What I Was Watching in June 2022
Wow - I am not sure the last time this happened. I think this is a Nicole Kidman-free wrap up this month. I may have to double up in July, because I am not sure who I am anymore. A lot of this month was just mini mind-the-gap moments where I’m watching a lot of things I probably already should have. With week-to-week TV shows wrapping up, it’s time for short show binges and movie watching on the couch to help beat the heat of a Tennessee summer.
Happy Gilmore
Netflix
For some reason, Adam Sandler really irks me. Any of his movies that I like, I seem to enjoy them in spite of him, rather than because of him. This movie was decent, but the frequent use of his ‘baby voice’ kept distracting me to annoyance and it detracted from my ability to truly discern whether this was a good movie. But, it’s a modern classic-ish for a reason, right?
The Verdict: 3/5
The Big Lebowski
On demand
Speaking of a modern classic, my dad decided to continue my movie education this month by learning more about The Dude. While I know a lot about it just by existing in the world of pop culture, putting it context was actually really fun. I’m not sure it’ll be a movie I revisit over and over again, but it was definitely entertaining and one I’m glad to have said I’ve finally seen.
The Verdict: 3/5
The Mummy
HBO Max
I could have sworn I’d seen this movie, or at least the majority of it, back when I was younger but the only thing I remembered was the part that made me probably stop watching it: the swarm of bugs coming out of a mouth. I had an almost visceral reaction to it still, even decades later, but I’m glad I wouldn’t let myself quit, because it really was fun from start to finish.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
The Mummy Returns
HBO Max
The pro: They let Rachel Weisz have normal looking hair rather than the two curls from the previous. The con: I’m not sure I could tell you much of any difference in plot between this and the first. The true con: WHAT ON EARTH WAS THE MONSTROSITY THAT IS THE CGI ON DWAYNE JOHNSON’S SCORPION KING? I legitimately was convinced that would haunt my nightmares.
The Verdict: 2.5/5
Good Will Hunting
HBO Max
Hey, I’m not sure if you know this, but Good Will Hunting is a really, really good movie. It’s funny how that’s never mentioned, huh? It turns out, this film really lives up to the hype and I was invested from beginning to end. It’s definitely embarrassing how long it took for me to watch it, but I’m so glad it held up. Baby Damon and Affleck were really fun to watch, and I truly loved the story.
The Verdict: 4.5/5
I Am Not Your Negro
Hulu
I had intended to watch this ages ago when I read a book by James Baldwin for a book club, but it somehow slipped through the cracks. I’m really glad Hulu warned me it was leaving, because this is a super powerful film and it was absolutely something anyone who wants to actively practice being an anti-racist should make mandatory viewing. It gave a lot of insight I hadn’t considered before.
The Verdict: 4/5
The Scorpion King
HBO Max
I have good news: Dwayne Johnson is not actually a scorpion monstrosity like what I encountered in the second Mummy film. That being said, it is not that great of a movie. The plot is so thin I can’t even truly remember it, beyond a sorceress falls in love with the scorpion king and it ends up kind of all working out in the end? I guess? It doesn’t even remotely line up with the story they tell about him in The Mummy Returns.
The Verdict: 2/5
Roxanne
HBO Max
After watching Cyrano earlier this year, I was very intrigued to see what this adaptation was like, and the answer was: very, very different. Considering I sobbed my way through the 2022 release, I’m not sure I was prepared for the slapstick quality that came along with Roxanne, even knowing that Steve Martin was the star. If I had been more open-minded, I think I would have enjoyed it even more.
The Verdict: 3/5
The Iron Lady
HBO Max
The main thought I had when this movie was over was that I couldn’t believe that Meryl Streep wasn’t British. Like, obviously, I knew that she wasn’t. But especially after seeing her in this role, it seems like she was betrayed by birth in being an American. The film itself was an interesting look into Margaret Thatcher’s life and seemed relatively sympathetic, but I was left wanting.
The Verdict: 3/5
St. Elmo’s Fire
HBO Max
The main thing I knew was that baby Rob Lowe was an adorable saxophone player delinquent. What I didn’t know was that by the end of this movie, I would hate almost every single character in this film. They’re all SO ANNOYING. I had no idea who to root for. It was entertaining, at least, but I just couldn’t be emotionally invested. But a sax-playing Rob Lowe is still worth the watch.
The Verdict: 3/5
Shaun of the Dead
Prime
I’m not a big zombie movie fan. I’m not a big horror fan at all. But there were only a few moments of this film that icked me out. The majority is very much a comedy, just with some horror mixed in. It’s stylistically very impressive to watch and Edgar Wright is a really interesting director. The hallmarks that run through both this and Baby Driver are almost enchanting to watch.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
Princess Kaiulani
HBO Max
This may take the win for my ‘wtf’ pick of the month. However, I realized this was a story I didn’t know that much about that I wished I did. The movie itself was fine, but the narrative was incredibly compelling and I was in awe of how cinematic her story was, both in the romantic aspect (if it wasn’t exaggerated) and in the historical sense and the fate of Hawaii.
The Verdict: 3.5/5
We’re well into blockbuster season, but the theater offerings seem to have already started slowing down, so we’ll see what I end up watching as the summer goes on.