The Bells of St. Mary's (1945)

This was the first sequel ever to get an Academy Best Picture nod, but I hadn't known that going in. Bing Crosby as a priest in a Leo McCarey movie could have been a spiritual successor to the previous year's Going My Way, which, while probably the least popular Best Picture of the '40s, made a comfortable viewing for me. I was up for more comfort.

Father Chuck O'Malley (Crosby) becomes the...principal?...of an inner-city Catholic school for first- to eighth-graders. He takes a more casual approach than Sister Superior Mary Benedict (Ingrid Bergman), which leads them to lock horns on occasion, not least regarding whether to give leeway to failing eighth-grader Patsy (Joan Carroll) in light of her domestic difficulties. But they agree on one thing: Their building won't serve their purpose much longer. Sending everyone to another parish across town is hardly their first choice. What they'd really like is for CEO Horace P. Bogardus (Henry Travers) to give them his newly constructed office building next door for free. Considering Bogardus hates kids, this may take a miracle.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

Yes, I've been watching comic book movies at an unusual frequency lately. But I wanted to watch another movie in a theater for the first time in months, this one was on at an acceptable time, and I'm pretty sure my dad was willing to pass on it.

The last two words of the title refer to either an East Asian terrorist gang or the magical artifacts worn by its leader, Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung). Xu Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), son of Wenwu, was trained to be an assassin but ran away to San Francisco, where he serves as irresponsible valet Shaun. His long-time friend and co-worker Katy (Awkwafina) has no idea of his background until, after a decade, Wenwu's men come to steal the jade pendant Shang-Chi got from his late mother, Ying Li (Fala Chen). Certain that they'll go after his estranged sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), for her pendant, Shang-Chi heads for Macau, and Katy insists on joining him to learn more. He doesn't know what his dad's up to, but it can't be good.

Control (2007)

In retrospect, I wouldn't have chased a musical biography with a biography of a musician. Still, that's about where the similarity ends.

The story focuses on Ian Curtis (Sam Riley) starting in 1975, shortly before he marries Debbie (Samantha Morton) and becomes the lead singer of Joy Division, the British post-punk rock band. I'm afraid the timeline isn't very long, because he dies at age 23. And no, the cause is not drugs or a plane crash.

Hamilton (2020)

For all the popularity of the Broadway musical, I was reluctant to check it out. Anachronistic music and blatant racial/ethnic inaccuracy in a story based on true events seemed like punchlines, yet it was clearly not played primarily for laughs. Weirdness without humor is often off-putting. Then I remembered liking Jesus Christ Superstar and decided I had no excuse.

This is not really an adaptation of the play but a screening of a 2016 production thereof, complete with the sounds of a then-live audience. It covers a period roughly from the first time Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also wrote and composed it) met Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom, Jr.) to, well, the last time. You should already know what that means. If you badly need an early U.S. history lesson, let's just say for now that he helped George Washington (Christopher Jackson) in the Revolutionary War and became Secretary of the Treasury.

1984 (1984)

In these polarized days especially, I've heard many references to the George Orwell book. I came to realize that I shouldn't just rely on what people say about its content. At the same time, I doubted that I would enjoy reading the whole thing. After all, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World succeeded at shocking me, but I gave up when it took too long to show any signs of plot progression. So I chose what appears to be the most popular screen adaptation. Subsequent perusal confirms that it does not deviate far from the source material; there are just a few shifts in Newspeak labels for some reason.

In what had been the future at the time of writing, there are three world superpowers, and the one awkwardly called Oceania extends as far as England. Winston Smith (John Hurt) serves in London's Ministry of Truth but seems less satisfied than the average totalitarian party member. He meets Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), who outwardly presents as an ardent member of the Junior Anti-Sex League but swiftly seduces him into a forbidden relationship. Of course, it's no secret that "Big Brother" (Bob Flag) has eyes everywhere, and Winston is not prepared to pay the price....

The Conjuring 2 (2016)

I browsed Netflix for a good end to the month and came across this title. Why wasn't it on my list already? After all, I liked The Conjuring, and the first sequel was reputed to be almost as good. I'm just not in the habit of watching horror sequels.

Around Christmas of 1977, shortly after their Amityville incident, paranormal experts Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are invited to the London Borough of Enfield. The Hodgsons, consisting of mother Peggy (Frances O'Connor) and four kids, have lately had stressful domestic conflict and an abortive Ouija effort, both of which are said to feed into an unwelcome presence, and the ensuing events have been frightful enough to make them seek shelter with neighbors. These events, including apparent part-time possession of 11-year-old Janet (Madison Wolfe), are attributed to the hostile spirit of a prior resident (Bob Adrian). The Catholic Church won't authorize an exorcism without compelling evidence. That's where the Warrens come in, coordinating with convinced investigator Maurice Grosse (Simon McBurnie) and doubtful psychologist Anita Gregory (Franka Potente). But Lorraine, with her psychic connections, gets the feeling that this mission will be more dangerous than any they've tackled before....

Eyes Without a Face (1960)

If your first thought was the Billy Idol song, yup, this is where the title came from. It's also thought to have influenced the appearance of Michael Myers in Halloween. But contemporary critics hated it, and one of the few positive reviews nearly got the writer fired (not even in France). That might be why it was marketed deceptively as The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus in the U.S. I was pretty reluctant to watch it myself, not for lack of reputed quality but for disturbing premises. Still, I mustered the courage.

Christiane (Edith Scob) has been facially unpresentable since a car accident. Dr. Génessier (Pierre Brasseur), being her father, a reconstructive surgeon, and the cause of the accident, takes it upon himself to give her skin grafts. Of course, it's hard to find a willing donor for a face transplant, so with the help of assistant Louise (Alida Valli)...well, you can guess. And no, once isn't enough.

Blade (1998)

Before 2000, almost all Marvel Comics movies bombed. I'd heard that this was the one standout, however mixed its reception. At least it garnered a trilogy. I chose to watch for its seasonally appropriate theme and so I'd know Wesley Snipes from something other than the Bad music video, what little I recall of Murder at 1600, and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.

Modern L.A. is far more populated -- and dominated -- by vampires than you might guess. Nevertheless, Eric "Blade" Brooks (Snipes) is unusual: His mother (Sanaa Lathan) having been bitten moments before she gave birth, he has inherited most of their powers and only one weakness, the need for blood or its chemical equivalent. Under the influence of Abraham Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), he has moved away from preying on humans and toward taking down vampires. By the beginning of this story, he is their bogeyman, "the Daywalker." But he doesn't scare vampiric playboy Deacon Frost (Stephen Dorff), who believes that Blade can unwillingly help him awaken a dark god worshipped in ancient times.

Friday the 13th (1980)

Rarely is there such a discrepancy between a movie's popularity and its enduring influence. This one got middling ratings at best across the board, both when new and at present, yet it spawned a long series with a highly iconic character. I thought I knew enough not to bother watching, but Scream called my attention to my ignorance. I doubt my new knowledge will spell the difference between life and death for anyone, but it couldn't hurt, could it?

Seven counselors (Adrienne King, Harry Crosby, Jeanine Taylor, Laurie Bartram, Mark Nelson, Robbie Morgan, and early Kevin Bacon) and their director (Peter Brouwer) prepare to reopen Camp Crystal Lake for the summer, disregarding local rumor of a fatal curse on the area based on a series of unsolved murders and suspicious "accidents" starting in the late '50s. I'm relieved to say there are no campers yet when the "curse" strikes again, with the eight getting picked off one by one, primarily at night with an unreliable power source. It's quite late in the movie before anyone who isn't already a victim has any idea that people are dying.

Monster House (2006)

At one time, I was actually a little afraid to watch this PG animation, because I worried about the poor dog from the trailer. Then I looked up a synopsis, confirmed the dog's lack of injury (necessary for the PG rating, it turns out)...and worried that I now knew too much to enjoy watching. Fortunately, I had forgotten most of what I read, or else I'd skimmed more than I realized.

In '80s suburban Wisconsin, 12-year-old outcast D.J. (Mitchel Musso) obsessively spies on the decrepit house across the street, where cranky old recluse Horace Nebbercracker (Steve Buscemi), the subject of uxoricide rumors, scares away any kid who drops something on his yard. When Nebbercracker has a heart attack right before Halloween, the house continues to show signs of activity -- and not just the kind you expect with living inhabitants. People and animals who come too close tend to get swallowed up. With no authorities believing in a threat, D.J. teams up with friend "Chowder" (Sam Lerner) and newly acquainted candy salesgirl Jenny (Spencer Locke) to try to end the haunting with their own ingenuity.