Films That I Saw: January 2024

 

We’re one month into the New Year and already, it’s been insane as things between Israel and Palestine are at its worst as Joe Biden really should’ve stayed away from this whole thing as it’s been one complicated thing after another with no real winners. Here in the U.S. is just as bad as it is an election year as once again. Democracy offers very little to the common American as it’s really choosing between a shit sandwich and a giant douche. At the same time, there’s been a lot of cold weather as it’s gotten bad here in Georgia as my niece and nephew have gotten sick as did my mother and I. Well, things could be worse as part of me is glad that I’m staying at home.

This month in the world of professional wrestling has been fucking insane with Kazuchika Okada earlier this month announcing that he’s leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling as this is huge because Okada is considered the best pro wrestler ever. Yet, it shows that New Japan is going through a new transitional phase at this point as they’ve been through many ups and downs through its 50-year plus history but Okada’s exit is astronomical as it is believed that it has to do with a downturn in Japan’s economy. The question is where will he go as many believe it is likely he’ll go to AEW as it would be the right place for him as he wouldn’t have to uproot his family to America and stay in Japan and work with people he’s known for years as well as new friends such as Bryan Danielson whom he wrestled against at this year’s Wrestle Kingdom in what is definitely an early candidate for match of the year.

AEW is the most likely place for Okada as Will Ospreay is also leaving New Japan for AEW though both men are finishing up their obligations for New Japan. While there have been possibilities that Okada might go to WWE, there isn’t a lot of news over that as WWE made some groundbreaking news this past week in making a $5 billion deal with Netflix to stream WWE Raw beginning in 2025 as it is a landmark deal for the company. Unfortunately, all of that news that WWE was hoping to celebrate was overshadowed by the actions of its former chairman Vince McMahon over his own sexual allegations and misconduct that had been all over the news in the past year. Especially in light of a recent article from The Wall Street Journal over a relationship he had with an employee who is suing him for not just abuse but also sex trafficking even though she signed a NDA last year but that NDA became null and void due to the fact that she only received $1 million of the $3 million settlement she was supposed to get.

A 67-page legal document became public recently as I read the whole thing and well… it’s beyond repulsive. For years, I’ve known that McMahon has some weird tastes as anyone growing up during the Attitude Era of the late 1990s know how fucked up he is. In the mid-2000s when his daughter Stephanie was pregnant with her first child, he pitched an angle that he was the father of Stephanie’s baby but Stephanie killed that idea. Looking back at some of those angles he’s known for back then now takes on a different view and it’s even more disgusting in what I’ve read. The abuse this young woman went through is traumatic as it wasn’t just with McMahon but also a former employee in John Laurinaitis among several others. There were also explicit photos featuring her that were sent to supposedly Brock Lesnar as a way to get him to re-sign his WWE contract as well as having to do sexual favors for him. The things that I read are beyond the level of depravity as it has me thinking into why Stephanie McMahon resigned from WWE early last year when her father came back. I can’t same I don’t blame her as I think the only reason her husband HHH stayed is to protect some of the employees as he doesn’t want to talk about the allegations as it might be too uncomfortable for him.

Even though McMahon just resigned from TKO and WWE doesn’t mean he’s going away as he’s always going to find a way back but he needs to be banned from the company and be put into trial. Laurinaitis needs to be in prison as well as anyone who was involved with this incident as it might not be the only one as there’s probably a whole lot more. This bombshell really did overshadow a lot of things and has made it hard for pro wrestling fans to enjoy themselves as it’s hard to break away from being entertained and what is happening behind the scenes. Even though this year’s Royal Rumble was a good show with an awesome women’s Royal Rumble match that saw Bayley win it this year having going up against 29 other women (and R-Truth) entering the match at #3 and being in the match for 63 minutes. Yet, it doesn’t change the fact that the man who turned his father’s regional promotion into this global phenomenon has abused and did a lot to placate to his own ego as it’s made things hard to enjoy WWE just as it was starting to get good again. Still, I’m grateful for AEW, New Japan, Ring of Honor, and TNA for putting out good wrestling and will hope they do well in 2024.

In the month of January 2024, I saw a total of 30 films in 15 first-timers and 15 re-watches with four first-timers being films directed/co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. An excellent start to the year despite not going to the movie theaters due to illness but I was able to get access to Paramount+ through Amazon Prime though I’m unsure for how long. A highlight of the month has been my Blind Spot film in Wanda. Here are the top 10 first-timers that I saw for January 2024:

1. Babylon

2. The Last Repair Shop

3. Island in Between

4. The Stunt Double

5. Deciding Vote

6. Hearts Want

7. Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench

8. Soul Boys of the Western World

9. Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental

10. Omelia Contadina

Monthly Mini-Reviews/What Else I’m Watching

Soul Boys of the Western World

For anyone who grew up in the 1980s like I did would definitely know about the group Spandau Ballet and their hit song True. Yet, there was so much more to this band that were really part of the Big 4 when it came to the top British acts of the early 1980s with Culture Club, Duran Duran, and Wham! While they may not have had the same success as those four bands did in America, they were able to maintain their popularity throughout the 1980s until they broke up in 1990 after six studio albums. This 2014 documentary that I watched on YouTube about the band is a great look into their beginnings as well as their popularity as it is largely told through archival footage and audio interviews with the band members and how things fell apart towards 1990 as well as a contentious lawsuit between band members over royalties as the band’s guitarist/songwriter Gary Kemp saw it as a low point in his life even though he won the case while his brother/bassist Martin stayed away from the suit not wanting to be in the middle. It is something pop music fans should watch as it showcased their eventual reunion in 2009 up till 2014 though the band had recently disbanded after vocalist Tony Hadley had left the group though the band continued with another singer that didn’t work out.

Omelia Contadina

One of two shorts that I watched on MUBI comes from Alice Rohrwacher in collaboration with the artist JR is this 10-minute short that is a funeral for the world of farming in Italy. Presented as this funeral with these large paper-life figures designed by JR, the people that are part of a farming community all recite some form of a eulogy including a piece written the filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. Even as it serves as a massive fuck you to modern-day governments and modern sensibilities as these burials of a way of life only serves as the beginning of a resurrection that is to come. It is something that anyone interested in Rohrwacher’s films should see.

Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental

This documentary film shown on Disney+ is really an autobiographical film on director Peter Sohn and what inspired him to make Elemental. Notably as it mixes a narrative of him talking about his late parents who died during the film’s production as well as the two markets his father owned and ran in the Bronx. A lot of the stories Sohn talks about in his family life would inspire many of the things in Elemental which added a lot of more weight into that film. Even as his father would buy an art shop that his brother Philip would still run as it is a touching documentary that is worth watching as it serves as a great companion piece to Elemental.

I’m Going to Santiago

The second short I watched on MUBI is a 15-minute documentary film by Sara Gomez that showcases the world of Santiago, Cuba in the years following the Cuban Revolution. Notably as it’s a film made by a woman at a time when women filmmakers in Cuba were very rare as she created a documentary short that showcases a lot about the city and its history with its Afro-Cuban community. The film shows some of the city’s landmarks at its time culminating with its carnival that takes on a bigger meeting after the revolution as it’s something people need to seek out.

The Stunt Double



This 9-minute short film that I saw on YouTube that is directed by Damien Chazelle may be an ad for the Apple iPhone Pro 11 that is shot on a 1:1 aspect ratio. Yet, it is an incredible short film that has this stunt man doing a stunt only for the parachute to not work as he travels through the many different periods of cinema while trying to win over the leading lady. It is a fun short film as it is something fans of Chazelle should watch.

The Court Jester



If news over recent criminal charges of assault are true, then whatever comeback plans Pauly Shore has might be flushed down the toilet as it’s a damn shame. Especially as this short film from Jake Lewis that co-stars Jesse Heiman about a fictional appearance from Richard Simmons on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2004 that has Shore playing Simmons is a damn good one. While Shore may not have captured the voice of Simmons, he does manage to create a charismatic performance as well as bring a lot of gravitas to Simmons as he helps a young producer who is having trouble with his duties as well as being fat. Before the news of this assault, I was rooting for a Pauly Shore comeback but now that might not happen.

The Last Repair Shop



One of the five nominees for Best Documentary Short that is available both on YouTube and Disney+ is this heartwarming film about a repair shop for musical instruments for the Los Angeles School District and the four people who work at the shop. Even as school students are among those who talk about the instruments they love as they’re largely minority children who couldn’t afford these instruments but the four different people who help repair these instruments really put a lot of care into them. Especially as you have these four different people from different backgrounds who understand the importance of these musical instruments and what it means to these children.

Hearts Want

A short film I have been wanting to watch for years as it was written by one of my fellow bloggers in Ruth Maramis of Flix Chatter finally became available thanks to Ruth as I watched it some days ago on Vimeo thanks to a password Ruth sent me. It is this touching and evocative film about two actors who were once lovers reuniting in doing a play for their former mentor. It is filled with a lot of drama and tension as the performances of Sam Simmons and Peter Christian Hansen are incredible as this is a short that many people need to seek out as Ruth here has written a winner as I hope she does another one.

Deciding Vote



A documentary short that was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Short is a tremendous documentary as it revolves around New York’s abortion law back in the early 1970s and how one government official in George Michaels would kill his own political career by voting for the law that would protect women and doctors to perform abortions legally. The documentary features interviews with Michaels’ children and his granddaughter as how he was representing a county in upstate New York that was largely conservative despite being a Democrat as he originally opposed the law but changed his mind as it plays into the role of what a politician should be. Michaels’ vote may have killed his career but his legacy for standing up for women’s rights despite the fact that abortions are unfortunately illegal again showed a rare example when the powers that be does something right for a change.

Carl’s Date

A short film by Bob Petersen for Pixar that played with Elemental in its theatrical release features one of the final voice works of Ed Asner as he reprises his role of Carl from Up as he finds himself going on a date with a woman he had talked to on the phone. It is a funny short but also full of heart as Carl still has love for his late wife while is also unsure of what to do though Dug thankfully is there to help him. It is short that is a nice mini-sequel to Up while there’s also a great voice cameo that Petersen made as Alpha who seems to be enjoying post-guard dog life.

Island in Between



The second of the five Oscar nominees for Best Documentary short that I saw is from S. Leo Chiang who is a journalist from Taiwan that is based in New York City as he had just moved back to Taipei as this film is about a tiny island from Taiwan called Kinmen that is a few miles away from mainland China and serves as the first line of defense for Taiwan. Chiang talks about his early life in Taiwan as well as the propaganda it feeds itself for its citizens as it relates to them being the true Chinese yet it turned out to be more complicated. Even in 2001 when a ferry between the island and mainland China was used for Taiwanese to visit the mainland was used until the late 2010s and the emergence of COVID-19 halted things as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen recently. It is a riveting film that has the potential to be something longer but still Chiang manages to create something compelling about this little known island.

Echo

2023 has been a rough year for Marvel with the disappointing releases of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion which are both the worst releases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fortunately, this show about Maya Lopez aka Echo is a solid one as it relates to the titular character who remains lost in her grief as she reluctantly returns home to Tamaha, Oklahoma though wanting to avoid some family members she hadn’t seen. It is a riveting show that isn’t just about loss but also a woman re-discovering her roots as well as come to terms with Winston Fisk who had been a father figure to her. The usage of American Sign Language and going into great detail on the Choctaw culture makes the show a joy to watch. Especially as Alaqua Cox as Lopez and Vincent D’Onofrio as Fisk are phenomenal with a great supporting cast that includes Graham Greene as Maya’s grandfather. The only thing I’m disappointed about the series is that there’s only five episodes as it left me wanting more.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (season 1, episodes 4-8)

If this show is going to be renewed, then Disney+ has a winner in their hands as this first season is just great. Especially as the young actors were really the heart and soul of the film as they added that sense of realism and wit to their performances while the guest actors they brought in such as Toby Stephens as Poseidon, Jay Duplass as Hades, and in one of his final performances as Zeus is Lance Reddick. There is also in the role of Ares is…. THE RATED R SUPERSTAR!!!!!! ADAM COPELAND AKA EDGE!!!!! (Christian Cage is better). It is a show full of adventure with some amazing art direction as this is what the first film should’ve been but it is better as a TV series with Rick Riordan’s input as this feels more like something that had to take its time rather than be told in Hollywood film that tries to be too cool for its audience. Bring on season 2!

Top 10 Re-Watches

1. A Fish Called Wanda

2. Blue is the Warmest Color

3. Ratatouille

4. Bones and All

5. The Lion King

6. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

7. Frozen II

8. The To-Do List

9. Mulan

10. David Bowie: Glass Spider

Well, that is all for January. Next month will largely focus on films nominated for the Academy Awards as well as whatever films I had planned to review in the past few months. I’m not sure what theatrical releases I plan to watch though I have bought a ticket for Dune Part II this coming March. There’s a lot of films that I want to catch up on as I have a lot of things in my different watch lists as well as films for the Auteurs series as I will be writing them for the time being as well as other project. Yet, my laptop is starting to show its age as I am in need of a new one as my main priority for the next few months is to get a brand new laptop as that will be the laptop that I will use to write my book.

All of the things I write about in pro wrestling is likely coming to a different blog as I’ve thought about creating a new blog specifically for pro wrestling devoting to matches of the month and such as well as a way to keep track on the best matches of that year as I’m still unfinished with my best of 2023 in the year of pro wrestling. I think I will create that new blog once I get my new laptop. Before I leave, I want to express my condolences to those who have passed this month such as Melinda Ledbetter-Wilson, Chita Rivera, Sandra Milo, Hinton Battle, Jesse Jane, singer Melanie, music producer Frank Farian, Margaret Riley, Gary Graham, filmmaker Norman Jewison, Marlena Shaw, pro wrestler Hardbody Harrison, casting director Nancy Green-Keyes, David Gail, costume designer April Ferry, stuntman Conrad Palmisano, Glynis John, and David Soul. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…

© thevoid99 2024