Wrath of the Titans

Wrath of the Titans (Jonathan Liebesman 2012)

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Rating: Q=4, P=2 / Thanks But No Thanks

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

Greek mythology, Action, Fantasy, Epic

There is a reason I usually stay away from blockbuster action films: they aren't very good. But I do love Greek mythology and enjoy escaping into an adventure, so I watch them occasionally. Wrath of the Titans, to me, is a poorly executed story that relies WAY too heavily on special effects and CGI creatures. And it's too bad, really, because the Tartarus scenes are really impressive (and frightening) and there are great roles played by great actors...who of course didn't get even a decent script to work with. This film is full of troupes and cliches but it wasn't a complete waste of time--I did still enjoy entering the mythological universe.

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Samurai Champloo

Samurai Champloo (Mamoru Hosoda and Shin'ichirô Watanabe, 2004-2005)

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Rating as TV series: DSQ=11, SP=6 / Can't Get Enough

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

Rating as Animation: AQ=10, AP=10 / Meant to Be

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

I adored this series and relished each episode. So much humor, mystery, stunning artistry, and great stories. The roller-coaster relationships between Jin, Mugen, and Fuu is fun to watch. And I loved feeling as though I was in Edo period Japan...and it was even more enjoyable when modern/futuristic moments found their way into the story. Beatboxing samurai? Baseball? Graffiti artists? So much fun.

Favorite episodes are probably: Akage ijin and Chimimôryô

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Red Dwarf Season XI and XII

Red Dwarf Season XI (Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, 2016)

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Rating: CSQ=10, CSS=8 / Double Whoopee

Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=3, Scale I=4, Scale J=4

British Comedy, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy

I finally watched the two latest seasons of one of my favorite TV shows of all time. How did I go three years without watching? Well...I was preoccupied with a new relationship and a new niece when this season came out. What a fantastic season--"Twentica" is probably my favorite episode but they were all wonderful. I especially enjoyed the character Butler in "Krysis" and the hilarious polymorphing shenanigans in "Can of Worms."

Red Dwarf Season XII (Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, 2017)

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Rating: CSQ=10, CSS=8 / Double Whoopee

Scale F=4, Scale G=3, Scale H=3, Scale I=4, Scale J=4

British Comedy, Science Fiction, Science Fantasy

Grant and Naylor never seem to run out of ideas for Red Dwarf and I'm so glad. Each episode of each season has something to offer and Season XII was a delight. "Mechocracy" was my favorite episode but the scary relevance of "M-Corp" and the multiverse commentary of "Skipper" were brilliant, too. I love this show so much. Can't wait to see the film that came out in 2020!

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Judy

Judy (Rupert Goold, 2019)

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Rating: Q=6, P=6 / Average OJ

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

Biopic, Judy Garland, Music, 1969, Complex relationships

I have always loved Judy Garland, in fact she was probably one of the first female singers I heard as a young child. Her charm and joyful presence is infectious and her voice was simply larger than life. This story of her final months is revealing and tragic. It shows how her life as a child star in the 1940s led to eating disorders, drug addiction, insomnia, many broken marriages, and depression. Renee Zellweger does a truly impressive job portraying her and singing, too. She so desperately wanted happiness and never failed to stop reaching and dreaming for it.

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