4 Thoughts on The Emmys

1. The Host - OH WAIT...there was no host. What a terrible concept. I didn't read about this being a host-less event, so I'm not really sure why they decided to go that route, but it just makes no sense. You need someone to make the show move along and ENTERTAIN. There are only two reasons that people watch award shows: one, because they LOVE movies/television/pop culture and actually care about who wins, and/or two, because they love the host and want to be entertained. If one of those is missing, then there goes at least a third of the audience. This flat-lined from the second Homer Simpson appeared (oh Fox, never change).

2. The Winners & Losers - I don't have much to say about the winners - lots of talented people. I recently watched the first season of Fleabag and it's great (wouldn't have been my pick for so many awards, but it's still definitely deserving). I am, however, SUPER ecstatic about Jodie Comer (obvi!) and for Michelle Williams for Fosse/Verdon. I don't think Game of Thrones is the Best Drama of last year (or any year that it's been on), but I was expecting the win and I've come to terms with it. It's a good show, and it's very successful in a lot of ways. An Emmy send-off is appropriate. The only wins that really pissed me off were for Julia Garner for Ozark because she is the worst actress, in my opinion, and this will only make her appear in more things and I really just need for her to go away. And Ozark for directing. I mean, really Ozark shouldn't have even been nominated for anything considering the shows that are more worthy. It's even more absurd for it to win, but in both cases, I think it was a split vote with Game of Thrones (with multiple nominations within both categories), so it had to go to either Ozark or Killing Eve and voters clearly made the wrong choice.

3. The Show - The whole show was just a boring disaster. The presenters were boring, which made not having a host even worse. And don't get me started on Thomas Lennon as the "Emmy Commentator" - what the fuck were those random facts he was spewing out? Half of them didn't even make sense and none of them were interesting. The speeches were really, really boring. I know Michelle Williams is getting a lot of praise, but it was a super weird speech, to me. She basically makes a case for being difficult on-set (like see I was difficult, but people listened and now I have an award so you should listen to difficult women because they know what they are doing). That's just plain weird, right?! But at least she gave a memorable speech and I guess that's all people can hope for nowadays. I couldn't even tell you what anyone else even said. The whole show just felt like a really long ad for Fox tv shows (and FX and FXX).

4. The Fashion - This was the only success of the whole night! I don't think anyone looked like they belonged on the top of a wedding cake! There were still some questionable choices, like anyone wearing that God-awful red and pink combo (seriously?! There were like 5 people wearing this! This is always a fashion "no".) and whichever Kardashian was wearing the latex turtleneck. But, there were also some gorgeous gowns - my favorite is a tie between Michelle William's paisley embroidered Louis Vuitton number and Kristen Bell's beaded Dior dress (that would look so good on me! Someone buy it for me please!). I also thought Emilia Clarke looked stunning.

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Rocketman - I absolutely LOVED it. I watched it 10 days ago, and I have thought about it every second of every day for the past 10 days. It just might be my favorite Biopic of all-time (big words, I know but I'm not a big fan of the genre - Milk was at the top of the list previously). First, I think it's genius to have the tagline "Based on a true fantasy", because that sets the tone from the beginning. It's a musical fantasy that utilizes Elton John's songs to tell his life story. Second, it's a bit weird to do a Biopic about a musical legend that's still...alive, but this movie gives a great case for how to make it work - getting John involved, it seemed so personal, so genuine, and so...real (even though it is a fantasy! The line that's straddled is so perfectly balanced). Third, the whole thing just made me incredibly happy - even in its darkest moments (maybe it's knowing that John doesn't, in fact, die of an overdose or by suicide helps). Fourth, it's just so beautifully choreographed - there are so many moments of sheer beauty. The scene that will stick with me forever is the suicide-hospital-Dodger Stadium scene. It's incredible. And Last, Taron Egerton, as Elton John, is the best casting decision of the fucking century. I remember watching Sing and hearing Egerton sing "I'm Still Standing" and thinking "wow! he sounds like Elton John, but also like his own version". That's exactly how I felt for this whole movie. He sounds just close enough to John, without sounding like parody. He also acted his ass off. It's Oscar-worthy material (and as much as it pains me to say, is my favorite performance this year replacing my precious James McAvoy in Glass). And, as I've mentioned probably a dozen times, Taron is fucking HOT as fuck. Even in the Elton John getup.

2. The Meg - I don't care, I will always be excited by a movie that has Jason Statham fighting a giant shark. I wish this was as fun as it was advertised, but it was actually a little bit boring. I don't really think it got interesting until the last 30 minutes (major shark attack carnage), but by that point I was already over it. Rainn Wilson as a billionaire is actually perfect casting. Everyone else (aside from Statham) was pretty forgettable (and I was hoping for their immediate deaths). Ruby Rose is really disappointing in this - she is almost robotic (I thought that maybe that was going to be some kind of big twist or something). She looked like a wet robot for the whole movie. I don't really have that much else to say. Watch Piranha instead.

3. Halloween (2018) - I don't know if I've ever written about my love for the original Halloween. I guess I just assume that it's a given. I should start with the fact that I was never really a Horror movie fan. I was never not not a fan, but there is definitely a Horror genre cult that I'm not a part of. I just enjoy good movies, in general, and sometimes it happens to be a horror movie. Typically, I only enjoy serial killer type horror movies (as opposed to supernatural). I didn't see the original Halloween until after I watched Scream (so '97-ish. I was 16-ish.). It was because I loved Scream so, so, so much that I began to seek out older horror films. Scream was really the first big horror movie that gave me nightmares (although when I was a kid, I had nightmares over Firestarter and from Tales from the Crypt). Scream also came out around the time I really started getting into films. So I loved watching Halloween and realizing how many filmmakers were influenced by it. Then, purely because of my age and my love for Josh Hartnett, I was obsessed with Halloween H20 (I mean, they even got Janet Leigh to cameo!). It's still probably my favorite of the sequels. Anyway, I was excited for this "official" sequel. I think it's weird to ignore all previous sequels, but hey, I guess anything goes nowadays. As a sequel, it's really strong. I'm excited for more. Jamie Lee Curtis is a fucking legend and I'm so proud to be named after her (there are conflicting stories about how I was named, but I always go with this one because it's cooler). But how on Earth did I not know that she's been married to Christopher Guest for the past 30 years??? Judy Greer as her daughter is fantastic casting (because I always love Judy Greer. More Judy Greer in movies please). Overall, the plot is just stupid - I mean, wouldn't she just get an actual safe room instead of booby trapping her house with those stupid metal bars? And she certainly would have gotten rid of those stupid closet doors! It's also not scary, like, at all, but it's fun to watch and sometimes that goes a long way.

4. Searching - Actually sort of brilliant. I didn't really recognize the brilliance behind it while watching it, but it's really stuck with me. The first 10 minutes almost made me burst into tears - Jesus Christ. But then, it turns into this really great story about a father trying to connect to his teenage daughter and realizing that he knows nothing about her. It's fascinating to think that a 16 year old has had their entire life documented online. Like from literal birth. It's a very simple story of a missing girl, but there is so much depth and accuracy in its story-telling within the age of social media. There are a few issues I have with the plot - *slight spoilers ahead* - like how they didn't look into the brother's texts or facetime messages earlier. However, the ending completely shocked me. It's all spelled out within the movie, but it's so subtle that when the ending is revealed I was just blown away by it. I would love to watch it again to make sure it holds up, but on first impressions, I think it does. Which is great! I hate when a big twist happens and you just know if you watch it again, the twist doesn't make any sense. John Cho does a really great job - my heart was just breaking for him through the whole movie. I highly recommend this movie.

5. Mary Poppins Returns - Just not my thing. However, I'm not really sure who the audience is exactly because I can't imagine kids enjoying this at all. It's just so boring and it feels really dated. And I'm about to say something really controversial, but I don't like Lin-Manuel Miranda. I don't really know much from him, and I know Hamilton is supposed to be the BEST MUSICAL EVER, but I never had any interest in watching it (honestly, looks horrendous to me). He's in this movie a whole lot, so it was really hard for me to watch. His voice just irks me. I tried to focus on Emily Blunt, because she's a queen. Imagine getting the call to play one of the most iconic characters of all time? Such an honor, but also incredibly stressful, I imagine. She did a wonderful job embodying the character, but also giving it her own touch. I loved the Dick Van Dyke cameo, I wished they got Julie Andrews. That would have been so lovely. The movie just didn't feel special enough. And I wanted to fast-forward through every song because, damn, those songs are rough.

Fall TV Preview: 6 New Shows to Watch

1. Unbelievable - This already premiered on Netflix a few days ago to rave reviews. I want to see it for two reasons, and two reasons only: Merritt Wever and Toni Collette. Just about two of the most interesting actresses around. I've also read great things about Kaitlyn Dever (I haven't seen Booksmart yet, but I recognize her from Justified and a few other bit parts). It's a very relevant (and true) story, but it doesn't really feel like anything I haven't already seen before so I'm interested to see this added "twist" that I've read about.

2. Batwoman - I've watched all of the CW DC shows (although I never got around to Black Lightning, is it any good?). The only one I completely gave up on was Legends of Tomorrow (which wasn't terrible, I just had too many shows to watch and it wasn't doing anything for me). I love Ruby Rose, but I feel like she's already above this show (like these shows should be saved for more newcomers in my opinion). She was a standout among a slew of fabulous actresses in Orange is the New Black. It's just an odd casting decision, in my opinion. But I guess we'll see!

3. Dublin Murders - I think this already came out in the UK because I remember seeing tweets about it months ago. I was intrigued just by the sheer amount of talk about it. It reminds me of The Killing which was hard to watch at points (because of the subject matter and the dreariness of it), but it's a show that has stuck with me far more than I ever expected.

4. Treadstone - I'm a big, big fan of the Bourne films. This is a wonderful idea, but I'm hesitant that it's on the USA network because that tends to be a network for fun summer shows - not serious dramas (yes, I think of Suits as a fun summer show, and yes, they've had ONE exception: Mr. Robot). The commercials have seemed a little expected and a little cheesy, but I'm still going to watch.

5. Watchmen - I literally could not be more excited. I've been trying to stay mostly in the dark, so I have no idea who is in the cast or where they are starting the story from. I don't need to know. I'm just hoping that it's as beautiful as the movie.

6. His Dark Materials - James McAvoy in another television series?! Dreams really do come true. Also, another fave of mine - Ruth Wilson. I don't know the story. I'm not sure if I saw The Golden Compass, but my initial gut is that I haven't. I've never really been a fan of the Science Fantasy genre, but....James McAvoy!

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot - Gus Van Sant has made some of my favorite films (Good Will Hunting, Milk), so I was really looking forward to this - especially since it stars Joaquin Phoenix. I didn't actually know what the movie was about (the director, star and title were enough to peak my interest), so I was pleasantly surprised that it's a Biographical film about the life of John Callahan (based on his book). Callahan's cartoons are hilariously inappropriate (my kind of humor!). Phoenix does a superb job, as usual, but the standout is (not) surprisingly Jonah Hill. I honestly didn't even recognize him until about 20 minutes into the movie and when I finally did I exclaimed out-loud "HOLY SHIT THAT'S JONAH HILL!" (I knew he was in the movie, but totally forgot when I went to watch it). It's a very typical "hippie-dippy" kind of character, but it's just so unexpected to cast Hill in that role. Overall, it's a forgettable movie which is a shame because it has a great cast, great characters and a great story arc, but it's missing something. I think it needed to decide what it wanted to be - whether it was this feel-good motivational story, or this eccentric tale of an eccentric man. It just played it too safe in my opinion.

2. High Life - My first Claire Denis film, and guess what? I absolutely hated it. It's just a mess of a movie, really. The plot is really dumb, the Sci-Fi aspect doesn't hold up at all, it's extremely slow moving and not in a good slow-burn sort of way, and worst of all - the critics just ate this shit up. The reviews I read are laughable (words like "masterpiece" are being thrown around so carelessly nowadays). The only positive thing I have to say about this movie, is that it is visually beautiful. There are a few shots that are stunning (one shot in the beginning actually made me gasp). However, this doesn't forgive the rest of the film for being complete and utter crap. I will also say that the acting is decent (that's a given with the cast involved - except Andre 3000. What the fuck is he doing in this movie?). The story would be good if they just focused on the main story instead of this weird psycho-sexual story they keep trying to enforce. I felt like that was thrown in to make it interesting, or dark, or something but it fails miserably.

3. BlacKkKlansman - Really great story - based on real events - that obviously resonates in today's climate. I don't think John David Washington really looks like his father (Denzel), but he sounds exactly like him and it is freaky! I became a big fan after that interview he did in which he praises his mother's achievements after being asked about his famous dad (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4wOu4_XVMA). It's just so wonderful. I think Spike Lee did a great job in showing the similarities among the "opposite sides", and really made a strong statement in dedicating the film to Heather Heyer. I read that he received a lot of criticism among black activists for dedicating a film about racism and hatred to a white girl, but I think it works in relation to the movie. If you didn't receive that message, that both sides are inciting violence, then you weren't watching closely enough. Lee's point is that we need to start listening to each other, and inviting conversation instead of assuming things based on race (or occupation - as the main character is constantly being criticized for being a police officer, as if he is a "traitor" to his race). I appreciate that Lee is trying to create a dialogue that brings us together instead of creating a larger gap. I don't think the film is very memorable (compared to Lee's previous work - like Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing), but overall I enjoyed it. I'll concede that Adam Driver is getting stronger as an actor. I also really thought that was Steve Buscemi for a good half-hour, until I realized it was his brother. The only huge mistake that Lee made was casting Topher Grace as David Duke. I just can't take Topher seriously, ever, and this is a very serious role (one of the most dangerous men still inciting violence in our country).

4. Aquaman - Not good, but certainly not a bad movie. It's well made for what it is. Aquaman is probably my least favorite DC superhero, and having Jason Momoa in the role certainly doesn't help. I know a lot of women who love him, but I've never been into the muscle-y type men. However, I do LOVE Amber Heard (super huge girl-crush alert, and she looks soooo good with the red hair), and Nicole Kidman is such an unexpected choice. And then, to top it off - Patrick Wilson! What a great cast. Kidman's opening scene is probably the best scene in the whole movie. I loved watching her kick ass. The rest of the movie is just so-so. It does exactly what it sets out to do, so I can't really fault it. It's a very predictable superhero tale, although I was confused about the timeline (is is supposed to be before Justice League? I don't really remember that movie. I probably blacked it out.). I wish the visuals were better - I heard that this was "colorful" compared to other DC movies, but I found it incredibly bland visually. Some color would have been nice, especially for underwater scenes.

5. Widows - There's nothing wrong with this movie, but considering it's directed by Steve McQueen, I was incredibly disappointed. It just feels like Lifetime female revenge territory, so I wasn't surprised that it was co-written by Gillian Flynn (of Gone Girl fame - don't even get me started on that atrocity). Stunning cast, which is probably the only reason my interest was held - Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Liam Neeson, Michelle Rodriguez, Carrie Coon, and my favorite up-and-coming super-star, Elizabeth Debicki (who basically steals the whole movie). As with every McQueen movie, there is an absolutely STUNNING shot (the one that got me was the rap scene - the circular tracking is just sublime). I also was surprised by two different plot points (no, not the obvious "twist" - if that surprised you, then you weren't paying attention). The movie is far too long, and far too dull for my liking. Also, I think there were too many storylines at play, so all of the supporting characters weren't fleshed out enough - or could have been cut altogether without effecting the main story at all.

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Avengers: Endgame - I've been up and down with the Marvel movies, and honestly, I think I'm just exhausted by all of them. I didn't even see this in the theater because I just couldn't gather that much energy to sit there for 3 hours to watch something that could have probably been condensed into the previous movie. I appreciate that they had a clear timeline for the story to play out and a plan for the evolution of these characters, it's revolutionary for film in general - to create, what, 20 movies? All connected and relevant to each other. History has been made. But as far as the actual movie goes...I'm not really the biggest fan. Everything was very expected - of course they were able to wipe everything away that happened in the previous movie (the snap) because it wouldn't be a very uplifting superhero story if they didn't. There were a lot of moments that made me groan, mostly the scenes that were added as fan service - like the one where all the female superheros take the spotlight (am I supposed to feel empowered that they were given a total of 3 seconds of screen-time together?LOL). I think the worst part for me was that this type of movie is made for someone with a good memory, and my memory sucks. I have no idea what happened 4 movies ago (honestly, I can barely remember what happened in this - and I watched it like 2 weeks ago). I probably would have enjoyed all the nostalgic bits of time travel if I remembered all the things I'm supposed to be nostalgic about. And, this may make me seem really cold, but I'm not emotionally attached enough to any of these characters to care if they actually die. At this point, I'm expecting it - I mean, fucking finally, right?!

2. Stronger - I thought I was going to cry, but I was able to hold strong. I think it's weird that two movies were already made about an event that happened just 6 years ago. This movie is very different than the Marky Mark one because it focuses on just one of the survivors (and his surrounding support system). Jake Gyllenhaal is definitely one of the best actors of his generation (which is my generation). There are no other actors in their 30s that have accomplished what he has, and the fact that he doesn't have at least 3 Oscars is unfathomable. He's only been nominated once! I count at least ten performances (including this one) that should have been nominated. Fuckin' TEN. That's insane! His Boston accent is spot-on in this, and the emotional depth of this performance is astounding. Tatiana Maslany is also really great (as expected if you've seen Orphan Black). I hope she has a huge career and that's she's not forgotten about. This story is really great, because it puts the focus on our need for "heroes" and what constitutes someone as a hero. He's seen as a hero, but all he did was simply survive. He was suddenly thrown in the spotlight, and expected to perform. It's quite tragic, really. It's amazing that he is able to keep his sense of humor and sarcasm, even during the worst situations. It's sad that they aren't a couple anymore (yes, I looked it up). I was rooting for them, and I don't root for many couples.

3. John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum - I really enjoyed the first two and expected to love the third, especially with the strong reviews. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this one. I felt like the first two created a really strong world that lives within "our" world, but this felt like they went too far to live in any sort of realism. Also, I loved the scene with Halle Berry, but she hasn't been strong in anything since...Gothika? Has it really been that long? I really used to love her, and would even site her as one of my favorite actresses..but that was over 15 years ago. She was terrible in this - just so bland, and she seemed like she was reading off of cue cards. I just wish the scene was done with a different actress, because then I could say that it was truly great. The rest of the movie was exactly as expected- wonderfully crafted and choreographed fight scenes. It's a little disappointing that they still left the story open, room for a fourth movie. I'm over it. Enough is Enough. Also, a minor criticism, but as an animal lover - a big part of why this movie is so special - his fight to revenge the death of his dog, I despise the horse scene. Horses do not belong in NYC - and animal activists have been actively fighting against this for decades. It's tone deaf to have John Wick galloping through the city streets on a horse, I don't care how cool he looks.

4. Long Shot - Seth Rogen and Charlize Theron are definitely an odd pairing - and not because of looks. Because he's a stoner comedian actor and she's an Oscar nominated actress. I think it's definitely a societal problem when a super hot actress pairs up with a "normal" looking funny guy, and everyone goes "really...him?" (I've been guilty of it myself - see: January Jones and Jason Sudeikis - really, him???). It's insulting on many, often contradictory, levels. For one, to assume that a beautiful woman, like Charlize Theron, only cares about materialistic things (therefore, the man she dates must either be hot or rich, or both) is completely misogynistic. On a completely opposite spectrum - in order to look like Charlize Theron, it takes a lot of effort - from the designer clothes, to the constant skin care routine, etc. that women have to endure, and then they end up with "normal" guys, like Seth Rogen, who literally do nothing aside from getting out of bed and maybe showering. It's not really that far out of line to think that maybe she deserves better? I'm just throwing out some thoughts in my head, but it's all sort of fascinating to think about this pairing. Anyway, the movie isn't as deep as the thoughts in my head, as it doesn't really need to be. It's a dumb comedy, that's actually pretty funny. Rogen always makes me laugh, but I wasn't expecting the spot-on comedic timing from Theron. She's actually hilarious and it felt genuine - like she wasn't even trying too hard to be that funny. Which just makes me love her even more. 

5. Robin Hood (2018) - Completely unnecessary, but I will watch literally anything with Taron Egerton. Literally ANYTHING. I actually don't think I've ever watched a Robin Hood movie aside from the animated one with the fox that I watched when I was a child. I don't even know how many there are, but there is only so much you can do with the story. I think a modern version - should be just that - modern. This just feels redundant and boring - even as it's announced in the beginning that you need to forget "what you think you know", as if this movie is going to tell you something completely different (*spoiler* it doesn't). The only thing that shocked me was that the super hot guy from The Fall shows up so I had the privilege of oggling not one, but TWO super hot guys for two hours. I was also pretty surprised at Jamie Foxx's over-acting. He's usually consistently strong, but he's definitely the worst actor in this. They did do a sort of twisty ending (that I think is pretty predictable, but I still appreciated it), but other than that I think it's pretty dull. If it didn't have two hot guys to stare at, I probably would have fallen asleep or gotten up to clean and kept it as background noise.