What I Watched in December 2022

In December I was alerted by my friend Jeff about the hidden gem ADULT SWIM YULE LOG (a.k.a. THE FIREPLACE) being streamable on HBOMax. I gave it a try and discovered one of the funniest and most wildly inventive slices of cinema joy I have seen in a long time. Starting out as if it is one of those simple videos of a pleasant fireplace crackling away in a cabin (in the woods) it slowly expands outward to tell a darkly comedic tale that zigs and zags in ways that are wholly unpredictable. I’m not exaggerating. This movie changes things up in bizarre ways every few minutes with each twist adding to the entire affair. In its structure it reminds me of Monty Python at their maddest with a few moments from LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) that might have been directly inspirational. I refuse to ruin the experience of this delight and will just recommend it to the curious. It is amazing!

The List 

THE YOUNG RACERS (1963) – 6 (Corman drama)

THE GODFATHER CODA (1990) – 8 (Coppola’s changes improve this finale)

THE MONSTER MAKER (1944) – 6 (rewatch)

THE SPREE (1998) – 7 (sharp cat burglar crime film)

BULLET TRAIN (2022) – 8

TROLL (2022) 9 (Norwegian kaiju film)

THE CHILDREN (2008) – 8 (rewatch)

CHARLIE CHAN IN LONDON (1934) – 7 (rewatch)

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (1982) – 8 (rewatch on the big screen)

CHARLIE CHAN IN SHANGHAI (1935) – 7 (rewatch)

A CHRISTMAS STORY CHRISTMAS (2022) – 7

GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM (1988) – 6 (Australian thriller)

DON’T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (1984) – 5 (an enjoyable, sleazy mess)

SAMSON AND THE 7 MIRACLES OF THE WORLD (1961) – 6

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (2021) – 6 (better than the first one at least)

DEAD END (2003) – 6 (travelling family lost on Christmas Eve – the mystery is an easy one)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN (1950) – 7 (rewatch)

STAR TREK: NEMESIS (2002) – 5 (rewatch) (not as awful as I remembered but a mess of things that never gel)

DOUBLE TARGET (1987) – 4 (Miles O’Keefe as Rambo - awesomely bad and fun because of it!)

BATMAN RETURNS (1992) – 9 (rewatch on Blu) (gets even better with age)

ADULT SWIM YULE LOG (a.k.a. THE FIREPLACE) (2022) – 8 (amazing horror/comedy)

BLOOD DELIRIUM (1988) – 6 (Euro-madness with John Philip Law)

THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN (1960) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE (2022) – 8 (wonderful, heartfelt SF adventure)

GLASS ONION (2022) – 8 (not as good as the first but a very worthy Knives Out sequel)

THE LAW IN HER HANDS (1936) – 6 (Glenda Farrell)

AFRICA SCREAMS (1949) – 6 (Abbot & Costello romp on Blu)

THE BANDIT TRAIL (1941) – 6 (Tim Holt B-western)

KICKBOXER: VENGEANCE (2016) – 5

REMAINS (2011) – 5 (standard low budget zombie tale set in Reno)

ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938) – 8