The ILTBTA Honeymoon Episodes
Volume 2
ILTBTA Readers,
G’day from Australia! When people find out we have a movie newsletter (also known as “your movie thing” or “your Oscars blog” or “sorry I meant to read it!”), we’ll inevitably get asked for recommendations. And while sometimes you’re looking for a high-quality, Oscar-worthy movie (hence why our Honorable Mention section has highlighted movies like Parasite, Casablanca, and Belfast), we recognize that sometimes you want something a little more … fun? Not so serious? Or, as Tyler’s dad often puts it, not “another long old movie that no one’s ever heard of”?
Lucky for you all, we watch all kinds of movies, partially as a socially acceptable way to feed our popcorn addictions. And so below you’ll find our ten favorite non-Best Picture nominees of 2022 that we experienced in the movie theatre (yes we still do that; you’re welcome Regal), with a bite-sized review of ten words or less. If any of them are haikus, we totally did it on purpose.
Ten in Ten!
In which we list our ten favorite non-Spreadsheet movies that we've seen in theatres this year, and comment on them in ten words or less.
Ellen
Everything Everywhere All At Once → deeply rooted in reality for the purpose of being BANANAS
The Menu → deliciously scary and believable enough!
Top Gun: Maverick → excuse me while I earn my pilot’s license
See How They Run → quirky murder mystery you can still take seriously
Jurassic World Dominion → best Jurassic World yet, perfect summer movie
Bodies Bodies Bodies → a very Gen-Z murder mystery
Bullet Train → violence and old Brad Pitt, but make it silly
Moonfall → so dumb, so fun, absolutely cackled
The Lost City → also dumb, also fun! Daniel Radcliff villain = <3
The 355 → Charlie’s Angels without the “girl boss”
Dishonorable mention: Uncharted → how dare you de-charm Tom Holland?!?
Tyler
Everything Everywhere All At Once → unique, ambitious, confusing, funny, emotional, action packed, and completely original
See How They Run → wonderfully meta whodunit, Saoirse Ronan is so gosh darn charming
The Menu → deliciously unsettling, Anya Taylor-Joy simply does not miss
The King’s Man → another great installment, tons of stylish fun and unique action
Moonfall → definitely not NASA approved, take drugs before watching
Bodies Bodies Bodies → equal parts funny, scary, and satirical
Death on the Nile → I heart Agatha, okay?
Jurassic World Dominion → not a perfect movie, but a perfect summer blockbuster
Thor: Love and Thunder → inject Taika Waititi content into my veins; Christian Bale scary
Top Gun: Maverick → answers the question “What if the original was good?”
Sneak Peek
What are we looking forward to in 2023?
And so as we officially close the book on cinema in 2022, let’s take a peek at some movies we’re excited to watch this upcoming year. Aside from our future Best Picture nominees, we’re particularly excited for a TON of movies in 2023. So many that we had to organize them somehow:
Existing franchises: Fast X1, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, A Haunting in Venice, and Dune: Part Two
Original content: Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, and Next Goal Wins
As far as ILTBTA goes, we’ll be back in the swing of things in two weeks’ time with the 2009 sci-fi movie District 9. Starring some South African actors who, let’s be real, you’ve never heard of, District 9 follows the chaotic and violent aftermath of an alien species’ arrival in Johannesburg, South Africa. Many of the costumes and props from the film were designed and produced at the legendary Weta Cave, which we were lucky enough to tour a couple weeks ago! District 9 is available to stream for free with an HBO Max subscription, and available to rent from your streaming service of choice.
Post-Credits Scene
Get an update on #honeymonth.
Back by popular demand, some more honeymoon updates:
Following our adventures in Napier, we crossed off yet another form of transportation by taking a bus down to Wellington, appropriately-for-us nicknamed “Wellywood” for its strong connections to the film industry.
After getting a headstart on the presumed Best Picture nominees with The Fabelmans, we took in the sights from Mt. Victoria …
… and took in another movie (Operation Fortune, which was a lot of fun!).
Before long, we were off to the South Island! A ferry, train, and rental car later, we arrived at Mount Cook.
Next stop: Fiordland! But not before some exciting pit stops …
Following some celebratory gelato, we ventured on to Te Anau, the unofficial gateway to Fiordland National Park. While there we cruised along the breathtakingly beautiful Milford Sound …
… took a hike to Lake Marian …
… and rode some e-bikes on the Lake2Lake Trail!
Before we knew it, it was time to leave our newly beloved country of New Zealand and fly to its more intense, brasher older brother Australia. Find out which one of us fed a kangaroo when we share some more pictures in our next ILTBTA post.
Cheers,
E&T
Which should obviously instead be called Fast-Ten Your Seatbelts, but whatever