Jennette's Blog

Movie Review: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Netflix)

December 27, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Netflix.

This movie is based on Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's play. You may have seen Fences (another play of his). Denzel Washington has made it a goal to produce his work to the big screen and we are lucky that he is doing it.

The story of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom should definitely be told. Set in Chicago, 1927. A recording session. Tensions rise between Ma Rainey, her ambitious horn player and the white management determined to control the uncontrollable "Mother of the Blues".

So many themes in this movie that go hand in hand with what is happening in the world right now and this is set in 1927 --- shows how far we haven't come.

Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman were simply amazing. I'm sure they will both be nominated for some awards and they truly deserve it. I hope he wins for his last performance. He was truly amazing --- especially when I think what he was battling personally while shooting this role.

For more information on Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Wonder Woman 1984 (HBO Max)

December 26, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on HBO Max.

If you liked the first one, you'll like this one.

It's another story about Wonder Woman and where her life is in 1984. The storyline is great and I enjoyed it.

The action scenes didn't disappoint. There is a fun extra at the end during the credits which could possibly set up another one. Either way, make sure you watch the credits.

For more information on WW84, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Greyhound (Apple TV+)

December 26, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Apple TV+.

It was an intense movie from start to finish. If you like military/war movies, you'll love this one.

The story is about a first-time captain (Tom Hanks) who leads the escort contingent of a convoy of Allied ships carrying thousands of soldiers and tons of supplies across the treacherous waters of the "Black Pit" to Great Britain. With no air cover protection for four days, the commander and his convoy must battle the surrounding enemy submarines in order to help the Allies win the war.

What was interesting to me is that my dad was in the Navy and worked on an air craft carrier during a later war. This movie showed me how important air craft carriers were to the winning of the war. When they didn't have aircover, they had to go through this. At the end of the movie, it stated that during that war (WW II) they lost 3500 ships and 72,000 people in the Black Pit. It made me understand how important Air Craft Carriers were to the war effort.

For more information on Greyhound, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Soul (Disney +)

December 25, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Disney Plus.

I loved the story. I cried. Then I laughed till I cried some more. I enjoyed every minute of it. So good.

I was especially interested in seeing this film because my friend Tia Fuller from Beyonce's Band was the musical genius behind the portrayal of the saxaphone player Dorothea Williams. Angela Bassett voiced the character but any time you hear her playing the saxaphone those are the stylings of my friend. She did a fantastic job.

For more information on Soul, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Jingle Jangle (Netflix)

December 24, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Netflix.

It is a musical and it doesn't disappoint. I felt it was just the right even mix of dialogue and meaningful songs. The actors did a fantastic job and the story was very enjoyable.

For more information on Jingle Jangle, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

December 22, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Netflix.

I have been wanting to see this because Aaron Sorkin directed it and I love his work. This movie did not disappoint.

The movie tells the  story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. It's a true story and was very well done.

For more information on The Trial of the Chicago 7, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Prom (Netflix)

December 22, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Netflix.

It was a musical through and through. Most of the dialogue was sung. So if you aren't into musicals, you won't like it.

I enjoyed it for the most part. The story was great. The musical numbers were good but not over the top which I liked. James Corden and Meryl Streep didn't have good chemistry toward the beginning of the movie, but the more the movie went on, the better it got. I really enjoyed it overall, even though I'm not usually a big fan of musicals.

For more information on The Prom, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Holidate (Netflix)

December 21, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Netflix.

It was silly and predictable. There were funny scenes and there were romantic scenes. Overall a pretty reliable rom-com.

For more information on the movie Holidate, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Safety (Disney +)

December 21, 2020

Mom, Dad & I watched this tonight on Disney +.

I love true stories as I think they are so relateable. This movie tells the story of Ray-Ray McElrathbey, a freshman football player for Clemson University, who secretly brings his younger brother on campus after his mom gets put in rehab.

For more information on the movie Safety, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Happiest Season (Hulu)

November 30, 2020

I was looking for a holiday movie to watch last night and I stumbled onto the Happiest Season on Hulu.

I thought it was romantic and cute and not necessarily predictable. It is an LGBTQ+ movie and if you look at it as another coming out movie, then you might be disappointed. I enjoyed it for what it was - a cute romantic holiday movie about 2 people in love and the hardships they go through at times.

Movie Fun: Karate Kid

September 30, 2020

I have been hearing about this new show on Netflix called Cobra Kai and when I heard it was a continuation of the Karate Kid movies, I knew I wanted to watch it as I enjoyed all of the films when I was a kid. I decided though that I would need to rewatch the original movies to really go back in time to remember them.

I got to enjoy them all over again. Mr. Miyagi's teachings are the best.

I watched all 4 movies (yes I even watched The Next Karate Kid with Hilary Swank). Now I'm ready to watch Cobra Kai. I hope it's good. I'm sure I'll post about Cobra Kai in a few weeks on my TV blog.

Movie Tribute: Chadwick Boseman

September 15, 2020

I was very saddened to learn of the death of Chadwick Boseman. I always enjoyed his movies.

I decided to spend the last few weeks watching some of his movies to honor his life.

Here's a list of what I watched (and my brief thoughts!)

Previously Seen:


• Black Panther - Great movie
• Draft Day - enjoyable. He only has a small role.
• 21 Bridges - Predictable but enjoyable.

Watched for the First Time:


• 42 - Biopic of Jackie Robinson - EXCELLENT
• Marshall - Biopic of Thurgood Marshall - EXCELLENT
• Get On Up - Biopic of James Brown - EXCELLENT
• Da Five Bloods - great movie available on Netflix

As I look back on his short career, he played some fantastic roles and got to tell the stories of greats like James Brown, Jackie Robinson and Thurgood Marshall. There are actors with careers that are 3 times as long as his and will never portray such iconic roles. He had a tremendous impact on the films he did and his loss will be felt for years to come.

Movie Fun: Catching up on Older Movies

August 13, 2020

When the pandemic hit in mid-March, my visits to the movie theater stopped. This made me very sad as it was a weekly occurance for me to go to the theaters (sometimes 2-3 times a week). I was missing my movie watching tremendously.

So I decided to make a list of all of the older movies that I wanted to see but never had time to watch.

This summer I've been slowly making my way through the list. Here's a list of what I've seen so far (and my brief thoughts!)

• The Big Lebowski - weird, but glad I finally saw it.
• The Godfather (Parts 1-3) - great movies
• Shawshank Redemption - Fantastic movie. If you haven't seen it - WATCH IT!
• Primal Fear - very good
• The Outsiders - enjoyable
• Rain Man - excellent film
• Moonstruck - fun and enjoyable
• My Cousin Vinny - very enjoyable
• Awakenings - Great film
• The Fisher King - interesting. Robin Williams was great.
• Mystic Pizza - very cute.
• Snowden - thought provoking.

I also made a list of movies I wanted to watch again as it had been too long and I remembered enjoying them.

• The Game - None of my family had ever seen this movie so I was thrilled to share it with them --- it's a movie I always recommended to people when I worked at Blockbuster and everyone always loved it.
• Father's Day - Robin Williams is SO FUNNY!
• The Pelican Brief - Suspenseful!
• The Firm - great thriller
• What's Up Doc - classic
• City Slickers - just as funny all these years later
• Oceans 11, Oceans 12 & Oceans 13 - I love the twists & turns in the Oceans series.
• Hamilton - I saw it live on stage but when it premiered on Disney Plus I knew I wanted to watch it again. It was even better as I could turn on the closed captioning and I felt like I could understand and catch everything.

Movie Fun: My favorite movies from Every Year I've been alive

June 22, 2020

I've officially been on the earth for 42 years tomorrow. It got me thinking about 42 years of movies I've enjoyed.

Here's my own Personal Movie of the Year List (for every year I have lived). Some years had a few movies worth noting but I limited it to 5 at most...please keep in mind this is my own personal list and I'm not saying that there aren't other good or worthy movies that were released during these years ---- but these are my personal favorites. I bolded my top 5 overall.

• 1978 - Grease
• 1979 – Black Stallion and Hair
• 1980 – Somewhere in Time and Urban Cowboy
• 1981 – Raiders of the Lost Ark
• 1982 – ET, Annie, Grease 2, and Secret of Nimh
• 1983 – Terms of Endearment
• 1984 – Sixteen Candles
• 1985 – The Goonies, Back to the Future, Breakfast Club, and Summer Rental
• 1986 – Stand By Me, Pretty in Pink, and Short Circuit
• 1987 – Dirty Dancing, Overboard, Adventures in Babysitting, Can’t Buy Me Love and The Secret of My Success (The Princess Bride is a close 6th)
• 1988 – Beaches, Beetlejuice, Willow, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Twins
• 1989 – Steel Magnolias, Dead Poets Society, Look Who’s Talking, and She’s out of control
• 1990 – Pretty Woman, Ghost, Dances with Wolves and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (original)
• 1991 – Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Point Break
• 1992 – The Bodyguard and Aladdin
• 1993 – Chantilly Lace and Jurassic Park
• 1994 – Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption, Speed
• 1995 – Before Sunrise and Dangerous Minds
• 1996 – Up Close & Personal, Birdcage and Foxfire
• 1997 – Life is Beautiful, Chasing Amy, The Game and Good Will Hunting
• 1998 – Patch Adams and What Dreams May Come
• 1999 – Message in a Bottle and Girl Interrupted
• 2000 – Gone in 60 Seconds, Centerstage, Coyote Ugly and Love & Basketball
• 2001 – The Fast and the Furious, Save the Last Dance and What Matters Most
• 2002 – 8 Mile, Blue Crush, Big Fat Greek Wedding and XXX
• 2003 – 2 Fast 2 Furious and A Man Apart
• 2004 – The Notebook and Before Sunset
• 2005 – Brokeback Mountain and Hostage
• 2006 – Cars, Da Vinci Code, Step Up and Dreamgirls
• 2007 – Death at a Funeral
• 2008 – Twilight and Sex & The City
• 2009 – Fast & Furious, Up, Blind Side, and 500 Days of Summer
• 2010 – Inception and The Last Song
• 2011 – The Intouchables and Fast Five
• 2012 – Pitch Perfect, Les Miserables and Twilight Sage: Breaking Dawn – Part 2
• 2013 – Fast & Furious 6, Before Midnight, Frozen and Dallas Buyer's Club
• 2014 – Selma and Gone Girl
• 2015 – Furious 7, Inside Out and Room
• 2016 – Finding Dory, Moana, Me Before You, Elle and Hidden Figures
• 2017 – Fate of the Furious, Coco, Wonder Woman, The Greatest Showman
• 2018 - Black Panther, A Star is Born, The Hate U Give, Green Book and BlacKkKlansman
• 2019 - Best of Enemies, Spies in Disguise, 1917, JoJo Rabbit and Parasite
• 2020 - Onward (More to add I'm sure when November/December hits if theaters have opened back up...)

Movie Review: I Still Believe

March 13, 2020

I saw I Still Believe tonight with Sheri.

I've always loved Britt Robertson as a young actress so it's not surprising that I enjoyed this film. Definitely a tear jerker.

It is the true-life story of Christian music star Jeremy Camp and his journey of love and loss that looks to prove there is always hope.

For more information on I Still Believe, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Way Back

March 10, 2020

I saw The Way Back tonight with Sheri.

I enjoyed the movie and thought it was realistic. Ben Affleck was great.

It was the story of a guy who was a basketball phenomenon in High School but he walked away from the game as a whole, forfeiting his future. Years later, he reluctantly accepts a coaching job at his alma mater and he may get his shot at redemption.

For more information on The Way Back, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Onward

March 6, 2020

I saw Onward tonight with Jennifer and some of her friends.

I always love Disney movies but this one was just great. It was funny, emotional, and great --- like most Disney movies. Great role models for how siblings should be. I would highly recommend it. Have a tissue close as you will likely cry.

For more information on Onward, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Call of the Wild

March 3, 2020

Dad & I saw Call of the Wild tonight.

I loved the story even though parts of it were unrealistic but overall it was very good. Harrison Ford was great in it and I loved the special effects. I felt like I could feel the emotions of the dog.

For more information on Call of the Wild, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Photograph

February 18, 2020

Sheri & I saw the Photograph tonight.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a hopeless romantic so I love anything with a good romance. This movie had intertwining/overlapping love stories which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was predictable but I didn't care.

For more information on the Photograph, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Downhill

February 17, 2020

The previews looked good, but the main couple in this movie had zero chemistry. Will Ferrell fell flat in this very dramatic role. Julia Louis-Dreyfus' character was great but not enough for me to recommend anyone else seeing this movie. Totally skip it.

For more information on Downhill, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Sonic the Hedgehog

February 17, 2020

I was expecting a cheesy kids movie based on a video game and it didn't disappoint. It was certainly enjoyable if you know what you are in for.

For more information on Sonic the Hedgehog, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Parasite

February 16, 2020

So my mom and I watched the Oscars last week and I was surprised by Parasite taking all of the awards including Best Picture. I had seen the previews and I wasn't interested at all. Even though it was a Best Picture nominee I had decided to skip it as it looked like a horror movie to me from the previews and that didn't interest me at all.

Once it won all of these awards, my parents and I decided to see what all the fuss was about so we rented the movie on Amazon tonight.

I was so very wrong. I completely understand why it won so many awards now. It was great and I'm glad that it got the recognition that it deserved. It was a brilliant story line with plots and twists that kept you enthralled the entire movie.

For more information on Parasite, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review:
Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Empancipation of One Harley Quinn

February 11, 2020

Lydie, Sheri, & I saw Birds of Prey tonight along with Sheri's girls.

It was too gory for me to enjoy as that's not my type of entertainment. Some parts were funny and I liked the ending but overall way too much violence for me. Margot Robbie was great in it.

I'm sure DC Comic fans loved it.

For more information on Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Empancipation of One Harley Quinn, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Gentlemen

February 4, 2020

Dad, Sheri & I saw The Gentlemen tonight.

It was great and I enjoyed that it kept me guessing the entire movie. Lots of plot twists which kept things interesting.

It had an all start cast including: Matthew McConaughey, Chalie Hunnam, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant.

The basic premise of the movie is that an American expat tries to sell off his highly profitable marijuana empire in London which triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

For more information on The Gentlemen, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

February 1, 2020

This is another case of  "I always try to see the majority of Oscar Nominated Best Picture films before the Oscars."

I was certainly curious about this film because of Brad Pitt and Leonardo Di Caprio and the previews looked good.

It was great and I really enjoyed it. It had enough reality tied into it to make it super interesting. I loved some of the cameo appearances from Luke Perry, Al Pacino, and Dakota Fanning.

The basic premise of the movie is that a faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969.

It was really long (2 hours and 40 minutes) but it certainly didn't feel like it.

For more information on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: JoJo Rabbit

February 1, 2020

I always try to see the majority of Oscar Nominated Best Picture films before the Oscars.

I saw previews for this film and didn't know quite what to think but the fact that it was a comedy set in the time of the Nazis and Hitler in World War 2 definitely had me curious about it.

It was great. Finding humor in an absolute tragedy is hard to do. The story was heartfelt and touching. Enough drama and heart ache to remind you of the war but enough humor to make it light-hearted (which is something I never thought I would say about a movie about Hitler).

The basic premise of the movie is that there is a lonely German boy named Jojo and his world is turned upside down when he discovers his mother is hiding a jewish girl in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend (Adolf Hitler), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.

I cannot say enough good things about this movie. It's a must see. The entire cast is great, but Sam Rockwell was my favorite.

For more information on JoJo Rabbit, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: The Last Full Measure

January 28, 2020

Mom, Dad, Sheri & I went to see The Last Full Measure tonight.

It is a true story that shares the story of William H. "Pits" Pitsenbarger and how his fellow soldiers fought for 34 years after his death to get him awarded the nations highest military honor for his actions on the battlefield.

The movie was powerful and a true story which made it all the more enjoyable.

For more information on The Last Full Measure, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: 1917

January 26, 2020

I wasn't sure I wanted to see this movie when I saw the previews. However, I heard good things and it was nominated for quite a few Oscars so I thought I would check it out and see what all the hype was about.

This movie should definitely be seen once by everyone. It's powerful and you feel like you are right there with the characters. The director shows the WHOLE MOVIE as if it were shot in 1 shot. It is truly a work of art. I felt totally engaged throughout the entire film.

The premise of the movie is that two young british soldiers during the first World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1600 men, including one of the soldiers' brothers from walking straight into a deadly trap.

Sam Mendes did an excellent job directing this film.  It is not surprising that it is nominated for 10 Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.  I hope it wins for Best Cinematography because it truly deserves it. 

For more information on 1917, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Dolittle

January 26, 2020

Jennifer, Johnny & I went to see Doolittle today.

I enjoyed this movie for what it was. It was a fun escape but nothing to brag about. It was 100% enjoyable though.

For more information on Dolittle, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Bad Boys for Life

January 21, 2020

Sheri & I went to see Bad Boys for Life today.

I loved the first 2 movies, so I had every expectation that I would love this one too....and I did. It was hilarious as ususal. Mike and Marcus arguing on the plane was super funny. My only complaint is that they needed more bloopers at the end.

I do love that they set it up for a potential 4th movie....I would definitely go see it.

For more information on Bad Boys for Life, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Just Mercy

January 20, 2020

Mom, Dad & I went to see Just Mercy today.

I loved this movie. It's the story of a world-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson who works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.

I love true stories like this, but it was hard to process that this happened in 1992. I thought we had come farther than this. It makes me sad that people judge and hate people based on the color of their skin.

For more information on Just Mercy, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Like a Boss

January 14, 2020

Sheri & I went to see Like A Boss today.

It was a cute movie that was definitely funny. Tiffany Haddish and Rose Byrne had great chemistry portraying best friends.

For more information on Like A Boss, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Bombshell

January 7, 2020

Sheri & I went to see Bombshell today.

I really liked this movie. It's the true story of the a group of women who take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network. I thought it was well done with weaving the real media coverage into the story which made it feel more like a documentary even though it was actors playing the roles. All 3 of the main actresses: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie were fabulous and there were a lot of other people you would recognize in it such as Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton and John Lithgow. Overall, it was great.

For more information on Bombshell, click the movie poster below.

Movie Review: Little Women

January 5, 2020

Mom, Emily & I went to see Little Women today.

I had low expectations of this movie as I've seen other versions of the story of Little Women and they never really appealed to me, but I really enjoyed this one. I thought it was engaging and it kept my interest. The story was powerful and the acting was great. I'm sure it will be up for some awards at the Oscars.

For more information on Little Women, click the movie poster below.

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