The Thief of Baghdad

The Thief of Baghdad (Berger, Powell, Whelan 1940)

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

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

Adventure, Fantasy, Based on Book

I'm not entirely sure why I hadn't watched this film until now. A fantastic adaptation of the 1001 Arabian Nights story and a marvel for 1940. This film won many awards for its innovative cinematography and art direction. It may feel a bit goofy today, but the tone and vibrancy of this film still holds up, in my opinion. I love the music and the acting is great. I felt immersed in a world far, far away and that's exactly what I want.

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Happy 2023!

Happy 2023, everyone! This year's film watching was a lot of fantasy, adventure, and some truly amazing series. Probably my favorite film I saw this year was The Northman (closely followed by The Batman), favorite show was Andor: Season 1.

Other highlights were finishing my all-time favorite drama series, Peaky Blinders, an epic Season 4 of Stranger Things, Obi-Wan and Boba Fett--wow, what a year of excellent shows!

I'm hoping to keep watching new and old films in 2023 and doing a few more marathons: Mel Brooks films, revisiting Hercule Poirot BBC series, and a list of good films/shows about sailing/navigation (starting with the Horatio Hornblower series). I'll also be watching lots of classic 1940s-1960s adventure films I haven't seen before.

Best wishes!

Andor Season 1

Andor, Season 1 (Tony Gilroy, 2022)

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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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