Looking Back: At the Movies (2020)

I have long been interested in exploring the narrative, artistic, cultural, economic, and political implications of le cinéma. While I can not say that it is genetic, my granddaughter (who turns thirty today) has a degree in film studies. However, mostly, I just like to be entertained. In The Before Time I watched about 85 movies a year. In the first year of the pandemic I watched 108.

 Ferrari: photo by Cliff Hutson

 Movies Watched in 2020

Cast Away: photo by Cliff Hutson

1. A Thief of Time
2. Bullitt
3. My Cousin Vinny
4. North by Northwest
5. Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
6. A Mighty Wind
7. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
8. Sweet Country
9. Jurassic Park
10. Hell on the Border
11. Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague
12. Outbreak (1995)
13. Contagion
14. World War Z 
15. Ford v Ferrari
16. The Big Sleep
17. A Bridge Too Far
18. The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981)
19. Support Your Local Gunfighter
20. The Vikings (1958)
21. The Last Stand
22. The Lone Ranger (2013)
23. Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle
24. Jumanji: The Next Level
25. The Phantom (1996)
26. Captain America: The First Avenger
27. The Avengers (2012)
28. The Siege
29. Jurassic World
30. Licence to Kill (1989)
31. Hudson Hawk
32. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
33. Sherlock Holmes: A Game Of Shadows
34. Star Trek: Insurrection
35. Terminator: Dark Fate
36. Bad Boys
37. Evolution (2001)
38. The Andromeda Strain (1971)
39. It Came from Beneath the Sea
40. Mad Max: Fury Road
41. Waiting for Guffman
42. Best in Show
43. Rouge
44. Jaws
45. The African Queen
46. Humanoids from the Deep
47. Gemini Man (2019)
48. Twister
49. Sideways
50. Commando (1985)
51. The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot
52. Apollo 13 (1995)
53. The Producers (1967)
54. Cast Away
55. Atomic Blonde
56. Shooter
57. Predator (1987)
58. Alien 
59. Forgetting Sarah Marshall 
60. Airplane!
61. Ocean’s Eleven
62. Back to the Future
63. The Maltese Falcon
64. West Bank Story
65. The Gauntlet
66. Dirty Harry
67. Magnum Force
68. The Enforcer
69. Sudden Impact
70. The Dead Pool
71. Casablanca
72. The Right Stuff
73. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
74. To Have and Have Not
75. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
76. Silverado
77. The Italian Job (2003)
78. The Italian Job (1969)
79. Wild Wild West (1999)
80. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
81. Lone Survivor
82. Fargo
83. The Blues Brothers
84. Barbarella
85. Romancing the Stone
86. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
87. Greyhound
88. Six Days, Seven Nights
89. Pit Stop (1969)
90. Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid
91. Casino Royale (2006)
92. Young Frankenstein
93. Adaptation
94. All That Jazz
95. Alien
96. Jiro Dreams of Sushi
97. Independence Day
98. Beetlejuice
99. Hondo (1953)
100. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
101. 20 Things to Do in Midsomer Before You Die
102. On the Rocks (Apple TV+)
103. Deadpool
104. Silverado
105. Raising Arizona
106. John Wick
107. Wolfwalkers
108. Trading Places

Film Class: photo by Cliff Hutson

The Old and the New

A Bridge Too Far: photo by Cliff Hutson

Looking back at my list it is abundantly clear that the majority of my viewing falls in the "old" category. As I have written elsewhere there are some movies that I make it a point watch every year, mostly from my rather large DVD collection. Among these are "Casablanca", "Jaws", "Silverado", and "Trading Places."

Our current situation led me to search out films about pandemics. While there are several well known movies in this pantheon, the one I found most gripping was "Outbreak: Anatomy of a Plague".  One of the worst was "World War Z".  Some say that it was a "bona-fide box office hit", but the plot had nothing to do with the novel that it was based on and should have been given another title. 

Of the truly "new" films I found only that is truly worth mentioning, "Greyhound", a fictionalized summation of the Battle of the Atlantic,  

Note:

While I titled this post "At the Movies" (stolen from the program of the same name), all of these movies were watched in the privacy and safety of my home. This is not only due to the restrictions imposed by the prevalence of COVID-19, but also the fact that I just do not want to go to a theater. As beat as I can recall the last movie I went out to see was Sherlock Holmes (2009).

Looking Back: Watching the Detectives

A "vast wasteland"?

Wasteland: photo by Cliff Hutson

The phrase "vast wasteland" was famously used by Newton Minow to describe television programming in the early 1960s. And, many people, then and now, agree with him. But, he also said, "When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better."

For better or for worse, many people have turned to their TV, or streaming devices, to help them weather these pandemic times.  I was among them, and for want of something more meaningful to post I give you my television viewing log for last year.

TV Watched - 2020 

1. Justified, Season 5 (DVD)
2. Justified, Final Season (DVD)
3. Columbo, Season 1 (DVD)
4. Justified, Season 1 (DVD)
5. Justified, Season 2 (DVD)
6. Hunters (part of first season)
7. Inspector Morse (Season 1, Episode 1)
8. Parks and Recreation (Season 1, Episodes 1-4)
9. Parks and Recreation (Season 3, Episodes 1-5)
10. Bosch (Season 6, Episodes 1-10)
11. Westworld (Season 1, Episode 1-3)
12. Endeavour (Season 1, Episode 1)
13. Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (Episode 1)
14. George Carlin - It’s Bad for Ya!
15. Central Park (Episode 1)
16. Dead Still (Episodes 1- 2)
17. Quarantine Quitchen (YouTube)
18. Marble races and games (YouTube)
19. The X-Files (The Third Season) (DVD)
20. Ted Lasso (Season 1, Episodes 1-9)
21. River Monsters with Jeremy Wade (Season 6)
22. Late Night with Seth Meyers (YouTube)
23. A Late Show with Stephen Colbert (YouTube)
24. The Daily Social Distancing Show (YouTube)
25. Eames: The Architect and the Painter
26. Good Eats (Season 15, Episode 4 - Rich Little Poor Boy)
27. The Morning Show (Season 1, Episodes 1-10)
28. Good Eats (Season 9, Episode 16 -Shell Game 4)
29. Good Eats (Season 9, Episode 21 - Olive Me)
30. Good Eats (Season 9, Episode 9 - The Waffle Truth)
31. Everyday Driver
32. Good Eats (Season 12, Episode 13 - Orange Aid)
33. Good Eats (Season 13, Episode 13 - Live and Let Diet)
34. Good Eats (Season 14, Episode 22 - Use Your Noodle 5)
35. Warrior (Season 1, Episodes 1-10)
36. Mystery Road (Season 1, Episodes 1-6)
37. The Outpost (Season 1, Episodes 1-10)
38. Good Eats (Season 4, Episode 12 - True Brew II: Mr. Tea)
39. Good Eats (Season 2, Episode 8 - True Brew I)
40. The Mentalist (Season 1, Episodes 1-2)
41. Feasting on Asphalt (the complete first season) (DVD)
42. Feasting on Asphalt (the complete second season) (DVD)
43. Numb3rs (Pilot)
44. Mystery Road (Season 2, Episodes 1-6)
45. Midsomer Murders (Season 1, Episodes 1-4)
46. Inspector George Gently (Season 8, Episodes 1-2)
47. Midsomer Murders (Season 2, Episodes 1-4)
48. Thursday Night Football (2 games)
49. Midsomer Murders (Season 3, Episode 1-4)
50. Midsomer Murders (Season 4, Episodes 1-5)
51. NFL Prime Football (1 game)
52. Midsomer Murders (Season 5, Episode 1)

A Brief Recap

As goes my reading, so goes my television viewing in that the bulk of it leans on mysteries, or detectives. There were also some cooking shows, but I have yet to find a drinking channel. 

I began 2020 by rewatching a few seasons of "Justified" on DVD. This harkens back to a time when I neither over the air TV nor cable. If I somehow stumbled across a show that I liked, I bought it on disc and then binged watched it or viewed at my leisure as I pleased. Another favorite on DVD is the X-Files episode "Jose Chung's From Outer Space" (Season 3; Episode 20) which, in my not so humble opinion, is its best episode ever.

But, I have on moved to the modern world of downloads and streaming. My favorite series among current programs is "Bosch"; available on Amazon Prime. I have read every one of the Michael Connelly novels about this Los Angeles based detective and really appreciate how they have been adapted to the screen. Truly excellent work. 

I am looking forward to discover what mix of the old and the new I manage to watch in 2021.

Looking Back: The Books of 2020

Reading

Book on Table: photo by Cliff Hutson

Reading has long been the first thing that I turn when I have leisure time. And, last year I had a lot more idle hours than I had before as an adult. But, surprisingly, my total of 65 books was the the greatest number I have read in any year since I have been keeping records, it is only eight more than my average for the previous four years.

This might be due to a difficulty to concentrate, to which others have alluded.  This led me to watching more TV and movies (at home) than I usually do. Not to mention the hours that I spent doomsurfing.

But, still I put up a passible record, here is the complete list:

1. “Residue,” Michael McGarrity

2. “The Fallen,” Ace Atkins

3. “The Boat Man,” Dustin Stevens

4. “The Dark Wind,” Tony Hillerman 

5. “Coyote Waits,” Tony Hillerman

6. “Y is for Yesterday,” Sue Grafton

7. “A Thief of Time,” Tony Hillerman

8. “Skeleton Man,” Tony Hillerman

9. “Talking God,” Tony Hillerman

10. “The Good Son,” Dustin Stevens

11. “The Ranger,” Ace Atkins

12. “The Greatest Books You’ll Never Read,” Bernard Richards

13. “The Western Star,” Craig Johnson

14. “Darkest Hour,” Anthony McCarten

15. “Cover Fire,” Dustin Stevens

16. “The Partnership,” Dustin Stevens

17. “The Return of Jeeves,” P. G. Wodehouse

18. “Justice,” Dustin Stevens

19. “The Scorekeeper,”  Dustin Stevens

20. “The Shape Shifter,” Tony Hillerman

21. “The Bear,” Dustin Stevens

22. “Heart of Barkness,” Spencer Quinn

23. “The Harlem Hellfighters,” Max Brooks

24. "The End is Always Near,” Dan Carlin

25. “50 Things to Do with a Penknife,” Matt Collins

26. "Stuff White People Like,” Christian Lander

27. “Sixkill,” Robert B. Parker

28. “Saturn Run,” John Sanford and Ctein

29. “Iced in Paradise,” Naomi Hirahara

30. “Stalking the Angel,” Robert Crais

31. “The End of October,” Lawrence Wright

32. “L.A. Requiem,” Robert Crais

33. “Fair Warning,” Michael Connelly

34. “The Dreamt Land,” Mark Arax 

35. “On Tyranny,” Timothy Snyder

36. “Devolution,” Max Brooks

37. “The Driver,” Dustin Stevens

38. “No Country for Old Men,” Cormac McCarthy

39. “To Have and Have Another,” Philip Greene

40. “The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook,” Joanie Zisk

41. “Cooking Through Trader Joe’s Cookbook,” Kelsey Lynch

42. “Alton’ Brown’s Gear For Your Kitchen,” Alton Brown

43. “Annihilation,” Jeff VanderMeer

44. “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” B. Traven

45. “Station Eleven,” Emily St. John Mandel

46. “One Bowl Meals Cookbook,” Williams Sonoma

47. “The Lola Quartet,” Emily St. John Mandel

48. “Alton Brown’s Good Eats: The Early Years,” Alton Brown

49. “The Science of Good Cooking,” the Editors of “Cook’s Illustrated

50. "Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food," Paul Greenberg

51. “Good Eats 2: The Middle Years,” Alton Brown

52. “Good Eats 3: The Later Years,” Alton Brown

53. “Matty Matheson,” Matty Matheson 

54. “Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean,” Edward Kritzler

55. “Cooking for One,” America’s Test Kitchen

56. "The Silence," Don DeLillo

57. "The Law of Innocence," Michael Connelly

58. "The Drunken Botanist: the Plants that Create the World's Great Drinks," Amy Stewart

59. "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man," Emmanuel Acho 

60. "Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist," Tim Federle

61. "Black Sun," Rebecca Roanhorse  

62. "Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America," Ijeoma Oluo

63. "East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte," edited by Romeo Guzman, Carribean Fragoza, Alex Saye Cummings and Ryan Reft

64. "American Tacos: A History and Guide,' José R. Ralat 

65. "Desert Oracle: Volume 1," Ken Layne 

Looking over the list this afternoon, I am  amused as I observe the trend from mysteries at the start of the year to cooking and drinking toward the end of it.

Highlights

I always find it difficult to pick a  ranked "best of list".  But, certainly, “Saturn Run," John Sanford and Ctein was one of my best reads of the year. “Station Eleven,” Emily St. John Mandel would also be a contender. 

Two that rank as most useful, but not necessarily best reads, are “The Ultimate Cooking for One Cookbook,” Joanie Zisk and “Cooking for One,” America’s Test Kitchen. The latter alone can rate just for its tip on how to fry eggs. 

Biggest Disappointment 

There is no doubt at all as to which was the most disappointing of them all - “One Bowl Meals Cookbook,” Williams Sonoma.

One Bowl Meal: photo by Cliff Hutson

The book can be easily summed up: cook almost any meal that you would ordinarily prepare for yourself or your family and serve it a bowl instead of on a plate. Still, I would rate it two out of four stars as it does not require one to go on a spiritual quest for the perfect bowl as so many of the books of this ilk ask you to do.

Looking Ahead

With only one book finished so far in 2021, I seem to be behind the curve. It will be interesting (to me anyway) to see how the year finishes. 

Reading Log: December 2020

The books that I read in December 2020

December 2020 Books: photo by Cliff Hutson

"Black Sun," Rebecca Roanhorse

  

"Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America," Ijeoma Oluo

"East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte," edited by Romeo Guzman, Carribean Fragoza, Alex Saye Cummings and Ryan Reft

"American Tacos: A History and Guide," José R. Ralat

 

"Desert Oracle: Volume 1," Ken Layne