The last of the reviews (for awhile) PART TWO

Moonlight A timeless story of human self-discovery and connection, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.: It would have improved my viewing of this film (possibly our viewing? I dunno; you'd have to ask Stephen) to have read ^that^ little IMDb blurb before watching our screener. We had no idea what this fucking story was about, or who we were supposed to be rooting for (I mean, okay, we had an inkling) or who were the antagonists (again, the bullies were clearly "bad guys", but who else?), or where the hell the story was going (nowhere, truth be told). We did not care for this film. We were impressed with the casting, but other than that? Meh. You may hear otherwise. I have heard glowing praise. I also heard glowing praise for Fences. Didn't care for that one, either.

(the new) Ghostbusters Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.: OMG, kids, if you have any love for the original, then you have to watch this one! It isn't a sequel; it isn't an "homage" (altho it does pay mad respect to the original); it is simply a different take on "what if there were ghosts invading New York City?"

It is So Much Fun, this film. Every character is FULLY defined, and the acting is So Good. We picked up our Blu-Ray at Target, both because it was on sale for $TEN (what?) and because Stephen had "won" a Target gift card at his place of employment, so we watched the flick on a night before I was booked for work, and then we watched all the special features on the following night, after we were both home from work. We laughed our asses off, probably the entire time. I don't think it's even up for any awards at this point, but so what? Acquire a copy to add to your collection, and prepare to laugh your ass off. <-- That is my recommendation. #ChrisHemsworthOMGSoFunny

Captain Fantastic In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.: Okay, so I had to stream this over my laptop screen, because the #SAGAwards folks hadn't made it available on hard disk, and the one or two screenings I'd tried to attend didn't pan out. I may have said this before; I'm not a fan of streaming video. Every six seconds or so, it would do a micro-pause, which, of course, I got used to. But that is not optimal viewing, and everyone knows it. If I get my wish, next year, ALL of the films and shows that are up for even a single award will arrive in hard copy in my mailbox, WITHOUT all the extra mailers that are trying to get me to vote but are essentially wasted trees.

So. That said, this was another I had no idea before I watched it, what it would be about. Honestly, with its title, I thought it was an off-brand superhero film. I was looking forward to it. It had good moments, I won't lie, but overall, I'm not sure whose "side" I ended up on. There are some really difficult choices made, and there's no clear "good vs. evil" fight. So whilst watching, you sort of float along with the family, who are clearly more used to floating along than you are. Recommended IF you've ever wanted to live simply, off the land, and "home-school" your kids out in the wilderness, with an excellent library and minimal civilization. NOT Recommended IF the wilderness would kill you in your first week.

The Girl on the Train A divorcee becomes entangled in a missing persons investigation that promises to send shockwaves throughout her life.: I started (streaming, yes, again) watching this under the impression that it was a thriller. And it is, sort of. There are definitely plot twists, and there's definitely a murder to solve, and there are definitely people to like or not like. But you follow along for a rather long time, not entirely sure if this person you kinda like is okay, or if this person you're kinda creeped out by isn't, in fact, heroic. So, yeah, thriller.

This film has been compared to Gone Girl
in its storytelling. I guess, maybe. We only liked Ben Affleck's character in that one (honestly, in our opinions, that was his #RoleOfALifetime). I don't see Emily Blunt in the #RoleOfALifetime here. Not that her character isn't full of depth and well-portrayed. I mean, you do kind of hate her, then pity her, then "root" for her. But this Girl film is not, in fact, anything like the other Girl film. So stop comparing them!

Ennyhoo. Recommended if you're a fan of 1) thrillers 2) trains 3) pretty people who are slightly psycho 4) murder mysteries 5) Emily Blunt. Otherwise, take it or leave it. I don't see it finding a space on our wall o' movies, unless it appears before us really super-fucking cheap, in which case, okay, fiiiiiiine.

And that's it. I dunno what I'll review for you next, as I've gotten through this #SAGAwards season's screenings and screeners. Think I'll take a break and find other shit to talk about. Tell me here what you'd love for me to talk about!