I love him because he's the kind of a guy that gets drunk on a glass of buttermilk, and I love the way he blushes right up over his ears

Every now and then, a movie (or a song, or a book) comes along that really kicks my butt. One of these did that very thing.

Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) - "In the heart of the 1970s, amidst a flurry of feathered hair and flared jeans, Gru (Steve Carell) is growing up in the suburbs. A fanboy of a supervillain supergroup known as the Vicious 6, Gru hatches a plan to become evil enough to join them. Luckily, he gets some mayhem-making back-up from his loyal followers, the Minions. Together, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto—a new Minion sporting braces and a desperate need to please—deploy their skills as they and Gru build their first lair, experiment with their first weapons, and pull off their first missions. When the Vicious 6 oust their leader, legendary fighter Wild Knuckles (Alan Arkin), Gru interviews to become their newest member. It doesn't go well (to say the least), and only gets worse after Gru outsmarts them and suddenly finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. On the run, Gru will turn to an unlikely source for guidance, Wild Knuckles, and discover that even bad guys need a little help from their friends."
source: Tubi
I watched it because: I have a soft spot for these little yellow dudes
IMDB: 6.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 70% Audience: 89%
my IMDB: 6/10

notable quote: "Don't cheese me, bro."

MPAA rating: PG

directed by: Kyle Balda, Brad Ableson, Jonathan del Val

my notes: It's OK, not great. The vaguely Spanish Minionese gets old. Alan Arkin is the best, though, and the ending makes up for a lot.

overall: mildly recommended

Ball of Fire (1941) - "A group of professors working on a new encyclopedia while living in a Manhattan mansion take in a mouthy nightclub singer who is wanted by the police to help bring down her mob boss lover."

source: Tubi
I watched it because: I love Gary Cooper, and Barbara Stanwyck is incredibly talented
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: 100% Audience: 89%
my IMDB: 9/10

AFI: 100 Years…100 Laughs (2000) #92

notable quote: "The only thing I thought I could care for deeply was a correctly constructed sentence."

MPAA rating: approved

directed by: Howard Hawks

my notes: wacky, witty, and marvelously well done. Gene Krupa playing drums with matches on a wooden box is mind-blowing. With any luck, the video I'm embedding below will last a while.

Academy Award nominee:
• Best Actress in a Leading Role—Stanwyck

• Best Writing, Original Story—Thomas Monroe, Billy Wilder

• Best Sound, Recording—Thomas T. Moulton

• Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture—Alfred Newman
overall: highly recommended

Lucky Christmas (2011) - "A terminally unlucky single mother wonders if she will ever be lucky as Christmas approaches."
source: Tubi
I watched it because: I was fully into "how bad could it get" mode
IMDB: 5.5/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: Tomatometer: N/A% Audience: 19%
my IMDB: 1/10 🤶🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻

notable quote: "The lottery will break your heart. Buy something else."

MPAA rating: G

directed by: Gary Yates

my notes: EB is in the bottom 10 worst actresses, ever. It's painful to watch her. And—though it's a very mild complaint—Jason Gray-Stafford is too wristy to really be a hockey player.

overall: not even remotely recommended. Like, if I find out you watched it, I'll track you down and slap you into next week.

Greg Davies Live: Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog (2011) - "Greg Davies' hotly anticipated debut stand-up was a smash hit at the 2010 Edinburgh festival. It promises to address every single issue important to the human race. It lies, but it'll be funny!"

source: Pluto
I watched it because: I love Greg Davies
IMDB: 7.7/10  -  Rotten Tomatoes: N/A%
my IMDB: 8/10

MPAA rating: NR

directed by: Paul Wheeler

my notes: every standup is hit or miss. This one's more hit than miss, including the surreal and hysterical title track.

overall:  highly recommended

[the title quotation is from Ball of Fire]