“Halloween Ends” — A Trick or A Treat? Plus, All 13 “Halloween” Movies Ranked — Worst to Best!

The title of the latest in the “Halloween” movie franchise suggests that “Halloween Ends”.

And, if you listen to most critics and posts in the Twittersphere, maybe it should have ended before the latest movie hit theaters and Peacock last Friday.

I don’t believe in spoilers, so I’ll let you know why you should see this movie and why you might want to avoid it.

“Halloween Ends” is the finale in the Blumhouse trilogy that started with “Halloween” (2018) and continued with 2021’s “Halloween Kills”, which I vowed I’d never watch again.

I have one friend that gave “Halloween Ends” a thumbs down, but he liked the last 30 minutes of the movie. He also loved “Halloween Kills”!

I had another friend that summed up “Ends” with a more colorful review:

So, my thoughts: After hating “Halloween Kills”, I was optimistic that “Halloween Ends” would leave me excited and thrilled until there’s a new Michael Myers movie years down the line.

After seeing the movie, I still hope it’s years before we see another film in the franchise — that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When it got dark outside, I hit play since I watched it on Peacock for free after the bad taste that “Kills” left me with. I was startled by the cheery, totally non-scary Halloween opening to movie! (On second viewing, that radio station audio with the news-looking animation was still goofy, but I could live with it.)

Once that passed and we got into the movie on Halloween night 2019 in Haddonfield, Illinois, one year after the first two movies, I was engrossed.

Corey (Rohan Campbell) is a 21-year-old called in at the last minute to babysit a little boy while his parents go to a party.

Well, the kid, Jeremy, turns out to be a little jerk. But, it’s funny when he tells Corey he’s not afraid of Michael Myers because “Michael Myers kills babysitters, not kids.”

Jeremy decides to torment his “ugly ass boy babysitter” by hiding from him.

After we see the open front door, hear door creaks and noises upstairs, and notice the missing kitchen knife (a bread slicing knife, really?), it starts feeling like a scary, creepy Halloween movie.

Let’s just say it doesn’t end well and we go into a retro-looking credits roll with text from the late-1970s (when the first “Halloween” movie was released).

It’s now 2022 (three years after the babysitting scene and four years after “Halloween Kills”) and we see Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis).

She’s in a happier place and is even decorating for Halloween, baking a pumpkin pie, and writing her memoirs of surviving the evil that is Michael Myers. She’s even learning to process his savage murder of her daughter at the end of the last movie! (Oops, that’s a spoiler if you haven’t watched “Kills”, you should have if you’re ready to watch this one!)

And, this is also where the hate comes in from critics and social media about “Halloween Ends”. If you’re wanting a Michael Myers going on a violent Halloween killing spree, you’re going to shocked and disappointed.

If you want a whole new “Halloween” story featuring Myers as one of several main characters, you might like this movie.

Other than in flashbacks, Michael Myers doesn’t appear until 40 minutes into the movie! And, what a shock when he does. He’s a different man! Whatever evil “it” has shown the previous movies (excluding 1982’s “Halloween III: Season of the Witch”, which wasn’t a Myers movie).

WHAT I LOVED ABOUT “HALLOWEEN ENDS”: The kills in this movie were pretty intense and savage. If the first death in the movie doesn’t shock you and make you say “WTF” or “Oh, F”, then stop watching!

The back and forth between the “Psycho” and the “Freak Show” is entertaining. It starts out warm and cuddly and ends as a psychotic freak show!

And, the last 30 minutes are captivating for sure.

It may have taken 40 years for the final showdown between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode since he slashed her arm and she practiced on him with a knitting needle and a wire coat hanger, but it was worth it!

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE ABOUT “HALLOWEEN ENDS”:

Watching the movie the first time, it took some adjusting to the new direction the movie took with the new character Corey and the focus on four main characters and not just two — Laurie and Michael Myers.

After I did, I liked it.

However, I would’ve loved to have been in the editing room with director David Gordon Green slashing scenes that dragged on and added little to the movie. The running time would have been closer to 90 minutes instead of almost two hours.

Also, I know adrenaline can give you unhuman power in life and death situations, but flipping the damn refrigerator over like you’re flipping a pancake! Come on!

And, I really missed not having the line from the first trailer tease, “Come get me motherf*cker!” in the final cut!

GRADE: B

P.S. In this latest trilogy, I gave “Halloween (2018)” a “B” and “Halloween Kills”, a “C” grade.

It’s hard to believe the “Halloween” franchise started in 1978, 44 years ago, and there are now 13 movies!

So, was “Halloween Kills”, which I said I’d never watch again, my least favorite of the 13 movies? No!

Before I rank the movies, here’s a incredible look at how Michael Myers has changed over the years!

And, here’s Laurie Strode’s progression!

Now, here’s my ranking of the worst to the best movies in the “Halloween” franchise.

“HALLOWEEN II” (2009)

Box Office: $39.4 million

I enjoyed Rob Zombie’s first “Halloween” in 2007, so I had high hopes for this one and went to see it in the theater. I absolutely hated it.

What was worse is that when it came out on DVD, I bought it! The horror! And, guess what? I still absolutely hated it.

I still have it and next Halloween, I’ll give it one more try. Maybe after 14 years, I’ll see it differently. If not, it’ll go in the trash, so I don’t torture anyone else by recycling it!

“HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE OF MICHAEL MYERS” (1989)

Box Office: $11.6 million

This sequel was the follow-up to 1988’s “The Return of Michael Myers” where Michael learned that he had a young niece named Jamie and he went on rant to find her.

Well, in the aftermath of that movie, Jamie was hospitalized for trauma and was mostly mute in the movie.

I was so over her shrieking and crying that I would have been willing to help Michael get rid of her!

“HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION” (2002)

Box Office: $37.6 million

Nothing like a “Halloween” movie released early in the summer! This is the only movie in the franchise that came out in July! Yes, July!!!!

It’s also the first where Michael Myers kills Laurie early in the movie. She’s in a mental institution following the events of “Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later”.

What made the movie remotely watchable was the story line about an internet reality show with kids having to spend the night in a scary house and the antics of Busta Rhymes and Tyra Banks.

“HALLOWEEN KILLS” (2021)

Box Office: $131.6 million

Enough has already been said about this one and it’s still the only movie in the franchise that I’ve only watched once! Maybe one day, I might give it another chance!

“HALLOWEEN” (2007)

Box Office: $80.4 million

This movie was a re-imaging and a remake of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic.

It follows Michael Myers, as a kid, already showing psychotic tendencies. When he kills most of his family, he’s locked up at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium and makes some pretty awesome papier-mâché masks.

Well, he escapes over a decade later and goes on another killing spree and starts stalking Laurie Strode (that’s not Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends.

“HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS” (1988)

Box Office: $17.8 million

After the failure of 1982’s “Halloween III: Season of the Witch” (without Michael Myers), the franchise went back to its favorite masked murderer.

It’s ten years after “Halloween II”.

Michael was put away after the explosion at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital and upon hearing that he has a niece, he kills the men transporting him to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium.

Now, this is back when Laurie Strode was Michael’s baby sister. And, Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris) is living with a foster family because Laurie died in a car crash, since Jamie Lee Curtis refused to return to the franchise.

Remember back at #12, I didn’t like little Jamie. I loved her in this one! 🙂

“HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS” (1995)

Box Office: $15.1 million

This movie was mostly a dud except for introducing a very hot Paul Rudd. He played a very unstable Tommy Doyle.

Sadly, it was the last movie with Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis.

It also concluded the Jamie Lloyd storyline from the fourth and fifth movies in the franchise.

I still enjoyed the movie even though it has some very annoying characters and was a little out in left field.

My favorite part: “It’s raining red Mommy!”

“HALLOWEEN III: THE SEASON OF THE WITCH” (1982)

Box Office: $14.4 million

This third movie in the franchise wasn’t about Michael Myers and no one was interested. However, as a stand alone movie, it was pretty good.

It’s about a demented toy maker, microchips placed in Silver Shamrock masks, a “deadly” television commercial, and other craziness.

“12 more days ’til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween, 12 more days ’til Halloween, Halloween, Halloween… Silver Shamrock!”

“HALLOWEEN H20: TWENTY YEARS LATER” (1998)

Box Office: $75 million

Jamie Lee Curtis returns to the franchise for the 20th anniversary of the original “Halloween”.

After faking her death to escape her life in Haddonfield, Laurie Strode is now a headmistress at a school in California living under another name.

Michael Myers finds a file in Dr. Loomis’ retirement home and realizes Laurie is alive and goes on a road trip.

The scariest thing in the movie is sexy Josh Harnett’s hair. It looked like Michael Myers attempted to hack him to death with dull scissors and only got his hair!

“HALLOWEEN ENDS” (2022)

Box Office: $64.4 million (and rising).

The box office for this movie and its predecessor, “Halloween Kills” were definitely hurt by the same day release of the movie in theaters and on the Peacock streaming channel.

However, Universal reports that “Halloween Ends” was the most watched film or series ever on the platform over a two-day period!

“HALLOWEEN II” (1981)

Box Office: $25.5 million

My teenaged memories of going to movies to see the sequel to 1978’s “Halloween” probably propelled this movie up so high on the list.

Well, that and raging teenaged hormones. I was crushing so hard on Lance Guest’s Jimmy (on the left) and Leo Rossi’s Budd, especially as he headed to the hot tub.

And, the hot tub scene rocked!

“HALLOWEEN” (2018)

Box Office: $255.6 million

In the most successful money-making movie in the franchise (in unadjusted dollars), 2018’s reboot picked up 40 years after the original “Halloween”. All of the other movies never existed. Forget everything!

Michael Myers as a dentist — genius!

“HALLOWEEN” (1978)

Box Office: $70.3 million (adjusted to 2022 dollars — $321.2 million)

The original movie in one word: perfect!

Seeing it as a 14-year-old, it scared the living daylights out of me. Coming home and walking into my darkened bedroom, I could still see that mask!

Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence were amazing.

The horror, the suspense, and the lack of blood made it even more incredible.

And, the iconic phrases: “But, you can’t kill the boogeyman” and this one — the absolute best!

It still gives me goosebumps 44 years later!

So, what are your favorites and your least favorites?

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — September 30, 2022

September is basically over and Christmas is right around the corner!

Oops, I meant Thanksgiving and Halloween! 🙂

Thank you very much for taking the time to check out my random thoughts.

FALL IS COMING!

I just love this time of the year and, clearly, being morbid and twisted!

THRIFTY IS MORE LIKE SHIFTY!

If you’re traveling soon and are renting a car, spend a few dollars more and avoid Thrifty Car Rental (part of The Hertz Corporation)!

I used them when I went to Atlantic City last month. I drove the car from the Philadelphia airport to my hotel in Atlantic City, parked it, and then drove it back to the airport.

They checked the car upon my return and all was good. Once the bill posted to my credit card and it matched my invoice, I threw away my three toll receipts from the Atlantic City Expressway.

Thrifty offered me their “PlateGlass All-Inclusive Tolling” option ($16.49/per day) to drive through the E-ZPass lanes, but I refused because I brought cash for tolls.

Two weeks after I returned home, I got a bill from Thrifty telling me I “declined” the service… but, I “activated the transponder device affixed to the car windshield and traveled through the toll facility”.

Because of that activation, they were going to charge me $49.47! (It showed up on my credit card this week!)

I never touched the device and the three toll agents that I talked to asked if I wanted to use E-ZPass and I said no and paid cash. The fourth toll was coin only (no agent) and the final toll near the airport to return the car was a cash only option.

I disputed the claim by email and two business days later, they replied they would drop the charge to $16.30 ($1.30 for the toll plus a $15 administrative fee).

I told them I’d rather pay $16.30 than the $49.47, adding “And, that $1.30 you paid was a toll with NO attendant and yes, I did stop and pay the toll with coins!”

I concluded with “I’m totally disgusted with my first (AND ONLY) experience with your rental company.  I’ll never use you again and I’m definitely going to make sure others know about it!!! … TOTAL SCAM!”

Two days later, I got this response, “The Toll Authorities reported the rental vehicle going through 1 toll without payment. I have reviewed the toll and see that there is a cash payable option at this location.  As a courtesy, I am adjusting the account in full in the amount of $49.47. Please allow up to 5 business days for the adjustment to post back to your account.”

So, the $49.47 charge posted Thursday (9/29) and I called and they said the “refund” of $49.47 was being processed. I just checked this morning (9/30) and it is pending!

Bottom line: I’ll never use Thrifty again and I’ll save every receipt longer! For my upcoming December car rental, I went with Alamo!

“THE PALACE PAPERS”

It’s now been more than three weeks since Queen Elizabeth II died.

This summer, I read the incredible new book, “The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil” from journalist and author Tina Brown.

It’s a look at the Royal family over the past 25 years since Princess Diana’s 1997 death.

From a monarchy standpoint, this is the follow-up to awesome 2007 book, “The Diana Chronicles”.

Since I know Brown’s reporting pedigree is legit, I believe what she reports and writes.

The book covers how Her Majesty botched the handling of Diana’s death with the Queen basically vowing that no one else in the future (Camilla, Catherine, or Meghan) would have the uncontrolled media spotlight that surrounded the Princess of Wales in the 1980s and the 1990s.

Since the book came out this past spring, it covers everything up to the Queen’s “Platinum Jubilee”, the celebration for her seventy years of service to the people.

One final note about the book: Her wittiness (and saltiness) came through in the first few pages when she attended a 2006 memorial service for the Queen’s cousin, Lord Lichfield, in Westminster.

Brown describes Princess Anne as “dowdy and gruff”, the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla’s (now Queen Consort of the U.K.) outfit as a “box-shaped hat capped off a dour air stewardess suit”, her ex-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, as a “walking pink gin”, a fashionable English cocktail in the mid-1800s!

But, what made me LOL was the overall description of the group of royals and their family, “This was a crowd that could well afford the best Harley Street dentist, but you could root for truffles in the forest of bad teeth!”

Come on, Tina, how do you really feel? 🙂

“THE DIANA CHRONICLES”

Can you believe that Princess Diana died 25 years ago last month?

If you’re still intrigued by the Royal family, I definitely recommend Tina Brown’s “The Diana Chronicles”, which was released in the summer of 2007.

Here’s what I had to say about the book in August 2019: “Brown’s book is very comprehensive and easy to read.  It’s much more journalistic, thorough and fair (i.e. honest).  However, she could be catty!  Meow!

Although the front and back cover featured the same collage of photos of Princess Diana’s life, I really wish the book featured photos inside!

One thing that Brown talked about that intrigued me was Diana and Charles’s divorce settlement: a lump sum of £17 million (roughly $20.5 million) and £400,000 annually for Diana’s office (nearly one-half million dollars).”

GRADE:  A

ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS RIGHT NOW!

I’ve been a fan of Charlie Puth for years now and he’s so adorable. Now I can say that I’m on the BTS bandwagon, sort of!

Charlie’s latest hit, “Left And Right” features Jungkook of the South Korean band. BTS. 

The song is a #1 hit in India, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and a Top 5 hit in Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

Here in the U.S., it’s up to #10 on the Top 40 radio airplay charts.

HITS AND MISSES!

HITS: “The Crown” season five arrives November 9th.

HITS: Part one of the fourth season of “YOU” debuts February 10, 2023 with part two arriving one month later on March 10th!

MISSES: Sadly, Peacock cancelled the latest “Queer As Folk” reboot after the first season! We’ll never know what happened after that shocking kiss in the rain at the end!!!

“BIG SKY”

I’m excited for the third season of ABC’s “Big Sky” because Reba McEntire joined the cast.

It’ll be great having her back on television after the incredibly funny six seasons of “Reba” (WB & The CW, 2001- 2007) and the disappointing season of ABC’s “Malibu Country” (2012-2013).

And, I love the fact that she’ll playing a bad person!

I’m also hoping that we’ll be seeing more of Jesse James Keitel that I fell in love with on the Peacock’s” Queer As Folk”. I’m still waiting to see if she’ll on the third season!

I binge watched the first two seasons recently because of Reba’s arrival and Jesse James, so here are my thoughts:

Season 1: I absolutely love the two female leads on the series, Jenny Hoyt (Katheryn Winnick) and Cassie Dewell (Kylie Bunbury).

The first season covers the disappearance of two white teenagers traveling through Montana. We find out that there are many more missing women, but because of their race and profession (sex trade), their disappearance didn’t get the same commitment from law enforcement. Shocker!

One thing I love about the series is that when it’s time for a character to die, they’re dead! This is something that is not dragged out forever on like most series. That was evident when a big name was killed off at the end of the first episode of the series.

Something that I found rather jolting was that after the first nine episodes, there is a three-month time jump and a new storyline is introduced for the final seven episodes to play alongside the first half of the season’s main plot.

GRADE: B

Season 2: While the bloodshed continued, I found the second season very disjointed.

The search for the baddie in season one continued. Some of the characters introduced for this season’s drug trade storyline were so annoying (two of the teenagers) and some were great (the other two teenagers).

And, that whole new Legarski storyline was too much and too silly. I’m a fan of John Carroll Lynch (“American Horror Story”), but not of Rick Legarski’s twin brother, Wolf!

GRADE: C+

After watching the first two seasons, I won’t get too attached to Reba’s Sunny Barnes because one thing about “Big Sky” is that it’s not afraid to unexpectedly kill characters off!

Although the third season is already airing, I’m going to avoid spoilers and wait until the mid-season finale airs and then binge watch the first half of season three.

I’m disappointed to learn that my hottie Omar Metwally will not be a regular in the third season because of a scheduling conflict! 😦

FINAL “HALLOWEEN ENDS” TRAILER

Is it October 14th? That’s rhetorical, I know it isn’t! 🙂

The final trailer for “Halloween Ends” dropped this week! I can’t wait.

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random (Fall) Thoughts — September 16, 2022

Fall officially begins next week, but many people consider Labor Day the “unofficial” end of summer.

It should come as no surprise to you if you regularly check out my thoughts that I’m ready for fall and what comes after it — the holiday season and winter!

Today, my random thoughts are dedicated to fall (and more).

DECORATED VERY EARLY THIS YEAR

All of my pumpkins and scary decorations are out and have been since July! (There’s a reason for the madness and I’ll share it later this year.)

These two metal decorations are my favorites and are hanging on the wine rack! I love the vintage look!

While I love wine and booze (boos), I don’t want to miss out on my candy corn, too, especially “Harvest Mix”!

“BROS”

I’m ready to see a movie in a theater again!

The last time I saw one on the big screen was in early 2020, pre-pandemic lockdown.

I plan on enjoying my large popcorn and large Coke Zero (and free refills) with “Bros”.

It’s “the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio featuring an almost entirely LGBTQ principal cast”! It’s hard to believe it’s 2022 and this is the first!

Hotties Billy Eichner (who co-wrote the movie, along with director Nicholas Stoller) and Luke Macfarlane (“Brothers & Sisters” and “Single All The Way”) are the leads.

The movie is co-produced by comedy giant Judd Apatow, which adds great visibility to the LGBTQ movie. And, what’s really cool is that Apatow retweeted my tweet about the movie!

When I saw the first trailer, I thought, “cute”. When I saw the second trailer, I was totally sold!

“Bros” hits theaters September 30th!

MY AFTER-BIRTHDAY BIG TRIP

In the past, I’ve celebrated my birthdays in Athens, Greece (2021), Morocco (2018), Paris, France (2014), and in Las Vegas (2012) with Madonna and Elton John (the night before) on stage, of course.

This year, I’ll be going to bed early on my birthday to get up at 2:30 a.m. for work the next day!

However, I have a big trip planned to a secret location before my passport expires!

WISHING I WAS IN CANADA THIS FALL

While I’ve never been to Toronto or Montreal (I’ve been to Ottawa), I’d still like to visit. However, the reason I wish I was there this fall is for a Frosty!

Yes, a Wendy’s Frosty. I last had one — chocolate-vanilla swirl — almost seven years ago.

This fall, in Canada, and for a limited time only, Wendy’s is replacing the vanilla Frosty with “Caramel Apple”!

It’s described as a “classic vanilla base, infused with apple syrup. On top is a healthy drizzle of caramel syrup.”

Yes, please! Bring these to the U.S. next fall!

“HALLOWEEN ENDS”

I’m definitely excited for my birthday to get here. It’s not because I’ll be traveling or turning 39 (again and again), but because Michael Myers returns to theaters (and Peacock) the next day, October 14th, with his latest (and hopefully greatest) killing frenzy.

This is the 13th movie in the “Halloween” franchise that started in 1978. It’s the third and final movie in the latest installment from Blumhouse Productions.

This latest trilogy is 50-50 with me. I loved “Halloween” (2018) and was less than thrilled with “Halloween Kills” (2021). Here’s the short of my reviews.

“HALLOWEEN” (2018)

“It was very entertaining and I loved the winks back to all of the other movies in the franchise that this one pretended didn’t exist.

I loved that the movie was very violent (Michael Myers as a practicing dentist!).  It could be because he’s psychotic and has been locked up and drugged for 40 years!

While the movie was great, it didn’t scare me since nothing can compare to the 1978 original!”

GRADE:  B

& “HALLOWEEN KILLS” (2021)

In my review last year…

“After a year delay because of the pandemic, I was excited to see “Halloween Kills”. After seeing it, I’m glad I watched it for free on Peacock instead of paying to see it in the theater.

The next to the last kill in the movie was phenomenal and the moment of death is classic. Also, the final kill was surprising and shocking!

Now what I didn’t like about it!

For starters, the lack of a storyline for Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode! After seeing this movie, I get it that they’re saving her for the “finale” (yeah, right) of the franchise.

The whole mob scene at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital went on way too long.

While I enjoyed the movie as a whole, I’ll never watch it again!

Final thoughts: The trailer is better than the movie, you see many of the kills, you saved money by not going to see it, and you didn’t waste almost two hours!”

GRADE: C

Here’s the trailer if you haven’t seen “Halloween” (2018).

“THE CROWN”

I absolutely love Netflix’s “The Crown” about Queen Elizabeth II’s monarchy since 1952.

The fifth season, which is expected in November, will cover the early-to-mid 1990s, and should focus on the crumbling marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, his relationship with Camilla, and Diana’s relationship with Dodi Fayed.

Season six will likely focus on the death of Princess Diana in 1997 and the aftermath of that tragedy.

It’ll be interesting how much of the past 25 years will be covered in the final season — the marriages of Prince Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry, the death of Prince Philip, and now the recent death of Her Majesty!

I need the team behind “The Crown” series to consider this for the final scene of the series: “We have breaking news this evening… we can now confirm that Her Majesty, the Queen has died. Repeating, Queen Elizabeth II has passed away. We go live outside Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.” (FADE TO BLACK AND CREDITS!)

“SPOILER ALERT: THE HERO DIES”

I can’t believe that I didn’t know Michael Ausiello’s beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking 2017 memoir, “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”, is being made into a movie!!!

Jim Parsons and Sally Field are the top-billed stars and it’ll introduce me to sexy English actor Ben Aldridge.

I finally got around to reading the book in November 2020 and here’s what I shared:

“I’ve been wanting to read it since it came out, but real life and my own drama (D-I-V-O-R-C-E) got in the way.

By page eight, I was ready to date and fall in love in again. By page 26, I had tears streaming down my cheeks and I was happy no one was close enough to me as I was reading and walking by Lake Decatur to see me crying!

The book is amazing. While it’s a heartbreaking story of finding love, fighting for love, and then losing that love in a painful, year-long death sentence, it’s a beautiful love story!

Many will never experience the love that Michael and Kit did.

Ausiello knew just when to drop a funny line, a pop culture reference, or a naughty memory to bring a smile to my face alongside the tears.

One of the “other four-letter words” could be my favorite word (think “F”). Another is one I absolutely love, but I can’t use it without offending someone! (I won’t even give you a hint on that one, but if you’re busy this weekend and on Monday, I’ll see you next Tuesday!)

Also, after reading this beautiful book, “olive juice” takes on a whole new meaning and I hope to get to use it one day! 

While the movie opens in limited release earlier, a wide release is set for December 16, 2022.

AND, WHILE TECHNICALLY NOT FALL…

“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY”

And, on December 21, 2022, the big screen biopic about Whitney Houston hits theaters.

Naomi Ackie stars as Whitney and the always sensational Stanley Tucci plays Clive Davis, the legendary music maker that discovered Houston.

And, my week was made Thursday when the official trailer finally dropped!

While thrilling and beautiful, it didn’t give much away about her personal life with Bobby Brown or Robyn Crawford, except maybe when Whitney exclaims, “My dream, sing what I want to sing, be how I want to be”.

“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY (WHO LOVES ME)”

So, go away summer, I’m ready for fall and the holidays!

HAPPY FALL!

Here is a photo I took at Scovill Zoo last fall, in Decatur, Illinois.

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — March 18, 2022

Happy Friday! It finally feels like spring across the Midwest and spring officially begins Sunday!

Um, that has nothing to do with spring or warmer weather, but I’m sweating! Hello Jamie Dornan!

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts! I’ll have more in April. (I’m sure I’ll have many random thoughts before then, but I’ll share some in April!) 🙂

SAM ELLIOTT — HOMOPHOBIC & SEXIST!

I’ve been a Sam Elliott fan since falling in love with “Prancer” in 1989. It’s still one of my favorite Christmas movies.

Since then, I’ve enjoyed him in “Buffalo Girls” (1995) with Reba McEntire, “The Golden Compass” (2007) with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, his run on “Justified” (2015) and “Grace and Frankie” (2016), and his Oscar-nominated role in “A Star Is Born” (2018) with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.

When “Prancer” came out, I was 25-year-old and I found Elliott, who was 45 then, very sexy. No, I didn’t have “Daddy issues”, but in today’s world, I would’ve have described him as a “Daddy”!

Well, that’s history now. I can’t believe how belligerent he is!

Last month, in a podcast, he called the Oscar-nominated movie, “The Power of the Dog”, a “piece of shit.” Personally, I don’t care if he liked it or not. That’s his opinion. If he had stopped there, all would’ve been good.

But, when he went on to blast Oscar-nominated director Jane Campion (“The Piano”), “I love her previous work, but what the f*ck does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?”

And, he added, “And why in the f*ck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That f*cking rubbed me the wrong way, pal.”

And, he wasn’t done ranting.

Elliot adds, referring to Benedict Cumberbatch and others in the movie as Chippendale dancers, “who wear bowties and not much else”: “That’s what all these fucking cowboys in that movie looked like… They’re running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie. Where’s the Western in this Western?”

Responding to Elliott’s attack to “Variety”, Campion had the perfect response and is the spelling bee champ, “I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. I’m sorry to say it but he’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor.”

Campion has already won awards from the BAFTA, the Critics’ Choice, the Directors Guild, the Golden Globe, and the Hollywood Critics Association for directing the movie.

She’s the first woman to direct a movie with more than ten Academy Award nominations (12) and is the first woman to receive two Oscar nominations for Best Director (1993’s “The Piano and “The Power of the Dog”).

AND, THEN SHE GETS STUPID

In her acceptance speech Sunday night after winning for Best Director at the Critics’ Choice Award, Campion made a “thoughtless” (her word) comment, “Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels. However, you don’t play against the guys, like I have to.”

Say what?

While they may have built their tennis legacy on the court against women, Venus and Serena Williams were always up against mostly men that ran the tournaments and they ruled a predominately white sport!

Campion issued an apology and clarification Monday!

“THE POWER OF THE DOG”

This Netflix movie is truly incredible, but it’s definitely not an uplifting movie.

All four leads in the movie are nominated for Oscars: Cumberbatch (Best Actor), Kirsten Dunst (Best Supporting Actress), and Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons (Best Supporting Actor).

It’s the story of love, sadness, and repressed feelings.

It was my 9th favorite movie I saw in 2021.

GRADE: B+

OKAY, MAYBE I SHOULD FORGIVE ELLIOTT?

Dear Sam,

When, for much of your career, you embodied the look of a late-1970s or early-1980s gay porn star, maybe it doesn’t take much to rattle you seeing “cowboys” that look like Chippendales?

Just saying!

GO RACERS!

Congratulations to my alma mater, Murray State.

The Racers won their first game in the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament Thursday night with a win over San Francisco in overtime 92-87.

They would have played the Kentucky Wildcats (my childhood favorite team), but the Wildcats were upset in the first round by the Peacocks of Saint Peter’s in overtime!

If Murray State wins Saturday afternoon against the Peacocks, this will be their first ever trip to the “Sweet Sixteen” in the “Big Dance”!

“THE GREAT”

This hulu original series is freaking hilarious.

Two seasons are available and it’s been renewed for a third season.

Elle Fanning plays a young and naïve Catherine in the 1700s who moves to Russia to marry Peter III to become the Empress of All Russia and “Catherine the Great”.

It’s funny and naughty with drama, death, and intrigue.

I described it to someone as a “Rated-R ‘Beauty and the Beast’ if Belle had married Gaston and he was the Emperor of Russia!”

UKRAINE PRESIDENT ZELENSKY

While the tragedy rages on in Ukraine (thanks for the heartbreak and despair, Vladimir Putin!), it’s hard not to take notice of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

He’s definitely sexy! So, who is this man?

Well, he’s had an interesting ride to the top. He’s an actor and comedian and he was the “Dancing With The Stars” winner in Ukraine in 2006.

And, he was the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian-dubbed versions of the movies “Paddington” (2014) and “Paddington 2” (2017).

Check out this fun parody video he made a long time ago — scantily dressed! (He’s the second from the left.)

“HALLOWEEN ENDS”

The latest “Halloween” movie and the follow-up to 2021’s “Halloween Kills” is done shooting.

Filming wrapped up earlier this month in Savannah, Georgia.

Last fall, director David Gordon Green said there would be a time jump in the new movie. Both 2018’s “Halloween” and 2021’s “Halloween Kills” took place on the same night.

Green: “Where we’re leaving these characters on Halloween 2018, the world is a different place. So not only do they have their immediate world affected by that trauma, having time to process that trauma—and that’s a specific and immediate traumatic event in the community of Haddonfield. But then they also had a worldwide pandemic and peculiar politics and another million things that turned their world upside down.”

While I was less than thrilled with “Halloween Kills” and I’m glad I didn’t spend money to see it in the theater, I’m very excited to see this one.

The movie is scheduled to hit theaters October 14, 2022.

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

My (Still Watching At Home) Favorite 2021 Movies

Another year is behind us and it’s another year that I didn’t see a movie in a theater with my large popcorn and Coke Zero (and my complimentary refills)!

Maybe this year! The movies I’m most excited to see are “Halloween Ends” (October 14, 2022) and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (December 23, 2022). Yes, it’s about Whitney Houston with Stanley Tucci as Clive Davis!

Before I kick off the countdown of my 20 favorite movies I watched in 2021, a little explanation is needed.

My top movies are not necessarily the “best” movies of the year or the highly coveted awards-worthy movies.

A movie gets a higher ranking on my list if I’d want to watch it again and again. Some of the movies I saw in 2021 were fantastic, but I have no need or desire to watch them again, so they can’t be a “favorite”!

Let’s begin the countdown with the movies that I saw that missed out on the Top 20! (And, when you’re done, let me know which ones YOU saw and YOUR favorites of 2021!

My least favorite movie of the year was “False Positive” and I saw some of “Antebellum”, but I gave up on it about 15 minutes into it!

Just missing out: #41 “Pieces of a Woman”; #40 “Another Round”; #39 “The Harder They Fall”; #38 “Don’t Look Up”; #37 “Breaking News In Yuba County”; #36 “Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar”; #35 “Judas and the Black Messiah”; #34 “The Father”; #33 “Candyman”; #32 “The Hand of God”; #31 “A Quiet Place Part II”, #30 “Peter Rabbit 2”; #29 “Tick! Tick! Boom!”; #28 “Christmas in Tune”; #27 “Da 5 Bloods”; #26 “I Care A Lot”; #25 “Halloween Kills”; #24 “In The Heights”; #23 “Army of the Dead”; #22 “Cruella”; and #21 “The Forever Purge”.

“THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW”

“PIG”

“SUPERNOVA”

“THE UNITED STATES vs BILLIE HOLIDAY”

“NOMADLAND”

“SINGLE ALL THE WAY”

“ARMY OF THIEVES”

“THE UNFORGIVABLE”

“DEAR EVAN HANSEN”

“THE DONUT KING”

“DUNE”

“THE POWER OF THE DOG”

“FRENCH EXIT”

“BLUE BAYOU”

“SPENCER”

“THE LOST DAUGHTER”

“THE MAURITANIAN”

“THE WHITE TIGER”

Before I reveal my two favorites movies I saw in 2021, here are my favorite movies over the past five years. How many of these did you see?

“PARASITE“

“THE FAREWELL”

“CALL ME BY YOUR NAME”

“LION” 

“GOODNIGHT MOMMY”

Now, back to my favorite movies I saw in 2021.

“MINARI”

“PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN”

Thank you for checking out my favorites. As always, I welcome your comments. 🙂

Happy movie watching in 2022!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — October 29, 2021

Hello there and Happy Halloween!

The way I trick or treat continues to change. Yes, I’ll still take Snickers, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Almond Joy, and Twizzlers if you offer.

But, this is more my way of thinking now!

I’ve only posted two new features over the past six weeks.

The first was about the biggest events and my 100 favorite songs of the second era of my life from 1999-2021 (since I did one last year for my first 35 years).

Here’s the link: https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2021/10/08/my-life-the-next-era-1999-2021/

The last one was some stories about my recent birthday trip to Greece.

Here’s the link: https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2021/10/22/my-big-fat-greek-holiday-2021/

I supplied the links if you didn’t get a chance to read them the first time or if you want to re-visit them.

While I’m not ready to start back my weekly “Random Friday Thoughts”, I want to share some with you this week just for the fun of it.

Happy Halloween! Be safe and beware of psychos!

I don’t mean the ones that are intentionally scary because of Hollywood and Halloween! 🙂

A “HAPPY HALLOWEEN” MEMORY!

Ten years ago, my golden retriever, ABBA, went trick-or-treating for the last time.

Here she is during “surgery”!

She went as a lobotomized dog with a rubber brain under the bandage. However, as you can see, she decided that part wasn’t for her when the trick-or-treating started! 🙂

ABBA was such a trooper and she got her own fun-size “3 Musketeer” bar and loved eating it!

Yes, I took it out of the paper! 🙂

At the bottom of today’s blog, another fun and very scandalous Halloween flashback of me partying in Houston in 1992!

“HALLOWEEN KILLS”

After a year delay because of the pandemic, I was excited to see “Halloween Kills”. After seeing it, I’m glad I watched it for free on Peacock instead of paying to see it in the theater.

First I’ll share what I liked about the movie: I loved that some of the actors from 1978’s “Halloween” returned. Some may be in 2022’s “Halloween Ends” and a few won’t!

The movie also filled in some of the blanks from what happened in 1963 when Michael Myers first killed to his 1978 killing spree in the original movie that kicked off the franchise.

To add to some of those tidbits, a new actor played Dr. Sam Loomis and the resemblance was startling! (Donald Pleasence died in 1995 after starring in five of the franchise’s first six movies. “Halloween Kills” is the 12th installment!)

The next to the last kill in the movie was phenomenal and the moment of death is classic. Also, the final kill was surprising and shocking!

Now what I didn’t like about it!

For starters, the lack of a storyline for Jamie Lee Curtis’ Laurie Strode! After seeing this movie, I get it that they’re saving her for the “finale” (yeah, right) of the franchise.

The whole mob scene at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital went on way too long. The mentality of the mob was eerily similar to the real-life deadly events at the Capitol in January 2021 in Washington D.C. And, to think that the fictional mob scene in “Halloween Kills” was shot in the fall of 2019!

While I enjoyed the movie as a whole, I’ll never watch it again!

This movie’s predecessor, 2018’s “Halloween” made $255.6 million worldwide. “Halloween Kills” is a box office smash at $93.8 million worldwide against a $20 million budget.

Final thoughts: The trailer is better than the movie, you see many of the kills, you saved money by not going to see it, and you didn’t waste almost two hours!

GRADE: C

P.S. ONE MORE “HALLOWEEN KILLS” THOUGHT

Watch the 2018 “Halloween” movie instead. It’s much better.

Here’s what I said back then and I gave it a “B”:

“It was very entertaining and I loved the winks back to all of the other movies in the franchise that this one pretended didn’t exist.

I loved that the movie was very violent (Michael Myers as a practicing dentist!).  It could be because he’s psychotic and has been locked up and drugged for 40 years!

While the movie was great, it didn’t scare me since nothing can compare to the 1978 original!”

“CRUELLA”

If horror isn’t your thing and that brand of “Halloween” violence may be too much for you, another fun Halloween-ish movie to check out is “Cruella”. (“Halloween-ish” because Cruella likes to dress up!)

While it came out in May, I just saw it on my flight back from Greece and it was very enjoyable.

This movie introduces us to Estella Miller, who as an adult becomes Cruella de Vil. Oscar winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) is incredible.

But, my favorite character was Baroness von Hellman played by two-time Oscar winner Emma Thompson (one of those Academy Awards was for acting and the other was for writing.)

GRADE: B

HOLD UP, ONE MORE “CRUELLA” THOUGHT

While Stone was incredible as a young Cruella and will be returning in the sequel, she’s no Glenn Close from 1996’s “101 Dalmatians” and 2000’s “102 Dalmatians”.

But, then again, Emma Stone has an Oscar and Close is, sadly, an eight-time Academy Award nominee without a win! Sacrilegious.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Who doesn’t love donuts (or doughnuts)? I know they are so, so unhealthy, but yum.

“THE DONUT KING”

I just watched the informative and entertaining 2020 documentary, “The Donut King”.

It tells the story of Cambodian refugee Ted Ngoy, who came to United States in the 1970s, and built a multi-million dollar empire by baking donuts.

I was blown away by the fact that almost all of the privately owned donut shops in California at one time were owned by Cambodians!

This is a great rags to riches story! But, there’s a twist — how he ends up losing his fortune!

GRADE: B+

ANOTHER NIGHT AT THE “DISCO”

If you regularly read my blog, you know that I was absolutely enthralled by Kylie Minogue’s critically acclaimed, “Disco” album last November. It brought fun and optimism to a pandemic world!

And, I almost lost it in the fall of 2020 when Kylie commented on my tweet!

Now, I’m so excited that Kylie is ready for another round of late night partying, escapism, and disco beats with “Disco: Guest List Edition”!

It features duets and remixes with Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Gloria Gaynor, and Years & Years (Olly Alexander).

While that would be exciting enough, there’s also going to be a deluxe version, which features five discs (the original “Disco” deluxe album, the new Guest List Edition of duets and remixes, the Live Infinite Disco Livestream concert DVD, and a CD disc of the music from that virtual concert, plus a BluRay of the concert!)

I’m in heaven!!! I’m also captivated by the new video from Kylie and Years & Years “A Second To Midnight”, the album’s first release.

I keep watching it over and over! Is it November 12th yet? I want my new “Disco”!

AND, ONE MORE KYLIE NOTE!!!

The Queen liked a second tweet of mine this summer with three blue hearts! 💙💙💙

Now, if only there could be a “Disco 2022 Tour”, I’d never have to see another another concert after that!

“PETER RABBIT 2: THE RUNAWAY”

My final movie thought is about “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”. While it was entertaining, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the original.

Back in the spring of 2018, I highly recommended “Peter Rabbit” and gave it a “B+”!

GRADE: C+

“AMERICAN HORROR STORY: DOUBLE FEATURE”

The latest season of “American Horror Story” just wrapped and it couldn’t end soon enough.

It was divided into two parts (six episodes of “Red Tide” and four episodes of “Death Valley”).

While I enjoyed some of it, it was the worst season of “American Horror Story” and there have been some stinkers!

I definitely didn’t enjoy most of the season, yet I kept watching!

GRADE: D

Now that this season is over (and the series has been renewed for three more seasons!), how do the ten seasons rank in my opinion?

#10 “Double Feature” (season ten, 2021)

#9 “Freak Show” (season four, 2014) — The highlight!

#8 “Hotel” (season five, 2015)

#7 “Roanoke” (season six, 2016)

#6 “Apocalypse” (season eight, 2018)

#5 “Coven” (season three, 2013)

#4 “1984” (season nine, 2019)

#3 “Murder House” (season one, 2011)

#2 “Cult” (season seven, 2017)

#1 “Asylum” (season two, 2012)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Houston 1992

And, then there’s this one from 2010. I think I made a great Lady Gaga!

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — August 13, 2021

Happy Friday the 13th! If you’re superstitious, beware!

Oh, boo! Forget you, Jason Voohres!

Michael Myers is the man and Halloween is just around the corner!

“HALLOWEEN KILLS”

After being pushed back a year last fall because of COVID-19 closing down movie theaters, Jamie Lee Curtis is ready to go up against Michael again — for the last time?

2018’s Halloween was very successful (it made $255.6 million with a $15 million budget).

The trailer for “Halloween Kills” is out and it’s incredible.

From the title and the trailer, the body count is going to be very high!

“Halloween Kills” is in theaters October 15, 2021.

I’m so ready for my large plain popcorn and large Coke Zero (and my free refills)! The last movie I saw in theaters was “Bombshell” in early 2020 about Megyn Kelly and Fox News!

TRAVEL REBOUND?

Once the COVID-19 vaccinations became available this spring and the number of cases and deaths dropped drastically earlier this summer, did you start planning any big trips?

I did!

Now, I’m very dismayed with the resurgence of cases and deaths from the “delta variant” and the unvaccinated overwhelming hospitals!

I’m going to be optimistic!

With more businesses mandating a vaccination (or weekly negative COVID tests) for employment, I hope the U.S. and the world will beat down the “delta variant” and we’ll see the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths drop again!

“GRACE AND FRANKIE”

Earlier this year, I started watching “Schitt’$ Creek” and “Grace and Frankie” at the same time. I’d watch one series during dinner one day and the other the next day.

By the time I got into the third season of “Grace and Frankie”, I started bingeing “Schitt’$ Creek” exclusively and put “Grace & Frankie” on hold.

After I finished “Creek”, I watched season four of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, a few movies, and then caught up on the new “American Horror Stories”.

As you can see, I was avoiding getting back to the Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin series. Once I returned, I don’t know if it was because of the break or the writing or the flow changed, but seasons four, five, and six were much better!

I love Grace (Fonda), Robert (Martin Sheen), and Joan-Margaret (Millicent Martin), but Brianna (June Diane Raphael) is my favorite.

When the series returns to Netflix for the seventh and final season, I really want them to kill off Sol early in season. Okay, that may be a little harsh.

Just send him away for some reason! While I like Sam Waterston, who plays Sol, I can’t stand the character and I can’t believe that Robert wants to be with him!

Here are a couple more highlights…

The final season is being filmed now, so there’s no release date yet.

“THE MAURITANIAN”

This incredible 2021 movie is based on the true story of a man detailed at Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade without ever being charged with a crime.

While the movie was overlooked by the Academy Awards this year, it earned Jodie Foster a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and a Best Actor nomination for Tahar Rahim in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama category.

Foster plays an Albuquerque, New Mexico lawyer who takes up the case of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a man from the African country of Mauritania in 2001.

Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch co-star and were great, too.

GRADE: A

“AMERICA IN SEARCH OF ITSELF”

This 1982 book by Theodore H. White is subtitled, “The Making of the President 1956-1980”, and is a very interesting read.

Here are a couple of oily things I learned:

The first year that the United States imported more oil than it exported was in 1948. After that, we were dependent on the Middle East!

White added that during the oil shortages of the 1970s, the price for a barrel of oil from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries — originally, in 1960, four Middle Eastern countries and Venezuela) at the start of 1973 was $3.41 and jumped to $41.00 in 1980!

By that year, in the U.S. “it required an uninterrupted eight million barrels every day from overseas to maintain an entire way of life.”

“A QUIET PLACE, PART TWO”

The 2018 original was my #9 movie of the year and I gave it an “A” when I reviewed it.

Here’s what I said then: “The movie ended perfectly for a sequel and one is on the way. Does it need one?  No.  It’s a perfect stand alone movie.”   

So, even then, I had a feeling that I’d be disappointed with the follow-up and I was!

The positives: We saw director John Krasinski again and Emily Blunt is great, but under-utilized.

Millicent Simmonds, who played Blunt and Krasinski’s daughter, is magnificent in this movie, just as she was in the original.

This one felt like it was made just because it’d bring in a lot of money like the original.

The first one made $350.3 million and this one brought in $294 million, which is great for a sequel and in the new COVID-19 landscape with theaters just opening back up.

GRADE: B-

FINAL THOUGHTS

“THE HANDMAID’S TALE”: Since I mentioned season four earlier, I loved this season. The change of pace and scenery was great.

But, I seriously hope the series in with season five!

“AMERICAN HORROR STORIES”: Not to be confused with Ryan Murphy’s other series “American Horry Story”, this is a new weekly series that features of a horror of the week instead of a storyline for the entire season.

It’s like “The X-Files” when it featured a different monster or case of the week!

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — April 23, 2021

Two weeks ago in my “Random Friday Thoughts”, I jokingly posted about breaking up with winter because summer is hotter!

It snowed earlier this week here in Central Illinois!!! That’s what I get! 🙂

Oh, if winter looked like this in the real world, I’d be all for it twelve months a year!

Thanks Gus (Kenworthy) for making my day!

And, thank you for taking the time to check out my thoughts this week! (Oh, apologies to the uninitiated to my blog about the pictures above, but my thoughts are really random!)

REMEMBERING WALTER MONDALE

Earlier this week, the world lost a great man when former Vice President Walter Mondale passed away at the age of 93.

Before become President Jimmy Carter’s vice president from 1977-1981 and running as the Democratic nominee for President in 1984, he served as the U.S. senator from Minnesota from 1964-1976.

Here are some interesting facts from Jonathan Alder’s 2020 book, “HIS VERY BEST, JIMMY CARTER, A LIFE”:

President Carter changed the role of Vice President. Before Carter, it was basically a useless role — other than becoming the leader of the free world in the case of the president died or became incapacitated.

But, Carter made Vice President Walter Mondale’s role real. He invited him into meetings, gave him real responsibilities, and valued his opinions.

At a farewell dinner before President Carter left office in 1981, Mondale said, “Never once did you put me down. Never once did you fail to treat me with dignity.” He made a toast and added, “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.”

AND, ON A MORE INFAMOUS NOTE…

While on a high school trip to Washington D.C., future serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer called the White House and talked his way into a tour and met Vice President Mondale!

AMERICA, GET ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!

Even though thousands are still being diagnosed with COVID-19 daily in America and the death toll continues to rise, more and more of us are fully vaccinated!

In the U.S., 26.7% of us are fully vaccinated! That’s slightly more than one-in-four!

In Illinois, we’re at 26.9% and up to 43.3% for those with at least one shot.

While this is great news, I personally feel that some are getting a little too comfortable a little too soon. However, I’m happy to see things moving toward the “new normal”.

With that being said, more and more artists are announcing fall 2021 tour dates.

In the past few weeks, Eric Church, Kane Brown, Andrea Bocelli, and Sammy Hagar announced new tour dates and Elton John and James Taylor posted new dates for their previously postponed tours.

Meanwhile, last week, Reba postponed her 2021 road concerts to 2022 and Michael Buble did the same for his 2021 U.K. dates.

I’m still waiting for Kylie Minogue to announce dates for her late 2020 critically acclaimed album, “Disco”. As I said before, she’s at the top of my concert “bucket list” and I want to see her in some foreign city!

Call it wanderlust!

How comfortable are you attending concerts with 100% capacity later this year?

I’m ready for us to safely travel again. However, it may still be a while for international travel.

At this point, only 2.8% of the world is fully vaccinated!

REBA ANNOUNCEMENT

Oh, back to Reba! When she announced the postponement of her summer arena tour, she also dropped something that made me very happy!

Yes, new music!!!!!

“ARMY OF THE DEAD”

My two most highly anticipated movies this year are “Halloween Kills” (October 15, 2021) and Netflix and Zack Snyder’s “Army of The Dead” (May 21, 2021).

I’m excited for two reasons: (1) it’s about zombies and (2) it’s set in Las Vegas!

Let’s just hope the excitement for me when I visit in June is winning big bucks (or breaking even) — no explosions or zombies, please!

The full trailer is now out and if you love Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”, take a look and listen!

RIP JIM STEINMAN

Earlier this week, the same day that Vice President Mondale died, the rock music world lost a legendary producer.

Jim Steinman produced some of the biggest hits in pop and rock music including Bonnie Tyler’s four week #1 smash “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983 and Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) in 1993, that topped the charts in 28 countries, including five weeks in the U.S., and Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”, which hit #2 in 1996.

He also wrote and produced my favorite Air Supply song from 1983, “Making Love Out of Nothing At All”. It peaked at #2 for three weeks behind Bonnie Tyler’s “Eclipse”!

“ANOTHER ROUND”

Earlier this week, I checked out the 2020 Danish movie “Druk” (which means “binge drinking”) on Hulu.

While most of you haven’t heard of it, it’s actually nominated for two Oscars this year, including Thomas Vinterberg for Best Director.

My interest in the movie is that it stars Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”).

It’s the story of four high school teachers in Denmark going through mid-life crises.

They decide to do an experiment with alcohol, since a leading psychiatrist believes that an alcohol blood content level of 0.05 makes you more creative and relaxed.

They test the theory and push it to the limits.

While a very interesting movie, I probably wouldn’t watch it again. However, the final scene is amazing!

Spoiler Alert: The captured image above is part of that incredible last scene.

GRADE: B

MORE MADS

If you love Mads Mikkelsen and you’re going through “Hannibal” withdrawals like me, check out “Arctic”, my #9 movie of 2019.

Awesome movie!

THEY SAID WHAT???

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace to Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “There were thousands of complaints of sexual abuse at migrant shelters during the Trump years. Not to say what’s going on now is right, but we couldn’t find one instance of you complaining & calling that out when President Trump was president.”

“ME”

I’ve read several book about and from Elton John, but his 2019 autobiography, “Me”, is by far the best!

I absolutely loved this book and I’d highly recommend it.

I was very intrigued about what he had to say about Michael Jackson (“He was genuinely mentally ill, a disturbing person to be around.”) and Tina Turner.

In 1997, he and Tina had planned to tour together but found her very difficult to work with. His band called her a “f**king nightmare” and Elton agreed!

Elton says she called him at home and told him, “She didn’t like my hair, she didn’t like the color of my piano – which for some reason had to be white – and she didn’t like my clothes.” And, then Elton says, she added, “You wear too much Versace, and it makes you look fat – you need to wear Armani.” 

I loved that he and Rod Stewart have female nicknames for each other.

And, I was so touched when he told the story of how he and his husband, David Furnish, met in October 1993. (Elton was feeling down, so he called a friend and said bring others over for a dinner party before they went out to celebrate Halloween. David was one of the people his friend brought along to dinner!)

He and David are now the dads of 10-year-old Zachary and 8-year-old Elijah.

Since I haven’t had a date in more than two years, I should try that when the “new normal” post-pandemic world begins!

Also, I was curious about what he’d have to say about Madonna.

If I recall correctly, Elton mentioned her four times and three were positive. The other time he spoke of Madonna was about his anger toward her and he said he apologized to her!

THE NIGHT I SPENT WITH ELTON JOHN

Ha! That’s just tease writing! I never spent the night with Elton John — just the evening! 🙂

For my birthday weekend in 2012, I had tickets to see Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” in Las Vegas.

Earlier that year, Sir Elton John was forced to cancel nine shows due to health reasons and it was announced in the summer that he would make up those dates in October.  But, I didn’t have tickets.

As luck would have it, just hours after arriving in Las Vegas, I searched ebay one last time and found fantastic rear orchestra seats for a great price. And, just like that, two hours later I was sitting there waiting for the show to begin!

I’ve always been a fan of Elton’s from the days of my childhood and his poppy ’70s songs, the fun, yet sometimes, moody hits of the ’80s, the more mature themed music of the ’90s when radio began to move away from playing his new songs (except for “The Lion King” and his tribute to Princess Diana), to his recent adult contemporary fare.

Elton closed out his 19-song set with his award-winning “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King”.

It was two hours of pure gold entertainment!!! 

LAST CHANCE TO SEE ELTON

In January 2018, Elton announced his final “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour that would play more than 300 shows worldwide.

The North American leg kicked off that September and ran through March 2019 and then moved to Europe for the summer and then back to North America though November. The show moved “down under” to Australia and New Zealand from late 2019 to March 2020 when COVID-19 shut down the tour and the world!

Dates are now rescheduled and the tour is expected to resume in Europe on September 1, 2021, and return to the U.S. and Canada in January 2022 for 43 shows through April!

MY FAVORITE ELTON JOHN SONGS

On the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., Elton has scored 58 Top 40 hits. Of those, 27 reached the Top 10 with 19 making it to the Top Five. Nine reached #1!

And, he’s had even more hits on the American Adult Contemporary charts. He’s scored 74 Top 40 hits with 40 of them making the Top 10 and 33 of those reaching the Top Five! Eighteen topped the charts!

So, it was so hard narrowing the list down….

“I’M STILL STANDING”

“THE LAST SONG”

“SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)”

“EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY)”

“I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES”

What’s your favorite Elton song?

If you want to see the full blog and my other 15 favorite Elton John songs, here it is! (It should open in a new window!)

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2021/04/20/finding-my-next-love-with-help-from-elton-john/

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

My (Stay at Home) Favorite Movies of 2020

The deadly Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on every aspect of our lives in 2020.

The movie industry was especially hard hit. Movie production stopped, motion pictures were delayed, and theaters closed down changing the way we viewed first run movies.

With that being said, I only saw 26 movies last year.

I barely had enough to rank my Top 20 of 2020 without adding in a Lifetime and a Hallmark Christmas movie! 🙂 Kidding aside, I wanted to see them because of the LGBTQ storylines.

However, after seeing one of them, I regretted it. More on that one later!

A parting thought: While I love seeing movies on the big screen, the thing I missed most was getting my large popcorn (without that nasty butter on top) and a large Coke Zero with a splash of cherry and my refills on both before leaving the theater! 🙂

So, before I share my Top 20 movies I saw in 2020, here was my favorite movie I saw in 2019!

“THE FAREWELL“

Oh, let me know many you saw and your favorite movie you saw in 2020!

“HARRIET“

I absolutely love Cynthia Erivo! Check her out in “Bad Times At The El Royale”, my #10 movie of 2019.

“HILLBILLY ELEGY“

This made the list mainly because of the Oscar nomination-worthy performances of Amy Adams and Glenn Close!

“SHIRLEY“

Two words: Elisabeth.Moss. Okay, two more words: Logan.Lerman.

“KNIVES OUT“

Fun, snarky, all-star cast whodunnit!

“1917“

Oscar winner with the great George MacKay and an acting Harry Styles!

“MANK“

I expect a BEST PICTURE Oscar nomination for this one — very Hollywood. You can see it on Netflix!

“HAPPIEST SEASON“

Hulu LGBTQ Christmas movie with the incredible Kristen Stewart.

“THE CHRISTMAS SETUP“

Yes, it’s a Lifetime Christmas movie. However, it was very touching and I teared up twice (for the right reasons).

It stars real life, charming couple Blake Lee and Ben Lewis. Oh, Fran Drescher, too!

“PALM SPRINGS“

Hilariously funny Hulu original with many awesome f-bombs!

“THE HUNT“

Sadistic and crazy! If you love “The Purge” series, you’ll enjoy it and Betty Gilpin (“Glow”) was amazing.

“FORD V. FERRARI“

Awesome movie, acting, and story telling!

“RICHARD JEWELL“

True story based on the 1996 Summer Olympics bombing in Atlanta, Georgia, with the fantastic Kathy Bates.

“THE JOKER“

Twisted and fun and Joaquin Phoenix was great!

“I AM WOMAN“

Biopic honoring the late great iconic feminist singing legend Helen Reddy!

“THE INVISIBLE MAN“

Elisabeth Moss again! 🙂 I can’t wait for season 4 of “The Handmaid’s Tale”!

“MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM“

I could watch Oscar and Emmy winner Viola Davis act her way through a phone book. I expect Oscar nominates for Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman. It’s on Netflix.

“JOJO RABBIT”

Who knew a movie about Adolf Hitler could be funny?!

“THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7“

If you’re missing the beautiful writing of “The West Wing” creator Aaron Sorkin, check out this all-star Netflix film that will rack up several Oscar nominations this year!

WORST MOVIE OF THE YEAR!!!

“The Christmas House” — this Hallmark Channel movie was so painful, I stopped watching halfway through it. LGBTQ storyline or not, no thanks!

Movies missing out on the Top 20:

#25 “Dashing in December”

#24 “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (Fantastic acting, but I seriously felt like I was on an LSD trip for two hours!)

#23 “Jingle Jangle”

#22 “Little”

#21 “The Prom” (Even my girl crush Nicole Kidman and Queen Meryl Streep couldn’t propel this to the level that I’d want to watch it again. However, it was enjoyable one time!)

“THE BOYS IN THE BAND“

Catty New York City queens definitely NOT enjoying a birthday dinner party in the late-1960s. Amazing performances! So, one Ryan Murphy Netflix movie made the countdown! 🙂

Before I reveal my favorite movie I saw in 2020, here’s a bonus!

MOVIES I’M LOOKING FORWARD THIS YEAR

“THE WHITE TIGER” (January 22, 2021)

“A QUIET PLACE PART II” (April 23, 2021)

“DEATH ON THE NILE” (September 17, 2021)

“HALLOWEEN KILLS” (October 15, 2021)

“ARMY OF THE DEAD” (Summer 2021??? on Netflix)

Zombies! Las Vegas! Zack Snyder! Sign me up NOW!

And, now my favorite!

“PARASITE“

So worthy of winning the Academy Award for Best Picture! WOW!

Wishing and hoping for a much better year for us in 2021.

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — July 24, 2020

I know many of you are taking advantage of the summer heat and humidity and enjoying outdoor activities.

Some may just be vegging out inside in the air conditioning.

Me, I’m just fantasizing! Oh, I mean, I’m dreaming of fall and winter! 🙂

Actually, we’re only five months from Christmas! I’ve already decided how I’m decorating my two trees this year! 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts. If you’d like to comment (or disagree), do it diplomatically!

THE IRONY!

In the 2016 failed presidential election, there was all this talk about building “a wall”, the “wall”, that “wall”, the wall THAT.NEVER.HAPPENED.!

And, now this recent headline about Mexico shutting down the borders — to keep Americans out!

Again, the irony! 🙂

LESS IRONIC, BUT JUST AS TRUE!

“HALLOWEEN KILLS” …. DEAD FOR A YEAR!

While it comes as no surprise with the rampant spread of Covid-19 and rising death tolls, Michael Myers’ victims will live to see another day (well, actually 364 of them)!

The latest installment in the “Halloween” franchise, which was scheduled to hit theaters October 16, 2020, has been pushed back to October 15, 2021.

Here’s what director David Gordon Green and original “Halloween” director John Carpenter had to say about the delay.

TINA TURNER IS BACK!

Norwegian DJ/Producer Kygo is making the world a better place. Okay, he’s taking our mind off real life events for four minutes.

He talked Tina Turner into briefly coming out of retirement for a new remix to her 1984 hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It”, her only #1 solo hit on the Billboard Hot 100!

And, since we won’t see a new season of “Younger” anytime soon, enjoy seeing sexy Charles Michael Davis in the video, which also stars Laura Harrier.

“THE CLINTON TAPES”

Taylor Branch’s 2009 book is subtitled, “Wrestling History with the President”.

This mammoth book (668 pages) was a very interesting read.

Branch, a long-time friend with President Clinton, met almost monthly with Clinton during his eight years in the White House.

They had one-on-one conversations (except when Hillary or Chelsea would drop in to say good night) about life and events he was dealing with as President. He’d use these recordings to vent, write his memoirs, and put the transcripts in his Presidential Library.

What I learned from the book:

In February 1999, Clinton told Branch that he thought George W. Bush would be the GOP candidate for the 2000 presidential race and that he thought Elizabeth Dole could be his running mate.

Also in that session, while he said he was behind Hillary running for the Senate in New York, it “would waste her unique strength across the country”. Clinton thought that a Gore-Hillary ticket would be their best chance to beat Bush in 2000, “but I don’t think Al would ever do it.”

As the 2000 race was getting underway, Clinton sized up the two leading Republican candidates. He thought George W. Bush was “unqualified to be president, but he had shrewd campaign instincts”. On the other hand, he thought John McCain “would make a good president, but he had no idea how to run”.

When they left the White House, the Clintons’ debt from having to hire personal lawyers during the seven-year-plus Whitewater investigation by special prosecutors Ken Starr and Robert Ray was $14 million! (That investigation led to the Paula Jones investigation and the Monica Lewinsky affair and testimony.)

All this starting from a failed land deal in which the Clintons lost more than $35,000 (about $135,000 today — adjusted for inflation)!

The Whitewater investigation that lasted through much of Clinton’s two terms ended with “no charges, required no admissions, made no adverse findings, and alleged no misstatements from Clinton in any sworn testimony”, which had been the whole basis for the impeachment!

Clinton said it was “irksome” that no major news outlets wanted the story, but he was glad it was over.

“THE POLITICIAN” SEASON 2

While there’s no Jessica Lange this time, I absolutely loved the second season of Netflix’s “The Politician” with Ben Platt.

Also, it’s incredible having Bette Midler and Judith Light in high profile roles. I expect Emmy nominations for both next week! 🙂

Definitely check it out.

UPDATE ON “BUBBLES”

No, I’m not talking about Michael Jackson’s chimpanzee (neither are no longer with us)!

I’m talking about Bubbles, the python that Britney Spears accessorized with at 2001 MTV Video Music Awards.

It’s still alive and has retired! 🙂

I had my own Britney moment in March 2019 when I visited the WHO Snake Farm in Bangkok, Thailand.

At the conclusion of the snake show, we not only got to see an Albino Burmese Python, which is white with patterns in butterscotch yellow or burnt orange (most Pythons are dark colored), but we could have it draped over our shoulders!

It was so cool, but Britney wore it better. And, no, I didn’t start lip-syncing “I’m A Slave 4 U”! 🙂

On a humorous side note, we were told not to worry about the snake being hungry since “it had a small child yesterday”! 🙂

FYI — snakes have poor eyesight and they don’t have ears, so they can’t hear you.  If you encounter one, let it crawl on by — or slowly move away and once you’re out of striking distance, run! 

That’s not my advice — that’s what we were told to do! (Thailand has a lot of snakes, so they should know!)

MY LOVE OF ABBA

It’s no secret I love the Swedish band ABBA.

Recently, I shared how I came to be a fan and what inspired me to name my golden retriever after the band.

It wasn’t just them or their music, it was actually something from Australia!

Also, I shared my ten favorite ABBA songs. (By the way, “Dancing Queen” barely made the Top Ten!)

If you missed it, just click here and it’ll open in a new window.

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2020/07/17/abba-the-iconic-band-the-dog-the-six-degrees-of-separation/

Now, sing and dance around the room embarrassing your spouse, kids, grandkids, pets, or co-workers! 🙂

“WALK OF SHAME”

I just watched the 2014 box office bomb, “Walk of Shame” again and I laughed as much as I did six years ago! (The movie only made $59,209 — yes, that’s thousands and NOT millions!)

It doesn’t hurt that Elizabeth Banks is so adorable and funny and her co-star is my future ex-husband, James Marsden.

Here’s what I wrote about the movie the first time I saw it.

“Critics hated it and it was panned by the few movie goers that saw it… Elizabeth Banks plays Meghan Miles, a Los Angeles television news anchor, who is dumped by her fiance.  Her two friends force her to go on the town.  After getting drunk and hooking up with the very hunky Gordon, played by James Marsden, she leaves his place when he falls asleep and checks her messages.  The network is coming to see her show for a promotion to do the national news.

When she leaves Gordon’s place, her car is being towed away with her purse in it.  In her quest to get the car back, she runs into altercations with local drug dealer, prostitutes, the police, and that’s only part of the drama and the chaos.

Many of us have done the ‘walk of shame’ and this is one I’d definitely do again!”

GRADE:  B

trailer

And, if that wasn’t enough, it was my 10th favorite movie of 2014, so here’s a bonus!

“THE WEATHERMAN”

This 1995 creepy thriller by Steve Thayer is fiction, but it covers three things I know a bit about: the weather, television news, and serial killers. It also takes place in Minnesota!

As a major weather event occurs each season, a woman is murdered. As police zero in on the killer, you guessed it, the (television) “weatherman” becomes the prime suspect.

Horror novelist Stephen King loved the book!

“DIRTY JOHN: THE BETTY BRODERICK STORY”

The second season of was definitely NOT as exciting as season one of the series with Connie Britton and Eric Bana.

“The Betty Broderick Story” stars Amanda Peet (“The X-Files”) and Christian Slater (“Mr. Robot”) in the true life story of a scorn woman pushed to murder her ex-husband and his new wife.

Both actors are great, but the story line was too simplistic, repetitive, and way too drawn out.

I was totally over it by the finale!

GRADE: C–

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony