Mid-Season Personal Watching Review

Folks, we've reached the halfway point of 2018 and for many websites that means it's time to count up half the year and figure out what's good and what sucks so far. That's not why you came to Norwegian Morning Wood, though! Our halfway point is a little different - I like to check in in my personal viewing habits and see if I'm on track to beat my totals for last year. I am:

Movies watched in the Year 2018 so far: 127 (+13% over 2017)

Movies watched for the first time: 83 (65% of total, +41% over 2017)

Repeat viewings: 44 (35% of total)

For the record, here is last year's mid-year update and the final tally.

We can also get into the viewing methods, which we didn't calculate at the mid-point last year, so I don't really have a base for, but at any rate:

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Netflix Streaming	54	43%
Netflix DVD	26	20%
Hulu	20	16%
Theater	9	7%
TV	6	5%
DVD	5	4%
Kanopy	3	2%
BluRay	2	2%
Roku	1	1%
YouTube	1	1%

I've streamed movies pretty significantly. Netflix...I do a lot of Netflix. Including Hulu, Kanopy, Roku, and YouTube, that's 62% of the total. Total streaming last year counted for 38% of my total, so that's a huge jump.

This may not be that interesting to many people, but this is a useful stat if everyone counted their own habits. What is really the worth of putting movies anywhere else? It's a look at my own personal reality, which may or may correspond with other people's viewing habits, but I'm at least a guy pretty invested in movies.

Now let's look at release years:

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1930s	1	1%
1960s	2	2%
1970s	7	6%
1980s	11	9%
1990s	15	12%
2000s	28	22%
2010s	62	49%
2017	23	18%
2018	17	13%

As you can see, I've only seen seventeen films from 2018, so I don't totally feel qualified to judge what's best just yet. I also think that a list of the best 2018 films so far would be really obvious (Annihilation, Black Panther, Hereditary, A Quiet Place are all easy picks. There hasn't been that many great ones so far). What I do want to look at is how much 80s and 90s movies are almost the same and yeah, how dominant the last decade is.

Now, there are a bunch of reasons for that - the current decade is the only one that keeps growing so of course there will be more movies each year from that. Also when I'm continuously trying to search out films I have not yet seen, there's been a lot less time since a current film's release to go and see it at some point in my lifetime. Also, new movies are fun and exciting. Of course!

I also have the goal of watching at least one film from every year, 1970-2018. This is a bit harder than it seemed at first, but I should be able to do it. At the halfway point I am only missing 1970, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1989, 1996, 1997, and 2001. The goal again is finding a film I haven't seen. What's remarkable is going through my 293 film-strong Netflix DVD queue and finding so little films that qualify.

This goes back again to putting some real numbers and reality on viewing habits. People often think that streaming services offer many older films, and that may be true with real old, 30s / 40s films, but 70s, 80s, and 90s prove to be a rarer bird. On that note, I went through all of 2017 without watching any movies from the 40s or 50s and am on pace to repeat that. I should probably add a goal of getting in at least one film from each decade.

I'm not sure this is a sustainable goal. I'll be watching only black and white films by the year 2021.

Finally, if I had to rank all the films I've seen for the first time so far this year, it'd be as follows:

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#10	Get Out (2017) - Netflix DVD
#9	Brazil (1985) - Netflix DVD
#8	Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016) - Hulu
#7	Tragedy Girls (2017) - Netflix DVD
#6	Thelma & Louise (1991) - Hulu
#5	Annihilation (2018) - Netflix DVD
#4	Boyz N the Hood (1991) - Netflix DVD
#3	mother! (2017) - Netflix DVD
#2	The Death of Stalin (2018) - Theater
#1	City of God (2002) - Netflix Streaming

This list has been known to change wildly by year's end, so stay tuned in six months when we do this crap all over again.

And, as is tradition, let's talk about the worst film I've seen this year. Undoubtedly this is Lemon (2017), one of the most boring, pretentious pieces of garbage to ever exist. Although it did give us this:

And, for those of you keeping track at home, the on-going list of films and TV I've watched in the year 2018 can be found right here.

What have you watched so far this year?

Sicario 2 and Uncle Drew

Riiiiight.

What?

To be honest, I'm not totally sure why either of these movies exist. But let's talk about them. In the wake of some monster weekends from The Incredibles 2 (2018) and Jurassic Kingdom: Fallen World (2018) we have a pair of really niche weirdo films getting some primo late June release dates. This certainly has all to do with a summer actually filled with studios spreading out their releases, or at least afraid of competing with some of the biggest potential movies of all time. As we usually do, though, let's preview the cultural, commercial, and critical prospects of each of these flicks. How about we start with the less weird one:

Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) is the follow-up to the moderately successful Sicario (2015), a contemplative look at the US-Mexican Border cartel war that focused more on a female perspective finding her way in a violent male world. It is a classic Denis Villeneuve film filled with muted cinematography, raw emotion, striking violence, and personal tragedy. It made $46 million stateside and $84 million worldwide. Apparently that's enough for a sequel?

The biggest elements of Sicario are Emily Blunt's anchor and Villeneuve's subtle direction, but looking back that's not exactly what folks remember, and apparently that's what Soldado rolls with, focusing instead on Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin's shady morally nebulous characters. That's all more appealing on the surface and can form a more standard thriller, but a ultimately more typical thriller than Villeneuve's bold entry.

This is undoubtedly selling the really great performances of del Toro and Brolin short, and despite having a lengthy unbelievable career, this role does seem to fit del Toro like a glove. I've never seen anyone fire a gun like that. And somehow this is the Summer of Brolin, with Infinity War (2018), Deadpool 2 (2018), and now Soldado. I'm not sure what they were thinking with that mixed language title - wouldn't Dia del Soldado or something be more appropriate? Whatever.

I'm curious about the political implications of this film. In 2015 we definitely had cartel border issues, but in 2018 the issue has exploded. Will Soldado take a careful look at the intricacies of border protection? Will it stereotype Mexicans as the drug users, murders, and rapists that Trump and his supporters want them to be? Are its implications inherently right or left leaning - because suddenly that's incredibly significant. I'm curious if it can appeal to Mexicans and Mexican-Americans by focusing on their troubled exploits or if it becomes an indulgent, exploitative ICE fantasy. There's a lot at stake here.

Villeneuve is out and Stefano Sollima is in. He's directed...uhh...well, nothing notable, really. He's Italian. Made a few crime dramas, perhaps most notably a movie I know nothing about except the title - ACAB - All Cops Are Bastards (2012). So maybe that would answer some questions as to Soldado's ICE sympathies.

In the end this looks pretty intense, and considering the rarity of quality thriller-dramas with political implications like this, could end up having some cultural impact. It also feels radically different than Sicario already, clearly, which could elevate it away from that film's shadow. We'll see if it can follow a coherent story enough that it gets some critical love, although I don't get a total sense that it will be as highly renowned as its predecessor. Lastly, I can see it making some bank, there's enough hype around it as an adult summer anti-dote and cool violent ride at the cineplex that it could do well. Also, frankly just by making it a franchise tends to legitimize the series, people want to feel like they're part of this, witnessing the next chapter and on-going Sicario Saga. Probably.

Uncle Drew (2018). So, first just watch the trailer and then contemplate how this film exists:



On some level I'm actually kind of pumped up. This reminds me of a weird 90s children's sports movie or something. I kind of love wacky NBA players goofing around and making movies. For some reason other sports stars don't seem to get into that. It helps when Shaq's on board, who has made more terrible movies than he has NBA Finals appearances.

Rounding out the cast of NBA stars past and present is Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, and Nate Robinson. Not to be outdone, Lisa Leslie joins in the action, too. Again, this is 90s dream. The eponymous star is of course Kyrie Irving, whose commercial character seems to have inspired this whole affair. I wish I was there for the pitch meeting when Kyrie convinced some studio head to make a whole movie with this shit. Apparently this movie was literally just written by Pepsi. Could we be in store for product placement not seen since the glorious days of Josie and the Pussycats (2001)?

And if only Kyrie wasn't injured for the playoffs, maybe the Boston Celtics would have had a great run, maybe even a Championship run (tall order against the Warriors, but damn that would have been good advertising for this movie) and given Kyrie the best summer out of all of us. Just keep drinking Pepsi, Kyrie! It'll help you heal.

There's also some legitimate rising comedic talent peppered in around these old NBA stars. Nick Kroll, Lil Rey Howry, and Tiff Haddish all look like they're on point, along with pop-ins by J.B. Smoove and Mike Epps. I mean, who cares if this movie is good at all, it's definitely just shooting for fun and silly and that's probably enough. I see no world where this is a monster smash, its commercial intentions are just too apparent and making it a narrative film instead of a weird fun prank loses a little of the concept's edge. Still, a basketball version of Bad Grandpa (2013) isn't the worst idea ever. At the very least, this should be a notable cultural film for how weird it must be.

What are you checking out this weekend? Sticking with Dinosaurs? Or families that wear tights together? Mexican drug wars? Old basketball players? Dish it below!

Summer Jam 2018 Week 7: It's Ariana's World

My word, folks - it's officially Summer Time! We're seven weeks in, of course, because who really wants a 10 week summer? We need all seventeen weeks of greatness pumping on all cylinders! As we approach the eve of July, the ultimate summer month, there are a handful of tracks in pretty hot contention for Ultimate Summer Jam Royalty status. We definitely wanted to mix things up a bit this week, though, so check out the nonsense we have firing away!

Hot Jam of the Week: "the light is coming" by Ariana Grande ft. Nicki Minaj



I actually really dig this track. The beat is kind of bonkers and the hook is smooth as hell. I don't see it as super radio friendly, and whenever I think "No Tears Left to Cry" is fading it's played a thousand more times and I find myself still addicted. Suffice it to say that we're all living in Ariana's world right now, and she always seems to work well with Nicki throwing down some lyrics, even if she might as well not be in this track, which moreover feels like a weird advertisement for "Chun-Li." Either way, it's hot.

"Hunnybee" by Unknown Mortal Orchestra

I wanted to go really weird and obscure this week, and this song landed on my desk for some reason. I've been digging it all week, and it's a more chill and soothing track than any garbage Demi Lovato song that came out this week, so here you go. Summer Jam / Radio play potential? That's non-existent, friend, but go grab a shandy on the porch and crank this shit. Or maybe just play it barely audibly.

"Apeshit" by the Carters

I kind of get the feeling that Jay-Z and Beyonce are trying too hard with their videos these days. I mean, we get it, you both his artistic apexes with your last two albums each detailing your sides of some huge fight and now I guess you're coming back together. But this video isn't focused enough on a song (that isn't great to start with), and all over the place in that esoteric way that Jay-Z really struck with basically all of 4:44. Anyway, it's still got some cultural cache and made a decent splash this week.

"Nice for What" by Drake

I keep underestimating this track, and like last week it was kind of an incessant background track that is growing on me more than it should. It's not really all that great of a song, not even the best Drake song (lol - that's probably still "Forever," remember that Sprite commercial. I love 2009 nostalgia), but it's kind of just around, which is cool and works as a track that just about everyone can enjoy. That, my friends, is harder than it looks to pull off.

"IDGAF" by Dua Lipa

This is a track I've ignored for the better part of summer, but I tuned into it this week. It's probably better than I've been giving it credit for and Dua Lipa is one of those great new pop voices that I can never place apart from Halsey or Maren Morris or anyone else. But there's a nice rhythm and flow here that she did really well with "New Rules" as well. You know "New Rules" is one of the Top Songs of 2018 already? To some extent this shit doesn't even matter anymore - the top tracks are whatever you wanted to listen to. But this song has some Summer potential.

"I Like It" by Cardi B ft. Bad Buny & J Balvin

Same as "IDGAF" this song did not hit me well at first, but it's grown on me. It certainly achieves that Latin summer feel, but I still hate Cardi B like 50% of the time. Yeah, this hits that mark pretty well. Sometimes her flow is just amazing, but then it switches to some off-key harsh vibes that destroy my ears. She's also like, definitely brain-damaged or insane, or just a wild chick or something. Again, this works sometimes, but I think she just needs a break - her ubiquity is overwhelming. She's like 2004 Jude Law. That's the weirdest comparison ever.

"No Tears Left to Cry" by Ariana Grande

Yep - back again. You just can't doubt this song. It's doing pretty well and one of the biggest songs we got. I keep trying to figure it out - it's half mournful, half resilient, half-Inception (2010), all ballad. Ariana definitely makes connecting with the youth zeitgeist look easy. "We way to fly to partake in all this hate we out here vibing" is an amazing line that I just figured out this week.

"Never Be the Same" by Camila Cabello

This just felt like a Camila week. I also thought this track's status was faltering, but um...I was wrong. We're at a point where we're in a definitive Camila vs. Ariana duel for the summer, BUT it's still really early. Seven weeks in, ten to go. Can they sustain? We could be in for one of the grandest of all showdowns. Now, this column is unbelievably unpopular, but you've got to stick around to see who wins this shit, right?! I....probably. Who cares. This song is close to breaching that irritating threshold for me, but not quite yet.

Next week...

Aforementioned Demi Lovato tracks, plus new Meghan Trainor, Carters, Ty Dolla $ign, Imagine Dragons, Nicki Minaj, PRETTYMUCH, and NF this week. They all faltered in the wake of our mighty Winners Countdown!! Also, Jay Rock & J. Cole "OSOM" I literally wrote up a paragraph before I kicked them out. That song's good. No room for "Meant to Be" this week, either, which could definitely come back. What are you jamming out to this summer?!