Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Road House (2024) - Soooo....unmemorable?? I don't even remember watching this and it was only 3 weeks ago (I'm a little behind on my blog!). My notes aren't much of a help either because the only thing I wrote was a sentence referencing the dialogue about Cuban coffee (the bartender person says something about how Cuban coffee is very different than coffee and it's very true! My father-in-law is Cuban and the coffee he drinks basically tastes like mud). I don't really remember if I've seen the original - I'm pretty sure I have, but I was probably 13ish and it was definitely only once, so I don't think I'm expected to remember it, surely? I do remember just how famous Patrick Swayze was at this time (Dirty Dancing, Road House, and Ghost triple threat). I don't feel like it's a sacred movie that shouldn't be touched - an updated version could work, but this just falls flat. I like the people involved - I've always been a big Liman fan, plus Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Williams & JD Pardo (LOVE him). But I don't buy Jake in this role at all - I don't care how ripped he gets, he's still a big ole' puppy dog. I'm really not sure why anyone would think casting Connor McGregor in a film was a good idea, and it's also proof that the so-called "woke" Hollywood doesn't exist. If you're not familiar with his legal troubles, Rolling Stone has a detailed article of his timeline of arrests (A TIMELINE - not even just, like, once or twice, it's a dozen or so arrests and charges). It's just really disappointing, but not surprising. 

2. Lisa Frankenstein - I can confidently say that if I was 14 years old, I would LOVE this movie. It's dark and funny, with teen humor that *just* sits at that line of adulthood. It's very smartly written, which isn't surprising since it's Diablo Cody. I wasn't aware that Zelda Williams (Robin's daughter) was continuing in the film biz, but that's super cool. This is a good feature debut (she has other films under her belt apparently, but none I've ever heard of). As an adult, I still had fun with this (I laughed quite a few times - the "Damnit, Janet" joke and the Pabst joke - both of which probably went over every teenager's head). I think it's a little too derivative (it's like if you mashed Warm Bodies, Edward Scissorhands, Jennifer's Body, and Heathers into one movie). I also think it's a little confused on the story it's trying to tell and the characterization of the main girl changes from scene to scene, which is a writing/directing problem because Newton is doing her best. I like her a lot - I wasn't a fan of her in Ant-Man, but she's nailed everything else. Her "I Can't Fight This Feeling Scene" scene in this is such a strong representation of who she is as an actress - she obviously can't sing, but she goes for it anyway and makes it fun. I just feel like this character doesn't feel like a real person - there's no consistency to her character that a director is supposed to...direct. I also think this is kind of embarrassing for Cole Sprouse - he doesn't even really have any dialogue (it's just an interesting contrast from what his former co-star Charles Melton is doing - being in Oscar nominated films and such). I do think this was presented to him as an early Johnny Depp type role (see Edward Scissorhands or Benny & Joon), so I get why he took it, but he's not early Johnny Depp so this is...*eeek*. I do think it's funny that I told my husband I was going to watch this and he said "oh is that about the pen lady?", as in Lisa Frank, who was super popular during this time period for making pens, notebooks, etc. for teenage girls. And then I looked it up and apparently a lot of people thought there was a connection to this movie, to the point where Cody had to make a statement that the name of the movie is not in relation to Lisa Frank. LOL. 

3. The Iron Claw - The hype for this movie was inescapable, and I don't really understand why. It's a very good story, with some decent acting performances (I've been SAYING Zac Efron is a good actor waaaaay before everyone else jumped on this bandwagon!). But, objectively, the actual film is very average - nothing about it puts it in the "award-worthy" category, so the apparent snubs are warranted. I think people tend to get confused by their own personal enjoyment of a story. And this is an incredible story because it's SO UNREAL how this family suffered so much tragedy. I'm not really familiar with the story (I don't follow wrestling at all), but I read a little about it when the film trailer was released last year. It reminds me of the Carter family (Nick Carter has lost THREE of his four siblings in the span of a decade!). It's not hard to make a movie out of this story - it sort of writes itself. However, the reason I'm not really that impressed with the movie is that the pacing is WAAAY off. Nothing happens for the entire first hour - and none of these people are interesting enough to watch for a FULL HOUR. I also know that stories like this take certain liberties to make the story more interesting and/or move quicker, but combining two of the brothers into one is very disrespectful in my opinion. It also leaves out that the family are born-again Christians - which is why the father is the way he is (with the attitude of "what will be, will be" because God wants it that way. I'm sorry, but born-agains are fucking lunatics. My mom's sister is one and when I was a teenager I asked her if she would sponsor me for a Diabetes walk that I was doing and she said no because if someone has Diabetes it's because God wants them to suffer. I said my best friend was born with Diabetes and she said "she must be suffering the sins of her parents". I'll never forget it. My mom told me - in front of her - that I never had to speak to her again, and I never have. LOL.). The father is obviously seen as the "villain" of the story - emotionally abusive, controlling, but they never really explain why he's like that so it's a bit frustrating. It just feels like they needed someone to blame for the tragedies, instead of telling the truth (adults are responsible for their own decisions!). There is also nothing really cinematic about it, aside from a few well-done emotional beats. I do worry about how Efron got his body to look like that - it has to be steroids and it just can't be worth risking your health like that for a movie role. I also feel bad that everyone went so hard on him for the physical changes in his face, assuming he had plastic surgery only to find out it was from a facial injury. I admit, I thought the same, but I also wonder why with all of his money, he didn't get a better plastic surgeon - clearly something went wrong? It's very sad. Anyway, Efron is good here. So is Jeremy Allen White (and as an aside - I've been a fan since Shameless, but I get aggravated when actors get super popular and are suddenly cast in everything even if they are not right for the role and, I'm sorry, but casting him as Bruce Springsteen is WILD. I hate it.). But the highlight is my sunshine, Lily James (AND HOW DARE THEY IMPLY THAT SHE'S UGLY! "look how pretty she looks when she puts some effort into it" is the dumbest quote from a movie I've ever heard). And the lowlight is, you guessed it, Harris Dickinson (stop putting him in stuff! He has ZERO personality or screen presence. I don't understand!). 

4. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes - I was actually under the impression that this movie was good, but...uh....it's definitely not. I surprisingly really liked The Hunger Games movies. All of them. I wasn't expecting to, but I found them very enjoyable and interesting. I was IN for a prequel - especially starring New Jersey's own Rachel Zegler. But, this was terrible. I rated it 2.5 stars, because it's well-made - the production quality is top-notch. But everything else about it made it almost unwatchable so I'm considering lowering my rating. First, Rachel's accent is SO HARD to listen to. And when she sings with it, I wanted to die. The twang??? GIRL YOU ARE FROM NJ! Second, it's very inaccessible - I have a terrible memory, as you may already know. So I know I liked all the Hunger Games movies, but I don't necessarily remember them - so I found this very confusing. They just jump right into the games, but I thought it would have more of an origin story. Third, Rachel and this guy (Tom Blyth - I'm not familiar with him), have ZERO chemistry. The film never does a good job at showing that they are in love until they suddenly just ARE. It's just so boring, and I don't understand the mostly good reviews for it! It's obvious as to how he is going to save her because the foreshadowing is insane (and IN THE TITLE OF THE MOVIE!). Even the costumes suck! Rachel wears an Anthropologie skirt for the whole film (I'm pretty sure, they just dyed it multi-color); not exactly wow-worthy. And whoever did that to Viola Davis needs to be fired. The only good thing I have to say about this is that I really like Hunter Schafer - I don't necessarily think she's a good actress (and she's awful in Euphoria), but I just really like her. I read that recent article about how she's tired of being seen as a "trans actress" and doesn't want to be known for that, which is a pretty rare thing for someone of her generation to say. But I think all of the identity politics is what is causing such a division. I think she has a lot of potential to be part of the A-list as just an actress, and that should be very inspiring for a lot of people. 

5. Night Swim - And speaking of stupid, I can't believe they made a movie about a haunted swimming pool. Literally. It's a pool. And it's haunted. LOL. I actually liked the opening scene with the little girl, because I definitely remember being a little scared of a dark pool at night when I was a kid (I was somehow scared of a shark getting in??? It's ridiculous, but I was scared of sharks when I was little but only because when I was swimming off of my uncle's boat in the middle of the ocean and my cousin started calling me to come back to the boat and I didn't listen and then he said there was a shark so I swam back as fast as I could. And he made it a big joke about how I swam so fast, but he never told me if he was lying about there being a shark! He still claimed for years that there was a shark near me! I had nightmares about sharks for years! I'm not sure how I thought they would end up in a pool though. LOL). But then it just goes full stupid. There's a whole baseball subplot, about how he hurt himself and somehow the pool is going to heal him but kill everyone else (I think?). It's also very boring - they tease the audience a lot but nothing really happens until towards the end. There are also some very weird cuts (like when it's suddenly pouring rain and he's screaming "the pool is the best thing that's every happened to me"). It has a great cast, which is sort of depressing because why is Oscar-nominated Kerry Condon in a b-rate horror film??? And Wyatt Russell is on a career upswing with the Apple TV+ Godzilla show. They are completely wasted here. 

3 Thoughts on Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

1. The Franchise - You guys, you know what I realized recently? I don't think I've ever seen Ghostbusters 2!! It was on tv, and the part I saw did not seem familiar at all. It makes sense because I never really held the Ghostbusters movies as, like, a childhood memory - I don't even think I saw the first one as a child. I'm pretty sure I was an adult (although I'm sure I saw scenes because I knew who all the characters were...maybe I did see it as a kid, I don't know). I think that's really rare for a child in the 80s, but it just wasn't my thing. And I've never really liked Bill Murray (sorry, EVERYONE, he seems like an asshole. A miserable asshole. I don't find him funny at all). I think the 2016 "all female" one was pretty pointless and stupid (but will be burned in my memory for Chris Hemsworth's lensless glasses. It's too funny). But, I actually really liked Afterlife. It definitely surprised me, and I thought the cast had such great chemistry together. I was excited for the franchise to continue. I thought it was super cool that it reinvigorated an almost 40 year old franchise. Unfortunately, this one feels like it killed any remaining excitement. It's not terrible, but just very average. I came away from the theater feeling disappointed, and the more I thought about it, the more I dislike it. 

2. Ghost Girl and Company - The two biggest mistakes this entry makes is (1) trying to cram a million and one characters into a two hour movie. Please take a second to just look at how insane that poster is (it's Marvel-level insane) - and the even weirder part is that one of the major side characters (Melody aka Ghost Girl) isn't even featured on it. AND McKenna Grace is...the STAR of the movie so she should be bigger. Like, the main family should be equally sized and centered and then everyone else should be small or eliminated all together, and that's true for the movie too. Carrie Coon is completely sidelined (it almost feels like she didn't even want to be in this?). I probably could have done without the original cast altogether (maybe a cameo here and there, but they several old cast members who had whole scenes!). And I don't even remember any of the side characters from Afterlife, so it's weird to bring them into this setting as if they were beloved characters. I think the only two important other characters (aside from the family) are Melody and Kumail Nanjiani's character (who also provided some much needed comic relief - never quite laugh out loud funny, but amusing nonetheless). It's obvious from her introduction that Melody is going to be important in the end. I would have liked her story more if they actually went for the story they hint at - as in - just let Phoebe be gay. It's extremely implied that there is more than a platonic connection with Melody - but it's never explicitly stated. It's such a cop out, and extremely irritating. Which brings me to (2) why did they make Phoebe the most annoying teenage girl on the planet? She was so funny and interesting in the first movie, but here she is UNBEARABLE. The whole plot with her being sidelined because she's too young is SO DUMB. But her attitude about it is even dumber. I wanted her dumb dad jokes, her quirky fun-facts, and her adorable winks! It's WHO SHE IS! 

3. The Rest - Overall, this is just...not a good movie. It's boring, badly paced, over-stuffed, and non-sensical. Like, why would they deem ghostbusting as too dangerous for a teenager, but her walking into an empty park in NYC in THE DARK *screams* BY HERSELF is somehow okay??? I wouldn't even walk into an empty park in the dark in NYC by myself and I'm 42. There is some good stuff - the effects are done really well, especially the scene in which Patience and Fortitude come to life. And the frozen stuff is done really well - I like how it's genuinely scary with the ice spikes tearing up through the ground. If it were funnier, I probably could forgive a lot of the faults, but I laughed a total of ONE time in its two hour runtime (when he tells the library researcher "he's already dead" as a joke - perfect comedic delivery). BUT, my husband liked it - and he's a big fan of the franchise. He, like me, loved Afterlife, so he actually insisted we see this in the theater (a true rarity!), and he left happy, so what do I know? 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. The Gentlemen - I LOVE this show!!! It's so much fun and Kaya Scodelario and Theo James have INSANE chemistry together. It's honestly refreshing to see because it feels like it's so rare for actors to have actual chemistry nowadays. I've been a big fan of Kaya's since Skins (so much talent came from that show - Dev Patel, Nicholas Hoult, Jack O'Connell, Daniel Kaluuya etc.), and I hope this is finally the break that she needs to send her into stardom. I thought she would breakout with the Maze Runner films, but those films didn't turn out as popular as expected, nor did they have any lasting effect. I think this is a good role for her because this is definitely a more adult role, and there is a lot of depth to this character - there are moments in which the audience doesn't know if she's good, bad, untrustworthy, a murderer, or just a really good businesswoman. Theo James really won me over in the second season of The White Lotus - I really didn't like him at first, but once I realized that he's supposed to be a very unlikeable character and HE NAILS IT, I pivoted to total respect for his acting skills. He is incredible in this  - so likeable, even as a wealthy entitled aristocrat. It's so weird that the movie version is really bland and they were able to turn it into this. I can still see some of the same elements and characters - it definitely feels like the same world, but this is just so much more interesting. It's also fascinating that marijuana is still so illegal in the UK. Because even before it was technically legal here, it really wasn't a big deal - there certainly weren't underground mobsters growing it (they deal in much harder drugs like heroin & cocaine. Pot is...laughable). It's even more of a contrast when Giancarlo Esposito shows up as a somewhat lighter version of Gus Fring (I definitely was one of the people who looked up if they were trying to connect this to Breaking Bad - the character is just too similar!). I'm hopeful for a season 2 (it seems to have done pretty well, so I'm expecting it to happen). Also, I laugh every time they call the brother "Fredward" because it reminds me of when I first heard that Ned from The Simpsons full name is "Nedward", I laughed for like an hour. I don't know why it's so funny to me, but I laugh all the time about it. 

2. Apples Never Fall - *spoilery* I can't really decide if I liked this or hated it, but I will say that it is very successful in being binge-worthy. I just kept hitting "play" on the next episode even though it's so incredibly trashy and stupid. It's like they made a Lifetime movie into a miniseries and they somehow got actual actors to star in it - like ANNETTE BENING! What are you doing?! You were just nominated for a fucking Oscar! I hope she doesn't fall into the Nicole Kidman pattern of doing a miniseries about privileged white women over and over again. This plot did have me guessing, though. I think it's fairly obvious that this is the rare case in which the husband didn't do it. I figured that there was going to be a reason behind every clue that pointed to him. But I also thought that *major spoilers ahead* she's not actually dead (rule of trashy murder mysteries "no body = not dead"). I did think that maybe she killed the strange con-artist woman, though, and that maybe he was covering it up for her. That would explain why he acted so weird. And he definitely acted weird. If your wife went missing, a normal, loving husband would show waaaay more concern than he does. Sam Neill just never convinces me that he's concerned about her whereabouts, and I think that's a big problem from a storytelling perspective. The rest of the cast are kind of...terrible. Yes, even Alison Brie - whom I ADORE, so it pains me to say. She's jut very grating in this, and overdoes her character. And again, it just doesn't feel like how a human being would naturally react. It's interesting watching them all turn on their dad, but none of them seem as distraught by it as they should be. I do really like the woman who plays Savannah. Her name is Georgia Flood - and I could not for the life of me figure out what I knew her from until I just looked it up right now and it's Wentworth (she was Bea's daughter!). As I said, it's one of those shows that hooks the audience, but it's not necessarily a good show. And the twist ends up being really, really dumb. 

3. Manhunt - For an Apple TV+ show, I expected better. It kind of feels like a History channel reenactment show, which is an insult to these actors, but it's true. The casting is WILD. Hamish Linklater as Abe Lincoln??? Lili Taylor as Mary Todd??? Neither of them fit these roles AT ALL. Also, Patton Oswald sticks out like a sore thumb. I saw people commenting about how some of the dialogue is too modern, and I don't think I wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for Oswald's delivery of this dialogue. I do think Tobias Menzies is doing a great job leading the show, and I don't have any problems with the guy playing Booth. Unfortunately though, I'm just bored to death watching it. It's kind of interesting to see how this whole "manhunt" went down, but there's also just something so dull about it - I think maybe it's the pacing? It should be more exciting, no? There's just nothing even worth noting to talk about, which is probably why so many people focused on the dialogue not being historically correct. I think if it were more interesting (and had better casting), people wouldn't even notice this minor detail. 

4. We Were the Lucky Ones - I really like Logan Lerman and Joey King, so that's why I added this to my watchlist even though it seems depressing as fuck. The first two episodes are exactly that - depressing as fuck, but also terribly boring and predictable. It does pick up, though. I'm on the 5th episode, but the 4th episode is definitely a highlight (more on this later). However, I'm not really invested in these characters, either - I don't really feel like they are given any time to develop, instead it's all plot (as in, this is what happened TO these characters and...we already know because this time in history has been well documented and turned into many movies, novels, series, etc.). I think King is very strong so far, though, even if she's laying the accent on a little thick. She has a really strong scene in which she has to tell the man she loves to go ("they need you, I don't") - and she executes it really well, showcasing the heartbreaking sacrifices thousands were forced to make. As I said, I'm a big fan of Lerman - and even more so after watching Hunters - his acting in the final season blew me away (also there's an episode that will haunt me for the rest of my life - and it's also about the holocaust. But it's told in such a way that felt new and soul-destroying). I think I've mentioned before that I had a terrible interaction with his mother (who was his manager and still might be) a long time ago when I worked at a production company in LA. She was just very unfriendly, but I understand she was trying to protect her son from a very unfriendly business (he was only like 16 at the time - interestingly, the role that we were looking at him for eventually went to Ezra Miller and then they ended up starring in Perks of Being a Wallflower together just a few years later). The rest of the cast is filled out by actors I'm not familiar with, but all are strong. There are some really standout scenes, during episode 4, in particular. The scene in which they are digging their own graves and then she has her daughter run to the other woman and call her "momma" - harrowing. I think a big problem, though, is...the title sort of gives the show away, because I assume that even in the most harrowing situations they all still live (because they are *the lucky ones*). It's still all very depressing and feels hopeless. If you're not in a good place, mentally, then maybe skip it...

5. Palm Royale - I'm surprised this show hasn't had more buzz considering the talent involved (Kristen Wiig, Allison Janney, Laura Dern, and the one and only, CAROL BURNETT!). I don't think I would have even heard of it if it weren't for the fact that the retailer that I work for did a fashion campaign as part of their promotional advertising. I haven't seen anyone talk about it at all - and, again, it stars CAROL BURNETT!!! I don't think Apple TV+ is very good at marketing their shows, though. A few of them take off, obviously, like Ted Lasso, but I see random ads on Twitter for their other shows, and that's really it. They need to step it up, because they are the most consistent (quality wise) with programming, and definitely worth the money. I like the look of this show - the production design, the costumes (the look that Janney wears in the first episode in which the print on her glasses MATCH the print on her top is exquisite and I MUST HAVE THIS LOOK), etc., are all outstanding. I think the story is a little lacking, though. I'm caught up on what has aired, but I think there are still 4 episodes to go, so it has time to win me over. Kristen Wiig is a favorite of mine - and she's so stunningly gorgeous! I think this gets overlooked because she's also hilarious, so she's just known as being "funny" instead of "hot", but she is definitely both. There is also a very special scene featuring father daughter acting duo Laura & Bruce Dern (in their first time acting in a scene together!). Dern (Laura) is always a highlight - I recently started that HBO show she did a while back called Enlightened and she's SO good in it (and kind of plays a similar character here). There is some funny dialogue - like when the manager insults Wiig's character with "you look like you can afford it" and she responds with "that is...so kind!" (the show is about her trying to fit in in an exclusive country club even though she clearly doesn't fit in). And then during the meeting with the group of feminists one of them says "boys can be feminists too" and she dismissively goes "y'all are such a hoot!". LOL. The big misfire is the casting of Ricky Martin - first, why would this 50 year old man be doing the job that is essentially a pool boy??? That job is reserved for hot 20 year olds, Ricky, stop playing. He's also a terrible actor, but I feel like that's already a given. Do you want another fun fact about my past celeb interactions?? Well, I also interned at a few record companies in the early 2000s, during the height of TRL, and Ricky Martin being a big thing. Well, he was promoting a new video for the song "She Bangs", and he was nervous that there wouldn't be enough people supporting him outside (remember how crowds used to form in Times Square for TRL??? Crazy times), so as an intern they made me go and gather people to stand outside for him - I made posters for them to hold up and everything (one of them read "BANG ME Ricky" LOL! Times were different then). I actually did that for several musical artists at that record company, and then I interned at Jive records (who had Britney, *NSYNC, and Backstreet Boys) and I asked them about it and they were like, "uuuuhhhh no, those crowds for our artists are there naturally" and they thought it was hilarious that other record companies faked it. Anyway, epic sidetrack. I know you missed those!

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Poor Things - I can understand the backlash to this, if you take the film at a pure surface level - it's kind of, like, what the fuck am I watching? But, I don't think it's supposed to be taken literally. So, on the surface, the movie is a modern day, gender-swapped, story of Frankenstein('s monster), and he creates his monster by putting the brain of an unborn fetus into a dead woman to revive her. Things get a bit icky when this "monster", named Bella Baxter, begins to explore her sexuality - as she (literally) has the brain of a child. But I think the intent of the "baby brain" is supposed to be more of a blank slate type situation, not necessarily one of immaturity. I think her brain is trying to catch up to her adult body, and I also think there is a lot of interesting discussions to be had about where our sexuality comes from, as in its part of human nature to explore it and discover it for ourselves. Bella is able to be uninhibited in ways that many women dream about - she doesn't follow social norms, says exactly what she's thinking ("I must go punch that baby"), and openly enjoys having a whole lot of sex. Women often have to walk a thin line, a balance, in many aspects of life in order to appease men (men want women who are successful, but not too successful; smart, but not too smart; experienced, but not too experienced), and Bella just...doesn't bow to any of it. So, I can see both sides of this film. I can understand how some people can't see past the pedophilia implications (especially people who have been victims of abuse), but I can also see the story that I believe Lanthimos is attempting to tell about female liberation. Whether you like the story or not, I think any film enthusiast can see the talent in the filmmaking, though. The production and costume design are fantastic - oddly futuristic, fantastical and surreal, while also seeing Victorian influences - completely creating a new aesthetic. It's Oscar-worthy, for sure, but I still think Barbie should have won both of those awards. And even thought I was rooting for a Sandra Huller shock, I think Emma Stone is absolutely deserving. The way this character has to evolve over the course of the story is any actor's dream role, and Stone took this opportunity to show exactly what she can do - both in the physicality of the role and the psychological range. Unfortunately, I think Mark Ruffalo is the weak link - and I mean, he's close to ruining the whole movie. He's just miscast, and whatever accent he's doing is hard to listen to. It's shocking that this performance was nominated, when CHARLES MELTON WAS RIGHT THERE! Now that I've seen all of the nominated films, this snub is even more egregious. His performance is better than FOUR of the nominees! 

2. Mean Girls (2024) - I'm so behind on theater stuff that I didn't even know that they made a Mean Girls musical. I know it seems weird to remake a movie that seems so new, but it is 20 years old, whether you want to believe it or not. But if you are going to remake it, I think you have to do something different, and a musical version is an attempt at something different. I guess I should start off by saying, I was never much of a Mean Girls fan to begin with -  I don't hate it by any means, but it's a solid 3 star comedy. A bit stupid, but it's cute and has some touching moments. It's sort of amazing how much of a success it became and has remained (even I quote it regularly - my fave being "Get in loser, we're going shopping"). And while most of the cast were already familiar faces, it significantly launched the careers of Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, and Lizzy Caplan. And I think this version is going to launch Renee Rapp into superstardom. I heard her name a lot within the theater crowd, but this is the first time I've seen her in anything and she is wonderful. AND OMG her voice is so good - I immediately began adding a bunch of her songs to my Spotify playlist. The "Someone Gets Hurt" song is SO GOOD! I also really like Angourie Rice (she's been in a lot lately, but I'll always remember her as Gosling's daughter in The Nice Guys). Her comedic timing is ON POINT (when she responds to "no way Jose" with "it's Cady"....I died). I think the biggest flaw in the film is that it doesn't seem like they updated the fashion? No 16 year old girl would wear any of those outfits. But otherwise, I mostly had a good time with it. Also, casting Busy Phillips as the "cool mom" is GENIUS casting (and Rapp looks a lot like her! Uncanny, really). 

3. Wonka - While I will admit that I didn't hate this as much as I assumed I would, I also didn't love it or see how it received such a positive response from both critics and the general public. I'll also say, again, that I don't understand the popularity of Timothee Chamalet (Chalamet? I will never know which one is correct). I appreciate that he's doing something different here - showcasing a more theatrical "showier" performance than his other much quieter roles, but he's just so bland. And he can't sing? Why are we pretending that he can sing??? And did NOBODY in the costume department not notice that they dress him up like Gonzo from A Muppet's Christmas Carol?? It took the internet .05 seconds to notice it, but a whole film got made and nobody said anything? WILD. The story is also a bit stupid, and they basically turn the business of chocolate into, like, a drug cartel? That's not exactly kid friendly (I realize that the original movie is also not exactly kid friendly, either). I just think this is just...not for me. I found it offensively bland, the songs are so dull (the only one that made me giggle is when they start to do the Oompa Loompa song and Hugh introduces it as basically the most annoying song of all time), it's not humorous or fun, and the production design feels off because it looks like it's supposed to take place in the late 1800s, but I guess it's supposed to be the 1940s (which would make more sense with the timeline) - if you showed me, literally, any still from this production and asked me the date I would most definitely guess 1890. I also just found the whole thing, once again, pointless. 

4. American Fiction - Funniest film I've seen in a while. I didn't know much about it, just that it got some awards traction towards the end of awards season - enough to push it into several Oscar nominations (and a surprise win for Screenplay!). It definitely caught me by surprise. I think the reason that I connected to it so much is because how he feels about racism is the same way I feel about feminism. Like, YES, we want equal rights, but I also hate the way everyone feels the need to separate women when talking about accomplishments (I'll use women in film as my example: my body physically convulses when I see people brag tweet about watching "52 films by women". I also HATE that actors are separated by gender in awards categories. AND people are actually arguing for there to be a gendered director category. Kill me.); it's the same way this author (played brilliantly by Jeffrey Wright) gets upset seeing his book listed as "black literature". BUT, as seen in this film, as much as we get frustrated by the push for our perspective race or gender to be the focus, we still face microaggressions every single day (a taxi passes him in favor of picking up a white guy, his name is misspelled, etc.) creating stories that are gender or race focused. It's just a truly smart script that presents the audience with the frustrations, but never pretends to have solid answers because there are too many layers for a simple answer. The cast is great - Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, my love Issa Rae, and Erika Alexander (I love her voice so much - it's so soothing). AND, of course, Adam Brody! I literally screamed when I saw his name in the opening credits, and he's so fucking perfect in this role of the elitist white film bro who is trying to "connect" with him as this cliched black character. It's so fucking funny. I do think it's weird how quickly they move on from ****MAJOR SPOILER AHEAD*** the sister suddenly dying (and I'm talking SUDDENLY. I looked down for 2 seconds and she was dead. I had to rewind because I was like "what the fuck just happened?"), but also focusing on it any further would take away from the comedic intent of the film. Although, it is mostly dark comedy (my favorite bit is when the one guy makes a motion of taking a gun and blowing out his own brain, and then he's like "oh sorry, you're dad" because their dad committed suicide. I laughed. BECAUSE IT'S FUNNY!). I also laughed at the bit when they are talking about scripts being passed around in Hollywood and he says "the whole town runs off book reports" because that is totally true. They are called script readers and they read scripts and then write up a coverage report (there is a followed format that is very book report-esque) and then add it to the appropriate pile of scripts and send the coverage report to the higher-ups. I did it for about 8 months and I think I read like 150 scripts and maybe put 10 in the pile of "definitely read this" (and 3 actually got made into movies! I'm really proud of that). But I did feel like I was writing a book report pretty much every day. Anyway, this is very enjoyable, it moves quickly, feels fresh, has killer dialogue and a hilarious ending. Highly recommend.

5. The Zone of Interest - I don't know much about Jonathon Glazer, but I do know that Under the Skin is one of the best films of the last 20 years. I've seen both Birth and Sexy Beast, but remember very little about either one. But Under the Skin will live with me forever - and I love how it was adapted because the book is an entirely different thing. This will stick with me, too, but in a much different way - because it's deeply harrowing and horrifying. It's interesting to show a story about the holocaust (and more specifically about Auschwitz) from the perspective of a Nazi officer and his wife. Glazer does a great job of somehow using a tactic of "humanizing" the villain, by completely de-humanizing them. There is NO humanity to these people - the way they so casually talk about murdering thousands of people, even an attempt to show them having a party by the pool is still so cold and sterile. Sandra Huller is incredible in this, and probably should have received another nomination for Supporting Actress (far better than the actual winner of the category!). I love that she had two films that both won Oscars this year (Issa Rae could have had her beat with THREE of her films nominated for Oscars this year!). Anyway, the way that she shows off her house and her garden to her mother, is so astonishing - just an unforgettable sequence, with the muffled sounds of a FUCKING CONCENTRATION CAMP NEXT DOOR. The way she just keeps going, as if she doesn't hear the horrors happening just a few feet away is just stunning. Also, the scene in which she's trying on the victim's clothing that now belongs to her?? Fucking vile. It's interesting that an audience can watch this and not see Glazer's views about what is happening in Palestine, especially when there are videos that circulated with Israeli soldiers taking stuff from the homes of Palestinian people they've either killed or run off their own property. The controversy surrounding his Oscar speech is so fascinating - first, all of these people signing what looks like an excel document is hilarious, I don't really see the point of it? Oh...you don't agree with what he said, so you're going to sign a document saying so??? For what? But also, they are focused on him saying the words "I refute my Jewishness" but they don't include the full quote, in which he also talks about the Oct 7th attack on Israel. He's talking about the dehumanization that is occurring in this conflict, and how it is what allowed for the holocaust to happen. We should be learning from past horrors of war and conflict, but instead we're repeating the same pattern. The ending of this film also hits extremely hard (I won't spoil it) but be prepared to be stunned into silence. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Napoleon - I really didn't like this at all, mostly because I think Joaquin Phoenix is horribly miscast. I actually think this is the worst I've ever seen him, and I KNOW that he's an amazing actor, but this role just doesn't fit him at all. His line delivery during certain scenes are WILD, too ("You think you're so great just because you have boats!" WHAT IN THE WORLD?! Why does he say it like that???). And it will ALWAYS bother me when a story that takes place in France that is about the history of France and they don't even bother to at least do a French accent? I would actually prefer it was just in French and subtitled but I understand why that's not an option (financially), but the fact that every actor has a different accent is so awkward. And Napoleon was, obviously, not French, but Italian - and I think that distinction should have been part of the movie because when he spoke French he was clearly an outsider. Plus, focusing on the love story is a weird choice especially for someone who is responsible for the deaths of, like, 3 million people (at least!). I don't give one tiny fuck that he was in love with a woman who cheated on him regularly. Vanessa Kirby is decent in the role (aside from the haircut in the beginning), but they have zero chemistry together - and this is one of those films in which I question if they even filmed together because the line of sight is off during quite a few of their interactions. It feels a little bit like Ridley Scott was attempting a Sofia Coppola Marie Antoinette style, but it just doesn't work at all. There are some stunning looking shots, though. There's no denying that. The battle scenes are spectacular (the almost colorless one with the really ominous music certainly had my attention). But otherwise, it's an absolute chore to sit through. 

2. The Pod Generation - This is basically an episode of Black Mirror. And not one of the good ones. I've said my piece on Emilia Clarke (I don't think she's a good actress at all, but she seems like a lovely person and didn't she have a brain aneurysm or something? Poor woman!). But I love Chiwetel Ejiofor! Unfortunately, he's very bland in this and they have terrible chemistry. It's a big mistake putting this in the "comedy/romance" genre that its given, because it screams "sci-fi/drama". There's nothing funny about it, and the romance is non-existent. I will never understand stories in which couples argue about whether to have kids after they've been together for years and are married. It's just not very believable (at least I hope), because it's quite literally the biggest decision you'll have to make as a couple and if you don't agree, then you're not compatible. Period. It's not something that can be negotiated or compromised. They just don't seem like they belong together at all and she has no respect for his interests or work (he's a botanist, which is a SUPER cool profession - if I have one regret in life it's that I didn't get into plants and nature earlier in life. I always found it so intimidating because I didn't grow up around plants or gardens and we never spent any time in nature. But now I have a home full of plants, I grow my own veggies and herbs (indoors & outside seasonally), and I even have a lemon tree! Plus, my husband and I go hiking regularly. It has had a significant impact on my health (both mentally & physically). If only I had known all of this in my 20s!). Anyway, as I said, this is definitely not a comedy - I laughed a total of ONE time (when the cat growls at the pod), and I found it amusing when he's first trying to bond with the pod, but that's it. It's a good sci-fi/futuristic story, and if it was told more in this way, instead of trying to be a rom-com, then it might have been good.  

3. BlackBerry - I read some really great things about this movie, but I'm not sure I see the hype? It's good (I rated it 3.5 stars - slightly above good), but people were banging on about it being ignored for awards and that makes my brain hurt. Especially, when NOBODY talked about Tetris or Taron Egerton's performance, which is a similar movie (for the record - Egerton gave a better performance than FOUR of the nominated Lead actors and yet, not one peep from anyone. But there was massive hype for Glenn Howerton in a supporting role. He's good! But....Oscar-worthy??? COME ON!). I did like a lot about this, though. First, the nostalgia of it is done really well - using real footage of news clips, Oprah, etc. is a great touch. It brought back a lot of memories (especially the line "we call them crackberries" because I TOTALLY remember that), even though I never had a BlackBerry. They came out around the time I was graduating high school. All this technology was exploding right as I became an adult, which I am very thankful for because I would not want all this tech as a teenager. I remember my mom had a car phone for work purposes and we thought that was super fancy. My first cellphone came a little later (it was 2001 - I was 20) and it was a Nextel phone (the one that did that annoying "boop-boop" sound and you could use them as walkie-talkies - it gives me ptsd even thinking about that fucking noise LOL, but back then I thought it was super cool). Second the dialogue is really smooth and quick, which I enjoy. There's some great lines to ruminate on - in particular, I think the line "men will no longer commute, but communicate" is interesting because that didn't happen. I think technology has had a reverse effect on our ability to communicate. I also like "Well, 'good enough' is the enemy of humanity" because that's sort of true - it's definitely a part of our current culture to just do "enough", but it's so essential for there to be people in the world who go above and beyond to advance humanity. I love dialogue that sticks, and this definitely does. Other than that, I do think it's about 20 minutes too long, causing the ending to feel a little repetitive and a bit of a letdown. It starts to get really intense with the introduction of the iPhone, and it's actually really funny to watch their reaction to it - and how he really convinced himself it was going to fail (has there ever been anyone else in the history of the world this wrong??), but then they just keep going with it a little too long. It's soul-destroying to watch this epic fail, though - him selling out to China is such a big representation of where we are now culturally and technologically. It also does the whole Succession style camera zooms way too many times. It becomes a little grating (I found it grating on Succession too, which will be why I never consider the show a masterpiece that some claim). 

4. Monica - Another movie that I don't see what all the fuss was about. It's a good movie! That's it! I saw SO MANY articles listing Trace Lysette as a snub, but I very much disagree (better than Carey Mulligan in Maestro, though). I think the more interesting aspect of this is that so many cisgender actors are often praised for trans roles (like Eddie Redmayne & Hillary Swank - who WON Oscars for their portrayal of trans characters), and it's hard not to wonder if a cisgender actor played in this movie, would it have received more attention? We will never know the answer, but I think that's what people are responding to with their disappointment at Lysette being ignored. I also think that release date determines, like, 70% of the nominations (and I question if this was even in the release window for the Oscars this year because it played at several film festivals in 2022??? I'm too lazy to look up what the release window dates were, but that could definitely be a factor, too). The story is a little one-note, as well. It's obviously not something I can relate too, but also, I just don't understand the need to have this connection to people who've abandoned you. I don't care if they are "family"; I'm not a hateful person by any means, but I can cut people out of my life so easily. And I just don't understand how others find that hard. If someone treats you like shit, move on. I'd rather be alone than have someone in my life that made me miserable. Anyway, the story here, is that this woman goes to take care of her dying mother, a mother who abandoned her after she came out as trans, and now her mother doesn't recognize her after she has transitioned. It just wouldn't be me. I would never take care of someone who abandoned me! I don't care if they're dying. The story never really goes anywhere - it's very slow, boring, and seems a bit pointless after its initial "she doesn't recognize me" reveal. I didn't really love Lysette's performance - and I really question the accent (it sounds like she's trying to sound Latina at some points??? WHY? It's weird.). I do love Emily Browning though. She should be a much bigger star after Sucker Punch. 

5. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom - Again, I think there's some big elaborate joke being played on all of us to see just how much worse comic book superhero movies can get. A decent one seems to appear every now and then (Guardians 3), but overall, I think they've just been on a steep downhill decline for the past 8 years (both Marvel & DC). This is truly awful, but I rated it 2 stars because I have to save the 1 star ratings for movies like Morbius and Madame Web (I'm assuming as I haven't seen it yet). Also, I feel like Momoa is having a BLAST in this, and that has to count for something. And I laughed at Patrick Wilson attempting to run for the first time. But other than that, it is pretty painful. It also looks terrible. I appreciate that this is going for the more ridiculous side of superhero stories, but, as the same with the most recent Ant-Man, I felt like I should be high to understand it. I fell asleep for like 10 minutes and woke up to some Transformer looking ape robot thing...WTF?! I also hate that they keep trying to redeem the bad guy. Give him depth, sure (like in Daredevil), but stop making them into heroes!! It's so stupid. And never in my life have I ever heard the phrase "a slice of za"...is that a thing people say? Because the word "pizza" is too difficult? Just kill me. 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. The Woman in the Wall - I really liked this miniseries - it's mysterious and creepy, really emotional, and has a devastating plot. Plus, Ruth Wilson is incredible (she was obviously great in Luther, but I loved her in The Affair too - I know a lot of people didn't like that show, but I thought the first season was BRILLIANT, and the rest of the show was solid). And the hot guy from that movie about him being a male escort (sorry, I'm being lazy so I don't feel like looking up his name or the movie, but he is fucking HOT and that accent makes him even HOTTER). There are a few episodes that drag a little, but overall, I was fully invested in this mystery - *spoiler* not just the mystery of what happened to all these children, but the mystery of what the fuck happened to THE WOMAN IN THE WALL?! How did she disappear? When they gave us that reveal, my mouth dropped open! The shot of the empty wall is stunning. I think the show does a good job of showing empathy for this woman, while also making us question her sanity - it's pretty well established that she sleep walks and is capable of dark things (due to dark things happening TO her). I feel like it's likely based on a true story (the convent trafficking children part), but I don't feel like depressing myself, so I'm not looking into it. But I know there was that movie called The Magdalene Sisters, which was about this convent, so I feel like there's truth to it. How awful. 

2. Masters of the Air - I'm just going to say it - I hate this show. I'm on the 4th episode, actually maybe the 5th? I've lost track between my naps, because I literally have fallen asleep during every episode. It's mind-numbing and I couldn't care less about every single character. The most interesting part is Barry Keoghan's accent because it's hilarious hearing him pronounce every single word ("heees onda controwles"). I made a comment about it on Twitter, and was told by an Austin Butler fan account very matter-of-factly that his accent is "New York Irish", as if I'm not from NY and my grandfather's family weren't Irish immigrants from Shannon, County Clare, and he wasn't in the army during WWII. But these things are all true, and I can tell you very matter-of-factly that he sure as fuck didn't sound like that. LOL. I love Keoghan, though, so he'll always get a pass from me. Butler on the other hand is wearing on my last nerve. I praised a lot of his performance in Elvis. But what the fuck has happened to him? What's wrong with his voice? He claimed that he got stuck in his Elvis voice and had to have a voice coach help him (*cough* bullshit *cough*), but in this he's so mumbly, I can barely even understand what he's saying. And he's also really stiff. Like, not a single emotion has appeared on his face, it's sort of creeping me out. I also don't like Callum Turner and I'm annoyed that he just *happens* to start dating Dua Lupa when they both have big projects to promote (I can smell a fake romance/publicity stunt a mile away). I'm sort of fascinated by my dislike of this because I usually love stuff like this (Band of Brothers, Dunkirk, etc.). I will say that it looks *very* good. 

3. Expats - This series has its ups and downs - and some of those ups are sky high, but overall, the series isn't great. First, I think Nicole Kidman needs an escape from these types of series (every single series she's been in over the last few years have been about privileged white women - this, The Undoing, Nine Perfect Strangers, Big Little Lies...I'm tired, Nicole, move on! Please, I beg of you!). The show follows the lives of 3 women after a tragedy has occurred, but Nicole is given the more interesting role and the other women are sort of awful. The pilot and second episode that set the whole thing up are very interesting - and I love that it seems like it's going to be about the people who "cause" tragedies. Sort of like A Good Person, which I really liked. The emotions and guilt that never go away after shattering someone else's life (by accident) is something I would definitely like to see explored more. The tragedy that occurs is also set up in a really interesting way because this little boy that goes missing is clearly a child that misbehaves and is hard to take care of - it shows his mother (Kidman) losing track of him twice in the episode leading up to his disappearance. And yet, she trusts a young woman who she doesn't know to watch him in a very busy outdoor market (KNOWING that he's a wanderer and not warning the girl of this fact). I don't really blame this girl at all, but I understand why she blames herself. However, instead of focusing on that - they have this girl sleep with the neighbor's husband (because he's "nice" to her), destroying another life in the process. I don't normally blame the woman when a husband cheats, but I do question this girl's life choices. Anyway, the third woman that the story focuses on is the neighbor who is a miserable woman who is given no likable qualities whatsoever (of course your husband is going to cheat if you're a miserable shrew all the time...). It's a shame because Sarayu Blue is the highlight of the show, acting-wise, but the character is just...UGH. The show is also just filmed really well - beautiful shots all around, the pace is slow - but in a good way, it presents a sort of loneliness that occurs, even when you're surrounded by people, that I think a lot of people can relate to. There's just some stuff in there that isn't explored enough - like how the neighbor's husband is a suspect at some point??? But they never explain why or what kind of motive he would have? And he's never really given any character development at all. AND it took me two WHOLE episodes to realize that it was Jack Huston in the role! He looks very different. I would have also appreciated some insight into Kidman's husband - who is barely in it - but seems to forgive the whole situation a little too easily?? If my husband LOST our child, that forgiveness would be hard to come by (and interesting to explore!). I think there's an attempt to focus on these 3 woman and have the men around them used as props (how women have so often been portrayed in the lives of complicated men), but I find it frustrating. 

4. Criminal Record - I'm only 4 episodes into this, but so far, I really like it. I LOVE Cush Jumbo (from The Good Wife and I've just finished the first season of the spin-off, The Good Fight - it's so good!). Peter Capaldi is really good too - and they have really solid energy together (it's not exactly chemistry - it's like an anti-chemistry, but it works so well for the story). I like the story that is set up in the first episode - basically she finds out that someone is in jail for a murder they may not have committed, and she's trying to figure out how/why it happened (and it's all leading to Capaldi's character being a slimy, corrupt police officer - he's a bit too good at covering his tracks though.). It moves very quickly and has some surprising twists (although as soon as they said the woman was on the 9th floor - I knew exactly how that scene was going to play out. I still winced, though). I always forget that police in the UK don't carry guns, but...uh...it would have been quite useful in multiple situations she gets herself in?? I'm not a gun advocate by any means, but police should have them (and also face consequences if they use them incorrectly or unjustly). ANYWAY, I'm excited to watch the rest of this series! And I think it's going to be a series and not a miniseries?! That would be great! I feel like producers are too scared to invest in tv shows anymore so they make miniseries' and if they are successful, they go "ohhhh okay, we'll make more!" (*ahem* Beef  *cough*). But it is kind of left on a cliffhanger (I don't mind if that's the end though - life is a cliffhanger!). 

5. Mr. & Mrs. Smith - This is FAR better than I was expecting. First of all, I'm ecstatic that Phoebe Waller-Bridge (is it Bridge or Bridges? Don't care) dropped out (she would have definitely ruined the show for me). I'm not sure that I like the new woman much better (again, lazy, don't feel like looking her name up but I think it's Maya something), but she does do this role of cold, introverted assassin very well. But I love Donald Glover so much. He's one of those actors that can be outwardly hilarious, but also maintains a subtle, dry humor in smaller scenes. I definitely remember liking the movie version with Brad and Angelina, but I don't remember much about it - just that they are sexy as fuck and that they are assigned to kill each other. This series explores more of the "how they got there" story, and it's just a whole lot of fun. The guest stars are incredible (PARKER POSEY!! Literally, when they ask the question if there's anyone who "got cooler as they got older", I screamed "she's right there! Her name is Parker Posey!". She's the coolest!), even if some are too short-lived. I laughed quite a bit in every episode - some of my favorite lines are: when he refers to the young white guy as "American Psycho" for no real reason other than he's young and white. When she's describing how he eats and he says "like Stomp" LOL. But my favorite is when he says "I can be cool, too" and then pulls his hat to the side - it's such a dumb dad joke, but Glover pulls it off in such a funny way. I do feel like they move too quickly between each episode - like they meet in the first episode, but by the third, they are a full-blown bickering couple. And then a few episodes later the relationship is already dissolving. It's never really clear how much time has gone by. But I could also argue that it keeps it moving fast, which is interesting. I do hate the bickering, though. I just don't find it entertaining at all (and why do they always make the woman character the bitch in these situations? She's awful to him, even making fun of how much he cares for his mom??? That's like the biggest GREEN flag there is, bitch!). The ending is really action-packed and a ton of fun (even though *spoiler* THEY KILL HER CAT! WHAT THE FUCK!). This is rumored to have a second season, too, so I'm crossing my fingers that it's true!

3 Thoughts on The Oscars

1. The Show - HOLY FUCKING SHIT JIMMY KIMMEL JUST HOSTED ONE OF THE BEST OSCARS IN YEARS!!! I'm stunned into disbelief. I've never been a fan of Jimmy, and I've hated every one of his hosting gigs. But I actually laughed a few times at his opening monologue, and even throughout the rest of the show. There were SEVERAL highlights that I thought couldn't be topped but then Ryan Gosling brought the fucking house down with his performance of "I'm Just Ken". I knew Gosling was going to have a blast performing this. Someone commented on Twitter that the thing that makes him great is that he takes the work seriously, but not himself - and that is exactly it! He is definitely in on the joke and he realizes how fucking ridiculous this song is and that he's performing it on the Oscar stage, but he went for it anyway - and gave one of the best Oscar performances in history. From the head to toe pink sparkly suit, to the "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" reference, to fucking SLASH coming on stage, to handing the mic to his co-workers for a quick sing-a-long, it was all just perfect. Other highlights of the show were Messi the dog not only sitting in the audience like a good boy, but giving a better reaction shot than most actors, and then CLAPPING for Best Supporting Actor (I DIED). John Cena doing a bit about being a streaker - walking out on the stage with nothing but the envelope covering him and then his voice shakily says "costumes...". I clapped for the Twins reunion, but laughed hard that instead of making it about Twins, they talk about how they both "tried to kill Batman" - leading to a funny moment with Michael Keaton in the audience. Also, Gosling gave another highlight as presenter, along with Emily Blunt, in which they discuss their Barbenheimer feud, and now I can't wait for The Fall Guy, because they have CHEMISTRY. There are a few things that didn't work for me, like the past winners presenting the acting awards - in theory, it's a good idea, but the show is already too long and having each one of them speak just takes forever. And it just feels a little self-congratulatory. Also, the rest of the live performances were pretty terrible (what even was that with the flames and the kids dressed in white & red? Just awful). 

2. The Winners - There were no surprises. I repeat - no surprises. So many film enthusiasts, awards pundits, whatever you want to call yourselves, seemed shocked by Emma Stone's win, and I don't understand why. It was between Stone and Lily the whole season - either one of them had a good chance of winning (the "shock" would have been Sandra Huller - who had my vote, if I were allowed to vote). I think Lily's mistake was campaigning for Lead Actress, to be honest. She's definitely in a Supporting role (some argue she's the "lead female", but that would make Carey Mulligan the "lead female" in Maestro and yet she went for Supporting (**** correction, I posted this and then realized today that Mulligan did in fact go for Lead, and she definitely shouldn't have either!). I think it comes down to screen time. I would argue that some films don't even have a lead performance, but that's a whole other topic at hand). The other thing is, even if you're upset about Lily losing, and you didn't like Poor Things (I liked it, I'll post my thoughts on it soon), you can't possibly argue that Stone doesn't deserve this win??? She's incredible in it. She's been nominated for an Oscar FIVE times at the young age of 35 - and I would argue the best actress of her generation. As for the other wins - all expected, but shockingly, all deserving (as someone stated "we broke the Best Actor curse" because the actual best actor won, as opposed to, you know, Rami Malek and company). I've said my thoughts on Da'Vine's performance (I can't get past the accent, sorry), but she still gave a lovely performance (I think Brooks should have had the bigger buzz and if The Color Purple performed better in the theater, I think she would have had it). I guess there was some sort of surprise wins - like American Fiction beating out Barbie and Oppenheimer in Adapted Screenplay. And Poor Things getting Production Design AND Costume Design over Barbie?! But I got the sense that Barbie was not going to perform well once the nominations were announced. What I do like most about this Oscar season is that several films were recognized instead of one big film sweeping (that's always boring) - so Anatomy of a Fall, American Fiction, Poor Things, Oppenheimer, etc. all shared the love (and Maestro and Killers of the Flower Moon were shut-out, but I'm not mad about it...). 

3. The Fashion - The only real disappointment is the fashion. Not one shocking dress. And why did so many wear black??? I'll take black dresses over the big white gowns that so many wear to these events, but it just made for a really dull red carpet. The only one wearing a black dress that stood out was Issa Rae because she looked GORGEOUS. But I can't even really pick out a Best Dress - maybe Zendaya? At least the dress was interesting. I think America Ferrera looked very beautiful (not my style of dress, but she wore it well). Same for Greta Gerwig (she usually misses in her fit, but this dress fit her perfectly). Da'Vine brought some much needed glamour, but overall, what a boring day for designer fashion. There isn't really any "Worst Dress" contenders - just all boring. I don't like the structural shoulder strap dresses making the rounds (both Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh wore the trend....booooo). I also hate that peplum dresses are making a comeback (Emma Stone, whyyyyyyy???). Even Colman Domingo disappointed in black! 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Cat Person - I like this movie - there's a lot of good ideas within it, and I like Emilia Jones (she's the girl from CODA). But, it should have been 90 minutes, the ending goes WAY over the top, and I'm not really a fan of Nicholas Braun in this role. I'll focus on the good first, though. The specific ideas that I like about this movie is that I think it does a good job of reacting to the cultural shift in dating. It's always been a scary thing for young women, but I think with social media and our huge focus on true crime (between podcasts, films, docuseries, etc. - it's overwhelming), young women have become way more paranoid than they actually need to be and are having trouble forming healthy relationships. While this girl does do some pretty stupid things in the film (as most 22 year old girls do), she also thinks every little thing this man does is some sort of warning sign ("red flag") and convinces herself that he's basically a serial killer. The film starts with the quote "Men are scared women will laugh at them. Women are scared men will kill them.", which apparently is a Margaret Atwood quote??? I've heard it so many times, but never knew where it came from. It's interesting that it's an Atwood quote, though, because I think some of her stories (like The Handmaid's Tale) have caused some of this paranoia as well. *some spoilers ahead* I also think they do a good job of keeping him sort of creepy, but certainly not a serial killer. Most of his "red flags" turn into completely normal behavior (of a pathetic, insecure, loser) once explained. The way it's all executed is done really well, I think. I also like most of the cast - Jones is great. The girl from Miracle Workers is a hoot. And ISABELLA ROSSELLINI! I will never forget seeing her with that huge beaded necklace with her side boob showing in Death Becomes Her - just about the hottest an actress has ever looked (only second to Salma Hayek in From Dusk Till Dawn, I think). There's also an extremely awkward sex scene that is so real if you've ever been a woman who realizes too late that you don't really want to have sex with the guy, but feel bad to stop, so you just go with it (we've all been there). But unfortunately, there's a lot of bad stuff mixed in - first, it's hard to get past the casting of Braun. There's similar allegations against him that there are against Ansel Egort, and yet, he continues to have a successful and popular career, which is baffling. And the allegations are about him and teenagers, so I cringed when he has sex with this girl and then asks her how old she is. I don't feel like it's supposed to be meta, but unfortunately it is and not in a good way. And as I stated above - this girl does and says some of the dumbest things I've ever seen and heard, so she kind of deserves this wake up call, before someone actually does murder her. She's scared she's being stalked so she decides to walk home in the dark WITH HEADPHONES ON???? Plus, I would immediately demand to be introduced to his cats as soon as I walked in the door. She's also just a dumb-dumb (she doesn't know what ACE means? A 22 year old? She also calls her hometown the "suburbs" as if her school town isn't in the suburbs too? Her school is literally in the suburbs of NYC. Does she not know what the word means?). And why wouldn't she just plainly state that she doesn't want to go to her place of work as a date? That's a completely understandable ask. She's just, like, braindead and it makes me really hate her. And that isn't the intent. Also, on a sidenote, where was the script supervisor when they talk about Krogers (the grocery store), which doesn't exist in NJ? She goes to school at FDU in Teaneck (I lived in the next town over for 2 years when I first moved to NJ). And lastly, the ending is WILD. It's just such a shame because there is a good movie in here, with some decent editing, and a script supervisor who actually did their job (maybe point out all the stupid things she does, too?). 

2. The Last Voyage of the Demeter - Soooo boring I thought I was going to die (or fall asleep, if you want me to be less of a drama queen). I like some things about it - as a Dracula origin story, the horror vibe is very strong; it's just never as scary as it should be. I also like the cast - the little boy, in particular is fantastic. Corey Hawkins was bland in the 24 reboot, but I've liked him in everything else (Straight Outta Compton, and some smaller films). He's really good in this - and he does a fantastic British accent, I think (I don't think I would have known he wasn't British if I didn't already know it. That's how I judge accents!). It's just SO SLOW and nothing really happens for long periods of time, you know already how it's all going to play out, and I don't feel like they play up the suspense of it all enough. It's also mostly filmed at night, so it's really hard to see...anything. I just could not get into it at all, and that's surprising because I love vampire stories! 

3. The Color Purple (2023) - I really liked this quite a bit. And I've thought about it a lot since I watched it a few weeks ago. Mostly because of the production quality of the musical numbers and for Danielle Brooks' phenomenal performance - how she isn't the frontrunner for Supporting Actress this year, is INSANE (especially when the lock is a performance that consists of a BAD Boston accent - I love Da'Vine, but this performance is not my favorite). Brooks was one of my favorites on Orange is the New Black, as Taystee - and that's saying a lot because that entire cast all shined at some point during its run. But Brooks made me cry during a very specific series of events on that show, that I will remember forever. And she almost made me cry in this too! I didn't realize she could sing, but the "Hell No!" performance is stunning, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I watched this. I also didn't realize that she was in the Broadway show, too. If she ever reprises the role, I AM THERE. I think the rest of the supporting cast are really strong too (Taraji, Halle Bailey, Colman Domingo, and Corey Hawkins!!! Two movies in a row!), but unfortunately, I don't think I like Fantasia? I've never seen an episode of American Idol, so I don't really know much about her, but I really don't like her voice and I think her acting is the weakest link of the whole movie. She also looked like she was playing dress up for the whole movie - like she never fell naturally into this role. I also think the film feels a little too stagey, and the emotional beats aren't executed as well as they should be (aside from Brooks who has several emotional moments that ALL hit). I do wish the musical numbers were actually longer because they are spectacular, but they are edited down too much. It's weird because I've never seen the 90s film (it's on my list!), but I've read Alice Walker's novel when I was in middle school, and I never imagined it as a musical. I didn't realize that this was the Broadway version as a movie (which seems to be a popular idea nowadays), so the musical numbers took me by surprise, but a welcomed one. 

4. Thanksgiving - This is actually a really fun slasher flick. It's a really good premise that focuses on America's obsession with Black Friday shopping (which isn't actually that bad anymore - it was becoming wild, but then the pandemic hit and I haven't experienced a crazy Black Friday since. Most people shop online for deals now. I don't think it will ever get to that point of stampedes and such that are featured in this movie), plus the kills are FUCKING GORY AS FUCK AND I LOVE IT. It sort of reminds me of I Know What You Did Last Summer, which is a movie that I absolutely loved as a teenager in the 90s (and I was obsessed with Ryan Phillippe and I still am a little bit), but I also feel like it might not have aged very well so I'm scared to watch it again and realize that it's terrible. I think it's funny that when Patrick Dempsey starts to talk I literally rolled by eyes and said "not Dempsey attempting a Boston accent" only to learn that that is his natural accent. LOL. I just feel like sometimes actual Bostonian actors lean into the accent a little too much and the only ones that getaway with it are Ben and Matt. Ohhh and Marky Mark, too. I also knew pretty much *instantly* who the killer is. But that doesn't really matter because it's more about the kills and the vibes, and I had a great time with it. 

5. All of Us Strangers - I liked this a lot, but it definitely was far different than what I was expecting. I did go into this with the expectations that Paul Mescal might be in my favorite movie two years in a row (Aftersun is one of the best films of the last decade). It's a very beautiful film, and there are some really stunning shots. It's also something that I've sat with and thought about and reassessed a few times, which I always love (as opposed to forgetting about it instantly and racking my brain trying to muster up a paragraph of thoughts). But, the reason that it's not what I was expecting is because it's quite literally a ghost story, when I was expecting something more tangible. I also feel like the ending is very obvious (we've all seen The Sixth Sense....right???), so it didn't really hit me as hard as it probably hit others (I saw a lot of people saying the ending "broke" them and they even cried?!). But I do really, really love how this movie presents loneliness - we don't see much of the main character outside of his apartment or visiting his parents (who are dead - I don't think this is much a of a spoiler because it's obvious as soon as the audience meets them as they are the same age, so he's visiting them as he remembers them), but we get the sense that he's very introverted and obviously has suffered a lot of trauma. He's also a screenwriter, and that's an isolating profession in and of itself. It becomes a story of identity and saying the things he never had the chance to say - there is a really beautiful coming out scene that I will think about for a long time. Claire Foy is STUNNING in this scene, but also the dialogue is just *perfect* ("If I'm lonely, it's not because I'm gay"). There is a focus on a "stranger" coming into his life, but I think the bigger focus is on how he is a stranger to himself, as we all are just trying to figure shit out. It's a constant process, and I think there is this overwhelming need that some people have to feel like they are known and understood (I don't have that need. I could care less if anyone knows who I am. Especially my mom?? She definitely doesn't know me very well and I don't care). I love the eeriness of the film, some stand-out scenes (the lighting in the club kissing scene is spectacular and the last shot of them on the bed with the camera above them?!! A masterpiece!). The acting is wonderful - Foy is probably my highlight (she definitely should have been in more awards conversations - she's consistently the highlight of great movies, First Man comes to mind instantly). I'm not the biggest Andrew Scott fan (and I do think I might have liked the movie more if Mescal and Scott switched roles??), but I can see why a lot of people were upset by his Oscar snub. It's just a far quieter performance that what was nominated this year, but I would definitely put this performance over Cooper, Giamatti and Domingo (I haven't seen American Fiction yet - might watch it tonight!). On a somewhat related note - this might be my favorite movie poster of the year! I can stare at it for hours. This is definitely up there among my favorite films of 2023 (it will probably land in the 3rd or 4th spot), and I imagine that it will stick with me for quite a while. 

Thoughts on 5 New Shows (Anthology Edition)

I realized with my "Thoughts on 5 New Shows" posts, I often exclude anthology shows because they are technically not new! So I thought I would do a separate post for anthology shows since it's such a popular concept right now. 

1. Feud: Capote vs. The Swans - So, I've only watched the first 2 episodes of this, but so far, I'm not really a fan. I don't know much about Truman Capote - I've seen In Cold Blood with the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but I've never read the book. Hoffman was great in this role, but Tom Hollander is really annoying the fuck out of me - which might have been truer to who Capote was (I don't know), but it's hard watching an entire miniseries with a character this annoying. Ryan Murphy is, once again, showing us how to cast a show, though. He just pulled every great actress of the last 40 years - Naomi Watts, Demi Moore, Calista Flockhart, Diane Lane, Chole Sevigny, Molly Ringwald (did I get them all??? It's a truly mind-blowing list of women). Plus, Russell Tovey (I adore him) and Treat Williams (when I saw him, I honestly said to myself "oh...I thought he died, I must be thinking of someone else" and then I saw him in the In Memoriam section during the SAG awards and was like "WAIT he DID die?!" I guess this was his last role? How incredibly sad). Anyway, the reason I don't really like it so far, aside from Capote being unbearable, is because I don't really care about any of these assholes. Everyone is unlikeable. I don't know this story at all, but I can guess how it's all going to end, and I just don't care. I'll keep watching, though, because maybe I'm wrong and something will shock me. 

2. Fargo (Season 5) - This is one of my favorite seasons of television of the last decade! I wasn't too keen to even watch it because season 3 and 4 of Fargo have been huge letdowns. I remember how excited I was for the cast of season 3 (Mary Elizabeth Winstead & Ewan McGregor! Who are now married (I think) and have a child together, AND Carrie Coon!), and then all that excitement came crashing down with the first episode. And then the 4th season with Chris Rock trying to act?? Be real. I saw the ad for this and that it starred Juno Temple and Jon Hamm with a cowboy hat on, and I thought "oof...it's going to be another rough one", but I was SO WRONG. First of all, I have never really liked Juno. She kind of won me over in Ted Lasso because I thought she really shined when showing Keely's vulnerability, but I still just thought it was a really well-written role, and not necessarily due to Juno's acting (she has always been an over actor in past things I've seen her in - the Sin City sequel, that Justin Timberlake movie, Horns, that other Justin Timberlake movie, Unsane, should I keep going???). But HOLY SHIT SHE'S INCREDIBLE IN THIS! It helps that I just really, really love the character, but she gives this character the same vulnerability as Keely, but also she's so much more of a fighter. There is an air of mystery surrounding her character for the first few episodes, but once you learn her backstory, it will be hard to not fall in love with her. And Jon Hamm, in that cowboy hat, is one of my favorite villainous television characters ever. There's a few supporting actors that absolutely steal the show at essential moments, too (my favorite is Richa Moorjani and her whole story - I love that she's so smart and strong, and then we see her home life and it makes you question just how she got there? How did she let this man manipulate her into being the provider while he lives off of her hard work?). I also think Joe Keery does a good job in a few scenes (I was honestly surprised!). The best part of the whole show, though, is that every episode gets better! Like, it starts off really good and then the next episode is even better, and it just continues this upwards momentum through the finale! I don't think I can say that about any recent series - there is always a dip or an unnecessary episode. Always. And it has a really satisfying ending. I just loved everything about it. 

3. American Horror Story: Delicate - Yes, I still watch AHS. And, no, it's definitely not good. You can't argue that some of the seasons have been incredible though (the first one, Asylum and Coven are probably tied for my favorite, and Freakshow had it's moments. I also think Hotel and Roanoke have some good ideas, just executed poorly. However, the rest of them have been horrid - I barely even remember them. Like, Apocalypse?? I don't remember a single thing about it!). This one stars an AHS regular, Emma Roberts, who is not a great actress. I tried really hard to like her, but she's been a disappointment more and more with every project. She also shopped in my store a few years ago and was RUDE to one of my nicest employees! I wasn't there to witness, but most of the employees who witnessed the interaction described it as racist, so I wasn't really that surprised when stories started to come out about her being a bully (to a black trans actor). Anyway, she's horrendous in this. Like, worse than I've ever seen her. Also, I rolled my eyes hard at all the good reviews that Kim Kardashian received for her acting here, but I think with most of her scenes shared with Roberts, anyone would look like they can act. I was still hopeful that one of my faves, Matt Czuchry, would save the show for me, but it's too awful - there's no saving it. And unfortunately, I feel like Matt plays the role a little too...evil. Like he has this evil grin on his face from the very first episode so it's Obvious (with a capital O) that he's a bad guy. I like the idea of the series, as a play on a modern version of Rosemary's Baby (which I just watched for the first time last year! How fitting!). They could have easily just shown this whole story in the amount of time they spent on "part 1"; I have no idea when "part 2" is being released, but I'm not looking forward to it. 

4. True Detective: Night Country - While I do remember liking the first True Detective, I don't really remember much about it - so that's a big fail, for me. If something doesn't stick with me, it doesn't really matter how good it was at the time. I know I'm in the minority on that (I still see a lot referring to the first season as one of the greatest shows of all time. Maybe it is. *shrugs shoulders*). But, I think we can all agree that the second and third season sucked ass. So it's very weird to me to read that the creator of the series, Nic Pizzolatto, is reposting articles about how this season ruined the franchise. I mean, aside from it being unprofessional, he is allowed to share his thoughts on the show and be upset if he feels like it diminished his hard work, but it just doesn't make sense to me because the second and third season were horribly reviewed, and this one, whether you like it or not, is actually getting a lot of buzz and is fairly well-reviewed (even with the review bombing). It's certainly not ruining his creation, it's adding to it??? I think a lot of people surmise that Pizzolatto was not the success of the show, but Cary Fukunaga (the director of season 1) was. Anyway, I don't like the show either, but I think it's heaps better than the past two previous seasons, so I guess that's why I'm confused by his outrage. I haven't finished it yet (I think I have 2 more episodes that I'll try to make it through this week), but so far, it's been all very obvious. And it feels like it's stealing from so many other projects that it certainly can not be touted as well-written or original. The highlight, as expected, is Jodie Foster, but I also think that the dialogue is so poorly written that even Foster (one of the greatest living actresses of all time) feels like a disappointment. Also, it keeps hinting at the supernatural, but I feel like its too scared to fully commit to it. Maybe the ending will change that, but I feel like they're going to cop out on this whole part of the story. 

5. Dr. Death (Season 2) - I was not expecting this to be an anthology series, but unfortunately and apparently there are enough "Dr. Deaths" that they could go on with this concept for years! I liked the first one enough, but it wasn't anything to rave about. Just a satisfying watch with some actors that I really like (Pacey!, Christian Slater!). Season 2 is more of the same - Mandy Moore, Edgar Ramirez, Luke Kirby, etc. I think they did a good job of not just telling the same story, so this is told mostly from the point of view of Moore's character, a journalist who falls in love with him and becomes engaged to him, only to find out that he's a fraud. She's also the one who made him a famous doctor (she's wrote a story on him as a "miracle" doctor), so there's this guilt there that makes it interesting. I think he got away with it for so long because he was in such high demand that he was able to move from patient to patient, so when they eventually died because of his recklessness, the patient was already in someone else's care so he wasn't being connected to it. It wasn't until some brave doctors put the pieces together and spoke up. It's really sickening that there are DOCTORS who are more concerned with their image and celebrity status than actually helping people, but that's the world we live in. But also, this man is a legitimate psychopath and a pathological liar - and I always wonder if people like this even know they're crazy? Like, how did he think he was going to get away with this?? His lies to his fiancé are so ginormous - there is now way it was going to work itself out. Anyway, overall, I liked this second season too. It moves quickly and is interesting (even if it's obvious how it's all going to go), and I like all the actors.