Films That I Saw: March 2019

What is there to say right now about what I’m going through at this moment as it’s been life changing and exhausting? Well, all I can say is this. Fuck cancer. For the past few months, my father has been complaining about not being able to finish certain foods he’s eating and have been having stomach problems. My mother and I thought it had to do with his colon yet it earlier this month where we all got the news that he’s got cancer in his stomach. The news was a fucking punch to the gut as the whole family is also dealing with the fact that a longtime family friend was also suffering from cancer as she had been diagnosed earlier this year. Unfortunately, she died weeks after my dad’s diagnosis though she had chances to get better. It was unfortunate that she would be gone like that. Cancer is a cunt as it’s taken away a lot of people yet it hasn’t met someone like my father.

Immediately, my mother, my sister, and my brother-in-law took charge in having to create a new diet for him while I supplied the money through my EBT card to pay for what they needed. Having to go to Emory and drive my parents back home is now becoming a regular routine of sorts though last Monday was just fucking horrendous. We had to drive to Emory in Decatur and be at the hospital at 5:30 AM for his anesthesia and tests where the good news is that the cancer isn’t as bad as we thought it would be while it hadn’t spread into the body as it would take a few sessions of chemotherapy that would happen every two weeks as the first happened this past Thursday. I hadn’t slept on that Monday as I went home, my dad had been complaining about not being able to take a leak as it turned out the anesthesia had turned off his bladder as we had to go back later that afternoon where he now has to carry a catheter for a few days as the whole time at the hospital was nearly more than 12 hours. I ended up going to sleep once I came back home.

It’s exhausting yet it’s something I need to do as I have to keep my mother company as we both know how my dad is as he’s often indecisive, he talks too much, cares more about watching westerns and sports, talking about sports, and complain about this food and that food. He’s 73 yet cancer isn’t going to stop him. My mother, my sister, my brother-in-law, and I are doing what we can to help him fight this and so far it’s going well. He’s gaining weight and has reacted well to the treatment he’s receiving.

Due to these recent events in the month of March 2019, I saw a total of 26 films in 13 first-timers and 13 re-watches with only one film directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Not surprisingly due to these events as one of the highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot assignment in Weekend. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for March 2019:

1. Us

2. Won't You Be My Neighbor?

3. Bullitt

4. Oliver Twist

5. Two or Three Things I Know About Her

6. Deadpool 2

7. The Green Ray

8. Ocean's 8

9. Captain Marvel

10. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Monthly Mini-Reviews

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

I do like J.A. Bayona as I think he’s an amazing filmmaker that at least tried to do something different with the sequel to the 2015 film that revived the Jurassic Park franchise. It’s got moments that don’t work and at times have attempts at humor that seems forced in some parts. Still, it is a fun and adventurous film that does manage to be entertaining thanks in part to the performances of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, and a brief appearance from Jeff Goldblum who should’ve had more to do other than talk. The film also has some nice technical moments such as a long one-shot sequence of Howard and Justice Smith stuck inside one of those rides from the previous film while Pratt is trying to get them out of there as they’re all underwater.

Life of the Party

I like Melissa McCarthy as I believe she deserves better and does have much more range despite some of the awful movies she’s in. This film which is another collaboration with her husband and director/co-writer Ben Falcone is alright as it’s about a housewife who is blind-sided by her husband who divorces her and leaves her for a real estate tycoon as she decides to go back to college to spend more time with her daughter. It’s an enjoyable and entertaining film that has McCarthy be a joy as she is surrounded with an incredible ensemble that include Maya Rudolph and Gillian Jacobs who get their own moments to shine.

Skyscraper

Dwayne Johnson needs to pick better projects otherwise I’ll keep continuing to call him the Crock as he’s become such a gullible little bitch lately. It’s a typical action film that is obviously a rip-off of Die Hard but in a taller skyscraper in China. While Johnson and Neve Campbell does provide some decent performances, much of the action is just uninspired as well as the stakes because of a bunch of criminals robbing a building and putting on fire to steal some shit. It’s just meh overall.

Top 10 Re-watches:

1. Goodfellas

2. Jodorowsky's Dune

3. Wreck-It Ralph

4. The Deer Hunter

5. Captain America: the Winter Soldier

6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

7. Ali

8. Hot Rod

9. The Naked Gun 2 ½

10. Big Fish

Well, that is it for March. I admit to not being sure what I will do next month as I have to drive my dad to chemo every two weeks as the first had been a success. I also have to help my mom out despite the fact that the pollen has arrived and it’s going to affect my allergies horribly. I still have some things I want to do as I’ve only started writing my next Auteurs piece on Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck as well as watch a couple of their films. Other than some films from my never-ending DVR list as I’m hoping to do some catching up on some films. It’s likely that my next Blind Spot will be The Gleaners & I as a tribute to Agnes Varda who sadly passed away this past Friday as she will be missed and certainly deserves a lot of adulation for her contribution to cinema. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2019