Once upon a time in Hollywood is a fictionalized version of the Manson murders.

I’ve seen all the Tarantino films.

My reaction to this one is similar to the rest. He’s a talented director with important things to say — but each movie would be better if he wasn’t so self-indulgent.

The highlight is his version of Hollywood 1969. It was a weird and special time and place.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I did enjoy the ensemble cast.

• Leonardo DiCaprio as Rick Dalton
• Brad Pitt as Cliff Booth
• Kurt Russell as Randy Miller and the narrator
• Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate
• Margaret Qualley as “Pussycat”
• Dakota Fanning as “Squeaky“

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 85% …

The Hollywood Reporter said critics had “an overall positive view”. Some calling it “Tarantino’s love letter to ’60s L.A.'”, praising its cast and setting. Others were “divided on its ending.”

I’d avoided Free Solo as I hate to promote ANYTHING so dangerous.

In November 2014, Clif Bar announced that they would no longer sponsor Honnold, along with four other climbers, mostly free soloists. “We concluded that these forms of the sport are pushing boundaries and taking the element of risk to a place where we as a company are no longer willing to go,” the company wrote in an open letter.

That said, Free Solo is an excellent film. I ended up seeing it in Nepal.

Like my favourite climbing movie — Touching the Void — I was more interested in the people than the amazing feat of climbing.

Jimmy Chin. Tommy Caldwell.

I’d definitely rather spend time with Sanni McCandless, the girlfriend, than Alex Honnold.

But damn, they are a cute couple.

Alex says he’s “somewhere on the autism spectrum.”

I assume that’s what makes him so good at what he does. Alex himself says he’s not nearly the most talented climber on the mountain.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I finally saw Green Book. A great and important film.

In 2019 we’re still talking about racism in the American south.

First, one of the lead characters — Don Shirley — died April 6, 2013. His family was not consulted during the filming of Green Book. And they are quite upset that it’s not accurate.

So consider the movie fiction.

Set in 1962, the film is inspired by the true story of a tour of the Deep South by African American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and Italian American bouncer Frank “Tony Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) who served as Shirley’s driver and bodyguard. …

Green Book received numerous accolades and nominations, and at the 91st Academy Awards, it won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Ali. …

… a total worldwide gross of $322.7 million, against a production budget of $23 million.

The title of the film is from The Negro Motorist Green-Book which was published yearly between 1936 and 1966.

It also catalogued the “sundown towns” which black people had to leave at sundown.

Click PLAY or watch the trailer on YouTube.