Author Archives: Doc

Stranger Things 5 vol. 2 E5, E6, E7

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SPOILERS

“Shock Jock”

“Escape from Camazotz”

“The Bridge”

Christmas night saw the second volume of the final season of Strange Things came out with three episodes that will lead directly into the finale, next week on New Year’s Eve.

These three episodes do a tremendous job setting up that finale. We got plenty of answers about what has been going on these last five seasons, and they really fit together nicely. I am impressed with the writing of the Duffer Brothers.

I love the way that they worked the Wormhole into this story, recontextualizing the Upside-Down and what it actually is. The whole moment when Nancy shot the wormhole was so tense and scary with the vacuum outside of it. I loved how Dustin was on the outside of the situation and found the answers in Bremmer’s journal.

Speaking of Dustin, he and Steve went through it in these episodes. They dealt with the way they were treating each other in the first volume and it was extremely dramatic as they handled the deep pain that they were facing.

Jonathan and Nancy dealt with their relationship in a strong manner. The scene where they finally told each other the truth was a really great scene.

I do not like how they are setting up the ending of this with the implication that Eleven is going to need to die for everything to finally be over. I really dislike the sister.

I love how the group is basically back together in the seventh episode, preparing for the big finish. They have not all been back together in a long time, and seeing the team come back together was great.

Vecna truly is terrifying. The use of the redesigned Vecna is really well done and how they use it along with the Henry form. Henry was every bit as scary when dealing with his little cult-like kids. I needed more Dipshit Derek in these episodes.

Max coming back was very satisfying too, as was Will’s admitting about being gay. Both of these moments gave a strength to the ensemble and allowed these characters to show how important they were to each other. It was a lovely way to do this, especially with the Will reveal. Will was still very nervous and awkward during the entire time, hem-and-hawing around the topic. Watching the group embrace him was a beautiful moment.

And we are set up with a crazy plan to save the world and prevent the crashing together of two worlds via the wormhole. A final showdown certainly with Eleven and Vecna (hopefully with Will there too. He deserves to be in the final showdown).

They have actually made me reconsider my New Year’s Eve routine. I usually watch Infinity War and Endgame to midnight, but now, I might have to readjust my tradition.

Daily Countdown: TV Show Themes#85

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#85

Maude

Theme title: “And Then There’s Maude“

Composed by Dave Grusin. Lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Performed by Donny Hathaway.

Maude was a TV show that I never watched regularly. Heck, I do not think that I even watched it a little bit. I may have seen a few episodes here and there. However, I saw Bea Arthur appearing on the Rosie O’Donnell talk show and Rosie sang the theme song to Bea Arthur’s face. I enjoy the clip and it helped place “And Then There’s Maude” at #85.

Here is the YouTube clip from The Rosie O’Donnell Show.

2025 EYG Year in Review: Best and Worst Horror Movies

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This was another great year in horror. Not perfect, of course. There is a nice balance between good films and bad ones.

Again, we have not been keeping track of the “Worst” film, but the “Best” is in the records:

Best Horror Movie

Previous Winners:  A Quiet Place, It, Don’t Breathe, It Follows, The Conjuring, As Above So Below, Cabin in the Woods, Doctor Sleep, Black Box, Fear Street trilogy, The Menu, A Haunting in Venice, Nosferatu

Runners-Up: Final Destination: Bloodlines was a surprise for me. At this point, I had never seen any of the Final Destination movies (I saw the first one in the October 13), and I loved this new one. The new Conjuring movie, Conjuring: Last Rites, put that franchise to bed (or so we are told). Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein is a stylish, engaging new version on Netflix. A film I did not expect to like was Dangerous Animals, but it was extremely awesome. It was a shark movie that did not make the shark the villain. So it came down to two choices… and the one that did not make it was Weapons. I loved that movie, but I think it was a little less of a horror movie than the one that turned out to be the winner.

Best Horror Movie

Sinners

Michael B. Jordan starred in this Ryan Coogler directed film. Coogler wanted to do his vampire film and what he did was Sinners. This was a fantastic film and it was something we hadn’t seen before. Jordan played dual roles and he did it so well.

Worst Horror

Runners-Up: Until Dawn was such a bad movie. It was a disappointment as it had a decent premise. Lots of people loved Together, but I hated it. I hated it so much. Fear Street: Prom Queen was such a downgrade from the awesome trilogy from a few years ago.

“Winner”:

That film is not from Jordan Peele, no matter how much the movie wanted it to be true. This football film is truly one of the worst MOVIES of the year… not just horror.

2025 EYG Year in Review: The Die Hard Memorial X-Mas Movie of the Year

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This is an easy category this year.

I only have seen one Christmas movie. It was on Netflix and I watched it with the hope that it could be good enough to qualify for this award.

It was.

I did not feel the need to look for any other Christmas movies. This one would do.

The Die Hard Memorial X-Mas Movie of the Year

Previous Winners: Violent Night, The Holdovers, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,

The Die Hard Memorial X-Mas Movie of the Year…

Jingle Bell Heist

This was surprisingly good. It had a couple of things happen that I did not expect, which I always love. Check it out on Netflix while you can.

Sentimental Value

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One of the leading candidates for multiple Academy Award nominations, the Norwegian film, Sentimental Value popped up on Fandango at Home this past week. I rented the film and watched it this Christmas afternoon.

Directed by Joachim Trier, Sentimental Value is a serious drama that starred Stellan Skarsgård, Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning.

According to the plot synopsis on Fandango, “Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), an estranged father and once-celebrated director eager to reclaim his former glory, reconnects with his daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas). When Gustav offers Nora the lead role in his new film, she refuses and learns he has given the part to a Hollywood star (Elle Fanning).”

The movie is very slow and I had some difficulty in the first hour or so of staying engaged with the film. I had to keep reading the subtitles for much of the film, but I did have some challenge. The performances were solid in the beginning of the movie, but the slow burn was tough to watch.

However, as the story picked up between Gustav and his two daughters, my own engagement picked up as well. No doubt that Skarsgård and Reinsve were special in the film. Elle Fanning gave a very powerful performance as well. As we discovered more about the dysfunctional relationship between them, the more it came off the screen.

The ending was very strong and made me happy that I had continued to watch the film, when I did consider stopping it around the first half hour or so.

3.5 stars

Percy Jackson and the Olympians S2 E4

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Spoilers

“Clarisse Blows Up Everything”

Into the Sea of Monsters… and what a cliffhanger.

Percy Jackson, Annabeth and Tyson were confronted by Clarisse and her crew of dead sailors from the Underworld. After a tense standoff, they decided to work together, with Clarisse taking the role of captain, since it is her quest.

Things do not go well for the quest as they have to face the choice of either Scylla and Charybdis in order to get past them and continue their search for the Golden Fleece.

Clarisse changes the plan in mid-execution, heading off to fight the monsters using her cool on board laser canons (that looked more like something on the Millennium Falcon).

The end of the episode saw the ship starting to tear apart and getting pulled into the vortex.

There are some good flashbacks to Annabeth’s past with Luke and where they met Grover.

There were some really strong special effects for this too. Very impressive for a Disney + show.

The Pitt S1 E9, E10

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Spoilers

“3:00 PM”

“4:00 PM”

Two more episodes from HBO Max’s The Pitt are in the tank now. This show has been exceptional. I do have to turn my head away a few times, including this episode with the burned man and the boy with the blood behind his eye, but the drama is just so intense it is worth a few wiggly feelings in my tum-tum.

When Dana took the punch to the face from a frustrated Doug Driscoll, I was shocked. I had seen a picture of her with a bloody nose when I was searching for pics on Google, but the cruelness of Driscoll was tough. I understand the frustration that he was feeling with the wait that he was having, but that does not excuse the violent response. I sure hope he gets what is coming to him.

Langdon was discovered for stealing medication. He had been leaning on Santos a lot, but she was noticing the discrepancies in some of his patients’ medication. Robby sent him packing at the end of episode 10. It feels as if this is just one more thing that is weighing down on Robby. Stresses are building on him.

We got back to the storyline with the boy and his “hit list.” McKay reported the boy to the police, who came to talk to his grandma. This arc has been slow, but feels like it is starting to build once again.

We are down to six episodes remaining of season one.

Merry X-Mas from EYG

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Merry Christmas to all out there from EYG.

It’s not Christmas for me until I watch Muppet Christmas Carol. Of all the Christmas traditions, this is the one that I look forward to the most.

Among the dozens of adaptations, this is my ABSOLUTE favorite version of A Christmas Carol.

Michael Caine is the perfect Ebenezer Scrooge. He accomplished this feat by playing this completely straight. He played Scrooge, as he said, “like I’m working with the Royal Shakespeare Company” and not dancing, singing Muppets. Line delivery was spot on and the facial expressions brought Scrooge to life.

Another reason he is great in this film is that we see Scrooge’s humanity right off the bat. As soon as the Marley Brothers (preformed by Statler and Waldorf) showed up, you could see Scrooge begin to change. I have never liked the versions of Scrooge that feels as if he does not change until he sees his tombstone in the future. That feels insincere. Michael Caine’s work is just fantastic.

The movie is also a surprisingly accurate translation of Charles Dickins’ work. Many lines are exactly as they appear in the novel. I mean, of course, there are plenty of changes and adjustments to the film. It is narrated by a rat and a … whatever… in Gonzo the Great and Rizzo the Rat.

The design of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come are brilliant. The Ghost of Christmas Past is just a child Muppet, but it is, arguably, the creepiest of the three. This Muppet had the perfect touch of the uncanny valley to make her frightening. I love the Ghost of Christmas Present. He always reminded me of Santa Claus. Yet to Come is the classic Grim Reaper version and looked remarkable. The Jim Henson Company was at its best with this puppetry.

I am not ashamed to say that the scene where Kermit and Miss Piggy talk about the death of Tiny Tim breaks me every time I watch it. There is just something about Kermit and Miss Piggy grieving that is just unnatural.

There are some great songs in the film. The “Scrooge” anthem that started the film off is fabulous as is the “One Sleep ’til Christmas” sung by Kermit. Above all of them though, my favorite is the song sung by the Ghost of Christmas Present called “”It Feels Like Christmas.”

I am grateful that I can watch this at any time on Disney +.

Daily Countdown: TV Show Themes #86

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#86

Picket Fences

The theme song for Picket Fences was composed by Stewart Levin.

The theme is a whimsical piano piece that, as with most successful themes, gives you the feel of the tone of the show with its music.

This is one of those themes that gets into your brain and stays there. It is a simple and sweet theme for an unconventional TV show.

Pluribus S1 E9

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Spoilers

“La Chica o El Mundo”

It really feels as if Pluribus has only just started its season. It’s hard to believe that the show is already up to its first season finale already, but that is the case. Apple TV + dropped the finale a couple of days early (before Christmas).

And what a finale this was. In some ways, it was smaller, quieter than I might have expected. But then again…

There was an A-Bomb!

Carol and Manousos come face to face in this episode and some of the early scenes between these two were truly hilarious. I loved the use of the umbrella to block out the chance of the drones spying on them, reading their lips.

The mistrust between Carol and Manousos was on display as they tried to communicate via cell phone translation programs. There was some high comedy with that translation program as well. When the phone was in the sewer, but still translating, well, that was the height of funny.

Carol seemed to believe that Manousos had taken it too far with his “experimentation” on the Others. Carol’s close relationship with Zosia was coloring her perspective and she joined Zosia on another isolation attempt. This time, however, it seemed clear that Manousos was not going to fold like Carol did. He seemed like a type of guy who does not mind some isolation.

Carol never really understood the relationship she shared with Zosia. Carol looked at it like it was a typical, normal relationship, but that was not the case. Carol looked to be in denial about a lot of what was going down. When Carol learned that The Others had her frozen eggs (that Carol and Helen had decided to harvest years ago) and that they could change that into stem cells, the same stem cells the Others needed to turn Carol into another member of the hivemind, things crashed around her. Carol had Zosia return her to her home and decided to join with Manousos after all.

And the atomic bomb reveal at the end was insane. Maybe it was not literally an A-bomb… though Carol had asked about it earlier in the season…

Pluribus’s first season was sensational. I know the series has been renewed for a second season. I hope we do not have to wait three years to get the next episodes.

2025 EYG Year in Review: Best/Worst Sci-Fi Movies

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This was not the best year for science fiction movies.

When compiling these separate lists, there just was not much on the Best side of the ledger.

As a rule, I have always excluded superhero movies as sci-fi films, even though they could be considered. In fact, Fantastic Four could absolutely be considered a science fiction film. But it is excluded.

We have kept track of the Best Horror Movie (but not the worst). Here is the previous winners:

Best Sci-Fi Movie

Previous Winners:  Upgrade, Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, The Martian, Ex Machina, Star Trek Into Darkness, Edge of Tomorrow, Freaks, The Invisible Man, Dune, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Avatar: The Way of Water, Doctor Who Special 2: Wild Blue Yonder, Dune: Part II

Runner-Up: I only have one and it is Bugonia. I did like this film, as it was filled with complete insanity. Companion is kind of sci-fi.

Best Sci-Fi Movie of 2025:

Predator: Badlands

Predator has had a resurgence over the last few years since Prey. The new film Predator: Badlands features a protagonist who is an actual predator. Elle Fanning was great in the film as the synth Thia.

Worst Sci-Fi Movie of 2025…

We do not have previous winners, but we have a ton of runners-up.

Runners-Up: Tron: Ares, Star Trek: Section 31, M3GAN 2.0, 2073, Electric State. Mickey 17 was on the border between fresh and rotten, but I had it just under the positive.

Worst…

War of the Worlds

There will be more to say about this one down the line. This is just a horrendous film. I feel for poor Ice Cube. What chance did he really have. I mean, if only he worked for Amazon Prime!

Marty Supreme

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Happy Christmas Eve to everyone. With the year coming to a close soon, there are a few more in theater movies to watch. The first of the few remaining theater films today was Timothée Chalamet’s new film, Marty Supreme.

I was really surprised with this movie. It was not what I was expecting. Apparently, this is slightly based on a real person, but in a fictional story with fictional things happening. The main character of this movie, Marty Mauser, is based on Marty Reisman, an American table tennis player, and it is directed by Josh Safdie.

What surprised me about this movie was how unlikable the character of Marty Mauser was. He was such a jerk to everyone. Selfish. Rotten. Mean-spirited. Obnoxious. Marty is a con man who will do some rotten things to try an accomplish what he wanted to do. During the first half of the film, I was thinking about how Marty was so rotten, yet how I found myself rooting for him. That, surprisingly, did not stay as I was rooting for the other guy in the final act.

Timothée Chalamet was excellent in the role of Marty. He disappeared into the role and I never was thinking about him as the actor that he was. It was a great performance and will probably earn him an Academy Award nomination.

It is a risk having a protagonist as unlikable as Marty Mauser because you take the chance of alienating the audience. However, there is such great writing involved and Marty is such a complex character that you can understand why he is doing the terrible things that he is doing.

The film is a little long, and there was a spot where I thought the movie might be ending (and I feel as if maybe it should have). I can’t go into details without spoiling it.

I expected Marty Supreme to be a good time, feel good story. It is not that. It is challenging and dark. It is a great film.

4.4 stars

The Pitt S1 E8

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Spoilers

“2:00 PM”

I’m not crying… you’re crying!

Okay, I am crying.

This episode hit hard. It was a one-two punch and that did not even take into account Dr. Collins and the miscarriage. That was pushed back by the character and the moment.

We get a young girl who was a drowning victim, who the staff desperately tried to warm up so they could get her heart started. The little girl who, as we find out, saved her little sister from drowning in the pool.

Oh my god, this was heartbreaking. Every minute of this story on screen ripped at the heart. If there ever was a story that demanded a happy ending, it was this one, but that would not be coming.

Then, as the grief over the loss of this little girl was sitting with us, they held an honor walk for Nick Bradley, the young man whose story has been going on for most of the show. His parents finally decided to allow the organ donation to proceed and the wheeled him out of the ER past friends and staff.

The show had to counterbalance the anguish of the episode with a man who arrived with a malfunctioning pacemaker, who was named Willie, and he turned out to be a member of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, which was the very first U.S. emergency service staffed by paramedics with medical training that went beyond basic first aid. 

There was also a nice moment with Dr. Javadi, a patient and a corpse of a black widow spider.

But all of the loss floating around the ER was palatable and just emotionally stunning. This may have been the best episode the series so far.

2025 Year in Review: The Batman and Robin Award for Rottenness

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The Batman and Robins are the awards we give out every year for the worst of the worst. The awards for rottenness are given out to stuff that just did not work.

Worst Movie: To be revealed at the Least Favorite Movies list.

Worst Actor: Ice Cube (War of the Worlds). Ice Cube is a talented performer who gave a horrible performance in a horrible movie.

Worst Actress: Gal Gadot (Disney’s Snow White). She was miscast as the Evil Queen and nothing that happened in Snow White showed that she could not elevate the material.

Worst Director: Justin Tipping (HIM). One of the worst films of the year. It’s so bad that they needed to pretend that Jordan Peele had something to do with it.

Worst Sequel: Fear Street: Prom Queen. The first Fear Street trilogy was so good and a lot of fun. This was the antithesis of that.

Worst CGI: Star Trek: Section 31. Not much was good about this one.

Favorite Rotten Movie: Captain America: Brave New World. There is a lot of hate for this movie, but I enjoyed it a lot. It could have been better, but it does not deserve as much hatred as it got.

Worst Movie That I Did Not See: The Smurfs

Cashing a Paycheck: Richard Dreyfuss (Into the Deep). Dreyfuss was one of the reasons why I watched this shark movie. That was a mistake.

Worst Reboot/Remake: I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Most Successful Bad Movie: A Minecraft Movie

Worst Movie Based on TV/Video Game: Smurfs

Worst Superhero Movie: Old Guard 2

Worst Trailer: A Minecraft Movie. This trailer showed me how terrible this was going to be

WTF: 2073. It was from HBO Max, but it was a bizarre mixture of doc and horrific film.

Worst Performance by Oscar Winner: Michelle Yeoh (Stra Trek: Section 31)

Worst TV Show I Watched: Alien: Earth. Started great, but fell off quickly. Too boring for an alien show.

Worst Product Placement: Amazon Prime in War of the Worlds. It played more like an advertisement for Amazon Prime.

Daily Countdown: TV Show Theme #87

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#87

Transformers

The original theme for the Transformers animated series was written by Ford Kinder and Anne Bryant.

The line “More than meets the eye” is a line that I will use to this day. The theme was adjusted and changed over the different iterations of the franchise, but “Robots in Disguise” found its way into most of them.

The original theme also gave us the Transform sound that would become iconic in the world of entertainment. When you hear the sound, you know what it is. It is like the starting up of a light saber. Everyone knows what that sound means.