- Not Another Kid Movie
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- NAKM: Jan. 15, 2025
The Devastating Wildfires
The Los Angeles-area wildfires have significantly impacted the lives of people who are part of our lives because they make the shows and movies our families love. They’re animators, makeup artists, writers, set designers, prop masters, electricians, cinematographers, directors, effects artists, and actors. They’re hurting. We can lessen the hurt.
Vanity Fair has a thorough list of resources that includes everything from helping fire survivors find temporary housing to feeding firefighters.
Cartoon Brew connects you to the animators impacted by the fires and their fundraising efforts.
Writer Liz Hsiao Lan Alpert created a spreadsheet of all the people, from union techs to directors, who need help getting back on their feet.
Climate change is at the heart of these wildfires. Rising greenhouse gas levels are driving up global temperatures, creating the dry, dangerous conditions that fuel wildfires. We can reduce the impact of climate change by pursuing renewable energy sources and advocating for sustainable practices and policies.
Scientist Katharine Hayhoe says there is still hope we can recover. She talked to CBS News about climate’s role in the fires. She says, “The faster we cut emissions and build resilience, the less suffering there will be.” In July 2023, as the US was hit with both record heat and record flooding, she offered several actions you can take to enact that change:
If a climate-fueled disaster hasn’t reached your community yet, just wait. It’s coming. There’s little you can do once the flood, fire, wind, or ice is on your doorstep. You need to fight before it arrives. There is hope. You just need to change. We all need to change.
Brendan
We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming…
We don’t need a Pint-Sized Review of Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
I know it kicks ass. You know it kicks ass. It’s Wallace & Gromit. Instead, because there is almost nothing new streaming the second half of the month, I’m going to introduce you to four FREE streaming services that you should add to your Smart TV or streaming box outside of Tubi.
Kanopy is a free service with a robust catalogue of new and classic movies and TV shows. All you need to do is enter your library card info. You get ten rentals a month. The movies are mostly for adults, but you’ll find classics like Charlotte’s Web (1973), Popeye (1980), and a few of my recommendations, including April and the Extraordinary World (2015).
Plex features ads. They suck. But the movies are free. There is no kids or family section. You will have to hunt, but you’ll find solid choices like Missing Link (2019), Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films, and one of my former recommendations Long Way North (2015). One other cool feature: Plex allows you to search for any movie and it will tell you where to stream or buy it.
The Roku Channel doesn’t need to be played on a Roku device. You can stream thousands of movies and TV shows from most smart TVs or stream boxes. You’ll find family film classics (sort of) like All Dogs Go to Heaven, Ready Player One, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
I’m not joking. YouTube is a fantastic place for old movies. You’ll find A Trip to the Moon, The Kid, The General, and just about any movie now in public domain. Plus there are dozens of wonderful, modern shorts. You can put ten together in a playlist and put on an alternative family movie night. Go see what you can find and report back.
Fresh Cuts
The latest family films to hit all screens. Not all are winners. Watch at your own risk!
Streaming 🛜
Netflix
none
Hulu
none
Max
(Jan. 15) Uncharted (2022) (12+)
(Jan. 17) Better Off Dead (1985) (10+)
(Jan. 17) Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017) (10+)
Disney+
none
In Theaters 📽️
(Jan. 17) Autumn and the Black Jaguar
(Jan. 19) The Goonies (Re-release)
(Jan. 31) Dog Man
On Disc 📀
(Jan. 21) Here (12+)
(Jan. 21) Monster Summer (10+)
(Jan. 21) Venom: The Last Dance (12+)
News You Can Use (and Sometimes Booze)
All the new trailers, cool collaborators, tech and gadget releases, theater openings, and booze news that’ll make or break your family movie nights.
Festivals: Sundance will continue despite the industry impact caused by the wildfires. The film festival starts January 23.
Oscars: Voting has been extended; the show’s date remains unchanged despite four members of the Academy’s Board of Governors losing their homes.
Releases: Shrek 5 is moving back; Minions 3 is moving forward.
Box Office: Mufasa and Moana 2 make bank. Family films continue to dominate the box office.
Papa Do Preach!
"Sometimes it's a hard world for small things."
Let’s Get Rec’d!
Check my list before you wreck yourself next family film night.
Keepin’ It Real
The Secret Garden (1993) (5+)
There’s no magic in The Secret Garden, but it may cast a spell on you with its cheerful gothic vibes. The story, based on a classic book, is about a girl sent to her uncle’s estate after her parents die. She meets her sickly cousin, who starts to recover thanks to her stubborn charm. There’s something pleasing about watching things coming back from the brink of death — be it children or gardens. There’s enough exploration and discovery of this mysterious estate that even many action-seeking kiddos will fall under its spell. There are six versions. The 1993 version is by far the best.
Kickin’ It Old School
Flight of the Navigator (1986) (6+)
Alien abduction is always a hit with the kids. The kidnap beam. The restraining slime. The probing finger. Eh, on second thought, maybe not. The good news, Flight of the Navigator features none of those things. It does feature time travel, non-threatening aliens, and a Pee-wee Herman-voiced robot. Flight of the Navigator is a cult favorite with sci-fi fans not just because of the spacey vibes. It features some of the earliest CGI effects in film and it’s the first US film with a fully electronic score. So — beam the kids to the couch, restrain them with treats, and probe their senses with this ‘80s classic.
Secret Sauce
A Cat in Paris (2010) (6+)
Cats are mysterious creatures. Like, where do they go at night? In A Cat in Paris, we find out. The titular cat joins a neighborhood cat burglar to, well, burgle. But being the complex, furry creature it is, the cat also spends the days nuzzling a girl who hasn’t spoken since her father died. This tight but light thriller takes you through a delightfully animated version of Paris as the girl gets mixed up in the burgling. The story is Hitchcockian. The hand-drawn animation is artsy but fun. The jazz soundtrack is…jazzy. The good kind of jazzy, not the sheets your mom picked out for you from Mervyn’s in 1989 jazzy.
For Your Eyes Only
What to watch after THEY go to bed.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil came out in 1958. Why does it feel fresher than most movies today? One reason: Welles choreographs complex scenes with flamboyant camera flourishes that trap you along with the characters. Touch of Evil is technically sound and exciting to watch.
It takes place in a border town rife with corruption and racism. The police chief frames an interracial couple for murder. Things get complicated when a local crime family dip their beaks into the action.
The story is not easy to follow on the first watch. The good news: There are multiple cuts:
The original Universal Studios cut where the studio got a little handsy.
Welles’ preview cut he first showed to the studio.
The 1998 re-cut completed by master editor Walter Murch based on a 58-page memo Welles wrote to the studio suggesting changes.
Better news: All three cuts are included in THIS 4K Ultra UHD remaster. Touch of Evil sizzles with pace and sensational camera work. It’s my favorite Welles film.
The Good Enough Semi-Dry January Spritz
We’re two weeks into 2025 and you’re ready to ditch Dry January. No worries. You’ve done well making it two weeks. It’s what we call Semi-Dry January. And this week’s recipe celebrates your two week success with a semi-dry cocktail.
Ingredients:
3 oz semi-dry still wine
1 oz mezcal or bourbon
½ oz grapefruit juice
½ oz honey syrup
Splash of soda water (to mimic the spritz style)
Garnish:
Grapefruit twist
Instructions:
Mix: Combine mezcal or bourbon, grapefruit juice, and honey syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake well.
Pour: Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Stir: Add the semi-dry wine and gently stir.
Fizz: Top with a small splash of soda water.
Twist: Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
Cheers!
The Man Behind the Mask
Thanks for reading and subscribing!
I am a former television news journalist who now writes about movies, parenting, and tech online (and occasionally on paper). My number one job, though, is making sure my girls grow up with steady heads on their shoulders. I think our shared movie nights have a positive impact on their self-esteem and develop an awareness of the world around them. I relish every night — except for maybe Baby Geniuses. I got through that one with my good friend George Dickel.
Brendan Knapp