Summer is approaching and the world’s biggest event is coming, which is the World Cup, as I am getting a bit excited about it despite a lot of the political bullshit that is happening as well as FIFA meddling with so much bullshit. Especially as they will do anything to praise our human septic tank of a dictator who is creating a massive spectacle for our country’s 250th birthday as it looks like the worst birthday party ever. Even as concerts have been announced in Washington D.C. where they announced the list of performers which was news to Morris Day and the Time, Bret Michaels, the Commodores, Martina McBride, and Young MC as they said no. Good for them for not wanting to be part of this shitshow though I am not surprised who has chosen to before at the clown show such as Flo-Rida and Vanilla Ice. Looking at what is happening at the White House itself is an indication of how far this country has fallen.
While I have focused my attention on futbol in anticipation for the World Cup, I still have my eye on cinema even though I still have not had the motivation to watch anything new or go to the movie theatres. Still, there was this year’s Cannes Film Festival as it was a good year as it focused more on international films rather than Hollywood fare. The big winner of the festival is Cristian Mungiu’s Fjord starring Renate Reinsve and Sebastian Stan as it won the Palme d’Or as well as the Francois Chalais Prize, the Ecumenical Prize, and the FIPRESCI prize as it also a victory for the distributor NEON that will release the film in the U.S. later this year. Other winners include Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur winning the 2nd place Grand Jury prize, and Valeska Grisebach’s The Dreamed Adventure winning the 3rd place Jury prize. Pawel Pawlikowski of Fatherland and the duo of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi for The Black Ball shared the Best Director prize. Emmanuel Macchia and Valentine Campagne shared the Best Actor prize for the performances in Lukas Dhont’s film Coward while Virginie Efira and Tao Okamoto shared the Best Actress prize for their work in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s All of a Sudden. Emmanuel Marre won the festival’s Best Screenplay prize for his film in A Man of His Time.
The winners of this year’s festival have been good while there have been some good buzz for other films that were competing for the Palme d’Or in James Gray’s Paper Tiger, Pedro Almodovar’s Bitter Christmas, Na Hong-Jin’s Hope, Sheep in the Box by Hirokazu Kore-eda and Ira Sachs’ The Man I Love with buzz for Rami Malek’s performance. Nicolas Winding Refn’s new film Her Private Hell, which played out of competition, has received mixed reviews which is expected from Refn while Lea Seydoux has gotten attention for being in three films in Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet’s A Woman’s Life, Marie Kruetzer’s Gentle Monster, and Arthur Harari’s The Unknown. The lack of Hollywood fare is a good thing as I often have issues with their presence in the festival though I am glad the first The Fast and the Furious film was able to play at this year’s festival to celebrate its 25th anniversary as a midnight screening where its cast members and Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow were there where the film was celebrated. One qualm I do have is the honorary Palme d’Or to John Travolta who was there premiering his directorial debut Propeller One-Way Night Coach as that was trashed by the critics as was his stupid look that he was sporting with that awful beret.
In the month of May 2026, I saw a total of 6 films in two first-timers and four re-watches with both first-timers being a film directed or co-directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Not much activity like one of the re-watches I had been rewatching is Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor as it had been many years since I had seen the theatrical version which is Bertolucci’s preferred cut. I have a review half-finished, but it has been slow as it will hopefully come out once it is finished.
Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching
Mother’s Nature
From Pixar and director Valerie LaPointe is this 2-minute short film made specifically for Mother’s Day as it plays into the journey that moms take for their children. All told through animals in the funniest moments. Notably a turtle trying to tell her child to clean up his room. A corn trying to tell her daughter not to be exposed to sunlight. All sorts of funny shit as it is just absolute fun.
The Boys of Dungeon Lane: In Conversation with Paul McCartney & Paul Mescal
With the release of Paul McCartney’s 20th solo studio album, Charlotte Wells directs a conversation between McCartney and actor Paul Mescal who is playing McCartney in the upcoming bio-pics on the Beatles. The discussion is on the album as well as its themes and the songs McCartney created based on the few tracks I have heard. It feels like an album by McCartney reflecting on his early life including his time with John Lennon and George Harrison when they were young. Days We Left Behind is a key example of that reflective narrative while McCartney also talks about his parents having to raise him during World War II as he thought about the difficulties they had to endure. This is an 11-minute short film that fans of McCartney should seek out as he is creating music that still has a lot to say while talking to the man who is playing him in Sam Mendes’ upcoming films on the Beatles.
Soccer’s American Dream (episodes 1-4)
With the World Cup happening as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico being the host nations, it was time for a documentary to be made about America’s relationship with the beautiful game and why it has been so complicated. It all goes back to the 1966 FIFA World Cup where it was the first time the event was televised as it was a worldwide event. It led to rich businessman trying to create a men’s professional league that eventually became the North American Soccer League that lasted from 1968 to 1984. The episodes talked about why it failed in the end due to lack of developing players as well as relying too much on Pele. The second episode is about the rise of women’s games and their popularity. Part three is about the 1994 World Cup and how it revived America’s interest in the beautiful game while the most recent episode is about the formation of Major League Soccer and its early struggles. There are two more episodes left in the series, yet I am excited for them as it is a documentary series that my dad would have loved to watch.
AEW Double or Nothing 2026
Given the lukewarm reaction towards WWE and the growing over-commercialization from TKO, longtime wrestling fans who have watched and supported WWE have become disillusioned. The fact that some of them either came to the AEW event at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York or watched the event out of curiosity has opened a lot of eyeballs. A lot of AEW fans know what to expect from the company yet what they delivered is already a top contender for pay-per-view event of the year. On the main show that opened with Adam Copeland and Christian Cage taking on FTR for the AEW World Tag Team Championship in an “I quit” street fight gave fans something that was hot. Then it was followed with the best match of the night in Konosuke Takeshita versus Kazuchika Okada for the AEW International Championship that saw Takeshita win the match but would be betrayed by Kyle Fletcher and the Don Callis Family.
The rest of the show had this sense of momentum in standout matches including the Stadium Stampede match and the main event for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship between Darby Allin and MJF with MJF’s hair added as a stipulation where he would shave it bald if he had lost the match. AEW had been criticized by some for having long events, yet many felt that AEW had listened to the criticism and found a way to simplify things a bit. The result has wrestling fans buzzing about an event that many felt in what WrestleMania should have been if not for the awful booking, over-usage of celebrities, over-commercialization, and the constant interference of TKO. AEW may not have the drawing power or money that WWE has made but they are now a serious threat with new fans coming along because it feels different and right.
Well, that is all for May as I am unsure if I will go see Toy Story 5 in the theatres this coming June as I am still haunted by the day that I saw its predecessor as it would be followed by my father’s death hours after I had seen the film. I hope to jump back into the Blind Spot Series with The Watermelon Woman as well as complete my review of The Last Emperor. Other than that, I have no clue what I will do as I think I will spend time just re-watching a few films I never reviewed but own on Blu-Ray.
Before I bid adieu, there are two people I need to acknowledge who passed away this month who have been important parts in my life as well as all the people here in Atlanta. The first is Bobby Cox who managed the Atlanta Braves from 1978 to 1981 and again from 1990 to 2010 for what was their greatest run including a World Series win in 1995. Cox was more than just a baseball manager, but he was like a father figure for a lot of us young baseball fans as he was always fun to watch as well as managed some of the best players we had during that period.
The other figure that was instrumental in the Braves’ success and was once their owner is a much bigger figure who did more than just own the Braves and the Atlanta Hawks for a time. Ted Turner. The man who created the Superstation in TBS as well as TNT, Turner Classic Movies, the Cartoon Network, and CNN. He was also an important figure for professional wrestling when he bought Jim Crockett Promotions and rebranded it as World Championship Wrestling where for a time. It was beating WWE in the ratings. Turner was important here in Atlanta as one of my dad’s friends worked for Turner as he posted a picture of him back in the 1990s. To Ted and Bobby, thank you for making Atlanta a great city. Thank you Ted for creating TCM as a place for old movies to be seen again and for giving us an example of what a rich man should do in making the world a better place.
Also, those who passed away this month include Marcia Lucas, who edited Star Wars and was instrumental in the rise of her ex-husband in George Lucas. Others who have passed include Ronald LaPread of the Commodores, actress Kelly Curtis, hockey player Dennis Hull, Foster Sylvers of the Sylvers, baseball player Bob Horner who also played for the Braves, actor/filmmaker Howard Storm, rapper Rob Base, costume designer Albert Wolsky, actor Charles Cioffi, saxophonist Dick Parry of Pink Floyd, actor Peter Helm, voice actor Tom Kane, Dennis Locorriere of Dr. Hook, economist Edmund Phelps, screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz, actress Claudine Longet, songwriter Clarence Carter, writer Barry W. Blaustein who also directed Beyond the Mat, actor Donald Gibb aka Ogre of the Revenge of the Nerds film series, film critic Rex Reed, music producer Jack Douglas, actor Dennis Rush, Warren Tipton of the Chi-Lites, sports broadcaster Jack Sterling, and the legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins who played on the Rolling Stones’ song Waiting on a Friend. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Another staged assassination attempt happened and unfortunately, no one of less importance died. Still, a lot of dumb shit has happened in the past month as it does get hard to keep up with what is really going on as I no longer trust the news with anything these days. I go to Reddit and whatever Yahoo and Google posts from whatever credible news publications are saying. Still, it is not enough as I have been spending a lot of time at home not really doing anything except re-watch a few James Bond movies. Yet, I feel relaxed about it as it took off a lot of pressure in keeping up with new releases and anything else I have not seen. Plus, I have shifted my focus on a couple of things while also paying attention to the Atlanta Braves who are starting this baseball season doing well as they have won over 20 games so far and have not lost a series. Then there are the Atlanta Hawks who were winning 2 games to 1 against the New York Knicks only to get eliminated by the time I post this.
Being away from the world of film has made me relax a bit as one of the things I am anticipating for although to a less degree than previous events from the past, which is the FIFA World Cup. Raised on soccer for much of my life as I went to the 1982 World Cup in Spain when I was only a year old as I am sure it was exciting. This year should be exciting except for the fact that things here in the U.S. are horrible with a country seriously divided while Mexico is going through their own issues right now. The other thing about this year’s World Cup that has intrigued me is not just in who will be at the Cup, but who is not at the World Cup. Earlier this month saw a shocking event in a qualifying game between Italy and Bosnia-Herzegovina where the latter beat Italy in penalties and for the third time in a row. Italy has failed to qualify for the World Cup as I am in shock that this happened. Yet, I realized that I should not have been shocked considering the state of Italian football and what I learned was even more shocking.
At the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Italy won the whole thing yet there was a scandal at that time that would overshadow their victory and this recent failure to qualify has the country and many in the world wonder how this happened. It all goes back to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Italy’s stubbornness to evolve in the game where after being eliminated in the group stage at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Legendary Italian player Roberto Baggio came to Italy’s football federation where he spent a lot of time researching and going to various individuals to see what is wrong as well as what other European countries are doing. Spain, Germany, France, and England are among these countries that not only has top leagues in Europe that is worth a lot of money but also strong youth leagues that are accessible to everyone as well as teaching kids the fundamentals of the game. In 2011, Baggio created a 900-page report on how to fix Italian football, but the federation ignored him while the Italian press also were dismissive of him as he would leave the federation a few years later.
In 2021, the famed Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho made a return to Italy to coach Roma having previously coached Inter Milan in the late 2000s to great success. Upon coaching Roma, he was shocked by not just the state of Italian football but also its aging infrastructures, the lack of Italian football players in favor of foreign players in Serie A, and the league itself. Despite his success with Roma, he would be fired in 2024. This loss against Bosnia-Herzegovina proved that both Baggio and Mourinho were right about Italy as they now face the threat of losing the chance to the host the 2032 Euro Cup with Turkey.
Italy’s decline was a revelation into what has happened to its soccer program and failure to evolve with the game, yet I found myself not finished into looking at what else is happening in relation to the World Cup. That led me to what is happening in Brazil as I still remember the infamous game against Germany at the 2014 World Cup where Brazil got destroyed by the Germany 7-1 at the semi-final. What I did not realize is that Brazil for years has lost their identity where the team are going to be at this year’s World Cup but not as contenders. Brazil’s decline is due to their homegrown players going to Europe and play a more European style as opposed to the looseness and creativity that many of their players had done in the past. Youth academies in Brazil are more polished than in the past where kids would play in broken concrete, dirt fields, and other things as they would figure things out in their playing. Now, kids are being forced to play a certain way as well as learn tactics at an early age which is not the way to get kids into a game.
Right now, I have Argentina, France, Spain, and Croatia as my top 4 picks to win the World Cup though I do not feel excited about the event as tickets are enormously expensive. Speaking of expensive ticket prices, WrestleMania 42 happened again in Las Vegas, and they did not sell as well as they wanted in comparison to the previous year despite Pat Magafee’s attempt to get ticket prices at 25% off. Yet, this is not in WWE’s hands for why ticket prices have been extremely expensive as it comes from their parent company TKO and its CEO Ari Emmanuel. Their involvement in some of the creative decisions for WWE has been horrendous where they brought in Magafee and Belly Flop into the main event of the first night of WrestleMania 42 between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The first night of WrestleMania 42 was not well-received though the 2nd night was much better thanks to a solid main event between CM Punk and Roman Reigns for the WWE World Championship, Oba Femi destroying Brock Lesnar into retirement, and Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Smackdown Championship.
Still, WWE is going through a mess ever since they sold the company to TKO a few years ago as fans have become restless while these fans deserve the shit they cheer for since some of them were chanting “thank you Vince” during the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony during Stephanie McMahon-Levesque’s speech during her own induction. There are very few positives in the company but the number of ads during WrestleMania that overshadowed the event has turned people off. With next year’s WrestleMania coming to Saudi Arabia, this serves as a golden opportunity for AEW to create something to fulfill wrestling fans who feel spurned by WWE. AEW is going through its own resurgence following a troubled period from 2022 to 2024 despite their own uncertainty in relation to the Skydance-Warner Discovery merger. Still, AEW has managed to win over fans while maintaining strong relationships with other wrestling organizations such as New Japan Pro Wrestling and CMLL in Mexico as the latter company is the hottest wrestling company in the world.
In the month of April 2026, I saw a total of six films in one first-timer and 5 re-watches. Not a bad month to be honest with you as I am surprised that I had the time to watch some of these films.
Monthly Mini-Review
Godard in Fragments
While I have still yet to see the feature film work of Kogonada, I have however had seen a few of his video essays. This one on the works of Jean-Luc Godard in French New Wave period is one of his finest experimental shorts. Notably as it uses footage from all those films from A bout de souffle to Week-end in a collage that plays into the many themes that Godard did in his work at that time. It is this kaleidoscopic short that really play into Godard’s brilliance at that time and how innovative he was in reinventing film language even though the stuff he did post-New Wave are still interesting.
Well, that is all for April 2026. I have no idea what I will do next month though I am tempted to see The Mandalorian and Grogu. Other than that, I have no idea though I prefer not to know what I will do. Before I bid adieu, I must acknowledge on those who have passed away this month including David Allen Coe, Alan Osmond of the Osmonds, Dave Mason of Traffic and Fleetwood Mac, WCW wrestler Van Hammer, comic book writer Gerry Conway, film sound mixer Steve Maslow, comic writer Len Strazewski, film director Adolfo Aristarain, Nedra Talley of the Ronettes, actor Matt DeCaro, Patrick Muldoon, Tony Wilson of Hot Chocolate, production designer Dean Tavoularis, Ricardo de Pascual of El Chavo del Ocho, Nathalie Baye, BBC Radio 1 deejay Andy Kershaw, songwriter Don Schiltz, actress Joy Harmon, author Ian Watson, actor John Nolan, Sid Krofft, actor Mario Adorf, music producer Don Landee, and the legendary hip-hop pioneer Afrika Bambaataa. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…
Spring has arrived. Shit. I hate Spring. I prefer longer winters instead of having to deal with all the fucking pollen as this year’s pollen season fucking sucks. 2026 has been bad though not as bad as 2016 from what I can remember. Airports have gone to shit with people waiting and waiting to depart with ICE now making trouble. There is a lot that is happening as it is overwhelming as I try to distance myself from the chaos of the real world, but another reality has now overwhelmed me. In the world of film where I have struggled to keep up with a lot of the activities relating to the Oscar races though I had fun watching Timothee Chalamet’s Oscar campaign blowing up in his face though I still like the guy.
For anyone that goes to my Letterboxd account would notice the lack of output and logging in the past few months. I admit I have not been posting a lot of content in my blog and in my Letterboxd account than I often would in the past few years. Mainly because things in my life are overwhelming and the events that happened this past fall and during the Christmas holidays did not help me mentally as I have struggled to watch films and have the time to enjoy myself. I was hoping to watch one of my Blind Spot films in The Wind Will Carry Us by Abbas Kiarostami this month. Yet, something happened as I realized that I was just forcing myself to watch something and not really get the chance to savor it. Plus, writing reviews for this blog has not become fun anymore as it would take days to write a review for me and it has become a struggle as I would get started but then I struggle to get things out. Then I would investigate what I have written and wonder if this works or all of that.
What I did instead was re-watch a couple of James Bond movies just for no reason and I was enjoying it as there was no pressure and I was just having a good time. I think the decision I am making right now is really for myself as I am going to take a break from writing for a while. I will expand the Blind Spot series into 2027 as it would give me more time to watch the films I have chosen as well as to get access to some of the films that are either unavailable on streaming or are available in physical forms. I think for now, I am just going to take a step back and not write anything unless something important and good would light a fire up my ass. In the month of March, I only saw a total of six films in four first-timers and two re-watches.
Monthly Mini-Reviews
Forevergreen
One of the short films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is this 13-minute short film about a cub that is raised by a large tree. The look of the film is amazing, but the story is not that great. Notably as it comes off as preachy about why a cub should not be eating something like a bag of potato chips. Yet, who would turn down a bag of potato chips? Of course, the cub would cause trouble and gets some life lesson although it ends with a quote from the Bible that feels unnecessary.
The Girl Who Cried Pearls
The short film that would win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film is a remarkable short film though I much prefer Butterfly from last month. Still, I do think this is a short film that deserves its Oscar as it is a touching tale about an old man who tells his granddaughter a story when he was a boy living in poverty as he lives next door to a young girl that cried pearls. Narrated by Colm Feore, whose narration has this great sense of warmth in his voice, the film does play into a young boy’s conflict as well as him caring for this young girl that is abused. There is some ambiguity in its ending, yet it is about a boy that is coming of age as well as what he tried to do to survive and the conflict he faces as it relates to this young girl.
Lightbulb
This 2-minute short film from Pixar is a touching and light-hearted short film that is about the life of a trio of lightbulbs. It plays into how they are used and what happens when they are no longer used. Yet, it is the fate of the lightbulbs that end up being a big surprise and a good one. It is worth seeking out.
Gorillaz-Journey to the Mountain
This 13-minute documentary short film about the making of Gorillaz’s ninth studio album The Mountain is a fascinating film that explores Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s trip to India. There, they would not just find musical inspiration in the many locales of the country but also deal with their own personal losses that would play into some of the songs in the album. In coping with those losses, Albarn and Hewlett would find healing through music and the ideas they would have in India as it is an excellent short for fans of the group who have created one of the year’s best albums so far.
Well, that is all for March. As I will be going on a hiatus for some time, I am not sure what I will post as I just want to take a break. Before I bid adieu, I must acknowledge those that have passed away this month including the legendary Chuck Norris. While I may not have agreed on his political views, he was a cool man that could kick a lot of asses. Yes, we may know him as Walker Texas Ranger, the action films he has been in and those facts about him are true. The man remains beloved as I think he should be best remembered as one of the definitive action film stars as he is right now having that long-awaited rematch with Bruce Lee as that scene in Way of the Dragon remains an unforgettable moment. We will miss you, Chuck.
Also, who have passed away this month include Christopher North of Amborsia, Greg Elmore of Quicksilver Messenger Service, comedian Alex Duong, Mary Beth Hurt, Welsh actor Desmond Barrit, James Tolkan, Dash Croft of Seals & Croft, animator Barry Caldwell, writer Tracy Kidder, Valerie Perrine, songwriter Chip Taylor, Nicholas Brendon, wrestler Dennis Condrey of the Midnight Express, Ben Keaton from Father Ted, actor Matt Clark, Phil Campbell of Motorhead, actress Judy Pace, Country Joe McDonald, Ross the Boss of Manowar & the Dictators, Terry Cox of Pentangle, Jennifer Runyon, actor Corey Parker, actor Stephen Hibbert aka the Gimp, and music producer Mike Vernon. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Are we in the darkest timeline? Honestly, we are two months into 2026 and it fucking sucks. Chaos is still looming in Minnesota while people all over the country are dealing with the dumb-fucks that is ICE who will take anyone without warrants or any legal documents. Tariffs have been raised and it is us that is getting fucked. Things have not been well around the world as it has gotten harder to ignore all of that as it has been overwhelming. Even with the celebrity deaths happening and some things at the Winter Olympics that has our national hockey team winning the gold medal for the first time in 46 years and how do they celebrate their win? Partying with the director of the FBI, talking to our dictator while insulting our national women’s hockey team, and then eating cold, shitty fast-food at the White House apart from the five players who chose not to go to the White House since four of them are from Minnesota. Oh, and today we and Israel decided to launch missiles in Iran in which we killed their leader. Yeah, we are fucked.
A lot of what has been happening has been numbing as I have taken a break from watching and reviewing films which is why I have been behind on my Blind Spot Series. Burnout is a real thing as it was not fun as I have become disenchanted with a lot of what is happening in the world of film in terms of the film-going experience. It has been 4 months since I last went to the movie theaters as nothing went wrong during the film, but something did change. I have been noticing this in last few films I had been to in the movie theaters where I would show up a minute or two early or late before the showtime is to start. It was not just a bunch of movie trailers showing up but commercials for things that had nothing to do with the film. Hearing that there will be more commercials before the movie begins is something I would rather not be a part of. I admit to not being active in going to the movie theaters more than I wanted to but now I do not have the enthusiasm to see anything except for films by a select few filmmakers that I care about.
In the month of February 2026, I saw a total of 8 films in 5 first-timers and 3 re-watches with 3 first-timers being films directed or co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. The highlight month is my Blind Spot film in Cairo Station.
Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching
Jane Austen’s Period Drama
Goddamn… I did not know what to expect as it did suggest a period film based on the many adaptations of books by Jane Austen. The title alone is an absolute misdirection in terms of what it suggests. What Julia Aks and Steve Pinder create is a period short film about love, but it is really about a man trying to understand the struggles that women go through in their bodies. Thus, a lot of hilarity would ensue including gags and the deconstruction of Austen’s language. It must be seen as this truly deserves to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Live-Action Short film.
Two People Exchanging Saliva
The second of the five nominees for Best Live-Action Short film is by Alexandre Singh and Natalie Musteata as it is this black-and-white dystopian short film set in a Parisian mall. It all plays into the way people interact with one another and the idea of longing as it stars Luana Bajrami as a store clerk, Zar Amir Ebrahimi as a rich client, and Aurelie Boquien as an older store clerk who becomes consumed with envy over her younger co-worker in attracting this rich client. All of it is told through narration by Vicky Krieps as currency is paid through slaps in the face. It is a sexy yet strange short film that plays into the idea of desire and identity in an absurd dystopian film.
Retirement Plan
The first of two animated short films nominated for the Best Animated Short film at the Oscars is a 7-minute short by John Kelly with narration by Domhnall Gleeson as it is about a man pondering what to do with the remaining years of his life as he begins retirement. It is a heartfelt animated short film made in a hand-drawn animated style that has a lot of beauty. Even as it plays into the things this man wants to do as well as experience before he dies as it is just a gem of a film.
Butterfly
The second animated short film that is nominated for the Best Animated Short film at the Oscars is 15-minute animated short based on the life of French-Algerian swimmer Alfred Nakache. The usage of water-color paintings and movements in the animation is truly exquisite as it helps tells the story of this man who found all the things he wanted in life through swimming and being in the water despite horrors he had to endure as a Jew. Notably as he would lose his family in the Holocaust as well as endure prejudice during the time of Nazi while being one of the few Holocaust survivors to compete at the 1948 Summer Olympics.
Well, that is all for February 2026. I have no idea what I will do next month other than watch whatever short films that are nominated for the Oscars that are available and hopefully films that are nominated. I had hoped to do The Watermelon Woman this month, but I think I will do that later in June as I might do 2 Blind Spots in March. The only film theatrically that I want to see is Marc by Sofia from Sofia Coppola if it is available at movie theater near me. Other than that, I would rather just scale back on things and watch whatever interests me. Before I leave, this month did see several greats pass away with the biggest death this month is in Robert Duvall. An actor with no equal and one of the rarest of actors who never gave a bad performance. He has been in some awful films, but he never phones it in as he always giving it his all. The man is one of the last of his kind to ever grace the screen whether it is film or television. Thank you, Mr. Duvall, we will miss you.
Also, who passed away this month include Neil Sedaka, James Van Der Beek, Tom Noonan, Robert Carradine, Willie Colon, Eric Dane, Bud Cort, actor Bobby J. Brown of The Wire, Sondra Lee, Monti Rock III of Disco-Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes, writer Dan Simmons, songwriter Billy Steinberg, Tim Very of Manchester Orchestra, Andrew Ranken of the Pogues, Lamont McLemore of the Fifth Dimension, and activist Katherine Short. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Directed by Youssef Chahine and written by Mohamed Abu Youssef and Abdel Hay Adib, Bab al-Hadid (Cairo Station) is the story of a newspaper seller at a Cairo train station who falls in love with a young woman selling refreshments as he tries to win her heart during a tumultuous time in Egypt involving workers trying to unionize and a serial killer wreaking havoc in the city. The film is a mixture of neorealist cinema with elements of melodrama as it plays into a man trying to win over the woman he loves who is love with a porter trying to unionize. Starring Youssef Chahine, Hind Rostom, Farid Shawki, Hassan El Baroudi, Abdel Aziz Khalil, and Safia Sarwat. Bab al-Hadid is a riveting and mesmerizing film by Youssef Chahine.
Set entirely in a train station in Cairo, the film is about a mentally-unstable newspaper seller with a bad limp who tries to win over a young woman selling cold drinks even though she is engaged to a porter who is trying to unionize his fellow workers. It is a film that explores a tumultuous period in Egypt’s history with this train station being the centerpiece of a conflict of an ever-changing world. The film’s screenplay by Abel Hay Adib, with Mohamed Abu Youssef writing the dialogue, is straightforward though it is first shown from the perspective of a newsstand owner in Madbouli (Hassan El Baroudi) who would find a young man in Kenawi (Youssef Chahine) in the streets and hire him as a paperboy despite his physical limitations.
Kenawi pines for Hanuma (Hind Rostom) who sells cold drinks illegally to train passengers as she is engaged to the porter Abu Serih (Farid Shawki) who is upset towards the station manager Abu Gaber (Abdel Aziz Khalil) over the lack of respect towards workers as he tries to unionize. The script also plays into many things happening at the station such as a feminist protest, a young woman waiting for her boyfriend who is about to leave Cairo, and a story about a serial killer who is on the loose.
Chahine’s direction is entrancing in its approach to realism as it is shot entirely on location in and near the actual train station in Cairo. The train station with the newsstand at the center of the station where Kenawi would get papers and deliver them to whoever is at the station is a character in the film where a lot of activities are happening including a young woman (Hilin) waiting for her boyfriend as she would be seen throughout the film. Chahine’s usage of the wide and medium shots get a nice look into the station itself as well as a few scenes outside including a fountain as it shows this conflict of Cairo entering a new phase where modernism is emerging with old ideas, old buildings, and traditional clothing are on their way out. Especially in scenes where Serih is trying to get other workers to form a union against Abu Gaber after a worker got injured on the job without any compensation. Another moment in the film that highlights this change in Egypt is a brief protest feminist movement led by an organizer (Naima Wasfi) over the issue of marriage. There are still elements of traditionalism in the film through some of its older characters, yet Chahine is aware that things must change for Egypt to move forward.
Chahine’s usage of close-ups in the film are eerie to watch as it play into Kenawi’s troubled state of mind and his obsession towards Hanuma. Notably in the film’s second half where he learns about Hanuma’s engagement with Serih as they decide to get married outside of Cairo to a rural village. It would play into this suspense-drama where things are tense as it relates to a serial killer on the loose where Kenawi would do something horrifying as it would be followed by an aftermath that is filled with suspense. Especially as it would lead to a climax where many at the station come together where Chahine would bring a sense of humanity over this moment where everyone put aside their own differences. Its ending is symbolic in some ways as it would return to the young woman who had been waiting for her young boyfriend while everyone else is focused on something else that plays into the end of an era for Egypt but the beginning of a new era. Overall, Chahine crafts an evocative and rapturous film about a train station in Cairo and the people at the station.
Cinematographer Alvise Orfanelli does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white photography with its usage of available light for some of the interior/exterior scenes in the day as well as some unique lighting for some of the scenes at night. Editor Kamul Abul Ela does excellent work with the editing as its usage of straight and rhythmic cuts to play into the drama and suspense. Art director Gabriel Karraze and set decorator Abbas Helmy do fantastic work with some of the minimal sets such as the shed that Kenawi lives as well as Hanuma’s trunk.
Makeup artists Sayed Mohammed and Hamdi Rafaat do terrific work with the look of the women in the film including Hanuma in her own exotic look. The sound work of Aziz Fadel and A. Mohamad is superb for capturing the natural atmosphere of the locations as well as the way trains sound up close and from afar. The film’s music by Fouad El Zahiri is wonderful for its orchestral score filled with Egyptian percussions and string arrangements that help play into the drama while the music soundtrack also features a scene in the train where early rock n’ roll is being played.
The film’s marvelous cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Naima Wasif as a feminist organizer, Abdel Hamid Badaoha as a police sergeant always chasing Hanuma, Asaad Kellada as a young traveler, Hilin as the young woman waiting for that young traveler, and Safia Sarwat as a friend of Hanuma in Hallawatim who also sells drinks as she would play a major part relating to its climax. Abdel Aziz Khalil is superb as the station manager Abu Gaber as a man who runs the entire station as he deals with a growing rebellion over his leadership. Hassan El Baroudi is fantastic as the newsstand owner Madbouli who would take Kenawi under his employment where he observes everything around him as well as be the one person that Kenawi would listen to.
Farid Shawki is excellent as Abu Serih as a porter who rebels against Abu Gaber in wanting to form a union for every other worker at the station while he also tries to balance his life with Hanuma, despite her own activities as he sees as a liability, to ensure a better future. Hind Rostom is amazing as Hanuma as a cold-drinks vendor who sells drinks illegally to make money while she is an object of affection for Kenawi whom she dismisses until things go wrong. Finally, there is Youssef Chahine in a brilliant performance as Kenawi as a mentally-unstable man with a bad limp that is obsessed with Hanuma while he does not speak much yet it is a performance filled with intrigue.
Bab al-Hadid is a phenomenal film by Youssef Chahine. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, a study of life in a train station during a tumultuous period in Egypt, and a riveting music score. It is a film that explores a moment in time at a Cairo train station that plays into romantic entanglements and social changes leading to a moment of chaos. In the end, Bab al Hadid is a sensational film by Youssef Chahine.
Youssef Chahine Films: (Son of the Nile) – (The Blazing Sun) – (Struggle in the Pier) – (Jamila, the Algerian) – (Forever Yours (1959 film)) – (Saladin the Victorious) – (Dawn of a New Day) – (The Nile and the Life) – (The Land (1969 film)) – (The Choice (1970)) – (Those People of the Nile) – (The Return of the Prodigal Son) – (Alexandria… Why?) – (An Egyptian Story) – (Adieu Bonaparte) – (Alexandria Again and Forever) – (The Emigrant (1994 film)) – (Lumiere and Company-Youssef Chahine) – (Destiny (1997 film)) – (The Other (1999 film)) – 11’9”01-September 11-Egypt - (Alexandria… New York) – To Each His Own Cinema-47 Years Later - (Chaos, This is)
***The Following is a Review of the 252-minute Extended Version of the Film***
Based on the novel trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third and final story in which members of a fellowship reunite to prevent the dark lord Sauron from destroying Gondor while two hobbits continue their journey to Mordor to destroy Sauron’s ring where they deal with new obstacles and revelations. Directed by Peter Jackson and screenplay by Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the third and final film of the trilogy explore many storylines in which the world of men are being challenged with their fate rests on a hobbit who starts to lose himself to the power of the ring. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto, Hugo Weaving, Bernard Hill, John Noble, David Wenham, Karl Urban, Christopher Lee, Brad Dourif, Sean Bean, and Andy Serkis as Gollum. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a towering and audacious film by Peter Jackson.
The film revolves around a fellowship who take their final steps to finish a quest to destroy a dark lord’s ring that is in the possession of a hobbit who is tasked to take the ring to its homeland and destroy it. It is a film that serves as a culmination of everything that had been told in previous stories where four hobbits, two men, a wizard, an elf, and a dwarf all choose to take part in a quest to destroy the ring of Sauron where there is a lot at stake. In this third film, the stakes are even bigger with Gondor being in danger from Sauron’s forces in both orcs and humans ready to attack while two hobbits are continuing their journey to Mordor with Gollum guiding them unaware that Gollum is going to betray them over what happened at Gondor. Meanwhile, the rest of the fellowship would split with two of them going to Gondor while the rest remain at Rohan planning the next battle against Sauron.
The film’s screenplay by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens does continue a cross-cutting narrative though it opens with how Smeagol became Gollum after he kills his cousin Deagol (Thomas Robins) over the ring that Deagol found. It then cuts to the main narrative where Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) continue their trek to Mordor with Gollum as they are unaware of his intentions. The narrative also plays into the brief reunion between members of the fellowship in Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), Gandalf (Ian McKellan), Merry (Dominic Monaghan), and Pippin (Billy Boyd) at Isengard in the aftermath of Rohan’s battle against the Uruk-hai where Gandalf finds the Palantir previously owned by Saruman (Christopher Lee) where Pippin makes a discovery into what Sauron is doing next. It would force Gandalf to go to Gondor with Pippin to warn its steward in Lord Denethor (John Noble) about Sauron’s upcoming attack. Instead, the grief-stricken Denethor refuses to listen to Gandalf aware of Aragorn’s claim to Gondor’s throne leaving the land and its city of Minas Tirith vulnerable despite its defense led by Denethor’s son Faramir (David Wenham).
The script does help complete some unique character arcs for the fellowship but also in the stakes were Aragorn’s lover in elvish Arwen (Liv Tyler) has chosen to stay in Middle Earth after seeing a vision of the future but her fate becomes tied to the fate of the Ring. Her father Elrond (Hugo Weaving) realizes that he must help Aragorn in going into a dark land as it relates to an army of the dead who had been cursed in their refusal to help Isildur (Harry Sinclair). The second act relates to the siege of Gondor where Gandalf leads its army to defend the city of Minas Tirith while Lord Denethor succumbs to madness believing Rohan has abandoned him. The third act does relate to not Frodo and Sam’s continued journey towards Mordor despite major obstacles with Aragorn finally accepting his role as Gondor’s king where he challenges Sauron.
Jackson’s direction is immense in terms of the large set pieces, settings, and myriads of tones that he would create throughout the film as it is shot on location in New Zealand including studios in the country for some scenes. The film’s opening prologue relates to how Smeagol became Gollum displays the horror of what the ring did to him as it would then cut to many years later where Frodo and Sam get ready for another day of walking with Gollum towards Mordor. The usage of wide and medium shots play into the world that is Middle Earth with its mountains, forests, rivers, valleys, lakes, and fields as they do function as characters in the film. One notable sequence where Jackson takes advantage of the locations is a sequence where Pippin lights a beacon at Minas Tirith leading to a series of beacons on the mountains lighting up. It shows that ordinary people in the mountains all have a role to play as Aragorn would see a beacon lit as it would play into Rohan answering the call.
Jackson also maintains some intimacy and calmer moments such as scenes of Gandalf and Pippin at Minas Tirith where they watch over the storm at Mordor where a beam shot from a castle at Mordor shots up. Jackson’s close-ups show the sense of fear and dread in Gondor with Sauron’s forces including the Nazgul led by the Witch-King of Angmar (Lawrence Makoare). Jackson’s direction knows when to create a sense of calm before the storm as it includes these tense moments where Gollum would try to create discord between Sam and Frodo with the former realizing what Gollum is up to. The tension also occurs involving Faramir and Denethor with the former taking on a suicide charge to reclaim Osgiliath only to return as its unconscious sole survivor leading Denethor into a state of madness just as the orcs have arrived at Pelennor Fields. The Siege of Minas Tirith is among one of the finest sequences ever created where Jackson highlights a lot of depth of field into how massive the orc army is that would later include the Haradrim and a group of pirates whom Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli would confront on their way to Gondor.
The extended version of the film, in its 252-minute running time, adds a lot more depth to the story where Jackson allow characters and moments to breathe more. Even in some of the smaller moments such as a brief conversation between Merry and Eowyn as the former reveals why he wants to fight. One major sequence in the extended version that was not in the theatrical version involves a confrontation at Isengard where Saruman (Christopher Lee) is bitter about his loss as he tries to attack Gandalf. It is also a scene that includes Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) who had assisted Saruman but is at a sense of loss where Theoden offers his forgiveness. The extended version also does more with what happened in the Battle of Pelennor Fields that would involve so many things including a confrontation between Gandalf and the Witch-King of Angmar. The third act is where Jackson slows things down as it relates to Frodo and Sam walking towards Mount Doom as it include some dark humorous moments as well as a sense of loss in which Frodo starts to lose his own identity and cannot remember the life he once had.
The film’s post-climax does involve a lot of endings, yet it is more about the aftermath of everything that happened. Jackson approaches these loose ends where it plays into characters returning home yet nothing is the same for one character. Even so it would involve a brief return from Bilbo (Ian Holm) who has aged since having parted with the ring as he would ask about it. It is followed by the idea of death as the next big adventure while a character would return home with a task to finish the story that everyone had experienced. Overall, Jackson crafts a film that is epic in every sense of the word as it plays into a group of creatures trying to save Middle Earth from a dark lord.
Cinematographer Andrew Lesnie does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of colorful lighting for some of the daytime scenes as well as the color grading and lighting textures that help maintain an atmosphere for some of the battle scenes as well as some scenes set at night. Editors Jamie Selkirk and Annie Collins do brilliant work with the editing in the usage of slow-motion cuts for some of the action and suspense along with fast-cutting for some of the battle scenes and dramatic moments such as Lord Denethor’s mad state as it relates to Faramir. Production designer Grant Major, with set decorator/supervising art director Dan Hennah, set decorator Alan Lee, and co-conceptual designer John Howe, does incredible work with the sets that include the look of Minas Tirith, the hall of the king, and some of the places in Mordor including Mount Doom. Costume designers Ngila Dickson and Richard Taylor do excellent work with the costumes that include the armor that Merry and Pippin would wear to respectfully represent Rohan and Gondor as well as the look of the armor of the orcs and the final armor that Aragorn wears for its climax.
Hair and makeup designers Peter Swords King and Peter Owen do amazing work with the look of the orcs including the orc commander Gothmog (Lawrence Makoare) and the look of the elderly Bilbo. Visual effects supervisor Jim Rygiel does tremendous work with the visual effects for some of the set dressing of the locations including Minas Tirith as well as some of the creatures including the Ents for the brief scene at Isengard, the Nazgul, the oliphaunt, and the eagles would play a key role in the final battle. Sound designers David Farmer, Michael Semanick, and Ethan van der Ryn, along with sound editor Mike Hopkins, do superb work with the sound in terms of the atmosphere of the sounds in the battle scenes as well as other sparse sounds in some of the locations. The film’s music by Howard Shore is incredible for its soaring orchestral score that play into the bombast of some of the action, suspense, and drama with the usage of string arrangements, percussions, vocals, brass, and woodwinds to help add to the stakes and drama. The film also features a great original song written by Shore, Fran Walsh, and Annie Lennox in Into the West as it serves as a fitting finale for the trilogy.
The casting by Victoria Burrows, Amy Hubbard, John Hubbard, Liz Mullane, and Ann Robinson is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Marton Csokas as the elf leader Celebron, Bret McKenzie as the elf guide Figwit, Sarah McLeod as the hobbit barmaid Rosie Cotton, Lawrence Makoare in a dual role as the Witch-king of Angmar and the orc commander Gothmog with Craig Parker as the voice of the latter, Alan Howard as the voices of Sauron and the ring, Thomas Robin as Smeagol’s cousin Deagol who found the ring, Ian Hughes as the Minas Tirith officer Irolas, John Bach as Faramir’s second-in-command Madril, Bruce Hopkins as a Rohirrim officer in Gamling, Paul Norell as the ghostly King of the Dead, Bruce Spence as the Mouth of Sauron in the extended version of the film, Sean Bean as Boromir as a ghostly figure in the extended version, and Ian Holm as Frodo’s uncle Bilbo as the old hobbit who had once had the ring where he later asks Frodo if he still has it. Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif are excellent in their respective brief roles as the wizard Saruman and Grima Wormtongue with the former being an ally to Sauron that has lost everything as he tries to battle Gandalf while the latter is a spy of Saruman who feels remorse for his actions despite the abuse he receives from Saruman.
John Noble and David Wenham are brilliant in their respective roles as Lord Denethor and his son Faramir with the former succumbing to madness and grief as he continues to berate Faramir for not living up to expectations. Wenham’s performance as Faramir highlights a man who realized what happened to his older brother Boromir where he deals with his father’s criticism as he goes on a futile quest to win his father’s approval. Karl Urban is superb as King Theoden’s nephew Eomer who is the leader of the Rohirrim as he proves to be one of Aragorn’s most loyal figures as he also proves to be a warrior on the battlefield. Bernard Hill is fantastic as King Theoden of Rohan as a king who is reluctant to help Gondor but realizes what is at stake where he knows that he and Rohirrim are outnumbered but remains this great leader who can inspire many to fight. Miranda Otto is amazing as Eomer’s sister Eowyn as a woman who is in love with Aragorn but also wants to prove herself as a warrior where she would disguise herself as a man at the Battle of Pelennor Fields where she really kicks some ass.
The trio of Cate Blanchett, Liv Tyler, and Hugo Weaving are incredible in their respective roles as the elvish queen Galadriel, Arwen, and Lord Elrond with Blanchett appearing in a few moments such as guiding Frodo as well as appearing in the penultimate scene of the film. Tyler brings gracefulness to the role of Arwen, who has her own vision of the future as the decision she makes is linked with her fate of the ring. Weaving’s performance is doubtful of men until he decides to help Aragorn by reforging Isildur’s sword so that Aragorn can claim his throne. Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd are great in their respective roles as the hobbits Merry and Pippin who both go on separate journeys with Merry staying at Rohan where he becomes a squire for King Theoden while Pippin becomes the guard of the Citadel at Gondor where both hobbits prove their worth. Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies are phenomenal in their respective roles as the elf warrior Legolas and the dwarf Gimli as two members of the fellowship who help Aragorn in convincing the Army of the Dead while becoming the best of friends while Rhys-Davies also does additional voice work for the Ent character Treebeard.
Ian McKellan and Viggo Mortensen are tremendous in their respective roles as the wizard Gandalf and the heir to Gondor’s throne in Aragorn with the former as a resurrected wizard who goes to Gondor with Pippin where he expresses his own doubts while he does what he can to lead Gondor into battle. Mortensen’s performance as Aragorn shows a former ranger who realizes the role he must accept where he would also take on a leadership role that includes a great speech in the final battle that shows that he is worthy to be king. Sean Astin is remarkable as Samwise Gamgee as Frodo’s friend who accompanies him to Mordor where he becomes aware of Gollum’s deceit where he deals with Frodo banishing him only to later return where he is the film’s conscious in doing what is right and to remind Frodo about the good of the world.
Andy Serkis is magnificent as Smeagol/Gollum as a hobbit who had become a creature that once possessed the ring for hundreds of years as he hopes to reclaim where he would do what he can to deceive all and reclaim the ring. Serkis’ performance also shows the descent of someone who used to be good only to succumb to greed as it is a performance for the ages. Finally, there is Elijah Wood in a spectacular performance as Frodo Baggins as a hobbit who carries the ring to Mordor where he starts to lose parts of his own identity as he would also descent to the ring’s power. Wood also has the most physically-demanding performance of someone that is just becoming tired as he has the weight of everything to be the one to destroy the ring followed by an aftermath that has him coping with everything he had dealt with as it is an iconic performance from Wood.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is an outstanding film by Peter Jackson. Featuring a great ensemble cast, top-notch visual effects, gorgeous photography, a riveting story of good vs. evil, and Howard Shore’s ravishing music score. It is a film that goes beyond the description of an epic as it is also the culmination of a grand story that shows four little hobbits making a big impact on a magical land with elves, dwarves, and human beings. In the end, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a magnificent film by Peter Jackson.
Peter Jackson Films: (Bad Taste) – (Meet the Feebles) – (Braindead) – (Heavenly Creatures) – (Forgotten Silver) – (The Frighteners) – The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - (King Kong (2005 film)) – (The Lovely Bones) – (The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) – (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) – (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies) – (They Shall Grow Old Together) – The Beatles: Get Back
It is a new year, yet it does not feel like a new year with the same shit still happening here in America. We are set to celebrate our 250th birthday this coming July but there is nothing to feel celebratory about it. Instead, we must deal with the fact that the state of Minnesota and the people at the state including the city of Minneapolis are now under siege by ICE who have already killed two people in Renee Good and Alex Pretti who were only regular good people that got killed in cold blood by a bunch of assholes. The latter of which was a nurse trying to help people and stop ICE from taking someone all because they are an immigrant or might not be a citizen of this country. These are forces that is supposed to protect people, but they are nothing more than just thugs answering the call for our fuck-head dictator who do not care about who they capture or who they kill. They even used a child as bait and will deport children to other countries.
The people I am worried about the most are some of my fellow bloggers who I know live in Minnesota as I do hope they remain safe. Yet, I am worried about what will happen if ICE comes to Georgia in full force as they have made a presence in certain areas in and near Atlanta. My mother has a relative in Georgia that does not leave the house as she is afraid of getting captured by ICE as she had seen people be taken away in the worst ways. It is hard to ignore what is happening as the rest of the world is watching with disapproval and many people in this country wanting to leave. It is dangerous and I rarely go out these days as I do not have the urge to even go to the cinema anymore. I have lost a lot of enthusiasm and excitement over what films to see because there is nothing out right now that makes me want to go to the movie theaters. Plus, I have become unhappy with the film-going experience as I have become tired of 30 minutes worth of awful commercials and movie trailers before the movie even starts. I try to sit in a seat with few people around yet there are those who still turn on their fucking phones.
It is going to take something special for me to go to the movie theaters again as there are very few films that I am eager to see coming in the new year. Instead, I have chosen to stay home and re-watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy in their extended versions at my own pace and relax. I am half-way finished in writing a review for the third film and even thinking about making a list to celebrate the trilogy’s 25th anniversary. That is all I have been doing as I have not even had the chance to even get started on this year’s Blind Spot Series because of timing and wanting to do other things. In the month of January 2026, I saw a total of 8 films in 7 re-watches and only one first-timer. The highlight of the month is The Lord of the Rings trilogy as I will not make a list of the re-watches I saw as there has not been much.
Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I Am Watching
The Lion King (2019)
This is a film that my nephew Mateo had been wanting to watch for a while as he would watch it at my mother’s house as I would watch it with him. Visually, it looks good as I do like the photography and some of the voice casting with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar. Other than that, I feel like it is a film that is unnecessary considering that the 1994 animated version is already perfect. It is faithful to its predecessor, but its pacing feels very sluggish at times where they stretch scenes for too long while the voice work of Beyonce as Nala lacks personality. It is an OK film by Jon Faverau, but it is a film that is not needed though Mateo liked it.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians (season 2, episodes 6-8)
The last series of episodes in the second season has been top-notch not just in terms of the stakes but also in the performances of its young cast. Notably Daniel Diemer and Dior Goodjohn in their respective roles as Tyson and Clarisse as they both shine in their supporting roles. The latter of which becomes the true badass the show needed where she is tasked to complete the quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece despite her reluctance to get help in obtaining the Golden Fleece. The season does end on an ambiguous note as it relates to a prophecy on who would wage war on the Gods where Percy is not sure if it is about him, but the ending suggests that it could be Zeus’ daughter Thalia. The episode also ends with a small teaser for the third season coming later in the year as it is a great show.
Well, that is all for January 2026. Other than my Blind Spots and my review of The Return of the King. I have no clue what I will do next month while I have been thinking about creating lists for potential projects. I do not know what I will do. Personally, I would rather just take it easy. Whatever first-timers I stumble on, I will log it unless it is a film that I really want to see.
Before I bid adieu, I must acknowledge those that have passed on to another universe this month which includes Renee Good and Alex Pretti as two people who deserved better, yet they will be celebrated as good people trying to do the right thing in these dark times. Also who have passed this away this month includes the legendary filmmaker Bela Tarr, the great Catherine O’Hara, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Demond Wilson of Sanford and Son, songwriter Bryan Loren, British actor/filmmaker David Andrews, Sly Dunbar of Sly & Robbie, Franz Buchholz of Scorpions, comic book artist Sal Buscema, Italian actor Carlo Cecci, Yvonne Lime, wrestler Bobby Duncam, Rob Hirst of Midnight Oil, actress Patsy King, filmmaker Roger Allers, Kenny Morris of Siouxsie & the Banshees, Hong Kong actor/martial artist Bruce Leung, T.K. Carter, music composer Guy Moon, actor John Cunningham, songwriter Jim McBride, and actor John F. O’Donohue. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off and for everyone in Minnesota and everywhere else around the world. Please, stay safe.
