The Dead Don't Die (2019)

Jim Jarmusch's latest is a zombie movie unlike any other. It's not a horror movie. It's a comedy, an unconventional one at that. It breaks the fourth wall. It has a huge cast of familiar Jarmusch faces in bit parts. The humor is kind of awkward, off kilter. Bill Murray and Adam Driver are perfect for the dry, slow-paced, often deadpan jokes. I'm starting to like Adam Driver more in his comedic work. There are a lot of seemingly irrelevant characters. Surely there is something Jarmusch is trying to say about the outcasts of Centerville, a small American town (village?) with a cast of lonely characters. I'm not quite sure what. The movie takes a wonky turn at the end. It wouldn't have been how I ended it, but I'm not entirely unsatisfied cause it's appropriately bonkers.

Suspiria (2018)

Suspiria is not really a remake of the 1977 giallo classic by Dario Argento. It merely starts from the same point. But it veers way far off. The new movie lacks all the hallmarks of the original: the eroticism, color and music. It does have the gore. Act six has a hell of a lot of blood. It's really gratuitous. I don't feel like the movie really earned the twist in the sixth act. Or maybe that's just me saying that I didn't like the twist.The film is in a mix of German and English. Recall that the original was in comically dubbed Italian. The mix of languages comes off as kind of frenetic. The best part of the movie is Tilda Swinton, who plays 3 parts, probably one too many. And the movie runs two and a half hours, which is way too long for a horror movie.

Booksmart (2019)

Booksmart is hilarious, endearing, heartwarming, and necessary. Following in the footsteps of The Edge of Seventeen, Lady Bird and Eighth Grade, we now have the raucous teenage girl coming-of-age comedy we needed. Olivia Wilde shows remarkable artistry for a first-time director. The slick editing and bold musical choices scream style. The writing is smart and funny and relevant. And the actors nail every line. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein are a revelation. Their buddy cop chemistry is palpable. Dever reminds me of a young Natalie Portman. And naturally, Feldstein reminds me of her brother Jonah Hill. This had me laughing out loud nonstop, probably the most enjoyable time I've had at the theater all year.

Dark Phoenix (2019)

X-Men deserves a better ending than this. X-Men was probably my favorite superhero series, but they remade it to death. It should have ended with Days of Future Past and Logan. Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix were wholly unnecessary. I had forgotten that Days of Future Past erased the old timeline. Much like the recent bookend of the MCU, the time travel rules are kind of murky. But in their attempt to erase the ill received ending of the original trilogy in The Last Stand, they recreated the same plot, except worse. A redo was not necessary. They get a little into the politics that always made X-Men interesting and relevant. The othering of mutants is a message that is still poignant today, but it takes a backseat to a largely irrelevant main plot. Who are these aliens and why is Jessica Chastain their leader?

The Third Murder (2017)

This is something of a departure for Koreeda. Though there are some family dynamics here (father-son, father-daughter), they are not the focus of the movie. In fact, the introduction of some of these familial relations seem rather irrelevant. Instead this is a legal thriller. The themes raise grand questions about justice. The answers aren't apparent. But Koreeda does a good job at mystifying the truth. While the movie doesn't pack the same emotional punch as his family dramas, his writing is still careful and deliberate. And the mise en scene is still striking. I'm a fan of reflections in the glass.

Nobody Knows (2004)

Koreeda is the master of the family-themed drama. This is perhaps the most tragic of his movies. Sadness is usually tempered by sweetness, but the tragedy in this one is really overwhelming. That these children manage to find happiness amidst their horrifying situation is heartbreaking. And the director just tugs and tugs and tugs until the ending which offers no resolution. The child actors, particularly Yuya Yagira, are phenomenal. He is a portrait of fortitude and survival throughout and then we are reminded that he is just a kid being deprived of his childhood and desires. And so he struggles to maintain the one thing he has: his siblings. As always, Koreeda's direction is delicate. His writing is careful and deliberate. His camerawork is beautiful. Nobody Knows is trademark Koreeda.

Pokemon Detective Pikachu (2019)

Rob Letterman took big risks that mostly paid off. I didn't know at first how to feel about the 3D Pokemon, rendered in CGI. But I quickly acclimated to all but Mr Mime. Mr Mime is freaky. But Pikachu is adorable. Ryan Reynolds will forever be known for his sublime voice work as Deadpool and Pikachu. I would have been on board if Pikachu decided to curse a bit. But even the voice was just enough to evoke the comedy of Deadpool. The story is mediocre but the nostalgia mixed with Ryan Reynolds makes for an enjoyable time.

Long Shot (2019)

I'm embarrassed to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I thought it was really funny. It only brushes the surface of its political ambitions but it's just enough to be interesting. Seth Rogen's Fred has principles. Yes, who would've thought that Seth Rogen would be the moral compass? Charlize Theron is oddly good at this wacky comedy. She should be given more comedic roles. And the very best part of the movie is O'Shea Jackson Jr, who makes a great comedic sidekick.

Burning (2018)

Burning has that special quality of staying with you long after you leave the theater. This movie haunted me for a week. It's a slow burn as the title suggests. The tension builds and builds until finally it yearns for release in this psychological "thriller".  None of the questions are answered, but all the answers are implied. That intense atmosphere manifests on screen in silence, glances, colors, mise-en-scene and the contrast between flashy Gangnam and the North Korean countryside border. Is it possible to feel the milieu? Because it gave me goosebumps. Steven Yeun is so devilishly good in Korean, you easily forget that it is his first Korean role.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-2019)

It's the end of an era. The Big Bang Theory represented the last of the great sitcoms by Chuck Lorre. More than that, the end of the long-running reliable network sitcom. The best comedy is now on cable, premium or otherwise. The kind of good-natured, family friendly humor is now in short supply. Modern comedies take more risks that pay off handsomely. But Big Bang Theory was consistently good enough. And it translated quite well in international markets. Jim Parson's Sheldon has achieved icon status in our culture. That is quite the achievement. The finale gave our seven protagonists a fitting end. Way better than the Game of Thrones finale.

Veep (2012-19)

Veep was consistently one of the funniest shows on television. Armando Iannucci's sense of humor is so absurd it's hilarious. It was caustic political satire at its best. The cast was on its A game. Julia Louis-Dreyfus deserved every Emmy win. And I think Tony Hale as bag man Gary was brilliant. Even the supporting guest stars were fully developed characters. Mina Hakkinen never failed to make me laugh. We'll miss this cast of misfits.

Game of Thrones (2011-19)

Game of Thrones was unlike anything we had ever seen on TV. The scale and grandeur of the production matched what we only ever saw on the big screen. When it really started to hit its stride a few seasons in, it achieved cinematic scope. The battle scenes rivaled the very greatest of Lord of the Rings. Game of Thrones changed the landscape of TV forever. It proved early on that it was not afraid to kill off its main characters. It would simply introduce new ones, sometimes too many to keep track of, sometimes too many to even feature in an episode or a whole season. 

I admit I could give or take the story. It plays out some intense political relations. But it's not easy to follow. It is highly convoluted. But then why did so many people watch it addictively? In the era of streaming and peak TV, this was truly the one must-see television show. Because everyone would be talking about it the next day at work. Even sooner than that, everyone would be spoiling it on Facebook. You can't really overestimate the phenomenon that was Game of Thrones. It made stars of composer Ramin Djawadi, Kit Harrington, Emilia Clarke, Sophie Turner, and Lena Heady.

The last season sort of spoiled it, but you can bet it will still come away with an armful of Emmys. The ending was incredibly lame in my opinion. But again, it wasn't about the story. It was the spectacle and we get 2 episodes of spectacle amid some otherwise calm episodes.