Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - I had high hopes for this - especially with Guillermo del Toro involved. I thought it was going to be more like Tales from the Crypt or Are You Afraid of the Dark? (remember that show?! So good!), with short horror anthologies told within one film, but instead it's one story about a book of horror stories. It's also really disappointing, and not scary at all. It's definitely made for a younger audience (like teenagers), but I don't think this would have interested me as a teenager. It's almost too immature for that, but too creepy and gross for anyone younger. As a teenager we had more sophisticated horror stories like I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty (not to mention...Scream). I just got so bored with this. There are a few gross scenes (like the pimple scene - EWWWW), but otherwise it was all pretty dull. And obviously predictable. The cast of newcomers (I think) are all unmemorable. But I think the biggest mistake is having it set in the 70s. Something like this - geared towards teens needs to be modernized (otherwise it needs to be amazing).

2. Sonic the Hedgehog - Um...so...I thought this was actually really good. It's totally unexpected and a little embarrassing to admit, but it's super cute and I also laughed a lot. What more can I ask for? Jim Carrey is peak Jim Carrey and I didn't realize how much I missed him. And I also forgot how much of a dreamboat James Marsden is (I also just watched the first season of Dead to Me recently, and damn he is fine). Why isn't he as popular as Chris Evans? He's just as hot, but even more charming and a better actor. Also, this movie features a Speed reference (any movie with a Speed reference automatically wins my heart), and Carrey delivers the line "rub that in my orphan face" with such perfection that I laughed for like an hour afterwards. For a film about a video game with not much of a plot, I think they did a fantastic job. It's a shame that it had such negative press with their original "Sonic" design. Even with the update I think people avoided it just because of that. It's a solid family comedy, which it is rare for that type of film to also be extremely enjoyable. I was also in the mood for a dumb comedy - and this hit the spot, so that could be why I enjoyed it so much.

3. Just Mercy - Fairly straight-forward story based on a real life event about a black man sentenced to death for murder - even though there was absolutely no evidence. The story is obviously (and sadly) timely, but it's not just about the mistreatment of black people by the police, it goes further into the justice system overall, and our problematic capitol punishment sentences. It's a satisfying movie, but not very memorable. It has a bit of an A Time to Kill vibe to it, and that's a good thing, mostly, but it does feel a bit dated (plus A Time to Kill is unforgettable. I can still hear Samuel L. Jackson shouting "Yes, they deserved to die and I hope they burn in Hell!!!" vividly). I really love Michael B. Jordan - I had such a hard time with him in Black Panther (I thought he was just awful!), but I have loved him in every thing before and after. And Jamie Foxx is usually great (but again, he lost me with his performance in the new Robin Hood. What the fuck was that about?). Plus, Brie Larson (hasn't disappointed me yet!). Overall the cast is wonderful, but again, nothing about it was very memorable - and I sat watching it rather emotionless (and with this story I should be flooded with emotion).

4. The Vast of Night - Just wonderful. I went into it blind as far as the plot, but I consistently saw mostly positive things about it so I did have a certain set of expectations. And those expectations were absolutely met. I loved so much about it - the Twilight Zone vibe, the retro 1950s setting and pitch-perfect dialogue, the references to classic sci-fi movies (The War of the Worlds, Close Encounters, etc.), the suspenseful pace, and the phenomenal tracking shot that will BLOW your mind (if you're into that sort of thing - which I am. It's 4 minutes of pure bliss). It had the perfect amount of tension, while also being humorous and charming. I felt like I was watching a new episode of The Twilight Zone - it somehow felt modern, but still classic (and since I can't watch the actual new TZ episodes because I refuse to pay for another streaming service and I also hate illegally downloading things, I probably will never see it. **cries forever**). The cast is also wonderful - all newcomers from what I could tell, but their faces will live in my brain for years to come. It most definitely will make my best of the year list - but the question is WHICH YEAR? I hate when this happens - when it's clearly a 2020 release (for 99% of the audience), but because it was technically released at multiple festivals in 2019, IMDB has it listed as 2019. I think I'll include it in my 2019 list, since 2020 is a spectacular garbage fire anyway.

5. Midway - I can't believe how awful this movie is. Honestly, it's so boring, and dull, and it adds absolutely nothing new to the canon of war films. And the worst part is the main guy (I don't know his name, but he does look familiar - I feel like maybe he played a villain in a superhero movie...maybe???) does the worst accent of all time (I'm exaggerating obviously). I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a NJ accent or maybe a Bronx accent? But whatever it is....it's incredibly distracting. Why not just get someone with the accent naturally? or someone who can act? I mean, Luke Evans sounds solidly "American" and he's not, so it's not impossible. The rest of the cast is decent - it features TWO actors from The Man in the High Castle, and both are great. And Mandy Moore! I've always been a fan of hers - it was so sad to hear that she was in an emotionally abusive relationship that caused her to leave the music and entertainment industry, but I'm so glad to have her back. She's adorable. It's just weird to have all these decent actors, but then have the main one ruin the whole damn movie. It also looks terrible - and I was not expecting that from director Roland Freakin' Emmerich. I feel like we've seen it all before, so it's pointless. Absolutely pointless.