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What did you watch on this Christmas week? (22/12-28/12)


I hope you had a joyful week. Mine was very merry with the fam, the friends, the booze and the mary. I played hockey on ice, did some virtual golf, ate all sorts of good food and... I watched a bunch of movies!!! Check it out:

The Beach Bum (2019 Blu-ray): I get what they went for but it was done many times before and better too. This movie was beautiful but soulless. (A bit like my ex.) Even Surfer, Dude is a good example of a movie with more spirit. I loved the cinematography and there are just enough high points for me to enjoy the overall product but bottom line is, I’m slightly disappointed. My rating: 6/10

Love the Coopers (2015 TV): The critics were right and most of the audience agreed: a solid cast failed to save this stinker. It tries to be profound, dramatic and deep but we wanted light fun and a good laugh. Nope. 4/10

Home alone (1990 DVD): One of my favorite movies ever as a child. Strangers thought I was Macaulay Culkin so much I looked like him. I was 5 years old when this came out and this week I watched it with my 5 years old. It was a snowy afternoon, the wife and baby and little brother gone to Christmas shopping, we had popcorn, chips, candies and chocolate…it was magical. 8.5/10

Richie Rich (1994 TV) : Most movies I loved when I was a kid I still love as an adult but this one was not as great as it was. It was okay. A bit long, but okay. Sometimes it took itself a bit too seriously, as if they thought they were suddenly shooting the new Batman. With a touch of nostalgia, my rating: 5.5/10

The funhouse massacre (2015 Roku): I watched this late on the 25th and it was a random pick and a cool surprise. I needed something simple and simple it was. Low budget too but fairly entertaining. This movie is a little bit of everything. By this I mean it’s a little bit funny, scary, gory and fun. The actors are a little bit good, the story, script, directing and editing was a little bit good too. 6/10

A bad moms Christmas (2017 TV): The first hour had plenty of fun moments and the cast was good but then the cheesy-drama-overload was a bit much for me and too many characters felt like poor caricatures. Also, I think Gallagher was way under used, it was sad to see him just make the stupid face in the background of 90% his scenes. Otherwise, the love story between the stripper and the beautician was actually cool and overall, the film made me and my wife interested in watching the first one, especially since It has better reviews. My rating: 5.5/10

Chasse-Galerie: La légende (2016 TV): I had no expectations about this one and had never heard of it before but it was effective, convincing and powerful stuff. The first thing it does well is to display the hardship of the lumberjacks’ lives in the cold of Quebec’s winter. (There are many false clichés about us Canadians but yes, I am a descendant of lumberjacks as most of us Quebecers are.)The second thing it does best is creating characters, situations and dialogues that make the whole thing a true and resonant experience. Impressive work all around. I don’t know what they saw to call it a horror movie though. I suggest you watch at least the first minute of the trailer so you can get a feel of this fabulous film: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi54376985?playlistId=tt4896898&ref_=tt_ov_vi
My rating: 8/1 0

Mixed Nuts (1994 TV): A fun Christmas flick but I lost focus in a few spots and ended up wondering what was going on a little bit but still, an entertaining watch. 6/10

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Greetings! Glad you had a jolly week. My ratings of what you watched:

The Beach Bum 6/10
Home alone 7/10
Richie Rich 5/10
The funhouse massacre 5/10

My ratings of what I watched:
I Love Melvin (1953) 7/10
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019) 8/10
The Nine Lives of Christmas (2014) 8/10
Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town (1970) 10/10
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) 10/10
It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) 8/10
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) 8/10
A Christmas Carol (1938) 8/10
Peace on Earth (1939) 9/10
Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) 8/10
Cats (2019) 8/10
Summer Stock (1950) 6/10
The Cannonball Run (1981) 6/10
Leprechaun 2 (1994) 7/10
The Two Popes (2019) 7/10
The Funhouse Massacre (2015) 5/10
Critters (1986) 6/10
Leprechaun 3 (1995) 7/10

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I saw critters recently And found it to be lots of fun: 6.5/10

I’m sorry if you lost your time on the Funhouse; I never said it was great but Inliked it...

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Movies:

-Scrooged (1988)
I already watched and reviewed this movie last year. One of the better Christmas movies. Entertaining, but I wouldn't exactly say laugh-out-loud funny.

-Home Alone (1990)
Watched and reviewed it last year as well. One of my Christmas favourites.

Christmas Specials:

-Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean (1992)

-Blackadder's Christmas Carol (1988)

-The Little Drummer Boy (1968)
Watched this because it's a favourite of my mother and makes her cry.

-Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)

-The Snowman (1982)
Okay, this one makes ME cry!

-Rupert and the Frog Song (1984)

-Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952)

TV Shows:

-The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - marathon

-The Bold and the Beautiful - marathon of very old episodes

-Twilight Zone (1959) - marathon

-Murder She Wrote - marathon

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You sure had a fun week. I need to finish Scrooged one of these day

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You should! I normally can't bear Bill Murray, but he's okay in this one.

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Wife has been Hallmarking the TV all weekend.

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Oh I can relate. This year she wasn’t as bad I admit but I sure can relate!

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Gone with the Wind (1939) - A manipulative woman and a roguish man conduct a turbulent romance during the American Civil War and Reconstruction periods. I think this is the first time I have seen it from beginning to end. I can see why the movie has remained popular. Some great scenes of the destruction of the South during the Civil War. I thought Gable was great and was missed when he wasn't on scene. The score is also wonderful. 8/10

Hidden Figures (2016) - The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. This got three Oscar noms. I thought it was a bit sanitized and just not compelling. 7/10

A Christmas Carol (1951) - Old bitter miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Alastair Sim) is given a chance for redemption when he is haunted by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. The best Scrooge performaace and the best version. Always worth the watch. 8.5/10

Ben-Hur (1959) - When a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend, he regains his freedom and comes back for revenge. This was our Christmas Eve watch. Almost the perfect movie imo. I love the Roman Empire time period. From the rowing scenes to the chariot race it is just great. 9/10

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) - Based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. I was underwhelmed. Hanks doesn't look anything like Rogers. One of those movies that seems contrived for an Oscar nom for Hanks. 7/10



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I agree with you on Hidden Figures: 6.5/10

I own ben-hur but haven’t gathered the courage to sit through it yet. Since it’s Ally’s #1 movie I’ll have to do it someday soon..

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Once upon a time in Hollywood
Joker

and the Witcher :)

Nothing Christmas related this year I'm afraid

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Haven’t seen them but I’m sure it was good stuff

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You must have been one adorable child, Stoney 😊

The only one of yours I've seen is Home Alone, which I watched for the first time Christmas night. Sorry to say I didn't like it at all :/. Way too slapstick for me. I think it's one you've got to see when you're a kid to appreciate it. 4/10.

The Mirror Has Two Faces, 1996. Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges, Lauren Bacall, George Segal. Watched this Christmas Eve because I remembered there's a beautiful scene with a chamber orchestra playing a wonderful rendition of Carol of the Bells. Fun movie, even though I'm not the biggest fan of Barbra Streisand. 7.5/10

Foxtrot, 1976. Peter O'Toole, Charlotte Rampling, Max von Sydow. Strange but interesting film I'd never heard of. A count and his wife go to live a tropical desert island in the hopes of escaping WWII. Their unpleasant friends show up on the island and unpleasant havoc ensues. I don't recall seeing Charlotte Rampling before, but my god was she beautiful in this. Breathtaking, and does an excellent job acting, as does everyone else. 8.5/10

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Thanks Cat! I guess I can see how it’s not as great without the nostalgia factor but 4/10; shish!

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Sorry, Stoney. Between all the build-up of hearing about it for years, not seeing it as a kid, and all the slapstick, 🤷‍♀️

But hey, that doesn't mean you and a lot of other people can't enjoy the heck out of it! 👍

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Ok thanks 😘

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😘

I'll bet your son's always going to love it too.

Happy New Year, Stoney!

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Happy new year!!

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Happy New Year, Stratego!

Whoops, I saw the S and thought Stratego 😆

🎉🎉🎉

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The last part of the movie with all the traps is easily the worst part of the movie. But up till that point I think it's a cute story with a great Christmas atmosphere.

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Happy New Year, Stratego!! 🎉🐰🐰🐰🎉

I did like it better before all the traps, but even so it was just too over the top for me. The two burglars were like cartoon characters. Which is fine when you're a kid 😀

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Same to you!🍾🍷🍸🍹🍺🍻🥂🥃🥤

I like to think I'm an adult (😉) and I still enjoy the chemistry between Pesci and Stern (I believe they improvised a lot). All the adults in my family enjoy the movie as well and they never saw the movie as a kid and aren't that big on slapstick either.🤷‍♀️ I don't know, for us it's just a very cosy movie!

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Now I'm drunk 😀. You too?

But how long ago did you first see it? Of course your adults in your family like it, didn't see it as kids, and don't like slapstick either. Oh well, to each their own 😊

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Always! When I'm on MC at least!😁

Pooh, I guess the first time was somewhere in the early 90s. But hey, I'm not fibbing! I know my parents like it, although they have a bad taste in movies otherwise.🤔

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Here's to drunken posting! 🥂 (🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂🥂)

I believe you! Although, if your parents otherwise have lousy taste in movies, hmmm 😄

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You were busy. I watched The Way Way Back. A good movie: 7.5/10.

😎

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You know I’m not a harsh critic but I did not like the way way back at all. Sam was okay but I hated the rest of the adult characters. 4/10

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Well, that's why they make pistachio and rocky road.

😎

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You always say stuff like that...




T’swhy I like y’a. ;)

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Thanks. I like you too.

😎

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Coco (2017)
Are You Here (2013)
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
Daddy's Home 2 (2017)
The Town (2010)

I'm not keen on animated movies, but my fiancée loves them. Coco was cheesy but spectacular, the Pet one is quite dumb. I think it's for little children.

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Daddy’s home 2 has a few moments but many places where my head just hurt so, no. 5/10

The Town is not a bad movie but I did not care much for the story. 6/10

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Are You Here was interesting. Not bad, but very different from what I was expecting.
The Town was disappointing for me, are you supposed to root for Ben Affleck's character? I found it hard to do so.

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