I'm fortunate enough to still be at work, but my movie viewing has still had a major uptick since quarantine started. Here are few of the films I've seen with my wife in the past two months or so.

Westworld and Futureworld - I haven't read the novel or seen the recent tv show, but I quite enjoyed this duology from the 1970s, which centers on amusement parks for rich adults where robots play npcs in real life. Both of these films hold up quite well and to this day are recommended by many as sci-fi classics.

Pacific Rim - Yes, I'm a massive Kaiju fan, but I couldn't care less for American Kaiju productions in general. It was my wife who convinced me to watch this movie and I thought it was pretty darned good. Pacific Rim succeeds where the American Godzilla film from 2014 failed: it leans into the action and doesn't hide its main attraction, the monsters and mechs. I wish I had watched this movie sooner. It's the best western interpretation of a giant monster movie that I have ever seen.



Isle of Dogs - I avoided this one for a while because I was worried about emotional manipulation through depictions of animal cruelty, something I do my best to avoid in films. Finally checking it out, I discovered I had little to worry about. Like all of Wes Anderson's films, Isle of Dogs is not without some pulling on the emotional heartstrings, but it does not rely on this by any means. It is heartwarming and pleasant without being wishy-washy. I recommend this for anyone and it is suitable for children in my opinion.

Alita Battle Angel - I didn't really know what to expect from this one. Rich recommended the anime to me on the podcast and I quite enjoyed it. Live action adaptations of anime really don't have a great track record though. To my amazement, this movie is phenomenal. My expectations of what the anime would be translated to film were met, if only with slightly toned down violence (I would've liked an R-rated no holds barred Robocop vibe for this).


Repo Man - I remember this 1984 sci-fi comedy being regarded as something of a cult classic. I have never seen it, so I was highly intrigued. Sadly I didn't get much enjoyment out of this film. It wasn't funny enough nor interesting enough as a sci-fi film to give more than a light recommendation. I liked Emelio as a young LA punk but that wasn't enough to carry the movie.

Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure - I know I saw the second movie in a theatre once when I was on a family vacation, but I honestly cannot remember if I've ever seen the original. I enjoyed this one a lot. The humor holds up, and seeing a young Keanu is always a treat. I thought the historical characters were fun, and I especially loved Go-Gos guitarist Jane Weidlen being cast as Joan of Arc. Unlike Repo Man I can recommend this one as a fun, and actually funny movie.

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