Month: August 2024

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My Penguin Friend

My Penguin Friend

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Tragedy can strike anywhere, even on Ilha Grande, an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Based on the movie’s depiction of the place, it’s what I’d call a working-man’s paradise, where everyone tanned, smiling and walking around in summer clothes year-round.  The beach and the ocean’s shimmering waves are only a short walk from anywhere on the island.  If the movie’s depiction of it is to be believed, it’s a happy place for everyone who lives there.  Well, almost everyone.

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It Ends With Us

It Ends With Us

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While watching It Ends With Us, I was reminded of the last romantic melodrama I’d seen, Where The Crawdads Sing.  Although the heroines in both movies couldn’t have been more different, they both experienced a similar set of trials and tribulations.  Given my admittedly small sample size, is it fair of me to assume that all romantic melodramas follow the same formula?  And if so, is that part of the appeal with movies like It Ends With Us?

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Trap (2024)

Trap

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Serial killers are a fortunate bunch.  While the job does require a commitment to planning, attention to detail and a level of perseverance that few can muster, it’s also heavily dependent upon luck.  Take The Butcher, the serial killer at the center of Trap, who somehow manages his homicidal enterprise in addition to being a devoted family man and a firefighter.  His dedication to all facets of his life is nothing short of admirable.  For starters, The Butcher’s daily schedule must be a logistical nightmare.  He must ping-pong between his home, putting out fires and attending to victims–residing at any one of his covert murder houses–without getting caught.  The Butcher may be good, but nobody’s that good.  Luck is always present to give serial killers a little helpful nudge when they’re so close to being caught.  In Trap, The Butcher is so darn lucky that he must be living the Life of Riley.

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Despicable Me 4 Mega Minions

Despicable Me 4

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Has Gru always been a government agent?  I still haven’t seen Despicable Me 1, 2 or 3, so I’m at a disadvantage when it comes to grasping the nuances of this franchise.  I did see Minions: The Rise of Gru, where a grade school-aged Gru helped the Anti Villain League (or AVL) capture bad guys of his own free will.  Given how Despicable Me 4 shows that Gru is still in kahoots with “the man”, describing him as “despicable” is such a misnomer.  He may be irritable and occasionally get into mischief, but his heart is in the right place.  With that in mind, perhaps the time has come to give these movies a more appropriate name, like Disagreeable Me?  Or Dyspeptic Me?  Cranky but Admirable Me?  If anyone at Illumination Studios is reading this, I offer up these suggestions free of charge.  Consider it a public service.

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