Part of My Silk Road Challenge (Japan)
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Stars on Horseback 1943
Short Documentary - Warner Bros. has us tag along with blacksmith-to-the-stars George Garfield as he pays house calls on the horses owned by Joel McCrea, Jerry Colona, George Tobias, Joan Leslie, and others, including archival footage of Bette Davis fence jumping and Olivia de Havilland behind a plow. Narration is provided by Lou Marcelle, while Myron J. Swartz directs. More promotional than informative, it's a take-it-or-leave-it 2.5-star production. Quite forgettable.
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Fin'n Catty 1943
Short Animation - This Merrie Melodies cartoon written by
Michael Maltese and directed by Chuck Jones is one long gag showing a goldfish outwitting a hungry cat (voicework by Robert C. Bruce). It is not especially funny, plus the fish has arm-and-leg-like fins, dentures, and the ability to survive out of water longer than I can hold my breath. Two-and-a-half stars, see it or don't. Meh. -
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Men 2022
Seeds. Apples. Rain. These recurring images are backed by the haunting lyrics of Lesley Duncan's Love Song (1971), in writer-director Alex Garland's fantastical drama of death, betrayal, guilt, accusation, lust, genetics, and body horror. Full credit to Rory Kinnear for his multiple roles and Jessie Buckley for her nuanced portrayal of recently widowed Harper, trying to find solace in a country retreat and encountering nothing of the sort. Frankly, I think Garland went a few steps too far with his…
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Seabiscuit 2003
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Part of My Autumn Rewatches 6.1 Challenge
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Task #25: Watch again any historical drama released in the 21st century.Holds up well on a rewatch near two decades later. Had forgot about the tragic death of the son of Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges). Excellent acting by Tobey Macquire as the jockey with a chip on his shoulder, Red Pollard, and by Chris Cooper as trainer Tom Smith. The lives of the three principals are lifted to a higher…
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Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem 2014
Part of My Silk Road Challenge (Israel)
Film #25 among my 52 Films by Women 2022
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 2022
Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) quickly became my favorite Marvel character in his 2016 titular debut film. Photographic memory, control over time, fluent in Google translate... my kind of nerdy superhero. Then, he made what I thought to be an odd minor appearance in Taika Waititi's "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) before taking what looked like his final bow in 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War."
I wanted more of the Tibetan-trained Sorcerer Supreme, and I was happy to see him resurrected in 2019's "Avengers:…