A place for my photos and thoughts and stuff.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
A rare example of a sequel surpassing the original. In this case, by a ridiculous amount. There’s a bittersweet quality to it in its quieter moments because the older you get, the more bittersweet life’s quiet moments get. That and some really big emotional payoffs that make you care about all of the crazy action, means this is just a terrific, old-school flick — they kind Hollywood would still make in abundance if it cared about its audience.
…and around these parts, 102 years old is a big deal. This is Saint Mary’s-by-the-Sea in Huntington Beach.
Such a poor, deprived baby.
Not liking the look of things. Perhaps being at the edge of a cliff has something to do with it.
This stretch of beach has such a lovely central coast vibe.
I wonder how many selfies this cute little tower has been in?
ZOMG THIS IS FUN RUNRUNRUN!
This was after she accidentally got some water on her.
She gave the Pacific Ocean a good talking to for that.
There’s a lot to like about this movie, but it all pales in comparison to its role as a showpiece for Peter Sellers’ outrageous genius. His Inspector Clouseau, a terrifyingly incompetent French police inspector who leaves chaos, madness and death in his wake, is iconic, for very good reason. Hilarious.
A lost cause in California? Maybe, but hope springs eternal!
My talent for almost winning has not deserted me.
A rare quiet moment for our little Chaos Agent.
Here it is: possibly the most ridiculously plotted film in history. It involves a deranged small town doctor, an escaped circus gorilla, and…polio. There’s really no describing it adequately, especially since the editor seems to have been drunk, so it’s quite difficult to follow what’s going on at key points. Boris Karloff is in fine form, as usual, and the monkey suit is particularly hilarious. Great and gloriously cheesy stuff.
They’re bravely smiling, but they’ve been stuck in this unloved claw machine in a local Chinese joint for an awfully long time.