Movies I Watched and Books I Read, April Edition

in ,
 
 

April has been a rough month for media consumptions so I thought I would combine the posts. I’m watching and reading things but it’s either slow going or mediocre so *shrugs*

Movies in April:

The Drama, 2026 (4 Stars): Boy Howdy, what did I walk into in the theater for this? It was cu-razy. I had no idea about anything when we went, we just wanted to go to a movie. All I have to say is Rachel is the worst.

Mortal Kombat, 2021 (4 Stars): A re-watch with some Blank Check commentary! The new one is coming out soon (With Karl Urban!) and we are very excited. It was such a new and fun adaptation I’m really holding out hope for the sequel.

The Mask, 1994 (4 Stars): You know what…physical comedy is KING. You do not get any better than that.

Books in April:

Eric by Terry Pratchett (1990): We got another Rincewind Novel! Always fun but probably not my favorite going forward.

Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami (2008): This one is a story in 2 parts and I really enjoyed the first part but it truly lost me on the second part. I ended up finishing it because it is beautifully written, the story was just not my jam. I’m going to end up selling this one.

The X-Files Comic Collection 1 (1995): Purchased from the craziest little comic book/ vinyl record store in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. We’ve been watching the X-files off and on for a year plus now and are truly enjoying it so I thought I would indulge in a trade paperback collection. A little disappointed that it had to do with Mulder’s sister. It’s not my favorite story arc in the tv show either.

This Star Won’t Go Out: The Life and Words of Esther Grace Earl (2014): This was an almost DNF, I don’t regret finishing this story because it’s such an important history to the Nerdfiteria lore but I do have some problems with some items in the book that I’ll keep to myself. I did cry though because a child shouldn’t have to die from cancer.

I never know what movies we are going to watch next but we have some movies in the theater I want to see and have plans on going on a double date soon (gasp!) with another movie loving couple I’ve recently befriended.

As for books, I’m slowly working on the Haruki Murakami book, Moving Pictures by T. Pratchett, and a couple shorter reads in the pipeline to make some progress on the old bookshelf.

Movies I watched in March

in ,
 
 

5 Stars

Watchmen (2009) : A re-watch with my brother while he was in town. He had never seen it and I really had to rectify this. Still holds up and guess what, I like it more than the comic. The ending makes more sense, fight me.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) : Also another re-watch with my brother. He has never seen any Wes Anderson and was interested and we’ve been wanting to start a Wes re-watch anyhow. He was surprised at how “not funny” it was. It’s not a knock he just thought Wes was more light hearted, which he definitely gets in his later filmography but there is still a lot of feelings in his movies. Still an amazing movie and I kind of like a more serious Wes.

4.5 Star

Project Hail Mary (2026) : I have not read this book (YET) but this movie was so much fun. A way more light hearted “Arrival” but also maybe I need an excuse to cry and want to watch “Arrival” now.

Hoppers (2026): After a few sleepy Pixar movies I’m glad to say that they hit it real good with this one. My favorite bit is how the animal have beady eyes every time we are looking at them through a human’s vision.

Lilo & Stitch (2002) : There can only be one and it’s this one. After we watched this and so thoroughly enjoyed it we put on the live action for like, 15 minutes, just to see, and oh my god what a travesty. And I am someone who at least liked the live action Aladdin. Original is smart comedy, beautiful animation, heartfelt, and doesn’t treat their audience like fools.

Special Shout Out to:

The Lawnmower Man (1992) : I gave this movie 4 Stars but this is one of the most balls to the wall craziest films I’ve every watched. We have dirtbag Pierce Brosnan, someone who went FULL Simple Jack, and some very early 3D animation that is just a wonderful time capsule of the early 90’s computer animation era. those parts reminded me of a crazed “Reboot” episode.

Here are some of my favorite quotes:

Jobe: “...my birth cry will be the sound of every phone on this planet ringing in unison.”

Jobe: “I saw God! I touched God!”

Dr. Lawrence Angelo: “Jobe, listen to yourself right now. The first sign of psychosis is a Christ complex.”

Jobe Smith: “CyberChrist.”

Why wouldn’t I love this?

Movies I watched in February

in ,
 
 

Not a very exciting month for movies, unfortunately. Some decent ones nothing too terrible.

4.5 Stars

Patlabor 2: The Movie (1993): The tonal shift of the TV shows, OVAs, and then the movies gives me absolute whiplash but I love all three equally and distinctly. the movies are SO SERIOUS. Go watch a TV episode and then a movie, I dare you.

4 Stars

Witness (1985) : I think I saw part of this film as a kid, just the opening in the bathroom and it stuck with me all these years later. A very good film and the high regards are well deserved! Also kind of a crazy score for a movie about the Amish?

The Help (2011): Re-read the book recently so I could watch the movie again. I know this movie is problematic but the acting performances are just so top notch. Every actress just knocks it out of the park. I stan Jessica Chastain.

Bugonia (2025): I was so scared to watch this film, so scared. In this day and age and with the trailer the way it was edited….ugh, I was so worried going into this film. The worries were unfounded, it was rough to watch in a few spots but it really defied my expecations. Jesse Plemons was Oscar snubbed for this.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001): “Welcome to the City of Atlantis!” A welcome re-watch on our Disney Journey. The art in this is just so good and so sharp (literally, everything feels sharp) and I miss Michael J. Fox, the man is so affable even his voice is affable.

Favorite Movies of January, 2026

in
 
 

The movies will never stop. In 2024, I watched 327 films and in 2025, I watched 274. There was a significant drop but that is because we have added “Anime Wednesdays” and TV show Sundays and the current watch is X-Files. We’ve also fallen very hard into Task Master and when we end up eating late or are frazzled from the day we have had we do a Task Master Night. The movies though, they are always there.

5 Stars

They Live, 1988. We watched this on the first of the year with a friend who had never seen it. Seems appropriate for the times.

Together, 2025. Literally had me screaming, will not watch again. Excellent film.

Patlabor: The Movie, 1989. Robots and Biblical allegories.

4.5 Stars

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, 2026. Very much falling in love with this series. Which is surprising. The road to Horror film love has been long and arduous.

Outland, 1981. Space Crime Thriller. Do you actually need more?

Marty Supreme, 2025. I don’t know how I feel about Timothee Chalamet but the boy can act.

The Virgin Suicides, 1999. Pretty faithful adaptation of the book, a little uneven in places but wow, that soundtrack.

Books I read in January, 2026

in ,
 
 

I’m really trying to cut back on screen time. Numerous timers on various social media apps (Instagram, Substack, etc.) and a Focus Mode in the Morning so I can‘t bedrot in the morning. I know it‘s a popular topic and somewhat trendy on how to cut back on the phone but it really does start to encompass your time and encroach on the things you WANT to spend time on.

I took a look at the time spent on my phone and decided that it’s enough and I have set myself up to better use my time for reading instead. I have an old Google play account where I purchased books quite a while ago so those are my “phone’ books, I have 2 kobo readers. One is set up with a stand in my bedroom for evening reading in bed before going to sleep and one is called my “Baby” book that rides with me in my purse. I have also thrifted a ton of physical books over the past few years so I have usually have two of those books next to the couch: a novel and some sort of graphic novel or trade paperback and I alternate reading those.

It has definitely helped. I read 7 books last month and I don’t think I’m going to get more than that this month (also with it being such a short month, I can already feel it ebbing away so quickly) but I am reading a long Stephen King novel and sometimes he is a monster with that page length.

I haven’t been rating my books on StoryGraph but I do track them there. It’s a great app and wonderful alternative to GoodReads.

“Soul Music” by Terry Pratchett : a reread from the past. I stumbled on to an excellent humble bundle of his books and I’ll be picking my way through his collection as the year progresses. Soul Music is an old favorite.

“Forrest Gump” by Winston Groom : I hated this. Words cannot convey the hate read this turned into. Watch the movie instead. As soon as I finished this it went into my get rid of bag.

“The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides : mostly read because it gave me a good excuse to watch the film.

“Gunsmith Cats” omnibus Volume 3 By Kenichi Sonada: just rebuying my childhood but maybe this one should’ve been a bit later in life. IYKYK.

“Hogfather” by Terry Pratchett: I really wanted to finish this in December for Christmas but it just didn’t happen. We will be watching the 2 part TV movie by the end of February!

“The Prairie Wife” by Arthur Stringer: a book I thrifted and got a very good deal on which is good because it’s not making the cut on the bookshelf. It was fine but I’d rather read Laura Ingalls Wilder.

“Cat’s Eye” Omnibus Volume 1 by Tsukasa Hojo: I recently bought and watched the anime of this and fell in love with it and was very excited by the announcement that there was going to be a new release of the manga here in the states. I will be purchasing the rest as they come out and I highly recommend the anime. It has one of the best endings in my opinion.

My Top 5 Movies of January 2024

in
 
 

Much like the rest of the internet, I’ve created a LetterBoxd account to track and rate movies I’ve been watching. I started it last October so my end of the year results were a little skewed since I watch Horror movies in October. I have a nice clean slate for 2024 though and thought it might be fun to talk about my favorite movies each month.

Charade (5 Stars)

I’ve been watching a lot of Audrey Hepburn and enjoying her movies A LOT. This movie was a fun caper and with her costarring with Cary Grant? I wish more had been made with the two of them together. I’ve always loved Cary from Arsenic and Old Lace and the more movies I see with him the more I fall in love.

The Batman (5 Stars)

I did not appreciate this movie as much when I first saw it but it has definitely grown on me more and more. I do hope in the next one that we get to see a bit more Bruce Wayne or if not give me all of the grappling gun,

Poor Things (5 Stars)

I know this movie is a little controversial with people but I truly enjoyed the performances, the costumes, the music, and the settings. It was a visual and auditorial feast.

Anatomy of a Fall (5 Stars)

I’d love to see the French judicial system happen in America. Just a little.

Also the most realistic depiction of an argument between a couple ever to grace a film screen. Intense. Uncomfortable. Perfect.

The Holdovers (4.5 Stars)

I’ve been on the search for actual good Christmas movies. It’s a difficult task. So many are just trite basura.

This is not one of them. Imperfect characters with their own realistic baggage and nothing in common forced to come together for the holidays. I was rooting for all of them by the end and while I don’t want a sequel I do wonder how the characters end up.

Bonus: Worst Movie of January 2024

Fantastic 4, 2015 (2 Stars)

Yikes.

I was catching up on a lot of missed comic book movies and ended up watching this and I gave it 2 stars for Michael B Jordan basically.