Movies I Watched in December, Part 2

Here goes, late as usual, more of the December recap...


I still find it hard to believe that a “Star Wars” sequel, the seeming definition of a crowd-pleasing popcorn movie, was so divisive, but I guess that’s the state of film fandom and, well, just about everything these days. Me? I liked "The Last Jedi"  – a lot, in fact, a lot more than “The Force Awakens” or “Rogue One.” The mere fact that the plot didn’t involve blowing up a planet-sized weapon was enough to win me most of the way over.

So what was it that people didn’t like? Leia in space? Okay, I’ll agree that scene was a little wonky, but I think the idea was solid and it was nice to see Leia, daughter of the most powerful Force user in the history of this fictional universe, actually use the Force for once in her life. What else? The long – admittedly too long – side-trip to the gambling planet with Finn and Rose? Sure, it could’ve been trimmed, and it didn’t really add a whole lot to the plot, but I’d argue that was the point. Unlike the other “Star Wars” movies – and, frankly, just about every movie ever made – “The Last Jedi” actually posited that sometimes, the right way to accomplish something is to follow the rules and stick to the plan. Poe, the lovable rebel, was proven wrong at just about every turn (he’s the one who sent Finn and Rose on that mission, remember), which was a refreshing twist, and made palatable thanks, in part, to Oscar’ Isaac’s charisma and, in part, to the fact that it’s a plot twist I can’t remember seeing before. (Since Luke shut down his targeting computer, the “Star Wars” movies have been firmly on the side of acting on instinct, even that’s a very dumb thing to do in a colossal military operation.) And here’s one more reason that sojourn to the gambling planet worked – for one of the very few times in any of the “Star Wars” movie, you got the feeling that there were other people impacted by the way between the Empire and the Rebels (or the First Order and the Resistance, or whatever the hell they’re calling themselves). You had the rich swells in the casino who were profiting from the war (and someone’s always profiting from the way) and you had the slave labor kids who were being ground under the boot of oppression. I love the way Rian Johnson ended the movie, with the kid looking up at the stars, but here’s the thing – I never want to see that kid again and learn he became a Jedi. Leave him alone, Disney. Let us imagine what happened to him.

And, finally, Luke. People (even Mark Hamill at one point) were upset by the way Luke was portrayed. Me?  I thought it was a fascinating, emotionally powerful way to use the character. Unlike Han Solo in “The Force Awakens,” who seemed like a slightly goofier version of the original character, Luke actually seemed like someone who’d lived the past 40 years, and what’s more, lived them hard. Would he have killed Kylo Ren just to prevent him from going to the dark side? Probably, considering he’d seen Vader kill millions of people (and threaten to kill millions more). I think Luke would  be willing to take one life – even that of his nephew – to prevent that from happening again. (And, judging by the events of “The Force Awakens,” he probably should’ve killed him.) I thought Luke was the best thing about "The Last Jedi," and I admired Hamill’s portrayal of him. He seemed tired, sad and almost – but not quite – beaten, but with just enough of the original spark and vitality he had back when we first met him. And though I realize it might be little more than fan service, I got a genuine kick out of seeing Luke connect with Artoo and Threepio one last time – especially Artoo. After all, he's the one who got him into this mess, way back when.

Finally, "The Last Jedi" had one of the truly breathtaking moments in “Star Wars” history. When Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Holdo stood at the helm of that ship, seemingly waiting to die, I suddenly realized what she was going to do, and a genuine shiver ran up my spine in anticipation. And when she made the jump to light speed through the badguy’s ship and Johnson gave us a dazzling image and a few seconds of silence, I gasped. It was a great moment, one that reminded me why I fell in love with “Star Wars” in the first place.


I first stumbled onto this regional oddity when it aired as a memorable episode of “Mystery Science Theater” back in 1993. It gave the guys a lot to mock, what with its dated fashions (it was originally released in 1964), goofy songs and strangely wholesome plot that somehow still managed to include a few murders. As I’ve mentioned more than once on this blog, my outlook on “bad” movies has evolved since the days when I’d chuckle my way through “Plan 9” with a smug sense of superiority. Oh, I still chuckle through movies like that (and this), but I also find myself watching with a bit of fascination and even admiration, wondering how these movies got made in the first place and impressed that they got made at all. If nothing else, "Teenage Strangler" offers a fun peek into the past, when what feels like a whole West Virginia community (Huntington, to be specific) got together and put on a show. It’s not great, but it is worth a look, even without the MST commentary. And hey, I’d be willing to argue that the movie’s big musical number, “Yikes Stripes,” is not only fun, it’s a vintage slice of mid ‘60s regional pop. (There’s a great Something Weird DVD that pairs “Teenage Strangler” with the darker, moodier juvenile delinquent thriller “Teenage Gang Debs.”


I’ve written about this movie before on this blog, and at this point I look forward to its annual airing on TCM as much as I look forward to “Charlie Brown,” “The Grinch” or, dare I say, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” It’s a smart, surprisingly mature movie that uses the holiday season to great emotional effect, and it combines humor, sadness and romance as well as just about any more well-known movie I can think of. I just wish the Blu-ray was still in print (and not insanely expensive).


Do I really need to say anything more about this movie, especially in late January? You’ve seen it, I’ve seen it, and we’ll both watch it again when TBS launched its marathon next Dec. 24. And, as we all learned this year, there’s no earthly reason it needed to be turned into a musical, even if Russ Hanneman was pretty good as The Old Man.