- Not Another Kid Movie
- Posts
- NAKM: Feb. 1, 2025
Ad Free and Proud to Be! (For Now)
People ask what I charge for my newsletter. I don’t. It’s not because I don’t like money or can’t use it. I do. My beer budget has been mostly replaced by a juice box budget. It needs funding!
I don’t charge subscribers or include ads (for now) because I don’t want to create a barrier between you and my newsletter. It makes me happy when subscribers share feedback, show their appreciation, and tell me about how they used my newsletter to win family film night.
Several people (not you — the other ones) have asked me to set up a Patreon or some such to support my efforts. Each newsletter takes at least ten hours to put together. Brainstorming, organizing, writing, rewriting, a splash of gin here or there, rewriting again, all while navigating multiple platforms.
It’s time consuming. But any hobby is. And that’s what Not Another Kid Movie is right now: A hobby.
That said, if you want to buy me a coffee — I’m at Prince Coffee in NE Portland writing this right now — I am not going to turn you down. You can also buy me a beer, a shot, or a glass of water in this Return of the Jedi Burger King promo glass I spotted on EBay — I’m open to it all.
That’s why I set up an account with BuyMeACoffee. Click the link and you can purchase my next round, be it a morning brew or nighttime brew.
Don’t feel pressure in any way to do so. I am already caffeinated and swooning while I sip the nectar of support many of you show me.
Thank you. I appreciate you.
Brendan
P.S. That BK glass looks amazing. Just saying.
Pint-Sized Review
If you blinked last fall, you missed Robot Dreams’ digital release. If you blinked last summer, you missed its short-lived theater run. If you blinked last spring, you missed its Oscar nomination.
I blinked all three times. I am way late to this party.
Robot Dreams is a wordless movie based on a wordless book. Yes, that’s two dialogue-free movies I’m reviewing for you (watch Flow!). Both are incredible. Both are wildly different.
You know that show or movie you saw on Adult Swim late at night while “substanced” back in the 2000s that you loved but can’t quite remember or find again? Robot Dreams feels like one of those long-lost gems.
The story is about a lonely dog who orders a robot to be his friend. They enjoy a tail-waggingly great few weeks together. Then, Robot is lost. The two struggle to reunite, despite hopeful and sometimes fearful dreams.
The film is about loss, loneliness, and moving on. It’s mostly heartwarming but a little heartbreaking.
The playful score will have your tail wagging. The joyful soundtrack will have your toe tapping. Give your speakers a little workout — there’s no dialogue to ruin the vibe.
The art direction feels so familiar — like characters jumped from the cover of a Trapper Keeper featuring anthropomorphic animals. Maybe because the flat colors feel ripped from the Sunday funnies you read as a kid. The 2D animation doesn’t feel flat; characters have fluidity and freedom of movement, while the backgrounds are cityscapes filled with unique characters. It’s a busy world with a lot to take in.
Robot Dreams is twee to the Nth degree. But the cuteness doesn’t feel overwhelming. There are times you feel like the film is about to get a little too adult for the kiddos — but it never crosses that line. Are all of these people friends? Are they more? It’s not clear.
Pour yourself a citrus- or fruit-forward hazy IPA or two and immerse yourself in a world that feels familiar, though you don’t remember where you’ve seen it before. Just remember, you aren’t lonely. Not with your hazy I…I mean, little kiddo next to you.
Streaming: Disney+/Hulu
Rating: PG-13 because of a middle finger moment (Me: 7+)
Director: Pablo Berger
Starring: Wistfulness and earworms
Run time: 1:42
Post-credits scenes: Nope
Sequel? None in the works but comes from a four-book series
If you liked Robot Dreams, check out these films:
Wall-E (2008) (5+)
The Mitchell’s vs the Machines (2021) (6+)
It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012) (10+)
The Triplets of Belleville (2003) (10+)
Steven Universe: The Movie (2019) (6+)
Fresh Cuts
The latest family films to hit all screens. Not all are winners. Watch at your own risk!
Streaming 🛜
|
|
In Theaters 📽️
(Feb. 13) Captain America: Brave New World
(Feb. 13) Paddington in Peru
On Disc 📀
(Feb. 4) Wicked (6+)
News You Can Use (and Sometimes Booze)
All the new trailers, cool collaborators, and booze news that’ll make or break your family movie nights.
Oscars: Wicked (10), The Wild Robot (3), Flow (2), Inside Out 2 (1), and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (1) have received nominations.
Labyrinth: Robert Eggers, the brilliant director behind Nosferatu and The Witch, is writing and directing a sequel to the Jim Henson classic. Maybe dreams do come true.
Whiskey: American single malt whiskey is now a federally recognized whiskey category. Here’s a list of ten to check out.
Papa Do Preach!
"Any fool with a dick can make a baby, but only a real man can raise his children."
Let’s Get Rec’d!
Check my list before you wreck yourself next family film night.
Keepin’ It Real
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) (8+)
Real actors. Real sets. (Mostly) real effects. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen feels and looks like a cartoon come to life. Director Terry Gilliam probably wishes he could just animate this classic. He had problems with shoot locations, extras, and even horses. The behind-the-scenes chaos is now infamous. On screen, we’re presented with a surreal but surprisingly coherent and witty fantasy classic. Gilliam excels at bringing make-believe to life. Baron Munchausen is one of his most make-believey. His inventiveness and creativity keep you locked in. But there are still those stunning, triumphant moments that will send your glass soaring with a cheer. You’ll have to rent this real classic, though it sometimes surfaces on streaming services.
Kickin’ It Old School
A Night at the Opera (1935) (5+)
A Night at the Opera may be the Marx Brother’s funniest film. Groucho fires out one-liners like a machine gun. The gags hit again and again. Your kids aren’t in to black and white? Casually sit down to watch this movie in their presence. Your laughs will draw them over. Before long, they’ll have forgotten it lacks color as they giggle away. A Night at the Opera is a couple of bucks to rent — about a nickel per laugh.
Secret Sauce
Porco Rosso (1992) (5+)
If you can’t raise a glass to Porco Rosso, a slightly romantic, mostly exhilarating animated film about an ace pilot pig who escapes fascist control to become a seaplane-flying bounty hunter, then you don’t have arms. And that’s okay. You can still cheer during air battles. You can laugh at the absurdity. You can gasp when beautifully drawn planes soar through hand-painted skies. Porco Rosso is a Studio Ghibli gem that’s perfect for dads and kids. You can find it on Max or randomly playing at kickass, big city theaters.
For Your Eyes Only
What to watch after THEY go to bed.
Haunting. Unsettling. Chilling. Yet you can’t look away. The Night of the Hunter features one of film’s greatest villains — a preacher turned predator. He’s garish but magnetic. Again, you can’t look away. He’s a constant threat of violence, stalking two orphans, until a thrilling finale that won’t even let you blink. Is this horror? Is this a thriller? Who cares. It’s incredible. It’s now streaming on MGM+, which means you’ll have to rent it.
Stir Things Up!
We’re raising a beer this month, not mixing cocktails. But I’m not Elliot Ness and this ain’t the prohibition. Go ahead and pour a shot with that beer.
To be clear, I’m talking side-by-side. We’re not dropping shot glasses into pint glasses like a bunch of lunatics. At least not today. Here are my three favorite pairings.
Light Lager and Reposado Tequila
Monterey Beer, Alvarado Street Brewing (California) and Cimarron Reposado Tequila
A crisp and refreshing Mexican-style lager plays well with the sweetness of agave. Cimarron is a tequila you can sip for under $40.
IPA and Scotch
Ripe, Great Notion (Oregon) and Macallan 12-year Scotch
Juicy fruit forward meets dried fruit backward. It’s a well-rounded pairing given Ripe is not too bitter but full of creamy character and Macallan is smooth with a subtle nip of booziness.
Imperial Stout and Bourbon
Bomb!, Prairie Artisan Ales (Oklahoma) and George Dickel 8-Year Bourbon
Ignore the percentage on the bottle. Instead, focus on the caramel and vanilla notes that harmonize with Bomb!’s toasted ancho chili peppers.
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