Films That I Saw: September 2024

Well, things have gotten a little crazy here recently in Atlanta as a hurricane flew over the city as I remember waking up at around seven in the morning this past Thursday to open the gate as my niece and nephew weren’t going to therapy that day as they had just returned from a brief vacation at the Hilton Head with their parents. It was raining hard, and the wind was intense as I opened the gate as it was pouring and then the power went out for a few hours. The kids arrived an hour later once the power got back on, but it was intense I have experienced the tornadoes nearby and bad thunderstorms but nothing like this. It is never a dull moment when it comes to things like this though this month was overwhelming as the aftermath of COVID the month before and longtime family friends visiting and staying over the house for a few weeks did make me feel low. It got crazy at times although they were helpful to my mother and updating some things that she needed at home including a brand-new dishwasher, a new iPhone, and a few things in the house that needed to be fixed.

Part of these feelings of ennui and sadness is part of why I do not go out very much than I used to as it is also a lack of enthusiasm. It is part of why I have not put out a lot of things on this blog though I still have been working on my Auteurs piece on Michael Mann as the first part of the essay is finished with the second part currently in the works. At least I have that going as it has given me something to do other than play video games for a bit. Still, I try to do anything I can to be active than once again fall into another state of depression. I am not happy that I still have not done any serious work on my book project though I do not want to force it. Even as I chose to not watch Lost in Translation again which I often do every September 21st as I am unhappy with the Blu-Ray I purchased last year and really upset that the 4K Blu-Ray that was supposed to come out last year is still not out.

In the month of September 2024, I saw a total of 17 films in 12 first-timers and 5 re-watches with two first-timers being a film directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. One of the highlights of the month is my Blind Spot film in The Roaring Twenties. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for September 2024:

1. The Insider

2. Everything Will Be OK

3. Sibyl

4. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

5. Billy’s Balloon

6. Lily & Jim

7. Lemon Tree

8. Mr. McMahon

9. Watching Grass Grow

10. Hands of Stone

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I am Watching

Lemon Tree

A short by Rachel Walden that I saw on MUBI is about a man who takes his son to a fair in New Jersey where they steal a bunny rabbit and plan to take him home. Along the way, mischief would often occur as it is this somber film about a father and son in which the latter watches the actions of his father who engages in reckless behavior while they are trying to get home. Even as the boy is hoping to have this bunny rabbit they stole as a new pet. It is a film that is straightforward in its presentation other than it is shot on 16mm film which adds a unique quality to its presentation. It is worth seeking out.

Billy’s Balloon



One of four short films by Don Hertzfeldt that I saw can be described as a fucked-up sequel to The Red Balloon. It is really a boy and his balloon with the balloon acting in what he does to the boy. Yet, the balloon is not alone where other balloons decide to do something to these little shits. It all goes back to that one moment in The Red Balloon. Can you blame these balloons for getting angry?

Lily & Jim



The second of four shorts by Don Hertzfeldt that I saw is about the many anxieties of going on a blind date. If there is one thing that Hertzfeldt understands about people is that they are a mess. Meeting someone new and not sure what to say or what to do has a lot of truths into the dangers of blind dates. This is told with great humor and wit as it is one of the reasons why I am glad to be an introvert. It is scary out there.

Everything Will Be OK



The third Hertzfeldt short that I saw is a seventeen-minute short film that is about existentialism where a man thinks about his life and the many difficulties that occur. It is a film that plays into a lot of these anxieties and what happens after someone dies? Do they get reincarnated or be shot into outer space? It is a surreal film that is filled with wondrous imagery as well as a lot of ideas about existence. It is so far the best thing I have seen from Hertzfeldt so far.

Watching Grass Grow



The fourth and final short film by Hertzfeldt that I saw is the one film of that is not an animated film but rather a 12-minute avant-garde experimental short film in which he is creating one of his short films in 2005’s The Meaning of Life through time-lapse footage in three years. It is something that fans of Hertzfeldt should see as it highlights the creative process and how hard he works into drawing many frames for a short film with his hand. This is what artists do and Hertzfeldt is truly an artist who does suffer for his art, but it is often followed by great reward.

TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy

Given the news that Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy aka P. Diddy aka Puffy aka Diddy aka Love is now in prison awaiting trial for years of sex and human trafficking, rape, abuse, and all sorts of devious shit. It is obvious that something about Poo Doody is going to come out and yet it is from of all places, TMZ. Shown on TUBI, this documentary talks about the rise and fall of Poo Doody and his many trials and tribulations as it never offers anything new other than tidbits from a few who had worked with him including former Bad Boy associate Mark Curry and former Danity Kane singer Aubrey O’Day as they at least get the chance to reveal what they had known. Unfortunately, the film also has a few who defend Poo Doody including Suge Knight of all people as that made it worse while there is also some race-baiting into how Poo Doody had been treated in comparison to the likes of Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein which is such bullshit. I know he is too old for someone like R. Kelly but with all that baby oil Poo Doody has. Maybe R. Kelly would finally have someone he can spoon with in his prison cell.

Hands of Stone

This film about the life of Roberto Duran could have been an interesting bio-pic although the 30 for 30 documentary series on Duran in No Mas remains the definitive story on Duran. It is a film that does not know what it wants to be as it wants to be a boxing film but also something dramatic with different storylines relating to Duran as well as his trainer Ray Arcel and American-Panamanian relations. Robert de Niro is excellent as Arcel as well as Ana de Armas as Duran’s wife Felicidad and Usher in a superb and charismatic performance as Sugar Ray Leonard as they are the people who keep the film from being a disaster. Edgar Ramirez’s performance as Roberto Duran is hampered by its script where he often acts a man-child as there are also some scenes that feel shoehorned for dramatic reason. It is a film that is by-the-numbers and does not do enough to make it interesting despite its ensemble cast.

Mr. McMahon

From Netflix is this six-part documentary on the life and career of WWE promoter Vince McMahon as it is an interesting film for anyone not familiar with pro wrestling or as Meekmahan calls it. Sports entertainment. There is no denying that if it were not for him, pro wrestling would not be in the mainstream, and I would not be watching pro wrestling if it were not for him. Yet, the man is a fucking scumbag as much of the film was made in 2021 just days before the sexual harassment lawsuits came in as Meekmahan talks about elements of his life though there are not fully discussed. It is a film that does allow many to say their piece as it does feature some legendary wrestlers but there is also one of Meekmahan’s bitches in Bruce Pritchard who will defend the man to the death as he is a fucking cocksucker. It is worth watching for anyone interested in WWE although wrestling fans will feel like there is more that barely scratches the surface.

Agatha All Along (season 1, episodes 1-3)

I admit, I am burned out on Marvel as I went into this show with not a lot of expectations and so far, 3 episodes in. It is pretty good so far as I am always won over by Kathryn Hahn who is great as Agatha Harkness while Joe Locke’s performance as the Teen is intriguing though it is possible that the character is Billy Maximoff aka Wiccan. There is a lot of adventure and some homage to television as the first episode is a homage of sorts to Mare of Eastwood while Big Little Lies and The White Lotus inspire the third episode. The ensemble that includes Patti Lupone, Ali Ahn, Sasheer Zamata, and Aubrey Plaza are excellent as far as there is a lot of intrigue into what is happening. I am just hoping it does not fall off and end up being a big disappointment like Secret Invasion was as I have no interest in revisiting that show.

Top 5 Re-Watches

1. The Last of the Mohicans

2. Manhunter

3. The U

4. Bernie

5. Electric Boogaloo: The Wild Untold Story of Cannon Films

That is all for September. Coming in October will be devoted to horror and suspense films as well as horror-comedy films given that Halloween season is upon us. I have films on Blu-Ray to watch as the next Blind Spot film will be Rebecca. The Auteurs essays on Michael Mann is coming with Ferrari being the one film I will watch next to complete the series as I will then get into David Lean next. I have no clue what films coming out theatrically I will watch as I have trouble keeping up with what is going to come out. Before I bid adieu, I must express my condolences on those who passed away this month as it includes some real larger-than-life figures that will be unmatched in people like Dame Maggie Smith, Dikembe Mutombo, James Earl Jones, and Kris Kristofferson as well as people like John Ashton, Cat Glover, Paul Cripple of Reagan Youth, jazz musician Benny Golson, Roger Palm who played drums for ABBA, Kathryn Crosby, Cleo Sylvestre, Nick Gravenites of the Electric Flag and Big Brother and the Holding Company, songwriter JD Souther, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Tito Jackson, Mary McFadden, Kenneth Cope, Chad McQueen aka Dutch, Frank Beverly, lyricist Will Jennings, Sergio Mendes, and just now, Pete Rose. This is thevoid99 signing off and Pete… this is for you…



© thevoid99 2024