Sorry, I just need to see that one again to have something real to say about it. It was interesting but it was a long haul, and it’s been a really long time since I saw it. I remember that Ryan loved it, so maybe you should have watched it when he was still here.

I’ll read those Dune books eventually. Maybe I should read some of his other books before re-reading the original trilogy and then tackling the other stuff. But that will make me take even longer to get to it.

I don’t know that Pit and the Pendulum movie, but your comment about it looking like Xena: Warrior Princess reminds me that I was watching a youtube video of some academic critiquing movie scenes that portray Greek Myths, and after sitting through clips from a bunch of teal and orange shit-smears like the Clash of the Titans remake, the Xena clip they showed was came off as depressingly fun and vibrant. “Depressingly fun and vibrant” isn’t a phrase that I use ever day, but you earned it Xena!

the reason I haven’t ever really cottoned to any Michael Mann movie is that his subtleties are kinda plain

I’ve yet to see a Michael Mann movie that contained subtleties. I haven’t seen Collateral though, and at first I was thinking of Collateral Damage, which I also haven’t seen. Of the ones I’ve seen, Heat is my favorite. Those actors are better in other movies, and those obvious and well worn themes have been done better elsewhere, but the scope and detail make it worthwhile.

When Honkin’ On Bobo came out my interest in the band was at a low, so I didn’t hear it until years later. It’s okay, I guess, but I never really cared about it. They were always more funky than straight bluesy. I do remember that they talked in the media about making this album after Nine Lives, but apparently only got around to it as a stopgap when there wasn’t the will and commitment to sit down and write new material, so it really was a toss off. I think it would have been more likeable, and possibly actually a better album, if they’d made it for fun after Nine Lives instead of going in the other direction with Just Push Play. If they’d done that and then retired from studio work it probably would have been the most graceful ending to their discography that they could realistically have achieved after I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing (although Joe Perry released a pretty good solo album in 2005, so maybe they could have done better). Of the songs you didn’t mention, I liked Back Back Train and Jesus Is On the Mainline. Noteably, those two and You Gotta Move are both Mississippi Fred McDowell covers.
The other notable track is “Stop Messin’ Around,” which they had been playing live regularly for 20 years at that point as the most frequent Joe Perry-sung number.

I’m not familiar with Blur, but that last line made me laugh.