2023 — Best of Re-Viewing

How long's it been since you rewatched these? Pardner, that's too long.

My top picks from last year. In no particular order.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo

A fun, frothy take on The Prisoner of Zenda.
(My review here.)

Manhattan Murder Mystery

A screwball comedy that combines a tightly-plotted mystery with an examination of comfortable, middle-aged marriage.

(My review here.)

Radio Days

Woody Allen's love letter to radio centered around a love of family that shines through the humor and nostalgia.

(My review here.)

Everyone Says I Love You

Woody Allen's love letter to musicals, Hollywood love stories, and New York all wrapped up in the tale of a wealthy family's year told as a musical.

(My review here.)

 

Jodhaa Akbar

Along the lines of Cecil B. DeMille, this epic tale is about the romance between Akbar the Great and princess Jodhaa which will bring together the divided people of India into one people.

(My review here.)

Fahrenheit 451

In a future a "fireman" is the one who burns any books that are found. What happens when a fireman learns to read and value the ideas that he finds in books? Both the book and the movie are works of genius.

Amelie

It's been at least a decade since I watched this and it was really delightful experiencing it again as if for the first time. Quirky, but not too quirky. A lot of heart and purity but not sappy. And a celebration of the importance of the little things in life.

Cinderella (2015)

The best of the live-action Disney remakes because they stuck to the story without trying to improve it for modern values. I was especially impressed with the moral underpinning and the way the evil stepmother's story subtly intertwines with Cinderella's by the end.

(My review here.)

Broadway Danny Rose

What I forgot, or hadn't noticed the first time around, was the sheer humanity exhibited by Woody Allen and Mia Farrow at the end as their characters reach crisis and must deal with it.

(My review here.)

Mulan (1998)

A classic that I took my kids to see when it came out. Having seen the live-action Mulan made me realize how much the songs contribute to this movie. Probably the last of the great movies from Disney's second Golden Age.

2023 — Best of Rereading

How long's it been since you reread these? Pardner, that's too long.

My top picks from last year. In no particular order.

A Song for Nagasaki

by Paul Glynn

The biography of Takashi Nagai, a young Catholic Japanese doctor who lived through the bombing of Nagasaki and became an inspiration for spiritual healing for his people. Paul Glynn combines vivid descriptions, character insights, and just enough Japanese history so that we have context. 
(My review here.)

War for the Oaks

by Emma Bull

Rich urban fantasy that pulls the reader into the world of Emma Bull's making. We learn about champions, love, truth, honor ... and, of course, musicians. 

(My review here.)

West of Eden

by Harry Harrison

What if the dinosaurs had survived to evolve intelligent life? This is an exciting adventure in a world where the descendants of the dinosaurs struggle with a clan of humans in a battle for survival.
(My review here.)

Aunt Dimity's Death

by Nancy Atherton

Lori thought that Aunt Dimity was a character her mother invented for charming bedtime stories. Until she found that the real Aunt Dimity just died, leaving her an inheritance. A cozy mystery that is a fairy tale, ghost story and mystery.
(My review here.)

The Blue Sword

by Robin McKinley 

This is the story of Corlath, golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk. And this is the story of Harry Crewe, the Homelander orphan girl who became King's Rider, and heir to the Blue Sword. And this is the song of the kelar of the Hillfolk, the magic of the blood, the weaver of destinies...

A near-perfect fantasy. Just reading the description makes me want to pick it up again.

(My review here.)

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

by Dorothy Gilman

When the elderly Mrs. Pollifax's doctor recommends she tries something new that she's always wanted to do, she applies at the CIA to be a spy. Thanks to a misunderstanding, she's sent on a courier mission and winds up in the middle of something dangerous where her inexperience leads to a sort of inspired mayhem that throws the bad guys off kilter.
(My review here.)

Christy

by Catherine Marshall

A fascinating story about people in the Smoky Mountains in 1912 cut off from any outside civilization except for a few people who came in to try to help their poverty stricken situation. Including the 19-year-old young woman, Christy, who comes to teach the children. She is naive and from a well-to-do background so she's completely unprepared for what she finds. Also extremely inspirational.

The Hiding Place

by Corrie ten Boom

Sheltered spinster, Corrie Ten Boom is 50 years old when the Nazis invade Holland. She and her family shelter Jews targeted by the Nazis and when they are caught, they are sent to prison and eventually concentration camps. This sounds gloomy and like a familiar story. It is not. Every Christian should read this book. Simply fantastic.
(My review here.)

Best of 2023 — Podcasts

 My top picks from podcasts I discovered last year. As always, they may be old, but my listening was brand new in 2023. In no particular order. Links are in the podcast name.

Catechism in a Year

Fr. Mike Schmitz guides you through the entire Catechism of the Catholic Church in 365 episodes, providing explanation, insight, and encouragement along the way.

Like the Bible in a Year podcast, this is chock full of Father Mike Schmitz's explanations that help us see how the Catechism applies to everyday life. He doesn't dodge the touchy issues, because the Catechism doesn't. But his explanations help to explain the logic and love that is behind all the Church's teachings. I have thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Books of Titans

Podcaster Erik Rostad started Books of Titans as an experiment to discover how to read more books and remember what I read. I enjoyed the past episodes I tried as he was really good at pulling out big ideas from each book and often would find them connecting to other books in unexpected ways. 

In 2023 he began a project to read the Great Books and see the wisdom of the ages and the cultural influence they have imparted. Not only has Erik been discussing the ancient books but he has paired them with more modern works which help give context. Erik is a thoughtful reader and it is fascinating to hear him go through these books. His goal is to finish by 2030. Read more about that project here.

How to Eat an Elephant
A Little Book Club for Large Books 

Of course, as the saying goes, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Podcasters Ian, Emily, and Megan do a great job of reading five chapters a week and looking at them indepth. So far they've read War and Peace and Les Miserables. It's thanks to their discussions that I made it halfway through War and Peace last year before deciding I'd read as much as I needed to and dropping the book. It wasn't them, it was just that I'd read all I needed to of War and Peace. However, they are engaging and thoughtful and I'll be on board the next time they pick up a long read that is on my list.

Anupama Chopra Reviews

Anupama Chopra, founder & editor of Film Companion, is a film critic, television anchor and book author. She has been writing about Bollywood since 1993. Here you can find all of her reviews for movies from across the globe.

I discovered this when browsing through Evergreen Podcasts listings. Anupama Chopra gives just the succinct yet personal reviews of new Indian films that help me know whether or not to put movies on my list. So far, her tastes and ours match up very well. 

Best of 2023 — TV

 Here are my top picks from our year of TV viewing. Our television viewing was not extensive but we discovered some that were pure gold. In no particular order.

I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..." 

 

 

2023 BEST TV

The Romantics documentary series
The legacy of Yash Chopra and Yash Raj Films

A really excellent documentary. Well edited, conceived and executed. This series is one that Indians will enjoy and that true film fans will appreciate. Other than that, only people like us — a true minority of Indian film lovers who are not ourselves Indian — will appreciate.

(My review here.)

Tale of the Nine Tailed

Lee Yeon is a mythical nine tailed fox in this fun and exciting roller coaster of a K-drama. He works on earth for the the gods' Department of Immigration of Life After Death — hunting down mythical beings who kill humans. A lovely television producer, Nam Ji-Ah, whose show investigates the supernatural, suspects that he is involved in a murder case. She investigates him and he investigates her. Ji-Ah's looking for her long lost parents and Yeong's on the lookout for the reincarnation of his lost love. Naturally they will work together. Just as naturally, nothing is as it appears on the surface.

If you like this then go watch Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 which is the sequel (prequel). Although not quite as good as this, it is a lot of fun and still quite good.

(My review here.) 

Law School

Yang Jong-hoon, a prosecutor-turned-professor, teaches criminal law at a prestigious law school. He and his first-year law students get involved in an unprecedented case during a mock trial. During a mock trial class, the supervising professor is found murdered and Professor Yang is arrested as the main suspect. Showing on Netflix.

There was a refreshing lack of romance, aside from the occasional glance sent from one student to another while they weren't looking. This was a straight up drama that's wildly intricate and inventive in the plot's twists and turns. Somehow it had plenty of drama without being emotionally over-the-top, which we appreciated too.

(My review here.)

Only Murders in the Building
Season 3

If you've watched the first two seasons then you know what to expect. If not, please go find this series and begin with season one. I mention it because we were impressed with the way the show followed the new theme (murder at an off-Broadway musical) and held true to all the things that made it great in the first two seasons. We're looking forward to season 4.

Wellington Paranormal

Sergeant Ruawai Maaka of the Wellington Police enlists the aid of Officers Minogue and O'Leary to tackle paranormal events in New Zealand's capital city. The mockumentary follows these kiwi cops as they investigate cases such as the demon possession of a teenager, a noise complaint at a haunted house and a blood bank robbery.

Just plain fun.

(My review here.)

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship Enterprise in the 23rd century as they explore new worlds and carry out missions throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

We enjoyed this quite a lot. It was an intriguing blend of faithfulness to the Star Trek sensibilities while containing character development and modern ideas.

(My review here.)

Best of 2023 — Movies

 Here are my top picks from our year of viewing. We watched  around 125 movies last year.  

As always, the movies may be old, but my viewing was brand new in 2023. In no particular order.

I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..."

2023 BEST MOVIES

Grand Hotel

The first Hollywood all-star epic with a lot of high-powered stars of the 1930s. We watched it because we were working our way through the Oscar winner/nominees for 1923. This is the movie where Greta Garbo's famous "I want to be alone" line originated. We were surprised at how much we enjoyed this very good movie which can hold its own against stories of today.

(My review here.)

Bholaa

This is a big action movie with lots of great stunts and acting from some top Bollywood stars. Moreover it was a compelling story with clearly drawn characters, excellent acting, clever twists, stylish choreography and imagery, and over-the-top action very well done.

(My review here.)

Confess, Fletch
Honor Among Thieves
Game Night

These are three movies whose only goal is to entertain. There have been precious few of those lately from Hollywood so we were thrilled to find them. Each is silly in its own way, but each one is fun in just the right way.

(My review here.)

Kantara

Shiva is a tribal vagabond who lives with his mother in a tiny forest village. He avoids participation in the traditional worship ceremonies due to an unforgettable childhood incident. He is happy loafing around with his friends and doing petty jobs for his landlord. When forest officer Murali enters the scene, it gives a fresh dimension to the man-vs-nature fight. Can Shiva save the forest from Murali?

(My review here.)

Father Stu

This is that rare find, a well done Christian movie. Usually we avoid faith based films like the plague because  but we gave this a chance because we were intrigued not only by the basic story but by Mark Wahlberg's dedication to getting it produced. Our faith was well rewarded.

(My review here.)

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
(Rocky and Rani's Love Story)

Rocky is a loud, showy Punjabi from a family who made their fortune making laddoos (sweets). Rani is a sophisticated, stylish television personality from a Bengali family. Brought together by a fluke because each loves their grandparents, they fall in love. This romantic comedy is a three-hour long, dance loaded, romance loaded movie that leaves you smiling. It's been described as "delicious eye candy with a rebellious core" and nothing could be truer. (My review here.)

 

Kathal — A Jackfruit Mystery

We all really loved this movie which follows Inspector Mahima Basor and her team as they pursue the ridiculous case of two stolen jackfruits. Everyone realizes it is a waste of resources but no one will say no to the politician. As you might expect there is a fair amount of humor but it is usually gentle and understated, which can be a rarity in Indian movies.

(My review here.)

Brochevarevarura
(Who Shall Save the Day?)

This story has the framework of an aspiring scriptwriter who is telling the story to an actress who he hopes to interest in starring in the film he's writing. The film pops in and out of this framework and it is interesting to see how the story can subtly change going forward based on the actress's questions or comments. Halfway through the film a plot twist popped up that left us astounded and intrigued. This made all the difference.

(My review here.)

Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning, part 1

We closed out the year with the latest Mission Impossible movie. These are always fun because they are so reliable. You know you are getting real entertainment along with a dose of uncompromising view of good versus evil, right versus wrong. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is on the right side, albeit having to overcome flaws along the way. I especially enjoyed the many flashes of humor throughout. We thoroughly enjoyed this movie and can't wait for part 2.

Best of 2023 — Reading

 My top picks from the over 120 books I read last year.

You may find old books here but if they're on this list, then they were new to me! In no particular order.

Note: I've been doing this since 2008 — check the label cloud in the sidebar for "Best of" to see other lists.

2023 BEST BOOKS

Owls Hoot in the Daytime and Other Omens

by Manly Wade Wellman

John's guitar has silver strings and with that, songs, and sometimes a silver quarter he battles evil. We are never in doubt that John will win. The charm comes in the Appalachian flavor and the imaginative nature of the predicaments faced.

(Full review here.)

Markmaker

by Mary Jessica Woods

Mariikel is a talented markmaker in a society where people's marks (tattoos) are the record of their lives. When he is ordered to put an exile mark on someone who he thinks isn't guilty it leads to an exciting story that also examines conscience, honor, truth, family, history, and politics.

(My review here.)

Winters in the World:
A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year

by Eleanor Parker

Eleanor Parker weaves a tapestry of poetry, literature, history, religion, and language to go through the seasons and practices of the Anglo-Saxon year. The result is a masterpiece that gave me a real sense of connection with the people of long ago and a deep appreciation with the sacred cycle of time both then and now. This might be my favorite book of the year.

(My review here.)

The Wolf-Leader

by Alexandre Dumas

This Faustian tale infuses the hijinks of The Three Musketeers into a supernatural story with a moral center. A little-known Dumas story that is really delightful.

(My full review.)

30 Days with Married Saints

by Kent and Caitlin Lasnoski

Each day contains vivid portraits of heroically virtuous married saints as well as prayers, moving reflections, questions, and practical suggestions to enrich your marriage and inspire you and your spouse on your journey of sanctity. Really inspiring.

(My full review.)

What Monstrous Gods

by Rosamund Hodge

Rosamund Hodge is a fantasy writer whose begins, however tangentially, with a well-known fairy tale and then takes imaginative leaps into something completely original and breath-taking. In this case it begins with what happens when Sleeping Beauty awakens. This book will come out in 2024 and I'm looking forward to having my own hardback copy to reread.

(My full review.)

Before the Coffee Gets Cold

by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

A wonderful, charming tale of four people who go to an obscure cafe which is rumored to make time travel possible. The rules are strict, the time is very limited, and it seems impossible that they could accomplish much. Simple but magical.

(My full review.)

Third Eye

by Felicia Day

What happens when The Chosen One fails to defeat the ultimate villain and winds up reading tarot cards in a seedy part of San Francisco? Therein lies the fun as Felicia Day combines fantasy quest tropes in a way that is hilarious and also fulfilling. Just plain fun.

(My full review.)  

Starter Villain

by John Scalzi

When Charlie's long-lost uncle Jake dies he realizes that Jake wasn't just a pay-garage tycoon, but a super villain. The first hint? When he inherits an island complete with a volcano lair. Another that is just plain fun.

(My full review here.)

Surprised by Oxford

 by Carolyn Weber

Halfway through I was recommending it to every Christian I know. Having finished it, I am still doing so.

(Read my full review here.)