Well, I've seen The Godfather Part III: original recipe before — albeit 35 years ago — but this was my first, and likely only, viewing of The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. More or less fit my memories of seeing the original cut in theaters: some exciting sequences, some strong moments for Pacino and Keaton, and a potent ending for Michael as a character, but the Vatican plot doesn't quite work, and both the absence of Duvall and Sofia Coppola's deficits as a performer are crippling.

Bigger Starfleet time travel-created headache: Ben Sisko is now the hero of the Bell Riots, or Zefrem Cochrane’s co-pilots on the most important flight in human history are now Will Riker and Geordi LaForge?

I will never forget watching this in a theater 19 years ago, because in the row in front of us was a dad with a little boy and girl who were both under 5. When the movie got to the scene where LeChiffre tortures a naked Bond, we could see the kids really squirming. When the movie ended and the lights came up, we saw the dad looking mortified, plastering on a smile to tell them, "Boy, that was some intense movie, huh, kids?"

The movie is much less about the high concept than I was expecting, leaning on Mandy Stella and deploying Aubrey Plaza very strategically. But Stella is so endearing and charismatic, and when the film needs Plaza to destroy, she does exactly that. What an incredible actor she has revealed herself to be over time. That’s the stuff.

(God, and right after I published this, someone told me the awful news about Plaza’s husband, which I had missed during recent travels. Deepest condolences.)

What a fun, confident coming of age hangout movie this was! Gabriel LaBelle is already on his way to big things, and I’ll be very surprised/disappointed if Conor Sherry doesn’t join him in that rarefied air. Such great chemistry, so funny, so sweet together. Excellently retro in every sense.

The Weyland-Yutani corporation seems to engage in some unethical business practices, I think.

That kid who directed the Joan Crawford part of the Night Gallery pilot, and the first regular Columbo episode, sure can shoot!

After reading the umpteenth article about how the coach of the Celtics watches this movie four times a week, I realized I hadn't seen it since it was in theaters, and decided to fire up a borrowed copy of the extended edition. I had forgotten an awful lot, including virtually everything from Fenway Park on, but it played very well. Not Joe Mazzulla obsession-level well, but given the periods in my life where I have watched Midnight Run, The Martian, Apollo 13, or Shawshank on what felt like a loop, I can't exactly judge him, either.

Paul Giamatti. Man.