Movies I saw in June: Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Death of Robin Hood, Disclosure Day

There are three cool things I remember about staying at my grandmother’s apartment in San Jose when I was a kid:

1. Cheeseburgers: While my grandmother was at work, my sister and I were allowed to walk to Marie Callender’s for lunch. I loved everything about that restaurant, especially their cheeseburgers with a magical mix of American cheese, Thousand Island dressing and iceberg lettuce.

2. Television: Grandma allowed us to watch as much TV as we wanted, which was heaven for kids without a television set at home. And other than a couple of hours of Barney Miller and the news after she got home from work, grandma allowed us to watch whatever we wanted, even well after she went to bed. So like a starving person who couldn't leave the buffet table, we would stare at the screen until our eyes could not stay open anymore, usually about the time Benny Hill began chasing women around in circles.

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark: But definitely my favorite memory of San Jose was when grandma took us to see Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Century 21, a dome-shaped theater with a huge, curved screen that was the perfect way to immerse yourself in the amazing adventures of Dr. Jones and his spitfire sidekick. 

So this year when I saw that Raiders was playing in theaters again I jumped at the chance to see it on a big screen again, hoping to feel just some of that prior magic. But unfortunately it turned out to be quite the opposite experience, as apparently there were no humans at the theater I went to who could figure out how to properly display the “ancient” media from the 1980s, so the first fifth of the movie was projected in a squished, almost-square ratio that I found incredibly distracting.

Luckily the theater staff finally fixed the problem before the most awesome bar brawl ever, so overall I found it satisfying to see Raiders in a theater again, making it not only the best movie I saw in June, but still in my Top Five favorite movies of all time:

Raiders of the Lost Ark (In the theater in 1981 and 2026!) Grade: A+++

Just like Pretty in Pink, I suppose I really can’t be objective about the grade I give this movie, but tell me I’m wrong thinking its pretty dang perfect?

Not only is it super cool and fun, it is the first movie I remember making me think of the craft and artistry behind the story it I was watching, especially details like the plane flying over a map on the screen to tell you where Indy was heading.

And 45 years later, I still think this movie has not only the best bar battle ever, and maybe still the best battle on wheels ever. I will admit that Fury Road’s fantastic chase scenes may finally have topped even Indy’s impressive feat of crawling back from under the truck, but Raiders still did it all first.

By far the most surprising thing about seeing this movie again, other than how crazy young everyone looks now, was realizing how much of it was tailored for a younger audience. With so much of the humor, plot and even love story easily understood and appreciated by children, it's no wonder I fell so completely in love with it.

The Death of Robin Hood (In the theater). Grade: A-.

This movie was brutal, straying about as far from the Disney version of Robin Hood you could get. But I also found it beautiful, especially loving the moody mountain landscapes and the extra moody Hugh Jackman, looking extra dashing in his long, silver locks.

I also enjoy every minute I get to spend with Jodie Comer, though I admit liking those minutes much more when she is asked to behave badly, as in Killing Eve.

As for the story, I found it a nice mix of Dead Man Walking and another one of my Top Five movies, Logan, which features Jackman playing a character I love even more than Indiana Jones: Wolverine. 

And while I love watching Wolverine eviscerate his enemies with the coolest finger swords ever, this movie managed to find the one thing I could not watch Mr. Jackman do: trap and clean a rabbit, which is something I learned all about as a child and need never watch again. So if you don’t want to be reminded that animals are meat, then I suggest you close your eyes whenever you see a rabbit foot, too.

Disclosure Day (In the theater) Grade: B-.

I love that Steven Spielberg is still making great movies more than four decades after Raiders, and I really liked the first 2/3 of this movie, especially enjoying wondering how in the heck Emily Blunt could suddenly read people’s minds, and how Colin Firth could suddenly enter them.

But the last third fell flat for me, as I didn’t understand exactly what either the good guys or the bad guys were trying to accomplish.

Also, I don’t go to movies to see the world I live in, which is just a bunch of people staring at their phones. Not even if they are supposed to be watching old-school media like broadcast TV. I’d rather watch Indy again, squished ratio and all!

Now for the movies my grandmother saw in June of 1999:

6/13 TV: Movie, “Her Alibi.” Sad, but good.

6/19 TV: Morse repeat. Watched “Extreme Measures” again. Good. Hugh Grant, Gene Hackman, who is always believable.

6/21: To show, “Limbo.” Surprised, no ending.

6/23: To show, “Notting Hill.” (2nd)

6/24: To Scotts Valley for show, “The Love Letter.” Good.

6/26: Ran “Desperately Seeking Susan.”

6/27 : To show, “Tarzan.” Good, fantastic digital animation.

6/29: To show, “Red Violin.”

6/30: To show, "Notting Hill." (She went on to see Notting Hill in the theaters nearly a dozen times!)

Read grandma's journal entries from June of 1999 here.