The Rest - February 12, 2023

Diane Morgan is probably the best way to teach ignorant Americans (like me) world history.

A quick wrap-up of everything else I watched this week.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - Francois Truffaut once said "Every film about war ends up being pro-war." This one continues that tradition. It's no Come and See.

Cunk on Earth (2023) - A mockumentary series covering the evolution of civilization from its origins to today, it plays like a series-long Daily Show segment. (That's a good thing.) Also, Diane Morgan would make a great Doctor.

Deep Impact (1998) - Boring Armageddon. (Sorry.)

The Elephant Whisperers (2022) - Just a lovely doc about a lovely couple raising some lovely elephants.

Harley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special (2023) - Harley Quinn is the best thing DC has going for it right now. And this special highlights its greatest strengths: a self-aware sense of humor, celebrity cameos (Brett Goldstein!), and the central relationship between Harley and Poison Ivy.

The Martian (2015) - This movie is still a blast, and Matt Damon does some truly compelling video log acting. I like when Ridley Scott has fun.

An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It (2022) - What if Aardman made Anomalisa? 

The Wedding Singer (1998) - The first movie that made me take Adam Sandler seriously as an actor. (I was a pretentious 11-year-old.) It holds up surprisingly well.

White House Down (2013) - I can't believe this came out after 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike. It feels like Channing Tatum's first day on a movie set. More fun than the Has Fallen series... but not fun enough to justify a watch.