Top 10 Film Trilogies

 

Image Credit: Netflix

After watching the latest Knives Out movie from Netflix last night – Wake Up Dead Man, I got to thinking… what are my all-time favorite Top 10 film trilogies? I enjoyed all three of detective Benoit Blanc’s cases, but did they rank that high? Sounds like an excuse for another blog post. Note, so many great series have gone beyond three films, often hurting their overall legacy. None of those are included on my list no matter how much I enjoyed the first three films. You won’t find The Matrix movies, or Indiana Jones, Bourne, Toy Story, Ocean’s, Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, or John Wick. Nope, three and out. Those are the rules. So, without further ado from #10 to #1, here are my all-time favorite film trilogies.

Chronicles of Riddick

I’m going to justifiably catch some shit on this one, but I love Pitch Black. To me, it’s one of the most original sci-fi horror movies out there. No, it might not rival Alien, but it is still highly rewatchable. The two sequels don’t quite measure up, but they’re still entertaining in their expansion of Riddick’s universe. Rumor is, star Vin Diesel is planning a fourth entry in this franchise so I’m going to let these films enjoy their spot on this list while they’re still eligible.

The Equalizer

John Wick might not be allowed on this list, but Robert McCall is just as much of a badass. Denzel Washington is one of the best in the business and I love him in this role. His ability to communicate deadly intent with just a look in his eyes or twitch of his mouth helps this action franchise rise above just about all others. Unusual for a trilogy, I think the third film is actually the best of the bunch.

28

I have to admit I’m not a fan of the last five minutes of the latest entry in this series which might not bode well for the next planned installment, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but every other minute of the three current zombie films is a blast. Before director Danny Boyle delivered 28 Days Later in 2002, zombies basically shuffled along the streets and weren’t hard to outrun. No longer. Now they’re fast and so much scarier.

Quiet Place

Like Pitch Black, what makes these films so good is their original concept. An invasion of aliens that hunt and kill based on sound is so innovative and makes for such natural tension that it’s difficult not to get caught up in the difficulties the characters face in their fight for survival. One could argue that the second and third films don’t tread much new ground, but they’re still worthy extensions of the original movie.

Mexico

I might not have ever watched the low-budget El Mariachi if it weren’t for the sequel, Desperado and the third movie in this trilogy, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, but those latter films are some of my all-time favorites. Modern westerns filmed with director Robert Rodriguez’s dark humor and over-the-top style, they made stars of lead actors Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek.

Dollars

What Rodriguez is to modern westerns, Sergio Leone is to classics. His Dollars trilogy released in 1964, 1965, and 1966 set the gold standard for post-John Wayne western movies. The anti-hero lead played by Clint Eastwood might have changed names in each film, A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, but the audience recognized him every time as the scowling gunslinger you absolutely did not want to mess with.

Dark Knight

If you’ve read many of my earlier posts, you know I’m not much of a superheroes fan, but Batman is the exception to that rule. Christopher Nolan’s trilogy raised the bar for what comic book movies could be and Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker in the second film, The Dark Knight, deserved the best supporting actor Oscar it received. I’m not sure any superhero movie in the future will ever touch it.

Godfather

No, I don’t like the third film any more than you probably do, but the first two movies are such classics, this trilogy ranks third among the all-time best anyway. Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, so many great actors and performances in these movies. Writer Mario Puzo’s story of a family’s generations rising from poverty in Italy to the top of organized crime in America is mesmerizing.

Lord of the Rings

Before director Peter Jackson came along, many thought it was impossible to do author J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy trilogy justice on the big screen. He proved them wrong. The Lord of the Rings movies were so well made, with such amazing special effects, solid writing, and dedicated performances, they won a total of 17 Oscars, made truckloads of money, and turned a whole new generation into fans of the books.

Star Wars (Original Trilogy)

Say what you will about the prequel and sequel trilogies that came along decades later, but in my opinion, the original Star Wars trilogy released in 1977, 1980, and 1983 is the best of all time. I watched Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Vader on the big screen as a young child and I’ve been hooked on sci-fi ever since. It’s hard to describe to younger generations just how groundbreaking these movies were in their day and they still hold up despite the antiquated effects technology. There’s a reason why George Lucas and now Disney have sold 50 years of toys and series based on these characters and their universe. They’re simply the best.

 

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out trilogy doesn’t quite reach the heights these other trilogies do, but all three movies are still a fun watch. Daniel Craig never fails to hold the viewer’s attention and in the most recent entry, Josh Brolin and Glenn Close in particular are great foils against his detective’s powers of deduction. Wake Up Dead Man began streaming on Netflix last night so check it out.

Visiting Charleston

 

Image Credit: Matt Handle

If you’ve checked out many of my previous travel posts, you know I have a penchant for visiting historic / haunted places. In June of 2024 and again last week in October 2025 I had the opportunity to explore Charleston, SC. Founded in 1670, Charleston features about as much history as you’re going to find in a country as new as the USA. My occult detective Jack Strange, protagonist of the short story “Strange Rituals”, as well as a yet-to-be-published follow-up and a shelved novel, hasn’t ventured to South Carolina yet, but based on all the interesting stuff I’ve seen there, I think a trip might be in the cards for my one-day-hopefully-famous private dick. It isn’t much of a stretch to imagine Jack running into some ghostly stuff in this charming old place. To whet your appetite for that potential strange case, here are some photos I took while wandering the streets, alleys, and swamps of the colonial city once known as Charles Town.

Love, Death & Robots - Season 4

 

Image Credit: Netflix

The fourth season of Netflix’s animated series Love, Death & Robots was released yesterday and while its lack of a truly stand-out episode means that it doesn’t hold up quite as well as previous seasons, I still found it entertaining. If you keep up with this blog you know I wrote about seasons one, two, and three in the past so continuing the tradition feels like a natural. Like previous seasons there are several big names involved in the writing, direction, and acting in these 10 episodes including David Fincher, John Scalzi, Tim Miller, and John Oliver, some more successful in their contributions than others. The episodes are short enough that watching all 10 in a single sitting is easy enough, but if you want to cherry pick, I’ve written brief descriptions of each episode below in my order of best to worst.

 

The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur

This episode seems to be catching some static based on the fact it features the voice talent of Mr. Beast, but I really enjoyed this one. The story itself isn’t all that original, but the setting, the characters, the animation, and the action make it my favorite 15 minutes of the season.

How Zeke Got Religion

This is one of those shorts that is so good, you wish it were longer. Watching the WWII aerial crew set out on a mission only to find themselves beset by flying demons bent on killing them all mid-flight, I loved the gory action. I just wish I had more time to get to know the crewmembers before the action kicked in.

For He Can Creep

This historic fantasy tale of a cat that is dead-set on protecting a poet locked up in an insane asylum from Satan himself is lots of fun. It’s the last episode of the season and ensures the season goes out on a high note. I hope to see more like this one if Netflix makes a Season 5.

400 Boys

I love the animation style in this short and it does a nice job of painting a set of unique characters in minimal time. The first two thirds of the story warrant consideration for being the best of the season. The let-down is its choice of villain. The ending falls short of the set-up.

Spider Rose

I loved the animation in this sci-fi horror short, but the story didn’t do much for me. Character motivation was odd and the ending left me unsatisfied. I rank it in the middle of the pack because it feels like it has plenty of potential. It just could have used a good rewrite.

Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners

Easily the funniest episode of the season, this 8-minute short provides the perspective of increasingly unfortunate appliances who have to deal with humans and their oblivious behavior. It features well known comedic voice talent including Kevin Hart, Melissa Villasenor, and Amy Sedaris.

The Other Large Thing

This amusing episode features the voice acting of Chris Parnell and has a satisfactory ending, but I’m not a fan of the over-the-top caricatures and animation style that represent the human bad guys that the feline and robot main characters must defeat.

Golgotha

This one is actually live action so it’s a departure from the series norm, but it’s one of the weaker episodes in this season. I liked the human characters and the alien villain well enough but the punchline of an ending felt too abrupt.

Close Encounters of the Mini Kind

I didn’t like the miniatures when they did it with zombies last season and this version with aliens isn’t any better. I know it’s supposed to be humorous, but it just feels lazy to me. This is an unoriginal story without any character development or even a unique gimmick.

Can’t Stop

David Fincher has directed some great films. Why he agreed to direct a marionette concert video of the band Red Hot Chili Peppers is anyone’s guess. This might have made a decent extra clip for a band documentary, but it’s the weakest episode this series has produced so far.

Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld

 

Image Credit: Disney

May the 4th Be With You! In celebration of Star Wars Day, Disney+ released a new six-episode animated show entitled Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld. While I haven’t jumped on the latest few Star Wars offerings, this one is right up my alley. My favorites in the Star Wars universe have always been the rogues, the criminals, and the bounty hunters and that’s what this mini-series is all about. In particular, the show splits three episodes each between former Sith apprentice and assassin Asajj Ventress after she leaves the employ of Count Dooku and an origin story for bounty hunter and crime boss Cad Bane. The episodes are short so binge-watching is easy and if you’re a Star Wars fan like me, I highly recommend them. The animation is excellent, as is the voice-acting, and I’d put the scripts above most of Star Wars’ recent streaming shows. Below are my brief descriptions of each episode.

 

A Way Forward

While trying to lie low from Imperial forces, Asajj Ventress runs across a young Jedi who she ends up protecting and then joining on a search for The Path for Jedi trying to escape Order 66.

Friends

Asajj Ventress decides her best option for obtaining information regarding The Path is to help an old acquaintance pull off a heist but things don’t go as planned.

One Warrior to Another

Following the information received at the end of the heist, Asajj Ventress ends up on a desert planet where she and her young friend get caught between a former Imperial officer and the locals in a battle for control of a dwindling water supply.

The Good Life

Cad Bane is just a young street rat who survives by stealing from unsuspecting citizens alongside his best friend when they get recruited to help a violent gangster named Lazlo.

A Good Turn

Years later, Lazlo gets killed and Cad Bane goes to even the score despite his female companion’s objections. When he arrives, he is surprised to meet up with his old street rat friend who is now a lawman.

One Good Deed

Cad Bane and his gang get revenge for Lazlo which leads to a standoff between Bane and his old friend. By the time the proverbial smoke clears Bane learns a secret that contributes to his notoriously bitter disposition.

The Next James Bond

 

Image Credit: IMDb

After waiting years to hear what’s next for the James Bond franchise after the end of Daniel Craig’s run as our favorite British spy in 2021’s No Time To Die, the news today is that Amazon has taken control of the franchise rights from longtime owners Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson for the cool figure of $8.5 billion. If you’ve read many of my posts over the years, you know I’m just a bit of a James Bond fan. I’ve ranked the films. I’ve ranked the theme songs. I’ve even suggested artists for the next theme song. Now I’m going to weigh in on who I think should be cast as the next James Bond. I don’t hold out much hope Mr. Bezos and his Amazon minions will heed this advice, after all this is the same corporation that delivered the tepid spy thriller All the Old Knives (2022) but cancelled The Peripheral (2022) after just one season, but a fanboy can dream, can’t he? Note, James Bond is typically cast in his mid to late 30s in order to give him both the proper amount of veteran presence while also enough time to do three to five films before he ages out of the role. This almost assuredly rules out favorites like Tom Hardy (48), Michael Fassbender (48), and Idris Elba (53). So, who’s left? Here are five top candidates:

Image Credit: Longines

Henry Cavill

Cavill is now 41 so the James Bond opportunity may have passed him by, but he’s definitely got tall, dark, handsome and British down pat. He’s also played Superman, the Witcher, Sherlock Holmes, and a host of other major roles. My guess is that he’s too obvious of a pick, but might he play England’s greatest spy next?

Image Credit: Shayan Asgharnia/For The Times

Theo James

At 40, James might also be a few years too old to get the nod, but if you’ve watched Guy Ritchie’s spinoff Netflix series The Gentlemen (2024), you probably know he can pull off the suave, dangerous Brit-type. He’s got plenty of experience, but he’s still enough of an unknown, he could be a good pick to follow in Craig’s footsteps.

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Nicholas Hoult

Hoult is 35, English, and he’s been starring in films since he was a kid including About a Boy alongside Hugh Grant in 2002. More recently he’s starred in Nosferatu (2024), Renfield (2023), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and several of the X-Men movies. He’s got the talent and the action chops to play the part, but he still strikes me as more of sidekick than a leading man.

Image Credit: Pascal Le Segretain for Getty Images

Jack Lowden

Lowden stars as River Cartwright in the excellent Apple TV+ series Slow Horses. The 34-year-old Scotsman has proven he can play a convincing (though much less intimidating) British spy in that series, but his resume might be a bit light for the part. Would Lowden put enough butts in seats to satisfy what will surely be a massive budget for the next film? I’m not convinced. 

Image Credit: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

A year ago, I thought 34-year-old Taylor-Johnson was as close a thing to a shoe-in to be the next James Bond as we’re likely to find. Then he starred in Kraven the Hunter (2024), an absolute stinker of a comic book movie. Will that dud keep him from landing the part? We should find out soon. Based on his work in films like Bullet Train (2022) and Savages (2012) I still think he’s the top contender. 

All I Want for Christmas

 

Photo Credit: Matt Handle

Reflecting on the fact that the only contribution I made to this blog over the past year was an award eligibility post last week made me feel like a bit of a cad so here you go, one more post for 2024. Despite the fact that this year included more than the usual amount of terrible shit around the world, it did present some quality stuff worth recognizing and wishing for more in 2025. This post is about those good things – the stories, films, and shows I enjoyed and/or added to my wish list this holiday season.  

 

I read a baker’s dozen of books this year. Many of you probably read more than that, but with a rewarding, full-time career in software, a wife, three kids, a cat, and all the scribblings I jot down with whatever writing instrument is close at hand, 13 is all I managed. Of those, three stand out as exceptional though all were published before the year began. Caliban’s War is Book 2 in James S.A. Corey’s Expanse series. It’s just as good as the first and even better than the television series it spawned. Book 3 is at the top of my list this year and I highly recommend this series to any science fiction fans that haven’t discovered it yet. The Nighthouse Keeper is Book 2 in author Lora Senf’s Blight Harbor trilogy. While it might be geared toward middle-grade readers, this decidedly older-than-early-teen reader enjoyed it just as much as her debut The Clackity and you can bet her follow-up The Loneliest Place is on my list for 2025. Finally, after almost 20 years I got around to reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by the late Stieg Larsson. No wonder it became such as worldwide sensation. Great book.

I tend to be a pretty harsh critic of films and television shows. I’ve rated almost 2000 of them on IMDb and have given just six a perfect 10 of 10 and 23 a score of 9 of 10. Nothing released this year reached those lofty scores in my book, but I did rate three things an 8. Dune: Part Two is the type of movie that demands a cinema experience. I saw it in IMAX and it blew me away. I can nitpick about the script in places, but the cinematography is amazing. My Christmas List definitely includes director Denis Villeneuve’s planned follow-up Dune: Messiah. I also loved The Wild Robot. The book it’s based on is geared toward young readers, but the movie will pull at the heartstrings of every parent who sees it. I hope more animation studios strive to produce this level of storytelling in 2025. The Apple TV+ series Slow Horses released Season 4 this year and it was every bit as good as Seasons 1-3. For my money, it’s the best thing on the small screen right now. Two more seasons are planned and I can’t wait.

Other stuff slated for the end of this year and 2025 that you’ll find on my list include director Robert Eggers’ remake of Nosferatu, the upcoming final installment of the Tom Cruise film series Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, author Lora Senf’s upcoming young adult novel The Losting Fountain, and Thomas Ha’s first collection of short stories, Uncertain Sons and Other Stories.

All told, I’ve got plenty to be thankful for and more than enough to be excited about. I hope the gifts found under and the loved ones found sitting ‘round your tree this season bring you peace and happiness. I look forward to sharing more words and work with you in 2025!

2024 Awards Eligibility

 

Image Credit: Pixabay

I confess to ghosting this blog for over a year now, but I was busy banging away at a middle grade novel that’s about 80% complete as well as knocking out some shorter work. I had two awards-eligible short stories published in 2024 that are linked below. I hope you’ll find time over the holiday season to check them out. My steampunk/dinopunk story “Clockwork Dinosaurs” was published by Hyphen Punk and it’s now free to read. “Strange Rituals” was published in the latest Vanishing Point anthology and it can be purchased both on their website and on Amazon.

If you enjoy either story, I’d love to hear from you here or on my preferred social network, Bluesky @matthandle.bsky.social

 

Clockwork Dinosaurs Hyphen Punk, October 2024. 4920 words.

A steampunk airship pilot and her crew race against time and rivals to rescue a matriarch’s scepter from dinosaur-infested waters.

 

Strange Rituals Vanishing Point, October 2024. 3685 words.

An occult detective takes on the case of an ex-con who had his eyeballs stolen and finds the details of the theft are even stranger than the result.