Movies with a * were seen in theaters.
- Krampus (2015); second viewing for Thomas.
- Black Christmas (1974); first viewing for Thomas and Beau.
- The Man who killed Hitler and then the Bigfoot (2018); first viewing for Thomas.
- Overlord (2018); first viewing for Thomas.
- Pooka (2018); first viewing for Thomas.
- My Bloody Valentine (1981); first viewing for Thomas.
- I, Frankenstein (2014); second viewing for Thomas.
- 47 Meters Down (2017); first viewing for Thomas.
- Deep Blue Sea (1999); first viewing for Thomas.
- Ronin (1998); first viewing for Thomas.
- Interview with a Vampire (1994); first viewing for Thomas.
- The Nice Guys (2016); fourth viewing for Thomas and second for Beau.
- Black Christmas (2019)*; first viewing in theaters for Thomas and Beau.
- Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (2018); first viewing for Thomas, and second for Beau.
- Spirited Away (2001); first viewing for Beau and unknown viewing for Thomas.
- Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)*; first viewing for Beau and Thomas.
Worth Watching
While coming up with the reviews for this list we have already started another post because we saw that this one was getting long. Beau helped with the recommendations, for some of them since I (Thomas) only saw the movie the recommendation is solely mine.
As before, at the end of each there is a link to the website Does the Dog Die? which can be used to search for triggering content in movies. We highly recommend this website and answering questions for movies that you have seen to help others.
Ronin (1998); I (Thomas) had not seen this movie before but scrolled past it while droning through free streaming channels on my Roku (there are so many free streaming channels with ads but they have the other movies most of the time). I think Ronin is a good movie, when I say good I mean that I was imterested during the entirety of the movie. I was there for these mercenary contract specialists who were doing watever gigs they could for money. The back and forth of every character with each other felt strong and with purpose. They acted like they knew what they were doing and gave off the energy of someone confident but careful in their work and planning. These aren’t flashy characters either, these are Dad khakis and Dad jeans mixed with the beige color section of the paint department in Home Depot. They could blend in, which added to tone it felt like for me? They could be nobody and their status was mercs with burned ties looking for money and use for their skills. Summary, the car chases were good. The action was good. And the dealings were tense. Warning though as it does deal with alot of IRA content as you discover in the movie the criminals that are being worked for are leadership for the group. While there isn’t a page for it on Does the Dog Die, Movies with Mikey has covered it in a video which may assist in determining if this movie is for you.
The Nice Guys (2016); This is a Shane Black movie. The fights are fun to watch and pack a punch without resorting to excessive camera perspective changes and shakey fight cam. It stars my favorite detective duo, a drunk Ryan Gosling and a bruiser wannabe P.I. Russell Crowe. The movies soundtrack is fun and perfectly the aesthetic that is being sought, a sunburnt L.A. with smog filled air and a porno theater on every corner. Angourie Rice plays Goslings daughter in the movie and pushes these two rough and tumble big boys to be better and do better. Russell is teased with a friendship and the possibility of straying too far she would cease to be friends with him. This movie would not have the sideplot vibes of a P.I. detective family of two divorced dad’s and a daughter if it wasn’t for her excellent acting and characters screentime. Both of us would recommend The Nice Guys as a fun P.I. movie for grownups, fans of Shane Black will not be disappoimted. As a warning though, it has the indigenous peoples sensitivity of the 70s and the alcohol abuse sleaze of the time period as well. Does the Dog Die.
Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (2018); Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse is a masterpiece of artistic and technical design, highlighting multiple styles in the various starring Spider-Men and Spider-Women, with an amazing soundtrack and a complex but heartfelt plot that brings most nerds to tears at least once while the bright colors and brilliantly-executed use of words-on-screen (bagel! sound effect included) keep them locked on until the last credit has rolled. Miles Morales is a believable and sweet kid just trying to find his way, and he touches the lives of all of the people he interacts with in this film – some, with a cheeseburger, others, with a bus. The multidimensional story is rich and is also finally a story that doesn’t leave Black and Latinx culture in the cold, reflecting it all through Miles, his family, the art, and the music. Marvel needs more of this, every day. Does the Dog Die.
Overlord (2018); Overlord is weird. It has mega strong Nazi zombies and Nazis creating zombies for a thousand year Reich plots. In this movie you follow from the eyes of Private First Class Edward Boyce, the son of Haitian immigrants who moved to the states. Boyce is a paratrooper which means exploding planes and dead soldiers hanging from forest trees come into the movie early on. While so much occurs (a torture a Nazi interrogation, medical experiments similar to those in the movie Event Horizon in how horrific they are) the big thing I liked in the movie was Boyce. Boyce was the fudging best, a strong character that had principles they held dear. That there was a way to do things, and acting like the Nazi enemies was not the way to do it. The path forward was to think of not just how to stop the Nazi experiments, but also to make sure that the US does not get their paws on these secret gross blood elixirs of undead super strength. Throughout the Boyce has to work under a disillusioned commander whose sole philosophy is finish the job whatever it takes. By the end though, Boyce gets through to him. That there are more ways to get the work done, without having to become who they are fighting. Would recommend for those into zombie movies, even if it is a movie about zombies with little zombie shootouts and gun downs. It is also visually stunning, I imagine this is due to Bad Robot doing work on the movie (JJ did not direct). Does the Dog Die.
Black Christmas (2019); Black Christmas is a significant change from the original 1974 film of the same name in that not only does the film empower the sorority women to fight back against the threats they face, but it also more clearly and more intentionally calls out toxic masculinity as something some men carry with pride and force onto other men who would rather be doing the right thing. Cary Elwes is suitably creepy in his role as college professor, and every single one of the women – Riley, Kris, Marty, and Jesse – outshines him with their heart and their intensity. The backstory of Riley’s sexual assault that is mentioned is brought forth in a second instance of a halted sexual assault of another woman, Helena, and featured in some flashbacks later that focus on Riley, her experiences, and her pain. It is overall handled very well, and doesn’t stray from the point – that this was a cruel act and that the experiences of the women are paramount. Overall, a great film to watch if you are able to work through some of these difficult scenes – and the violence that inevitably takes center stage. Does the Dog Die.