Brian Behrend’s microblog
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Four extra stars just for King Herod’s Song being the absolute funniest thing me and the kids have seen in months. They were so baffled and delighted for much of this musical but that song sent them over the edge and onto the floor laughing.
Rating: 4 stars
A group of women next to me at Dune 2 snuck in an entire pizza in a purse. Legends.
Worse than the original and the stage musical in every possible way but still pretty decent. I have same opinion of this as I seem to of all stage to screen adaptations, the big, unrealistic, fun stage-style numbers are great and every other song is ruined.
The last third is solid and Auli’i Cravalho is pretty fantastic as Janis. She deserves to be a star but of course I’m biased because I have a pre-Moana photo of her holding my infant in Hawaii.
I like Renee Rapp’s music but she was kinda just ok in this. World Burn is her best number in this.
Rating: 3 stars
Crossposted on Letterboxd
Watch Mean Girls on Paramount+
This is super well written and super funny and super sweet, but I had to fast forward through probably 15% of it due to the awkward moments because holy crap they get into my bones.
Very, very highly recommended despite my 3.5 rating if you aren’t like me and don’t have an unhealthy fear of slightly awkward situations even in fiction.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Crossposted on Letterboxd
Watch Enough Said on Paramount+
Nimona was one of my favorite movies of 2023 and the kids loved it too, if you don’t have Netflix it is now available in full to watch free on YouTube:
Also, very interesting move from Netflix and presumably a trial run at doing this more often?
Somehow I never noticed that the OCP headquarters was a composite of Dallas City Hall until a rewatch today. Apparently a bunch of exterior shots all over Dallas.
Also, I forgot how good this was. Maybe it’s been longer than I thought since I’ve last seen it?
Why does the main villain sometimes wear a white button up and a tie like he works at IBM or JCPenneys?
Just generally ugly to look at at all times. Uninteresting plot, no world building, not a single character with any personality.
Who thought they were doing a good job while making this?
Rating: 1.5 stars
? Crossposted on Letterboxd
? Watch Rebel Moon on Netflix
Why do the real actual humans they found to play the young versions of Sophie’s dads all look like bad de-aging CGI? Is it the wigs?
I mostly disliked young Meryl Streep and her friends as much as I disliked old Meryl Streep and her friends.
Andy Garcia appears to be playing his same character from Ocean’s 11 and looms over the whole movie like there is a villain turn coming any moment.
Yet, it was fun. I legit lol’d at the Titanic gag.
Rating: 3.0 stars
? Crossposted on Letterboxd
? Watch Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again on Netflix
This film does a good job representing how I felt every time I shaved and also why I have had some variation of a beard since Covid started.
Truly hard to watch. ? I kept having to hit the 10 second skip button or turn away. Which I guess means this Scorsese kid might be pretty good at what he was trying to do?
Rating: ??♂️
? Crossposted on Letterboxd
? Watch The Big Shave on Max
Posted over on the main site, my ten favorite movies of 2023 as well as the favorite books I read last year.