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Telemachus and the Wrong Turn

 Friday: The Odyssey (2026)

       Odysseus went to fight in the Trojan war. Decades later and he still hasn't returned. His wife and son must deal with all the suitors who would marry her and become king. Odysseus is living on a beach with no memory of his past life. His companion helps him to remember. After they won the war he and his men mad their journey home. Odysseus makes decision after decision that puts his men's life at risk. They face cyclops, giants, sirens, and more. Still he is determined to get home. I thought this movie was good for the most part. It is a true epic. It is a long movie, but it keeps you engaged. The sets and the locations are amazing. Most of the acting is good. I just don't think Matt Damon is the best actor. His roles are hit or miss. He's not bad in this, just not that good. Also I'm just not that big a fan of Christopher Nolan films. Except the Batman trilogy. I get drawn in with these great casts, and then end up not liking it that much. 

Sunday: Kindergarten Cop (1990)

         Kimble is a cop trying to take down a criminal, Crisp, that he has been after for years. He struggles to get any evidence or find reliable witnesses. Then he learns that Crisp's ex-wife may have gotten away with several million dollars and taken their son. Crisp is likely to come after them. If Kimble can get eyes on the ex-wife and find the money he might have enough to bring down Crisp. So he travels to Astoria, OR where the wife is living. She works as a teacher. Kimble travels with a partner, Phoebe. She is supposed to go under cover as a teacher at the same school. While driving from Portland she gets very sick. So Kimble has to taker her place as a kindergarten teacher. He really struggles at first, but then is able to get his class under control. Soon he works out potential women who could be the ex-wife. He has limited time to get what he needs. This movie was good. Better than I thought it would be. Since I went to Astoria last week I had to see it before I left. Fun to see another movie filmed in Oregon and in a town I was about to visit.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Saturday: Hadestown: The Musical (2026)

            This is a Broadway musical that came out in 2019. Then a while ago they original cast got back together in London to do a limited run. And they filmed is. This is a interpretation of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. It's set in the depression and prohibition era in the south. Mainly at a bar in a mining town. The people are suffering because Hades is letting Persephone out less and less. She brings spring and good harvest. The people endure. One day a young woman, Eurydice, walks into the bar out of the cold. Orpheus, a poet, is immediately taken with her. She is hard and has many walls put up. Orpheus starts to bring them down. He tells her of a song he's writing that will bring back Spring. His optimism is infectious. They fall in love. A storm blows through and Eurydice gets caught in it and ends up in the underworld. When Orpheus finds out he finds a way to travel down there to get her back. It won't be easy. I thought this movie was alright. I remember hearing about this musical when it came out. I was mostly intrigued by the actor Andre De Shields, who plays Hermes, Orpheus' mentor. He just has such a cool look to him. Such style and charm. I didn't get to see it on Broadway with the original cast. So when I heard they were doing this I was excited. But I just didn't like it that much. The songs are only ok. Simple lyrics. Some of the acting was not good. Andre was great though. 

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