Brother Bear (2003)

I didn't go into this with high expectations. Its middling reception aside, I've found that movies set in prehistory tend to have awfully simple plots. So do movies about animals at a low level of anthropomorphism. And for whatever reason, few 2003 titles, even among hits, have done much for me. But I rarely pass up an Academy-nominated animated feature, and what little I'd seen from this one didn't look bad. Besides, I wanted to see how it compares with Brave. If nothing else, BB runs a short 85 minutes and promised to be heartwarming.

In a fictionalized Alaska with both humans and mammoths, irresponsible adolescent Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix) pursues and kills a bear for questionable vengeance. Spirits of departed humans, particularly his eldest brother (D.B. Sweeney), see fit to teach him a lesson by turning him into a bear. He can now talk with all sorts of animals except humans, which doesn't stop a savvy shaman (Joan Copeland) from cryptically telling him where to journey for penance and restoration. He makes little progress until meeting cub Koda (Jeremy Suarez), who got separated from his mom and would like a companion as he heads to almost the same destination. They had better make good time, because Kenai's other brother (Jason Raize) has mistaken him for Kenai's "killer" and is on a similar vengeful quest.

Menace II Society (1993)

Odd choice for Thanksgiving, isn't it? I chose it mainly because it was on my list, runs only 97 minutes, and isn't another animation. Also, it had been a while since my last Black-centric viewing. (Does Hamilton count?)

Set in L.A., most of the story takes place shortly after the Rodney King riots, when protagonist Caine (Tyrin Turner) is 18. His grandparents (Arnold Johnson and Marilyn Coleman) are proud of him for graduating high school, but his future doesn't hold much promise. Against their pious Christian upbringing, he gets involved in armed robbery, drug dealing, and worse. A way out of his dangerous lifestyle presents itself when two friends offer to take him with them to Kansas, but while he'd like to escape, he has a hard time imagining that new life. Will he ever turn around?

Patema Inverted (2013)

Has it really been a year and a half since my last anime feature? I guess anime TV shows have tided me over. Well, I hope to see another one much sooner, because this one reminds me what I've been missing from TV.

Late in the 21st century, a team of scientists trying to tap energy from gravity (just roll with it) accidentally reverses gravity for a large number of people and objects. Some of the "inverts" manage to hold on, move underground, and establish a separate civilization there. Patema (Cassandra Lee Morris in the dub), teen daughter of the late invert chief, has spent her entire life underground. Bored of the cramped darkness, she visits a forbidden tunnel leading to the surface -- and almost falls into the sky. Fortunately, surface-dwelling teen Eiji (Michael Sinterniklaas) is there to catch her and slightly outweighs her once she drops excess baggage. He takes her to a shed, hoping to figure out how to get her home before less tolerant people find her.

The Tin Drum (1979)

I picked a war flick for Veterans Day, but it wasn't the best choice. The protagonist isn't a soldier, and the soldiers we see don't exactly look good to us. You'll understand why in a moment.

On his third birthday, Oskar (David Bennent, actual age 11 at the time) deliberately injures himself in a way that prevents him from growing physically anymore, which ensures that people never treat him as fully adult. That premise alone can be pretty disturbing, but it's also set in Nazi-occupied Poland. His own family sometimes supports the invaders, tho they learn better eventually.

Old Acquaintance (1943)

Had I realized that the title evoked "Auld Lang Syne," I would have saved this viewing for New Year's. But while the song is played at the beginning and ending, no part of the film takes place at that time of year. We are to think of its actual meaning, not its holiday association.

The story begins in 1924 small-town America, when Kit (Bette Davis) has become a celebrity for her first published novel. Her long-time friend Millie (Miriam Hopkins, not dissuaded by previous experience with Davis) takes inspiration and becomes a novelist in her own right, far less favored by critics but far more prolific and financially successful. Alas, by 1932, Millie's husband Preston (John Loder) feels neglected enough to leave her and daughter Deirdre (Francine Rufo, later Dolores Moran). He courts Kit, but she declines for the sake of Millie's friendship. Most of the rest happens in 1942, when Kit and Preston meet again through the war effort, by which time Kit is finally if tentatively dating someone, the younger Rudd (Gig Young).

The Bad Guys (2022)

It's not often that I think to watch a movie because Netflix advertises it as newly streaming, especially when I wasn't particularly sold during its theater run. But there's been plenty of fan art since, and enough people in my circles check out such fare, if not the book series on which it's loosely based, that I wanted a more informed opinion.

Before getting into the plot, let me describe the setting. For the most part, it resembles generic modern America, except that some anthropomorphic animals mix with the human population. We're not talking Bojack Horseman-level diversity here; only seven anthros appear at all, yet one of them is the state governor. They also evidently subscribe to different nudity taboos by species. I'd find it more awkward if I hadn't watched The Underdog Show as a kid.

Child's Play (1988)

This franchise has had eight movies, the 2019 one a remake/reboot, but nearly all have subpar ratings. I decided that the first and most popular entry must have something enduring about it if Hollywood keeps trying. Different people had told me that it was either scarier than other famed slasher films or just plain campy. Either could explain it.

In Chicago, after losing a police shootout, serial killer Charles Lee "Chucky" Ray (Brad Dourif) uses his voodoo training to possess a nearby robotic doll, ironically of the "Good Guys" brand. From there, he ends up as a sixth birthday present to one Andy (Alex Vincent). At first, the doll seems to do only what it should: say a few basic sentences (including stating its name), turn its head, and move its eyes. But Andy keeps denying responsibility for Chucky's apparent actions, especially when they turn deadly. Andy's mom, Karen (Catherine Hicks), begins to suspect that her son is neither lying nor insane. She appeals to Detective Norris (Chris Sarandon), incidentally the guy who shot human Chucky and thus is an intended target....