TODAY I WATCHED ... (TV, Movies, Sports, etc.) 2024

Smackdown
AEW Rampage
The X Files

Star Trek TNG

"The Expendables 3" (2014)

After a mission in Somalia goes horribly wrong, Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) disbands his original "Expendables" team and assembles a new squadron of younger, hungrier mercenaries to help him go after a ruthless illegal arms dealer (Mel Gibson) who is a former Expendable himself. Once again, mucho mayhem and destruction ensues.
New additions to the series include Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Ronda Rousey, Harrison Ford, and many more. Tons of fun for fans of over the top 80s style action flicks.

"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" (1992)

A lab accident turns a stock broker (Chevy Chase) invisible, forcing him to go on the run from a shady CIA agent (Sam Neill) and his goons, who want to capture and study him.
Director John "Halloween" Carpenter has said that this is the least favorite of his films, due to constant meddling from the studio and him not getting along with Chase or leading lady Daryl Hannah (he later said that Chevy "should be set on fire!") Between that and knowing that the movie was a pretty major box office bomb, I was expecting this to be a train wreck, but surprisingly it's a pretty cool sci-fi action comedy, with decent performances and some cool special effects tricks. Worth checking out.

Doctor Who - The Sunmakers

The X Files

"Batman" (1989)

The Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) battles the Joker (Jack Nicholson) for control of Gotham City's streets in Tim Burton's gothic-pop superhero blockbuster that broke box office records and sparked a Bat-Mania craze that sold a million tee shirts. Nicholson steals the show with his scenery-chewing performance, and the set designs, costumes, and Danny Elfman's score still hold up all these years later.
I saw this movie three times (!) during its theatrical run back in the day (it's the only movie I've ever paid to see more than twice) and countless more times since then. 35 years on, it's still essential comic-book nerd viewing and still one of my all time favorites.

Fat Freddy wrote:

"Batman" (1989)

The Caped Crusader (Michael Keaton) battles the Joker (Jack Nicholson) for control of Gotham City's streets in Tim Burton's gothic-pop superhero blockbuster that broke box office records and sparked a Bat-Mania craze that sold a million tee shirts. Nicholson steals the show with his scenery-chewing performance, and the set designs, costumes, and Danny Elfman's score still hold up all these years later.
I saw this movie three times (!) during its theatrical run back in the day (it's the only movie I've ever paid to see more than twice) and countless more times since then. 35 years on, it's still essential comic-book nerd viewing and still one of my all time favorites.

As far as I'm concerned, Keaton was the best big screen Batman

Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)



Ryan Reynolds returns as the Merc with the Mouth, trying desperately to save his reality from being wiped out of existance. Needing the assistance of Wolverine, he steals a temp pad from the TVA and searches the multiverse for one to help him, since his reality's Wolverine is dead. Leading to one crazy adventure. Plenty of violence and action in this one, with loads of one liners, fourth wall breaking and meta jokes. A really good film.

Fat Freddy wrote:

"Memoirs of an Invisible Man" (1992)

A lab accident turns a stock broker (Chevy Chase) invisible, forcing him to go on the run from a shady CIA agent (Sam Neill) and his goons, who want to capture and study him.
Director John "Halloween" Carpenter has said that this is the least favorite of his films, due to constant meddling from the studio and him not getting along with Chase or leading lady Daryl Hannah (he later said that Chevy "should be set on fire!") Between that and knowing that the movie was a pretty major box office bomb, I was expecting this to be a train wreck, but surprisingly it's a pretty cool sci-fi action comedy, with decent performances and some cool special effects tricks. Worth checking out.

No one ever got along with Chevy Chase, though.

Smackdown
AEW Rampage

"The Jersey Sound" (2024)

This cool little documentary traces the Garden State's many contributions to popular music, from Sinatra in the 1940s, doo-wop and soul in the 50s, to Southside Johnny and young Bruce Springsteen in the 60s and 70s, to Overkill, the Misfits, and (of course) Bon Jovi in the '80s to today's varied hip-hop and alternative rock sounds. Interviews and comments from such luminaries as Southside Johnny, Bobby Blitz, Steve Brown (Trixter), the late Jonny Zazula, "Uncle Floyd" Vivino, Rachel Bolan, Ted Poley, Al DiMeola, and many more prove what those of us who live here have always known - New Jersey ROCKS!

Doctor Who - Invasion of Time

"Batman Returns" (1992)

In Michael Keaton's second go-around as the Caped Crusader, he faces the Penguin (Danny Devito), who rises from Gotham's sewers to run for Mayor with the help of a crooked tycoon (Christopher Walken), and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) a femme fatale with a feline obsession and a skin tight bondage suit.
Much darker and weirder than the first "Batman" flick -- they really let Tim Burton go nuts on this one. Great cast, lots of crazy/cool set designs with even more Gothic atmosphere than the '89 movie. It had been a while since I'd last seen this one, but I think I may prefer it over the O.G. nowadays. Unfortunately, the franchise took a swift nose dive after this installment, as Burton left to make way for Joel Schumacher's pair of campy, neon cheese fests.

"Spread" (2024)

An out of work journalist (former TV teen queen Elizabeth Gillies of "Victorious" fame) reluctantly accepts a temp job at "Spread," a low-rent adult magazine that's on the verge of bankruptcy. As the new, hip young blood on staff, she's assigned to turn the mag's fortunes around by developing its online presence. In spite of her initial distaste for the subject matter (and for her new co-workers) she eventually realizes that porno people are regular people, too.
This Tubi original is a cheap, breezy workplace comedy (with a dash of rom-com) that has a fair share of laughs. The cast (which also includes Harvey Keitel as the mag's Larry Flynt-ish publisher and Diedrich "Office Space" Baeder as Gillies' dad) makes the most of the thin premise. Better than I expected.

"Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly" (2017)

A dreadfully dull documentary in which an endless parade of psychologists and other "experts" weigh in on porn addiction, its effect on society as a whole, how to combat it, and blah de blah de blah.
In other words... it's 90 minutes of "Kids? Porn is bad, mmm-kay? It's gonna mess up your brain, mmm-kay?"
The only reason I pressed "play" on this flick was because it was narrated by James Hetfield of Metallica (of all people!), which made it just weird enough to pique my curiosity. I'd love to know how the hell he got involved with this project. Maybe he has had, errr, "issues" in this area? Whatever. Watching paint dry would have been more interesting than this doc.
For the love of God, AVOID.

"Jane and the Lost City" (1987)

In 1940s Africa, a bumbling British colonel and his blonde, ditzy secretary "Jane" set off on an expedition to find a legendary lost city of diamonds before a team of Nazis (led by Maude "Octopussy" Adams) can beat them to it. Sam "Flash Gordon" Jones is the dim-bulb soldier of fortune guiding them to the treasure.
This silly, breezy adventure spoof is based on a British comic strip from the 1940s, with which I am unfamiliar. The running gag where Jane's clothes are constantly, accidentally torn off by passing cars, wild animals, and other random things is apparently carried over from the strip. Those bits of T&A provide the film's most interesting moments. (Kirsten Hughes, who plays Jane, is quite the babe.)
An OK time waster but not a must see unless you're compelled to watch every "Indiana Jones" knock-off ever made.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978)

A San Francisco health inspector (Donald Sutherland) and his colleague (Brooke Adams) discover that an alien race is slowly "replacing" their fellow city dwellers with duplicates grown in plant-like 'pods.' Soon everyone around them has become part of the alien plot (don't fall asleep!), as they struggle to escape the city so they can get the word out about the invasion.
This remake of the 1950's paranoid sci-fi classic has held up pretty well, with some suitably gooey effects and an overall atmosphere of creeping dread. One of the better remakes of the era.

"Strangeland" (aka "Dee Snider's Strangeland," 1998)

A police detective hunts for a tattooed, pierced, and heavily body-modified torture fiend and serial killer known as "Captain Howdy" (Dee Snider), who kidnapped his daughter after contacting her via an Internet chat room.
Loosely inspired by the Twisted Sister track "Horror-Teria" from 1984's Stay Hungry, this oh-so-90s flick was supposed to turn Dee into the next big horror icon ala Freddy or Jason, but it didn't quite work out that way. This flick looks cheap and feels like an episode of "Criminal Minds" stretched out to feature length. The nu-metal soundtrack, body-mod backdrop, and 90s Internet tech make the movie look dated as hell.
Dee spent much of the next decade trying to get a sequel to this movie off the ground, without success. Perhaps we should be grateful.
Worth watching once for Twisted Sister fans and cult horror aficionados, but not a must see by any means.

Modern Family

AEW Rampage
Tales From the Darkside

"Logan's Run" (1976)

In a post-apocalyptic future, humans live in a giant domed city where life is devoted to seeking pleasure -- the catch is, you can only live until age 30. Anyone who tries to extend that life span is called a "runner," and they are hunted down and terminated by policemen known as "Sandmen."
When a Sandman (Michael York) is assigned to pose as a "runner" and seek out a mythical place outside the dome known as "Sanctuary," it sends him and a female runner (Jenny Agutter) on an adventure that changes their entire world view.
This 70s dystopian cult classic is an old favorite of mine; the sets and special effects look pretty kitschy by today's standards, but they were state-of-the-art back in the day. I revisit this one every couple of years and it's still holding up well.

Evil on Paramount Plus

"Dark Tower" (1987)

A detective believes there may be a supernatural force  behind a series of mysterious deaths at an under-construction luxury office tower. He hires a parapsychologist to help him investigate, and they uncover a sinister connection to the building's foxy lady architect (Jenny "Logan's Run" Agutter).
...a pretty dull Spanish/American horror thriller that's very slow moving and talky, with minimal gore and laughably cheap FX.. Things pick up slightly towards the end, when the terrified Agutter is being chased thru endless corridors while wearing very little clothing, but otherwise you can easily skip this cheapie.

Captain America - The First Avenger