I Got the ‘Dune’ Novel!

Dune was my favorite film last year because, well, it’s awesome. When I watched David Lynch’s iteration of the book several years ago I thought the story was interesting but the movie could not grip in the way that Villeneuve’s version did. Now I can’t get enough of this story.

So much so that I decided to get the official novel so that I can read the story and get an official idea of what to expect in the sequel arriving next year. I can’t wait to share my thoughts about this iconic book in the near future because there’s a good chance I’ll be finishing it over the weekend.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a fantastic day.

Ranking the Movies of 2021: From Worst to Best

It’s been a busy movie year. I’ve seen a bunch of movies, some that have been legitimately enjoyable while there have been a few stumbles along the way. Now it’s the end of 2021 and it’s time to share my ranking. Enjoy!

32. The Matrix: Resurrections

When I saw the official teaser for The Matrix: Resurrections I wasn’t expecting the best movie ever but I wasn’t expecting a movie that bad.

A few days before the fourth installment hit HBO Max I watched The Matrix with my sister (it was only my second viewing… and it was awesome… again) so I was fresh into this story. Then I watched Resurrections and my head practically exploded.

It’s so bad and as someone who has never been a fan of this franchise, this movie just seemed even worse than I could’ve imagined. The story is an intriguing concept but poorly executed, Yahya Abdul Mateen II is a TERRIBLE Morpheus, and the actors, set designs, and costumes sometimes feel like a high-budget show on Syfy. It’s that bad.

⭐

31. The Suicide Squad

There are people who will say this is one of the best comic book movies they’ve seen. I beg to differ. The Suicide Squad is a ridiculously violent, boring island adventure with a bunch of unlikable characters and maybe two standouts. And yeah the villain was actually intimidating…for two seconds. Then he was killed in such a ridiculous fashion that I was left just staring at the screen like, “Really.”

But I’m glad there were people who liked it.

⭐½

30. In the Heights

In the Heights used to be my least favorite film of the year but there are two films worse than it this year for sure. It’s is still one of the worst musicals I’ve ever seen though.

⭐⭐

29. The Little Things

I wasn’t expecting this movie to be good but I wasn’t expecting it to be as bad as it was either. I love a good whodunnit movie but this film just didn’t cut it. And its conclusion was infuriating!

⭐⭐

‘Dune’ Might Win Best Picture and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Could Join the Race

I can’t believe this is a post I’m writing but here we are.

Ever since Dune came out it’s been kind of obvious that it would garner a bunch of award nominations thanks to Denis Villeneuve doing something no other director has been able to manage; make a great Dune movie.

It managed to surpass my expectations and showed that the film was adaptable to the big screen after all. So far, the film has not won any major awards yet but with the Critics’ Choice Awards hopefully, just a few weeks away (it was supposed to take place on January 9 but with the sudden outburst of COVID it’s been delayed indefinitely) it’ll be the first test on whether the sci-fi epic has a real shot at nabbing Best Picture next year.

It however does have some stiff competition against the critically-acclaimed Netflix film The Power of the Dog directed by Jane Campion (The Piano) thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch’s rave reviews for his apparent outstanding performance as an incredibly mean homosexual cowboy. The role has been said by many to be his best performance.

And then there’s Kenneth Branagh’s under-the-radar Belfast which has started to ramp up as one of the best films of the year.

I’m Going To See ‘Dune’ Again Tomorrow!

For the next week starting tomorrow Dune is back in IMAX and of course I had to jump at the opportunity to see this film (my favorite movie of the year!) on the big screen again.

I can’t believe how excited I am. Even though I’ve watched the film at least five times on HBO Max there’s something so utterly magnificent about this movie that it just makes me happy. And there’s nothing like seeing this movie in IMAX. If you haven’t experienced this movie in this movie I highly recommend checking it out. It’s worth every second.

I’m counting down the hours.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a wonderful day.

I Watched the 80s’ ‘Dune’ and the New ‘Dune’ Back to Back: Here’s What I Think

Friday afternoon I watched Dune and it managed to exceed all of my expectations. It was visually masterful, perfectly acted, and way easier to comprehend. But, being the movie buff that I am, I wanted to revisit David Lynch’s Dune to see the differences between the old and the new versions as well to get a greater idea of what to expect in Part Two.

First off, Villeneuve’s version, based off of the material we’ve gotten so far is undoubtedly the superior version. Everything is handled with so much more thought. There’s a presence to the new Dune that the other one just doesn’t have. Basically, you can tell the director, the actors, and everyone involved with this movie put every fiber of their being into this film because it shows.

What I can say about Lynch’s Dune is that it does feel a bit more faithful to the actual book in all of its weirdest ways, like the almost unwatchable grossness of the Harkonnens, the hilarious voice-activated version of the weirding way, or the very cryptic version of Paul’s visions. But the second half of the film which flies by painted a ridiculously epic picture of what’s to come in Part Two.

I’m Still Not Over ‘Dune’

Some are calling Dune a “masterpiece.” I cannot say it’s a masterpiece because as of right now, it’s incomplete. What I can say is it’s incredibly cinematic; a jaw-dropping achievement in the art of epic movie making. It’s been a while since I’ve watched a film with this much scale. A film designed for the biggest screen possible so the movie can absolutely overwhelm your senses for two and a half hours straight.

For the first hour of the film, I remember thinking to myself on many occasions, “This is fire.” After seeing the first film, which is handled with such wanton confusion despite its dizzying amount of exposition, I could see the similarities being ironed out, allowing for a much smoother process of a storyline. In fact, as I watched the film’s first half play out, the movie itself felt very much like a book happening onscreen.

The screenplay is phenomenal, moving along at its own pace as Villeneuve’s otherworldly vision of Dune came to life along with Hans Zimmer’s mesmerizing score that I’m listening to at this very moment while I write this.

Like I said before, this is no masterpiece but wow was I impressed. I found myself also appreciating it far more than the last three Star Wars movies (The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and The Rise of Skywalker.) Star Wars has become such a phenomenon that people have become lazy with the material, providing generic looks at a franchise that is, in essence, as epic as Dune. Filmmakers, however, have turned Star Wars into a joke; a tale for children with cool lightsabers that make awesome noises and the simply bland heroes-versus-villains tales that keep being told over and over again in unimaginative ways.

I miss looking at Star Wars and feeling like the directors actually care about giving us something epic to look at. Not just ideas that will be crafted into a wave of new toys (like the Sith Troopers) or a new ride at a Disney theme park (like Rise of the Resistance.)

I also haven’t been this blown away by a cast too. Despite the wave of A-listers that joined this movie they don’t feel out of place. In fact, Villeneuve gives them new lanes to shine in. He utilizes every actor for their personal strengths and uses them to perfection.