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Lawrence of Arabia

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⭐ 10/10 The only word to describe this movie is epic. Sprawling, grand, whatever adjective you want, this is a massive movie. It tells the long story of T.E. Lawrence, a British man who gets close with a group of Arabs, becoming a leader who helps them fight back against their oppressors. But are his British overlords actually the real oppressors?? The influence this movie has had on everything that has come after it is so clear. Every action set piece, even a bunch of the shots, watching this felt like getting a history of film education. There is a shot in here that made me think of the Dune 3 trailer, and while maybe not directly inspired I have been thinking about both of them since I first saw them. Just give me Dune 3 right now please. Anyways, this movie is incredible. I was able to watch it in a theatre with a bunch of people, and there is a transition early in the movie where I knew this wasn't just some stuffy old movie, as the crowd gasped in appreciation of a simple ye...
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Celebrity Jeopardy! - Tournament of Champions

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⭐ 9/10 We were going through Pop Culture Jeopardy withdrawal and saw this on Crave. They don't have previous seasons, which we would have loved, but we settled to watch this tournament of champions, and loved it. The questions are easier, but not all pop culture like the formerly mentioned show, so you feel a lot smarter answering these. I will say some of the questions were way too easy, almost to the shock of the players, and there are some incredibly strong players here! Patton Oswalt, for example, busting out all this history knowledge. Celebrity is used loosely a bit here, no real super stars, but all pretty smart people. I was hoping Timothy Simons could come through but he had a pretty weak performance. The semi finals and finals were really incredible, with really close matches, one of which resulted in a come-from-behind win using deep Jeopardy betting logic in final jeopardy. It's really fun just answering questions, but then the competitiveness of a close game and t...
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The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

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⭐10/10 I watched this one a week ago and have not stopped thinking about it. I didn't give it a perfect score when I finished, but the more time I give it, the more I like it, and at this point I'm ready to admit that I think it's a masterpiece. More than that, it is a movie made for me. The writing, the cinematography, the music, the performances; all are exactly what I look for in movies.  This is based on the true story of Jesse James being betrayed by one of his gang members for the bounty on his head. I like that the movie is spoiled straight away because it means that immediately you are less invested in the plot and gives you room to think about these characters. There are plenty of good ones, but I think the two Ford brothers stand out above the rest. Sam Rockwell as the greasy older brother is maybe my favorite Rockwell performance, and then Casey Affleck has one of the most impressive performances you will ever see as Robert Ford. Capturing that pride,...
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Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Protoman

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⭐4/10 It's hard to admit but this game was excruciating. I remember it being one of my favorite games in the series as a kid, but it really doesn't hold up. It's a shame because they switch up the formula a bit and I think the additions are a big hit. But they also take away so much of what makes the previous games special.  The game has a huge, bizarre visual downgrade, and I guess it was to save storage space so they could add what they wanted, but I'm not sure it was worth it. It looks pretty bad. But the bigger issue is the progression, or lack thereof, with no ability to get better chips as you go along which is kinda the whole exciting gameplay loop of the previous. It's very static and boring, and you end up using the same chips through your entire playthrough.  All of that would have been manageable, but then they commit the final sin of ramping up the random encounters which is such a terrible, brainless choice. It makes it nearly unplayable for...
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Muppet Treasure Island

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⭐7/10 I liked this movie as a kid, but I didn't exactly love it. Muppet humour is so weird because it's hard to know who the audience is. Much of it is for adults, and yet some of it is so silly it's hard for adults to sit through the whole thing.  Well, I still liked but didn't love it, watching it now 20 years later. My likes and dislikes are all different now, but it still has that problem of not really having an audience. It was pretty funny at times, and Tim Curry was absolutely born to play a pirate, but there are also huge lulls to sit through. One of my primary takeaways was that the story is pretty cool and it makes me want to read Treasure Island. The Muppets always do a great job of adapting classics, having plenty of lines right from the book, but also, ya know, the pirate ship doubles as a cruise ship for Rizzo's rat friends.  Good movie, maybe one to watch with your 8 year old as is the intended experience. 
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Balatro

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⭐ 9/10 Two video game reviews in a row, who is this guy?? I'm clearly in a deck-builder phase, and this was a very natural next step after Slay The Spire. This is a deck building roguelike, but based on poker and poker hands, plus 150 jokers to modify how you play and increase your points round after round. Like all deck-builders it is endlessly fun, with each round feeling unique, and also very addicting when you find another game-breaking deck. I won't go on and on about what makes this fun, because a big part of it is just seeing large numbers go up. There are tons and tons of modifications and challenges through the different decks and stakes (like Slay The Spire's "ascensions" of Hades' "heat"), and its so satisfying to feel yourself improving as a player even though the difficulty is still high. And this is where I will cut into the game a bit, since I don't think its perfect. Even after all this time I still only win maybe 20% of the time...
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Slay The Spire 2

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⭐ 10/10 This game is still in early access, but I've sunk enough time into it to confirm this is a perfect game. The first one is nearly perfect, and this game is more polished in every way. A couple new characters that are super fun to learn. A bunch of characters with the same decks as the first game, but with more stronger cards. Better animations, smoother UI. Endlessly fun. It was highly beneficial to play this almost immediately after this first, since it is so familiar, more of an expansion than a new game. So you get early wins, which is satisfying, but there are also a ton of new cards and relics, so you are continuing to learn and experiment on your previous knowledge. That being said, I don't think I would ever recommend someone go back and play the first, this game is better in every way. The first game is more difficult, since it feels like this game has a couple more OP cards, which feels like a better balance. This is also early access, so things are changing, w...
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How to Stay Alive in the Woods - Bradford Angier

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⭐8/10 This is the holy grail of survival lit, and I read it for a variety of reasons, but the biggest one was just that I like this stuff. It kinda just goes over the major topics - securing food, building shelter, staying warm, seeking aid. It gives practical advice in a pretty simple way, and tells you what to look out for.  I love this stuff but I've never actually camped rough in this way. I want to and hope to, and I guess if I do, I'll know what to expect! But the bigger thing is I find survival so interesting and explains so much of the history of our world and our makeup as humans. That's getting deeper into the weeds than this book does, but there is something so compelling and human when reading about this stuff.  That's really all I got. It's about the best book in this regard, but I imagine most would be more interested in reading a fictional survival story (Hatchet anyone?) or watching the greatest show of all time, Alone. Still, a good way ...
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Survivor 50

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⭐8/10 Another season of Survivor and my complaints are the same as always. The ending always leaves a sour taste in my mouth because this game is pretty broken at this point. Another winner where you would have an impossible time explaining why they deserve to win to an audience that doesn't breathe Survivor.  But I won't let that get in the way of an amazing season! This was a big season bringing back popular players from the previous 50 seasons. I loved seeing all of the old players, most of which I wasn't familiar with. Lots of very fun personalities that led to great drama that only Survivor can manufacture. Again, the bones of this show are fantastic, and this season had it all. The drama, the scheming, a few meaty challenge beasts, debates over honor. I like that they aren't afraid to bring back the truly zany personalities. Mike White, Christian, Coach, Ozzy, Cirie, all legends, all fun to watch. The big twists were sometimes a lot of fun and other ti...
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Remarkably Bright Creatures

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⭐6/10 This is standard issue Netflix slop. Jess chose it, and it was never going to really appeal to me, but honestly it was sweet enough to win over my calloused heart a bit. It's about an old grieving woman with nothing to live for, but then she runs into a down-on-his-luck rascal and finds meaning in mentoring him. It's wholesome, has a tidy ending, and I'll always appreciate an aging protagonist. Also it's filmed in Deep Cove. I've been there! That was cool to see.  It's not a masterpiece but it's good for a cozy evening at home. 
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Beef (Season 2)

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⭐ 9/10 I wasn't sure if Beef needed another season, and its very easy to draw some lines between analogous characters in both seasons, but this is very much a worthwhile followup to the first season. It hits on a bunch of the same themes as well, but what's wrong with more of a good thing? In this season, there are two couples. One is Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan (Llewyn Davis reunion), who run a fancy country club. The other is Cailee Spaeny and Charles Melton who work at the club. The younger couple sees the older have an explosive fight, they record it, use it as blackmail, and we are off. Melton is a revelation here! I loved him in May December, and here he is this dorky sweet jock, an unusual combo he completely nails. He is so funny, and so handsome, and so warm, I loved every scene he was in. Can't say I was an early stock holder but I'm all in now. Make this guy James Bond for all I care, I want to see him in everything. His dynamic with Spaeny is great, anot...
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Notting Hill

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⭐ 7/10 Do you think anyone for the rest of time will watch The Mandalorian and Grogu, and then Notting Hill, in the same day? I was wracking my brain for some thematic connections as if I was writing a high school English essay on the two, but no luck. This movie is all about the chemistry of its two leads, and there is no denying it. Julia is steely and reserved, but when she smiles its light transcends the screen you are watching it on. And Hugh, good old Hugh with those baby-blues, what a charmer. I don't think he's conventionally attractive, but the bumbling brit with quips and that shy smile, I get the appeal. They are very well balanced in this movie, him as a nobody running a travel book store and her as the most famous actress alive. They have a meet cute, a bunch of follow up encounters where she is hard to get to but he is persistent and charming and funny. I actually got quite a few laughs out of this movie. But that's where my praise for the movie will end. She...
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Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu

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⭐ 4/10 I used this gif when writing my Mandalorian Season 3 review, and while I was watching this movie it's all I could think of. I'm gonna repeat myself probably, but I loved the first 2 seasons of that show. Week to week adventure, no super heavy lore, a relationship evolving as our characters get stronger and their armour and weapons get cooler. Very simple, very steady, very enjoyable in small weekly doses. Season 3 abandoned the fun for this lore that isn't interesting, widening beyond the titular pair in boring ways. This movie has no lore, but also no story. They talk to some people, go somewhere, have a fight, repeat. I mean, they are trying to rescue Rotta the Hutt, but that is dispensed of early and then they are kind of just fighting to survive. I don't know, just so boring, neither character grows or changes. Just an absolute zero of a movie, brings nothing new or exciting to the table. Sigourney Weaver is in this and it looks like she is being held at gun...
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The Boys (Season 5)

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⭐ 4/10 Woof, what an actual dumpster fire of a final season. I've been conflicted about this show, its obsession with disgusting deaths and being as verbally raunchy as possible, but was always fascinated by this heroes as the bad guys thing, especially Anthony Starr as Homelander. He is so terrifying, or at least he was until this season. They clearly didn't know how to end this. The show always satirizes current day, but this goes beyond satire to just copying. Every hot-button thing you can think of is squeezed in here, we get it, the bad super heroes are like Republicans! And then Liberals are now "Starlighters", being thrown into internment camps for unclear reasons, just a really lazy photocopy of the polarization we see in American politics today. There is this writer in the show who writes movies, and he shows up a couple times to say meta lines about how difficult finales are, can't give everyone what they want. Give me a break, what a cop out veiled as ...
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The Cult Queen of Canada

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⭐ 9/10 CBC got me again, advertising a limited series podcast during a holiday when there is no Frontburner. This one was so fascinating, about this cult led by a diminutive woman who calls herself the Queen of Canada. Their beliefs are far right, with anti-vax stances and classic Q-Anon "the libs are holding children prisoner" panic. Where this gets interesting is how this cult moved into an abandoned school in a tiny village of about 100 people. This town is in Saskatchewan, and while its not close to where my parents live I can see exactly what this looks like in my head, especially since there is a separate weird cult already living in my parents' community! This reminded me of Eddington, where this town becomes completely divided on the basis of the cult. Some feel its a scourge, and it is, using up limited community resources, being super creepy, and issuing death threats. Others are sympathetic, ultimately becoming aligned with the cult, and some people in the tow...
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Saturday Night Live (Season 51)

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⭐ 7.5/10 The best season in recent memory, but still I show I mostly pan through. A highlight was Jost as Pete Hegseth and Aziz Ansari as Kash Patel, I love how biting and mean they have become about these idiots running the country, as they should be! Jost plays that macho frat energy so well, and if I was Pete I would lose sleep over this portrayal. There is Trump every week, which is exhausting, so their energy is a welcome change. I thought there were a ton of standout sketches, like Matt Damon as an auctioneer in a failing marriage, or the Olympic luger who is afraid of it, or Josh O'Conner with my guy Ben Marshall as sensitive male strippers. I love that Ben Marshall is part of the main cast, and while I miss the Please Don't Destroy trio their energy lives on in him. I hope he gets a bigger role going forward. Ashley Padilla is clearly the MVP here, and they use her in everything. She has this wacky crazy energy, but her facial expressions and attempt to have a calm ext...
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Toy Story

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⭐ 10/10 Everyone knows this movie, everyone loves this movie. What fascinated me is that when we stayed at an Airbnb that had a ton of kids toy, the first thing my 2 year old boy saw was a Buzz Lightyear, and when he saw it he gasped "what is that!?". Amazing to me, that this toy that was made for a movie 30 years ago still holds so much power. And that's the premise of this movie! A super cool toy that causes the other toys to get jealous as the kid ignores them all. And I watched that happen, so of course I had to show him the movie. I remember the whole thing by heart, but with fresh eyes and a child beside me I was truly blown away. The detail, the jokes, the animation, it's all incredible. I listened to a podcast about the technological leaps that happened here, the years of innovation that culminated in this, and the many hurdles that almost completely derailed the movie. I'm always fascinated by the troubled productions that produce masterpieces, and this ...
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Jojo Rabbit

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⭐9/10 Whew, what a movie. I thought I'd be settling in for another one of Taika Waititi's signature comfort watches with nice indie vibes and cute humour. That's mostly what this movie was! It had some pretty outrageous moments as it is a movie about a young German boy thinking he's best friends with imaginary Hitler, but yeah, this was a Waititi movie for the first 90 minutes. I thought that for the most part, it was equally parts smart and funny. I think it did a nice job of showing the realities of indoctrination and what that probably looked like for a lot of German kids. He's confronted with his own beliefs when he learns that his mom is hiding a Jewish girl in his home, and again, I think this is expertly done. How do we think when our worldviews are challenged? Especially poignant coming from the POV from a sweet but misguided child.  The real talking point is the final 30 minutes. This is a vague spoiler so beware. Absolutely gutting. My initial ...
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The Great British Bake Off (Series 16)

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⭐9/10 The Bake Off is back! Another awesome season, plenty of fun contestants, and I think this is about as good as the Bake Off has ever been. I think Noel and Allison have found their chemistry as hosts and the season's cold open is a dumb and amazing as it's ever been.  Spoiler: Maybe the most dominant run by a winner. Jasmine was an early favorite personality wise, but she pretty well never had a bad day and was the easiest winner to call midway through the season. Love to witness greatest once in a while even if it makes the finale less dramatic. But also she was writing exams for med school while she played? That's not fair, you shouldn't be able to good at everything. 
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Once Upon a Time in the West

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⭐7/10 It's western season baby! Opening this summer with what many consider to be the best ever made, Sergio Leone's magnum opus. While I agree it's got plenty of style, and Morricone's score is as good as ever, this movie fell short of their other greats for me.  First off, this movie is absurdly slow. I would actually say this was like what Pluribus was for the Gilligan. Leone has always been methodical in his directing, but this was simply too much. The opening is 15 silent minutes of cowboys being bored, passing time, and while I respect the boldness of such a move, it should have ended there. This movie is 3 hours and felt like 4. It was a pretty tight story, and the movie structurally was a lot like A Few Dollars more, a movie I loved. But that movie was much shorter and sharper, and while I appreciated the patience of this one, letting us get fully immersed and invested in a sweaty, grimy, hot west, my patience ran thin by the end. Another issue, I th...
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