Catnip

What was I saying?

On vacation, we watched

Hugo (2011), an excellent family film by Martin Scorsese. Marty brings a lot of “toy train set” joy to his first film shot in 3D (though we had one fewer D in our viewing). Its celebration of Georges Melies is poignant, as well.

Animal Crackers (1930), the kids’ second Marx Brothers film after seeing Duck Soup last summer. It almost feels like something this funny might not ever exist again in the world.

The Truman Show (1998), one of the many 90s films my wife missed while she was on tour, is a great and/or infuriating version of a mind-blowing story.

A View to a Kill (1988), the first Bond film I saw, now the first Bond film my kids have seen, is a towering camp delight. I love this movie.

Inside Out (2015), in which Pixar beautifully deploys a classic scifi trope, creating one of its greatest films.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), an under-appreciated Terry Gilliam gizmo, that is too long, but gorgeously designed.

Black Panther (2018), a wildly overpraised, honestly mediocre Marvel outing, with an excellent cast who deserved better. The action scenes are especially terrible, shot with a weirdly static camera that dares us to stay interested.