What’s Been Watched This Month – June 2020

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Here’s what square eyed Mikey Wolfman been watching throughout June 2020.

I’m desperate to get my movie mojo back. Need to get back in the routine. Only managed to do three film reviews this week and this monthly round up is well late. Not good. I tell you I need a good spanking and a time out session on the naughty step!

The TV

I did get to rinse through two of my favourite TV series. Better Call Saul, the Breaking Bad prequel had it’s penultimate season before the big finale next year. Super excited for that but it will be a sad day when it’s finished. As, to me, I’ve liked Better Call Saul more that it’s source material. I know right! Crazy talk!

Then another series actually finished. Three seasons and then it bailed out. So rare nowadays. So many series just keep milking stories. They never end, they never go anywhere. But not here, not this time. The German science fiction time travelling masterpiece that was Dark wrapped everything up in the most perfect way. A very rare thing. The writing, editing, ideas and creativity was off the chart. How did they get so many cast members and interlocking story arcs to merge to perfection? Surely it should of been impossible to create something so intelligent, deep and profound? They pulled it off beautifully. A series that should be winning awards across the board. Perfection.

Now the films.

14 films this month and a total of 129 this year
844 since the start of the blog in January 2017.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.8
Another Alfred Hitchcock ticked off the list. It’s a slow burn one but well worth it. Dare I say it felt a little incestuous? There’s one scene at the dinner table that really stood out as Joseph Cotton unleashes from his cool exterior revealing a bubbling away nasty streak. Wanted to do a post on this one.

BlacKkKlansman (2018) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.5
Spike Lee bigs up the actual events in a creative way. Star John David Washington (son of Denzel) is ace. I’m not the biggest Adam Driver fan (Kylo Ren is so wack!) but he won me over here. There’s a lot more comedy sprinkled about than I had expected.

Niagara (1953) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 7
Marilyn Monroe oozes naughty and Joseph Cotten has his heart twisted. A colour noir that is great to look at. I did a review HERE

Her (2013) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 8
Been wanting to watch this since it was released. Don’t know why it took so long? Anyhow I loved it, like I knew I would. Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. It features a unique, creative created sci-fi world. It’s love story is as quirky as you can imagine. It’s got humour, sadness, love and themes of loss. Well recommended.

Onward (2020) – Wolfman Rating 7 – IMDB Rating 7.5
Disney and Pixar new one hits on the usual family loss issues. After it finished it turned out that I liked it the most. Maybe I felt more emotional as the Dad is dead and they trying to bring him back for one day. Poor Dad spends his time as just a pair of body-less trousers. Not their best but I enjoyed it.

Django Unchained (2012) – Wolfman Rating 9.5 – IMDB Rating 8.4
My daughter wanted to tick another QT off the list and what with the crazy stuff happening around the world but esp in the USA it felt a good time to watch Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz rampaging through the south. My third watch and yeah it’s still really so fookin good.

The Enemy Below (1957) – Wolfman Rating 8 – IMDB Rating 7.5
This is an awesome cat and mouse fight between an American destroyer and a German U-boat during WW2. I didn’t do many reviews this month but I did do one for this. Check it out HERE if you want.

Snowpiercer (2013) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 7.1
The creative South Korean director Bong Joon Ho transforms a graphic novel into sci-fi action train journey like no other. I’d seen it before. The family fancied it so jumped in for another go. It’s imaginative and full on bonkers but sometimes it just goes too far and spoils it a bit IMHO. However much I love Tilda Swinton, her character is insanely annoying. I’d love to one day read the comic book.

The War of the Worlds (1953) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.3
What is it with H G Wells story that they just can’t get it right! The recent BBC adaption was one of the worst takes I imagine to be ever made! Jeff Wayne’s concept album was the perfect soundtrack of my pre and early teens. I have the double LP vinyl and still play it loud all the time. Gene Barry’s and Ann Robinson 50s alien invasion film has always been dearly loved by me. It’s the best filmed version imho. I had my Father’s Day “watch a film with me” card to wave and I picked this.

House (1985) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 6.2
I really enjoyed this nostalgic look back at this comedy horror VHS rental rewind. I did a post on it if you fancy reading about it HERE

Flight of the Navigator (1986) – Wolfman Rating 7.5 – IMDB Rating 6.9
This was a big favourite with me and my little brother. Hadn’t watched it for years. Sat chilling on the sofa with Mrs Wolf and my daughter who both hadn’t seen it. It’s a really good little film for the time. The child actor Joey Cramer was superb. He nailed the part. Then like most child actors later in life went right off the rails. Real shame. The scene when he is confronted with the fact that his family don’t live in his house anymore will break your heart. You know what I’ve always been convinced that the alien ship was voiced by Judge Reinhold but it’s in fact Paul (PeeWee) Reubens. I had forgot that half way through the alien gets super annoying. Still it’s a sweet movie.

The Reckless Moment (1949) – Wolfman Rating 7 – IMDB Rating 7.2
Joan Bennett is resourceful and steadfast in this film noir drama. After her daughter starts dating a notorious gangster she takes desperate measures to protect her family when the father was overseas. James Mason turns up as a smooth talking stranger. Both Joan and James are very good and I actually really enjoyed it looking back but I did feel something was missing. I really don’t know what!

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) – Wolfman Rating 8.5 – IMDB Rating 7.4
It was time to introduce Steven Spielberg’s classic science fiction tale to the kids. Still as magical as I remember. This cut had a few extra scenes. One at a conference meeting and two showcasing Richard Dreyfuss losing his mind. Both highlighting the madness of the image in his head. I think I’d seen one on the original cut as a kid but seeing it now was pretty depressing. It went very dark. This cut didn’t have the silly bit when you see Dreyfuss go into the ship but I showed the kids it on YT.

The Petrified Forest (1936) – Wolfman Rating 10 – IMDB Rating 7.5
Been dying to re-watch this amazing film since I first saw it only a year and a half ago. I knew my daughter would love it. There’s just something so poetic about it. You can read my praise for the film in my article A Waitress, a Hobo and a Bank Robber Walk Into a Bar

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Any goodies in there you have seen and liked? Thoughts, recommends etc always welcome if you fancy too.

Keep watching the screens. Thanks for having a look to see what’s been watched. All the best……… The howling one, Mikey