Films That I Saw: August 2017

This has been a crazy summer as so much happened in August as it relates to what is happening here in the U.S. as well as the world that it’s hard not to see what is going on. Here in America, it’s just fucked-up over what happened in Charlottesville, Virginia and right now with the hurricane rampaging over Texas with Houston being flooded. As much as people want to escape from what is happening, it’s just impossible as the moron who is supposed to lead our country is more concerned about pardoning a racist sheriff, building a fucking wall, attacking the media over claims that they’re biased, insulting politicians and people in his administration, and all sorts of shit. The chaos that is happening also in Venezuela, the terrorist attack in Barcelona, and the idea that North Korea might shoot down a missile on all of us is fucking scary.

It has made it harder to watch films as you have to turn on CNN or MSNBC to see what is going on. Even YouTube, Twitter, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Echoing the Sounds forum has been my source for news as I try to find some form of truth in journalism and not some fake news bullshit. Especially at the Echoing the Sounds forum as a lot of us NIN fans don’t like the Grand Wizard of the United States of America as we all try to have civil discussions but unfortunately, there are those that just want to antagonize us. We’ve banned them not because we don’t share their views but it’s for the fact that they’re saying things that are very dangerous and don’t respect anyone. It is things like this that makes me wonder what we’ve done ourselves to humanity to become so divisive yet there are reminders that even in the worst of times. There are moments of good and hope such as the fact despite what is happening in Houston and parts of Texas, there are people doing whatever they can to help each other. 

In the month of August, I saw a total of 36 films in 23 first-timers and 13 re-watches. Slightly up from last month as I felt I saw a lot in a month that was quite crazy. The highlight of the month was definitely my Blind Spot assignment in The Lady Eve. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for August 2017:

1. Until the End of the World

2. Elle

3. The King of Comedy

4. Tokyo Twilight

5. Hell or High Water

6. Gloria

7. Son of Rambow

8. Julieta

9. Identification of a Woman

10. The Red Turtle

Monthly Mini-Reviews:

George Best: All By Himself

One of two episodes of the 30 for 30 series that I watched this month as the first is about the rise and tragic fall of one of the finest players for England that never played a World Cup. In the 1960s, there was no star as big as Northern Ireland's George Best but his consumption of alcohol would be his downfall as he struggled throughout the 1970s to stay clean where he would play in three teams for the short-lived North American Soccer League in the late 70s and early 80s only to suffer through alcoholism. It’s a great film for those who love soccer as well a cautionary tale of what happens when success can become overwhelming.

Brothers in Exile

The second 30 for 30 doc that I watched revolved around the half-brothers Livan and Orlando Hernandez as two men from Cuba who were considered the best in the game for the country but were oppressed by what was happening to Cuba in the 1990s. Both brothers would fled separately from the country in different periods of time as they would struggle with being in the major leagues early on but eventually find success as well as personal happiness in having their family eventually come to live with them in the U.S.

The Bronze

Starring and co-written by Melissa Rauch is a funny comedy about a bronze-medalist gymnast trying to latch on to the last minutes of her 15 minutes of fame by reluctantly becoming a coach for a local gymnast. It’s a very raunchy film that has Rauch be naughty and profane while she’s joined by a great ensemble in Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Cicely Tyson, and Haley Lu Richardson as it play into what it takes to be a gymnastic star.

2036: Nexus Dawn


A prequel to the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 is the first of a trilogy of short films devoted to the film as the first part is directed by Luke Scott. Starring Benedict Wong and Jared Leto with the latter given a proper introduction. It’s a short that is quite chilling where Wong’s character is someone that is trying to stop replicants from emerging yet it is Leto’s character who brings along a replicant and with very scary results.

Top 10 Re-Watches:

1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

2. Trading Places

3. Nocturnal Animals

4. You Only Live Twice

5. Ghost

6. Ant-Man

7. Never Say Never Again

8. Spy Kids

9. Rush Hour 2

10. Hereafter

Well, that is all for August. I have no clue what I’m going to do for September other than the films in my never-ending DVR list. I’m not sure if I’ll be doing some theatrical releases but I do hope to see something like mother! by Darren Aronofsky and films that are in my local library including a Blind Spot. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off.

© thevoid99 2017