Films That I Saw: October 2022

 

We’re nearly 2 months away from another year ending and honestly, I’m waiting it for to end right now though it has been a good year of sorts despite a lot of the bullshit and stupidity that is happening around me. Notably in the world of politics as here in Georgia, we have a once-revered college football hero with serious brain issues saying stupid shit and ended up making more of an ass of himself by pulling out a police badge that looks so fake that it makes a toy badge look more legit. In Florida, it’s just the same old shit as it is clear that this is a state that is in need of new leadership or else it’s going to become a full-on Fascist state that people would want to get rid of. Things here in the U.S. is bad while Britain just went through a shitstorm of its own as they had a prime minster that didn’t last very long only for a head of lettuce to last longer as it is clear things aren’t going so well.

Then there’s Kanye West and more of his own bullshit and I’m not really surprised by any of this. I think he’s made some good music but I never thought he was some genius that he claims to be other than someone that has no sense of humor and is really full of himself. Well. Now it seems like all of that talking and all of that crying about himself has finally caught up with him as he is now the new poster boy for the Ku Klux Klan by trying to get people to wear “white lives matter” while claiming that George Floyd’s death was a hoax, Black Lives Matters is a bullshit organization, and awful things about Jewish people. That’s a great way to destroy your own career and having now lost more than $2 billion in sponsorship deals and all other shit. I’m sure this is just the beginning as he’s going to lose a hell of a lot more. People can make excuses for the fact that he’s bipolar and all of that. Yeah well I also have mental health issues but I don’t make excuses for the fact that I can be an asshole as well.

In the month of October 2022, I saw a total of 24 films in 14 first timers and 10 re-watches with five of these first-timers being films directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge where I’m 10 films away from completing my goal as I’ve exceeded my previous quotas ever since I chose to do this pledge a few years ago. One of the highlights of the month has been my Blind Spot Series choice in Boat People. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for October 2022:

1. Werewolf by Night

2. Blonde

3. Goodnight Mommy

4. The Vast of Night

5. Ghostbusters: Afterlife

6. Timecrimes

7. Rosa Rosae: A Spanish Civil War Elegy

8. The Bones

9. Rock Family Trees: The Birth of Cool Britannia

10. The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular

Monthly Mini- Reviews/What Else I’m Watching

The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular

From Disney+ as part of their Halloween collection is a short in which Mickey Mouse tries to tell a scary story to his own nephews as well as Donald Duck’s nephews as they’re continuously unimpressed by what he is offering. Even as Mickey seeks help from Donald and Goofy to bad results with the kids finally pushing Mickey to the edge with a story that is indeed quite scary but also fun. It is something kids could enjoy as well as the adults.

The Bones

One of four short films on MUBI that I watched as this one is a stop-motion animated film that serves as a homage to silent cinema. The film claims to be from 1901 as the filmmakers tell story of a young woman being pursued for marriage from a young man who is associated with a famous political official who wants this marriage to happen for political reasons. Told mainly though the usage of bones, the film is filled with a lot of imagination as it a gem worth seeking out.

Rosa Rosae: A Spanish Civil War Elegy

From Carlos Saura is a five-minute short film about the Spanish Civil War told from those who lived through it as it largely feature drawings and sketches of memories by people dealing with the horrors of that war. Featuring music in the short that play into what was lost from that war. It is truly a gem worth seeking out as well as something fans of Saura should check out.

She Mad: Bitch Zone

One of two shorts created by artist Martine Syms is about a group of girls at a camp as they meet a speaker who talks about what they should do to confront themselves. The result is just messy and felt overlong as I’m not sure what the host is meant to be. At times, it is poorly-lit and whether it is trying to be satirical. It didn’t work for me.

Soliloquy

The second short from Martine Syms that I watched on MUBI is an animated short as if it was made from SIMS is another satire as it plays into a young woman talking about how things were better back then as it is just terrible. It is all talk and such yet never feels like it has any substance to say as it just didn’t work for me at all.

Rock Family Trees: The Birth of Cool Britannia



A documentary from the BBC that I watched on YouTube is about the formation and rise of Britpop and three of the bands who helped create this movement in Suede, Blur, and Elastica with interviews from Suede’s Brett Anderson, Mat Osman, and Simon Gilbert as well as Elastica frontwoman Justine Frischmann who was also in Suede early in their career. Along with interviews from journalists, the film explore the creation of this scene as it was done by accident while a lot of those bands that include Pulp, Supergrass, and Oasis were trying to maintain an image of Britain that wasn’t from the mainstream and they succeeded but also burned themselves out. While Suede is fortunately still around with Pulp set to go on tour again, many of those bands didn’t last but did make an impact with Frischmann having retired but was able to do a couple of shows with Suede in 1997 with footage of those performances shown in the film as it was just two old friends reuniting and having fun.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (episodes 8 & 9)

The last two episodes of the MCU series showcase not just some of the most creative moments from the MCU but also gave audiences what they wanted in the appearance of Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock. Notably as his appearance is filled with some humor but also giving Jennifer Walters some insight of the kind of heroine she needs to be as the eighth episode is one of the strongest episodes for any MCU TV series. The season finale is a bit of a mess but it did have one of the most inspired moments of creativity in how it breaks down the fourth wall that is obviously inspired by Monty Python and Blazing Saddles. Even as it is about Walters having control of her own narrative while its ending is a happy one with Bruce Banner bringing a surprise of his own who might play a part in the formation of the Young Avengers. Overall, the series is incredible as it proves that the MCU is creating great television and let’s hope that Tatiana Malsany gets some serious accolades for her work as well as the people involved with this show.

Andor (episodes 5-8)

It is clear this is an absolutely different series from the Star Wars franchise as it is a slow burn but a slow burn that actually works. Right now, the first season is in its second act where Andor is taking part of a group for a heist as he succeed but there is also some casualties. There are also stories of people in the Empire trying to understand what had happened in the heist as well as other incidents with the character of Dedra Meero, played by Denise Gough, being one of the more interesting figures as an antagonist who is willing to do whatever she can to find out what is going on. Even as there is this story of the character Syril Karn, played by Kyle Soller, trying to get himself back in favor with the Empire to help out. There are also stories about discord in the Rebellion as it relates to Mon Montha not pleased with Luthen’s methods as she’s trying to raise funds but is having difficulty in trying to keep things secret. It is a great show with the most recent episode featuring an appearance from Andy Serkis as a prisoner running the prison floor that Andor is currently in as well as Forest Whitaker is reprising his role as Saw Gerrera.

Tales from the Territories (episode 1)



A new spin-off series from Vice that featured the wrestling show Dark Side of the Ring as it is about the wrestling territories of the 1960s through the 1980s and what it was like back then before American pro wrestling with national with the WWE. The first episode is about the Memphis territories as it was a roundtable discussion with Jerry Jarrett, his son Jeff, Jerry “the King” Lawler, Dutch Mantell, and Jimmy Hart as it inter-cuts with recreated footage of certain incidents as well as a moment when Randy Savage got angry over someone at a Waffle House leading to all sorts of trouble for the young Savage in the late 70s/early 80s. There were a lot of things that people thought were real as it is a fun show even though I haven’t had the chance to catch up with the rest of the series so far.

Acapulco (season 2, episodes 1 & 2)

This is a show that I wish more people would watch as it’s not only a funny show but it’s also full of heart. Notably as the second season is about the young Maximo trying to do his work and pay for his mother’s medical bills following her eye surgery as he makes a deal with Hector that he’s already paying the price for. So far, it has some humor as the first episode has Hector meeting Julia’s cousin Isabel who is known for stealing things at the hotel while there is also family drama as Hector’s sister Sara just broke up with her girlfriend after attempting to hide her relationship from her mother with her girlfriend pretending to be Maximo’s girlfriend. It is a show that is deserving the rave reviews it is getting as it should be in the conversation more of why people need to get Apple TV+.

Wrestling Match of the Month: Riho vs. Jamie Hayter-AEW Dynamite (10/26/22)



There is no question right now that Jamie Hayter is becoming one of the most popular women wrestlers right now as she’s been gaining a lot of fans for her work even though she’s a heel who is still associated with Dr. Britt Baker D.M.D. Her most recent match with the returning Japanese star Riho is a real surprise in terms of not just work rate but also in the fact that these two women put on a clinic in the ring. Riho maybe a smaller wrestler but she can fucking go as she is the more experienced of the two women. Yet, Hayter has one of the best back-breakers that I have ever seen as this was a match these two women have done before but it was Hayter who got the win this time. Even as the post-match has her in line to face Toni Storm for the Interim AEW World Women’s Championship possibly at AEW Full Gear next month.

Top 10 Re-Watches

1. Suspiria

2. Finding Nemo

3. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

4. The Lady and the Tramp

5. The Princess and the Frog

6. Black Widow

7. Toy Story of Terror!

8. Trick or Treat

9. Lonesome Ghosts

10. The Keep

Well, that is it for October. Next month, I will be definitely watching Black Panther: Wakanda Forever as well as whatever films that are on various streaming services that I have in my many watchlists including a few Blu-Rays and DVDs that I own that I had hoped to watch this month. Right now, I’m cultivating a list that I’m calling the Last Dance as my mother and I have made the decision to get rid of cable though we’re not sure when as there will be films in my DVR that I will watch and that will be it. There’s also my Blind Spot as I’m not sure what I will do next while I’m still finalizing the list for next year’s Blind Spot Series. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2022