December 2024 Movies & More Plus 2024 Favorites

Here is a list of the movies & more that I saw in December, and below it is a list of the movies that I liked the most this year. Movies marked with an asterisk were new to me. All shows are rated on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the top grade. Enjoy!
146. Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary* (2024, HBO and Max) – This documentary celebrates the soft rock sound, a California sound best exemplified by Michael McDonald and the Doobie Brothers, Toto, Steely Dan, Ambrosia, Kenny Loggins and Christopher Cross. The filmmakers work hard to tie this genre to jazz, rock (as in Fleetwood Mac) and other types of music. I confess I didn’t always see the connection, but the music itself – no matter how it became “Yacht Rock” -- remains memorable 40 years later. 3½ cans.
147. She Came to Me* (2023, Netflix) – In this strange little movie the protagonists are an opera composer (Peter Dinklage), a therapist (Anne Hathaway), a tugboat operator (Marisa Tomei), a Civil War reenactor (Brian D’Arcy James) and a couple of teenagers in love. It takes a while until the plot makes sense, and I almost bailed at one point, but it comes together in the end somehow. The point is that love comes from unusual places sometimes and when you least expect it. I’m not recommending highly, so you might want to do some more research before committing an hour and a half to this one. 3 cans.
148. Gene & Gilda* (2024, stage production at the George Street Playhouse) – It was nice being back at the theater again after a while, and you cannot find a comfier place than GSP to watch a show. There’s not a bad seat in the house (and the seats are comfortable, too) and the productions, while not the typical elaborate Broadway shows, are staged and directed well, with more emphasis on the steak and less on the sizzle. That said, this two-person show about actor/writer/director Gene Wilder and his love affair and marriage to Saturday Night Live comedienne Gilda Radner is sweet and poignant. They bounce around the stage, embodying the silliness, intelligence and passion of the characters as their love blossoms and is later faced with tragedy. Stars Jonathan Randell Silver as Gene Wilder and Jordan Kai Burnett as Gilda Radner carry a heavy load of dialog and perform on a minimalist set, but they rise to the occasion. He is insecure and afraid to open up and she’s naturally funny and looking for love. It has a limited engagement, so by the time you read this, it is likely closed, but it was enjoyable. 3½ cans.
149. Queer Eye, Season 9* (2024, Netflix) – The boys are back in town – this time, Las Vegas – where the Fab Five helps everyday people to improve their lives with everything from restyled hair and wardrobe to redesigned homes and cooking and love. This season they are there for a Black male librarian, a couple looking to get married, a few single moms and a man who lives in a costume. New cast member Jeremiah takes over the home reno, organization and decorating duties and I wasn’t sure he would make it through the season since he was moved to tears by practically every person he helped! The series remains a heartwarming look at how basic changes and being more confident about yourself can make a vast difference in life. 4 cans.
150. The Turnaround* (2024, Netflix) – Philadelphia sports fans are known for their particular brand of vitriol. They boo the opponents and sometimes their own players with bravado. After all, this is the fan base that booed Santa once. So, when it came to slumping infielder Trea Turner, the Phillies fans expressed their contempt. Until they didn’t. Vociferous fan Jon McCann decided that Turner needed encouragement, not condemnation, and he voiced his view that the fans should give Turner a standing ovation to help him turn things around. This 25-minute documentary shows how a little encouragement can work wonders. 3 cans.
151. Carry-On* (2024, Netflix) – I’m not usually an action fan, but I found this film suspenseful AND improbable but enjoyable. Most of the things portrayed here could never happen; plenty of people here are in fights or get shot and just get up and carry on. Jason Bateman is a mysterious operative who wants to make sure a particular bag gets on a particular flight, and he sets up TSA agent Ethan (Taron Edgerton) by threatening to kill his pregnant girlfriend if he fails to follow Bateman’s instructions. The movie is like “Die Hard” but without the humor, and it takes place at Christmas time to help the viewer make that connection. As action films go, it has enough, but this isn’t a Liam Neeson movie. Worth seeing if you like action and suspense and can overlook the improbability. 3½ cans.
152. Conclave* (2024, Netflix) – There is quite a complex process to selecting a new Pope when one dies, and this suspenseful movie takes us behind the scenes as the candidates vie for the Papacy. Ralph Fiennes is Cardinal Lawrence, Dean of the Cardinals, and he is responsible for overseeing the secretive process. Stanley Tucci, as Cardinal Bellini, is lobbying for the job to keep the church from his nemesis, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow). There are many secrets that could be exposed, questionable behavior and accusations going on outside the room where the Cardinals must cast their votes, and a surprise that I doubt any viewer could see coming. If you are interested in a taut and thought-provoking film, check out Conclave. 4 cans.
153. Later Daters* (2024, Netflix) – I like documentaries and true stories, and this Netflix series WAS produced by former First Lady Michelle Obama, but wow, this was NOT what I was expecting. The series focuses on several single people, all at least in their 50s, who are seeking life partners and working with a dating coach to improve the process and the outcomes. We get to see them meet their potential mates on blind dates (presumably set up by the Coach) and then report back for feedback and further coaching. Trust me when I tell you I am not here for the tips or the blind dates, only to observe – and there is a lot to see. Since we see these folks go out on several blind dates with different people, we get to know the cast better than the dates, and the cast can be pretty fussy (one woman was ready to reject her date because he wore a white T-shirt under his dress shirt), but they don’t have that much time! I guess my standards are slipping, now that I have watched this, The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette, but even I have to admit that there is something about these shows that drags me in. I think this one will be back for season 2, and I may or may not watch. But the real question is: What does Michelle Obama have to do with this? She’s not planning to dump Barack, is she? 3½ cans.
154. Juror #2* (2024, Max) – This legal thriller from Clint Eastwood harkens back to the classic “12 Angry Men.” Juror #2 is assigned to a case where a young woman is killed and her boyfriend is accused of the murder. They were in a bar, had a disagreement, stormed out, and the next thing you know…Only #2 isn’t sure the obvious answer is the obvious answer at all. This is a taut film with little to distract you from the plot as the principals and the audience try to figure out what will happen in the case. 3½ cans.
155. Virgin River, Season 6* (2024, Netflix) – The problem with these episodic series is that you can binge the entire season and then you have to wait for months (or more) to see the next season. But this comfortable, pleasant show is always worth watching. This season is all about the planned wedding of main characters Mel and Jack – with some roadblocks along the way. The season features rock slides, bad guys, doubts about relationships, ice sculptures, pregnant people, medical issues – the list goes on. There will be a seventh season, and I’ll be back for that one, too. 3½ cans.
156. Die Hard (1988, Hulu) – Christmas movie or not? Please discuss. I’m not a big fan of action movies but the wit and charm of lead actor Bruce Willis compensates for a lot. There is a holiday party at the Nakatomi building in Los Angeles where NYPD police detective John McClane is meeting his estranged wife when a group of sophisticated criminals raids the building to steal bearer bonds. Working alone, McClane is the only one who can save the day. Far-fetched, maybe, but still a captivating film that is chock full of machine guns and explosions and a barefoot McClane dodging the bad guys. And yes, I DO think of this as a Christmas movie. 4 cans.
157. The Six Triple 8* (2024, Netflix) – This heroic film is based on the story of the Army Battalion 6888, a group of 855 Black women who served in the Army during World War II. They were led by the commanding Captain Charity Adams (Kerry Washington), who was given the daunting task of going through 17 million pieces of undelivered mail intended for the soldiers that were being stored in rat-infested warehouses in overseas. And they had only months to do it. The job was tough enough, but the women in the unit experienced racism and sexism at the hands of male soldiers and even ranking officers. One of the soldiers is Lena (Ebony Obsidian), a woman who enlisted after her boyfriend was killed, to serve out the hitch he never completed. This is an inspiring story of determination and the sad story of Blacks being again overlooked and mistreated, things we never were taught in school. Thank you to producer Tyler Perry for telling us about this important piece of history. Expect some Oscar nods for this one. 4 cans.
158. Love Actually (2003, Prime Video) – You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to watch this delightful movie that takes place in England around Christmas time. Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Keira Knightly and others play characters who are somehow related to each other (I’m going to need an org chart) and who have interlocking stories of love. I couldn’t even say which character I like best because each one makes me smile (mostly). I actually love this movie. 5 cans.
159. Auntie Mame (1958, Cable) – Rosalind Russell stars as irrepressible Mame, who is unexpectedly charged with the care and upbringing of her young nephew Patrick when her brother passes away. She is rich, her brother was rich, and young Patrick is to be supervised by stuffy Dwight Babcock of the Knickerbocker Bank. Mame is unconventional and full of love for her “little love” Patrick. The story begins during the Roaring 20’s and soon the new family loses everything in the stock market crash of 1929. But Mame is indomitable and determined to give Patrick so many wonderful life experiences. Their bond cannot be broken, even by his eventual choice of a snooty girlfriend (which Mame cleverly handles). This is a charming movie that I have seen many times. This year, I treated myself to a viewing on New Year’s Eve. 4 cans.
160. Trading Places* (1983, Cable) – Funny man Eddie Murphy began to show his acting chops here, and he is brilliant. Dan Ackroyd, Jamie Lee Curtis and the rest of the cast measure up to his work. 42 years after its release, this movie is still in my top 5 comedies of all time, and it was a great way to end my year of Movies & More. 4½ cans.

My Favorites from 2024:

3. The Color Purple

13. The Greatest Night in Pop

20. James Brown: Say It Loud

36. Anatomy of a Fall

47. The Real Story of Mr. Bates vs. The Post Office

63. One Life

107. Daughters

125. Nobody Wants This

133. Superman (the Christopher Reeve story)

142. An Inside Man

152. Conclave

157. The 6888