Everything I Talked About In 2024
It's a long list, bruh
I’m compiling a list of my 5 favorite 2024 things for a very special edition of the Friday High 5. In preparation, I started reviewing everything I wrote about. It’s quite a list!
Bill Gates has a quote about how most people overestimate what they can achieve in one year. I’m guessing he was talking about personal or professional goals, and not watching movies, because I underestimated how much I covered this year. I didn’t even remember a bunch of this stuff until I found it in my 2024 archives.
There’s probably something wrong with my memory, but in my defense, it’s a long list.
This is not a complete accounting of everything I watched. Stuff that was just meh didn’t get covered. Example: The Killer, which film peeps lost their mind over but I thought was actually kinda dumb.
You’ll see a mix of new, recently new, and straight-up old stuff below because my love for this stuff can’t be constrained by space or time.
Essays
Many of the links in this first section are exclusive to supporters.
10 Years Later, 'Draft Day' Remains an Unrealistic But Entertaining Mess
1999: When Gen X Disillusionment Had its Moment on the Big Screen
The Absolutely True Story of How Dungeons & Dragons Saved My Life
The Acolyte Was Mediocre, But Star Wars Is Far Worse For Its Cancellation
All That Was Glimpsed and Lost Between 'A New Hope' and 'The Empire Strikes Back'
Dune is the Only 'Chosen One' Prophecy that Makes Any Kind of Sense
Hand-Wringing About Star Wars: The Acolyte Has Nothing To Do With Lore
I Wasn't Emotionally Prepared for "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret."
Is 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' About Dads and Divorce?
Masters of the Universe is a Star Wars Rip-Off and a Cheesy Fantasy That's Still Fun to Watch
Marvel’s Thunderbolts Has Me Excited About the MCU for the First Time in Years
Mission: Impossible and Fast & Furious are Basically the Same Movies Now
Moneyball is Brad Pitt At His Best and is Also Just a Great Movie
The Most Tragic Star Wars Character is Not the One You Think
Not Every Hero Wears Mother's Drapes: Celebrating the Unsung Heroes of the MCU
'The Penguin' Could Revolutionize the Superhero Genre If Only the Studios Would Let It
Robert Downey Jr. Returns to the MCU as a Villain: Masterstroke or Misstep?
Star Wars Is Secretly a Long-Running Fairy Tale That Is Infatuated With Orphans
Théoden Is Secretly the Best Character in The Lord of the Rings
To All the Joes I've Loved Before: The many deaths of my G.I. Joe toys
The Unified Theory of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Hollywood’s Silliest Actor
The Updated Dungeons & Dragons Rules Are an Optional But Glorious Glow Up That Shouldn't Be Missed
Watching 'This is 40' in Your 40s is Familiar, Sad, and Depressing
What’s the Difference Between Okay Rom-Coms and Great Ones?
When Michael Bay Tried to One-Up 'Titanic' But Made 'Pearl Harbor' Instead
The following are quick-hitting takes and are all free.
Movies
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (also covered on the podcast)
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (also covered on the Podcast)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (podcast link)
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (also covered on the Podcast)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (also covered on the Podcast)
TV
Fallout (again and one last time)
The Penguin (again and again and again)… also a frequent podcast topic
Games
Dungeons & Dragons (again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again)… and if that’s not enough, it’s also covered on the podcast
That’s one hell of a list!!
I re-read what you wrote about One Day and Winning Time cuz I loved those. I still am not over WT getting cancelled!
Also I read again what you wrote about Casa Bonita, and it was so sad. My family and I finally got to go there after being on the waiting list for over a year, and it was everything I hoped it would be! So it was pretty heartbreaking that Trey lost his childlike wonder for it. I would still recommend you go there if you ever get a chance to visit Denver!
P S. Happy New Year Eric!