I caught The Dog Stars this weekend. It was…fine, I guess. I know nothing about the book, so maybe my issues stem from the source material, but the film seemed like it was being pulled in two opposed thematic directions. Like, 80% of the runtime, it’s a snoozy little exercise in navel-gazing about what being “civilized” means in the context of the post-apocalypse. I’m paraphrasing, but that seems to be the core question the characters are grappling with. However, because it’s a big budget Ridley Scott production, there’s several action sequences with the spare parts of a Mad Max movie, and one sequence in particular which feels like the production took a pit stop in the world of Fallout for a scene. Tonally, these things are at odds with the rest of the movie. However, they’re also the only parts which had any juice. The rest of the movie was just kind of dull and predictable. Pretty aerial photography though. Scott still has a knack for widescreen spectacle. 3/5, but I admit that’s probably overly generous.

Akira 4.5/5 - Got to see the IMAX restoration of this. It rocked

Fight Club 5/5 - Saw this at a local independent cinema while getting drunk. It’s still pretty great and relevant

Tony 3/5 - I don’t really have any exposure to Anthony Bourdain and I find it a little implausible that all of this happened over the time frame that the movie suggests. Still, he was a compelling character and I particularly like the wordless conversation that happens towards the end of the clam bake

Over Your Dead Body 3.5/5 - Missed this in theaters but saw it streaming at home. It’s funny, but gets a little over gorey towards the end of the movie. I’m growing a little tired of “breaking a knee the wrong way” as a comedic device. I’ve seen at least 3 new releases this year that use it

Best Little Whorehouse in Texas 5/5 - I had never seen this before and saw it at a charity screening for the Imagination Library. I wasn’t fully on board when the gayest football team I’ve ever seen attempted to convince me they were excited to sleep with women, but when the governer showed up and had a whole song and dance about how much he loved to not do his job I was in. Apparently the general outline of the story is largely true!

Father Mother Sister Brother

Still thinking about it days later. There’s something about the awkward moments between family members who have lived their separate lives.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits

It’s probably my favourite Aardman Animation movie and great fun. Family movie, british humour in stop motion/claymation if anyones interested.