Blog

2025 Movie Diary: Jaws (1975)

This is Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, don’t bother to change my mind. For tight storytelling, an ever-tightening sense of suspense and dread, combined with sharp writing and terrific performances, he’s simply never topped it. Yeah, the shark could be better, but you don’t see it often, and then only at the end, so who cares? And one of the greatest compliments I was ever paid was when I was told, “You’re just like Matt Hooper.”

YES!

August starts at the park…

These are Maximilian sunflowers and they are wonderful!

There’s a whole lotta love going on here. I wonder if any of them ever got married?

Does this tree make me look fat?

All romping and cavorting must stop for the sake of a fine stick.

Central Park’s lake, looking good for August. It’s a man-made lake, but the water level is natural. I’ve seen it dried-up some summers.

Taking a wee “hike” over to where we thought we saw an osprey perched in a tree.

Sure enough!

A tired Jo is a good Jo.

2025 Movie Diary – Top Gun: Maverick

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.