I was watching a video on YouTube today of the Kristian Harloff Show. This was the day of the week where Roxy Striar appeared. I always enjoy her TV picks for the week so I played it for awhile. They were speaking about a new movie that Roxy was in, which starred Kate Beckinsale, called Wildcat. Looking at the info for the film, I saw it was rentable on Prime.
It was an action movie, directed by James Nunn, who has a reputation for action.
Sadly, the story was fairly convoluted and messy.
Beckinsale played a former black ops operative named Ada. She had a relationship with another operative named Roman (Lewis Tan). Ada wanted to leave the life and settle down, but Roman was not interested.
Several years later, Ada and her daughter Charlotte (Isabelle Moxley) ran into Roman and they had dinner. They were going to remain friends. Later that night, Charlotte was kidnapped because Ada’s brother Edward (Rasmus Hardiker) owed money to mobsters and had spoke about his sister the former black op.
Ada reunited with her former team in an attempt to pull of a heist to get the money to pay off the mobster.
This had some possibilities, storywise, but it felt that these plot points got too lost among the rest of the pieces tossed into the movie.
I hated the character of Edward. He made every scene worse, with the exception of the very final one.
The action was pretty decent, but there was a bit too much gunfire for my taste. I did like the connection between Ada and Roman. They worked well together.
The final was silly. I am not sure what they were doing.
I did love seeing Roxy in the film. She did great in her small role, and I am so happy that she has gotten the opportunity.
Another film from Fandango at Home that I have been eyeballing for quite awhile was a comedy called Splitsville. I had seen trailers for this film in the theaters, but it never came around my area. So I knew it would be one I watched eventually. This weekend turned out to be the perfect opportunity.
According to IMDB, “When Ashley asks for a divorce, the good-natured Carey runs to his friends, Julie and Paul, for support. Their secret to happiness is an open marriage; that is, until Carey crosses the line and throws all of their relationships into chaos.”
The ensemble of this film was solid with Dakota Johnson, Kyle Marvin, Adria Arjona and Michael Angelo Covino leading the way. These four actors were very solid and had some really good comedic timing. The fight between Marvin and Covino, as shown in the trailer, was extremely well laid out and escalated to a funny pitch.
I was into the story as the film was moving along, but I have to say, without spoiling anything, that I was not fond of where the story went and the final act of the film, while still funny, lost me. I just did not believe what happened would have happened, and it spoiled the first two thirds of the film that I was really enjoying.
Admittedly, it did not totally wreck the film. I am still going to give it a positive review, but the way this wrapped up definitely dragged the score down quite a bit.
YouTube is forever changing, adding, adjusting. There are a ton of shows, reactors, reviews that I have enjoyed watching.
I think it is very interesting since these shows go up and down the list quite a bit. Here are the Top 15 shows on YouTube for me.
#15. Jeremy Johns. Here is one that has been higher up the list in past years. Jeremy reviews movies and I do like his opinions.
#14. The Geek Buddies. This is another example of a show I used to watch much more, but that I haven’t watched much lately. It has to do with the content available.
#13. Dodgers Nation. The Dodgers won the World Series again and so I do like listening to Doug McKain talk about them.
#12. Fatman Beyond. Another one that would have been higher before. I love Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin, but their schedule and show length catches up with me.
#11. Ashleigh Burton. She depends on what she is watching. I have loved watching her react to Buffy TV shows this past year.
#10. The Hot Mike. The entertainment show that breaks stories on movies and TV. John Rocha and Jeff Sneider have a great chemistry with each other.
#9. John Campea. John Campea has been a movie pundit for many years. He talks daily about all the top movie news.
#8. Dan Murrell. Dan is probably my favorite movie reviewer on YouTube right now. Dan’s reviews allowed me to see two of the Top 5 movies from 2024 in 2025.
#7. Settle the Score. I love this competition show, but it has slipped a little because of the amount of time I have to watch it. Matt Knost hosts and Andy Merriweather is the musical director.
#6. Kristian Harloff Show. Kristian, former Schmoe-Knows guy, does a weekly talk show that discusses movies and TV. He has multiple co-hosts during the week including Roxy Striar, John Richa, Winston Marshall, Mike Kalinowski and others.
#5. Untraveled. Jay and Adam traveling through Spain, reacting to what they see. I have to say, this has only had 4 episodes so far and might have been higher up the list had I seen more of the show. They are really funny, and will show up higher up this list.
#4. Reel Rejects. Greg and John started a reaction channel and they will react to movies, TV shows etc. There are multiple Reel Rejects who join in on the reactions (Roxy, Coy, Tara, Aaron, Andrew). They have great conversations after viewing.
#3. pReview’d. Here is the original Jay and Adam channel. They react and review TV and movies. And cry. They are funny and real. This is the place where friends don’t let friends watch movies (or watch tv or watch trailers) alone.
#2. Bonus Action. Last year’s #1, slipped to number two, mainly because this season’s volume is not finished yet. The crew switched from playing D&D to Daggerheart. Despite the new system, the cast is still the best around.
And the #1 show on YouTube….
FYC (For Your Consideration)
Scott Mantz, Perri Nemiroff and Jeff Sneider get together to talk everything Oscars. They predict the nominations. The predict the winners. They discuss reasons behind their thoughts. Above all else, even when they disagree, there is a level of respect between each other that is awesome to watch. I love the intelligence that they show.
November is closing today and we have just one more month remaining. It feels like this year has soared by. December always brings the Year in Review around EYG and the comics section of that will be quite busy. There are some amazing books from 2025.
Let’s get this underway…
Infernal Hulk #1. “Rise” Written by Phillip Kennedy Johnson with art and cover art by Nic Klein. I also picked up the foil variant of this issue by Dan Panosian (Bronze Medalist). I was legitimately shocked by the violence and gore of this issue. It had way more blood and gore than most of the Marvel Red Band books that I have read this year. The brutal new version of Hulk is definitely frightening.
Galactic #1. Written by Curt Pires and art and cover art done by Amilcar Pinna. According to the first page of this new DSTLRY book, Galactic #1 is a love story. Not sure if that is as accurate as it could be. This is the story of a bounty hunter looking for a runaway daughter, but through space. It has a flavor very much like Saga. It was an intriguing number one.
Department of Truth #34. Written by James Tynion IV and art by Martin Simmonds. Back-up story is titled “Suspicious Minds Part 2” by Scott Snyder and Joshua Hixson. I have the die cut cover by Tyler Boss. More conspiracies and mysterious events circling around this title. Back up story continues the tale of Elvis.
Black Cat #4. “IV: One of the Bad Guys, I Swear.” Written by G. Willow Wilson with art by Gleb Melnikov. Adam Hughes did the cover art. Felicia is trying to convince Tombstone that she is still the crooked criminal that she always was, despite the current image as a superhero. He ain’t buying it.
Absolute Batman #14. “Abomination: Conclusion” Written by Scott Snyder with art by Nick Dragotta. Cover variant C art by Guillem March. The brutal final confrontation between Batman and Bane happens in this issue. It is a symphony of violence.
Detective Comics #1103. “The Courage that Kills: Part Three” Written by Tom Taylor with art by Mikel Janin. Variant cover C art by Lee Garbett (Gold Medalist). Batman continues his race against the clock to find answers to the virus that he has been exposed to before he succumbs to the illness. He recruits Superman and Wonder Woman to help.
Justice League Unlimited #13. Written by Mark Waid and art by Dan Mora. Variant cover C art done by Marcos Martin. The time misplaced heroes gathered together by Mister Terrific are off on a major adventure to help prevent the return of Darkseid. Not everyone comes back alive.
DC KO #2. “Chapter Two: Objects in Motion.” Written by Scott Snyder & Joshua Williamson (interlude) with art by Javi Fernandez & Xermanico (Interlude). Variant cover E art by Mike Del Mundo. We are down to sixteen heroes/villains from the DC Universe battling one another for the chance to be the champion against Darkseid.
Batman/Green Arrow/The Question: Arcadia #1. Written and art by Gabriel Hardman. Virgin variant foil cover D art was done by Denys Cowan & Bill Sienkiewicz (Silver Medalist). What is the mysterious Arcadia Project and how does it tie to three lone wolf vigilantes? This looks to be cool noir style crime thriller.
Devil on my Shoulder #1. Written by Kyle Starks with art by Piotr Kowalski. Cover art was done by Piotr Kowalski with Brad Simpson. A new series from Dark Horse gives us a horrendous situation for Tee, who is captured and tortured by five boys. Leaving her for dead, she does not die. Now, she is out and in search of vengeance. This was my favorite new book of the week.
Universal Monsters: The Invisible Man #4. Written by James Tynion IV with art by Dani. Variant cover B art was done by Ryan Sook. The final issue of Invisible Man wraps up with the tragic tale of madness and greed. There is also a preview for the next Universal Monsters series: Phantom of the Opera.
The Undead Iron Fist #3. Written by Jason Loo with art by Fran Galan. Whilce Portacio & Alex Sinclair did the cover art. Danny Rand is battling some of his biggest foes as he has returned from the grave to figure out why he has returned and what is going on.
Mortal Thor #4. “A Merry Tale of Asgard” Written by Al Ewing with art by Juann Cabal. Alex Ross did the cover art. This story takes place in Asgard as we follow Magni, Thor’s son from an alternate timeline, as some are trying to convince him to take the throne of Asgard.
Cloak or Dagger #2. Written by Justina Ireland with art by Lorenzo Tammetta. Cover art was done by Mike McKane & Rachelle Rosenberg. In the Age of Revelation, X Years later, Cloak has to face off with Fenris, while Dagger stays with their child. I do like how this Marvel crossover gives us a chance to see secondary characters such as Cloak and Dagger and see what the years have done to them.
Feral #18. Written by Tony Fleecs and art by Trish Forstner & Tone Rodriguez. Variant cover B art was done by Tony Fleecs & Trish Forstner. Things inside the pet store are becoming terrible. Food is short and the cats are becoming dangerous. Gigi tells Elsa that she can not just leave the store because she was pregnant. Ooooooohhh.
Undeadpool #2. Written by Tim Seeley with art by Carlos Magno. Cover art was done by E.M. Gist. Undeadpool is one of my favorite books from the Age of Revelation. It is a creative use of the character as is the guest star Cable.
Geiger #18. Written by Geoff Johns with art by Eduardo Pansica and Gary Frank. Variant cover B art was done by Kyle Hotz. Not sure what was going on here, but putting Geiger in an electric chair does not seem like a bright idea.
Daredevil & Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger #1. “The System is Flawed” written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Tommaso Bianchi. Punisher is out for blood against a crime family that is represented by Matt Murdock’s law firm. Daredevil attempts to prevent Frank Castle from assassinating his client. Spoiler: he can’t.
Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman #5. “A Gorgi in the Family, Part Two” Written by Tom King and art by Belen Ortega. Variant cover C art by Jonboy Meyers. Trinity is in pursuit of the missing corgis across time, but she winds up back with Jason Todd. They make a cute couple, even though Trinity knows Jason Todd’s doomed future.
Survive #3. Written by Robert Venditti and art by Doug Braithwaite. Cover art was done by Mike McKone & Morry J. Hollowell. I loved this book this week. The story of survival in a sunken submarine with an American spy and a Russian spy. I truly believe this story has been presented in a very cinematic fashion and it could easily be a movie.
Marvel Knights: The Punisher #2. Written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art and cover art by Dan Panosian. The control of Frank Castle continues here. Frank has been added to Armando Molerro’s Assassin El Zombie! How dangerous can that be? What an ultimate weapon. I get a feeling Frank is not going to be happy when he gets free.
X-Vengers #2. Written by Jason Loo with pencils by Sergio Davila. Mike McKone & Morry Hallowell did the cover art. With Scott Lang dead, Revelation agrees to see Dani and Sam. Meanwhile the remaining Avengers try to stop the overgrowth. And another X-Verger dies in the process.
Expatriate X-Men #2. Written by Eve L. Ewing with art by Francesco Mortarino. Cover art was done by Francesco Mortarino & Raul Angulo. A rescue attempt for the mutant Lyrebird leads to division within the ranks of the Blue Dashers. It brings them face to face with the Darkchild.
Other Books this week: Immortal Legend Batman #4, Ancestral Recall #4, I Saw Ma Hunkel Kissing Santa Claus #1, Arcadia #1, Sherlock Holmes: The Dark Detective- Knights of Frankenstein #4, and I Saw Santa #1.
Quick Hits: I picked up the virgin variant cover of Conan: Scourge of the Serpent #3. It was a beautiful shot of a female character who I do not know… she appeared on the final splash page too. Hornsby & Halo #12 sees Rose and Zach in full form and on their way to trouble. We get Star Brand guest starring in Battleworld #3. It is neat to see the return of the original Star Brand from the old New Universe books. We have more monster/vampire action in Cul-De-Sac #4. Orla #4 makes you really want to root for Orla after Gwyn finds her in mid-murder. More weird things go down in The Last Days of H.P. Lovecraft #2 from Boom! Studios. Marvel Zombies #3 is setting up some real bad things for our heroes. Jean Grey is now zombie Phoenix and Thanos has nearly all of the infinity gauntlet assembled. Poor Grandmaster. Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong 2 #5 sees our heroes and their titan allies brought down by King Ghidorah. Things look dark for the heroes. Escape #4 is a nice and quiet issue after some major bombardment last issue. I picked up the Universal Monsters: Dracula Black and White Special #2. I have to say I grabbed cover A but the picture of cover B on the back of this issue makes me think I missed out. I picked up a new horror series called Dead Head #1, but I was unimpressed with it.
I have just started the 2025 Year in Review at EYG where I compile lists of the year’s best and worst. When I would make lists of the best TV shows, Agents of SHIELD was consistently the number one show. It was number one for several years as I loved this show. Even when it seemed as if it was no longer MCU canon, I loved this show.
Agents of SHIELD was a show that ran for seven seasons on ABC, featuring the adventures of a group of SHIELD agents led by Phil Coulson.
Of course, Phil Coulson had been murdered in The Avengers movie by Loki so there was going to need to be some shenanigans in order to have him star in this show. Clark Gregg reprised his role as Coulson and he brought his natural charm and wit to the show.
The other main agents of the show included Melinda May (aka The Calvary), Daisy Johnson (aka Quake), Leo Fitz and Jenna Simmons, “Yo-Yo” Rodriguez and Mack Mackenzie.
The show’s crossover with the MCU was never quite clear. There were times where it seemed clear, such as a close tie in with Captain America: Winter Soldier, or the appearance of Sif. Other Marvel Comics characters made appearances in this show including Ghost Rider, the Inhumans, Deathlok, Bobbi Morse (known in comics as Mockingbird), Mr. Hyde, Hive, Peggy Carter, and LMDs.
Agents of SHIELD personified the brand of Marvel magic that we saw in some of the earliest movies of the franchise. The show featured sweeping adventure with splashes of humor and clever, witty dialogue from compelling characters. Over the years, the relationships among these characters became the backbone of the series. Several of these characters wound up being introduced into the Marvel comics too.
For me, this is one of my favorite shows of all time, just coming short of the top 10.
May have been the scariest jump scare I have ever seen.
I was so engaged with the angry conversation going on between Theo and Shirley that I never once even considered that there would be something scary happen.
And when the ghostly figure of Nell screeched from the back seat, I literally screamed out. That rarely happened. The show got me good.
Prior to that, I was thinking what a group of douchebags these Crain kids were. I would go as far as to say that I really have grown to dislike both Steven and Shirley and their obnoxiousness.
I knew immediately that Luke was heading to the house. I am not sure why no one else thought of that right away, especially considering the weirdness that had been going on around the funeral parlor (last episode).
The whole knocking and doorbell ringing at that funeral parlor was creepy too, and it only served to make me dislike Shirley more. Dismissing this impossibility as kids playing pranks is just so short sighted that she was more embracing her own anger and resentments than able to see what was going on.
Then, the monologue from Theo after the jump scare was heartbreaking. The whole “I felt nothing” stuff was tough to listen to and, seemingly, finally got through the exterior of her sister.
By the way, last week’s episode had Hugh’s flashback heading through the Red Door, but nothing was mentioned or shown about that this week. That did not upset me as what we got was so excellent. Our flashback was Steven fixing up an old vanity for his mom. This was an important memory for Steven because it was proof for him about his mother’s madness, instead of one more haunted item in the Hill House.
Luke at the Hill House failing to light it on fire, only to be confronted by a vision of his mother in a red dress at the top of the stairs and the arrival of Rotten Polly, the owner of the said vanity.
There are two more episodes remaining and this series is absolutely hitting its stride. After this episode ended, which was the shortest run time of the series, I really wanted more.
Every year, I watch some movies from the previous year and I do not place them on the Best Movie list at the end of the year. Instead, I usually do a list here. A lot of times, I would see these films in January or February as they were Oscar contenders that had been released in limited release in November or December.
Of course, the last few years, there has also been the June Swoon where I watch 30 different films daily from the year before.
So this is always the first post of the Year in Review. It is the Top 5 movies from 2024 that I saw in 2025.
#5. Better Man.
The biopic of British pop sensation Robbie Williams and the story of his personal struggles and his eventual comeback. Of course, this film portrayed Williams as a singing monkey. I knew nothing about this performer, but it was very strong and powerful of a film.
#4. Flow. The animated movie that wound up winning the Academy Award for best animated movie. The dialogue free film tells the story of a flood and a group of animals, led by a black cat, in their attempts to survive the natural disaster.
#3. Ghostlight.
A beautiful story of life and loss and finding a way to go on after tragedy. It starred Keith Kupferer as a middle-aged construction worker who unexpectedly joined a local theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. The film dealt with depression after a painful death. Ghostlight was an unexpected film that I heard about thanks to YouTube film critic Dan Murrell.
#2. Hundreds of Beavers. This is another film that I had only heard about thanks to Dan Murrell. It is an absurdist comedy with plenty of slapstick. It was one of the weirdest films that I saw this year.
#1. September 5
The first film I watched in this past summer’s June Swoon was September 5. This told the true story of the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis and the coverage from ABC Sports. The drama of this film was done extremely well. This was a film that I was excited to see and I would have seen in the theater had it ever came around here. It is a powerful story.
The snow continues here and so does the EYG post-Thanksgiving, Snowpocalypse Weekend with another film I rented off Fandango at Home called Twinless.
Roman (Dylan O’Brian) had just lost his twin brother in a car accident and he was struggling through the grief and pain. He went to a support group for others who lost a twin. In this group he met Dennis (James Sweeney) and they bonded over their mutual loss. They became unlikely friends. However, there was a secret that threatened to destroy their friendship.
I had in my head what this film was going to be, but I was surprised by the way this story developed. There was a darkness to this comedy that I was not expecting.
Dylan O’ Brian did a great job as Rocky and there was chemistry between him and James Sweeney’s Dennis. Still, one of the characters was not as likable as you would think.
I don’t want to spoil anything, so it is going to be tough to go into specifics about most of this movie.
This was solid and engaging. There were great performances in the film, especially our two lead protagonists. It is a solid movie.
As we have the second film of the 2025 post-Thanksgiving, Snowpocalypse Weekend, there is actually snow on the ground. It has been snowing all morning though it does feel as if it is not as much as was forecast.
Still, nowhere to go this afternoon so I rented Eleanor the Great off Fandango At Home (aka Vudu) starring June Squibb.
After the death of her friend and longtime roommate, 94-year old Eleanor Morgenstein (June Squibb) was lonely and grieving. By fate, she wound up in a support group for Holocaust survivors. Not sure what to do, but craving the human attention, Eleanor, not a Holocaust survivor, began telling the stories of her recently passed roommate, who did survive, as her own. From these tales, she met a bright young journalism student, Nina (Erin Kellyman), who had suffered her own recent loss.
This was the feature directorial debut by Scarlett Johansson, and she did a fine job with a story that placed the delightful June Squibb front and center. I am not sure there is a more impressive actress working today than the nonagenarian. She brought an energy to the film that would not have been there without her.
The story was good, but Squibb elevated it into a much higher level. It was a typical “lies get revealed” type story, but Squibb made this more than just a typical tale. You could feel her passion for the film in every moment she was on screen.
The relationship between Eleanor and Nina was another positive of the movie. They had a bond that you could feel on screen. When Nina discovered that Eleanor was not what she had represented herself as, the pain and betrayal cut deep.
It may have wrapped up too neatly in the end, but it did give us an ending that provided hope for the future of the characters.
Who thought that a TV Show based on a low budget, poorly reviewed film could spiral into seven seasons of television on the WB/CW?
The TV show took the idea from the movie and expanded upon it with Sarah Michelle Geller assuming the role of Buffy Summers. Buffy moved to a town named Sunnydale, which was located on a Hellmouth. This explained the variety of vampires, demons and monsters that would populate the town.
Buffy met and bonded with Willow and Zander, who became her backup and support. As the one slayer, Buffy had to deal with the responsibilities of protecting the world from the dangers of an apocalypse while trying to pass high school.
Buffy and Angel, a long lived vampire who had gotten his soul back, became the IT couple of the show, though fate was very much against them. Angel, played by David Boreanaz, wound up being spun off into his own show.
Rupert Giles was the stuffy librarian at the high school who was, in reality, Buffy’s Watcher. A Watcher would train and provide guidance to the current slayer. Giles quickly became connected with Buffy and the other “Scooby Gang” members, and he was more of a father figure than a trainer. Giles was portrayed by Anthony Stewart Head.
Spike was another vampire that Buffy had a relationship with. Spike was introduced to the series as an antagonist, but his popularity saw him return multiple times and eventually fall in love with the Slayer. It led to Spike regaining his own soul. Spike was just so cool.
There were amazing episodes with a ton of creativity over the seven seasons including one where everyone lost the ability to talk (“Hush”) and another one where Buffy finds the dead body of her mother Joyce (“Body”). Perhaps the greatest musical episode of all time was Buffy’s “Once More with Feeling” which saw a demon summoned to Sunnydale causing song and dance to break out across the city.
There have been talks about bringing the Buffy franchise back to TV with a new version that would include Sarah Michelle Geller in some form.
No snowflakes around here yet, but this is officially the first film of the 2025 post-Thanksgiving, Snowpocalypse Weekend. In Your Dreams is an animated film currently streaming on Netflix after a short week length release in theaters.
According to IMDB, “Stevie and her little brother Elliot journey into the wildly absurd landscape of their own dreams to ask the Sandman to grant them the perfect family.”
The film has some very deep and potentially troublesome themes that could trigger some. However, the brightness and colorful animation makes even the hardest topics palatable.
The voice over cast included Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Elias Janssen, Craig Robinson, Simu Liu, Cristin Milioti, Gia Carides, Omid Djalili, and SungWon Cho.
I thought this was a pretty decent animated movie. It had some fun and some drama, with a serious topic that the characters dealt with in the story.
I thought that the music was really solid in the film. I loved the use of some of the well known Sandman songs.
The character designs are well done and the dream world was creative and clever.
In Your Dreams was a nice animated movie for a snowy day (or soon to be snowy day).
It is Black Friday and we are preparing for a huge snowstorm on Saturday. I have seen any number of projections from 8-9 inches to 11-17 inches for Saturday. That sounds like I’m not going anywhere on Saturday, so……
The 2025 EYG post-Thanksgiving, Snowpocalypse Weekend is here! Here is a chance to catch up on some of the films that I have not seen yet for 2025 on streaming.
Saturday night will also feature the 2025 Survivor Series: War Games that I am hoping to be able to watch.
Here’s to the snow…
In Your Dreams
Eleanor the Great
Twinless
Splitsville
Wildcat
Jingle Bell Heist
I did not get to Stitch Head, which is included on the heading for this article, over the weekend, but I do have a plan to watch it some time this week.
The third TV series among the Top 100 starring Nathan Fillion is at #13. Castle came after the cancelation of Firefly and before The Rookie. The ABC crime/romance/mystery/comedy series lasted for eight seasons.
Nathan Fillion was the titular character Richard Castle and he starred opposite Stana Katic, as the tough-as-nails police detective Kate Beckett. Castle, a best selling author, was bored with life and was in search of inspiration. After a series of murders that were inspired by his own mystery books, the NYPD approached Castle for any info he could give them. Castle took this over the edge by convincing the mayor that he should be a consultant to the NYPD, specifically Beckett, who he used as the inspiration for his new series of books.
The Castle-Beckett dynamic was what carried the show, but there were some other wonderful traits of this show. Castle was extremely intelligent, though he hid that with his special brand of goofiness. The dialogue and writing of the show was on par with some of the best on TV, clever and funny while informing the characters.
Castle’s family which included his daughter Alexis (Molly C. Quinn) and his diva mother Martha Rodgers (Susan Sullivan) was vital to keeping Castle humanized.
A fun bit of casting included real life mystery authors Stephen J. Cannell, James Patterson, Dennis Lehane, and Michael Connelly as poker buddies for Castle. Castle would, at times, bounce ideas off of the writers, looking for how they would write the story, if the case were fictionalized.
Castle was a fun TV show with an amazing cast, including two charismatic leads. It was funny, exciting, dramatic and well written.
Based on a 2011 novella, Train Dreams is a drama directed by Clint Bentley and starring Joel Edgerton. The film just started streaming on Netflix.
According to IMDB, “…Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century.“
The film featured a stunning performance from Joel Edgerton, while ripping the heart out of the viewer’s chest with some of the most painful scenes of the year.
It is an emotional tale of Robert Grainier’s life and the losses that tugged at his soul. The pain of his loss was tempered by his consistent search for life. There are some scenes that are just remarkably rough for the character, yet one of the final scenes of the film brings about a feeling of joyous freedom.
Great performances littered this movie. Add to Edgerton the strong work from Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon and William H. Macy.
The cinematography of the land is fantastic and the film is a beautiful one to watch.
I found this to be a lovely film that was difficult to watch with the emotional moments being powerful. It is available on Netflix.
EYG- Embrace Your Geekness 