every minute spent in your company becomes the new greatest minute of my life!

Stand up comedy, historical costume drama, animation, Westerns, and Irish humor. It's a veritable cinematic pot-luck.

Jim Gaffigan: The Pale Tourist--Canadian American (2020) - "In The Pale Tourist, Gaffigan boldly goes where no stand-up comedian has gone before: everywhere. The two hour-long specials were filmed as part of Gaffigan's The Pale Tourist worldwide tour, in which he traveled the world--in each country meeting people, eating the food, and learning a bit about the history. He would then transform these experiences into a stand-up set of all-new material and perform it for locals and expatriates, before heading on to another destination and doing it all over again."
Source: Amazon Prime streamed
I watched it because: I saw a clip on FB and laughed out loud
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%

notable quote: "Not liking Canadians is an indication of a mental problem."

intangibles: if you like Gaffigan's brand of humor and know some things about Canada, it's witty enough. Toward the end it got to be a little stretched with all the appropriately-pronounced name dropping and over-hammering at the same jokes (shut up about poutine already)—one time funny, seven times not. Consider it an unoffensive thing to have in the background while washing the dishes.
overall: recommended

The Portrait of a Lady (1996) - "An American girl inherits a fortune and falls into a misguided relationship with a gentleman confidence artist whose true nature, including a barbed and covetous disposition, turns her life into a nightmare."
Source: Amazon Prime streamed
I watched it because: it is based on the Henry James novel, and I thought it would be another expansion of my literary limits
IMDB: 6.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 45% Audience: 52%

notable quote: "Things are always different from what they might be."
story: See the description, above. However, Nicole Kidman's Australian accent leaks through off and on throughout the film. Much like Yul Brynner in The King and I, one wonders if there were NO American actresses available for this part??
visuals: beautifully and dramatically shot
costumes, hair & makeup: gorgeous costuming. Some of the hair styling and makeup is elaborate to the point of distracting.
acting: hit or miss. This is not Kidman's best work. John Malkovich is a cartoonishly, obviously bad guy (shocker!). However, I really enjoyed the performances of Martin Donovan (Ralph Touchett) and Viggo Mortensen (Caspar Goodwood).

intangibles: slow, thickly plotted, and awkward. Ultimately satisfying but it takes too long to get there. 
overall: not recommended

Bolt (2008) - "The canine star of a fictional sci-fi/action show who believes his powers are real embarks on a cross-country trek to save his co-star from a threat he believes is just as real."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: it seemed unoffensive and maybe funny
IMDB: 6.8/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 89% Audience: 74%

notable quote: "She's my person."
story: maybe like The Truman Show for a dog?
visuals: Disney quality animation
acting: the voices are well matched to the characters. I particularly enjoyed the interplay between Bolt (the dog, voiced by John Travolta) and Mittens (the cat, voiced by Susie Essman)

intangibles: it's funny and sweet without being terribly cloying. Rhino the hamster is hilarious.
Academy Award nominee: Best Animated Feature Film
overall: recommended

Unforgiven (1992) - "Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny (Clint Eastwood) reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) and a young man, 'The Schofield Kid' (Jaimz Woolvett)."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I saw it when it was originally released and not since then
IMDB: 8.2/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 96% Audience: 93%
AFI: 100 Years...100 Movies (1998) #98

100 Years...100 Movies (10th ann. ed. 2007) #68

10 Top 10 (2008) Western #4

notable quote: "Any son of a bitch takes a shot at me, I'm not only gonna kill him, but I'm gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damned house down."
story: dark, dirty, harsh, and cold
visuals: almost unnervingly pretty scenery, contrasted with some of the most revolting fight scenes on film. Gene Hackman's character (Little Bill Daggett) did a lot of head-kicking that disgusted me the first time I saw it, which held true now.
costumes, hair & makeup: fantastic
acting: Eastwood is a marvel, and Anna Thomson (as Delilah Fitzgerald, the "cut-up whore") gave a great performance. 

intangibles: very good
Academy Award winner:
• Best Picture

• Best Supporting Actor--Hackman

• Best Director--Eastwood

• Best Film Editing
Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actor--Eastwood

• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

• Best Cinematography

• Best Art Direction--Set Decoration

• Best Sound
overall: recommended

Waking Ned Devine (1998) - "When a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: well, you see.... I sort of messed this up in my head with that dancing movie - Billy Elliot? - so I didn't realize what I was seeing until part way through. 
IMDB: 7.3/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 84% Audience: 88%

notable quote: "[We] grew old together. But at times, when we laughed, we grew young. If he was here now, if he could hear what I say, I'd congratulate him on being a great man, and thank him for being a friend."
story: strange, clever, and funny
visuals: well shot and lit, with some unique perspectives
costumes, hair & makeup: just fine
acting: everybody's good, nobody's great

intangibles: the first hour or so, I questioned my choice. The last half hour, I could not look away.
overall: recommended

Joe Kidd (1972) - "An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader."
Source: I borrowed the DVD from my parents' collection
I watched it because: I've been liking Clint Eastwood lately
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 86% Audience: 54%

notable quote: "Next time I'll knock your damn head off."
story: there are a couple of levels to this story—the superficial one and the profound one that sticks with you
visuals: not bad for a Western from the 1970s
costumes, hair & makeup: nothing spectacular
acting: Eastwood is good in this one. I'm surprised it isn't more well known.

intangibles: makes me want to buy a gun.
overall: recommended

[the title quotation is from Bolt]