Zombieland

A timely re-watch. When it was first released in 2009, before the apocalypse, it was a “zom-com.” It was less about the end of humanity, and more about the nerd trying to survive and get the girl – when there’s NO competition. But watching it now, the context is a little different. Only after the armageddon, Columbus realizes he’s not a loner. He needs a family – however dysfunctional. He embraces other people’s need for happiness. He wants Tallahassee to have a Twinkie. It’s a pretty feather-weight comedy, but the moral is there. Stick together. Care about other people. And Rule #32: enjoy the little things.

Never Surrender: A Galaxy Quest Documentary

While it’s not mind-blowingly revelatory, it’s a warm-hearted chronicle of the filming of the Galaxy Quest movie. It more or less broke-even when it was released, and then over the years people have realized how great it is. A love-letter to fandom.

Yesterday

Nice guy Richard Curtis and visionary hooligan Danny Boyle team up for this love-letter to the Beatles. It’s a little more Curtis than Boyle, and therefore a bit soft. I’m surprised the lead guy didn’t play ping-pong with John Lennon at the end. For his part, Himesh Patel does a commendable job acting, singing, and playing the guitar. No small feat. Otherwise, it’s a perfectly nice family movie with a few laughs.

The Invisible Man

Elizabeth Moss is good in this; trembling and freaking out as she tries to convince people that her evil ex-husband is invisible and following her around to “gaslight” her. It’s a Lifetime movie with a bigger budget. But there are big plot holes and logic problems in this, beyond the typical sci-fi invisibility notions. This aspires to be a parable about patriarchy. It succeeds thematically, even if the sci-fi and logic needs finessing.