Thor: Love and Thunder

Thor: Love and Thunder (Taika Waititi, 2022)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Marvel, Superhero, Action, Adventure, Thriller, Horror, Science Fiction

What a hilariously strange and exuberant film. I loved it! Following in the footsteps of the huge success Thor: Ragnarok, this new episode in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a delight. Equal parts superhero, comedy, and thriller/horror, Thor: Love and Thunder is a true escape with something for everyone. Some action sequences felt refreshingly new and very comic book-esque. The humor is perfect. Of course, it could have used much more depth, but I've come to expect that with Marvel. Christian Bale as the God Butcher is magnificently creepy. I would place this in my top 10 Marvel films, for sure. It's definitely not as good as some of the other films (Ragnarok, etc.), but it was so much fun.

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Stranger Things Season 4

Stranger Things Season 4 (Matt and Ross Duffer)

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Rating: DSQ=12, SP=7 / Decadence

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=4, Scale E=3

Retro, 1980s, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller

WOAH. Season 4 might be the best season of this amazing show yet. And there's still more to come?? I was impressed with all the seasons before this one, but 4 is totally mesmerizing. The writing is absolutely superb and there is tension through the roof because of all the subplots going on at once. Great new characters, creepy new realizations, amazing soundtrack. What more can you ask for?

Read my reviews of Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

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Peaky Blinders Season 6

Peaky Blinders Season 6 (Stephen Knight, 2013-2022)

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Season 6 Rating: DSQ=12, SP=8 / Obsession

Scale A=4, Scale B=4, Scale C=4, Scale D=4, Scale E=4

Gangster, Power, WWI aftermath, pre-WWII, Race, Class, Philosophical, Crime

Without a doubt, I can say that Peaky Blinders is the best drama show I've ever seen. It is so masterful and this final season of the show did not disappoint. The masterful script, acting, and camera-work are so captivating. I can't think of any show that makes me feel more immersed and tense and engaged. Sure, it is an intense show that has very violent and difficult moments that aren't for everyone. It is gangster through and through, but it also a show about political struggles and psychology as much as it is about family. Season 6 is a rush of tragedy and tension, death and Nazism looming on the horizon. But it ends somewhat unresolved, which I think is fitting. A little disappointment, but it makes sense. I've never liked a lead character more than Tommy Shelby. And I want more!! I heard rumors that there will be a movie and maybe more, even. Watching the Shelby family enter WWII would be so interesting.

Well done, Stephen Knight and company. You have made a masterpiece.

Here's how I rated seasons 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 5.

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Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

1970s, Comedy, Coming of Age

Licorice Pizza is a hilarious, meandering romp. I love stories that don't really have a plot, that are just views into the lives of people. I really like Gary--young, charming, and enterprising. And I like awkward, goofy Alana. It's fun to escape into their entrepreneurial world of the San Fernando valley in 1973, full of celebrities and trends and all walks of life. A very different kind of film for Paul Thomas Anderson, but still so great. Plus Bradley Cooper's cameo is magic and amazing.

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