Andor Season 1

Andor, Season 1 (Tony Gilroy, 2022)

Click here for the basics

Rating: DSQ=12, SP=8 / Decadence

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

Such a dramatic and powerful show. I had spine-tingling moments and so much tension! I loved every episode. Andor is, in my opinion, the best Star Wars show yet. I might even like this more than any of the films. But Andor is a very different kind of experience--this is not about superheroes, fantasy, or escape. This show is realism and it is dark, scary, and disturbing. The universe of Andor is eerily reminiscent of the darkest points in human history and present--showing us what facism and dictatorship allow. It shows the Star Wars fans what the average person living in the Empire would have experienced. And it is frightening. 

All the actors, especially Diego Luna and Denise Gough and Andy Serkis, make this show absolutely riveting. Can't wait for the next series. So much more to know and see!

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Star Wars Universe, Epic

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SPECIAL: Jean Pierre Jeunet Films Ranked

Earlier this year I thought I'd do another special list since it is fun to immerse yourself in the world of one director. It took me a while due to trouble finding some of them, but this time I decided to watch all films by Jean Pierre Jeunet. One of Jeunet's films, Amelie, has been in my top ten for twenty years now. It's that old already? Oh my. This was an excellent excuse to re-watch it and all his other great stories. Here's the complete list of all Jeunet's feature films, followed by my rankings:

• Delicatessen (1991)
• The City of Lost Children (1995)
• Alien Resurrection (1997)
• Amélie (2001)
• A Very Long Engagement (2004)
• Micmacs (2009)
• The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)

#1 Amelie (2001)
Rating: Q=7, P=8 / Obsession
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4
Yes, it's still my favorite.

#2 Micmacs (2009)

Rating: Q=7, P=7 / Obsession
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=4

Micmacs is such a close second to Amelie. This film is brilliant!

#3 The City of Lost Children (1995)

Rating: Q=7, P=4 / Can't Get Enough
Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

#4 Delicatessen (1991)
Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

#5 The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)
Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

*#6 A Very Long Engagement (2004)
Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

#7 Alien Resurrection (1997)
Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ
Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

*I was unable to watch this one--couldn't find it. My rating is based on my original viewing.

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Cyberpunk Edgerunners Season 1

Cyberpunk Edgerunners Season 1 (Hiroyuki Imaishi, 2022)

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Anime, Sci-Fi, Action, Drama

Rating: AQ=8, AP=10 / Drooling

Scale O=4, Scale P=4, Scale Q=3, Scale R=3, Scale S=4

This show is vibrant, absorbing, strange, and wonderful. I love it. The animation is superb--some of the most beautiful images I've seen in a while. Studio Trigger is amazing. I don't run to watch the newest anime, but I have thoroughly enjoyed many series, especially Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Shamploo. Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a show about bounty hunters in a dismal/post-apocalyptic future where people are modifying their bodies with technology to become "better" and dreaming of getting out of their bleak existences. So it reminded me a lot of Blade Runner and also Judge Dredd.

I would watch this show again and again. Really enjoyed it.

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Disenchantment Season 4

Disenchantment Season 4 (Matt Groening, 2018-)

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Animation, Comedy, Middle Ages, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Adventure

Check out how I rated Season 1 and 2 & 3 here.

Season 4 Rating: CSS=6, CSS=5 / The Giggles

Scale F=3, Scale G=2, Scale H=1, Scale I=3, Scale J=2

    Favorite from Season 4 = "What to Expect When You're Expecting Parasites"

Well, season 4 of Disenchantment amplified my catchphrase from season 3 to: "What the hell is going on?" While I still enjoyed the randomness and quirky fun, I found that far too much was going on all the time. The subplots had subplots and the main thread of the story felt buried beneath all the over-the-top humor and weirdness. Again, Bean and her friends feel like they are just wandering around blindly in a confusing psychedelic rabbit hole. Everything just keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. I will watch the next season, if there is one, but I think this show is falling apart.

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