Seen, Read, 2019

1/5

Fantastic Beasts

A very good time if you're into the series, but probably the least stand-alone (other than Deathly Hallows: Part 2).

1/8

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Excellent. Probably the best Spider-Man movie, and the animation style is like a love letter to comic books.

1/11

If Beale Street Could Talk

1/12

The Good Place, Season 1

1/13

Lost in Space, Season 1

1/19

Pirate Radio

1/21

Glass

I went into this having seen (and really enjoyed) Unbreakable way back when, but not Split; I didn't feel like I missed anything they didn't cover quickly. I really enjoy the "realistic super hero" aesthetic.

1/25

Altered Carbon, Season 1

1/26

Bird Box

Annihilation

This was not the film I expected it to be.

2/14

Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho

2/15

The Red Pill

Well that was terrible, in so many ways.

3/8

Behind the Curve

This did a remarkably good job of treating its subjects compassionately without pretending they had any sort of rational point. Very well done.

3/10

Captain Marvel

3/15

Isle of Dogs

3/16

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

If Cirque du Soleil were directed by Fellini. Absolutely wonderful.

3/18

The Postman

3/24

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

4/5

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at Cinema 21 (Program 4)

Life of Glide

The slow-motion shots of the spray of snow in this were beautiful. The parallels between surfing and snowboarding are obvious, but I'd not thought about the technology transfer in board design before.

My Mom Vala

"Boys can be annoying: they think they know everything."

Choices

Surviving the Outback

Beautiful Idiot

Far Out: Terrace B.C.

The first of two films showing in Portland cut from Far Out.

Brothers of Climbing

"I literally typed, ‘Are there black climbers?’ in Google."

REEL ROCK: Break On Through

My favorite film of the night. As is often the case, the climbing films leave me most convinced I'm just not the same species as these folks. Margo Hayes' legs just aren't attached the same way mine are.

4/6

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at Cinema 21 (Program 3)

Far Out: Kai Jones

The other short from Far Out, focused on a remarkably good 11-year-old skier.

Boy Nomad

Grizzly Country

Divided

My favorite film of Program 3. Great chemistry and the most directly inspiring.

Surface

Using waves essentially as a literal lens was pretty amazing.

Brotherhood of Skiing

A short on the National Brotherhood of Skiers and the Boston Ski Party. I particularly appreciate the girl who's really into the hot chocolate.

For the Love of Mary

How to Run 100 Miles

"I H♥te Running" — "Real friends show up for each other, especially when it's the dumbest thing you've ever done."

4/7

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour at Cinema 21 (Program 2)

DreamRide 3

The Moment

A festival-length edit of a feature-length film on the birth of free-ride mountain biking. The tree rides are bonkers.

The Mirnavator

This Mountain Life - Coast Range Traverse

One of several stories from This Mountain Life, this is an absolutely terrifying trip, and probably my favorite film of Program 2.

Sacred Strides

I had mostly thought of the issues around Bears Ears in the context of resource extraction and our current awful political situation. It was good to see it framed by the people whose land it is, instead.

Tierra Del Viento

The other contender for my favorite film of Program 2. I need to go out with my camera more.

Craig's Reaction

The first few minutes of this will absolutely have you squirming in your chair, and possibly turn your stomach. How Craig reacts to it is inspiring (and perhabs a bit maddening).

Skier vs Drone

4/8

The Good Place, Season 2

4/19

The Umbrella Academy, Season 1

4/26

A Star is Born (2018)

4/30

Avengers: Endgame

5/5

The Favourite

5/7

Fast Color

This is a really good film more people should see, but it got terribly mishandled by its studio.

5/18

I Kill Giants

We are stronger than we think.

5/19

Game of Thrones, Season 8

5/26

The Biggest Little Farm

Makes me want to do more with the land we have, but also makes me glad we don't have much more.

5/29

The Expanse, Season 2

6/6

Good Omens

6/8

Rocketman

6/17

Always Be My Maybe

6/28

Chopsticks

7/5

When They See Us

I haven't seen anything this difficult to watch in a long time. It's remarkably well done, from the writing, to direction, to acting, and I came away from it very angry. What we did to those boys is disgusting, and we haven't stopped doing it.

7/7

The Expanse, Season 3

Almost certainly the best science fiction of the decade. I do hope future seasons can move past the focus on Holden.

7/11

Aquaman

This is just not good.

7/18

Spider Man: Far from Home

Very good on its own merits, and also a very good way to reset the tone after Endgame.

8/1

Robin Hood (2018)

8/9

Uncle Drew

I expected this to be terrible. It was worse than I expected. Second-worst thing I've seen this year.

8/18

Billy Elliot

8/16

Alien

Drive-in at the Expo Center. Lots of fun, but the original Alien really wants a darker, quieter environment.

8/20

The Lion King (2019)

It wasn't bad, but you're better off just watching the original again.

8/22

Aliens

Trying to get my nephews up through the classics.

8/24

Brandi Carlile

My first show on the grass at Edgefield; lovely night.

8/30

Refining Nature: Standard Oil and the Limits of Efficiency by Jon Wlasiuk

Blinded by the Light

The "first listen" experience in here? That's pretty much exactly what I remember it feeling like.

9/15

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Celeste's first movie, although she slept through most of it. Made me very hungry.

9/20

Welcome to Marwen

9/26

Argo

Alaska Airlines PDX→EWR

10/2

Murder on the Orient Express

The Late Show

Alaska Airlines EWR→PDX

10/4

Alone in Berlin

10/6

The Iron Lady

10/22

Mortal Engines

10/30

The OA (Season 1)

11/2

Boy Erased

11/3

Chernobyl

12/6

Alita: Battle Angel

Alaska Airlines PDX→EWR

Fun, but very different than I'd expected. Could've used more character development and less gratuitous violence.

12/9

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

The M:I series has gotten a bit formulaic, but this sure is fun to watch.

12/13

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

12/14

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

12/15

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

12/16

Watchmen (2019)

Really good.

12/24

Figure it Out on the Hayduke Trail

Alaska Airlines EWR→PDX

12/27

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

This was good, but it was a bit dissapointing after The Last Jedi, which was stellar.

12/28

The Mandalorian (2019)

It's nice that the plot here feels smaller in scope, especially in contrast to Abrams' tendency to make everything bigger and bigger.

12/28

His Dark Materials (2019)

12/29

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

This was a lot more surrealist (impressionist?) than I'd expected.

12/31

Jane

Beautiful; a really solid way to close out the year. I've also been using the soundtrack as backing music for months.