Category Archives: Lists
What I Watched in… June 2017

Favorite of the Month: Wonder Woman (2017)
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- Batman & Bill (2017), A
- Them! (1954), B-
- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (Extended Edition, 2016), B
- Wonder Woman (2017), A
- Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985), D-; MST3K Riff, B
- Wizards of the Lost Kingdom II (1989), D+; MST3K Riff, B+
- The Wasp Woman (1959), C+
- The Mummy (1932), B
- The Mummy’s Hand (1940), B+
- The Mummy’s Tomb (1942), C+
- The Mummy’s Ghost (1944), C
- The Mummy’s Curse (1944), C+
- Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), B-
- The Mummy (1999), B+
- The Mummy Returns (2001), B
- The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), C-
- The Giant Behemoth (aka Behemoth, the Sea Monster, 1959), B-
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), A
- Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children (2016), B
- Carnival Magic (1981), F; MST3K Riff, B
- The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t (1966), C-; MST3K Riff, B
- At the Earth’s Core (1976), C; MST3K Riff, B+
- Cell (2016), C-
- Chillerama (2011), C+
- Night of the Creeps (1986), B+
- Escape From New York (1981), A-
- Critters (1986), C
- Christine (1983), B
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), B-
- Central Intelligence (2016), B+
- Contagion (2011), B
- The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (1973), D
- RiffTrax Live: Summer Shorts Beach Party (2017), B+
- Resident Evil (2002), D
- Jim Gaffigan: Obsessed (2014), B+
- Superman Vs. the Elite (2012), A
- Superargo and the Faceless Giants (1968), F; RiffTrax Riff, B+
- This Island Earth (1955), B
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), A-
- Get Out (2017), A-
- Predator (1987), B+
- Predator 2 (1990), B+
- This is America, Charlie Brown (1988), B
- Pollyanna (1960), A-
- The Most Dangerous Game (1932), B
- Predators (2010), B
What I Watched In… May 2017

Favorite of the Month: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- The Time Travelers (1964), D+, MST3K Riff, B+
- Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), A
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), A-
- Fast Five (2011), B
- Inglorious Basterds (2009), A+
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), A
- It Follows (2014), B
- Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) B
- Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013), B
- Avalanche (1978), C-; MST3K Riff, A-
- Lord of the Flies (1963), A
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005), B
- The Beast of Hollow Mountain (1956), F; MST3K Riff, B+
- Prometheus (2012), B-
- Tombstone (1993), A-
- Aziz Ansari Live in Madison Square Garden (2015), B
- Phantasm (1979)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster aka Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (1965), B+
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (1995), C+
- Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017), B+
- Aliens (1986), A
- The Painted Hills (1951), D; MST3K Riff, A-
- Alien: Covenant (2017), C+
- The Mars Generation (2017), B
- The Prestige (2006), A-
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988), A
- The Unknown Marx Brothers (1993), B-
- Knights of Badassdom (2013), B-
- Super (2010), B
- John Carter (2012), B+
- The Noose Hangs High (1948), B+
- Gargoyles (1972), C
- Starcrash (1978), D+; MST3K Riff, A
- The Land that Time Forgot (1975), D; MST3K Riff, B
- The Loves of Hercules (1960), D-; MST3K Riff, B
- Yongary, Monster From the Deep (1967), D+; MST3K Riff, B
- The Legend of Tarzan (2016), B
- The Phantom From 10,000 Leagues (1955), D
What I Watched in… April 2017

Favorite of the Month: Beauty and the Beast (2017)
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- The Great Muppet Caper (1981), B+
- The Discovery (2017), B+
- Sky High (2005), B+
- The Giant Spider Invasion (1975), D; MST3K Riff, A
- Soultaker (1990), D; MST3K Riff, A-
- The Pumaman (19800, D-; MST3K Riff, A+
- Godzilla Vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), B
- Reptilicus (1961), C; MST3K Riff, B+
- Jaws (1975), A+
- Speed Racer (2008), B
- Cool Runnings (1993), B+
- Beauty and the Beast (2017), A-
- Interview With the Vampire (1994), B
- Spiral (2007), B
- Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy: We’ve Been Thinking (2016), B
- The Blues Brothers (1980), A
- Cry of the Bewitched (1957, as Yambao), D; RiffTrax Riff, B+
- Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), B
- Cry Wilderness (1987), D-, MST3K Riff, B
What I Watched in… March 2017

Favorite of the Month: Logan (2017)
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), A-
- Logan (2017), A
- Into the Woods (Broadway Cast, 1991), A
- Anomalisa (2015), B
- My Sucky Teen Romance (2011), B
- Volunteers (1985), B
- Werewolf of London (1935), C
- Quiz Show (1994), A-
- Lifeforce (1985), C-
- Honor and Glory (1993), D-; RiffTrax Riff, B
- The Magic Sword (1962), C+; MST3K Riff, B+
- Gamera (1965), B-; MST3K Riff, A
- Phantom of the Opera (1943), C+
- Newsies (1992), B+
- Up (2009), A+
- Moana (2016), A-
- Hobgoblins (1988), F; MST3K Riff, A-
- Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013), B+
- The Uninvited (1944), B
- Into the Woods (2014), B+
- Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), A-
- Nintendo Quest (2015), B-
- Dune (1984), D+
- Dracula (1931), B+
- Retro Puppet Master (1999), D-; RiffTrax Riff, B
- Zombie Nightmare (19870, D; MST3K Riff, A
- 50 Years of Star Trek (2016), B-
- Innerspace (1987), B
- Marooned (aka Space Travelers, 1969), D; MST3K Riff, B-
What I Watched In… February 2017

Favorite of the Month: The Lego Batman Movie
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- Keanu (2016), B
- Stardust (2007), A-
- The Guy From Harlem (1977), F; RiffTrax Riff, B+
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), A-
- Being From Another World aka Time Walker (1983), D-; MST3K Riff, B
- The Day of the Triffids (1962), B
- Kung Fu Elliot (2014), B
- Maniac (2012), B-
- Crimson Peak (2015), C+
- The Lego Batman Movie (2017), A-
- Godzilla (1998), D
- The Pixar Story (2007), A
- Midnight Special (2016), B+
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), A
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955), B
- ARQ (2016), B-
- Justice League Dark (2017), B
- First Blood (1982), A
- Blair Witch (2016), B
- The Good Dinosaur (2015), B
- Danger!! Death Ray (1967), C-; MST3K Riff, B
- King Kong (1976), B-
- Good Burger (1997), B
- Miami Connection (1987), D-; RiffTrax Riff, A
- The Wonderful Land of Oz (1969), C; RiffTrax Riff, B+
- Girlfriend’s Day (2017), B
- Beware the Slenderman (2016), A-
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984), B+
- Arrival (2016), A
- I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017), B
- Zindy, the Swamp-Boy (1973), D; RiffTrax Riff, B
- Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016), C+
What I Watched In… January 2017

Favorite of the Month: Wishful Drinking
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- Yoga Hosers (2016), C
- The Wild World of Batwoman (1966), D; MST3K Riff, B
- Girl in Gold Boots (1968), D; MST3K Riff, B-
- The Killer Shrews (1959), D+; MST3K Riff, B
- The Hateful Eight (2015), A-
- Africa Screams (1949), C+
- Wishful Drinking (2010), A
- Pod People (1983), F; MST3K Riff, B+
- House of Frankenstein (1944), C+
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), A-
- R.O.T.O.R. (1987), D; RiffTrax Riff, B
- Youth (2015), B+
- Jim Gaffigan: Cinco (2017), B+
Looking ahead to 2017…
We’ve got 12 months of movies ahead of us. Now that we’ve looked back at 2016, let’s see what’s coming out this year that’s got me excited…
- The LEGO Batman Movie (Feb. 10). The first LEGO Movie was one of the most unexpected gems of the last few years. The trailers for this first spinoff look to be unfettered fun.
- John Wick Chapter 2 (Feb. 10). Another unexpected hit was the first John Wick movie. I can’t wait for the sequel.
- Logan (March 3). Hugh Jackman’s final turn as Wolverine looks like it’s going to be a much darker, more intense take on the character than we’ve seen before.
- Kong: Skull Island (March 10). With Legendary planning an MCU-style connection between this and their Godzilla franchise, I’m really looking forward to the new take on King Kong.
- Beauty and the Beast (March 17). Disney’s rash of live-action remakes of their classic animated films has been hit or miss for me, but Emma Watson as Belle is perfect casting. I’ve got high hopes for this one.
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (May 5). After a thrilling, joyful first film, I’m hoping director James Gunn can do the same with this one.
- Wonder Woman (June 2). It’s almost a crime that it’s taken this long for there to be a live-action Wonder Woman movie. Gal Gadot stole every scene of Batman V Superman, and I can’t wait to see this one.
- The Mummy (June 9). Universal is hoping to revive its classic monster franchise with (again) an MCU-style shared universe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it works.
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (July 7). Marvel and Sony coming to an agreement for Spider-Man is the best thing that could have happened for the character. Tom Holland rocked in Captain America: Civil War, and I’m hoping for more of that in this film.
- War For the Planet of the Apes (July 14). The first two films in the new Apes franchise were phenomenal — deep, thoughtful films with mesmerizing performances. I feel very good about this next one.
- Dunkirk (July 21). Christopher Nolan doing a World War I epic. How can you not be excited?
- The Dark Tower (July 28). Stephen King’s self-proclaimed “Magnum Opus” is a work that has a need personal meaning for me. I want this movie to be great. The casting is spot-on, although the information that’s come out so far leaves me wondering exactly what angle they’re intending to take on the material.
- It (Sept. 8). Another Stephen King adaptation. Although not as personal to me, it’s still a great book that had an okay TV adaptation. Can any film truly capture the novel?
- Thor: Ragnarok (Nov. 3). Although the Thor movies gave the MCU its most charismatic villain, they aren’t quite as memorable as the rest of the franchise. This time out, having Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Dr. Strange along for the ride may finally give us a great Thor movie.
- Justice League (Nov. 17). I’ve been waiting for this movie since I was a kid, and the promotional materials have looked fantastic. I can’t wait.
- Star Wars Episode VIII (Dec. 15). Little independent movie. You probably haven’t heard of it.
2016 in Film

Favorite of the Year: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Once again, it’s a new year, and that means it’s time to take a look back at the releases of the previous year. I managed to clock in a a lot of movies in 2016, although as always there are still several I haven’t seen yet (Arrival, Shin Godzilla, Moana, and many more). So as always, consider this list incomplete. It’s every 2016 movie I’ve seen so far, including TV movies and direct-to-DVD fare, ranked from my favorite to least favorite, with commentary where I find it necessary.
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — Two years in a row, a Star Wars movie has claimed my top spot. Under its new Disney home, Lucasfilm is on fire.
- Doctor Strange — Amazingly, for a character I’ve never fully connected with in the comics, Benedict Cumberbatch has turned in one of my favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe performances to date.
- Captain America: Civil War — Although they may as well have called this Avengers 3, the third Captain America movie was a blast. I especially liked the fact that this time around the stakes were much more personal, rather than a save-the-world scenario. It was a nice change of pace.
- Zootopia — This was a huge surprise to me. Not that it was good (John Lasseter taking over Disney animation is the best thing to happen to Disney animation since Walt Disney himself), but how good it was. Funny, sweet, and surprisingly poignant.
- For the Love of Spock — Adam Nimoy directs this touching documentary about his father, Leonard.
- Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice — I don’t care what the critics say, I had a great thrill seeing DC’s trinity on screen for the first time, and I can’t wait to see Gal Gadot in Wonder Woman.
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — I felt the same way about this as Rogue One. The studios have learned that if you can make the universe itself the star instead of a particular character, you can make a franchise last much longer. This was a fun addition to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World.
- Star Trek Beyond — It’s rare that the third film in a franchise is the best, but this was the most exciting, most “Star Trek”-like film in the Kelvin Timeline to date.
- Finding Dory — Lovely follow-up to Finding Nemo, with a heartfelt message.
- The Nice Guys — Like so many people, I loved this movie, and wish that it had found a larger audience in theaters.
- Deadpool
- Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan-Film Ever Made — You may have heard the story of a couple of kids who spent years working on an amateur shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. This is that story.
- Batman: The Killing Joke
- Hush — Tense little thriller about a home invasion in the home of a deaf woman.
- 10 Cloverfield Lane — One of the year’s best surprises.
- Suicide Squad — Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn was fantastic. The rest of the movie was pretty good.
- Hail, Caesar!
- The Witch
- Independence Day: Resurgence
- DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year — Cute direct-to-DVD movie starring DC’s latest franchise. I love the fact that this series exists, and so does my 6-year-old niece.
- X-Men: Apocalypse — Weakest of the “First Class” trilogy, but that still places it ahead of the likes of X-Men: The Last Stand or the first two Wolverine movies.
- Keanu
- Ghostheads
- Justice League Vs. Teen Titans
- Holidays — Fun, if uneven, horror anthology.
- Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday
- Batman: Bad Blood
- LEGO DC Super Heroes: Justice League-Cosmic Clash
- LEGO DC Super Heroes: Justice League-Gotham City Breakout
- Mascots
- The Jungle Book — I know a lot of people were blown away by this, but it just didn’t do it for me. Admittedly, it may just be because I’ve never been able to get into talking animal movies. It’s a weird hang-up of mine, I admit.
- Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders — Animated film featuring Adam West and Burt Ward, and damn, do they show their age. When Batman and Robin sound like they’re in their 70s, maybe nostalgia isn’t enough.
- Dwarvenaut
- Criminal
- Grease Live!
- Dead 7 — Weak-ass SyFy movie starring a bunch of washed-up boy band members in a zombie western.
- The Neon Demon — Probably the most controversial opinion I’ll have here. The latest from writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn of Drive and Only God Forgives, and like those other films, I found this unbearably dull and overblown.
- Ghostbusters — A weak script and a weak director tanked this remake.
- Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again
- Paradox
What I’ve Watched In… December 2016

Favorite of the Month: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- I Am Santa Claus (2014), A
- A Christmas Carol (2009), B-
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (1983), B+
- Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964), D; RiffTrax Live Riff, B
- The Night Before (2015), B-
- Santa Claus (1959), F; Rifftrax Live Riff, B
- A Muppet Family Christmas (1987), A
- Snow (2004), B
- Snow 2: Brain Freeze (2008), B
- Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978), A
- Christmas With Rifftrax: Santa’s Village of Madness, B
- The Shop Around the Corner (1940), A
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (1999), B+
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie (1998), D
- Christmas Eve (2015), A-
- Scrooge (1970), B+
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), A-
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), A-
- Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979), B-
- Trading Places (1983), B
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989), A
- A Very Murray Christmas (2015), A-
- Marvel Super Hero Adventures: Frost Fight (2015), B
- The Ref (1994), B+
- An American Christmas Carol (1979), B+
- Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest For Pappy (2004), C
- Ebbie (1995), D
- Scrooge and Marley (2001), C-
- Die Hard (1988), A
- Home Alone (1990), A
- Santa’s Christmas Circus (1966), D; RiffTrax Riff, B
- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), A+
- Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), A
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947), A
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), A+
- A Christmas Story (1983), A
- In the Good Old Summertime (1949), B
- Captain Phillips (2013), B+
- Hail, Caesar! (2016), B+
- Life of Pi (2012), A-
- 12 Years a Slave (2013), A
- Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016), C
- Night Shadows (1984), D-; RiffTrax Riff, B
- No Country For Old Men (2007), A-
- Keanu (2016), B
- 12 Angry Men (1957), A+
- Wild Things (1998), B
- The Sting (1973), A-
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952), A+
- The Jungle Book (2016), C+
- For the Love of Spock (2016), A
- Ghostbusters (1984), A
- Ghostbusters II (1989), B
What I’ve Watched In… November 2016

Favorite of the Month: Doctor Strange (2016)
In the interest of full disclosure (and to generate a little content here) I thought I’d present a regular tally of what movies I managed to see in the previous month. Some of them I’ve written or talked about, most of them I haven’t. This list includes movies I saw for the first time, movies I’ve seen a thousand times, movies I saw in the theater, movies I watched at home, direct-to-DVD, made-for-TV and anything else that qualifies as a movie. I also choose my favorite of the month among those movies I saw for the first time, marked in red. Feel free to discuss or ask about any of them!
- Hardcore Henry (2015), B-
- Raiders! The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2016), A
- The Neon Demon (2015), C
- Doctor Strange (1978), C
- Time of the Apes (1987), D; MST3K Riff, B+
- Thinner (1996), C
- A Grand Night In: The Story of Aardman (2015), A
- Doctor Strange (2016), A
- Mascots (2016), B
- Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991), B+
- Star Trek Beyond (2016), A
- Spectre (2015), B-
- Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988), F
- Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988), B
- Teenage Caveman (1958), D; MST3K Riff, B
- My Fair Lady (1964), A
- Gunslinger (1956), D; MST3K Riff, B
- Fun in Balloon Land (1965), F; RiffTrax Riff, B+
- The Dwarvenaut (2016), C+
- The Addams Family (1991), B+
- Addams Family Values (1993), A-
- I Accuse My Parents (1944), D; MST3K Riff, A
- The Beast of Yucca Flats (1961), D-; MST3K Riff, B
- Young and Beautiful (2013), C
- Mouse on the Mayflower (1968), C+
- Garfield’s Thanksgiving (1989), B+
- BC: The First Thanksgiving (1979), C
- Intergalactic Thanksgiving (1979) B-
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), A-
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1974), B+
- Planes Trains, and Automobiles (1987), A
- Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse (2001), B
- Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999), B+
- Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas (2004), B-
- Magic Christmas Tree (1964), F; RiffTrax Riff, A
- Gaslight (1944), B+
- Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972), F; RiffTrax Live Riff, B+