smoothie.
Overall rating: Justin says 4.75. I agree. John says 4.25.
Beer #6
Brewer: Pipeworks
Beer Name: Pineapple Guppy
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: $2 for a can at Beer Sauce
Aroma: Justin says wet pennies soaking in OJ. I say it's more like day old bubble gum- the really cheap stuff that comes in Topps baseball cards.
Appearance: Very light yellow; almost clear. Looks more like lemon juice.
Mouthfeel: Slight tingle on tongue.
Taste: A little let-down after the fantastic ice-cream IPA we just had but not bad overall. This is pretty good for a lighter beer (4.6%). If you want a totally trendy beer to take to the pool, this is the one.
Overall Rating: I say a solid 3.75 for a lighter beer. Justin says a 3. John says 3.0.
Beer #7
Brewer: St. Patrick's Brewery
Beer Name: Tropical Beach IPA
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: Justin says it smells like damp (moist) Michelin tires from Costco? I say it smells like rotting trash mixed with dog poo. (John added the dog poo.) Justin says it reminds him of a butt.
Appearance: Looks like diet Coors Lite. It's light, light yellow.
Mouthfeel: Nothing at all.
Taste: Well, we have a loser. This is the worst beer we've blogged since that debacle black and tan Yuengling. Nothing was that bad but this enters the arena for consideration. It tastes like it's been microwaved to boiling and then frozen solid for about 12 weeks straight. I'm saying that it has a gunpowder aftertaste.
Overall Rating: Justin says a 1.75. John says a 1.75. I say a solid 1. This must be a bad batch or can. It has a 3.5 rating on untappd.
Beer #8
Brewer: Boulder Beer Company
Beer Name: Hazed and Infused
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price: ?
Aroma: Slight citrus. Justin says tangerine floral.
Appearance: Golden, hazy. Light yellowish pee color.
Mouthfeel: Very light and fruity. Justin gets resin. John says tingly.
Taste: Almost west coast ipaish. Definitely get the dry hopped coming through.
Overall Rating: Justin says 3, John says 3.25. I say 2.5. Not a huge fan overall.
Beer #9
Brewer: Boulder Beer Company
Beer Name: Due East
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: Very slight passionfruit maybe? Peaches? Unaromatic for a NE IPA.
Appearance: Very clear for a NE IPA.
Mouthfeel: Very watery for an IPA. Almost no tingle.
Taste: Again, a bubble gummy flavor. Not sure how these hops are working out west but they seem to have a common theme.
Overall Rating: I say a 3.0. Justin says 3.4. John says a 3.5.
Beer #10
Brewer: AC Golden
Beer Name: Colorado Native Apricot
Beer Style: Ale
Price: $20 for a bottle
Aroma: Tarty, tarty, tarty tart tart. Holy sours. Not messing around on the tartness.
Appearance: Golden, hazy, light.
Mouthfeel: Rather puckering as you untwist your face. Think the old Keystone Light commercials.
Taste: Slightly sour. And by slightly, I mean a punch you in the nuts IV drip of sour patch kids. This is seriously sour. After yout take a drink, you feel like you have been drinking nothing but ocean water for the last month. Justin says it makes his ears hurt.
Overall Rating: Michelle says a 3.8; John says 3.75. I say 3 even.
Beer #11
Brewer: Rockyard Brewing
Beer Name: Hopalypto
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: If you snort it, it burns according to Justin. Slightly less sour then the previous entry. If you snorted lemon peels, it would be less sour then the last beer. This one has a fruity, much more even bouquet to it.
Appearance: Clear, pale, very IPAish
Mouthfeel: Very light, slight tingle.
Taste: Blah, blah, blah. Nothing special. Perfectly drinkable but nothing outstanding.
Overall Rating: 2.5 for Justin, same for me; John says 2.75.
Beer #12
Brewer: Decadent
Beer Name: Guava Orange Pacific Punch
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $20 for a 4 pack
Aroma: Citrus, duh.
Appearance: Cloudy, hazy, golden light. As tropical a beer as you could imagine.
Mouthfeel: Slight IPA tingle at the back end but smooth up front. Not a lot happening here. Justin says it's like drinking silky roses.
Taste: Citrus, smooth, fruity. Almost as good as the smoothie beer we had earlier. Delicious.
Overall Rating: Justin says a 4.8. I say a 4.5. John says a 4.5.
Beer #13
Brewer: Decadent
Beer Name: Coconut Citrus Citra
Beer Style: IPA
Price: $20 for a 4 pack
Aroma: Not a whole lot happening here. A little citrus here.
Appearance: Same as the other- light, hazy and clear.
Mouthfeel: Tingly; boozy. A nice, fresh mouthfeel. Almost like a mouthwash.
Taste: This tastes like a beach party in a can. This is my second favorite Decadent. No one agrees.
Overall Rating: Justin says a 3.3; John says a 4. I say 4.75.
Beer #14
Brewer: 4Hands
Beer Name: Mississippi Mud Cake Stout
Beer Style: Stout
Price: $7 a bottle roughy but came as part of a 3pack of milk stout XMas pack.
Aroma: coffee, chocolate, vanilla
Appearance: Quite a bit darker then the others and no, I'm not a racist.
Mouthfeel: Quite a tingle. Not bad at all.
Taste: Chocolate; chocolate, chocolate, followed by the vanilla. Not getting any walnuts. We are all getting coffee/ mocha. It is smooth as could be and worth very penny I paid. This is a curl up under the blanket and take a winter nap beer. I was expecting good things from this one and I am not disappointed.
Overall Rating: John says a 4.75; Justin says a 4.5; I say 4.5 also. Delicious but not Madagascar good.
Beer #15
Brewer: Boulder Brewing Company
Beer Name: Shake
Beer Style: Porter
Price: ?
Aroma: Smells like chocolate heaven.
Appearance: Dark, dark, dark.
Mouthfeel: Very light. Not a lot happening.
Taste: Chocolate, mocha, slight hint of coffee. Very heavy on the chocolate. Justin gets vanilla.
Overall Rating: Justin says a 4.3; John says a 4.5; I say a 4.0.
DONE AND DUSTED. 15 beers. And I'm going to bed.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
USA CURACAO GOLD CUP!!!
We are going to knock out a few beers as we go. Here they are:
Beer #1
Brewer: Yellowstone Brewing
Beer Name: Huckle Weizen
Beer Style: Huckleberry Wheat
Price: ?
Aroma: John says fruity. I'm thinking honey? Sort of a weird natury smell. As I've never smelled a huckleberry, it might be those.
Appearance: Light golden amber, looks like a light ale. Very clear. Filtered for sure.
Mouthfeel: Very light; no tingle, no nothing really. Very watery and light. John says it's very wheat beerish.
Taste: Tastes like a huckleberry- whatever that is. You will either like it or not- no inbetween. I'm saying I'm not a huge fan. Kind of a funky taste. Maybe if I was a little more familiar with huckleberrys. John said they had ice cream and other things so they are more familiar with it.
Overall Rating: Michelle says a 4; John says 3.75; I'm going 3.
Beer #2
Brewer: Fernson Brewing
Beer Name Curio
Beer Style: Tart Ale
Price: ?
Aroma: Tart, fruity, smells very light and summery.
Appearance: This looks like sugar free apple juice. Super light, clear, no lacing at all.
Mouthfeel: Again, very light. Not much mouthfeel at all.
Taste: This is very nice. Smooth, tart, fruity. Grapefruit, grapes, maybe a little key lime.
Overall Rating: Michelle says 4.1, John says 3.75, I concur.
Beer #3
Brewer: Station 26 Brewing Company
Beer Name: 303 Lager
Beer Style: Lager
Price: ?
Aroma: Smells like barley and hops. A traditional lager aroma.
Appearance: Again, apple juice although this may not be sugar free. Very clear, slight lacing.
Mouthfeel: A little more substance and tingle then the previous two but we are still in the very light, nothing happening category.
Taste: Reminds me of Miller High Life- very sweet for a lager. John says it reminds him of Budweiser.
Overall Rating: John says a 2.25. I don't like lagers but this isn't any worse then others. I'll go 2.5.
Beer #4
Brewer: Grand Teton Brewing
Beer Name: Old Faithful Ale
Beer Style: Ale
Price: ?
Aroma: Honey for sure. Slightly fruity tartness as well.
Appearance: Keeping with the apple juice theme, this looks more like Apple-pear juice.
Mouthfeel: Again, very bland here as well.
Taste: Very smooth with a slight hint of hoppiness at the end. I'm going to say it's a honey ale.
Overall rating: John says a 2.75. I say 3.25. It's very crisp. I could definitely drink it by the pool.
Beer #5
Brewer: Bozeman Brewing
Beer Name: Gallatin Pale Ale
Beer Style: Pale Ale
Price:?
Aroma: This smells more like a beer. Hoppy, peachy, fruity. We started light on purpose. I know a pale ale isn't usually a heavyweight but relative to what we have been drinking, this smells like Mike Tyson's boxing trunks.
Appearance: Very clear, this might be a farm fresh apple juice as it is definitely darker then the others.
Mouthfeel: Slightly more tingly. We are getting somewhere.
Taste: John gets more hops with this one. He detects a change in hops as he moves through the drink. I get a fairly typical pale ale profile- slightly fruity with slight hops at the end. It is a solid beer- not a Stillwater Citra but it's definitely drinkable.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.25; I agree.
Beer #6
Brewery: Wasatch Brewing Company
Beer Name: Blueberry Hefeweizen
Beer Style: Hefeweizen
Price: ? (This one was left in the fridge of a hotel room that John staid in on his trip. For real.)
Aroma: Very blueberry! If it was a breakfast cereal, it would be the Boo Berries.
Appearance: John says light but a little cloudy. Haven't seen anything but crystal clear so far.
Mouthfeel: Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Taste: Delicious. Perfect blueberry taste in the light hefeweizen. Not too sweet; not too tart. This is delicious. It's buttery too. I like the whole waffle thing it's got going on.
Overall Rating: Michelle says 3.9, John says 3.5. I'm going 4. I think it's the best yet.
Beer #7
Brewery: Tommyknocker
Beer Name: Blood Orange IPA
Beer Style: IPA
Price: ?
Aroma: Very Orangey- like the orange cleaning product you see on the infomercials. Or the orange scented handwash you use after you change the oil.
Appearance: A beer with foam!!! Darker amber, slight cloudiness.
Mouthfeel: A little tingle at the end.
Taste: Tastes like an orange drink. Almost no hoppiness- certainly not very IPAish. John says it's orange all the way through with out as much hops as a normal IPA.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.75. I say a 3. Not my favorite.
Beer #8
Brewery: Snake River Brewing
Beer Name: Zonker
Beer Style: Export Stout
Price: ?
Aroma: Roasted Malt and Barley for sure; a slight chocolate and black licorice. John says roasty.
Appearance: Ummm, exactly what a stout should look like. Dark caramel lacing around the rim.
Mouthfeel: Buttery, thick, very tingly at the end. John says it has a coffee feel to it but not necessarily a coffee taste.
Taste: Very dry. It reminds me of a Russian stout for sure. Very, very roasty, malty, and smoked. John gets a slight bit of band-aid at the end.
Overall Rating: John says a 3.5. Again, I agree.
