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⭐ 9.5/10 A bit late to get around to this one, but it was a perfectly timed double-feature with A Real Pain. This one is about the family of Rudolph Hoss, who runs Auschwitz, and they all live in luxury on the other side of the wall from the camp. There are a dozen moments that stick out here, as the family enjoys and fights for their pampered lifestyle, with comments and choices that have wormed their way into my mind. It's super bleak, and reading about this family afterwards was just as rewarding. From a filmmaking side I'm not the first to say that the sound is what really stands out. We don't ever get a glimpse into the camp, but the sounds we hear paint the picture. Screams and gunshots ring out during tours of a beautiful garden, dogs barking and shouted orders as children sleep comfortably. The real unnerving one is the constant burning and churning, like the Ents living next to the fire and industry of Isengard. It's really impressive, the sense of dread that ...

⭐ 8/10 This seemed like a good fit to watch on the day that Elon Musk gave a Nazi salute to an adoring crowd. 2 cousins go visit the motherland, learning about the pain of their ancestors and expressing a bit of their own pain.  Eisenberg and Culkin are doing two characters that they have done over and over, so much so that I feel like these are actually their personalities.  I liked their dynamic, and I thought they played off each other well, although the conflict was obvious from the moment you meet them. I thought this movie looked really pretty in a cute and compact way. Obviously not a huge budget, but who needs ones?  Emotional scenes in small restaurants and rooftops pack emotional punches, even if I can barely empathize with Culkin's character. He is beyond annoying, and I don't think the Eisenberg character actually wants to be like him at all, but seeing how his tour groups barely say goodbye to him but all have kind words for his cousin hit me in a personal w...

⭐10/10 I watched this movie a few days ago and cannot stop thinking about it. I think it is an absolute masterpiece and works on so many levels. It's kinda hard to discuss without spoiling, and so while I'll try not to spoil anything, I will warn that it feels like any discussion of character or themes seems to give the game away a bit. Might be best to go in completely blind if you're interested in this movie and want the full experience.  This is a Scorcese/ De Niro combo and that is a duo simply made for one another. I (like everyone) have been super impressed with mostly everything De Niro has done, but I think this is his most impressive performance yet. His potryal as this oddball mega fan is unlike anything you have ever seen. And people have tried! But there are so many layers to this wild dude, because he's not just a complete incompetent weirdo, but he really does have a smidgen of talent that you can tell he's been clinging to. This is a chara...

⭐6/10 This is a recent documentary about both the Endurance expedition that happened over 100 years ago, but then also the expedition to discover it's long-lost remains in the Antarctic, which happened a few years ago. It's one of my favorite stories and this movie features my beautiful history king Dan Snow (a definite pattern emerging with my man crushes), so I obviously had to watch it.  It's all pretty good. Absolutely nothing new if you are familiar with the story of the Endurance, and then not a ton of depth into the rediscovery expedition. Nobody (besides Dan Snow) is especially likeable, and hey, they find it, so good for them. A perfectly serviceable documentary, and probably even a pretty good one for those unfamiliar with this story.  One thing that stood out to me was that they had some lines from the old crew, and the lines felt pretty stilted and weird. But hey, it's old recordings, so I'll forgive. But at the end they tell us that the line...

⭐6/10 So this is based on a true story which I think is important context because the story is not all that interesting. It's full of western tropes and offers very little to the genre. But if it's a true story, I guess it's a little more interesting that these real-life law-man stories really did happen. This is a story of a legendary law-enforcement officer who wants to leave that life behind, so he moves to Tombstone, only for that town to get overrun with outlaws. Initially he resists getting my involved, but just when he thought he was out...  I do think there are some terrific performances here. Lots of familiar faces for westerns, and lots of guys who have played macho men often in the past. Kurt Russell is pretty good as the true alpha dog, but I really loved the performance of Val Kilmer who is a hot shot, but one who knows he will die any day from TB (reminiscent of another western legend).  Anyways, this movie pretty much goes exactly like you would t...

⭐6/10 I confess I'm pretty disappointed with where this show has gone. I think it has an excellent premise and had a fantastic start, but this show can't get out of its own way. It's far too in love with it's own characters and requires all scenes to end in a group hug and people telling each other how proud they are of one another.  There was plenty to like in this season. I loved the stuff with Maximus, specifically the "jail-break" episode. I thought Elora's episode with Ethan Hawke was quite nice.  I liked the idea of the flashback high school episode.  I do love that these episodes try to be creative and thoughtful, jumping around in perspectives. (But also we have 4 main characters and only ten short episodes - we don't have time for all this!)  The problem, I guess, is that they all end up feeling the same in the end. It just ends up with people having a heart to heart, talking things out, processing their thoughts. I just find it wa...

⭐9/10 This is a rogue-like deck building game, which are not genres that necessarily speak to me, but some recommendations forced me to give it a try. I have been struggling to really get into a game, leaving my last few unfinished, so maybe it's enough to say that I became COMPLETELY addicted to this game almost instantly. I went from not wanting to play anything to not wanting to do anything else overnight.  This game is excellent. What I appreciate about this game is that they get you playing immediately. There is no story to speak of, no drawn out tutorial, no introduction, just enemies and cards to kill them with. Like all great games, it is simple on the surface but has incredible depth. As you go, you learn to synergize your cards and abilities, you learn your goals, and you feel like a god by the end. The feeling of "one more enemy" or "one more level" or "one more run" will have you stuck in this loop for hours. When you close your...

⭐9/10 Alright, last review of GBBO for a bit. This time we went back a few seasons as this was Jess's favorite season with her favorite winner. She told me straight away who won this season, so it was actually kinda cool watching with that in mind. In fact, here's a SPOILER WARNING because I want to talk about it. So this season has a pretty interesting arc, and unfortunately it is not a very satisfying one because it is in fact reality TV. But at the beginning, you can't help but cheer for Rahul because he is the sweetest, most unassuming human to ever live, and he is also a phenomenal baker who genuinely thinks he is garbage. Because he wins, this is just a very happy ending. Unfortunately, he kinda limps to the finish line, nothing he does really blowing the judges away towards the end, just nudging out the others who also don't do anything very special. So while I thought this season was phenomenal and I indeed cried at the end, I felt just a bit was mis...

⭐ 10/10 I know the author, and this book was a long time coming. It is the result of a huge amount of research and interviewing, and for some reason I was a bit hesitant to start it. It's not only personal for my family, but also for the author, whose family tree shares roots with my own. I had it earmarked for a vacation read, when I could devote uninterrupted time to it, but then on a day off I decided to dive in. I finished it in one day. I'm glad I didn't choose to read this on vacation around other people, because it is not an exaggeration to say I was wiping away tears every chapter. I found my grandparent's story so moving, not only because it emphasized family dynamics and trials that I was aware of, but because it uncovered sacrifices and acts of love that I was not. Joe paints a crystal clear picture of the Mexico they came from and eventually left, an unfathomable life decision that feels so far away from the life I now live 2 generations later. I found the ...

⭐ 6/10 This is a love story movie about two people who fall in love but also have limited time, so the movie shows you their story cut up and out of order in a way that's probably supposed to show how all our stories are encapsulated moments, we live in time, or something like that.  Really the structure of the movie did not work at all and didn't enhance the story at all. She has cancer, struggles to have a child, all the hurdles I feel like we've seen before in these earnest heartfelt movies, and it just didn't really work for me. Honestly I just don't love Florence Pugh, and she's kind of the main character.  She makes some choices near the end that I thought made zero sense.  She sacrifices time with her family to compete in this cooking show but then only competes in half of it then bails to be with them?  Also, what kid is sitting through a 6 hour live cooking performance and cheering on their mom, give me a break. I did think there was a harrowing birth ...

⭐ 9/10 This is a series of University lectures from the Great Courses, so while it's not technically a book, the truth is that I make the rules on this website and can do whatever I want. I'm basically like an outlaw round these parts.  This book was phenomenal. It does a bit of sequential history, just going from the start (in this case, European discovery) until modern day, but also jumps around from topic to topic when appropriate. I would actually say this is one of my favorite books of purely American history, let alone western. I feel like I learned a ton as i always do when I listen these Great Courses books, and feel smarter for having done it. Some interesting topics I didn't really expect to get here was the history of travel and tourism, like pointing out that the Rocky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yosemite mountains, and western deserts were perilous for early explorers, and only got settled because of gold rushes and the availability of rail.  No apprec...

⭐ 10/10 I waited some 2 weeks to post this review because I'm a little embarrassed about how fast we are flying through seasons of this show. But this was my favorite season thus far and it was all I ever wanted to watch. I love it so much, and I loved this group especially.  I don't have too many unique thoughts on this season, but I will say that when it got to the final 4, I genuinely didn't want to see anyone go home. 3 of the characters I liked from week 1, but I think the thing that stood out to me was that the fourth I really came to love midway through till he eventually became my favorite. It was totally unexpected, because on the surface, it's not the type of person you cheer for. But that's the beauty of this show. As you go along and get to know them, you learn more and can't help but feel a connection. I cried real tears during the final episode which is not something i ever expected to say about a baking show.  Still, let's not get ...

⭐6/10 You know, I came in hot last movie with the take that these movies are good, actually. Well here's another hot take: the reason we think poorly of this series is because of this movie alone. While I genuinely enjoyed 1 and 2, I can confidently say that this movie is a true stinker almost in a way similar to the third entry in the Star Wars sequels.  For the record, I actually think the opening, the fight with Smaug, is totally sweet. I was fine with the decision to put that here instead of the end of the last movie, because I really did like how the last one ends. The battle is epic, the destruction super tangible, and Bard got that sweet moment as a hero.  But immediately after that this movie goes downhill quickly. The dialogue after that scene, where all the Laketown people are washed up on the beach, is oddly super terrible. I haven't mentioned the writing once in these reviews because it's been mostly passable. But this one has Kili telling Tauriel ...

⭐ 8.5/10 I took a long break after the last movie because I really liked it, and was worried a movie with the word "War" suck.  I don't just want a big battle movie, and it being the third in a series gave me Hobbit PTSD. But I was totally mistaken.  I started watching this one over a meal, thinking I could watch it over a couple different days in parts.  Oops, watched the whole thing, and it was great! I like how this movie basically inverts the last one - two factions of humans fighting where the apes are in the middle of it. The colonel character is so over the top bad, but it works. The stakes feel high, and the final battle is spectacular, I can't believe how well it is staged and how good it looks. Modern blockbusters have to end in a big battle, but the ones in these movies feel more thoughtful and artistic than the Marvel and Star Wars slop. I didn't like The Batman, but it indisputably looks incredible, and Matt Reeves deserves a lot of credit for taking...

⭐ 7/10 The end has come, and that's okay. This season had its bright spots, including the last couple episodes.  They are overly sentimental, and everyone gets their perfect sign-off, but that's fine. I especially like Ryan and Kelly coming back to run away with each other one more time. I also like the introduction of Clark and Plop.  Bringing in two young guys who remind you of Jim and Dwight is a funny circle-of-life way of spicing up the last season. Andy is completely insufferable in this season, and his whole boat thing is so unreasonable. Feels like they have run out of ideas, so we end up in another cycle of the boss leaving and people trying to fill that hole. The Farm episode that is a pilot for a spinoff is not terrible, but the fact that that was an idea they had was concerning.  Just let the show have a peaceful death and bask in its success, stop trying to squeeze out every last drop. The thing people often talk about in this season is the camera crew kind ...

⭐7/10 So first off, I didn't finish this game. BUT I did spend 70 hours in it, according to my file, so I feel I have some right to have an opinion. I got to part 2 of 4, and while I liked this game, I just wasn't ready to put another 70 into it.  I feel like this review will be mostly negative, and that's only because this game has been so wildly popular that I feel like I need to explain myself for not finishing. But let's start with some positives: First, this is the ultimate experience for deep rpg lovers. You can get absolutely lost customizing your party, your stats, your abilities, your gear. This game offers total freedom in how you want to build your squad and how you want to interact with them. The way you take on combat, the way you have your story unfold -- it's just so open in a way that is unmatched in video games.  I also think the writing is as good as advertised. From major story beats to interactions with townspeople, you can tell every...

⭐7/10 This is an indie game from a few years back that was pretty popular. It's an action platformer, akin to maybe Shovel Knight and games like that. It's a throwback to the NES days, but then has a nice little suprise when the game turns into a SNES-style game (I felt it was more a gimmick than an interesting change). It's nice and simple - you platform and kill things through a level, and then fight a boss at the end. Perfect! I can't say I was in love, but it was solid and I enjoyed.  Then, about midway through, and game becomes a little more involved and you need to track down collectables and stuff to move on. I think that's a fine idea, but I was really enjoying the simplicity of this one, and didn't end up actually finishing the game once it opened up. I still think it's a good game and wanted to mention it here, because I do think it was solid even if it wasn't what I wanted at the time. It's short, it's got fun music (Jess e...

⭐8/10 This movie is good! Is that a hot take? Is anyone thinking about the Hobbit movies these days? Either way, I had a ton of fun watching this. This movie has a ton of awesome stuff. The problem, of course, is that is also has a ton of bad stuff. Again, I didn't love this movie when I first watched it, but I would say many of my thoughts have changed, and the parts I once thought were dumb are now my favorite sequences.  The famous (maybe infamous) barrel scene is a perfect example. It is ridiculous, it's not in the book, and it's mostly about characters not in the book like Tauriel, Legolas and Bolg. But you know what? It's fun! And it's consistent with the tone of the book and I loved it. What a beautifully choreographed and realized scene (go-pro footage aside) and Bombur's sequence made me laugh out loud.  Still, a lot of negative weighs it down, and honestly i feel like it's a lot of stuff that could be straight up cut and you would never...

In 2024 I read another ABSURD amount of books, and I will not be commenting on what that says about me, my decisions, or the state of my mental health. So I'm just going to go straight into my favourite books of the year! I've posted about a lot of these in my monthly faves, but now you get to see which ones made it to my favourites of the year list! They're in no particular order. A Pacific Islander-inspired fantasy with unique, refreshing vibes. Hanalei returns to her home island, Her childhood best friend is looking for a dragonfruit to heal his mother, and Hanalei will use her connection with the seadragons to help. Lucier has a pretty simple way of writing, but the story was fun and beautiful, and it really took me on an adventure. Sid is a Korean adoptee living in a very white town that is over a crack where magic can get through. One day a Guardian falls, releasing magic and zombies, and it becomes a fight to survive. This is such an interesting blend of fantasy and ...

⭐9/10 The latest Oscar-bait prestige Euro-drama! Featuring my favorite gal Sandra Hüler! I've actually seen a movie with her before, and she is indeed amazing.  Anyways, this is a movie about her husband dying in their home, and she's the only one home, and so she goes on trial for murder. It's not sensationalized really at all, but more just a look at how this stuff would actually play out in real life. It's not violent, and it's not exciting, and yet I was completely captivated by every frame. It's a good movie! I don't want to say too much for risk of spoiling it, but I would just point out that I think this is the type of prestige drama that mostly anyone can enjoy. The stakes are real, and despite no character being perfect (except the dog), you quickly take sides and cheer for certain outcomes. I think it was a fantastic look at domestic life, and what we consider to be normal relationships or normal conflict. The audience also doesn't ...

⭐ 7.5/10 I have been interested in all of Eggers' movies, but this one looked much to scary. However, I had some friends that wanted to see it, so why not.  Turns out, pretty scary! I feel like the artsy horror stuff I have seen doesn't lean so much into jump scares, but this has a bunch right off the bat so I was tense and uncomfortable.  Love that in a movie! Overall the level of craft in this movie is really high.  The design of Nosferatu himself, how they dole out glimpses of him, all very effective.  Feels like we don't get a truly clear look until right at the end in a disgusting finale.  I have seen the original, or at least I had it on in the background while doing some other things, so I knew where everything was going. Funny how this movie is exactly the same, only a million times more violent and gross and sexual, but they are still the exact same story.  Turns out we've been telling nasty freaky stories forever, we just didn't always have the a...

⭐ 8/10 This was a solid movie, animated beautifully and uniquely. I even laughed a couple times, which is a treat for a movie that just really wants you to cry.  And cry I did - this movie is designed to hurt the hearts of parents, particularly mothers. And while the emotional center of the movie was solid, I kind of wish that was the whole movie.  The climax of that plotline is half way through the movie, and then it ends with a big battle.  The battle looked cool, and wasn't too drawn out, so that was nice.  But I did not understand the ending at all.  The fight this whole battle to prevent the robot from being taken, but then they win and she immediately calls another shuttle to come get her?! She says she needs to find her purpose, and then we see her at the end picking oranges or something with the rest of the robots?  Took all the emotional punch out of the movie for me, in what seemed to be setup for the sequel. Don't get me wrong, the migration sce...